Law school seeks closer alignment with MSU; name change proposed

MSU-DCL Dean Terence Blackburn and Board of Trustees President Clifton Haley have requested that its participation in the life of the university be as if it were a constituent college of MSU. They also called for aligning its academic and administrative policies with those of the university, while retaining an independent and private corporate structure.

To better reflect this closer alignment with the university, the law college is also requesting a formal name change to the Michigan State University College of Law.

Both the MSU-DCL Board of Trustees and the MSU Board of Trustees will vote on the proposals of closer academic alignment and the name change in mid-April.

MSU-DCL believes that the new name will dispel any confusion about its location.

“We want to make sure the public knows our home is now in East Lansing and that our academic mission is in alignment with the goals and mission of this excellent university,” Blackburn said.

The name change also will give the law college a greater ability to recruit on a national level and attract a higher-caliber student body that wants to be associated with a world-renowned research university.

“Bringing the law school to MSU has been a success academically; the college is on very secure financial footing. Changing the name combined with adopting the university policies is an excellent step. Applications to the college have tripled over the last five years. I expect this new visibility will even augment those numbers and further the college as an academic institution,” said President Peter McPherson.

In 1995, MSU entered into a unique partnership with DCL to add legal education and research programs to the campus.

The affiliation agreement stated that the law college would remain private, accepting no funds from the state or MSU.

In the nine years since the affiliation, the relationship between the law college and the university has grown much stronger – including the creation of dual degrees, special admission programs with undergraduate units, joint teaching and research opportunities, and the integration of administrative systems. Both MSU-DCL and MSU have benefited from these academic enhancements.

MSU-DCL has shown remarkable growth in its student recruitment since the affiliation. Applications to the law college have more than tripled. Law students come from 30 states and 26 countries. The law college has exceeded its enrollment goals while significantly raising the credentials of its entering students.

Copyright 2001 Michigan State University Division of University Relations.