Penn State’s Two Law Schools Could Operate Separately, Report Says

Penn State’s two law school campuses, at University Park and in Carlisle, are seeking to become two separate accredited campuses by 2015, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. 

Dean of the law school, Philip McConnaughay, told the Inquirer they’re seeking two separate law schools because Gov. Tom Corbett and the Cumberland County Commissioners opposed Penn State’s plans to discontinue its first-year law school program at the Carlisle campus and shift the focus to upper-level classes and international courses. 

The first-year program would continue to be offered at University Park, according to the Inquirer. 

National trends have prompted Penn State officials to believe the change is warranted, including a decrease in applications to law schools and a decline in the market for legal services. Penn State has also decided to reduce enrollment in its first-year program by 150 students to less than 500, he said.

According to the Inquirer, Penn State said it will lose about $6 million in tuition revenue on top of an yearly operating deficit of about $5 million, which is subsidized by the university.

Read the full story from the Inquirer here.