Should Central Mass. Have A Law School? Despite Some Appeal, Industry May Not Support One
Students in and around Worcester have schools that can prepare them to become doctors, veterinarians, teachers, engineers and finance professionals. There's hardly a profession one can't pursue in Central Massachusetts, with one notable exception: law.
Despite being surrounded by the likes of University of Massachusetts Medical School, Clark University and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, those who seek to practice law must look elsewhere.
Mark P. Bilotta, CEO of the Colleges of Worcester Consortium, said prospects for a law school have been a topic of conversation in higher education circles, though he doesn't think any of his organization's member schools have a serious interest in investing in one.
"Worcester is probably best positioned to be a satellite campus," Bilotta said.
That means a Massachusetts law school would have to decide to expand to Worcester, most likely by offering classes out of leased space, according to Bilotta. And as far as he's concerned, it would be a nice complement to the existing graduate programs available here.
But are there law schools that would consider expanding here, given the challenging job market new attorneys face? Add to that the fact that the number of people seeking law degrees seems to be declining.
Fewer LSAT Takers
The Law School Admission Council says the number of exams taken each year show a 16.2-percent decline in administered Law School Admission Tests in the 2011-2012 school year, following a decline of 9.6 percent in 2010-2011. Nearly 130,000 students took the test last year; 170,000 three years ago.
Prospective students seem to be responding to the bleak outlook for jobs. David E. Surprenant, managing partner at Mirick O'Connell, said one job opening at his firm, which has offices in Worcester, Westborough and Boston, generates more than 100 applications.
"Most lawyers you ask today would say the last thing you need is another law school," Surprenant said.
Given the climate, Surprenant said schools will probably think twice before adding or expanding law schools. The University of Delaware recently considered adding a law school but halted those plans, following a feasibility study.
If any school were to take the leap, Bilotta thinks it would be the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth. It's home to the state's newest law school, the UMass School of Law, and Bilotta said it would be a natural candidate for a satellite program in Worcester.
In terms of the impact to the local economy, Craig L. Blais, CEO of the Worcester Business Development Corporation, views the prospect of a law school as a boon for downtown revitalization, much like the Massachusetts School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences' Worcester campus on Foster Street.
"I think a great location would be in Lincoln Square, utilizing the former courthouse, auditorium and former Boys' Club building," Blais said.
But is it something UMass-Dartmouth officials would consider? It's been two years since the UMass School of Law opened.
Earlier this year, the UMass School of Law received provisional accreditation from the American Bar Association. The school now has three years to receive full accreditation, which spokesman John Hoey said is its top priority.
Mark C. Miller, a professor and pre-law advisor in Clark University's political science department, remembers considerable opposition UMass-Dartmouth faced when it proposed opening the state's first public law school.
Existing private law schools did not approve of a taxpayer-funded school opening at a time when the job market for lawyers was tightening, Miller said, and he doubts a new law school in Worcester would fare better.
Teaching law to undergraduates in a city that doesn't host a law school has its benefits. Miller's students have completed valuable law internships here that they might not otherwise have had if the city had more law students.
"For me, ironically, there are some advantages of not having a law school in the city," Miller said.
Image credit: FreeDigitalPhotos.net.
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