Rural law school grapples with plunging enrollment, exodus of professors
A law school founded to provide a legal education for students in the rural coal region of Grundy, Virginia, is struggling amid a drop in enrollment.
The Appalachian School of Law had an entering class of only 48 students last year, about one-third the number who began studies at the school in 2011, Inside Higher Ed reports.
Appalachian is one of seven law schools with entering classes having a median LSAT score of less than 145, Insider Higher Ed previously reported in January, citing research by University of St. Thomas School of Law professor Jerry Organ. The median LSAT score for Appalachian’s entering class last fall was 144, the same as in 2011.
The problems have led to debate over whether the law school should merge with a college interested in acquiring an accredited law school, which could require a move out of Grundy. One obstacle to such a move is a pact signed with Buchanan County’s industrial development agency that requires county approval for a move, the story says.
Colleges that have expressed interest in acquiring the law school include Emory & Henry College, a 45-minute drive from Grundy, and East Tennessee State University, across the state line. An Emory & Henry spokesperson confirmed talks, while an East Tennessee spokesperson said the university president had not engaged in formal talks with Appalachian, according to the story.
Appalachian School of Law spokesperson Donna Weaver told Inside Higher Ed that the school has eight professors, though one may not teach for a year, and it is recruiting a few more professors. She added that the best choices will be made for the school.
“There is a body of people devoted to the school’s viability, whatever course we take, all stakeholders considered,” she said.
Hat tip to Above the Law.
