Retired Doc May Buy Troubled Ky. Law School, Administrators Resign

Law Schools

Retired Doc May Buy Troubled Ky. Law School, Administrators Resign

Posted Feb 12, 2008, 01:20 pm CDT
By Martha Neil

Three top administrators at the troubled American Justice School of Law reportedly have resigned after a retired surgeon anted up $100,000 in a loan to cover its immediate expenses while he decides whether to purchase the institution.

Paul Hendrick, the school's dean and founder, associate dean Jerrod Turner, and Wayne Shelton, who chairs the board of directors left as part of a possible plan by Dr. Robert Meriwether to rescue the western Kentucky law school from an economic crisis, reports the Associated Press.

Meriwether has two months to decide whether to exercise a purchase option to buy the school and improve it, as a cost he estimates at around $4 million. However, he expects to decide much sooner whether to move forward because the school "won't last that long," he says of the two-month option period.

"From what I've seen, the financial condition is atrocious," he says. "I need to take a real close look and find out why it is in that condition. Based on the enrollment last fall, it should have been making a profit. I want to find out why exactly there's no money."

Meriwether says he plans to upgrade the non-ABA-accredited school and seek ABA accreditation if he does buy it.

As discussed in earlier ABAJournal.com posts, five professors recently resigned and said they wouldn't return until the administration is replaced. Meanwhile, a federal lawsuit alleging mismanagement has been filed by 30 students and a previous chairman of the board, Tom Osborne.

"Osborne submitted a purchase offer last week on behalf of eight investors, but withdrew it on Monday because attorneys for Hendrick, Turner and Shelton did not provide a requested list of debts, outstanding bills and current enrollment," AP reports.

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Posted by Barry Clemens - 4 months, 3 weeks, 1 day, 21 hours, 11 minutes ago

Study hard for that LSAT, kids, or you’ll end up at the American Justice School of Law in Paducah, KY!
Posted by Mark Pitchford - 4 months, 3 weeks, 1 day, 21 hours, 4 minutes ago

Nice PSA Barry.

Seriously though, I hope the doc can get a grip on it and turn it around for the sake of the students that are already so invested there.
Posted by Jim - 4 months, 3 weeks, 1 day, 19 hours, 25 minutes ago

American Justice School of Law? Who’s ever even heard of it. I’m glad that I have Vanderbilt on my resume instead
Posted by Tony T - 4 months, 3 weeks, 1 day, 15 hours, 39 minutes ago

Doc:
Dont buy it. ABA dont accredit it. Students, it was a bad idea to go there in the first place, leave. Snotty guy who thinks he’s big time because he went to “Vanderbilt,” keep up the good work…
Posted by John G - 4 months, 3 weeks, 17 hours, 20 minutes ago

Tony T:
“American Justice School of Law? Who’s ever even heard of it. I’m glad that I have Vanderbilt on my resume instead.”
It’s arrogant persons like you that give Vanderbilt the bad reputation for having snot nosed graduates. I’m glad to be a Vanderbilt law graduate; it’s too you claim to be one also.
Posted by CERTAINLYnotAjiM_________R - 4 months, 2 weeks, 4 days, 10 minutes ago

how much did daddy pay for your grades Jim cause you aint got snot sense speaking to people that way if I knew who you were id post to your clients(if you had any) just what you wrote its people like you that cause this world to suck when it does sometime hoping you get to suffer your remarks well
Posted by Howdy fertilizer from vandy - 4 months, 2 weeks, 3 days, 23 hours, 59 minutes ago

you know it seems like the students should have known better than just fork their money over but with that said what gives old horse hockey from vandy to have a say does he go there? seems like he’s 1 of those people we backwards country people say gots his nose stuck up something it dont belong in does it smell funny up there jim ah you know what it smells like probably spent your whole life smelling it by the way you post what business is it of yours did you loose money how did you pay for your test you def. lack enough sense to stay out of something that dosent concern you so your I.Q. must be under 65 so it must have cost alot you prob payed twice for the same answers HAHAHA:)!!! Id like to know who you r id teach you a good lesson bout being NOSEY!

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