57 Chapman Law School Students Take Refund Offer

Nearly 60 Chapman University law school students--some of whom were urged to do so because of their poor grades--have accepted an unprecedented offer of a tuition refund in response to a stalled bid for national accreditation, university officials said Monday.

Those accepting the offer represent almost one-fourth of the 247 second- and third-year students enrolled at the 2-year-old law school before the offer was announced. It allowed them to withdraw by Monday and receive a full refund of the $18,000 annual tuition they had paid to date. Third-year students who remained could get half their money back if the university did not win accreditation by the time they graduate next June.

As of mid-afternoon, 44 second- and third-year students had opted to leave now for a full refund, spokeswoman Ruth Wardwell said. In addition, 13 third-year students had agreed to remain but signed up for partial reimbursement, she said.

University President James L. Doti said many of the students were performing poorly academically, leading law school officials to urge several to consider the refund offer.

“Those who were weaker [academically] were called in, and it was suggested they give very serious consideration to this,” Doti said.

Enrollment at the law school when classes started two weeks ago, was 287. The private university, whose main campus is in Orange, has total enrollment this fall of about 3,500.

Any law school student who accepts either option waives the right to sue, an important facet of the agreement for a law school already facing litigation from a dozen students who contend that they were misled about accreditation chances.

Doti said the law school hopes that retaining a student body doing as well as possible academically will enhance the prospect of winning accreditation from the American Bar Assn., he said. A new application was submitted last week, and the school is seeking state accreditation as well.

“I can’t help but think the ABA will look favorably on the fact that weaker students have opted to leave and that the university made this generous offer,” he said.

Doti said some of the students suing the school accepted the refund--which the university has denied was offered in response to the filing of the suits. The refund offer was made Aug. 20 with a Sept. 15 deadline. The first lawsuits were filed earlier last month.

The ABA rejected Chapman’s application in January and a subsequent appeal over concerns about the rigor of the program and the quality of the faculty.

In response, grading and probation policies have been stiffened, and over the summer a number of professors took advantage of a stipend to publish articles in legal journals, Doti said. In addition, a faculty peer review committee is in place--a key missing component the ABA cited in its refusal to grant accreditation.

Dean Parham H. Williams Jr. was meeting with ABA officials in Indianapolis this week and was unavailable for comment, officials said.

Unless Chapman receives state or national accreditation, it is questionable whether any of its graduates would be able to practice law in California under current state Bar regulations.

Doti cast the refund offers, which will cost at least $800,000, in upbeat terms.

“We didn’t know how many would opt for it,” Doti said. “The fact that is was low is indicative that most students are pleased with their law school experience and want to continue.”