UC Puts New Law Schools on Hold

Adding more uncertainty to the fate of proposed law schools at UC Irvine and UC Riverside, the highest-ranking academic officer of the state university system has recommended postponing review of the proposals indefinitely.

The projects, which, if approved, would become the first public law schools built in the state since 1965, have strong support from the chancellors of the two universities. UCI Chancellor Ralph J. Cicerone has pledged to raise with private donations the $40 million to build the Orange County school.

However, UC Provost C. Judson King told the California Postsecondary Education Commission in a recent letter that he believes the proposals should be shelved until the state economy improves.

“We do believe that the campuses have made a compelling case,” King said in an Oct. 25 letter. But “we believe it is prudent to wait for an improvement in California’s economic outlook before requesting that the Commission continue its review.”

This year, the commission initially gave a cool reception to the proposals, saying the state had enough law schools to meet demand.

“We have indicated to the universities that we could not see a need at this time or in the foreseeable future for additional law schools,” said David Leveille, an associate director for the commission.

The state panel, comprising academic experts, has no formal power to block the projects, but its findings are considered by state university regents who ultimately must approve the new law schools. Leveille said the commission had no immediate plans to revisit the matter.

But King’s October letter is significant because it indicates that the university president’s office, to which the provost belongs, is also unlikely to forward the proposals to the regents any time soon.

Cicerone could not be reached for comment Wednesday, but has said that his drive to raise most of the cost from private donors makes it more likely that the regents would approve the project.

Robert Gill, executive assistant to UC Riverside Chancellor Raymond L. Orbach, said Wednesday that his school plans to move forward with the law school as soon as it is viable.

“We are still firmly committed,” he said. “It is a matter of timing.”