Wednesday, May 25, 2005

Judge OKs another law school campus

Philadelphia Inquirer (PA)
May 24, 2005

Judge OKs another law school campus
It will be built at Penn State. Three board members of the Dickinson School of Law opposed it.

By Mark Scolforo, Associated Press

The Dickinson School of Law and Pennsylvania State University can go ahead with a plan to build a second law-school campus in State College, a county judge ruled yesterday.

The Dickinson School of Law and Pennsylvania State University can go ahead with a plan to build a second law-school campus in State College, a county judge ruled yesterday.

Cumberland County Judge Edward E. Guido, ruling against law school board members trying to stop the new campus, said the board "exercised due care, including reasonable inquiry, skill and diligence, as a person of ordinary prudence would use under similar circumstances."

The suit to stop the dual-campus plan was filed by Dickinson School of Law board members Leslie Anne Miller, Gov. Rendell's former general counsel; and her father, lawyer G. Thomas Miller; and emeritus board member Tom P. Monteverde.

They were on the losing side of a 17-14 vote by Dickinson's board in January to accept Penn State's proposal. They believe the second campus may eventually spell the end of the law school's original Carlisle campus.

Last week, Guido dismissed their suit against Penn State. Yesterday's ruling involved their suit against the board and its chairman.

Penn State and the law school, established in Carlisle in 1834, completed a merger in 2000.

Monteverde, a Philadelphia lawyer who joined the board in 1976, said he and the Millers had not decided whether to appeal.

The January deal would have kept open the Carlisle campus for at least 10 years, but more recently Rendell gave Penn State up to $25 million in state funds to renovate and expand the law school in return for a commitment to operate it in Carlisle for at least 20 years.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Maybe it ain't over yet. There was an article in the Harrisburg Patriot News on June 2, 2005, "Reopening of law-school case sought", that G. Thomas Miller, Leslie Ann Miller, and Tom Monteverdi are seeking to have the Court modify or change its decision and reopen the case. http://www.pennlive.com/news/patriotnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1117704164223990.xml&coll=1

I understand a hearing is scheduled for July 15, 2005, at 8:30 a.m.