What sets the real DSL apart?

http://cumberlink.com/news/local/state-college-or-carlisle-what-sets-local-campus-apart/article_3f98902e-61fb-573b-b45a-55db10d5142a.html


March 07, 2009 12:00 am  •  By Joseph Cress, Sentinel Reporter, March 8, 2009

For Joel Nori, passing the bar means staying focused on the books instead of walking to the next venue to socialize.

Given the choice, the South Newton Township man went with Carlisle instead of State College when he applied to the Dickinson School of Law back in 2006.

Nori, 26, said the party scene of Penn State’s main campus and the surrounding college town held way too many distractions for him.

He knew going into the first year of law school can be especially tough on students who, between class and study time, can expect to spend up to 10 hours per day on studies.

It is not unusual for law professors to assign hundreds of pages of material per week just so the first-year student can be ready for class discussion, Nori explained.

“With the competitive grading system, everybody wants to look good,” Nori said. Law professors are notorious for their tendency to “cold call” random students in class, he added.

“You have to be prepared,” Nori said. “Given the nature of law school, there was no way I could effectively do it in State College.”

Students choose

The dual-campus concept, in effect at Dickinson School of Law, gives students the ability to choose which campus they want to attend.

Ultimately, it is a personal preference, but there is worry over whether Carlisle can continue to draw qualified applicants when the alternative is Penn State’s main campus.

In the 2003-04 school year, DSL had 639 students, said Kelly Rimmer, director of marketing and communications for DSL. This year, the law school enrolled 574 students – 318 of whom are taking classes in Carlisle.

While the drop is precipitous, Rimmer said the school predicted these enrollment numbers when the dual-campus idea was approved.

“This is playing out exactly as we predicted,” she said.

Now a third-year law student, Nori is getting ready to graduate in May. He said there is concern among current students that Penn State may be slowly phasing out Carlisle.

“If that concern is unfounded, that would be fantastic,” Nori said.

At Carlisle, Nori’s perception is that the majority of first-year students seem to be those who worked for a few years after college before entering law school. As a result, he added, these students seem to be older.

Meanwhile, the majority of first-year students going directly from college to law school seem to favor the main campus, Nori said.

Nori was among the first students to enroll under the dual-campus configuration. While, at first, there were technical problems linking Carlisle to State College, those problems have been resolved and the system is working well, Nori said.

Penn State put a lot of money into the teleconferencing system that interconnects the classrooms of both campuses, he added. The university is supposed to put similar technology into its Trickett Hall site.

Nori draws hope from the investment Penn State has made in renovating and expanding the traditional campus of Dickinson School of Law. That project is underway and expected to be ready for classes by January 2010.

“I hope they just don’t close the Carlisle campus, because it does so much good for the community,” Nori said. He noted how the campus tax assistance office helped more than 500 needy people prepare their tax returns.

Well established

Local lawyer James D. Flower Jr., a DSL graduate, also mentioned how Carlisle has well-developed and established clinics in such areas as family law and children advocacy.

The Carlisle campus also has close ties to state government and many large law firms based in Harrisburg, he added.

“If a law student wants to be out there in the world, they can do that from this campus,” he said. “There would be many fewer opportunities at State College and Centre County.”

Attorney Victor Stabile also graduated from the Dickinson School of Law. He said that Carlisle’s proximity to all three branches of state government offers opportunities that cannot be replicated at State College.

Stabile disagreed with the perception that State College can offer Dickinson law students greater specialization through joint degrees due to the large number of academic colleges present on main campus.

“I have been practicing law for 26 years,” he said. “It is my opinion that three years of law school is barely enough time to prepare someone to practice law. Specialization in various fields is no substitute for the traditional core curriculum.”

Stabile said law students should focus most of their attention on learning the fundamental principles of law, because those core concepts form the basis of everything attorneys do — whether they are a generalist or a specialist.

“There is no way you can get away from the rules of evidence, for example,” Stabile said.

He explained how even drafting a contract involves analyzing any evidence that could be admissible from the document should a dispute arise.

That Dean pretends Dual campus concept helps Carlisle

http://cumberlink.com/news/local/dean-dual-campus-concept-helps-carlisle/article_2ce3a9e1-6e8b-52e1-8fda-bfe070157afb.html


March 07, 2009 12:00 am  •  By Joseph Cress, Sentinel Reporter, March 8, 2009

Penn State expects a smaller-scale operation for the Dickinson School of Law, but one “equally esteemed and equally vibrant” to the dual campus in State College, Dean Philip McConnaughay said last week.

He called any prediction of an eventual phasing out of the Carlisle campus baseless speculation, adding that such “unsupported, unfounded gossip by people who do not know” only serves to hurt the law school.

Based on what it knows of the typical law student, Penn State predicts more applicants will chose to attend the Lewis Katz building at University Park instead of a renovated and expanded Trickett Hall campus, McConnaughay said.

Penn State expects the numbers to stabilize over the next few years, he added, to 60 to 65 percent of the student body at State College compared to 35 to 40 percent at Carlisle.

That said, McConnaughay made it clear the dual-campus concept is not intended to be a competition between two campuses, but a unified law school with two locations linked together by state-of-the-art technology.

In January 2006, a trustee asked McConnaughay what officials would do if students seem to favor one campus location over the other. At that time, the dean said he hoped to avoid a disproportionate demand at either location.

“My prediction is that our school will be so attractive … that we’ll have ample demand,” McConnaughay told the board of trustees then.

During a phone interview last week, McConnaughay said the number of overall applicants for the 2009-10 academic year is already at 3,500 — an historic high for Dickinson School of Law.

“We’ve experienced a 40 to 50 percent increase in applications this year over last year,” McConnaughay said. “Over the last five years, there has been a 150 percent increase in applications.”

Demand-driven

The dual campus is driven by student demand, the dean explained. So far, more applicants have expressed a preference for State College, but should that change, Penn State will adjust accordingly, McConnaughay said.

Dollar figures are an indication of a trend towards State College. In its 2008-09 operating budget, Penn State projected about $9 million in tuition revenue for its University Park law school campus. This is up from about $5.8 million in 2007-08.

Meanwhile, tuition revenue at the Carlisle law school campus went from $13.2 million in 2007-08 to $11.5 million projected for the current fiscal year. Penn State budget figures are available online atwww.psu.edu.

McConnaughay said the changing dollar figures reflect the shift in student body ratio Penn State had anticipated for both locations.

“This is exactly what we expected,” the dean said. “It is a good outcome.”

The association with Penn State’s main campus has increased the ability of Dickinson School of Law to attract more qualified applicants and top-notch, world-renowned professors, he said.

“We are a far stronger law school today than we were years ago,” McConnaughay said. “The Penn State flagship campus at University Park strengthens the programs in Carlisle. It has been very fruitful.”

On Dec. 12, 2008, the American Bar Association fully approved Dickinson School of Law as the only accredited dual campus law school in the United States, McConnaughay said.

The ABA has designated Dickinson School of Law its pilot site for a project assessing how distance learning could be used effectively in legal education, he added. Penn State has installed an advanced telecommunications systems linking students at both campuses.

“Students who attend Dickinson School of Law have the opportunity to participate in all aspects of the education we offer on an equal basis regardless of the campus they attend,” McConnaughay said.

Fundamentals

McConnaughay explained how the first year is entirely residential, with law students attending one campus or the other. All the instruction is done entirely in person and the focus is on fundamentals of law.

During the second and third years, students are free to transfer between the classes and enroll in classes that originate from either venue, based on where the professor for that course is located, McConnaughay said, adding: “Our Carlisle campus is an exceptionally vital and attractive place.”

Aside from its long-standing legal clinics and proximity to Harrisburg, the Dickinson School of Law in Carlisle will play an important role in a new School of International Affairs being established by Penn State, McConnaughay said.

The university is currently in talks with Dickinson College and the U.S. Army War College to share resources and begin offering graduate-level courses in international affairs at the Carlisle campus.

Both alumni and McConnaughay mentioned how the Carlisle law school campus provides students greater access to opportunities in state government agencies than the State College law school campus.

Trickett Hall ahead of schedule

http://cumberlink.com/news/local/trickett-hall-ahead-of-schedule/article_58e72fc9-92da-575f-ae59-85f163580b92.html

I guess it's pretty easy to stay on schedule when you're just ripping the guts out of an historic building.

March 07, 2009 12:00 am  •  By Joseph Cress, Sentinel Reporter, March 8, 2009

Work is ahead of schedule on the project to expand and renovate the Trickett Hall campus of the Penn State University Dickinson School of Law, Dean Philip McConnaughay said last week.

Penn State is expecting substantial completion of the revamped campus by October or November, he said, but the university still plans to wait until December to move its operation from the former Advantica building in Middlesex Township.

That is to avoid disrupting classes during the fall semester, McConnaughay said. Classes at the Trickett Hall campus are expected to begin in January 2010, the start of the spring semester.

“We are not confronting any difficulties,” the dean added. “The weather has been in our favor.”

The $50 million project started with the demolition of the 1963 and 1978 additions to Trickett Hall along with “the curtilage,” a collection of small brick buildings on South College Street that once served as faculty offices.

Planned for the area between Trickett Hall and the 1985 addition, Lewis Katz Hall will house three large classrooms, a courtyard, a commons area and a 200-seat courtroom/auditorium.

Trickett Hall, meanwhile, will be renovated to house the H. Laddie Montague Jr. Law Library and a legislative hearing room.

Kelly Rimmer, director of marketing and communications for the law school, said interior work on the buildings is staggered so one type of crew can move along and not be in the way of others.

“Electricians go first and move to the next location, drywall crews work a room next, and so on,” she said. “The 1985 addition is getting its interior work done first, followed by Trickett Hall and, finally, the Lewis Katz Hall.”

The 1985 addition will be renovated to house faculty and administrative offices, a cafe and rooms for seminars and interviews, Rimmer said. Electrical and drywall crews are working on the ground floor and basement levels.

Work is underway to install new heating and cooling systems, framing for fascia and rudiments of the frames that will hold the glass curtain walls in place.

Meanwhile, at Trickett Hall, crews have cleaned and serviced the boilers, which will be reused in the new heating system, which conveys steam heat through the floors of the facility, Rimmer said.

The corner of the building that collapsed in November has been reconstructed to insulate the building from the weather and to permit interior work to proceed, she added. Exterior masonry work continues along with repairs to the roof.

Can Carlisle compete?

http://cumberlink.com/news/local/can-carlisle-compete/article_fcfa0dad-5ea8-5a17-a527-a13a8ff3beac.html

The point is....Carlisle shouldn't have to compete.  Carlisle is where Penn State PROMISED the Dickinson School of Law of Penn State University would remain forever.  First they broke the promise about the name  (it is NOT Penn State University Dickinson School of Law), and then they broke the promise about location.  They basically lied to STEAL DSL's accreditation.  It was the plan from day one.


March 07, 2009 12:00 am  •  By Joseph Cress, Sentinel Reporter

The jury is still out among alumni on what a dual campus could mean for the future of a Dickinson School of Law presence in Carlisle.

Those interviewed were cautiously optimistic that Penn State would follow through on its promise to maintain a viable law school both here and in State College.

“I’m waiting to see … I don’t know how it’s going to play out,” said Greg Abeln, Class of 1981, who practices law in Carlisle. “I am apprehensive about the future. It remains to be seen.”

He sees the dual campus as a quid pro quo arrangement Penn State made to appease the public outcry almost seven years ago after word surfaced of a proposal to move Dickinson School of Law entirely to State College.

For now, Abeln said, he is open to giving Penn State the benefit of doubt. He noted the dual campus has yet to operate at its full potential because the project is still underway to renovate and expand the Trickett Hall building in Carlisle.

When asked if there is cause for concern, Abeln said, “Absolutely. It seems the thrust right now is towards the creation of a new law school at State College.”

It seems the bulk of resources so far has gone toward the construction and start-up of the Lewis Katz building at University Park, which opened in January, Abeln said.

He wonders if putting the construction priority on the State College site has hurt long-term prospects of future law school applicants choosing Carlisle over State College.

Carlisle-based students currently take classes at the former Advantica building on the Carlisle Pike in Middlesex Township. Penn State plans to resume classes at an expanded and renovated Trickett Hall site in January 2010.

“Which campus would you want to attend?” Abeln asked. “An ultra-modern building in the middle of the Penn State campus or an old building out on the Pike?”

In giving applicants a choice of campus, Abeln asks, how can the traditional small town setting of Tricket Hall compete with the educational facilities of University Park?

His concern is that, in a matter of years, more applicants are going to choose State College and, sooner or later, this possible downturn in requests for Carlisle could prompt Penn State to close the Trickett Hall site for economic reasons.

“That’s what I’m afraid of … but again, I could be wrong,” Abeln said.

Cumberland County GOP chairman Victor Stabile, a 1982 DSL graduate and practicing attorney, is president of its Capital Area Alumni Chapter.

“Right now, the dual campus is in its formative stages,” Stabile said. “I’m optimistic about the Penn State commitment.”

Stabile noted the capital investment Penn State made in the renovation and expansion of the Trickett Hall site. The $50 million project includes $10 million from the university, $15 million from private philanthropy and $25 million in matching funds from the state.

“The dual campus would only succeed if a strong and equal commitment is made to the Carlisle campus so it remains a genuine law school in central Pennsylvania,” Stabile said. “That means students who want to attend Carlisle have to be permitted to stay in Carlisle. That is the point where we are at and what has yet to be seen.”

Tensions have settled down since Penn State put the dual campus concept in place, Stabile said.

“There is a long history behind this move. I would like to think everybody is now supportive of this idea,” he said.

He believes the ranks have closed and most alumni want to see the dual campus succeed.

“We can only be optimistic,” said attorney James D. Flower Jr., also a DSL alumni. “The dual campus will have to play out over time. It could work if Penn State remains committed to the law school in Carlisle.”

Flower agrees with Stabile that the investment in the Trickett Hall project is evidence of a commitment by Penn State.

“I understand it will be comparable,” he said, “as attractive and up to date as the law school in State College.”

Professor Dodd's obituary

http://cumberlink.com/lifestyles/announcements/obituaries/william-harrison-dodd/article_04ff66ad-96ec-55cb-ac16-a0e54b3791c9.html

This isn't about the happy valley football factory, but I wanted to post it anyway.
I had Professor Dodd for two semesters my junior year for property.  Confused the heck out of me, but then, I think that was on purpose.  He was a very nice man and led a very interesting life.  I remember the legal aid lawyers telling me about him going with them to talk to some farmers who hired migrant workers and confusing the heck out of the farmers too.  Before I graduated I wrote an article about him for the student newspaper.  Later, when I found that I actually had to teach property, I contacted him for some advice.  He was kind enough to respond and not ask why on earth someone as dense as I appeared to be in his property class was now teaching property.

"Legendary" and "gentle" --two words the obituary uses to describe him -- are quite accurate.

Historic Trickett Hall understandably upset at being ripped apart, has wall collapse

http://cumberlink.com/news/local/no-injuries-in-wall-collapse-at-dickinson-school-of-law/article_f87286a4-f4ca-5901-97e4-f1c39f370168.html

November 13, 2008 12:00 am  •  By Joseph Cress, Sentinel Reporter, November 12, 2008

No one was injured Tuesday morning when a section of brick wall of the Penn State Dickinson School of Law’s Trickett Hall collapsed to the ground.

The 90-year-old structure is being restored as part of a $50 million renovation and expansion project of the campus at South and College streets, Carlisle.

School Dean Philip McConnaughay said the cause of the wall collapse is unknown, but structural engineers are assessing the damage prior to preparing a plan on how to restore it.

He added, since the collapse, workers have cleared the debris and shored up the breach with additional steel. Original bricks have been salvaged.

Workers were at the construction site when the collapse took place, McConnaughay said. Based on what he heard, there was prior warning and workers were told to clear the area.

The dean added the project budget includes some contingency funds set aside for unexpected work. “With a project of this scale, this kind of thing can happen with the restoration of an older building.

“I’m hoping for no significant impact on the scope and timing of the project,” McConnaughay said.

The $50 million project to renovate and expand Trickett Hall is set for completion by December 2009.

Planned in the area between Trickett Hall and the 1985 addition, the new Lewis Katz Hall will house three large classrooms, a courtyard, a commons area and a 200-seat courtroom/auditorium.

Trickett Hall will be renovated to house the H. Laddie Montague Jr. Law Library and a legislative hearing room. Dickinson School of Law is currently housed in the former Advantica building on the Carlisle Pike in Middlesex Township.

Meanwhile, construction continues on the University Park campus of Dickinson School of Law, which should be completed by this December.

Destruction continues, modern addition begins

http://cumberlink.com/news/local/work-begins-on-new-trickett-addition-renovation-continues/article_404a804b-22ce-5339-98a7-d503a08b972c.html


October 14, 2008 12:00 am  •  By Joseph Cress, Sentinel Reporter, Oct. 14, 2008

Work continues on the Lewis Katz Hall addition to the Penn State University Dickinson School of Law campus in Carlisle.

Classroom walls and steel are being put into place and foundation poured for the new building, said Nancy Jean LaMont, assistant dean for administration.

She added that the $50 million project to renovate and expand the 89-year-old Trickett Hall is on target for completion by December 2009.

Planned in the area between Trickett Hall and the 1985 addition, Lewis Katz Hall will house three large classrooms, a courtyard, a commons area and a 200-seat courtroom/auditorium.

LaMont explained the three stages to the new construction. The current stage involves enclosing the building to protect it from the elements and includes piles, foundations, flooring, roofing and steelwork.

The second stage is the rough-in phase, which involves the placement of infrastructure, including plumbing, wiring and the installation of duct work and such mechanical equipment as boilers, chillers and air handlers, LaMont said.

The third stage is the finishes, which includes terrazzo flooring, carpeting and millwork, along with special wall finishes and acoustical ceilings, she said.

Demolition done

Crews have completed the demolition of the 1963 and 1978 additions to Trickett Hall along with “the curtilage,” a collection of small brick buildings on South College Street that used to serve as faculty offices.

Meanwhile, work crews are well into the rough-in stage with Trickett Hall and the 1985 addition. Earlier, they gutted the interior of Trickett down to its walls, removing the old paneling and fixtures.

LaMont explained how the integrity of Trickett Hall has been evaluated and necessary repair work completed, including jacking up and reinforcing a bowed truss in the attic.

Trickett Hall will be renovated to house the H. Laddie Montague Jr. Law Library and a legislative hearing room.

Prior to breaking ground in January, law school officials met with neighbors to brief them on the details of the project and give them a means to report concerns.

“To our knowledge, no calls have been received through the information line,” LaMont said. “Minor issues have been reported to the law school and been promptly addressed by the construction manager.”

LaMont said the issues include a truck cutting over a curb and construction work starting at 7 a.m., which is in compliance with borough ordinance.

The new buildings should be ready for occupancy by early December 2009. Penn State plans to use that month to complete the move from the former Advantica building on the Carlisle Pike in Middlesex Township to the expanded Carlisle campus, where classes would resume in January 2010.

Meanwhile, construction continues on the University Park campus of Dickinson School of Law, which should be completed by this December.

Sad picture of Sadler Curtilege being destroyed by Penn State

http://cumberlink.com/news/dickinson-law-renovation-is-on-schedule/article_a5c117bb-287b-5601-be0c-073a20d91f19.html

March 21, 2008 12:00 am  •  By Joseph Cress, March 22, 2008

Penn State is clearing away the old to make way for the new at the Dickinson School of Law’s Carlisle campus.

The $50 million project to renovate and expand the 89-year-old Trickett Hall is on target for completion by December 2009, spokesperson Pam Knowlton said.

Crews have almost completed demolition of “the curtilage,” a collection of small brick buildings on South College Street that used to serve as faculty offices.

“Most of it is just clean-up,” said Knowlton, adding the brick is being ground up and recycled as fill under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design initiative.

Work has started on the demolition of the 1963 and 1978 additions to make room for construction of a one-story addition connecting a preserved Trickett Hall on South College Street with the boxy 1985 addition.

As demolition occurs, site work has started to prepare for the installation of utility lines, Knowlton said. Contractors hope by mid-April to pour the foundation footers of the new addition.

Crews have already gutted the interior of Trickett Hall down to its walls, removing the old paneling and fixtures, Knowlton said. The windows above the main entrance will be restored.

Trickett Hall will be renovated to house the H. Laddie Montague Jr. Law Library and a legislative hearing room, while the new Lewis Katz Hall will house three large classrooms, a courtyard, a commons area and a 200-seat courtroom/auditorium.

The new buildings should be ready for occupancy by early December 2009. Penn State plans to use that month to complete the move from the former Advantica building on the Carlisle Pike in Middlesex Township to the newly renovated and expanded Carlisle campus, where classes would resume in January 2010.

Meanwhile, construction continues on the University Park campus of Dickinson School of Law, which should be completed by December 2008, Knowlton said.

Alumni and Town love keeps Dickinson Law in Carlisle

http://cumberlink.com/news/carlisle-connection-touted-in-law-school-ceremony/article_587a6f0a-4fb3-5d77-9382-04b2b75e46f6.html

January 24, 2008 12:00 am  •  By Alex Roarty, Sentinel Reporter 

The Penn State Dickinson School of Law will remain in Carlisle because of the love it kindles in alumni and the surrounding town.

That was the message delivered by university and elected officials who spoke Wednesday afternoon at the ground-breaking ceremony for the $50 million construction and renovation project at the Carlisle-based law school.

The ceremony took place across South Street from the school, which is now enclosed by a fence as construction begins.

The law school was nearly moved to Penn State’s main campus before the board of trustees decided to retain the Carlisle campus.

They were pressured to do so by a group of dedicated alumni and local officials n who showed the trustees how important DSL was to them and to Carlisle, according to Gov. Ed Rendell.

He quoted Daniel Webster in saying of Dickinson: “It is a small school, but there are those who love it.”

State government receives hundreds of requests for funding each year, Rendell said, and must gauge the value of each before making a decision.

“But this was a pretty easy decision for me,” the governor added, “because of the friends of this school.”

Those friends included DSL graduates such as former Gov. Tom Ridge and former New Jersey Nets owner Lewis Katz, who made a $15 million contribution to the school.

The centerpiece of the Carlisle campus renovation is the construction of a new building named after Katz.

He recalled fondly the times he spent at the law school in the 1960s — he lived on Pomfret Street his junior year — while telling those gathered in the audience it gave him the skills to succeed in the world.

“If you spend time in Carlisle as a young person, you come to understand why you say you’re proud to be from central Pennsylvania,” Katz said.

The $50 million investment in DSL is offset by a $60 million investment by the university at its main campus law school project.

Together, the investment will help Penn State establish “one of the best law schools in America,” Katz said.

The DSL project budget, which is $10 million more than the original capital campaign target, comprises $10 million from Penn State, $15 million from private philanthropy and $25 million in matching funds from the state.

Officials say Lewis Katz Hall will feature state-of-the-art classrooms, a new courtroom and auditorium, an exterior courtyard, and an environmentally friendly “green” roof.

The facility will also feature the H. Laddie Montague, Jr. Law Library, named for the prominent Philadelphia trial attorney who donated $4 million to the law school.

Penn State President Graham Spanier said the cooperation between the main campus law school and its Carlisle counterpart will be beneficial to both.

“Throughout history, the Dickinson School of Law has trained distinguished graduates,” Spanier said. “We look forward to continuing this history.”

Throngs of local officials attended the ceremony, including state Rep. Glen Grell, R-87; state Rep. Will Gabig, R-199; state Sen. Pat Vance, R-31; Carlisle Mayor Kirk Wilson; and Cumberland County Commissioner Bruce Barclay.

They, along with Rendell, were congratulated by the speakers for helping retain the school.

Contracts are expected to be awarded by May, with construction finishing by December 2009.

http://cumberlink.com/news/trickett-hall-project-to-start-in-january/article_b1201c3c-7488-598c-870b-ce1e040ed43b.html

Construction to begin in January.

Upcoming Law School construction brings up nostalgic feelings for all the crap Carlisle had to go through to get Penn State to keep any of its promises

http://cumberlink.com/news/opinion/editorial/soon-law-school-construction-begins/article_75234c4d-7522-5118-946a-184885cd8561.html

November 06, 2007 12:00 am  •  By The Sentinel 

Sunday’s Sentinel story, “PSU OKs law school,” may remind some of us about the community struggle to keep the law school in Carlisle, but the story remains an affirmation of the school’s future here.

It seems like only yesterday that The Sentinel was informing its readers of a planned attempt to move Dickinson School of Law to Penn State’s main campus through a quick-strike vote of the school’s board of trustees. From that early warning, the community came together in a campaign to keep the law school in its historic home.

That campaign finally resulted in the Solomonic, if not totally satisfactory, decision to recreate the law school as a dual-campus educational facility. Later, local residents were wary of plans that called for a showplace headquarters building of modern architecture to be plunked down in the leafy southwest quadrant that has been home to the law school for so long.

That controversy resulted in the plan described in Sunday’s edition — a refurbishment and preservation of the familiar Trickett Hall and a new building addition that will connect it with a 1985 addition. Other adjuncts built in 1963 and 1973 will be demolished, along with “the curtilage,” a group of smaller brick buildings along South College Street used for faculty offices.

As Penn State has promised all along, the reimagined Carlisle campus will be connected with the University Park facility through the latest in audiovisual telecommunications and data exchange, making it possible for students in one location to take advantage of lectures and resources being offered in the other location.

Groundbreaking is expected in a couple of months, with an estimated completion date in March 2010. The $50 million cost of the project is half state money and 10 percent Penn State money, with the rest raised in a campaign specifically targeted at the Carlisle campus.

The construction project may inflict some transitory inconvenience on the surrounding neighborhood for the next couple of years, but there is good reason to look forward to the campus’ rededication. Right now, the student body and faculty are using temporary quarters in the former Stoner Associates building along the Miracle Mile.

This means a fairly large group of people find themselves no longer convenient to the downtown, which means they’re less likely to patronize downtown businesses. Their eventual return could help drive the downtown revitalization efforts we covered in The Sentinel last week, if the timing is right.

So we wish Penn State and the law school the best of luck as they move forward, hopefully free of construction delays and cost overruns. What’s good for them could be good for the whole community.

PSU trustees approve final Carlisle law school plans

http://cumberlink.com/news/psu-trustees-approve-final-carlisle-law-school-plans/article_2f051eb4-886d-5849-9ec5-35409349ed99.html

November 04, 2007 12:00 am  •  By Joseph Cress, Sentinel Reporter 

The Penn State Board of Trustees Friday afternoon approved the final plans for $50 million in renovations and additions to Trickett Hall at Penn State’s Dickinson School of Law Carlisle campus.

The 89-year-old Trickett Hall and the 1985 addition will be retained, according to plans designed by Polshek Partnership Architects and Hargreaves Associates, both of New York City, and Harrisburg’s Office of Planning and Architecture.

Trickett Hall will be renovated to house the H. Laddie Montague, Jr. Law Library, while the 1985 addition will be renovated to house offices. The new Lewis Katz Hall, which will be topped with a green roof, will contain classrooms, a courtroom and auditorium.

An advanced audiovisual telecommunications network will connect the building with the law school’s new facility at University Park, enabling students and faculty at either location to access on a real-time, interactive basis classes or programs at either location.

“In this way, the law school will operate as a single enterprise, with a single identity, reputation, and stature,” said Gary C. Schultz, senior vice president for finance and business/treasurer of the University.

Carlisle Borough Council in September approved the final development plan for the proposed addition.

The plan calls for the construction of a one-story addition connecting a preserved Trickett Hall on South College Street with the boxy 1985 brick addition.

This would require the demolition of 1963 and 1973 additions along with “the curtilage,” a collection of small brick buildings on the north side of the campus on South College Street that today are used as faculty offices.

Demolition could begin by late fall or early winter.

Ground-breaking is expected by January 2008, with an estimated completion date of March 2010.

The new addition will also include seminar rooms, a cafe and common space. It will be relatively modest in size in keeping with the desire to empathize historic Trickett Hall.

The project is being paid for by $15 million in fundraising and $10 million from the University matched by $25 million in state money.

City Council approved the addition to Trickett Hall

http://cumberlink.com/news/council-oks-addition-to-dickinson-law-school/article_52a68cfe-dba7-53e1-af62-e44f2006e2bd.html

September 15, 2007 12:00 am  •  By The Sentinel Staff,  

Carlisle Borough Council Thursday approved the final development plan for a proposed addition to the Carlisle campus of Penn State Dickinson School of Law.

The plan calls for the construction of a one-story addition connecting a preserved Trickett Hall on South College Street with a boxy 1985 brick addition.

This would require the demolition of 1963 and 1973 additions along with &#8220the curtilage,” a collection of small brick buildings on the north side of the campus on South College Street that today are used as faculty offices.

Demolition could begin by late fall or early winter. Construction of the new addition, which may be named Lewis Katz Hall, could start in early spring 2008 with completion by spring 2010.

The new addition will include classrooms, seminar rooms, an auditorium, a cafe and common space. It will be relatively modest in size in keeping with the desire to empathize historic Trickett Hall.

Trickett Hall will house a new law library and hearing room while the 1985 addition will be used for administration.

Tentative look at the destruction of Trickett Hall

http://cumberlink.com/news/drawings-offer-look-at-tentative-dsl-changes/article_9fa4bffb-748c-52e9-b82b-f9cf008d47f8.html

May 18, 2007 12:00 am  •  By David Blymire 

Penn State Dickinson School of Law Friday released new illustrations of a proposed renovation and addition of the Carlisle campus.

The preliminary drawings circulated among members of the Penn State University board of trustees this week show a modern addition between Trickett Hall on South College Street and a boxy 1985 brick addition at the rear of the property.

Dean Philip McConnaughay said Friday the law school hopes to occupy the completed buildings by early spring of 2010 and hold graduation in Carlisle that year.

He said he doesn't yet have a timeline for when the plans might come to the trustees and Carlisle borough officials for approval.

Law school officials have been discussing the plans with borough officials, he said.

&#8220I expect you will see some demolition begin as early as November of this year,” he said.

Designing a new structure that ties the campus to its very modern sister campus in State College while sitting next to the Colonial-styled Trickett Hall gave Polshek Partnership Architects in New York a whole new challenge.

Tacking the ultra modern onto the beautiful traditional......and destroying the grand staircases in the processes.

http://cumberlink.com/news/dsl-plan-includes-green-structure/article_ef30d0e3-20b1-500f-bafb-f386b2320b21.html

‘

March 29, 2007 12:00 am  •  By David Blymire, Sentinel Reporter, March 29, 2007 

Very elegant’

“I can assure you they are very, very elegant,” McConnaughay says. “They will enhance the stature of Trickett Hall.”

The preliminary drawings show the original Trickett Hall structure facing South College Street would be renovated inside to house the law school’s library.

An addition constructed in the mid-1980s at the back of the current campus would be retained and used as faculty offices, McConnaughay says.

Other additions between the two structures would be demolished, including “the curtilage,” a collection of small brick buildings on the north side of the campus along South College Street that today are used as faculty offices.

Lewis Katz rides to the rescue of Trickett Hall.

http://cumberlink.com/news/donor-million-katz-s-donation-to-law-school-is-among/article_bea8c3f5-0f71-5cf7-b64e-9a28d68b7265.html

January 18, 2007 12:00 am  •  By David Blymire, Sentinel Reporter, January 18, 2007 

They were major players in the debate over the future of Penn State Dickinson School of Law and when it came time to ante up cash, they came up big.

Lewis Katz and H. Laddie Montague contributed a combined $19 million toward construction of a new “signature” addition at the Trickett Hall campus in Carlisle, Penn State officials announced this morning.

Katz, one-time owner of the New Jersey Nets basketball team, contributed $15 million, making his one of the largest donations from a single contributor in Penn State’s history, officials said.

To honor that feat, Penn State proposes to name the new building addition in Carlisle “Lewis Katz Hall” and the new law school building in State College the “Lewis Katz Building.”

Breaking ground.....and most of Trickett Hall

http://cumberlink.com/news/law-school-to-break-ground/article_fa3d7ff9-d272-5f90-a6cb-e7ddcb4af89e.html

January 16, 2007 12:00 am

Penn State University will break ground Thursday on a proposed $60 million campus for Dickinson School of Law in State College, marking the start of construction.

Secretary of the Commonwealth Pedro Cortes, university officials and project architects will take part in the 10 a.m. ceremony at the site of the school’s future home along Park Avenue near Beaver Stadium.

The proposed 113,000-square-foot building is part of the university’s $110 million plan for new, electronically connected law school facilities in State College and Carlisle.

Officials said Monday they hope to host a ground breaking in Carlisle by late spring or early summer.

Gifts at the end of 2006 pushed the Carlisle project total to the $50 million level and officials have said the preservation of Trickett Hall will be the centerpiece of a new design by the project architect, Polshek Partnership Architects.

Yep, "center piece" of the design after they tried first to destroy it.

That other law school to break ground

Law school to break ground

Penn State University will break ground Thursday on a proposed $60 million campus for Dickinson School of Law in State College, marking the start of construction.

Secretary of the Commonwealth Pedro Cortes, university officials and project architects will take part in the 10 a.m. ceremony at the site of the school’s future home along Park Avenue near Beaver Stadium.

The proposed 113,000-square-foot building is part of the university’s $110 million plan for new, electronically connected law school facilities in State College and Carlisle.

Officials said Monday they hope to host a ground breaking in Carlisle by late spring or early summer.

Gifts at the end of 2006 pushed the Carlisle project total to the $50 million level and officials have said the preservation of Trickett Hall will be the centerpiece of a new design by the project architect, Polshek Partnership Architects.

Design approved

In September, Penn State trustees approved final design of the three-story University Park facility, which will be built next to the future university arboretum and close to the business and forest resources buildings.

The new structure will feature a glass-enclosed library and reading room, study and gathering spaces, a law clinic for pro bono legal services, a 250-seat auditorium and a high-tech-equipped courtroom.

Dickinson School of Law expects to occupy the new facility in January 2009. Until then, the Beam Building on Park Avenue is serving as the law school’s home in University Park.

Penn State President Graham B. Spanier; Cynthia A. Baldwin, chair of Penn State’s board of trustees; and Philip J. McConnaughay, dean of The Dickinson School of Law, will lead the ceremony.

Polshek Partnership will be represented by partners Richard M. Olcott and Timothy P. Hartung.

Cortes, a 1999 graduate of The Dickinson School of Law, also will participate in the ceremony.

A reception will follow in the President’s Hall of The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel.

"The law school is thrilled to commence construction on what will be a world-class home for one of the nation’s finest law schools," McConnaughay said.

Progress for new law school HQ

Progress for new law school HQ

By The Sentinel, January 3, 2007

It was a late Christmas present for the Carlisle community, but it was a welcome one.

We’re talking about the announcement by Penn State that it has $50 million committed to the renovation of Dickinson School of Law’s Trickett Hall.

Originally, Penn State had planned to construct a new building from the ground up and completely remove Trickett from the landscape. This was in keeping with the university’s pledge to treat Carlisle equally with the planned second campus for the law school at University Park, which is supposed to break ground sometime in a few weeks.

But many local residents were aghast at the notion, especially after seeing the unofficial drawings of a proposed new building that were posted inside Trickett Hall. People who live in the adjacent residential area especially were concerned that a modern building would be an eyesore compared to the old-fashioned stone-faced visage of Trickett they were used to, and a petition drive against the modern building was started.

Those complaints were heard, and Penn State committed to a partial preservation of Trickett. But that decision came with its own problems, specifically negative feedback from donors who had conditioned their gifts on the construction of a new building. In May it was announced that only $30 million would be available for the new law school campus — a possible threat to the notion that both law school campuses would be equal.

But last week, Philip McConnaughay, dean of the law school, announced that donors had risen to the challenge and brought the Carlisle campus’ pool of money back up to $50 million. That number includes the $25 million pledged at the outset by Gov. Ed Rendell, $10 million of Penn State’s own money and $15 million in alumni gifts.

Work will now resume on the design of a building that will incorporate Trickett Hall’s appearance while offering expanded and modernized space for the entire law school. Because of the controversy, the twin campuses in Carlisle and University Park will open several months apart, not simultaneously as originally planned.

Nevertheless, the larger commitment of funding and the restarting of the design process will help Carlisle maintain its historic claim as the home of Dickinson School of Law. We had the hunch when Penn State first took over Dickinson Law back in the 1990s that the university might not be satisfied with having such a prestigious institution operate so far from its seat of power in Centre County, and subsequent events proved us right.

Those battles are behind us now, and the future looks bright for the Carlisle campus of Dickinson Law. We anxiously await the unveiling of the design for the new campus.

Penn State finally coughs up some of the dough it promised

http://cumberlink.com/news/opinion/editorial/progress-for-new-law-school-hq/article_fe81b630-36a3-50c6-bd28-bd9ab0cd7d93.html

January 03, 2007 12:00 am  •  By The Sentinel, January 3, 2007

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It was a late Christmas present for the Carlisle community, but it was a welcome one.

We’re talking about the announcement by Penn State that it has $50 million committed to the renovation of Dickinson School of Law’s Trickett Hall.

Originally, Penn State had planned to construct a new building from the ground up and completely remove Trickett from the landscape. This was in keeping with the university’s pledge to treat Carlisle equally with the planned second campus for the law school at University Park, which is supposed to break ground sometime in a few weeks.

But many local residents were aghast at the notion, especially after seeing the unofficial drawings of a proposed new building that were posted inside Trickett Hall. People who live in the adjacent residential area especially were concerned that a modern building would be an eyesore compared to the old-fashioned stone-faced visage of Trickett they were used to, and a petition drive against the modern building was started.

Those complaints were heard, and Penn State committed to a partial preservation of Trickett. But that decision came with its own problems, specifically negative feedback from donors who had conditioned their gifts on the construction of a new building. In May it was announced that only $30 million would be available for the new law school campus — a possible threat to the notion that both law school campuses would be equal.

But last week, Philip McConnaughay, dean of the law school, announced that donors had risen to the challenge and brought the Carlisle campus’ pool of money back up to $50 million. That number includes the $25 million pledged at the outset by Gov. Ed Rendell, $10 million of Penn State’s own money and $15 million in alumni gifts.

Work will now resume on the design of a building that will incorporate Trickett Hall’s appearance while offering expanded and modernized space for the entire law school. Because of the controversy, the twin campuses in Carlisle and University Park will open several months apart, not simultaneously as originally planned.

Nevertheless, the larger commitment of funding and the restarting of the design process will help Carlisle maintain its historic claim as the home of Dickinson School of Law. We had the hunch when Penn State first took over Dickinson Law back in the 1990s that the university might not be satisfied with having such a prestigious institution operate so far from its seat of power in Centre County, and subsequent events proved us right.

Those battles are behind us now, and the future looks bright for the Carlisle campus of Dickinson Law. We anxiously await the unveiling of the design for the new campus.