Why a law school at Binghamton?
Quality
- Our reputation for academic excellence provides a strong foundation on which to build a law school
- We emphasize critical thinking and excellent writing and problem-solving skills across all disciplines, preparing our students with key skills for the legal profession.
- Our tradition of intellectual rigor and an appropriate curriculum will help us meet and exceed American Bar Association accreditation standards.
- We are confident that the caliber of legal education to be developed at the University will rival the excellence already achieved in our other professional, graduate and undergraduate programs.
- Examples of excellence:
- Of the 140 graduating seniors from the University’s most recent applicant pool who applied to law school, 83 percent were accepted, compared to the national acceptance rate of 71 percent.
- Graduates of our Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science lead all other New York state colleges and universities in the percentage of students passing the Fundamentals of Engineering examination.
- The School of Management is ranked 15th in the nation among business programs at public universities.
- Examples of excellence:
- We will infuse an international perspective through the core curriculum.
Economic Development
- Current estimates indicate that construction of a law building would create a $130 million impact for Broome County, supporting nearly 2,000 jobs and helping in the economic revitalization of the area.
- Overall economic impact for construction of a law building on New York state = $166 million
- With an estimated annual operating budget of $10 million, the law school would have an annual economic impact of $26.4 million in Broome County.
o State-wide, the annual economic impact would be $33.7 million.
Enhances already strong programs at Binghamton
- Undergraduate majors: Philosophy, Politics and Law; Political Science; History
- PhD programs: Social, Political, Ethical & Legal Philosophy (SPEL); Political Science; History
- Will draw strength from established programs while also enriching them immensely
Innovative 3 + 3 curriculum option
- We will continue to infuse the liberal arts – the very foundation of the University – throughout the law school curriculum with an innovative 3 + 3 program encompassing history, philosophy and political science underpinnings over six years.
- Qualified students will complete their bachelor’s degree in three years and continue on for three years of law school.
- A 3 + 3 program will further enhance access and affordability to a quality program for students and make it possible for graduates to have more career choices without having substantial debt.
Incorporates the latest thinking on legal education
- A recent report by the Carnegie Foundation — Educating Lawyers: Preparation for the Profession of Law — underscores the fact that law students must be able to think critically and have more practical experience.
- We will incorporate this latest thinking, providing our law students several opportunities beyond the classroom to learn their profession and shape their practice of law.
We will work with public officials in the region and state to design practice components to meet their needs, providing a service to the region and state as we prepare law students to put theory into practice.
