Why a law school at Binghamton?
Quality
- Our reputation for academic excellence provides a strong foundation on which to build a law school.
- Binghamton's law school will respond to a national study calling for substantial changes to improve legal education, with more emphases on critical thinking and professional experience (the Carnegie Foundation - "Educating Lawyers: Preparation for the Profession of Law").
- We will infuse an international perspective throughout the core curriculum.
- Our tradition of intellectual rigor and an appropriate curriculum will help us meet and exceed American Bar Association accreditation standards.
- We are confident the caliber of legal education at the University will rival the excellence already achieved in our other professional, graduate and undergraduate programs. For example:
- Of the 143 graduating seniors from the University's most recent applicant pool who applied to law school, 86 percent were accepted, compared to the national acceptance rate of 75 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.
Public responsibility
- Binghamton's law school will provide access to a high-quality legal education for those of modest means, thereby reducing debt load following graduation and providing the opportunity for graduates to choose public sector law, if that is their passion.
Enhances already strong programs at Binghamton
- Undergraduate majors: Philosophy, Politics and Law; Political Science; History
- PhD programs: Social, Political, Ethical and 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 high-caliber program for students and make it possible for graduates to have more career choices without incurring substantial debt.
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 a currently estimated annual operating budget of $10 million, the law school would have an annual economic impact of $26.4 million in Broome County and $33.7 million statewide.
Creates a valuable resource for the region
- We will meet the public need by working with municipalities and other agencies to design practice components that provide a valuable service to them as our students refine their legal skills and learn to put theory into practice.
Take Action! Write to legislators and SUNY decision-makers asking them to support Binghamton's opportunity for a law school.
