Chancellor’s Message on Law School Proposal
Sept. 19, 2006
Dear Colleagues:
Contrary to recent reports in the media, the University of California, Irvine’s proposal to establish a School of Law is actively under consideration by the University of California. On Wednesday, Sept. 20, I will give an informational presentation and answer questions on the law school at the UC Board of Regents meeting in San Francisco.
Concurrently, UC Irvine has requested – and been granted – the opportunity to clarify certain aspects of its proposal with the California Post-secondary Education Commission, whose initial review expressed concerns about cost and whether the state needs to educate more lawyers. While CPEC’s approval is not a prerequisite for regental approval, UC Irvine would prefer to have CPEC’s endorsement, and we are committed to working with the commission on an ongoing basis to enhance understanding of the merits of UC Irvine’s proposal and address specific concerns.
The opportunity to open a UC law school at Irvine increases accessibility for California’s students in an area that has one of the fastest growing and most diverse populations in the country. It’s also important to note that financing for the law school is incorporated into UC Irvine’s overall growth plan and will not require any special augmentations or allocations from the state.
I look forward to discussing the proposal with the regents this week, and I am committed to continuing to work with CPEC to address their concerns as the proposal moves forward.
Michael V. Drake, M.D.
Chancellor
