Maine Law School Announces Big Changes

Changes are coming to the University of Maine’s School of Law.
Some of the plans underway include having the dean of the School of Law report directly to the head of the University of Maine system, which will also handle funding to grow enrollment and improve academic programming, the Press Herald reports.
Chancellor Dannel Malloy and USM President Glenn Cummings are leading the effort in collaboration with a committee that was created to help plan the law school’s direction.
“We’ve been trying to implement as quickly as possible the recommendations of the committee,” Malloy tells the Press Herald. “This is the only law school in the state of Maine and it’s a statewide asset. It should stand separate of other efforts. No one school should be charged with overseeing it and be largely responsible for its expenditures.”
ROCKY PERIOD
According to a July report commissioned by the University of Main System, the school is facing budget shortfalls, unfilled faculty positions, lack of fundraising and marketing, and an enrollment strategy that is too dependent on scholarships.
The report includes recommendations of having the law school go through a three-year transition period in order to address the shortfalls and build sustainable financial and operational strategies.
WHERE THE SCHOOL STANDS NOW
The law school currently has a budget of $5.69 million. In comparison, the University of Maine’s overall budget stands at $572 million.
The law school is also having trouble recruiting students. From 2011 to 2019, according to the Press Herald, applications to Main dropped by nearly 40%.
To combat budget shortfalls, Board of Trustees Chairman James Erwin says the law school plans to get funded directly from the University of Maine System.
“This is not a quick fix for the law school,” Erwin tells the Press Herald. “We’re very keen to see the law school establish itself through collaborative programming at the same time it adapts to demographic challenges and the challenges of legal education. It’s something we’re going to watch closely for a while.”
Sources: Press Herald, Press Herald