Indiana Tech in Fort Wayne, Ind. will start construction on a new three-story law school building this spring. The $15 million building will be located on the university’s campus.
When the university first announced it would start a law school in May, it was unsure if it would acquire a building in downtown Fort Wayne or build a new one on campus.
"Having the law school on the campus will provide many more opportunities for the law school community to interact with the rest of the campus and vice versa," said Peter Alexander, who was hired in November as the founding dean. "The location is also close to downtown, which will allow us to foster close working relationships between law school faculty and students and the local bench and bar."
Alexander, who was previously at Southern Illinois University School of Law, is a graduate of Northeastern University’s law school, which requires all students to work in externships while in school. Indiana Tech plans to open the school in fall 2013 with a strong focus on practical skills.
The school expects to offer numerous experiential learning offerings, including clinics in estate-planning and immigration, and a mediation center. The new building will include space for these clinics.
The new building will also include a semi-public law library, open to local attorneys and judges, and a courtroom for use by both students and local courts.
The university plans to welcome its first class of 100 students in the fall of 2013, with a total target enrollment of between 200 to 300 students in the years to come.
At least four other law schools have either recently opened or plan to in the next few years. Concordia University in Boise, Idaho and Belmont University College of Law in Nashville, Tenn. opened this fall. The Judge Paul Pressler School of Law in Shreveport, La., will open in fall 2012. University of North Texas Dallas College of Law will open in fall 2014.
