Big Lawl and the death of the UCSD merger.

I'm sorry to report California Western and UCSD will not be merging. They put talks on "pause" until UCSD can figure out their financial situation, whatever it might be. If I had to speculate, UCSD probably wants more than Cal West is willing to contribute financially. That's just my guess though. It's really a disservice to San Diego not to have a public University of California law school.

Here is the message from the Dean:

Dear members of the California Western community:

Over many months I have brought you periodic reports on the work of the joint faculty committee exploring the proposed affiliation between UC San Diego and our law school. Later today we will announce a pause in those talks, to allow our colleagues at UC San Diego to contend with the very serious budget crisis they face.

Below is the text of the statement from UC San Diego Chancellor Marye Anne Fox and CWSL Board Chair Kenneth L. Greenman that the two schools will jointly release this afternoon.

I am encouraged by the many great ideas generated by members of our California Western family. The committee’s work – including consideration of the questions and suggestions you brought to their attention – demonstrates the many benefits of the proposed affiliation for both institutions and our region.

Both sides remain committed to working together and exploring new opportunities for collaboration. It is my sincere wish that discussions between our two institutions resume quickly, so that the momentum gained over the past many months is not lost.

Please feel free to talk with Dean Seibel or me if you have questions or concerns. If you hear from a member of the media, please direct them to Communications Director Pam Hardy at (619) 515-1545.

A pause in talks is in no way a pause in the many things we do to fulfill our mission. My heartfelt thanks to each of you for your patience, interest, and all you do to make California Western what law school ought to be.

Sincerely,
Dean Steven R. Smith


Local Educational Institutions Pause Discussions Regarding Establishment of
UC San Diego School of Law

April 6, 2011 - Since January 2010, a committee of faculty, administrative and board representatives from UC San Diego and California Western School of Law has met to explore the possibility of a combination between the two schools, resulting in a UC San Diego School of Law. The State of California currently faces an unprecedented budget crisis with serious implications for the UC system and UC San Diego in particular. As a consequence, UC San Diego and California Western have agreed to a pause in discussions.

UC San Diego Chancellor Marye Anne Fox thanked the committee members for their work. “Their time and valuable work over these past 15 months helped us see the tremendous benefits of this idea for both institutions and our region. California Western’s strengths made the concept of an affiliation appealing, but the state’s changing fiscal picture makes this opportunity difficult to pursue at this time.”

California Western Board of Trustees Chair Kenneth L. Greenman echoed Fox’s thanks. “These discussions identified new possibilities for interdisciplinary work which meet the needs of our region’s innovation economy and contribute to economic growth and competitiveness. Given the enormous benefits of this combination, we look forward to a time when formal talks can resume.”

In the meantime, the two institutions remain committed to current collaborations – including dual and joint degree programs, speaker series, and the Community Law Project – and to exploring further opportunities to capitalize on the strengths of both.

###

About UC San Diego
Founded in 1960, the University of California, San Diego is ranked the best value public university in California by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine and the 7th best public university in the nation by U.S. News and World Report. Named the “hottest” institution to study science by Newsweek, UC San Diego is one of the nation’s most accomplished research universities, widely acknowledged for its local impact, national influence and global reach. For more information, please visit www.ucsd.edu.

About California Western School of Law
California Western School of Law is the independent, ABA/AALS-accredited San Diego law school that advances multi-dimensional lawyering by educating lawyers-to-be as creative problem solvers and principled advocates who frame the practice of law as a helping, collaborative profession. Please visit www.cwsl.edu for more information.

Here is a good argument for merging:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/apr/10/we-must-pursue-a-ucsd-law-school/

We must pursue a UCSD law school
BY JOHN G. DAVIES
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED APRIL 10, 2011 AT MIDNIGHT, UPDATED APRIL 8, 2011 AT 3:50 P.M.

Although I understand why UC San Diego and California Western School of Law are “pausing” discussions about combining to form a UC San Diego school of law, there may be a better course of action.

Long-term projects are typically conceived and developed through economic boom times and bad times. Because they are long-term, it makes more sense to proceed anyway, at least until a final decision is pending. Consider the opportunity that might slip away.

Just 50 years old – young by major university standards – the University of California San Diego rivals some of our nation’s most prestigious universities and is listed among the top 10 public research universities in the nation.

Yet one thing would make this research powerhouse even greater. A law school at UC San Diego would offer substantial benefits for the university, the UC system and the region as a whole.

That is the appeal of the innovative proposal to merge an existing, accredited, financially sound law school into the university with zero startup or construction costs.

While the current budget crisis affecting the state and UC system elevates the question of how UC San Diego can add a law school, UC leadership recognizes that they have to do business differently. Christopher Edley, dean of the University of California Berkeley School of Law, cited online education as one approach to save money while expanding access.

Similarly, I have long believed this unique idea for creating a UC San Diego law school is a highly innovative and appropriate response to “the new normal” of challenged budgets.

Why a UC San Diego law school?

Very few public universities have achieved or sustained greatness without offering professional legal education. And most outstanding law schools reside within public universities. That is why four of the major research campuses in the UC system have established law schools, and why the San Diego campus should also do so.

As an attorney and a former regent of the University of California, I know that the benefits of a university-affiliated law school are significant.

Universities broaden minds by fostering multidisciplinary collaboration between numerous areas of inquiry on one campus. That is one reason that UC San Diego has added several new schools over its 50-year life span, including the Medical School, Graduate School of International Relations & Pacific Studies, Jacobs School of Engineering, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Rady School of Management.

Top faculty talent is attracted to a university that offers the full range of academic disciplines and fosters collaboration between them. UC San Diego is recognized systemwide for their emphasis on cross-departmental research.

One discipline – law – has traditionally lagged behind the development of new scientific breakthroughs in terms of creating policies and regulations. This places innovators at a disadvantage since law is a critical component of all new knowledge. A school of law as part of San Diego’s internationally renowned research institution will further strengthen the cross-disciplinary collaboration that can answer novel legal and ethical questions as they arise.

We live in a world increasingly defined by information, technology and globalism. Academic research today will shape our society in unimaginable ways tomorrow. Such research is rife with legal, social and policy issues. Graduates of universities that offer legal education will lead, while those from universities that lack legal education will play catch-up.

Can UC San Diego afford this?

Launching a new law school presents daunting challenges. It would cost on the order of $100 million and take several years under the very best of circumstances. Today and for the foreseeable future, that is a non-starter. However, California and UC San Diego have an opportunity to add a public law school in a very different way, i.e., incorporating an established law school (California Western School of Law) into UC San Diego.

Can we afford not to seize this opportunity? Simply put, tough economic times are no excuse for great institutions to forego opportunities to become even greater.

A UC San Diego law school would enjoy a unique focus. This would be a law school focused on research that defines the future. It would graduate practitioners and researchers who understand the social and policy implications of innovation. Such a school would benefit the region’s most promising economic sectors, including biotechnology, telecommunications, nanotechnology, health care, oceanography and international relations.

In my opinion, pausing could be a mistake. In the long view, tough times are no excuse to forego great opportunities. Tough times just demand greater certainty about the benefits.

Therefore, even in this extraordinarily difficult time, the opportunity to realize such a significant addition to the state of California, the University of California and San Diego at no cost must continue to be pursued.

---
Big Lawl:
http://thepeoplestherapist.com/2011/04/13/not-worth-it/

This guy likens working in Big Law to stepping into the ring with Mike Tyson. I've never really aspired to fight Mike Tyson, or get into a big law firm and lose my soul, but given the opportunity I might try big law. At least I have some training for it. I'm hoping my experience clerking helps me land a decent job.

Finals are approaching. I really hate this time of year. The December finals never bother me too much because I know I'm just in the middle of the year and it's cold outside anyway. Spring in San Diego crushes me. All I want to do is go to the beach. Studying outside Pappaleccos in the sunshine is fine though. I caught myself starring out the window at the ocean and point loma for about 10 minutes.



Back to work. :(