Drexel President Papadakis Proposes Opening College of Law with Co-op Offerings and Niche Focuses

PHILADELPHIA (April 22, 2005) — Drexel President Constantine Papadakis announced April 21 that the University has proposed launching a College of Law as early as fall 2006. Pending the approval of Drexel’s Board of Trustees, the University will submit an application to the Pennsylvania Department of Education for provisional approval of the College.

Drexel’s College of Law will give the Philadelphia region its first new law school in 30 years. The demand for admissions to area law schools far exceeds the number of available positions, said Carl “Tobey” Oxholm III, Drexel senior vice president and general counsel.

To differentiate it from the five other law schools in the region and others across the country, Drexel’s College of Law will reflect the three characteristics that define the University: cooperative education, a focus on technology and the opportunity to apply classroom theory in a major city. Students will alternate between academic courses and two six-month co-op assignments during which they will work at law firms and corporations. Of the 190 U.S. law schools accredited by the American Bar Association, only one currently offers its students co-op.

“The College would satisfy a niche market that demands law graduates have hands-on experience, and it would strengthen Drexel’s position as a leading University,” Papadakis said. According to a 1992 report from the American Bar Association, law schools must expand their focus beyond theory and offer students ways to gain applied experience.

“This will be the first new law school that focuses on skills training,” Oxholm said. “Our law students will graduate with more professional experience than those from any other law school in the country.”

The College will offer the doctor of jurisprudence (JD) as its principal degree and intends to offer a master of laws degree (LLM). Drexel also plans to offer a master of legal studies in specific fields. In addition to cooperative education, the College will focus on health care, intellectual property and technology, and entrepreneurship.

“The focal points will be the strengths of Drexel, which include cooperative education and technology,” Papadakis said. “With its focus on technology and health law, the College will fit very well into the profile of our university.”

Drexel senior administrators, in collaboration with faculty and students, are continuing to develop plans for the College of Law. If approved, the College will join Drexel’s nine colleges and three schools, which are the College of Arts and Sciences, Bennett S. LeBow College of Business, Drexel University College of Medicine, College of Engineering, College of Information Science and Technology, College of Media Arts & Design, College of Nursing and Health Professions, Goodwin College of Professional Studies, Pennoni Honors College, School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems, School of Education and School of Public Health.

Drexel offers 70 bachelor’s programs, 73 master’s programs, 30 doctoral programs, a doctor of medicine program and 21 graduate-level certificate programs. Drexel’s alumni totals more than 90,000 worldwide.

Following is a link to a Philadelphia Inquirer story about the College published April 22: www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/11456992.htm.

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