National Jurist - January 2009 - (Page 11)

NEWS A law school no more Barkley School of Law’s new beginning is cut short with the announcement that it is shutting down at the end of the year he past year has brought more than its share of challenges to Barkley School of Law — formerly American Justice School of Law, located in Paducah, Ky. In October, officials announced that they would cease operations as a licensed law school at the end By Dave Thomas and of the year. This came shortly after things Michelle Weyenberg seemed to be moving ahead, with the law school adopting a new name and hiring a new dean. In a press release, Dr. Laxmaiah Manchikanti, owner of the law school, stated that the decision was unavoidable since “Barkley School of Law is viewed and alleged to be liable as a successor corporation to the American Justice School of Law and would be unable to overcome the mismanagement of the previous administration and the subsequent negative publicity.” The school filed for bankruptcy in September and the institution that replaced it, Barkley School of Law, has refunded more than $250,000 • In the November issue to students of the of The National Jurist American Justice we reported the wrong School of Law and tuition figure for Duke spent $1.5 milLaw Schools LL.M. lion in moving the program. The correct Kentucky school figure is $42,160. f o r w a rd f o r t h e future. The owners • We also failed to leave have also assumed out the listing for $1.5 million in debt. Boston College Law Dr. Manchikanti School’s American, added that he has International and not given up on the Comparative Law propotential for a qualgram — application ity law school in deadline: March 1; Paducah, “but given application fee: $75; the circumstances, tuition: $38,340/yr it is not viable to and contact email: continue present bcllm@bc.edu. efforts.” The school said it would help currently enrolled students find other law nd schools to attend g for the spring The Chronicle of H s semester, and its igher Education o staff will work to nifinding an organization or school to ver serve as a receiver ic of the academic The National Law Journal he records for the l Barkley School o of Law, and to turn over all relevant student ABA Journal records. Founded in 2004, the e American Justice School of Law, t which was not ABA Journal y accredited by the American Bar Association, closed due to a t lawsuit filed last y November by t students against tors the administrators of the forccording suit profit school. According to the suit, there tify reasons for the apparent failure of a were a number of allegations, including school which should have succeeded,” Putt that administrators delayed disbursing stu- said. “When I say should have, I refer to dent loans for living expenses. strong community support for a law school Barkley had taken on the students from to be located here, plus the good market the defunct American Justice School of for students that exists in this region. My Law, but challenges were still present. A real goal was to build a new school that bankruptcy hearing was scheduled in early could overcome the specter, baggage and November, as a number of buildings and anguish left behind by the failed school.” facilities on the campus were still owned In an earlier interview with preLaw by the former school. Magazine, Putt didn’t anticipate an appliLarry Putt, president and dean of the cation to the ABA before the spring of new law school, said that when he assumed 2010. He was also optimistic, but expected his new responsibilities at the school in some hard times ahead. June, he immediately began to assess and “The American Justice School of Law re-evaluate the entire program of legal edu- bankruptcy has cast a dark cloud over the cation, which had been established by the courageous efforts of our little band here at previous school. Barkley,” Putt said. “And, I expect that we “My objectives were to determine pro- are not finished with the effect of a failed gram deficiencies, and, if possible, to iden- institution.” Headline News R o undup Students sue priv ate law school in Kentucky Defunct Kentuck y law school ﬁles bankruptcy pape rs Five profs resign at American Just ice Law School, call for dean's ouster Troubled Americ an School of Law gets new dean, ne w name Correction January 2009 THE NATIONAL JURIST 11

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of National Jurist - January 2009

National Jurist - January 2009 Contents Hot Button: Affirmative Action Entertainment: A Road Trip Through Law School News: American Justice, Kaplan Survey, Part-time Ranking The Firm Report: Diversity Law School Online No label No label Fordham Student Honored for Public Interest Work Former Law Student's Life Lives on After Her Death Most Influential People in Legal Education Most Innovative Law Schools Your Guide to Studying Abroad Career Hotline Texas Tech Law Grads Explore Dispute Resolution Evaluating First-Year Exams Disturbing the Peace

National Jurist - January 2009

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.