preLaw Magazine - Winter 2008 - (Page 17) See yourself in a working to offset with increased funding from private and corporate donors, foundation gifts and grants,” Schizer added. “Over the course of the past five years, we have more than doubled the amount of money we raise for student and faculty support, so tuition increases are only a modest part of our efforts to enhance what we do.” Rising costs are an issue the law school has studied in the past few years and will continue to review, said Elizabeth Schmalz, executive director of Communications and Public Affairs for the New York-based law school. In fact, Columbia’s Law School Report summer 2006 magazine addressed the question of why its law school — and many others — are now so costly. Among its findings: •The law school’s faculty has more diverse experience than ever before and their ranks are constantly increasing to meet the changing needs of today’s student lawyers. •Evolving technology requires constant capital improvements. To that end, Columbia has spent more than $80 million on updates for the digital age over the past 12 years. •The cost of operating a law school — especially in New York — is much greater than ever before and increases paperwork for applicants and requires more personnel. But for some students, such as secondyear Luis Villa, cost isn’t an issue in their decision to attend Columbia. Thanks to generous family members who are firm believers in higher education, Villa can afford Columbia’s tuition costs. But he said he would have found a way to attend the prestigious law school regardless of his family’s contributions. “Once I made the decision to go to one of the top flight schools — all of which are very expensive, but open a lot of doors — Columbia’s additional expense relative to its peers was too slight to be a factor,” Villa said. diverse and supportive atmosphere. Seattle University School of Law is described as one of the law schools where students are “most likely to encounter classmates from different racial or ethnic groups.” Almost 30 percent of the students are persons of color, and faculty and staff represent a broad spectrum of backgrounds. To learn more about our school, please contact Seattle University School of Law Office of Admission 206-398-4200, toll-free 1-800-471-1767 E-mail: lawadmis@seattleu.edu Web: www.law.seattleu.edu Seattle University School of Law Standing for excellence. Reaching for justice. Discover the Difference The only public law school in the greater Chicagoland area, NIU Law offers: A quality, affordable legal education A place where a diverse society is respected, valued, and reflected among our faculty, staff, and student body A strong curriculum and skills training program A cooperative learning environment with a greater degree of personalized attention A commitment to public service Northern Illinois University College of Law http://law.niu.edu DeKalb, Illinois 800.892.3050 lawadm@niu.edu Winter 2008 17 http://www.law.seattleu.edu http://www.law.seattleu.edu http://law.niu.edu http://law.niu.edu
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