For some, it’s about the architecture, for others, it’s about the end of the seemingly perpetual construction outside their windows. But for the Arizona legal community, the new Arizona Center for Law and Society is all about location, location, location.
Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law professor Paul Bender said the placement of $129 million building currently being constructed in the downtown Phoenix campus was more than a random decision.
“The main thing this school is going to do is bring the program closer to the legal community in Arizona and in the city,” Bender said. “It’s closer to the courts, it’s closer to the lawyers offices and bigger firms located in central Phoenix. And that means that there are more opportunities for students to participate in internships and part-time jobs.”
He said the conversation of moving the program downtown was not a new one.
“It’s been a thought since I came here that the school would function better downtown,” he said.
With the Arizona State Legislature only a few blocks away and law firms speckled downtown like spots on a cheetah, he said it was only natural for the law school to make the move downtown, especially since university officials are looking for programs to help develop and grow the campus.
Law firms located in downtown Phoenix
Moving up five spots in the national law school ranking in just one year and currently within the top 10 ranking among public law schools in the U.S., the school seemed to fit with the historically highly ranked and competitive programs downtown.
However, the development of this new center will span out past the school — integrating law firms into the mix as well.
One such program, the ASU Alumni Law Group, intends to play a major part in the school to come. Marty Harper, CEO and President of the firm, said their involvement with the law school will increase due to the proximity.
Originally remaining separate from the program, the group will now occupy 12,000 square feet of the building and will be the first teaching law firm associated with a law school.
“The location will be ideal for us to be able to bring clients into the actual law school environments down there and actually present clients in the new building. Which will expose them to further aspects of what the community is doing in downtown Phoenix,” Harper said.
He has high hopes that the integration between the firms and the law school will help bridge the gap between students and professionals and draw focus to the school on national level.
Related links:
ASU, Phoenix break ground for new law school, promote innovative approach
ASU law school prepares to break ground on downtown location
Reach the reporter at megan.janetsky@asu.edu or follow @meganjanetsky on Twitter.
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