Profs serve on new law school board
By HELENA PAYNE
News Writer
Two Notre Dame professors are serving on the board of governors for the Ave Maria Catholic law school that, once established, could be comparable to Notre Dame's law school, said University law professor Gerrard Bradley.
"It's a normal law school with a distinct mission," said Bradley, a board member at the Ave Maria Law School. The school, located in Ann Arbor, Mich., differs from most other law schools by two characteristics: It is solely a school for law students (without other undergraduate or graduate programs of study) and it is also Catholic.
With a fresh start, Ave Maria "has autonomy to be the kind of Catholic school it wants to be," said Bradley.
With classes beginning two weeks ago, the school will attempt to keep Catholic moral teachings at its foundation as it approaches the study of law.
Bradley and law professor Charlie Rice are helping to promote Ave Maria's desire to maintain its Catholic mission for graduate studies in law.
"Most so-called Catholic law schools are secular," said Bradley.
Also on the board are Congressman Henry Hyde, archbishop of Denver Charles Chaput, federal judge James Ryan, and representatives from Princeton University, Catholic University, Franciscan University of Steubenville and South Texas College of Law. The board of governors will serve as trustees to Ave Maria and help to steer the school toward the direction of being a well established Catholic law school.
Bradley said that he is eager to lend a hand in a worthwhile project. "It's an opportunity to serve an institution that takes very seriously its Catholic mission," said Bradley.
Currently, Ave Maria has 75 students in its first class, but is planning to expand in enrollment until it reaches the first full three-year enrollment of about 225 students. There are six faculty members working at the school and the school plans to hire six more in the future.
Bradley said students interested a Catholic law school will likely continue to apply to Notre Dame in higher numbers than Ave Maria, but the new school will be attractive to many students as well. The advantages to attending Ave Maria, according to Bradley, include a less costly tuition. Although Notre Dame's tuition is just $300 more, the Ave Maria school is offering many scholarships.
Because Ave Maria is not attached to a larger university, it has freedom in terms of curriculum and protecting its objectives as an institution, said Bradley. "It has a lot of independence to pursue its mission vigorously," he added.
The university has received some criticism for being pro-Catholic and critics have called it an example of conservatism, but Bradley said there is a difference between conservative views and Catholic principles.
"I don't think the Catholic faith is conservative or liberal, it's Catholic," said Bradley. "It's not trying to be conservative, it's trying to be Catholic."
All News Stories for Wednesday, September 6, 2000
