Faculty in the News
In the News
Law schools help graduates afford public law positions and service
Publication date: Dec. 8, 2008
Source: Kansas State Collegian
Author: Tyler Sharp
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Dean Gail Agrawal and Jacqlene Nance, director of admissions, are quoted in a Kansas State Collegian article about steps law schools are taking to help students enter careers in the public sector.
The Kansas State Collegian writes:
More locally, the law school at the University of Kansas also is making efforts to remain affordable.
Gail Agrawal, dean of the law school, said programs similar to those at Harvard and Columbia are a long-term goal that would require raising private funds in creating a large endowment.
KU's law school has taken initial steps toward providing more support for students in the public sector by establishing a summer stipend program. Last year, the school was able to fund 19 students through donations from the school's board of governors, faculty members and alumni. Agrawal said the implementation process would be a long one.
"To establish a loan-repayment program, we would have to raise private dollars, presumably from alumni and other friends of the law school, to create an endowment dedicated to this purpose," she said in an e-mail interview. "Because we are able to spend only a percentage of the value of the endowment, we would need a sizable amount of money to implement a meaningful program."
Jacqlene Nance, director of admissions for the law school, said 53 percent of current students have received some sort of scholarship.
She also said KU was ranked high in terms of graduates who entered the public sector in a recent article of National Jurist, a magazine for law students.
Nance said the school offers competitive scholarships and is thankful to legislators and the Board of Regents among others for keeping tuition low.