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Law
School Facilities Project Showcase
Bricks
Bytes and Continuous Renovations
Law School Web sites
November 28, 2005
By Jocelyn Kennedy
Jocelyn Kennedy,
research assistant to Professor Penny A. Hazelton (also Chair of
the Law School Facilities Committee), reviewed all US law school
websites for potential inclusion on the Law School Facilities Committee
(ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar) website.
She looked specifically for websites that contain information about
new construction or renovation projects on law school campuses across
the country where the website would provide guidance or general
information to law schools that are engaged in or will be engaged
in construction projects.
The below list
of ABA-approved law schools is arranged alphabetically. A brief
description of the contents of each Web site is included. Law schools
with no construction projects but who have created impressive virtual
tours of their campus are included.
Schools in Puerto
Rico were not included as the Web sites are in Spanish. Web pages
related to pre-1997 law school construction projects are also not
included.
University
of Alabama
www.law.ua.edu/building
The University of Alabama began construction on a two story addition
and renovation of the existing law school in 2005. Completion of
the project is expected in 2006. This website features descriptions
of the project, updates of building progress and photographs of
construction.
University
of Arkansas, Fayetteville
law.uark.edu/alumni/building.php
UA broke ground on a 50,000 square foot addition in May, 2005. This
website features artist renderings of the new addition, as well
as construction photos.
Baylor University
law.baylor.edu/New_Building/virtualtour.htm
Although construction was completed in 2001, Baylor University's
website continues contain a virtual tour of their updated facilities.
This website includes interactive floor plans, historical information,
and a visual and textual "virtual" tour of the Baylor
Law School facilities. Includes information on costs, funding, architects,
and start of the art technologies used at the school.
University
of California - Berkeley
www.law.berkeley.edu/campaign/cgoals/building.html
Berkeley is in the design phase of construction/renovation of its
law school facilities. This may be a site to watch as the campaign
for giving begins in January 2006.
University
of California - Davis
www.law.ucdavis.edu/about_school/building.html
UC-Davis is in the process of adding 19,500 square feet to the existing
law school. This webpage features a 29 page Detailed Project Program
plan that includes floor plans, budgets, and space allocation.
University
of California - Hastings School of Law
www.uchastings.edu?pid=2814
In the midst of major renovation and construction projects, the
UC-Hastings website offers a view of past, present and future renovations
both in the library and the law school in general.
Case Western
Reserve University School of Law
lawwww.cwru.edu/tech_library/renovation/
Preparation for renovation of the law library at Case Western began
in the spring of 2004 and continues today. The website offers a
virtual tour of the library renovation as well as general background
information on how the library is balancing user needs with construction
concerns.
University
of Colorado School of Law
www.colorado.edu/law/alumdev/newbuilding/
The University of Colorado began planning for new construction in
1997 and broke ground in 2005. The Law School maintains a website
that features links to a QuickTime movie with construction updates,
a list of contacts that includes the architects, fundraising campaign
information, funding chronology, documents and building plans as
well as a web cam and photos. This is perhaps the most extensive
and useful of all of the websites reviewed.
Duke University
www.law.duke.edu/building/
Duke began extensive renovations of its law school facility in 2004.
This website features a photo slide show of construction, a webcam,
and general progress information.
University
of Florida
www.law.ufl.edu/construction/index.shtml
The University of Florida completed renovations of classroom and
library space in 2004. The UF website contains site plans, photographs,
a virtual tour and a construction timeline.
Florida Coastal
School of Law
www.fscl.edu/pr/newcampus.cfm
One solution is to buy a new building. FCSL is moving its entire
program in 2006. It purchased an office building and will begin
renovations on the newly acquired building soon.
Georgetown
University School of Law
www.law.georgetown.edu/ccp/notes.html
Georgetown Law Center completed construction of the Hotung International
Building in fall 2004. Visit the website to see construction notes,
take an architectural tour, view a construction movie, and visit
the project architects.
Howard University
www.library.law.howard.edu/New_Library/NewLibrary.htm
Howard completed construction of its 76,000 square foot law library
in 2004. This website features a brief history of the project and
the library as well as floor plans of the building.
Loyola University,
New Orleans
www.loyno.edu/newsandcalendars/loyolatoday/2004/12/lawconstruction.html
Building plans were underway at Loyola prior to Hurricane Katrina.
This site is not active at this time, however Loyola and Tulane
will be schools to watch as they recover from the devastating effects
of a natural disaster.
University
of Minnesota
www.law.umn.edu/prospective/facilities.html
The University of Minnesota Law School completed the Walter F. Mondale
Hall in 2001. The website describes the new building's amenities.
University
of Mississippi
library.law.olemiss.edu/library/construction.shtml
Ole Miss Law School is in the development stages of building a new
building. Their website features links to other school projects
and features meeting minutes. It has not been updated.
University
of North Dakota
www.law.und.nodak.edu/Library/librenovations/index.php
Renovation of the Olaf H. Thormodsgard Law Library began in May
2003 and ended in July, 2003. This website depicts, through photographs
and commentary, the renovation process.
University
of Oklahoma
www.law.ou.edu/library/const/
From January 2000 to January 2002, the Donald E. Pray Law Library
at the University of Oklahoma College of Law underwent construction.
This website links to a photo archive of the construction process.
A virtual tour of the new library can be found at http://www.law.ou.edu/virtour/
University of Pittsburgh
http://www.law.pitt.edu/library/tourintro.php
Renovation of the Barco Law Library began in May of 2004 and was
completed in October of the same year. The library’s website features
a photographic tour of the updated facilities. Also included is a
blog link that records, with photographs, the entire renovation
process from the librarians’ perspective.
Pace Law
School, New York
law.pace.edu/news/2003/campusRenovation2003.html
Multiple construction projects were underway at Pace between 2000
and 2005. A brief outline of those projects is available on the
website.
Pennsylvania State - Dickinson School of Law - University Park
Campus
www.dsl.psu.edu/news/statement.cfm
The Dickinson School of Law is in the beginning stages of planning
for a major construction and renovation project. For general information
about the construction and renovations plans, visit their website.
This may be a site to watch as the school plans to open its new
facilities in fall 2006.
Rutgers University
School of Law- Camden
Rutgers: Office of the President - Major Projects at Camden, Newark,
& New Brunswick/Piscataway
In January 2005 Rutgers announced it would begin construction of
a 55,000 square foot building 2006. This web address links you to
the Rutgers Facilities page where you can access a press release
about the project.
Southwestern University
www.swlaw.edu/campus
Southwestern is notable for its renovation of a pre-existing post-war
department store into a law school. Although the website simply
offers a look at the campus as completed, SW demonstrates that there
are alternatives to new construction.
Stetson University
School of Law Tampa Campus
Stetson University College of Law
Stetson began construction of a new law campus in 2003. Located
in downtown Tampa, the building as proposed includes Stetson's part
time law program and the 2nd District Court of Appeals. The website
features aerial photos and floor plans of the facility.
Texas Wesleyan
University School of Law
law.txwes.edu/Default.aspx?tabid=1
Texas Wesleyan completed extensive renovation and construction of
its facilities in the fall of 2005. Visit their website to watch
a video on their facilities at http://law.txwes.edu/Default.aspx?tabid=175
. Information on the capital campaign and various renovation projects
can be viewed at Imagine: The Law School Campaign .
Thomas M. Cooley Law School
www.cooley.edu/3rd4thfloor/index.htm
The Thomas Cooley Law School continues renovation and construction
of its Lansing facilities. Photographs of construction and floor
plans of the completed project can be viewed on their website.
Vanderbilt
University Law School
law.vanderbilt.edu/about/tour/index.html
Vanderbilt completed construction and renovation of its facilities
in 2002. On their website you will find two virtual tour options:
a slide show and a panoramic QuickTime slide show. The site also
features floor plans of the building and a brief history of the
renovation and construction process.
Vermont Law
School
vermontlaw.edu/media/emp_medpre_template.cfm?doc_id=1088
www.vermontlaw.edu/life/index.cfm?doc_id=206
Vermont Law School recently completed renovation and historic preservation
of its original building. This site features a press release detailing
the renovation process. VLS's building is a LEED structure and features
unique environmentally focused construction. In 1998, VLS completed
construction of Oakes Hall, a new building on the VLS Campus. The
second link takes you to a VLS web page featuring a presentation,
a slide show on the construction. Of particular note are the environmental
considerations that play a strong part in the construction of this
building.
Washburn
University School of Law
washburnlaw.edu/remodel/
In 2004 Washburn University remodeled several classrooms and other
spaces within its pre-existing building. The site contains a description
of the project and photographs of the remodel.
University
of Washington
www.law.washington.edu/gateshall/index.html
In 2003, the UW School of Law moved into a newly built facility
on the University of Washington main campus, William H. Gates Hall.
The website features descriptions of the building and its technology
and photographs of the construction process.
William and
Mary College of Law
www.wm.edu/law/lawlibrary/construction
Renovation and expansion of the Marshall-Wythe School of Law library
began in the late summer of 2005 with completion of the expansion
slated for 2006.
William Mitchell
College of Law
www.wmitchell.edu/construction/overview.html
In 2004, William Mitchell College of Law completed an addition to
its existing facilities and updating of the original building's
infrastructure. The website features weekly updates of the construction
process, photographs and renderings of the new addition.
Yale
www.law.yale.edu/outside/html/Public_Affairs/387/yls_article.htm
www.law.yale.edu/outside/html/Public_Affairs/393/yls_article.htm
www.law.yale.edu/outside/html/Public_Affairs/396/yls_article.htm
www.law.yale.edu/outside/html/Public_Affairs/398/yls_article.htm
After suffering damage from an explosion at the law school in 2003,
Yale went about repairing its building and restoring its rare book
collection. These links lead you to brief weekly updates of the
repair process.
Yeshiva University
- Cordozo School of Law
http://www.cordozo.yu.edu/life/summer2001/building
Cordozo has renovated several floors of its 5th Avenue building.
This website gives a brief overview of the project.
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