Update: Law School Move to FL Approved; Timing for Move to Ave Maria Not Set
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Published on Wednesday, 18 February 2009 19:57
The Ave Maria School of Law has received approval from the American Bar Association to relocate from Michigan to Florida, the law school announced today. The ABA granted its "acquiescence" to the move, meaning that the law school will retain its full accreditation.
"The ABA needed to be assured that we were moving this school," said Acting Dean Eugene Milhizer, "not closing one and opening another."
Dean Milhizer said that permitting has already begun for renovations to the law school's new home at the former AMU campus at The Vineyards and he hopes that actually physical work can begin in March. The move is scheduled to take place in July, with the campus ready for the fall term which begins Aug. 24.
Originally, plans called for the law school to relocate from Ann Arbor, MI, to the town of Ave Maria, near the university, but the school announced last year that it would first move temporarily to The Vineyards campus for timing and financial reasons.
"Ultimately, what we intend to do is move out to be at or close to the university," Dean Milhizer said in telephone interview Wednesday. But there is no timeline for such a move, he said, adding that much will depend on the success of fundraising efforts to build "a great facility."
"We're talking about being there [Vineyards] for several years," he said, although a move to Ave Maria could take place faster if a major donor contributed "multiple millions of dollars."
Even though the two schools will be about 20 miles apart, Dean Milhizer said that he expects there will be close collaboration between their faculties and student bodies.
The acquiescence by the ABA to the move was first reported Tuesday by the Naples Daily News and was officially announced by the school on Wednesday.
