Law School Hosts First Prospective Student Open House in University Park

October 21, 2005 — Interested students toured Penn State’s Dickinson School of Law facility and met with faculty, students and administrators last weekend during the law school’s first ever open house in University Park.

The law school will admit first-year students for its inaugural class in University Park in fall 2006 as part of Penn State’s $100 million investment in new law school facilities in Carlisle and University Park, with expected completion in 2008. In University Park, the Beam building on Park Avenue will serve as transitional space until that time.

“Our open house at University Park continues to demonstrate the law school's tradition of providing an intellectually charged atmosphere with a deep commitment to supporting students,” said Janice Austin, the law school’s assistant dean for admissions and financial aid. “Our presence in University Park will allow us to tap into all of its extensive programmatic and intellectual resources and to deliver those resources to all students in both Carlisle and University Park. It will permit our new and current students opportunities unparalleled in legal education.”

Prospective students representing undergraduate schools from California, the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania attended the open house. They visited the Beam building, participated in question and answer sessions with administration, faculty and current students, and toured Penn State’s University Park campus.

Attendees were also exposed to life in law school by participating in one of two mock classes. Penn State Dickinson Professor Beth Farmer presented a class on Regina v. Dudley & Stephen, a famous criminal law case involving shipwrecked sailors lost at sea. Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Richard Storrow gave a class entitled “The Law of Found Property,” which covered cases resolving disputes over found property.

“The mock class, tour, panel discussions and references like the Law School Resources Student Guide were all highly informative. I traveled from Berkeley, California, to attend and really appreciate the attention to detail,” said prospective student Christine Powell. “Per my visit, I am definitely planning to apply to The Dickinson Law School.”

All students applying to Penn State Dickinson can indicate a preference for either Carlisle or University Park, and the law school will do its best to honor those preferences. Students will have access to the same programmatic resources, curriculum and educational programs, regardless of initial location. Second and third year students will be able to transfer freely between locations.

The University recently announced that Polshek Partnership, an internationally acclaimed architectural firm responsible for projects such as the William J. Clinton Presidential Center and Columbia University Law School Jerome B. Greene Hall, will lead the design and construction of the law school’s new facilities. The buildings will be pervasively interconnected with the latest audiovisual telecommunications equipment and physically accessible on a daily basis via a dedicated bus transportation system featuring internet connections and work stations for travelers.

The original portion of Trickett Hall in Carlisle will be renovated, along with the construction of the new building. The facility at University Park will be located north of Park Avenue, adjacent to the Arboretum and in close proximity to the new Smeal College of Business Administration Building and Forest Resources Building.