Law School Admitting Students for Inaugural Class in University Park

The Penn State Dickinson School of Law is moving forward with plans to admit first-year students to its University Park campus for the fall 2006 semester. Students in the inaugural University Park class will occupy the law school's transitional space in the Beam Building on Park Avenue until a new building is completed in 2008.

The introduction of the law school to the University Park campus is part of the University's $110 million plan for new, completely interconnected law school facilities in Carlisle and University Park that will provide for the deeper interdisciplinary integration of the law school with the other top graduate programs at University Park. The law school will continue to admit first-year students to its Carlisle campus, which will also occupy highly desirable transitional space until its new facilities are completed in 2008.

"The reputation of Penn State, accompanied by the law school's new presence on Penn State's flagship campus, is generating national exposure and interest, and we are optimistic and excited about enrolling our first year class in both Carlisle and University Park," said Janice Austin, Penn State Dickinson's assistant dean of admissions. "My assistant director of admissions and special programs, Elena De Luca, works full-time from the Beam Building where she daily meets with students who stop by her office to learn more about admissions to our University Park campus."

Austin explained that applicants to Penn State Dickinson have the opportunity to indicate a preference to begin their legal educations in either University Park or Carlisle. All students will have access to the same programmatic resources, curriculum and educational programs, regardless of initial location. Upon completion of their first year of studies, students will have the flexibility to enroll in upper level courses at either location and to transfer freely between both facilities.

"Our presence in University Park enables us to take advantage of the broad range of programmatic and intellectual resources found only at a major American research university and to deliver those resources to all of our students, whether they're studying in Carlisle or in University Park," Austin said.

Prospective students recently attended the first-ever open house at the law school's University Park facilities. Participants represented undergraduate schools from California, the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania.