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A failed school merger, virtual courthouse tour, and White House recognition

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The University of Akron and Cleveland State University have decided to cease discussions of a possible merger of their law schools.

The idea first came about in the fall of 2020. The schools saw potential in combining their campuses and offerings. The integrated schools would have been owned and operated jointly by both universities. Ultimately the schools decided that it was in the best interest to remain independent from each other, though potential for collaboration remains.

“The successful program of cross-registration in selected courses between the two law schools, now in its fourth semester, illustrates the potential for innovative cooperation,” the schools said in a joint statement. “We want to emphasize that both schools entered these discussions from positions of strength,” the joint statement said. “Both law schools are successful and will continue to be the focus of investments by their parent universities.

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Northeastern University School of Law’s NuLawLab launched the Colorado Virtual Courthouse Tour in January. The tour is an interactive web-based simulation that teaches people how to navigate and interact with a courthouse, courtrooms, and court personnel in real time.

The project is a collaboration between NuLawLab, Colorado Legal Services, and Hands-On Education, Law & Media (HELM) Studio. It is being funded by the Legal Services Corporation’s Technology Initiative Grant Program. NuLawLab will judge the efficacy of the project over the coming year and will explore ways to further develop its technology and expand its reach across the country. Northeastern Law students Antonio Coronado, a third year; Connor Scholes, a second year; and recent grads Henry Sturm and Ana Teixeria provided crucial assistance throughout the assessment, design, build and testing of the tool.

“Virtual reality holds promise in educating people on how to navigate court systems without the help of a lawyer,” said Dan Jackson ’97, executive director of NuLawLab.  “We are honored to work with our collaborators on this new tool and we welcome creative ideas for utilizing virtual reality in the pursuit of access to justice.”

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The White House and the Department of Justice have announced that 99 law schools in 35 states and Puerto Rico have answered the Attorney General’s Call to Action to the Legal Profession. Issued back in August, the call to action addresses the housing and eviction crisis currently facing large parts of the country and asks both lawyers and law students to take action and help their communities by volunteering, helping courts implement eviction diversion programs, and more.

The 99 law schools immediately jumped into action and dedicated more than 81,000 hours in the last five months to more than 10,000 households. Their work, along with that of numerous legal professionals, helped keep evictions below 60% of historic averages.

Students at various schools performed acts such as supporting pro bono and legal services attorneys by identifying families facing eviction, conducting intake and research, and drafting motions, as well as partnering with ERA programs, community-based organizations, and trusted community leaders to increase access to crucial resources and legal assistance. For example, Rutgers University Law School dedicated $2 million in state funding to establish a cross-campus and statewide anti-eviction initiative to address the crisis. At Wake Forest University School of Law, 64 students dedicated over 820 hours to partner with medical providers and connect families in need with ERA. And at Duke University School of Law, 50 student volunteers established a court-based eviction prevention legal clinic to ensure legal representation to over 100 individuals.

For the full list of schools involved and more details about what actions certain schools took, click here.

Trevor Mason

Trevor Mason

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