Wayne State plans new $40M law school building

[Airforceguy]

The project secured a $30 million capital outlay from the state on Thursday as part of $625 million in supplemental spending bills approved by the legislature.It's unclear if the law school will replace the existing building or if it will be built elsewhere and the existing building will be repurposed.

"The current thinking is that it will be on campus, but no final decision has been made," said Matt Lockwood, associate vice president of university communications, in an email to Crain's.

Details of the project are still in their preliminary stage, Rick Bierschbach, dean of the WSU Law School and John W. Reed Professor of Law, said in a statement forwarded to Crain's.
But according to details provided on the state-issued list of capital outlay requests, the project would replace the existing 17,689-square-foot structure constructed on WSU's Detroit campus in 1966 with a new, 80,000-square-foot building. The new building would house the law school, providing mock trial and other classrooms and lecture areas as well as student and faculty workspaces. The increased space is needed to accommodate WSU's new minor, bachelor, and master programs in law and growth in its juris doctor program, the state said.

The legislature's approval of the university's capital outlay request "represents a clear recognition of the Wayne State Law School's importance to and impact on the community not only in Southeastern Michigan but throughout the state," Bierschbach said in an emailed statement.

https://www.crainsdetroit.com/politi...detroit-campus

[JBMcB]

Thank goodness, because the existing law building is approaching 8 years of age. I can't believe people expect students to learn in these aging, decrepit buildings.

If it's one thing students are clamoring for, it isn't affordable tuition, it's new buildings.

[DetroitSoldier]

Thank goodness, because the existing law building is approaching 8 years of age. I can't believe people expect students to learn in these aging, decrepit buildings.

If it's one thing students are clamoring for, it isn't affordable tuition, it's new buildings.

The article literally states that the existing building is from the 60's. The issue is the need for space in a growing program.

[renf]

This sounds like another major investment that is linked, at least
remotely. to the Q line and the investments the state made in keep
the Q line cost free for at least a few years.

[Honky Tonk]

This sounds like another major investment that is linked, at least
remotely. to the Q line and the investments the state made in keep
the Q line cost free for at least a few years.

Except it's not "cost free".

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/ne...e/69764836007/

[JBMcB]

The article literally states that the existing building is from the 60's. The issue is the need for space in a growing program.

Which building is that? The "Wayne State Law School" building is on Palmer across from Parking Structure 1, and was built in 2015. Behind it is the law library, which is old, but was rebuilt with a brand new annex sometime around 2000.

[oladub]

"Here’s a list of countries with the highest number of lawyers per capita: 1. U.S. 1 lawyer for every 300 people 2. Brazil: 1 lawyer for every 326 people 3. New Zealand: 1 lawyer for every 391 people 4. Spain: 1 lawyer for every 395 people 5. UK: 1 lawyer for every 401 people 6. Italy: 1 lawyer for every 488 people 7. Germany: 1 lawyer for every 593 people 8. France: 1 lawyer for every 1,403 people".

"Here is a list of the top 5 most litigious countries by capita: 1. Germany: 123.2/1,000 2. Sweden: 111.2/1,000 3. Israel: 96.8/1,000 4. Austria: 95.9/1,000 5. U.S.: 74.5/1,000 The Top 10 also includes the UK [[64.4); Denmark [[62.5); Hungary [[52.4); Portugal [[40.7); and France [[40.3).""

It makes no sense that the US needs 3.5x as many lawyers per capita as fifth place France. Something is broken in our society. We need more doctors, nurses, plumbers, engineers and scientists but instead spend our tax dollars creating a Byzantine litigious system with legal expenses making everything more expensive. Back to France: are France and the next 150 countries worse countries to live in because they don't have as many lawyers per capita? The number of lawyers a society needs is proportional to how fine it decides to split hairs.

[401don]

It makes no sense that the US needs 3.5x as many lawyers per capita as fifth place France. Something is broken in our society.

Getting off topic, but when you see how many, not just greedy, but downright stupid a lot of lawyers are it makes you wonder how difficult can the law exam be? Then again, some are both. No names [Kwame]

[1953]

As a casual observer, I find it surprising that the law school needs to be replaced. It always looked pretty new and nice to me. I guess tuition wasn't rising fast enough already.

1953

[Margaret's boy]

The University of Windsor spent $30 million to upgrade its' own law school, probably to attract more international students. It's a lucrative racket for post-secondary institutions, even though it creates nothing but problems for locals who are forced to compete with the international students for jobs, which are government-subsidized for international students, and housing, which is in desperately short supply and getting more and more expensive.

[Rocket]

It makes no sense that the US needs 3.5x as many lawyers per capita as fifth place France. Something is broken in our society.

Yep, broken.

Item 1. on the broken list is a lack of 'looser pays'. If we had that, most all of the frivolous lawsuits would disappear.

[JBMcB]

Yep, broken.

Item 1. on the broken list is a lack of 'looser pays'. If we had that, most all of the frivolous lawsuits would disappear.

There are looser pays statues for very narrow cases, usually in civil matters, and generally when the reasoning of one of the parties is particularly egregious. It's generally left up to the discretion judge in those cases.

As for frivolous lawsuits, I have a family member who owns a small store, that has parking on the side. After visiting the store, a customer got into their car and drove straight into the side of the store, wiping out a brick wall in the process. A few weeks later a lawyer showed up saying he was going to sue the store as there should have been a barrier to prevent someone from driving into the store. There was no requirement for one in the building codes, nor was there even room for one [[it's a small store.) After seeing the financials on how much the business was worth [[not much) the family member never heard from the lawyer again.

[Jimaz]

It's a loosed cause.

[Rocket]

A friend's youngest child graduated recently from Wayne Law. Only got one semester on campus, the rest being remote because of c_v_d.

They WISHED they could have attended this new marble palace.

Current Wayne Law main building.

[JBMcB]

They WISHED they could have attended this new marble palace. Current Wayne Law main building.

That was built in 2015. The oldest "law" building at Wayne is the law library [[Neef?) that, from what I remember, was completely overhauled along with a brand new annex built sometime around 2000.

The need for more classrooms doesn't make sense, either, as most classes at WSU are held in general purpose classrooms. Most of my computer science and engineering classes were in general purpose classrooms and lecture halls at State, Helen Newberry Joy, General Lectures, Old Main and Cohn, with the occasional lab at Engineering or the computer lab at State.

[WKL]

Are you sure about that date. My son graduated Wayne Law in 2014 and I'm pretty sure it was that building [[across from the parking garage). You can still see the DeRoy housing building [[the brown tower) and that was demolished in 2015 or 16.

[Baselinepunk]

Are you sure about that date. My son graduated Wayne Law in 2014 and I'm pretty sure it was that building [[across from the parking garage). You can still see the DeRoy housing building [[the brown tower) and that was demolished in 2015 or 16.

WSU Class of 2013. That building was there at least since 2008. Used to park @ Palmer structure and walk through the entrance. That lobby always smelled like elephant piss -- reminded me of the days of seeing Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey Circus at the State Fairgrounds. PU!!

[JBMcB]

WSU Class of 2013. That building was there at least since 2008. Used to park @ Palmer structure and walk through the entrance. That lobby always smelled like elephant piss -- reminded me of the days of seeing Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey Circus at the State Fairgrounds. PU!!

Yeah you're right, it probably was built closer to 2005. The cat pee smell comes from an adhesive used to glue carpet or laminate tiles down to the floor. When UGL first opened the entire building reeked of the stuff for months. If it still smelled in 2008, they probably had to replace a bad batch of flooring.

[Zacha341]

How's about that! WSU and other four-year, masters, etc level colleges and universities still have a lock on law education and other areas that require four+ years for completion. In other areas the two-year college, trade school and even online certification options are gaining ground.

In this economy more are thinking hard about for example the cost vs. recoupment factor of that four-year Marketing degree!

As a casual observer, I find it surprising that the law school needs to be replaced. It always looked pretty new and nice to me. I guess tuition wasn't rising fast enough already.

1953

[EastsideAl]

When my father went to law school at Wayne it was located in a house across Cass from the main library.

The law school moved to its current location on Palmer in 1966, but the buildings that stand there now are much newer than that.