It was a BAD week for law schools with contrarian professors, after North Carolina’s legislature docked the University of North Carolina School of Law Budget by $3 million. The Republican controlled senate shifted the money to a health education center.
“I think we all know the law school can absorb this, and nothing will change,” said Ralph Hise, a state senator in support of the change. “I’ve been all across my district. I’ve never heard, ‘If we could only get some more lawyers in my district, we could solve this problem.'”
But some Democrats felt the last-minute amendment was designed to penalize the school for employing Gene Nichol, a law professor who is a frequent and outspoken critic of the Republican legislative leaders.
The Republican leaders said the school is making a profit and has a $40 million foundation to support it. The law school had been saving money for a new building.
