It was a GOOD week for…
The fight for the right to party after University of Georgia law student Ian Grady successfully petitioned the Georgia Supreme Court to hear his case over a noise ordinance violation. Grady hosted a party in 2009 to celebrate his acceptance to law school, but police pulled the plug on the live band and broke up the bash around 3:30 a.m. Even though Grady claims no one filed a complaint about the party, he was cited for violation of a county noise ordinance. Now Grady is contesting the $350 ticket, arguing that because no one complained to police, enforcement of the ordinance violated his right to free speech.
Law school transparency after Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) added a bi-partisan push to the political forces asking the ABA for more transparency. Grassley is the second lawmaker, after Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), to send a letter to the ABA, calling it to account for its regulation of law schools. A member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Grassley sent a list of thirty-one questions to the ABA, including questions about how schools handle merit-based scholarships. Grassley asked for a response in two weeks, but hopefully he isn’t holding his breath.
It was a BAD week for…
Vermont Law School, who will have almost 23 percent fewer first-year students in the upcoming fall semester than it did last year. Although the drop will be slightly offset by an increase in masters and environmental law program enrollment, the school will likely have to tighten the purse strings, as it relies heavily on tuition for general revenue. It consistently leads the country in environmental law programs, but Vermont is a relatively young school (opened in 1972), with a small endowment and alumni who tend to work in nonprofit or public service jobs.
