Recent Merger of Law Schools in Minnesota

[kykiske]

William Mitchell and Hamline to merge into one law school:

http://www.startribune.com/local/stpaul/291856891.html

What are people's thoughts?

From what I understand, both schools are currently outside of the top-100, per US News.

[Ron Don Volante]

Minneapolis is saturated af. The market would be properly served with just UMn and one of the other three. This is a good thing, but I'm pretty shocked WM is the one biting the bullet here. Thought they were a clear step above St Thomas and Hamline.

[secadc11]

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[bl1nds1ght]

Minneapolis is saturated af. The market would be properly served with just UMn and one of the other three. This is a good thing, but I'm pretty shocked WM is the one biting the bullet here. Thought they were a clear step above St Thomas and Hamline.

Completely agree. Surprised that the recently re-accredited UST made it through considering its high unemployment compared to Willy.

I was thinking that Hamline would just straight up close and vanish into the night.

[The Dark Shepard]

Minneapolis is saturated af. The market would be properly served with just UMn and one of the other three. This is a good thing, but I'm pretty shocked WM is the one biting the bullet here. Thought they were a clear step above St Thomas and Hamline.

WM doesn't have the backing of a full university behind it though.

[lizalew11]

UST has done surprisingly well, at least in the Twin Cities, for a 12-year-old law school. They have graduates at every big Minnesota firm and consistently have top-ten faculty and practical training in the Princeton Review. Not to mention they have a lot of money...

That was the real problem with WM, they live off of tuition money and their enrollment was down. Don't let the "merger" fool you, Hamline is folding, and WM is taking the money Hamline University offered (ironic, since that was what UST offered WM 12 years ago...) Hamline's 1L class last year was less than 70 students.

[Sirius Blackstone]

Minneapolis is saturated af. The market would be properly served with just UMn and one of the other three. This is a good thing, but I'm pretty shocked WM is the one biting the bullet here. Thought they were a clear step above St Thomas and Hamline.

Seems like Mitchell is getting the better end of the deal here, though, getting to keep its administration and having its building become the main campus. Maybe this shouldn't really be viewed as a merger and more as an acquisition.