Alben W. Barkley School of Law

Infobox_University


name = Alben W. Barkley School of Law
established = 2004
type = Private
dean= Larry O. Putt
city = Paducah
state = Kentucky
country = USA
students =
staff=
campus = Urban
website= [http://www.barkleyschooloflaw.com// www.barkleyschooloflaw.com/]
endowment=

The Alben W. Barkley School of Law (formerly the American Justice School of Law) is a private, for-profit law school founded in 2004 in Paducah, Kentucky.

The projected enrollment is 500 within five to six years.

Campus

The Alben W. Barkley School of Law is located in the Paducah Information Age Park Resource Center. As of late December 2007, the physical facilities consisted of more than convert|68000|sqft|m2 with an option to add an additional convert|20000|sqft|m2.

Accreditation

The Alben W. Barkley School of Law is not accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) although it is seeking accreditation. [http://www.ncbex.org/comprehensive-guide-to-bar-admissions/ Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admission Requirements] , 2007 edition, National Conference of Bar Examiners.] In August 2007, the ABA denied the Barkley School of Law's (while it was still known as the American Justice School of Law or AJSL) provisional accreditation on its first application. [ Bar denies accreditation: American Justice School of Law confident it will meet all ABA requirements soon. The school intends to apply for another ABA review at the soonest permissible date. "The Paducah Sun", Sept. 18, 2007.]

History

The school's founding dean was Dean Paul Hendrick, formerly assistant dean, acting dean, and faculty member of Florida Coastal School of Law. ["Law school, students confident about start," "The Paducah Sun", Aug. 24, 2005.] The first class entered in the fall of 2005, consisting of 61 students from 27 states. [Id.]

Dean Hendrick and Associate Dean Jerrod Turner resigned their positions in February of 2008. [Citation | first = Andrew | last = Wolfson | year = 2008 | title = For-profit law school sold, settling suit | page = 1B. | publisher = "The Courier-Journal" | location = Louisville, Kentucky | date = 16 February 2008 ] John Daughaday was appointed the acting Dean and Robert Collins was appointed acting Associate Dean of the law school. [Citation | first = Bill | last = Bartleman | year = 2008 | title = New law school administrators meet with students: Acting dean says possible name change could be in store for school | publisher = "The Paducah Sun". | location = Paducah, Kentucky | date = 21 February 2008 ] [Citation | first = Bill | last = Bartleman | year = 2008 | title = Law school promises fresh start: School to bear Barkley's name | publisher = "The Paducah Sun". | location = Paducah, Kentucky | date = 28 March 2008 ]

In March of 2008 Dean's Daughaday and Collins resigned. [Citation | first = Andrew | last = Wolfson | year = 2008 | title = Paducah law school's future in doubt
page = 2B. | publisher = "The Courier-Journal" | location = Louisville, Kentucky | date = 28 March 2008 ]

In March of 2008 the Law School was renamed the Alben W. Barkley School of Law, [Citation | first = Bill | last = Bartleman | year = 2008 | title = Law school promises fresh start: School to bear Barkley's name | publisher = "The Paducah Sun". | location = Paducah, Kentucky | date = 28 March 2008 ] and on March 28th 2008 Larry Putt was introduced as the new Dean of the law school. [Citation | first = Andrew | last = Wolfson | year = 2008 | title = Paducah law school's future in doubt | page = 2B. | publisher = "The Courier-Journal" | location = Louisville, Kentucky | date = 28 March 2008 ]

Lawsuit

In November 2007, Thomas L. Osborne, the chairman of AJSL's board and attorney for AJSL, resigned. According to Dean Hendrick, Osborne resigned just before a board meeting in which he was scheduled to have been removed. ["Osborne out at law school: Director resigns hours before board meeting to remove him, says students complaints cause for concern," "The Paducah Sun", Nov. 9, 2007.] Dean Paul Hendrick said that the student and faculty complaints at the heart of Osborne's falling out with the school were unfounded, and that the complaints were part of a plot to prime the school for a hostile takeover. [Id.] Hendrick claimed that there were actually a limited number of student complaints. Two non-tenured professors were terminated for activities not described in public announcements. ["Law school: Complaints few," "The Paducah Sun", Nov. 12, 2007.] To enhance connectivity with the regional community, AJSL formed a new board of trustees. ["Law school creates board of trustees," "The Paducah Sun", Nov. 14, 2007.]

According to Osborne,who as Chairman of the Board participated in all AJSL presentations to the American Bar Association, he only learned of alleged mismanagement at the school in late fall of 2007. When he met to discuss corrections with the Board of Directors, he refused to respond to questions from the Board members about participants in a meeting he had attended and left the meeting.

On November 17, 2007, Osborne filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of the student body and himself as a shareholder of the school, naming as defendants Hendrick, Vice Dean Jarrod Turner, and Wayne Shelton (C.P.A and Board Member). None of these claims was ever proved in court. All claims were withdrawn and dismissed in the settlement.

These claims were vigorously denied by all of the law school board members, and all of these claims were withdrawn in a settlement agreement agreed to by all parties before any hearings were held in the Federal Court. Judge Russell incorporated the settlement agreement in his order dismissing the case.

According to Dean Hendrick's statement to the "Paducah Sun", the lawsuit boils down to an attempted hostile takeover of the law school. Stockholders who have guaranteed loans to develop the law school and who have indemnified former shareholders could have to pay about $1.8 million in debts if the school fails to receive accreditation and grow its student body.

Thirty of a total 185 students chose to join the suit against Hendrick, Turner, and Shelton. All claims in the complaint were withdrawn in the settlement agreement and the suit was dismissed by the Court. The majority of law school shares were transferred in the settlement to a local physician. Dr. Laxmaiah Manchikanti. [Citation | first = Andrew | last = Wolfson | year = 2008 | title = For-profit law school sold, settling suit | page = 1B. | publisher = "The Courier-Journal" | location = Louisville, Kentucky | date = 16 February 2008 ]

Law School Curriculum

The Alben W. Barkley School of Law requires students to complete work in one of its law clinics or take practice skills courses before graduation.

References

External links

* [http://www.barkleyschooloflaw.com/ Alben W. Barkley School of Law]