Washburn Law Raising Money for New Building

Dean Thomas J. Romig says the nature of legal education has changed since the law school building opened in 1969. 

"Many of the classes are skills-based. We need more space for that, and we need more flexible space," Romig said.

The proposed facility, to be located on the southeast corner of the Washburn campus, will be an investment in a 21st century learning and technology environment that will accommodate a broader, deeper legal curriculum and provide updated space for classrooms, a student commons area, collaborative work areas, courtrooms, the four Centers for Excellence, the Law Library, and the Washburn Law Clinic. The estimated $40 million project will be financed through a $20 million fundraising effort, with an additional $10 million coming from university reserve funds and $10 million in short-term bonds.

Dean Romig recently spoke with The National Law Journal's Karen Sloan.

Operating in an outdated building has become something of a liability in the student recruiting game, Romig said. "We've done surveys. We know it's a factor. We've looked at many of the schools around us and we saw the competition. We need to act."

"We're not building this for the near term," he said. "This is for the long term."

Architectural Rendering: North entrance of proposed new Washburn Law building.