Las Vegas Law Hamilton: Frank, creative dean navigates era of declining law school applications By Brian Sodoma • Photo R. Marsh Starks / UNLV Photo Services
D
an Hamilton, dean of the Boyd School of Law, often cites this little factoid: The U.S. has as many law students today as it did in 1977, but 40 more law schools. It may be difficult to find a law school dean who speaks more candidly about the current state of legal education. A juris doctor degree just doesn’t carry the cachet it once did. And the thought of taking on a potential six-figure debt load, amid declining chances for employment in your chosen field, clearly has worn on some prospective students. Like other schools, Boyd is feeling the pinch of this paper chase parsimony. About 400 students are enrolled at Boyd at any given time, down from about 450. And the number of applicants for admission has been slashed by a third to roughly 800 a year, Hamilton says. What’s more, the school faces a $3 million a year budget shortfall in the coming biennium, and a self-imposed hiring freeze. This summer marked Hamilton’s one-year anniversary at Boyd. And he’s busier than ever navigating legal education’s “new normal.” “Law schools have to think hard about where they want to be five years from now,” he says. “They have to think strategically about what kind of law school they need to be. You can’t just coast or take anything for granted. … But I wouldn’t have taken this job if I didn’t think the law school had a path to come out of this crisis even stronger.”
GAMING LAW Some working legal professionals are seeking a master of laws degree, or LLM. These are programs, often about a year long, that allow for specialization and expertise in a particular area of law. The Board of Regents recently approved a gaming law LLM at Boyd, and its first classes will be held in 2015. “This is a unique advantage we have in a dynamic and sophisticated area of law,” Hamilton says. He envisions professionals from the state and nation, and even international students, applying to the program. The first class likely will have 12-15 students, Hamilton says. A smaller, more intimate setting – and tapping local gaming law expertise – is part of the design. LLMs are new revenue generators for law schools. Many institutions leverage what they already do well when creating them. Gaming law is a natural fit for Boyd. Hamilton sees more LLMs on the horizon too. Intellectual property and health care law are two legal segments of the local economy that are growing, he says. And there is faculty and local legal expertise to leverage there as well, Hamilton says, adding: “These
areas are a strength in our city and state.”
THE STATE’S LAW SCHOOL Only 16 years old, Boyd has earned its share of accolades through the years. Its Saltman Center for Conflict Resolution, for instance, is among the top 10 in the country in its category. And Boyd’s lawyer process and legal writing programs rank high as well. Overall, Boyd ranked 68th among 194 accredited law schools in 2014, according to U.S. News & World Report rankings. Under a “community service” requirement, many students guided by a legal professional are teaching classes to the public. Topics include divorce law, bankruptcy, small claims and others. To date, the program has helped more than 50,000 Nevadans. A new record sealing education program and legal clinic to help business start-ups are generating high interest too. These are some of Hamilton’s talking points with legislators and potential program donors. Boyd is the state’s only law school and there’s a lot to be proud of when examining its short history. Some leaders appear to be listening. The Board of Regents will ask the Legislature for an additional $1.5 million a year in funding for the next biennium. A 4 percent tuition increase (Boyd’s tuition is comparatively low at $23,900 per year) is on the horizon, and Hamilton is reaching out to new and old donors to help fill the funding gap. “We need to make the case for Boyd and that investing in Boyd is investing in Nevada,” he says. “Fifteen years ago every lawyer in Nevada came from out of state.”
FIRST YEAR REFLECTIONS The busy dean remembers a few fond moments from his first year on the job. The biggest was in finding how accessible local and state officials were after he arrived here from the University of Illinois School of Law. “Within two weeks on the job, I had met state Supreme Court justices, members of Congress, members of the Legislature. … It’s just not possible in other places,” he says. Although he has been drinking from the proverbial firehose since arriving, Hamilton embraces the often frenzied pace he maintains as Boyd dean. “The challenge is you need to be out in the community, meeting with law firms, alumni, potential employers, friends,” he says. “And you need to be working inside the building to help think about curriculum and things like enrollment management. Every day I try to do both.” www.davidlv.com | OCTOBER 2014
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