they need a lawyer and they go to an Indiana Tech trained lawyer.”
“As a high school student, I developed a love of architecture through shop and drafting,” he explained.
In his first few months as dean, Alexander has spent a lot of time getting to know people in the Fort Wayne and northeast Indiana legal community.
A tour of a Frank Lloyd Wright house in Wisconsin inspired the book. “The docent mentioned that his second wife had filed an involuntary bankruptcy proceeding against him. I immediately thought, ‘I have to know more about this.’”
“The bench and the bar have been very welcoming ,” he said. “I’ve had dozens of meetings, and the first thing they ask is ‘How can we help The story about the bankruptcy turned out to be you succeed?’ ” an urban legend, but his research led him to write “Insufficient Funds: The Financial Life of Frank Lloyd Although hiring staff and faculty, developing Wright,” which will be published later this year by curriculum, and overseeing building plans doesn’t leave Ashgate Publishing. him with much spare time right now, Alexander said he enjoys skiing, playing tennis, and cooking. He’s also For someone who “fell into” the legal profession, a Frank Lloyd Wright scholar on his way to publishing Alexander certainly seems to have the energy and drive his first book. to make the Indiana Tech Law School a success. chitecture will house classrooms, faculty offices, the law library, a trial courtroom, a legal clinic, and meeting space.
Since President Arthur Snyder first announced the university’s plans to open a law school, one of the most frequent questions has been: Where will it be? Now we know: the Indiana Tech Law School will be built on the west side of the main campus, in the area bounded by Maumee Avenue and Comparet Street.
Law School Will Be Built on Main Campus
“We seriously considered several possibilities, including some downtown, but ultimately decided that constructing a new facility on our campus is the best way to serve our future law students,” Snyder said. The 70,000-square-foot building designed by SchenkelShultz Ar-
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“Having the law school on the campus will provide many more opportunities for the law school community to interact with the rest of campus and vice versa,” said Peter Alexander, founding dean of the law school. “The location also is close to downtown, which will allow us to foster close working relationships between law school faculty and students and the local bench and bar.” The curriculum will place a heavy emphasis on practical experience, and the on-campus location will facilitate the establishment of legal clinics to serve the Indiana Tech community. “For example, our Mediation Clinic will mediate disputes between undergraduates, among other duties,” Alexander explained. “Our Estate Planning Clinic will provide simple wills and powers of attorney for Indiana Tech employees. These activities will give our law students vital practical opportunities to apply what they learn while
building relationships with others in the university.” The on-campus location also will allow Indiana Tech law students to more easily take advantage of services and facilities such as the university’s wellness center, student activities in Andorfer Commons, and athletic events. “I also see the law students being able to take courses in the MBA program and in other graduate programs that will count toward degree completion in the law school,” Alexander said. “With this location on campus, the law school programs and the general university programs will have a greater chance of being synergistic with one another, and there will be more opportunities for team-teaching and crosslisted courses.” Site engineering for the construction began in January with the building expected to be under roof by December and completed by July 2013. Cost will be about $15 million.