CARLISLE, Pa. — The American Bar Association (ABA) Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar has granted conditional approval for Penn State to deliver legal education by a single, unified, two-location law school known as Penn State Dickinson Law.

The University previously operated two separately accredited law schools, Penn State Dickinson Law and Penn State Law. In response to a changing landscape in higher education, generally, and legal education, in particular, the University applied for conditional approval from the ABA to reunify its two law schools. Final approvals rest with the regional accreditor, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, and the national accreditor, the U.S. Department of Education. The conditional approval by the ABA allows the singular school to enroll a unified juris doctor (J.D.) class of 2028.

The unified school will be led by Danielle M. Conway, current Penn State Dickinson Law dean and Donald J. Farage Professor of Law. The law school will have its primary location in Carlisle and an additional location at University Park, consistent with Department of Education regulations governing locations.

“Unifying Penn State's two outstanding law schools will provide more robust opportunities to meet the University’s land-grant mission, which includes wisely investing resources to bolster the core values of teaching and learning, knowledge creation and dissemination, and civic engagement and responsibility,” Conway said.

The ABA Council of the Section of Legal Education approved the applications approximately two years after President Neeli Bendapudi’s charge to study the structure and approach for legal education at Penn State.

“Maintaining our focus on continued excellence in legal education reflects our commitment to our mission, both through the success of our law students and the impact they go on to have on the legal profession and the world,” Bendapudi said. “Uniting the best of both of our existing programs into a single law school allows Penn State to continue realizing this mission, empowering our law students, and fostering continued greatness in the study and practice of law. I am grateful to Dean Conway, Penn State Law Interim Dean Victor Romero, and the faculty and staff across Carlisle and University Park who have remained steadfast in their focus on our students and our community throughout this process.”

Conway expressed her gratitude for the support of Bendapudi and Interim Executive Vice President and Provost Tracy Langkilde.

“Our executive leadership supported our road map to reunification every step of the way,” Conway said. “I also commend my colleagues for maintaining their commitment to Penn State Dickinson Law and Penn State Law students throughout this process.”

An earnest navigation of the reunification process

The law schools’ Reunification Panel and Ad Hoc Committee on Reunification embraced systems design throughout the implementation process, receiving and considering voluminous feedback from stakeholders, including students, staff, faculty, alumni and employers. The Reunification Panel ultimately recommended to President Bendapudi a one-law school, two-location structure to better serve students at both locations.

With reunification, Penn State Dickinson Law furthers the University’s land-grant mission of excellence and access by inviting students from inside and outside of Pennsylvania to learn about and later serve the needs of people and communities within the commonwealth, including individuals, families, businesses, not-for-profit organizations, the legislature and the judiciary, and state, local and municipal governments and institutions.

“The goal of a legal education at Penn State Dickinson Law is to prepare students from every walk of life to become the lawyers that the legal profession needs to serve society with integrity, humility and an unwavering commitment to the pursuit of equality and justice for all,” Conway said.

At 190 years old, Penn State Dickinson Law is the oldest law school in Pennsylvania and among the oldest in the nation. It will operate as a unified law school in a conditional status until the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and the U.S. Department of Education, respectively, deliver final approval.

In the meantime, faculty will address important governance matters, including developing unified faculty bylaws, prospective promotion and tenure rules, and a unified curriculum. Academic administrators, staff and students will engage in unifying activities, including portfolio assessments and support coverage, systems planning and implementation, integration of extracurricular programs and processes, and maximization of student-centered services and supports.

Penn State Dickinson Law is a national leader in antiracist legal education, and the unified law school will continue its commitment to the core value of institutional antiracism.