This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, June 10, 2013: When students show up for the new school year at the Saint Louis University law school downtown, they won’t have to look too far to be reminded of what their education is all about.
They will make up the first classes in the new law school building at 100 N. Tucker Boulevard. What was an 11-story building, now with a 12th floor added, features dramatic views of downtown landmarks to the east and the civil and circuit courthouses to the south as well as the federal Eagleton courthouse.
“You can see Busch Stadium from here,” noted Amy Sanders, assistant director of the Center of Health Law Studies during a recent tour, “as well as the Arch and all of the iconic St. Louis architecture.”
The building was donated to the school by businessman Joe Scott and will be named in honor of him and his wife, Loretta. After $30 million in renovations, it will include a courtroom seating more than 200 people, a library spread out over two floors that includes a large reading room, smaller spaces for client consultation, classrooms ranging in size from 40 to 112 students, a ground-floor restaurant called “The Docket” and the majestic view from the windows on the top floor.
The law school, which is the oldest west of the Mississippi River, has been located on the main SLU campus at 3700 Lindell Blvd. When the university announced plans for the move downtown in January 2012, it originally said classes would begin that fall.
But the timetable proved too ambitious, and the university postponed the move for a year, announcing at the same time that the glassed-in top floor would be added. Now, a grand opening is scheduled for Aug. 16, with classes beginning Aug. 19.
It was the highlight of the tour last week for reporters and others, going through several floors of the building so they could see the space for themselves and learn more about the technological advances it would feature. Includ ed are high-definition cameras that will be available for video conferencing in the courtroom and other parts of the building, and scanners that will aid in the sharing of relevant documents.
The 12th floor pavilion will be used for law school events as well as for the convenience of students, Sanders said.
“It’s a student-friendly space where they can eat, study or enjoy the inspirational view,” she said.
Shelving for the library – where the floors had to be reinforced to handle the weight -- was stacked on the floor, ready to be assembled and filled with books and other material coming from the current site. As part of the move, the contents of the old law library will be thinned out, but material that does not make it to the new building will be stored nearby and be easily accessible, school officials said.
The new building will also allow consolidation of the SLU legal clinics with the rest of the law school. John Ammann, director of the clinics, pointed out the various kinds of spaces that will be available, anything from small private rooms for meetings with clients to faculty offices and larger interview and conference rooms.
“It can be a little embarrassing to be talking to a client and have other people be able to listen in,” Ammann said. “It’s a really great set-up now for when you have to have a private conversation with a client.”
In addition to being close by the courthouses, where students will be able to pop in and observe real-life legal dramas, the move downtown is also designed to put the law school near many offices so attorneys can more conveniently spend time with students.
Sanders noted that she has a long history with the law school, graduating in 2003, then spending time working with the clinics, then going into private practice before returning five years ago.
Comparing the new space to what she has been used to as a student and a staff member, she was clearly impressed – and maybe a little envious – by what the future will bring.
“It is really efficiently using our space,” Sanders said. “Every square foot is carefully planned. I feel spoiled being down here.”
Like many things at SLU in recent months, the move of the law school has not been without controversy.
Originally, the university planned to raise money to build a new law school building on campus, but that idea was scrapped when the financial crisis hit. Then, several months after the announcement of the new building donated by Scott, the dean of the law school, Annette Clark, left, firing a salvo at the Rev. Lawrence Biondi, SLU’s president, over his handling of several issues at the law school, including the move.
Among her grievances, Clark said, were actions taken in deciding to move downtown, which she said was done without consulting her or others in the leadership of the school.”
Clark added that she “was kept completely in the dark regarding the acquisition of the building downtown and its designation as the new law school building, learning the news only three days before the announcement was made public.”
No plans have been finalized for how the old law school building will be used once the move is complete, Sanders said.
“Thank goodness we don’t have to worry about that,” she added.