Diversity a priority at Law College

By Tracy Culumber

The U.S. News and World Report ranked the College of Law in the top 20 among public law schools in the nation for diversity in January 2005.

Members of several law student organizations said although the enrollment statistics reflect greater diversity in the school than last year, there is room for improvement.

The College of Law is the number one public law school in the Big Ten and the state. Paul Pless, assistant dean of admissions and financial aid, said he was pleased with the figures but admitted they could be better.

As of February, the U.S. News Diversity Index ranked the University’s College of Law 19th out of 193 law schools accredited by the American Bar Association. The index was calculated using demographic data reflecting each law school’s student body during the 2004-2005 academic year, including both full- and part-time students.

The College of Law’s Assistant Dean for Academic and Student Administration Virginia Vermillion said despite the praise they have received, the administration and student body are working to get even better.

Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!

  • Catch the latest on University of Illinois news, sports, and more. Delivered every weekday.
  • Stay up to date on all things Illini sports. Delivered every Monday.
Thank you for subscribing!

“We are not here by accident but we are not stopping here,” Vermillion said. ” We don’t want to rest on our laurels.”

Pless explained in the case of the College of Law, any non-white student is counted as a minority, and not all schools use this standard to determine diversity statistics.

“We are very student driven,” Pless said. “We count on (student organizations) to be our partners in bringing in more minorities.”

Amara Enyia, chairwoman of the law school diversity committee, graduate student and former Illini Media Company employee, said although the numbers reflect well on the University, black, Latina/Latino and American Indian students are not adequately represented.

“The numbers are not where they should be – nowhere close,” she said. “There are so many people who are accomplished and you want that at your school. If you don’t have that diversity you miss out on that variety of thought, and that variety of experience.”

R. Scott Rochelle, president of the Black Law Students Association and graduate, echoed this sentiment.

“The school is boasting numbers, but I want to see more underrepresented minorities to reflect the racial dynamic,” Rochelle said.

Diversity statistics in the College of Law do not focus on race alone. Pless said age, geographic location and gender are all taken into account when considering applicants to the college. He explained that only 39 percent of law students are female and the college is particularly focused on improving that percentage.

“It is critical we continue to bring in the brightest, most diverse class to supply the best education to all,” Pless said.

Susie Stone, president of the Myra Bradwell Association for Women Law Students and graduate student, explained the percentages of women in the college are slightly skewed due to a internal problem in the office of admissions two years ago. Too many applicants were accepted into the college, which forced administrators to reduce last year’s class size by about 40 people, which threw off the gender ratio.

“I definitely don’t want to alienate the administration,” Stone said. “They have been extremely accommodating in working with us to correct this problem.”