Widespread Law School Changes Forecast After Faculty Completes Study of Curriculum Report

Possible widespread changes in the curriculum, system of admissions, and length of the course in the Law School were foreshadowed yesterday when it was learned that the Law Faculty has been studying a committee report dealing with these subjects.

Although it was learned from Edmund M. Morgan '02, Bussey Professor of Law and Acting Dean of the Law School, that no definite action will be taken until the Faculty has completed its study of the report, which will not be until some time next semester, it seems certain that changes will be made.

The thorniest problem that the Law School faces is the question of admissions. It is only since the War that the number of applicants has become such as to make the problem acute. There are two methods of dealing with a large number of candidates for admission. The first, used by Harvard, has been to admit every college graduate with a reasonable record, and then at the end of the first year eliminate those who are obviously not qualified to continue.

The second system, used by Yale, Columbia, and others, is to require a stiff pre-legal test, in addition to a satisfactory college record. The great danger in this is that it is extremely difficult before a man has had any legal work to tell whether he will make a success of it or not.

On the other hand the trouble with the unrestricted admission plan is that first year classes will become too large for efficient instruction. Investigations have shown that the college record method of selection is the best, and the pre-legal test second.

Another problem that the Faculty is dealing with is the demand to make the Law School course four years instead of the present three. There has been a wide-spread feeling that with the recent growth of the whole body of law three years is insufficient time to cover it adequately. The addition of another year to the Law course was advocated by Roscoe Pound, who resigned recently as Faculty Dean, in one of his last reports.

The situation in regard to the appointment of a new Dean is exactly the same as it was last spring. Morgan is now serving as Acting Dean under an interim appointment, but he does not believe that a new Dean will be chosen until next year. He said that the situation will be thoroughly canvassed during that time by the Corporation, who will make the appointment.