Law School Dean Agrees to Minority Recruitment Plans

In a meeting yesterday, the dean of the Law School agreed to accept some minority recruitment provisions that are part of a broad affirmative action plan proposed by a coalition of minority law student organizations.

James D. Vorenberg '49, dean of the Law School, and representatives of the Third World Coalition discussed, but did not resolve, the other aspects of the group's plan.

Representatives of the Third World Coalition, which proposed the plan last month, and the Law School administration have not yet agreed on portions of the plan involving student admissions and faculty hiring. They also disagree on how the proposals will be considered.

Vorenberg said yesterday that he had accepted the coalition's proposal to

* use the current number of trips to recruit minority applications as a minimum in future years;

* create a five year, comprehensive recruitment budget;

* recruit minority applicants throughout the year;

* mail admissions information to minority organizations and

* send information to college minority student organizations prior to visits by Law School representatives at the colleges.

While calling the position "valuable," Vorenberg could not agree to hire a staff person for full-time minority recruitment. Cecil R. McNab, a representative on the coalition said yesterday McNab added Vorenberg was unsure of whether budget limitations would allow him to hire a minority recruiter.

McNab noted that many students consider the recruiter's position the most important aspect of the plan dealing with minority recruitment.

Nicky Sheats, chairman of the coalition, said yesterday that Vorenberg had agreed to the minority recruitment proposals in principal only, although Sheats said he had no reason to believe Vorenberg would not implement the proposals.

"It was clearly not any significant step forward" McNab said, adding. "This was the least controversial part of the plan "Colition representatives and Vorenberg will meet again later this month to decide how the remaining portion of the plan will be considered Vorenberg wants different portions of the plan to be considered by the relevant standing committees at the Law School, while the the coalition members want an ad hoc committee to review the plan, as a whole.

Aside from its recruitment proposals, the coalition's plan asked that the Law School allow minority students to review minority applicants admissions files and hire at least two minority visiting professors each year who would later be considered for tenured positions on the Faculty.