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Valparaiso University to suspend law school admissions

VALPARAISO, Ind. (AP) – A private university’s law school in northeast Indiana is suspending admissions because of financial challenges it’s been facing for several years.

Valparaiso University President Mark Heckler said he’s working to quickly resolve the situation. He said maintaining the law school’s American Bar Association accreditation is critical and that he hopes the faculty will remain at the school.

“There’s been no decision to close the law school,” Heckler said.

Heckler said the university plans to work with the bar association to ensure the law school keeps its accreditation. He said the university intends to keep its promise to law students that they would graduate from an accredited school and have full access to placement services afterward.

University officials said they’re suspending admissions due to a lack of student enrollment also affecting other law schools nationwide, and financial challenges as a result of lessening demand for graduates in the job market.

Frederick Kraegel, board chairman, said while the law program is struggling financially, the university itself continues to be financially stable.

“We are focused on ensuring fair and reasonable treatment of those impacted by this decision through an orderly and carefully considered process,” Kraegel said. “These financial circumstances do not diminish the law school’s proud legacy of more than 130 years and the thousands of successful law graduates who lead and serve around the world.”

The university’s law school was founded 1879.