Today, our original mandate has been largely fulfilled—Southern’s School of Law graduates serve communities from East St. Louis to Effingham and south to Cairo. However, our focus on serving the public interest is no longer limited to our original, primarily regional, target.

Today our scope must involve our entire nation. Our mission must include providing educational opportunity to future students of diverse ethnic and economic backgrounds; enhancing our curriculum for careers that are traditionally underserved in legal education; and providing support for our faculty not only as they train the next generation of School of Law students, but also as they contribute, through their scholarship, to the Legal Academy and bring themselves, and the School of Law, national renown. This mission will require an extraordinary investment in technology, infrastructure, and facilities.

To be the best small public law school is a broad mission that goes far beyond our overall rankings in national publications. Among small public law schools, the Southern Illinois University School of Law will aspire and strive to have the highest LSAT score and grade point averages for incoming first-year students, the best faculty/student ratio, the highest bar exam passage rates, and the strongest career placement percentage. The School of Law will also endeavor to have the largest financial endowment of our peer institutions, greatly increasing the economic support granted to our students and faculty.

Commitment to Students
$2 million

The Southern Illinois University School of Law has always offered an affordable, high quality legal education. To attract the best students and to maximize ethnic, economic, and gender diversity, we must be able to offer full-tuition scholarships and increase the number of academic merit awards.

Commitment to Faculty
$l.5 million

Likewise, attracting and retaining excellent, younger teacher-scholars as well as established, well-respected law professors is critical. Endowed chairs, professorships, and junior faculty fellowships are necessary to attract and retain“best-in-field” scholars.

Commitment to Academic Excellence
$l million

From the outset, the Southern Illinois University School of Law has emphasized the importance of education through service in our outstanding clinical education program. Our students also gain practical and scholarly experience through our moot court programs and legal journals and we have always been able to boast about our law library.

Support in all of these areas is necessary not only to maintain our strengths, but also to improve our student resources.

Commitment to Technology and Facilities
$2.5 million

The Lesar Law Building is a wonderful facility that has served the School of Law well for over 20 years. However, our venerable building is, quite simply, full. Expanding the School’s campus, including an addition to the Lesar Law Building, is essential if we are to grow in stature and reputation.

With this commitment comes the need for significant private funding. We must raise the bar higher than ever before because of the radically changing relationship between institutions of higher learning and state funding. There has never been a time in America’s history when state budgets have been under such exceptional pressure.

To be the best small public law school is a thoughtful and bold mission for our future. We have examined and celebrated our history, and we can be proud of a legacy of quality education and public service. We are now at a crossroads where we must choose between the safe, well-worn path or a courageous new direction.