Pre Law
Wayne State University in Detroit is the recipient of a $30 million-dollar commitment from the state to help build a new facility for the law school.
This is only the third such capital outlay approval to Wayne State in the last dozen years, and the largest in almost three decades, the law school reported.
“This level of financial commitment from the State of Michigan is a testament to the law school’s growth, trajectory and impact,” said Kimberly Andrews Espy, president of Wayne State University.
Formal advocacy for the project began in October 2022 with Wayne State’s submission of a lengthy request to the State Budget Office for consideration. In May 2023, Wayne State Law Dean Richard Bierschbach explained the need for the project before the a subcommittee of the State Legislature.
The current law building opened in 1966. Since then student enrollment has grown as the school added programs beyond the J.D. Wayne Law offers undergraduate majors and minors in law as well as interdisciplinary initiatives.
“The state’s action reflects the power of our community to unite support around Wayne Law’s unique public mission: combining academic excellence, access and community engagement to educate lawyers and shape legal knowledge to transform lives and serve communities in a positive way,” Bierschbach said. “Combined with additional philanthropic support, it will enable Wayne Law to continue to discharge that mission at the highest level for years to come.”
The law school has not established a timeline for the new building.
Wayne State University receiving $30M to fund a new law school facility
