University of Virginia Library

Low Funds Postpone
Law School Plans

BY RICHARD PETTY

Students who attend the proposed
new University Law School during its
first few years of operation may find
that, while the building provides well for
the future, there will be several short
term inadequacies.

According to the Virginia Law
Weekly, the new building will provide
flexible and efficient use of space, but
until the Graduate Business section is
added to the complex, there will be no
dining facilities for faculty and students.
There will also be no space provided to eat
lunches brought from home.

Professor of Law Neill H. Alford Jr., who
heads the Law School's planning committee,
fears that there will be "an unholy mess for the
first several years." In a statement to the
Virginia Law Weekly, he commented, "Scraps
from bag lunches will have every field mouse in
the area into the building."

One Access Road

Another problem will be parking. The
building site will initially have only one access
road which will have parking on both curbs. Mr.
Alford comments that "those who leave for
lunch will find a traffic jam every day."

The problem with the dining facilities
occurred when it was announced that
construction of the new Graduate Business
School would be postponed, since certain
federal funds had been withdrawn. Mr. Alford
said that a cafeteria was planned for the
Law-Graduate Business complex, but that
University Food Services determined that it
could not meet the necessary revenue bonds
while serving only the new Law School funds.

As a possible solution to the problem, Mr.
Alford has suggested that the University acquire
a government surplus building to be used as a
temporary facility until a cafeteria is built. The
University would have to provide a foundation
for the building and pay for transportation
costs.

Another possible effect of the shortage of
funds is that the budget for interior furnishings
may have to be cut. Since inflation is decreasing
the buying power of the original allocation at a
yearly rate of 9 percent, according to Mr.
Alford, the Law School is "counting heavily on
private funds for better furniture and interior
decoration."

The Law School also needs funds to
frame the art collection donated by the late
Paul B. Victorius of Charlottesville before it can
be used in the new building.

Flexible Facilities

Despite these initial problems, Mr. Alford
feels that the Law School complex, when
finally completed, will provide facilities that
will be flexible to changes in legal education.

The classrooms in the new building are
designed so that they may be used with equal
case by both large and small groups. Three
rooms will handle up to 150 students, and there
will be two rooms each to handle 125, 100, and
50 students. The building will also contain
facilities for closed circuit television and other
audio-visual aids.

The new Law School's library, which will
occupy about 60 per cent of the building, is
designed to relieve the overcrowded conditions
now found in Clark Hall. Stack space in Phase
One of the complex will provide room for up to
300,000 volumes. More stacks will be added in
Phase Two.

Efficient Usage

In accord with the rest of the building, the
student activities area is also designed for the
most efficient use of space. A large student
lounge will be provided that is readily adaptable
for use as an area for lectures, meetings or
social activity.

The building will contain movable walls so
that space arrangements can be altered if
necessary. Offices located near the student
activities area can be used as needed by either
students or faculty. Mr. Alford feels that when
more faculty is added during phase two, more
space is likely to be added for activities.