University of Virginia Library

Diversity Essential For Prominence

A strict limitation on
out-of-state enrollment at the
Law School would have a
"serious impact" on the
present status of the
institution, according to Law
School Director of Admissions
Albert R. Turnbull.

"Such a limitation on
enrollment is not going to solve
the problem of educating all
qualified Virginians, and in the
process, it would be quite
destructive to this institution,"
Mr. Turnbull said.

"Of course, we have an
obligation to the sons and
daughters of the
Commonwealth. Our student
body includes excellent
Virginia students whose legal
education is enormously
enriched by daily contact with
first class students of varying
backgrounds."

"However, a diverse,
cosmopolitan student body is
an essential element in
retaining our present status as a
nationally prominent law
school."

"As we go higher and higher
in in-state enrollment, we're
increasing the likelihood that
this school will become more
like most state university law
schools around the country
and less like the rather unusual
institution we presently have."

Mr. Turnbull said that he
had "no doubt that a strict
limitation on enrollments over
a four to five year period
would negatively affect our
ability to attract the best
students from the best
undergraduate institutions in
the country." These students
include the top Virginians who
might be lost should the Law
School falter in its national
prominence, he emphasized.

"We get these Virginians of
excellence because we are the
institution that we are. I firmly
believe that if we were talking
about a more regionally
oriented school, we would not

be getting the top Virginia
applicants. In this sense we're
not talking about diversity, but
about the question of how to
serve the best college graduates
who are Virginians."

Mr. Turnbull also said that
the Law School's decision to
make 30 more in-state
positions in this year's entering
class was not a direct reaction
to pressure from the state
legislature.

"We did have a target of
280 for our entering class this
year, but in early June we
found we had a full class and a
waiting list of around 30 very
strong Virginia resident
applications."

"Although there were many
reasons why we shouldn't have
expanded, we had to focus on
our obligation to these
qualified Virginians; so we
chose to expand the entering
class to 310."

As far as the October, 1972
enrollment limitation by the
Board of Visitors is concerned,
Mr. Turnbull said he assumed
that the Law School would be
maintaining its present number
of out-of-state students (141 in
the 1972 entering class).

"This level is an acceptable
one to the Law School in
maintaining its quality," he
said.