A law school at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas moved another step closer to reality today when the University and Community College System of Nevada Board of Regents unanimously endorsed a detailed implementation plan and directed the chancellor to include the law school in the UCCSN 1997-99 budget request.

"We are extremely pleased that our plans for a law school at UNLV have been accepted by the regents and are gaining momentum," UNLV President Carol C. Harter said. "We have a very good implementation plan supported by a great deal of data. We are confident that UNLV will establish a first-rate law school that will benefit all Nevadans and enhance our ability to provide needed services to students and to the larger community."

During the regents' meeting in Fallon Thursday, Harter presented an extensive report on studies prepared by two consultants: "Plan for a Law School at UNLV" by Anthony Santoro, president of Roger Williams University in Rhode Island and founding dean of that institution's law school, and "A Feasibility Study for a Law School in Nevada: 1996" by R. Keith Schwer, director of UNLV's Business and Economic Research Center.

The proposed law school, which would enroll its first class in 1998 and could eventually have a student body in excess of 400, would seek provisional and full accreditation at the earliest opportunities, assuring all graduates of being able to sit for the Nevada Bar exam, Harter said during her presentation.

"I am truly excited that UNLV will be moving forward with the development of a law school," Chancellor Richard Jarvis said. "Nevada needs a law school, and I know that with the support of the Las Vegas community, President Harter will be successful in developing a superior quality ABA-accredited school. For me, the law school symbolizes the academic maturity of UNLV, and I am proud and pleased the Board of Regents has taken this important step in the process."

Harter told the regents that UNLV already has received pledges of substantial private donations to the law school.

"We are hopeful that, with support from the next Nevada Legislature, we soon will be able to provide Nevadans the opportunity to study law without having to leave the state," Harter said.