Penn State Law Schools Merge After ABA Approval

The American Bar Association (ABA) has granted conditional approval for Pennsylvania State University to merge its two law schools, Dickinson Law and Penn State Law, into a single entity named Penn State Dickinson Law, with its primary campus in Carlisle. The unified school will admit a class of 200 students in fall 2025, 125 in Carlisle and 75 at University Park, and will be led by current Dickinson Law dean Danielle M. Conway. This reunification aims to streamline operations, reduce costs, and enhance the university’s competitiveness in legal education. Final accreditation is still pending from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and the U.S. Department of Education. The initiative follows a recommendation by university President Neeli Bendapudi aimed at addressing financial challenges and advancing the university's educational mission. The law schools had operated separately since 2014, after previously functioning as a single entity.