IU School of Law offers education studies minor

From IDS Reports

The Indiana University Maurer School of Law has approved a new program that will allow law students to earn a minor in education policy studies.

Students will be required to complete 12 credits within the IU School of Education to specialize in this field, studying courses such as A608: Legal Perspectives on Education, C705: The Legal Aspects of Higher Education and H540: Sociology of Education.

The minor will be offered in fall 2012 as part of the law school’s regular Juris
Doctorate degree.

“We are pleased to collaborate with the School of Education in making this minor available to Maurer School of Law students,” said Hannah L. Buxbaum, interim dean and John E. Schiller Chair in Legal Ethics, in a press release.

“The minor will be useful for law students who hope to practice school law, or to conduct other work in the education policy arena. And it will also prepare students who may choose to pursue further graduate work in this field.”

The program is a result of growing interest of Juris Doctorate applicants to explore non-lawyer career options, according to the press release.

“There are a healthy number of students in the law school who have been former teachers, or if they haven’t are just interested in education policy,” Suzanne Eckes, associate professor in educational leadership and policy studies said in a press release.

Eckes is also an attorney and former classroom teacher.

Since 2003, about a dozen law school graduates have applied to the Ph.D. program in education policy studies.

Notable alumni from the school include Chief Justice of the Supreme Court for the State of Wisconsin Shirley Abrahamson and attorney for the United States Postal Service Kimberly Richardson.

IU is among universities such as Stanford Law School and Columbia Law School to now offer this degree.

— Nona Tepper