Law Faculty

The Law School faculty yesterday voted "by an overwhelming majority" to continue clinical education through July 1, 1986, Stephen M. Bernardi '52, secretary of the faculty, said yesterday.

After 20 minutes of what Bernardi termed "conversational" debate, the faculty approved the Clinical Committee's proposal to continue funding the Legal Services Center in Jamaica Plain.

The controversial issue of clinical legal education, which has been studied by four faculty committees in the last four years, is "settled" temporarily, Bernardi added. But despite the faculty decision James Vorenberg '49, dean of the Law School, retains the right to review the clinical program annually.

Discussion centered on the cost of the Legal Services Center $200,000 this year and on the transportation and security problems of the Jamica Plaie site. But "on the whole, it was a rather sea-controversial issue," Bernardi said.

Student fears that the faculty might abandon clinical education have proved to be unfounded. In fact, said Bernardi, that mistrusts "is part of the folklore and mythology of the student body at Harvard Law School."

In addition to clinical education, the faculty discussed the Law School's policy of aiding students who have not registered for the draft, and the suggested reforms of the Third World Coalition of minority law student groups. The Coalition, which has invited the faculty to a meeting next Wednesday, is proposing affirmative action and student participation in student admissions and faculty hiring, as well as curriculum changes.