Law School May Return to Tacoma

​20 years ago, there was a law school in Tacoma at the University of Puget Sound, before it was bought by Seattle University and moved north.  Tacoma may once again be home to a law school - this time at the University of Washington, Tacoma.

There are only three law schools currently operating in the state: UW Seattle, Gonzaga, and Seattle University.  The next closest option for residents south of Seattle is in Portland.  The UWT law school would be a second campus of the UW Seattle law school, offering evening classes for working professionals.  The idea would be to serve South Sound residents, and to attract and retain talent in the Tacoma area.

The first class would be small - just 30 students - and while the named start-up cost of $2.25 million sounds hefty, it’s nothing compared to the cost of starting a new law school from the ground up. UWT and a steering committee are banking on pent up demand for educational opportunities in Tacoma and the rest of the South Sound, and on an increasing need for lawyers as current members of the profession retire. 

The law school is by no means a done deal, with many hurdles left to deal with - both at the UW end and in terms of financing at this end, but it’s an intriguing possibility.

A steering committee formed to explore the idea has hired a consultant to take Tacoma’s pulse to gauge support for the school.  So, community, what do you think?

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