University faculty, city officials and other honorees take part in the groundbreaking ceremony for the Arizona Center for Law and Society, Thursday, Nov. 13, 2014 in downtown Phoenix. The facility, scheduled to be completed and opened by fall 2016, will host several law-related institutions, including ASU’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. (Photo by Ben Moffat)ASU and the city of Phoenix held a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday for the new law school being built in downtown Phoenix.
ASU president Michael Crow said the new law school, which will open in fall 2016, will do away with old methods of teaching and take a step into what he believes is the future of law education.
"People make things happen here," Crow said. "You can advance here. You should think of this now, as a young law school in the the top three dozen law schools in the entire country already, now moving to a new home with a fabulous new design, a fabulous expanded purpose and a fabulous location."
He said often people are too afraid of breaking away from outdated systems of education to experiment with new and innovative techniques, but ASU is leading the charge in the pursuit of an updated, higher quality level of law education.
"You're seeing here with this groundbreaking, the launching of America's great and tremendous, unbelievable model for a law school of the future," Crow said. "(ASU) is forging the new way."
He said the current models of education do not provide enough opportunities for interaction with the community at large and the professional world students are preparing to enter.
ASU president Michael Crow speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Arizona Center for Law and Society, Thursday, Nov. 13, 2014 in Phoenix. The facility, scheduled to be completed and opened by fall 2016, will host several law-related institutions, including ASU’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. (Photo by Ben Moffat)"One of the things that was missing, is that we were not projecting our role as teachers, our role as thinkers, our role in engaging with the community to the extent that we could," Crow said. "We needed a new presence, a new place, a new gathering spot. It should be downtown Phoenix, the heart of the community."
Crow said downtown Phoenix is the prime location for the law school, because it sits at the core of the the judicial system. Once the new law school opens, students will be more exposed to the legal profession than ever before.
Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton said he shares Crow's feelings of admiration for the Arizona and ASU in particular. He said without ASU, Phoenix would not be the thriving, economically stable, well-cultured city it is today.
"What the city council and I 100 percent agree on is our partnership with ASU," Stanton said. "We cannot achieve any of our goals and what we aspire for our city to achieve without ASU as an upstanding university. Today is a step into the future. Future lawyers, politicians and leaders will come out of this facility. We could not be more proud to be a part of Arizona State University."
Retired Supreme Court justice Sandra Day O’Connor speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Arizona Center for Law and Society, Thursday, Nov. 13, 2014 in Phoenix. The facility, scheduled to be completed and opened by fall 2016, will host several law-related institutions, including ASU’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. (Photo by Ben Moffat)Stanton said even in the worse of economic times, the city council invested 12 million dollars in the ASU law program, and he believes it was a wonderful decision because they value the University's presence.
The Sandra Day O'Connor Law School is named for the retired Supreme Court justice herself. O'Connor was present at the event and said she is thrilled about the University's decision to move the law school downtown.
O'Connor said that she looks forward to watching the law school expand its role in the community.
"One of the greatest honors in my life is having this school bear my name," she said. "I'm here to help, and I hope you are, too."
Law Dean Doug Sylvester said the new law building is meant to be more than just an institution for up and coming lawyers — it will belong to the community, and it will be open for the public to enjoy.
"The building is absolutely spectacular," Sylvester said. "I think it's going to be a real community treasure."
Reach the reporter at jnsoto2@asu.edu or follow her on Twitter @JacquelineSot0
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