Building Campaign

A Place of Purpose ... A Place of Pride

The School of Law is at a defining moment in our history.
If we are to achieve our goal of becoming one of the best 50 law schools in this country, the time is now for a new building.

It has been said, "First we shape our buildings, and then our buildings shape us." The law school's current home mirrors the past; it is reminiscent of another era in legal education. A new building will allow us to achieve pre-eminence in legal education for decades to come.

We are embarking on a $65 million campaign funded through a public/private partnership to build a magnificent new home. There are compelling reasons why the state of South Carolina should significantly support construction of a new building, and there are equally significant reasons why private contributions should play a major role. The new building will be one of the most modern, technologically advanced law facilities in the country.

With a new building, every aspect of the School of Law's mission of education, research and service to the profession, this state, and the nation will achieve new levels of excellence. A law school that is designed to meet the needs of the 21st century will generate enthusiasm and excitement among all members of our vibrant legal community. Our new facility will create possibilities and potential not yet contemplated.

The Building Campaign Committee, including captains Steve Hamm, Mike Kelly, David Dukes, Harry Lightsey III, and Sam Outten, is committed to making this effort a reality. We gratefully acknowledge our dedicated leadership and committee members.

Our goal is to complete the funding of this campaign during the next 18 months. Ground breaking will occur upon the completion of our fund raising efforts.

A campaign kick-off is scheduled for January 19th, 2006. Our architects, the SmithGroup of Washington, D. C. and the Boudreaux Group of Columbia, will present an exciting virtual tour of the new building.

Enhancing our Vision Through Technology

Chalk and a blackboard, and perhaps an occasional overhead projector, were the primary tools used to supplement the professor's voice for most of the life of our existing building. Students filled spiral notebooks with their scrawled versions of what transpired in the classroom, and retired to hit the books in the evenings to prepare for the next day's classes. Today, by contrast, a professor may walk in the classroom, open a laptop or flip on the computer wired into the classroom, and use a PowerPoint presentation or go to resources available on the Internet to bring today's legal world to the students. An important case decided just yesterday comes to life in the classroom today; even Supreme Court arguments can be heard online. Students take notes on the portable computers they have brought with them, and easily refer back to material stored on that computer or to the resources to which the professor directs them on the Internet. Course materials are available on professors' Web sites, and students use computers to share their questions and thoughts about classes. A course may include videoconferenced classes, enabling sharing of resources with schools in other states or indeed other countries; an entire course may be conducted online. Our students will prepare, practice, and fine-tune their skills in this environment.

A DYNAMIC, VERSATILE NEW HOME FEATURES NUMEROUS INNOVATIONS

• open, inviting spaces to build a sense of community
• a signature reading room to complement an exceptional law library, both overlooking a courtyard reminiscent of London's Inns of Court
• technologically advanced "smart" classrooms that are designed to enhance interactive learning
• a grand ceremonial courtroom/auditorium to facilitate court proceedings, instruction, lectures and symposiums, and professional education
• clinical facilities that enhance outstanding professional skills education
• areas designed to foster greater collaboration among students
• faculty offices equipped to support advanced research and world-class teaching
• leading-edge technology to connect students, faculty, lawyers, and judges to the global legal community and to provide unsurpassed instructional capabilities
• LEED ( Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification as "green" building

Building Campaign Committee Members

• Steve Benjamin
• Paula Harper Bethea
• Wayne Corley
• George Cox
• Alan From
• Betsy Gray
• Brantley Harvey
• James Hill
• Dwight Hudson
• Marlon Kimpson
• Becky Lafitte
• Miles Loadholt
• Steve Morrison
• Ed Mullins
• John Parker
• Margaret Pope
• Joe Riley
• Neil Robinson
• Mike Spears
• Justin Thorton
• John White

Building Campaign Committee Captains, left to right: Steve Hamm, Mike Kelly, David Dukes, Harry Lightsey III, and Sam Outten (not pictured).

"The School of Law has had one of the most substantial impacts on my life over the past 30 years. Its training and guidance has given me significant help in dealing with my clients and in helping me to have a successful career, and a new law school building is an important step in maintaining its ability to attract the best and brightest faculty and staff that the nation has to offer."

Steve Hamm, Building Campaign Co-Chair

"The School of Law is the bedrock for South Carolina jurisprudence as it proceeds into the millennium. A strong and vibrant law school is an absolute necessity for this state's system of justice and its economic vitality."

Mike Kelly, Building Campaign Co-Chair