Stanford Law Dean Tries to Explain Increased Tuition on Law Students

Elie Mystal of Above the Law follows up with this story:

“I think weā€™ve all been waiting for this. Last Wednesday, we picked up a report from the Stanford Daily announcing that students at Stanford Law School would be looking at a 5.75% tuition hike for the 2011 ā€“ 2012 academic year. Thatā€™s significantly larger than the 3.5% tuition hike for the rest of the university.

Given that most Stanford Law students found out the school was jacking up tuition from the Stanford Daily or Above the Law, Iā€™m not surprised to see a school-wide apology from Stanford Law Dean Larry Kramer. And given the fact that the best reason thus far given for Stanfordā€™s tuition hike reduces to ā€œbecause we can,ā€ Iā€™m also not surprised to see Dean Kramer working hard to spin the story differently.

Do you find him convincing? Read his email and tell us what you think . . .

First, hereā€™s the apology part, where Dean Kramer explains why Stanford Law students were the last to know that their tuition was getting hiked more than any other school in the entire Stanford University system:

Dear All:

I am sure most, if not all, of you have heard about or read the announcement of our tuition hike next year. I think itā€™s important ā€” particularly given the way the news came out ā€” to explain. At the outset, let me say that Iā€™m sorry you heard about this from the Stanford Daily and the Stanford Report. I had intended to tell you first and didnā€™t realize that the Board of Trustees meeting (to approve tuition) was this week, while I was away. I am also sorry for the way the tuition increase was reported, which can be (and has been) read to suggest something other than what happened.

In the future, Stanford should probably have some kind of official media plan for explaining why the law school has been singled out for a special screwing. . .”

Above the Law has the full Story.

Photocredit: Above the Law