Three clinical programs, two research centers, a legal writing program and a second law journal have been added since the mid-1970s. The school has initiated a number of successful multidisciplinary programs with other CU schools and colleges, including the Center of the American West and the Natural Resources Law Center. Physical Limitations Built 40 years ago, the building worked well for its time, but the aging facility simply cannot handle the new demands of legal education, the dean explained. Classrooms, which are too few and often too small, are not well-equipped for computer use, innovative teaching tools or distance learning opportunities. Much of the law library's collection is virtually inaccessible in cramped, poorly lighted basement areas, and library users vie for computer time limited by too little space for work stations.
Students have little room for learning through team projects or personal interaction with faculty.
Outreach efforts to the state and to the legal profession are hampered by work-space and technological limitations. A review of the building's electrical and mechanical infrastructure revealed significant existing and anticipated problems. In essence the old law building falls short of the Total Learning Environment envisioned by the University of Colorado. At first, renovation and expansion options were considered, but studies showed limited potential for improvement. Costs of these solutions proved to be almost as much as the cost of a new, more efficient building.