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BLAWG LOG: Disrespect for judges a national trend?; U of M law school considering abandoning state dollars

By: WISCONSIN LAW JOURNAL STAFF//July 5, 2011//

BLAWG LOG: Disrespect for judges a national trend?; U of M law school considering abandoning state dollars

By: WISCONSIN LAW JOURNAL STAFF//July 5, 2011//

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RICHMOND, VA — If Virginia judges are feeling a lack of love, maybe they should consider the plight of their judicial brethren in New York.

Judges there haven’t had a pay raise in 12 years, according to an article in The New York Times that examines what it perceives as dwindling prestige for judges in New York and the rest of the country.

The annual survey of judicial salaries by the National Center for State Courts says pay for judges in the Empire State ranks 46th in the country when cost of living is taken into account. The $136,700 trial judges receive ranks 21st before the cost of living is factored in.

By contrast, Virginia’s judges benefit from a higher salary and a lower cost of living. The $158,134 circuit judges receive ranks them ninth. The rank jumps to sixth when cost of living is considered.

— By Alan Cooper
Dolan Media Newswires

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The University of Minnesota Law School was hit hard during the latest round of budget debates. The school now receives less than 10 percent of its overall budget from state dollars.

Facing unreliable state money, the law school is considering going to a complete private fundraising plan. In a story in today’s Star Tribune, Dean David Wippman says the new financial model could start in a year. He said the school won’t change how it operates, but Minnesota residents will see their tuition increase by about 10 percent under the new plan. Wippman said that the new private funding model could actually make law school more affordable, however, because there would be more scholarships available.

The new U of M president still has to approve the funding plan, but as state money continues to go away, the switch to a “private” school model is perhaps more of a move of necessity than anything else.

— By Patrick Thornton
Dolan Media Newswires