THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Monday, June 19, 1995                  TAG: 9506190027
SECTION: FRONT                    PAGE: A5   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: Marc Davis 
                                             LENGTH: Medium:   59 lines

REGENT NOT ALONE IN ITS COMPLAINTS AGAINST ABA

Regent University isn't the only college to run into trouble with the American Bar Association.

Last year, deans of 14 law schools - including Harvard and the University of Virginia - sent a letter to their counterparts blasting ABA standards as ``overly intrusive, inflexible and concerned with details not relevant to school quality.''

One dean, Ronald Cass of Boston University, complained to The Chronicle of Higher Education: ``All the schools I know of have had some trouble with ABA accreditation. If every law school in America has had trouble getting accredited, something is wrong with the standards.''

Every law school must be re-accredited every seven years. A new school like Regent's goes through several years of study before it is accepted.

That's expensive and time-consuming.

Every year, Regent spends about $25,000 to host a team of deans and professors from the ABA, said Regent Law Dean J. Nelson Happy. This covers the cost of flying in five or six visitors from around the country, putting them up at a hotel, and feeding them for several days. It also consumes days of faculty and staff time.

``It's a hazing,'' Happy said. ``In order to join the club, you have to go through a lot of hoops.''

KEYWORDS: REGENT UNIVERSITY LAW SCHOOL ACCREDITATION AMERICAN BAR

ASSOCIATION

- MARC DAVIS

REGENT UNIVERSITY ISN'T THE ONLY COLLEGE TO RUN INTO TROUBLE WITH

THE AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION.

LAST YEAR, DEANS OF 14 LAW SCHOOLS - INCLUDING HARVARD AND THE

UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA - SENT A LETTER TO THEIR COUNTERPARTS

BLASTING ABA STANDARDS AS ``OVERLY INTRUSIVE, INFLEXIBLE AND

CONCERNED WITH DETAILS NOT RELEVANT TO SCHOOL QUALITY.''

ONE DEAN, RONALD CASS OF BOSTON UNIVERSITY, COMPLAINED TO THE

CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION: ``ALL THE SCHOOLS I KNOW OF HAVE HAD

SOME TROUBLE WITH ABA ACCREDITATION. IF EVERY LAW SCHOOL IN AMERICA

HAS HAD TROUBLE GETTING ACCREDITED, SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE

STANDARDS.''

EVERY LAW SCHOOL MUST BE RE-ACCREDITED EVERY SEVEN YEARS. A NEW

SCHOOL LIKE REGENT'S GOES THROUGH SEVERAL YEARS OF STUDY BEFORE IT

IS ACCEPTED. THAT'S EXPENSIVE AND TIME-CONSUMING.

EVERY YEAR, REGENT SPENDS ABOUT $25,000 TO HOST A TEAM OF DEANS

AND PROFESSORS FROM THE ABA, SAID REGENT LAW DEAN J. NELSON HAPPY.

THIS COVERS THE COST OF FLYING IN FIVE OR SIX VISITORS FROM AROUND

THE COUNTRY, PUTTING THEM UP AT A HOTEL, AND FEEDING THEM FOR

SEVERAL DAYS. IT ALSO CONSUMES DAYS OF FACULTY AND STAFF TIME.

``IT'S A HAZING,'' HAPPY SAID. ``IN ORDER TO JOIN THE CLUB, YOU

HAVE TO GO THROUGH A LOT OF HOOPS.''

- MARC DAVIS by CNB