The new (since July) dean of U of California at Berkeley law school (Boalt Hall) is calling for the privatization--at least partially--of the law school. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education article on the subject, California only provides 30% of the school's budget, which shows a decline from 60% in 1994. What I found most surprising was that even the in-state tuition rates at Boalt Hall are ~$22,000 and ~$34,000 out-of-state, which strikes me as high for a public school.

But the high tuition makes me wonder: even with a fairly low level of support from the state (i.e. 30%), doesn't the high tuition even further the classic problem of subsidizing education? Especially at elite schools like Berkeley, the typical pedigree of an incoming One-L is one of elite undergraduate and often private secondary education. Yet California taxpayers--rich and poor alike--are subsidizing the education of law students that often had other, fairly elite choices for law school, had fantastic undergraduate educations, and may or may not stay in California after graduation.

In short, I say this to Dean Edley: Privatize all you can--in fact, what about secession?

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