Vermont Law School prides itself on being the only law school in America located in a town without a stoplight.
But a proposal last week from the school’s board of trustees would move the campus away from South Royalton to Burlington, a city 15 times larger than the rural burg, in an attempt to counteract the school’s declining enrollment and financial difficulties.
In the week since the proposal was made public, students, faculty and the people of South Royalton have objected fiercely to the idea — though campus leaders say the Burlington move is just one of many options and is not likely to come to fruition.
A move “would be devastating,” said Royalton Selectboard member John Dumville. “Our downtown businesses are all thriving because of the law school. In a rural economy, a school like that makes a big difference.”
Jim Abbott, who grew up in South Royalton, remembers when Interstate 89 was built and downtown traffic was diverted to the superhighway. South Royalton felt like a ghost town, he recalls. It has recovered, thanks in large part to the law school.
“We have our market, I think that would probably survive. I don’t know about the restaurants, but I think the biggest hit would be on landlords. They’re barely keeping up,” Abbott said. “It’s frightening to think about.”
It’s not the first time a move to Burlington has been discussed. Talks in 2014 of a merger between the law school and UVM put residents on edge, but never materialized. But many residents say that with each new proposal they have more and more reason to worry, especially as law schools nationwide — most in cities far larger than South Royalton — struggle to keep their doors open.
“I don’t know if it’s any more serious than past discussions on this but for some reason I’m a little more nervous about this one,” Abbott said. “Maybe it’s partly because of Covid, but they’re doing all their classes online and 30% or 40% of students decided to come here anyways. They like being here.”
Vermont Law School administrators insist they’re just doing their due diligence by exploring all options.
“I think too much is being made of it right now,” Pat Parenteau, a professor of law and former director of the Environmental Law Center at Vermont Law School, said. “I’m sorry people are getting worked up about it. I don’t think it’s a real threat right now.”
Parenteau, who has worked at the law school for 28 years, said the proposal is one of a number of ideas the school floated to increase enrollment. Luckily, law school applications nationwide are way up this year, he said.
“We’re all trying to figure that out,” Parenteau said. “We don’t know exactly how many of those people are going to end up at VLS, but this could be a big boost for us.”
To be viable, Vermont Law School has to boost its current enrollment of around 600 students to between 700 and 800. Parenteau said that number is well within reach if the restructuring envisioned in the strategic plan moves forward.
“I think it’s more likely than not that we will meet these challenges and stay vital,” he said. “And I think we’re going to stay in South Royalton.”
But that won’t happen without a significant change in how the school does business, Parenteau said. He wouldn’t go into specifics, but said big changes will be needed for the law school to attract a sufficient number of students.
“I think we’ve been resting a bit on our reputation and our laurels,” he said. “We’ve been ranked No. 1 for environmental law for a very long time, but now there’s a lot more competition. I mean, Harvard and Yale both have environmental law programs now, and they have a lot more money than we do.”
Moving to Burlington isn’t an all or nothing proposition, Paterneau said. The school already has a field office in Burlington that focuses on immigration law and a program with UVM for students who want to earn a bachelor’s degree and a law degree in six years. He said that kind of collaboration should be encouraged, whether the school remains in South Royalton or not.
Dumville, the selectboard member, said it would likely be prohibitively expensive for the Vermont Law School to pay off the loans on its buildings in South Royalton, plus develop a campus in Chittenden County.
“They’ve done the study before and always decided to stay,” Dumville said. “I can’t see the benefit for them moving.”
South Royalton’s lack of amenities, hotels and an airport are often cited as reasons to move the school, but Dumville said the Lebanon airport is 20 minutes away, as are a number of hotels. Many Vermont Law School students went to college in urban places, he said, and Burlington would just seem like another city.
She said the biggest frustration for students is the lack of public transportation. But that’s not a good reason to uproot the school.
“I didn’t feel like I was missing out,” said Sarah Danly, who graduated from Vermont Law School in 2015 and has stayed in South Royalton ever since. “I know some of my classmates probably did.”
She said the biggest frustration for students is the lack of public transportation. But that’s not a good reason to uproot the school.
“I’ve also heard people say the silver lining if the school were to move is that there’s a housing shortage in this area, and the large student population makes that a very valid concern,” Danly said. “No one thinks having the law school here is without its challenges, but it’s something the town and the school work on together.”
Danly said the impact wouldn’t be limited to South Royalton. Students and faculty live in a number of towns in the area, and each one would suffer if the school were to relocate.
“Burlington is pretty far away. For people who commute from Montpelier, it might be doable, but a lot of people live the other direction. For folks in Woodstock or White River Junction, that’s going to have a big effect.”
Other residents praised the college for the diversity it brings to town, the child care offered on campus, and the events and lectures that bring culture to area residents.
“Many of the lawyers who train here work in small communities when they get out,” Dumville said. “There’s a difference between a city lawyer and a country lawyer, and we’ve got country lawyers here. They’re an important part of our community.”
