Phoenix School of Law Moving to Downtown High Rise Due to Increasing Enrollment

Online, April 21, 2011 (Newswire.com) - The Phoenix School of Law has announced that it will be relocating to downtown Phoenix, in the One North Central building, located at the corner of North Central Avenue and East Washington Street. In a lease that begins August 1, the school will ultimately occupy 205,130 square feet of the building's 13th - 20th floors and a portion of the first floor. The relocation is a result of the school's dedication to enhancing its learning environment, commitment to improving student outcomes, and its increasing student enrollment.

"Phoenix School of Law's announcement to relocate to downtown is great news, bringing long-term jobs that benefit the entire city," said Mayor Phil Gordon. "By continuing to build on our knowledge based economy, we strengthen our workforce and create opportunities to reinvest in our community."

"Phoenix School of Law is extremely excited for our move to downtown Phoenix," said Scott Thompson, President of the school. "This strategic initiative provides the foundation for the next phase of our institution, and will build on the attainment of full accreditation granted last summer by the American Bar Association."

The new campus will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology, a fully operational mock courtroom, a legal clinic and a law library with an expansive physical collection of legal resources, and a variety of electronic databases.

"Attracting educational institutions is key to enhancing downtown Phoenix's redevelopment and renaissance efforts," said District 8 Councilman Michael Johnson, in whose district the school will relocate. "Students, faculty and staff will be ideally located in the heart of the state's legal, government and business districts with convenient access to light rail, retail and other amenities."

"Our location in the heart of the legal community and justice system maximizes our students' ability to utilize many resources in the downtown area," said Shirley L. Mays, Dean of Phoenix School of Law. "As a law school with nearly 1,000 students and employees, our presence downtown confirms our commitment to Phoenix and will benefit both the city and the broader community."

The Phoenix School of Law is fully accredited by the American Bar Association, and is the only law school in Arizona where students can choose from full-time, part-time day, or part-time evening programs. The School has been recognized with prestigious awards such as the American Bar Association's E. Smythe Gambrell Award for Professionalism, the Law Student Admission Council's Diversity Matters Award, and was also featured in Pre-Law Magazine's list of Best Value Law Schools. The Phoenix School of Law is unique in its model by virtue of its inclusive excellence and successful student outcomes. While the school accepts students with broader range of grade point averages (GPA) and Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) scores than the state's average for law schools, its career placement rate is 97 percent, and its eventual bar pass rate exceeds 88 percent.

The Phoenix School of Law's mission is based upon three primary pillars: 1) an educational experience that is student outcome-centered; 2) academic and experiential learning programs that yield practice ready graduates; and 3) a commitment to serving underserved students and communities. These cornerstones reflect a program of legal education that responds positively and effectively to changes in the legal profession and the legal education environments.

The Phoenix School of Law will be leasing One North Central from its owner, Mitsubishi Estate New York, Inc. for the next 10 years, with an option to extend for an additional five years. Jay Hoselton, Senior Director of Cushman & Wakefield was the broker for the transaction, and the firm of Lewis & Roca, LLM served as the legal advisor.