Appalachian School of Law to downsize operations

Appalachian School of Law plans to reduce its student body and take other steps to downsize operations.

Dean Lucy McGough said law school applications are declining nationally and there are fewer qualified students.

She also says school officials want to return the law school to its roots serving students in Appalachia.

Currently, 222 students are enrolled at the law school in Grundy. McGough says enrollment was about 150 to 250 students when the school opened 16 years ago.

She says there will be layoffs as a result of the cutbacks.

Earlier this month, the school's board of trustees approved cuts to all administrative units except admissions. Other cuts include reducing the number of full-time faculty and faculty salaries