LAW SCHOOLS: Paducah's law school closing

From Kentucky.com, Kentucky law school in Paducah closing.

Troubled Ky. law school to close

Barkley School of Law in Paducah will close at the end of the year after officials said they failed to separate it from the financial and legal problems of its predecessor, the American Justice School of Law.

Dr. Laxmaiah Manchikanti purchased 75 percent of the stock in the school in February to help settle a lawsuit brought by stockholders and students. But he told The Paducah Sun on Wednesday he has no choice now but to close the school and file bankruptcy.

Manchikanti said Barkley was potentially liable for the more than $5 million in debts of American Justice and it was difficult to separate the two from public perception and negative publicity.

Student enrollment dropped from nearly 200 last year to 10 this year. Dr. Larry Putt, the school dean, said he'd help the remaining students transfer their credits to other schools.

For more details, here is the Law.com post:

Kentucky Law School Will Shutter Its Doors by the End of the Year

Karen Sloan
The National Law Journal
October 23, 2008

A problem-plagued Kentucky law school has announced that it will close at the end of the year.

The Barkley School of Law -- formerly known as the American Justice School of Law -- is withdrawing its application with the state for a license to operate in 2009.

The decision comes at the end of a turbulent year for the Paducah, Ky., institution, during which it faced a lawsuit, disturbing allegations by students, dwindling enrollment, new leadership, a name change and finally, a bankruptcy filing.

The decision to close the for-profit Barkley School of Law is "unavoidable" because of the financial obligations, mismanagement and negative publicity attached to the American Justice School of Law, said Barkley owner Dr. Laxmaiah Manchikanti in a statement released on Wednesday. Manchikanti also said that the Barkley School of Law will file for bankruptcy, just as the American Justice School of Law did in late September. * * * click on heading for more.