Law School may allow military recruiters

The Law School may soon face a choice between allowing the military to recruit on campus or losing its federal grants and scholarship money. The school currently bars military recruiters because the Pentagon's "don't ask, don't tell" policy on homosexuality violates anti-discrimination policies agreed to by a consortium of law schools, including Penn's. But federal regulations issued in April impose funding cuts to law schools that prohibit the Armed Forces from recruiting on their campuses, in compliance with a law called the Solomon Amendment. Recruitment season for law students ended last week, and no military representatives sought students on Penn's campus. The regulatory changes mean next year's students could see representatives from all four branches of the Armed Forces. Since 1991, the Association of American Law Schools has prohibited its members from allowing on-campus recruiting by discriminatory organizations, but in response to the new regulations, the group recently changed its policy. Now, member law schools who face a loss of their federal grants and scholarships may allow the military on campus -- if the military recruits in an "ameliorative" fashion. That clause in the bylaws is giving Law School officials some trouble, however. "We're not exactly clear what 'ameliorative' means," Law School Career Planning and Placement Associate Director Joanne Berrier said. "We don't want to be in violation of association [bylaws] but we have to find more information." The Law School's Career Planning and Placement Office has established a committee that is trying to balance implementing the Solomon Amendment with the change in the bylaws AALS. Law Professor Alan Lerner, the committee's faculty chairperson, was introduced to the problem on Monday. Although he said he is new to the issue, he is confident that the committee will be able to present a recommendation to the school in the near future. Currently, the Career Planning and Placement office only permits recruiters to enter the facility if they sign a statement that they do not discriminate -- which the military could not do. But whether the office will let the military proceed without the necessary paperwork is still uncertain. AALS Executive Director Alan Monk said that the association changed its bylaws due to attempts by the military to force law schools into compliance. "Schools stand to lose a lot if they don't allow recruitment," Monk said. "We are granting excuses to law schools so that they can save federal funding." Law School Assistant Dean for Student Affairs Gary Clinton said the school has been "strong-armed" into potentially letting the military on campus. Monk added that, to his knowledge, law schools have not had any problems implementing the new regulations and allowing military recruitment. But he also said that "whenever there is a discrimination issue, there is bound to be faculty or student group protest."