Law School for Sale

A potential buyer is in the wings for the American Justice School of Law in Paducah, Kentucky.  The private school — now almost always described as “troubled” — saw five of its faculty resign two weeks ago, calling for the ouster of the dean.  This followed a lawsuit last November on behalf of students seeking $120 million in damages from the school.  The students claim that the school, among other things, withheld their student loan money from them to earn extra interest.  Making things curiouser is that the lawsuit was filed by Paducah litigator Thomas L. Osborne — a shareholder in the school — who filed it immediately after he resigned (or was forced out, depending on who you talk to) as chair of AJSL’s Board of Trustees.  Osborne has been reportedly been putting together his own group to take over the school.

Dr. Robert Meriwether, a successful Paducah neurosurgeon, has apparently put up money to keep the school going while he mulls over a two-month option to acquire the school.  He estimates that it would take $4 million to bring the school up to snuff.

Paducah, which has a metro area of about 100,000, is roughly equidistant from Louisville, Memphis, Nashville, and St. Louis.

[Frank Snyder]