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Welcome Message from the President
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Critical Mail
September 25, 1979
Thomas E. Brennan, President
Potomac School of Law
The Watergate
2600 Virginia Ave.
Washington, DC 20037
Dear Judge Brennan:
I am writing to you in reference to the knowledge that you are not considering inspection by the ABA this month, as we were promised. I am shocked. I understand your desire to fulfill certain ABA requirements before pursuing accreditation, but I have been understanding this concern for three years and have seen no progress.
The school seems to be a victim of "Catch 22." There is a need for financial support and donations, but who will do this for a losing cause? If I recall, during the school year ’76-’77 the school sponsored a fundraising affair, at a prestigious Washington country club, and was not disappointed. Our faith in the school was at a high. We all rallied for Potomac, we were proud. How many times we told family and friends that Potomac was not accredited, and yet we were not ashamed!
Now there exists such a feeling of helplessness among your students. Your procrastination shows just how expendable you regard them. But there should be no martyrs for a commercial cause! A law school should be in the business of assisting in the pursuit of a legal career. Why go to law school if you can’t practice law? * * *
I implore you to act immediately so that, in our case, sitting for the Virginia Bar in February can become a reality.
Sincerely,
Mrs. George A. Weiner
I answered:
Dear Mrs. Weiner:
As you can see from the enclosed letter, a formal request for American Bar Association inspection was one of my first official acts since becoming the unpaid president of Potomac School of Law.
How soon the ABA inspectors come to visit Potomac will depend on the ABA itself. After five years of frustration and empty promises, the ball is now rolling. The process of accreditation has finally begun. * * *
I came to Potomac less than 60 days ago.
In that short time, I have 1) prepared and had adopted the first actual budget that Potomac has had in years; 2) told the truth about Potomac to the students, the teachers, and the school’s angry creditors; 3) eliminated an army of unnecessary paid consultants, paid advisors, and paid hangers-on who have been draining thousands of dollars from the school’s resources; 4) reestablished credit with the landlord, and major book suppliers; 5) settled a $113,000 law suit which threatened to close the school; 6) obtained a commitment to extend the license of the school granted by the District of Columbia, which was in jeopardy because my predecessor had falsely represented to the licensure commission that an ABA inspection visit was scheduled for September when in truth and in fact none had even been requested; 7) obtained the appointment of a permanent secretary for the school, and began the process of untangling its jumbled corporate records; 8) entered into negotiations for the purchase of a building as the permanent home for the school; 9) formally requested accreditation inspection by the American Bar Association; 10) donated to Potomac School of law approximately $100,000 worth of my time, and the time of 7 persons on my staff at Cooley Law School, 4 of whom have flown to Washington on several occasions to assist Potomac personnel, and one of who, William Schoettle, is now serving Potomac as its acting controller, without pay.
We have done all this without hope or expectation of personal reward or gain. We are simply trying to help your husband and the other unfortunate students at Potomac who have been duped and disappointed for so long.
I think that my Cooley Law School colleagues and I are entitled to an apology from you, and that you will be fair minded enough to give your apology as much circulation as your criticism has received.
Then, let’s all join hands and get the job done!
Sincerely,
Thomas E. Brennan
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This Page was last updated on:
07/21/2006