A new chapter in UNLV's history will begin next week with the opening of the William S. Boyd School of Law.While most of the university will not begin classes until Aug. 31, the Boyd Law School will begin instruction Monday with a one-week, intensive course in "Introduction to Law." During this week, the 140 students who comprise the school's charter class will learn about the history and importance of the legal profession.

"This is such an important moment for UNLV," said university president Carol C. Harter. "With the opening of the Boyd School of Law, UNLV takes another huge step toward becoming a premier urban university. The Boyd School will not only train future lawyers, it will be an invaluable resource for Nevada as its scholars research and discuss legal issues, and as faculty and students reach out and provide community service."

Introductory remarks on the first day of class will be made by William S. Boyd, chief operating officer of Boyd Gaming, after whom the school is named.

Among the activities scheduled for the first week will be speeches and presentations by a number of notables from the legal world, including Gov. Bob Miller, U.S. Sen. Richard Bryan, U.S. Rep. John Ensign, U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Chief Judge Procter Hug Jr., and Judge Barry Silverman of the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Also participating will be U.S. District Court Judges Philip Pro and Johnnie Rawlinson, Nevada Chief Justice Charles Springer, Nevada Supreme Court Justice Miriam Shearing, Nevada Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa, state Sen. Mark A. James, Clark County District Attorney Stewart Bell, and Federal Public Defender Franny A. Forsman.

UNLV officials, including Harter, Provost Douglas Ferraro, and Richard Morgan, dean of the law school, also will address the students.

In the "Introduction to Law" course, the speakers will help the students learn about the roles that lawyers play and the skills, values, and responsibilities associated with those roles; about the different branches and levels of government; about basic principles of legal philosophy; and about the process of avoiding and resolving disputes ethically and efficiently.

"It's thrilling to be part of such a significant achievement as the opening of a new law school," Ferraro said. "The presence of a law school will enhance the academic atmosphere throughout the UNLV campus."

"I can't think of a more exciting enterprise than launching a new law school -- especially in a setting as vibrant as Nevada, and Las Vegas in particular," Dean Morgan said, noting that the opening of the Boyd School of Law marks the first time in 20 years that a state has opened a law school at a public university.

"Those of us who are part of this initial endeavor -- faculty and students alike -- will work diligently to make the Boyd School a law school of which the state's residents can be proud," he said. "And we're not looking for excellence down the road; we're looking for excellence from the start.

"I think we're well on our way to achieving that goal, judging by the backgrounds of the students who are members of this inaugural class," Morgan said. "We have been fortunate to attract outstanding students from a variety of backgrounds."

Statistics on the inaugural law school class show:
-- the median age of class members is 31.
-- 93 percent are Nevada residents.
-- 54 percent are male.
-- 84 percent are white.
-- 10 students already have earned doctoral-level degrees, including four with medical degrees and one with a dental degree.
-- other degrees held by students include those in fields as diverse as political science, history, criminal justice, English, Italian, Asian studies, business, engineering, nursing, inorganic chemistry, zoology, education, and vocal performance.

Community service will be a major theme of the law school, Morgan said. Faculty and students will be involved in critiquing public policy and in serving unrepresented clients through the legal clinics that will be formed, he said. Additionally, the public will have access to the school's law library.

"We want the community to know without a doubt that UNLV's William S. Boyd School of Law is their law school," Morgan said.

For additional information, contact Christine Smith, the law school's associate dean of academic and student affairs, at 895-1872.