Controversy at Ave Maria School of Law

A decision to move the Ave Maria School of Law from its current location in Ann Arbor, Michigan, to Collier County, Florida generated controversy among students and alumni of the Law School during the 2006-07 academic year.

The Ave Maria School of Law was founded by Domino's Pizza founder Tom Monaghan in 1999 with the intention of being a world-class law school basing teachings in the Catholic faith. Bernard Dobranski was named the first Dean of the school. (Ave Maria School of Law media release, 1999) The school opened in 2000.

In early 2007, the Board of Governors of Ave Maria School of Law voted to relocate the School of Law to southwest Florida. This decision was made after signficant discussion, but was not readily supported by some faculty and alumni.

Recently, the school has announced that due to the "nationwide economic downturn" the school will not be moving to Ave Maria, Florida, but to the campus which previously served the University. The campus is located in an upscale development and is just minutes away from law firms in Naples.

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