The University of Utah has a new gateway to the campus with Tuesday’s grand opening of the S.J. Quinney College of Law building on the campus’s southwest corner. Utah Governor Gary Herbert was one of the speakers at the dedication event. He says the college has a long tradition of graduates who have a deep respect for the law.
“But for me, many have become judges and I’ve had the ability appoint twenty graduates from here, from the law school to positions on the bench,” says Herbert.
Utah Republican Senator Orrin Hatch called it the most beautiful law school he’s ever seen in all of his years in the US Senate.
“And I’ve traveled all over the country speaking at various law schools when I was chairman of the judiciary committee and even since. I’ve never seen anything like it,” says Senator Hatch. “The University of Utah has to be extremely pleased with this and proud of this.”
The building is designed to be completely sustainable and is targeted for with cooling and heating systems that recycle irrigation well water. Exterior glass is designed to prevent bird impacts and includes active and passive solar efficiency systems. Robert Adler is the new Dean of the College of Law. He says the 2-year construction took a toll on students and faculty but resulted in bringing everyone closer.
“Sense of community within the student body, between the students and the faculty are important and that was a fundament part of the building design,” Dean Alder says.
The $62.5 million project was funded by the S.J. and Jessie E. Quinney Foundation, as well as the University of Utah, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a long list of trusts, law firms and private donors.
