As Binghamton University moves forward with a plan for a new law school, voices from around the state are concerned that an already strained job market may not be able to support an even larger batch of law school graduates.

Binghamton University’s proposed plan for a law school is going forward, with an expected opening date of the 2017-18 academic year.

The University is working with the American Bar Association (ABA) on developing a curriculum worthy of accreditation, said University Spokeswoman Gail Glover.

According to Glover, the process still requires approval from the state Division of Budget, the SUNY Board of Trustees, the Board of Regents and the governor.

Currently, there is no specific timetable for when the proposal must be approved.

“A law school at Binghamton would be very good academically and affordable, which are two great strengths,” said John Appelbaum, pre-law adviser at BU. “I do think there is a need for a legal education that comes at reasonable price — that would be a public law school.”

Appelbaum works as part of the Harpur Advising team. He helps students make informed decisions about pursuing a career in law.

“Some say a law degree is good for anything, but there is one good reason to go to law school: it’s to become a lawyer,” he said. “Students shouldn’t go to law school because they don’t know what else to pursue, or because they want to make money — there are other ways to do that. At the same time, if you want to be a lawyer you have to go to law school. It puts a lot of pressure on the process.”

Appelbaum also warned about shrinking opportunities in the present legal field due to the economic climate.

“Right now, the job market for lawyers is pretty bleak. The field has become more competitive and saturated, but the market for lawyers certainly is not going away,” Appelbaum said.

The University is looking to support the project through a variety of funding sources, including the state legislature, SUNY’s administration, corporate partners and private donors.

“I think Binghamton has taken a number of steps over the past couple of decades not only toward becoming a great regional school but a great world university,” said John McNulty, a political science professor at BU. “Providing law degrees is important for this expansion.”

Despite the current economic climate, both McNulty and fellow political science professor Jonathan Krasno said they believe that Binghamton would provide an exceptional education in law. They also suggested that employment in America could improve by the time of the first class’ graduation.

“The United States is too fundamentally strong and will manage to bounce back from economic downturn,” McNulty said. “By the time Binghamton starts cranking out graduate students there will be more opportunities.”

Krasno said he believes that the state could use more affordable graduate school choices.

“Almost every state has public law schools. I think New York state is way below the national average,” he said.

New York state currently has two public law schools: University at Buffalo Law School and CUNY Law School.

According to the New York Law Journal, two other New York schools, Stony Brook University and St. John Fischer College, shelved plans to build law schools this year. Albany Law School and Touro Law Center on Long Island are also decreasing their class sizes this year.

“It is the ethical and moral thing to do,” said Touro Dean Lawrence Raful in the New York Law Journal article. “We are concerned about the ethics of turning out quite so many students in debt when we know that not everyone can get a job to pay off that debt.”

Krasno called a law school at Binghamton a worthy investment.

“This is investing in public education, which is an effective way to spend money,” he said. “There is also economic development for the city, and it will bring in more students. But more than anything else, turning out lawyers with less of a debt load after three years of public law school, who tend to stay in the state, will be a very good thing.”