The Facultad de Derecho Eugenio Maria de Hostos (English: Eugenio María de Hostos School of Law) was a law school located in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. The school was founded by Fernando Bayrón, Juan Mari Brás and Carlos Rivera Lugo in 1995. The institution lost its American Bar Association (ABA) accreditation, and then the Puerto Rico Supreme Court also withdrew the accreditation due to school's economic difficulties. After having granted degrees to 900 alumni, Hostos closed in 2013, when the last commencement ceremony had only eight graduates, out of ten students in their final semester. Hostos Law School aspired to achieve the development of legal professionals who were also responsive to the needs of their communities and who would embrace the educational philosophy of its namesake, Eugenio María de Hostos.
History
Accreditation On 28 October 1996, the parent institution of the school, the Eugenio María de Hostos Law School Foundation, requested an accreditation extension from the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico. A committee for such a purpose was named by the Court on 20 December. The committee submitted its final report which did not recommend accreditation, on 11 July of the following year. Two observations made by the committee were that the institution lacked the financial means to operate and the academic profiles of its students were subpar compared to other law schools in Puerto Rico.2000 TSPR 25, p. 2.
The American Bar Association (ABA) denied the school's request for a provisional accreditation on 15 July 1997. This was detrimental, since Puerto Rican law requires that to be accepted into the Bar, all persons must have graduated from an ABA-accredited institution. As such, on 13 August, the Supreme Court released a resolution refusing entry into the bar to the first cohorts of graduates. However, the Court also resolved that these graduates were able to take the bar examination in September 1997, to obtain data from the test results. Only 36% of the class passed the exam, compared to 79% of the University of Puerto Rico School of Law, 63% from the Interamerican University School of Law, and 61% of the Pontificial Catholic University of Puerto Rico School of Law graduates on their first attempt.2000 TSPR 25, p. 3.
Consequentially, the Supreme Court released a second resolution indicating concern that Hostos Law School lacked budgetary soundness, had difficulties in recruiting students who were able to pass the bar exam post-graduation, as well as not having obtained the provisional accreditation from ABA. The Supreme Court, on a 4–2 vote on the resolution, gave a second opportunity to Hostos, having been persuaded by a promise from the institution that there would be "significant improvement" on the bar exam results between 1998 and 1999 "if [the Supreme Court] gave said graduates the opportunity of taking the bar examination." If Hostos delivered on its promise, as well as obtained at least one provisional accreditation from ABA in two years' time, then the Supreme Court would grant the requested accreditation. If said requirements were not satisfied, the Court would refuse the accreditation request and not accept any graduates for the bar exam from 2000 on. Additionally, the Court requested that all enrolled students and all students admitted from 1 April 1998 be individually notified of the Court's second resolution and its implications for the school.2000 TSPR 25, p. 4.
A Provisional Accreditation Committee of the ABA visited the institution between 7–10 March 1999. +American Bar Association committee membersNameInstitutionDean Leigh H. Taylor (chair)Southwestern Law SchoolLos Angeles, CaliforniaDean Donald J. DunnWestern New England College School of LawSpringfield, MassachusettsProf. Martin FreyUniversity of Tulsa College of LawTulsa, OklahomaProf. Edith Z. FriedlerLoyola Marymount UniversityLos Angeles, CaliforniaRufina A. HernándezLatin American Research and Service AgencyDenver, ColoradoErica Moeser, Esq.National Conference of Bar ExaminersMadison, WisconsinProf. Joyce SaltalamachiaNew York Law SchoolNew York, New York
After the two years lapsed, the institution had not satisfied the two conditions, and had inferior bar exam rates compared to the other three accredited law schools, as well as having been denied the provisional accreditation from ABA for a second time on 24 November 1999.2000 TSPR 25, p. 5. +Bar Examination pass ratesSchoolSept 1998Mar 1999Sept 1999University of Puerto Rico87%78%83%Interamerican University52%46%48%Pontifical Catholic University51%31%48%Hostos19%0%22%
The Supreme Court denied the accreditation and stated that no graduates would be permitted to take the bar examinations from 2000 on. However, those who had failed the tests from 1997 to 1999 were able to reattempt the bar examination. The Court wrote that "[a]fter seven years since the founding of the [school], it is not justified for this [Court] to continue favoring its graduates by making exceptions to ... legislative norms and regulations ... that are required of any other applicant."2000 TSPR 25, p. 6. On a particular vote by Associate Justice Jaime Fuster, he mentioned that Hostos had an "irreparable medullar problem" in achieving its goals. He credited this to the incapacity of recruiting students capable of passing the bar examination. Fuster added the results for the law school entrance exam, the Graduate Studies Admissions Test (PAEG, for ). The Hostos Law School alleged that they "could not recruit better students for lack of accreditation." Fuster refuted this by suggesting that the most probable cause was the geographic location, where there were not enough students in the region for a fourth law school.2000 TSPR 25, p. 8. Out of all the passing marks of the bar exams offered in the month of September in the years 1997 to 1999, only 12% came from the 16 municipalities in the western region of Puerto Rico, which meant that even if Hostos could recruit all students from the region, it would still be a small part of the general law school market. Of all Hostos graduates who took the bar exam, 54% were not from the region and 85% of those graduates were below the average PAEG score of those who did pass.2000 TSPR 25, pp. 9–10. Even though the cost for three years attendance was at least $100,000, the institution had to resort to donations to keep itself afloat.2000 TSPR 25, p. 11. +Average PAEG scores for all applicantsYearAll applicantsHostosUniversity of Puerto Rico199760453266019985935046571999595509655
The Hostos Law School did not request a reconsideration from the Supreme Court.2000 TSPR 38, p. 7. On 9 March 2000, the Court expanded the time window to students who had taken the bar exam in March 2000 to be admitted to the bar as well.2000 TSPR 38, p. 2.
2003 provisional accreditation Hostos resubmitted a request for provisional accreditation to the Supreme Court on 13 December 2002.2003 TSPR 29, p. 2. The Court named a Committee of Accreditation, composed of Jorge Pérez Díaz, Esq. (chair); Dr. José R. González; Rafael Martínez, CPA; Dr. Efraín González Tejera; José Sosa Llorens, Esq.; and James P. White (counsel to the committee), former ABA consultant. The committee submitted its final report on 19 June 2003. On 27 June, the Court issued a resolution granting Hostos a five-year provisional accreditation, subject to the following conditions:2003 TSPR 110, p. 2.
Hostos would have to maintain an admittance policy of a minimum of 500 on the PAEG and from 2003 to 2007, increase to 70% the rate of admitted students with scores over 550.2003 TSPR 110, p. 3. By the end of 2003, the school would have to name an associate dean of finance and an associate dean of academic and student affairs, as well as pay its overdue debts and implement realistic financial plans.2003 TSPR 110, p. 3-4. By 30 June 2004, Hostos would have to adopt a professional development plan, whereby the faculty would be able to do their post-graduate studies and investigations in multiple universities.2003 TSPR 110, p. 4. Library: The school would have to acquire the necessary law collections and provide them for public use and submit a plan for a permanent library site at its location on Peral Street, since the library was lodged at a rented site on José de Diego Street.2003 TSPR 110, p. 4-5. Bar exam results: From May 2006 on, the rate of graduates who passed the bar exam on their first attempt would not be less than 75% of the lowest score of any of the other three accredited law schools. For the classes of 2007 and 2008, the rate would be 80% and 85%, respectively.2003 TSPR 110, p. 5. ABA accreditation: By 31 June 2007, Hostos must have obtained either provisional or permanent accreditation from the ABA. Progress reports: The Board of Trustees would have to submit progress reports on all conditions every 31 January and 31 July every year from 2004 on.2003 TSPR 110, p. 6.
All students, then enrolled or who enrolled in the future, would be given a copy of these conditions as well as a Memorandum of Understanding between the Supreme Court and Hostos Law School. In addition, all graduates from December 2003 on would be able to take the bar examinations. Finally, the resolution stated that Hostos had ninety days to submit a proposed plan to offer a course for all those who graduated from September 1999, when it lost its original accreditation, enabling them to take the bar exams.2003 TSPR 110, p. 7.
The final plan for the course, titled "Legislation and Jurisprudence Analysis Preparatory Program", for all those who did graduate when the institution was not accredited, was referred to the Committee of Accreditation set up by the Court.2004 TSPR 38, p. 5. The program consisted of "an intensive study and discussion program of the 13 subjects that are the object of evaluation in the general law examination."2004 TSPR 38, p. 4. Since this cohort of students had below-average PAEG scores and graduated from a non-accredited institution, the Court required that after completing the preparatory course, graduates must be recertified by Hostos. However, the committee rejected the school's proposal that these students obtain at least 70% in the program as a condition for their re-certification. The Court adopted all of the committee's recommendations on 12 March 2004.2004 TSPR 38, p. 1, 5.
Attempted revivals In early 2013, Hostos graduate and then-representative María T. González López submitted a joint resolution in an attempt to make Hostos a subsidiary faculty of the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus. The joint resolution would have reaffirmed Joint Resolution 500 of 2001, which made Hostos a quasi-public institution as well as instruct both chambers of the legislature as well as the executive branch to name their representatives to the board of trustees and initiate talks with the University of Puerto Rico as well as its Mayagüez Campus to transfer the institution to them so they could salvage it by becoming part of an accredited institution. Additionally, it would have resolved a $1.5 million disbursement from the legislature for Hostos. It was later retracted by González López herself.
In late 2016, the Municipality of Mayagüez and Interamerican University of Puerto Rico (UIPR) signed the first of two agreements to reopen the Hostos Law School. The groups accorded that the UIPR would be able to incorporate the use of the name Hostos to offer continuing education for lawyers, a master's degree in law and a bachelor's in criminal justice. The university would offer an online database as a library to students and would request accreditation so that it would operate as an extension of its law school and their San Germán campus. This new setup would commence offering courses in August 2017. The second agreement, to be signed two weeks after the first one, was to allow the UIPR rehabilitation and use of the Hostos building.
Building