Dinsmore & Shohl Student Commons

The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law is proud to announce the development of the Dinsmore & Shohl Student Commons, a construction project that will include a transformation of its student space/ locker area.  The Student Commons is made possible thanks to the generosity of Moritz alumni at Dinsmore & Shohl LLP along with a matching gift from the firm. The successful fundraising initiative was led by Frank C. Woodside III '69 and Donald B. Leach '82, who secured contributions from their fellow Moritz alumni who range from Classes 1966 through 2009.

Originally built in 1959, the student locker area is the last remaining part of the original building yet to be remodeled. The project will include new lockers, flooring, ceilings, utilities, mailboxes, furniture, and more. The area, which once was a major gathering spot for students and included wooden tables that saw thousands of bridge games over the years, has become a place where students merely drop off their books in between classes and move on.

"I am picturing an area that is comfortable, practical and fun – a place for students to gather, interact, blow off a little steam periodically," said Leach '82. "It should be a setting, hopefully, that builds the camaraderie. I know I really enjoyed the social aspects and personal relationships at the law school. Part of that was hanging around the lockers. If we can facilitate that, it would be a great success."

The area is used by students multiple times a day and also includes information on student organizations and upcoming events. The corridor leading to the student journal suites will also be remodeled.

"There has not been a lot of change to this area since we were in school," Woodside '69 said. "Don and I talked and decided sometimes it’s better to just do things for the students, and that’s how we ended up where we are. We have a large number of graduates in the Columbus office. There is a smaller number in Cincinnati – but the number has been increasing – and we have a decent number in the Dayton office. When we looked at it, not only had we become one of the top 10 offices in Columbus, but firmwide, we had a lot of Ohio State graduates. We thought there were enough people who should be able to come up with the funds to tackle the project."

 

A major expansion to Drinko Hall and the Moritz Law Library was completed in 1992-93. Other recent major renovation projects include the development of the Barrister Club, the addition of Lou's Cafe, the creation of the Frank C. Woodside III Moot Courtroom, remodeling of the classroom corridors, and the addition of smart technology to all classrooms.

Committee

The Dinsmore & Shohl Student Commons will be designed by M + A Architects. A committee comprised of Moritz faculty, staff, and students will be working with the architect throughout the 2011-12 school year on renderings, design, and key features. The committee members are: Associate Dean Bruce Johnson, Assistant Dean Monte Smith, Professor Sarah Cole, Director of Finance and Administration Tim Meager, Tom Bethany '12, and Lauren Huddleston '13.

Timeline

Construction is set to begin in May of 2012 and will be completed by the start of classes in August 2012. It should be noted that because the design is not yet completed, there is a possibility construction could be delayed until the summer of 2013.

Renderings