Fort Wayne, Ind. — Indiana Tech celebrated its progress toward opening northeast Indiana’s first law school with a ceremonial groundbreaking at the construction site on Friday.

“Although the celebration focuses on bricks and mortar, the significance of this building is greater than any physical structure can convey,” said Dr. Arthur E. Snyder, Indiana Tech president. “What happens inside this building will be far more significant than how it looks. Indiana Tech Law School will cast off the limitations of long-entrenched teaching practices and embrace the best methods of contemporary legal education.”

The university’s decision to open a law school in 2013 was announced in May 2011. In January 2012, after considering several possible locations for the Indiana Tech Law School, the university announced plans to build the 70,000-square-foot facility on the west side of the Fort Wayne campus in the area bounded by Washington Boulevard, Comparet Street, Maumee Avenue and University Street. The building will house classrooms, faculty offices, the law library, a trial courtroom, and legal clinics.

“This is a huge milestone in the history of this great university,” Snyder said.

Site engineering for the construction began in January. The building will be under roof by December and completed by July 2013. Cost is expected to be about $15 million.

“Soon our doors will open and lives will be changed,” said Peter C. Alexander, dean of Indiana Tech Law School. “Today is a fitting first step in preparing students for success in law, leadership, and life.”

The Indiana Tech Law School will be based on collaborative and experiential learning to better prepare graduates for law practice or other careers. The curriculum will place a heavy emphasis on practical experience, and the on-campus location will facilitate the establishment of legal clinics to serve the Indiana Tech community.

The law school will enroll 100 students in the charter class in fall 2013. Applications will be available through the Law School Admissions Council in September 2012, and acceptance decisions will begin in November 2012. Additional information about curriculum and the admissions process is available at http://academics.indianatech.edu/areas-of-study/law/.