Whether St. John Fisher College will open a law school in downtown Rochester is still undecided, says Anne Geer, spokeswoman for the college. The idea was proposed a year ago and the college is conducting an assessment of the need for another law school in New York State.

"It's certainly fair to say that there are people I talk to who are in favor of it," says T. Andrew Brown, president of the Monroe County Bar Association. "But there are many people who have voiced their concerns about having too many law schools and lawyers already. Beyond the economic promise of a law school downtown, why do we need another?"

But there is a need for civil attorneys who represent lower-income people, Brown says.

The biggest hurdle for a new law school is the competition for highly qualified applicants, says attorney Tom Smith, former president of the Bar Association.

"It won't be an accredited school for a while, and that may impact the quality of applicants," he says.

Greer would not say when the assessment will be complete.