"My problem is convincing two-thirds of thefaculty that anybody is good enough," he said.Candidates forwarded by a faculty subcommitteemust be approved for tenure by a two-thirds voteof the full faculty.

Clark said that the faculty values studentinput but that it would be unlikely to put astudent on the appointments committee.

Although the students said meeting with thedean was constructive, they vowed not to give upuntil change occurs.

"We will not go away. We will use everyopportunity we can get, "said first-year RaulPerez '90. "He can't hide from us."

Clark agreed to hold regular meetings withconcerned students and he scheduled the first ofthese sessions for this Monday.

During the two-hour town meeting in AustinHall, the students joined Clark and more than 20faculty members in a lively discussion of theschool's hiring process.

Clark and several of the law professorsdefended the process and attempted to respond tospecific criticisms. The crowd eventually grew toinclude more than 175 students.

"The purpose of this meeting is for studentsand faculty members to come to a consensus aboutissues and get a list this semester about what'sfeasible and what we are going to do this semesterto change things." said first-year student JunyFrancois, a BLSA member who moderated the meeting.

Francois warned against the growing tensiondeveloping among Law School students withdifferent opinions on the issue.

"There is a growing sense of confrontation anddistrust [among students], on the border ofdisrespect," she said.

Leaders of the coalition demanded concreteplans to reform the appointments process, increasestudent input in the process, revise the criteriafor candidate evaluation and hire scholars thatcould help refocus the curriculum.

Members of the audience applauded calls for amore open faculty hiring process. "What we want ismore accountability, we want to be more informedabout what decisions are being made and how theyare being made," said a second-year law student.

But several professors joined Professor of LawFrank I. Michelman in voicing "strongreservations" about formal student representationon the faculty hiring board. Michelman didacknowledge that some level of studentrepresentation would be progressive.

Other faculty members said that full studentparticipation on the appointments committee wouldbe troublesome and unproductive.

"You are students. You are not faculty. Facultymembers are in the best position to evaluate thedegree of scholarly achievement [among candidatesfor tenure]," said Law School AdministrativeDirector for Admissions and Financial Aid BenareeP. Wiley.