While the majority of faculty have remained very skeptical of physical expansion and growth plans according to Kagan, she said she had been “very encouraged” by the “lively discussions” that occurred in the faculty workshops.

“I think the law school as a whole is committed to [the committee’s work],” Kagan said.

Even skeptical consideration of the Allston option is a major step for the HLS faculty, which voted nearly unanimously in fall 1999 to stay put.

Faculty opposition to a move in the past has centered around a reluctance to abandon the historical connections between HLS and its Cambridge campus.

A new campus in Allston would cost HLS its proximity to FAS and Harvard Yard, and Beneficial Professor of Law Charles Fried described Allston as “not a particularly attractive setting for a campus.”

The committee has been working to assess the connections between HLS and the other Harvard schools to inform decisions about whether HLS should remain close to FAS, or, if it moves to Allston as part of a proposed professional school campus, which schools should go with it.

The committee is looking into both student and faculty connections with Harvard’s other schools in Cambridge. They are gathering statistics, such as the number of law students who cross-register at other schools, the number of faculty who teach at other schools or the number of visits law school members make to other Harvard libraries.

“We’re trying to get the faculty’s sense of where their connections are, who are the people they engage with, how many people have connections outside the law school that are integral,” Kagan said.

Concerns about the possible future locations of FAS science facilities have also been raised in discussions among faculty and administrators about the future of law school, according to HLS Communications Director Michael A. Armini.

One potential problem noted was the existence of an underground river in Allston that could make it an unsuitable location for future science labs, potentially making it necessary for any expansion of the FAS science facilities to take place on the HLS campus.

Although there is a high water table in Allston, and science buildings might have different foundation requirements than other buildings, there is probably not a significant difference between what could be built in Allston and Cambridge, according to Spiegelman.

On the other hand, the Red Line runs underneath HLS between Harvard and Porter Squares, leading some to suggest that vibrations from the T would make the site unsuitable for precise scientific experiments, according to Armini.

A lot of scientific research in Cambridge, however, takes place near the T, Spiegelman said.

The Space Crunch

The committee’s work on new locational options is part of HLS’ attempt to solve its desperate need for classroom, office and dorm space.