A lawsuit filed Thursday by members of the Dickinson School of Law's Board of Governors aims to keep the law school in Carlisle open longer than the 10 years outlined in the current plan.

It states that the dual-campus plan between Penn State and Dickinson, which was approved 17-14 by the Board of Governors on Jan. 15, is not valid because it gives Penn State the option of closing the law school in Carlisle after 10 years.

The suit, filed Thursday by board members G. Thomas Miller, Leslie Anne Miller and emeritus board member Tom Monteverde, argues that the new agreement goes against the original plan signed between the two schools in 1997.

According to the original agreement, "the primary location and campus of The Dickinson School of Law is to be Carlisle, Pennsylvania, in perpetuity, unless otherwise agreed for good and legitimate reasons by the Association's Board of Governors and Penn State's Board of Trustees."

The current dual-campus plan would create a law school at University Park and agrees to keep Dickinson's Carlisle campus open until at least 2015.

The plan also calls for the dissolution of the Board of Governors and the creation of a Board of Directors, which would include Penn State President Graham Spanier.

Opponents are asking the court to rule that Penn State does not have a legitimate reason to close the Carlisle campus at any time.

The suit will be presented to Cumberland County Judge Edward Guido on Feb. 18.

Penn State spokesman Tysen Kendig said university officials learned of the lawsuit Friday.

"It saddens us that these individuals are trying to thwart the efforts of their colleagues and the university to enhance the stature of the Dickinson School of Law," he said.

The lawsuit will not deter Penn State from its goals for the law school, Kendig added.

"The lawsuit, which we believe to have no merit, will not weaken our resolve to provide outstanding educational opportunities in Carlisle and at University Park for our current and future students," he said.

Board of Governors chairman H. Laddie Montague said he was "saddened" when he heard about the lawsuit Friday. He declined to comment further until he learned of its details.

Board of Governors member Donald Smaltz said yesterday that he was previously unaware of the lawsuit, but that he didn't think the court was in position to make a ruling in on the case.

"I don't think that a court should be allowed to issue an advisory position in the matter," he said. "Penn State has no intention of closing the Carlisle campus and a court opinion is not necessary."

Dickinson Dean Philip McConnaughay said he agreed with Penn State's position on the issue and declined to comment further on it.

Penn State's Board of Trustees unanimously approved the dual-campus plan at its Jan. 21 meeting, where Spanier stated his intentions of keeping the law school's Carlisle campus open.

"We are committed to staying in Carlisle for the long term," Spanier said at the meeting. "We do not plan to close the campus in Carlisle any time soon."

Gov. Ed Rendell said the state is pledging up to $25 million in matching funds for renovation of Carlisle's Trickett Hall and for construction of a law school at University Park, provided that the Carlisle campus remain open for at least 15 years.

"The governor and I are on exactly the same page about this issue," Spanier said.

Spanier said fund raising for the project has already begun, and the university has already received its first seven-figure contribution.

The Board of Trustees could vote on an architect for the project as early its Sept. 9 meeting, he added.

--The Associated Press contributed to this report.