Franklin Pierce Law Center is closer to joining the University of New Hampshire after a university committee recommendation to merge but delay a move to Durham.

Officials at each institution say a merger could bolster their academic reputations, as the independent law school seeks to break into the top 100 programs and UNH looks to augment its research with legal studies.

In a report released last week, the UNH study committee cited the financial health and top-notch intellectual property program of Franklin Pierce, the state’s only law school, in its recommendation that the university pursue a merger with certain conditions.

[Concord Monitor]