Hamline University School of Law and William Mitchell College of Law announced Friday that they would merge, in what appears a survival bid for two St. Paul institutions that have seen sharp enrollment declines.

The proposed merger is the first evidence that at least some law schools have hit the point where they are no longer financially viable—even as the closures predicted since at least 2012 have yet to materialize.

“It's certainly a strategy to respond to the changes in the market,” said Kate Kruse (left), associate dean of experiential education and curriculum at Hamline. “But we want to make the change while we are both still strong. It's the right move at the right time.”