With the click of a mouse, the future of the MSU College of Law's representation to the university was decided.

Eighty percent of students at the law school voted online from Oct. 18-25 to join the Council of Graduate Students.

"Knowing the history of how hard the first entering classes worked to pave the way to become an integral part of the MSU community, I'm happy their work was not in vain and has come to fruition," said Connell Alsup, associate dean for student affairs and registrar for the law school. "They have always had a voice on the policies, but now they have a vote."

Although he said he thinks the rushed process caused many law students to have reservations, COGS President Carl Newman said he is glad they decided to join because both organizations will benefit from the merger.

"COGS can now honestly say we represent all graduate students," Newman said. "Law students will bring a perspective that most graduate students don't have."

The next step is including the law school into the bylaws and "basically writing them into our organization," COGS Treasurer Christina Harzman said.

"Doing it properly, in a way that will benefit the students and COGS, is something that we will have to work out, but I think it will go smoothly," Harzman said.

Law student Steve Shoemaker said he voted to join the council to further integrate the law school with the university.

"It seems that more integration with a Big Ten university would definitely not be a bad thing," Shoemaker said. "The goal seems to be to get more students involved in the general decision-making process of the whole law school.

"At least our voice will be heard and considered from now on."

Although the majority of students voted to join, some students believe there are only a few benefits.

"I voted against joining because it is a graduate student council - they have no bargaining power," law student Matt Bieber said. "I would want to join if they were a union that had some sort of bargaining power.

"They will do nothing for me, so I will do nothing for them."

But Newman said membership will benefit law students, and the policies that affect them.

"COGS is the only representative body for graduate students to the administration," Newman said. "If we hear concerns from students, we discuss them with the administration."

Law student Lisa Peterson, who also voted against joining, is now interested in the outcome of the integration.

"I'm curious to see what COGS will do for us in terms of representing us to the rest of the university," Peterson said, adding she thought COGS would gain more financially than the law school students would in representation.

But Harzman said money is not a reason the council wanted the law school to join.

"The money we get from the law school will support our annual budget, but it's really just a drop in the bucket," Harzman said. "It's not about the money. That's not what our organization is about and that's what they will learn."