Building on Our Momentum ... Securing Our Future
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Building on Our Momentum ... Securing Our Future Capital University Law School 2006 - 2007 Dean's Annual Report The Strategic Plan for Capital University Law School “Building Our Culture Building on Our Momentum ... Securing Our Future Strategies 2010 of Philanthropy is the overarching goal of Our Mission our strategic plan.” We will strengthen society and our legal system by developing skilled lawyers who serve diverse communities well, by promoting professionalism and ethics, and by furthering discourse and knowledge. Our Core Values We are committed to: I the rule of law in a constitutional, democratic society; I excellent teaching and effective learning; I integrity, ethical conduct and service; I intellectual and scholarly engagement; I access to the profession for first-generation professionals, minorities and other underrepresented groups; I diversity in background and thinking; I mutual respect and support; I high standards of performance; and I innovation and resourcefulness. Throughout this publication, please note the major Key Result Areas of our strategic plan and major accomplishments achieved this past academic year. To view the entire strategic plan and our annual progress, please visit www.law.capital.edu/About/StrategicPlan.asp. © 2008 Capital University Table of Contents Published for alumni and friends of Capital University Law School All address changes should be sent to: Capital University Law School Student and Law School News . 2 c/o Office of Alumni Relations 303 E. Broad St., Columbus, OH 43215-3200 Faculty News . 16 (614) 236-6601; [email protected] Alumni News . 22 Cover Photos: President Emeritus & Professor Emeritus Josiah H. Endowment . 30 Blackmore II; Winnie Sim, L’08; Dean Jack A. Guttenberg and President Dean’s Council . 40 Denvy A. Bowman; 2007 Alumni Award Honorees J. Miles Gibson, L’78, Thomas J. Bonasera, L’75, Jennifer L. Brunner, L’83 and Jessica A. Mager, Heritage Society . 43 L’01; Professor Emeritus Max Kravitz, L’73 Dean’s Circle . 44 Photography by: Troy Doucet, Capital University Law School First-Year Honor Roll of Donors. 46 Student; Chris Keels, Keels Photography; Greg Miller, Greg Miller Photography; Louise Robertson, Capital University Law School Web Content Coordinator Design by: Cole Communications Capital University Law School Dear Alumni & Friends, In 2007, the Law School went School among our students, our faculty and our alumni. through an extensive American Bar I credit our outstanding faculty and professional Association (ABA) site visit and self- administration who always have an open door policy and study. This is part of the engage with our students on a daily basis. From accreditation process that all ABA- admissions through alumni relations, we are working accredited law schools go through hard to provide the best educational and social every seven years. I am happy to environment possible and to keep our alumni engaged report that we received a very with the students and school (read about the exciting affirming accreditation report. ways to be involved on p. 22). I invite you to this year’s Alumni Weekend May 2-3, when we will celebrate our The ABA site team was very many alumni and Law School successes at the Alumni Dean Jack A. Guttenberg complimentary about our self-study Awards Lunch on May 2 at The Columbus Renaissance and viewed our strategic plan as a Hotel. model for other schools to follow. Throughout this annual report, we highlighted key accomplishments achieved last One of the ABA’s few concerns raised was about our academic year in meeting the goals of our strategic plan — lack of financial resources and dependency on tuition as Building on Our Momentum, Securing Our Future. I invite you our primary source of revenue. Their report reads: to read our full strategic plan and report card at “When one considers the long-term needs and goals, www.law.capital.edu/About/StrategicPlan.asp. [the Law School] will need a significant infusion of resources.” Building Our Culture of Philanthropy is the The ABA site team had very positive things to say about our overarching goal of our strategic plan. We can no longer curriculum, which they said has particular strengths in legal ask students to bear the weight of our tuition-based writing and drafting. Building on our already strong legal financial structure. We need you, our alumni and friends, writing program, which includes a required final-year legal to invest in the future of our profession, our students and drafting course, we further strengthened our students’ legal this great Law School. Our investment today will build a writing and advocacy skills by requiring all students wishing to better law school for years to come and enhance the participate in moot court programs to complete an appellate value of our alumni’s degree. advocacy course (story on p. 3). Our faculty takes seriously preparing our students for the practice of law. Our strategic plan calls for an increase in the percentage of alumni giving annually to 18 percent. Thank you to They also praised our skills offerings, particularly our clinics the recent graduating classes, current donors, our Alumni and externship program. Last year, our Family Advocacy Association Board, the Board of Counselors, and our Clinic was the recipient of a $500,000 grant from the faculty and staff for their increased financial support. Our Coalition Against Family Violence to expand our percentage of alumni giving has increased from 7 to 9.8 representation of victims of domestic violence and to enhance percent in the last three years. While we still have a long our training of students (see story on p. 12). way to go, I am very grateful for the progress we have made in such a short time and for your support (see our The site report also indicated a number of areas of progress Honor Roll of Donors p. 44-52). Together, we are making and strength for the Law School, including our improved bar great strides toward Building on Our Momentum and passage and our bar services program, which is on the cutting Securing Our Future. edge of law schools. Let me take this opportunity to congratulate our graduates who took the July 2007 Ohio Bar While we have had many successes this past year, we Exam. Capital’s first-time pass rate increased two percentage also have had some significant losses with the passing of points to 89 percent (story on p. 2)! Josiah Blackmore and Max Kravitz, two men who were deeply respected by their students, colleagues and The ABA team praised our faculty for their high standards of alumni alike. These men were truly two of Capital’s teaching and viewing teaching as a core value. They also were greats and exuded a deep passion for legal education and impressed with the faculty scholarship and the national scope service to the community. I know I am particularly of that scholarship (see p.18-19). Just this past fall, Capital’s thankful for the legacies they have left us to build upon faculty was ranked sixth among peer institutions in a study of at Capital. the scholarly productivity of law school faculty. This is a faculty that excels in and out of the classroom. Another area with which I am particularly pleased was the site Jack A. Guttenberg team’s observance of the real sense of community at the Law Dean and Professor of Law 1 Capital Graduates Excel on Ohio Bar Exam, Achieve 89% First-Time Pass Rate Capital University Law School alumni achieved an 89 percent first-time passing rate on the July 2007 Ohio Bar Exam. This is a two percentage point increase over July 2006 and above the state average for first-time takers. “Capital graduates continue to pass at a high rate. Their hard work and the dedication of our faculty and administration are paying off,” said Dean Jack A. Guttenberg. “As a community, we are enhancing the value of their degrees and their success on the exam means they can begin their careers at the earliest possible moment.” After giving birth in June to their beautiful baby girl, Sophia, Law School sweethearts William Nesbitt and Laura The Law School Strategic Plan calls for the school to be Penczak spent the summer caring for their newborn and “above the state average for first-time takers on the studying for the July Bar Exam. With the help of their Ohio bar examination and annual improvement in the families, their sleepless nights, early morning feedings and determination paid off — they both passed the July 2007 percentage of all takers passing the bar.” In four out of Bar Exam! Left to right: Dean Jack A. Guttenberg, William the last six administrations of the bar exam, Capital’s Nesbitt, L’07; Laura Penczak, L’07; baby Sophia; and William “Corey” Phillips, L’07 celebrate their success at the Bar Success Reception on Oct. 26, 2007, sponsored by the Law School Alumni Association. first-time takers have performed above the state average. In the last five administrations of the July bar exam, Capital’s first-time pass rate has climbed 27 percentage points. Capital was one of the first law schools in the country to retain a professor of Bar Services, Yvonne L. Twiss, L’98, and offer a for-credit bar Michael McAllister, L’07; Lindsay Ford, L’07; and Alexander course — Advanced Bar Studies. This course has Adusei, L’06 celebrate at the Bar Success Reception. become a model for other law schools. It provides students with an intensive, substantive review of selected material routinely tested on the Ohio bar exam and uses problems and exercises in a bar Key Result Area exam format to better familiarize students with Strengthening and Diversifying what to expect on the exam.