UB Law Forum Volume 20 Number 2 Fall 2008
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UB Law Forum Volume 20 Number 2 Fall 2008 Article 1 10-1-2008 UB Law Forum Volume 20 Number 2 Fall 2008 University at Buffalo School of Law Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.law.buffalo.edu/ub_law_forum Recommended Citation University at Buffalo School of Law (2008) "UB Law Forum Volume 20 Number 2 Fall 2008," UB Law Forum: Vol. 20 : No. 2 , Article 1. Available at: https://digitalcommons.law.buffalo.edu/ub_law_forum/vol20/iss2/1 This Full Issue is brought to you for free and open access by the Alumni Publications at Digital Commons @ University at Buffalo School of Law. It has been accepted for inclusion in UB Law Forum by an authorized editor of Digital Commons @ University at Buffalo School of Law. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Editor's note With this issue of the Forum, we are excited to introduce you to our new look featuring are designed cover and format. You will notice that this Forum is less than half the size of previous edi tions. In recent years, we published only once a year, and it grew significantly. We will now publish more frequently so that many of the articles will be more timely. We will also publish a special re port to donors covering all of our development news, including our honor roll of donors. We hope you enjoy reading about your Law School, and I know I can count on you to give me your honest feedback. I welcome it and appreciate it. Ilene R. Fleischmann UB Law Forum is mailed free to alumni, faculty, students and friends of the University at Buffalo Law School. Send your comments or suggestions to: [email protected] Ilene R. Fleischmann, Editor Vice Dean for Alumni and Communications, Executive Director of the Law Alumni Association Lisa Mueller Assistant Dean for Alumni and Communications, Assistant Director of the Law Alumni Association Amy Atkinson Reunion Coordinator Patricia Warrington Assistant Director for Alumni and Development Cover Photograph Jim Bush Principal Photographers Don Dannecker Mark Mulville University Communications Charles Anzalone Please address all Class Action correspondence to Cynthia Watts: [email protected] Or mail to: UBLawForum 312 O'Brian Hall Buffalo, NY 14260 (c) Copyright 2008 by University at Buffalo Law School All Rights Reserved Visit us at www.law.buffalo.edu 1 As we welcome Makau W.Mutua as 18th dean of the Charles Daniels Adelbert Moot Christopher C. Tiedeman University at 1887 – 1897 1897 – 1902 1902 – 1903 Buffalo Law School, we look back at his distinguished Carlos C.Alden Francis M. Shea Mark DeWolf Howe predecessors. 1904 – 1936 1936 – 1939 1940 – 1944 Buffalo Law Philip Halpern Louis L. Jaffe George N. Stevens School 1945 – 1948 1948 – 1950 1951 – 1952 Deans 1887 — 2007 Jacob D. Hyman William D. Hawkland Richard D. Schwartz 1953 – 1964 1964 – 1971 1971 – 1976 Thomas E. Headrick Wade J. Newhouse David B. Filvaroff Barry B. Boyer R. Nils Olsen 1976 – 1985 1986 – 1987 1988 – 1992 1992 – 1998 1998 – 2007 UB LAW FORUM • FALL 2008 2 Message from the dean 3 our student body,and build stronger How does philanthropy affect our thought – until just last year – of relationships with our alumni and the rankings? becoming a dean of a law school.The state.I will invest in building the Law Philanthropy is the critical factor in thought had never,ever entered my School of the future in which the development of academic mind.And I was very skeptical when technology,endowed chairs,faculty excellence for a law school. the issue was first raised.However, scholarship and cutting-edge education Philanthropy gives the resources to service in reform of institutions is an will be the centerpieces. invest in your academic programs and important part of my psyche,and I attract great faculty.It is the source of treasure UB Law,which has been my What role can our alumni play in endowed chairs without which it is intellectual home for a decade.That is helping to achieve these goals? difficult to attract and retain faculty why I eventually took on this No U.S. law school has ever who are sought-after.Currently,we responsibility. achieved academic greatness without have no chairs at UB Law.We have two a critical mass of dedicated alumni endowed professorships,which is a How is the state’s budget crisis affecting who are generous, devoted and proud good start.However,chairs attract the Law School? of their alma mater. In this respect, faculty who will raise our reputation in Clearly,the budget crisis is a philanthropic commitments by the the legal academy and among drawback for UB Law,and comes at a alumni are the difference between practitioners.Similarly,philanthropy time when we are faced with other successful and lackluster law schools. will allow us to give more tuition challenges.But it is also a wake-up call With a shrinking base of state support scholarships to attract students with and opportunity for us to reach out to for education, it behooves UB Law to higher LSAT scores,a variable that is our alumni and strengthen those ties. create a bond of partnership with its critical to rankings. While there will be some cuts,I do not alumni. Happily, we already have expect them to affect our ability to hire active alumni. But we will have to do You have been critical of proposals to tenure-track faculty or to interfere with more to increase participation and create three new law schools in New our core functions.We will use our support if we are to become York State.Why? resources wisely,save where we can, competitive with our peers and be There cannot be an objective mind stretch our dollars and emerge stronger. counted among the top 50 law schools in the State of New York who thinks in America. that we need additional law schools in What have been your greatest the state,beyond the 13 privates and the challenges so far during your time as How can we reverse our recent decline two publics.New York has more law dean? in the national rankings? schools than it needs.The law schools The work itself is not really difficult, The first thing that I have done is within the state educate more lawyers even though the volume of demands is to recognize that rankings matter to annually than can be absorbed by the high.I have a collegial and consultative the alumni, prospective applicants, state economy in six years.Besides, style of governance which helps employers and the general public. there is not a single applicant who is legitimize decisions and involve the Even though the matrix used to qualified to go to law school who fails to entire Law School in the life of the calibrate rankings is highly gain admission within the state.In community.I have an extremely able questionable, it would be foolhardy to short,there is neither professional senior leadership,including Professor pretend that they do not impact the justification,nor market demand,for James Gardner,the vice dean for Law School.As a law school, we more law schools or lawyers in our academics; James Newton,the associate operate in the marketplace with about state. dean for administration; Professor 200 other competitors nationally. Errol Meidinger,the vice dean for That is why I am working hard with Please describe your work as a leader in research and faculty development; our faculty, staff and alumni to raise international human rights. Professor Isabel Marcus,the director of our reputation by hiring more and This is really for others to talk about. international programs; and Professor better faculty, raising the academic All I can say is that I have been very Rebecca French,the new director of the profile of the students we admit, fortunate to enjoy some success as a Baldy Center for Law and Social Policy. making sure that the vast majority of scholar and practitioner of I have delegated authority with ASK DEAN MUTUA our graduates are placed soon after international law and human rights. responsibility – and clear benchmarks – graduation, and letting the world My plate in this regard is overflowing to our senior staff in development, What are your goals as the 18th dean of tradition in all these key areas,even know about the great and innovative with commitments to write,speak and external relations,IT,career services, A few UB Law School? though we have been buffeted by some things that are happening at UB Law. I consult with governments,NGOs and admissions and the registrar.Because An excellent public law school is challenges in the recent past.But my am confident that we are doing all we the private sector.But for me,it is a we have a shared vision and consensus questions for the defined by four important factors: a mission for UB Law is clear and can to arrest the decline and that we labor of love. about the direction of the Law School, faculty with star scholars and great straightforward.I will return the Law should see some improvement in our the job of being dean is manageable teachers; an academically strong School to glory and put it among the rankings soon.An example is the class Will you maintain your teaching and occasionally enjoyable! But ask me Law School’s student body; supportive alumni with a top 50 law schools in the country by that entered in September. It is one of responsibilities? again in a year,and see how I feel then. committed tradition of philanthropic building on our strengths and the strongest we have ever admitted Of course.This year I will teach new leader giving; and a vital relationship with the addressing areas that require attention.