ALUMNI LAWNEWS FALL I 1999 19781978 TheThe “New”“New” 18891889 PatteePattee HallHall 19281928 FraserFraser HallHall BuildingBuilding 2001 The “New Addition” The Dean’s Perspective n the last issue of the Law Alumni News, we featured several aspects of the emerging curriculum at the Law School, and underscored the importance of public law and the distinguished faculty Iwho teach in the public law curriculum.We noted that students should view the curriculum from the viewpoint of a seamless web from theory, to doctrine, to skills development, to application of law in the context of clinical education, to how law is actually practiced today. In this issue, we describe a new interdisciplinary approach to the study of law and public policy questions.Those who practice law today know that with the explosion of legal information, tech- nology, and the internationalization of law, the lawyer, judge, and public policy analyst must have the capacity, interest, and understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of how law is evolving and changing all of our lives. In addition to expanding our existing Joint Degree Programs with the Humphrey Institute of Pub- lic Affairs and the Carlson School of Management, the Law School has launched a new Joint Degree Program in Law, Health, Life Science and Biotechnology. Each of these areas is directly connected with the explosion of practice in the field of intellectual property law. In Minnesota and through- out the University, this Law School will take a leadership role in these interdisciplinary connec- tions.Together with our new Affiliated Faculty, we are excited about the integration of interdisci- plinary studies to the strong curriculum already in place at the Law School. Dean E. Thomas Sullivan Further, a curriculum that looks to the future is essential for a leading law school. Indeed, as we announce at Homecoming on October 29–30, the public phase of the Law School’s Capital Cam- paign, we also consider how the Law School Building, itself, is able to adapt to new technologies and new areas of study.“Campaign Minnesota:The Law School’s Next Century,” the capital cam- paign for the Law School, will strive to expand the physical boundaries of the Law School in order to accommodate the rapidly growing dynamic curriculum and research interests of the faculty. The cover of this issue of the Law Alumni News features the three Law School buildings that have housed the academic legal program for 112 years.The Law School moved into Pattee Hall in 1889, one year after the commencement of legal studies at the University. For 39 years Pat- tee Hall served the Law School during the early foundations of building a great Law School. In 1928, the Law School moved to Fraser Hall where it remained for 50 years. In January of 1978, the “new Law School” building was built to accommodate the modern contemporary curriculum.A centerpiece of the Capital Campaign will be an addition to the present “new Law School” building. In reality, it will be Phase II of the plan developed nearly 25 years ago to build the “new Law School” building.At that time, the Legislature ordered that the building be built in two phases since the initial cost estimates, in the Legislature’s view, were too expensive. Now some 22 years later, we hope to fin- ish that marvelous design and create new space for the Law School of the 21st Century. During the month of October, the architectural and general contractor selection will be made, with plans to commence construction in early Spring.After several years of careful review, we believe that the new space, together with the integration and redesign of the present Law School building, will permit us to have a state of the art complex for approximately $8 million in construction costs.We are exc ited.As we have the opportunity at Homecoming and thereafter to share these exciting plans with the alumni/ae and friends of the Law School, we hope you, too, will be impressed with the opportunities that the Captial Campaign, including the building addition, will provide the Law School. We think you will share our enthusiasm when you see the wonderful architectural rendering which completes the original design o f the Law School.The new addition will bring symmetry and harmony to the functionality of the present building as well as to enhance the building’s design.The architecture and geometry of the building are as important to our Law School as are the functionality and practicality of our dynamic programmatic initiatives within the building. The new space will provide: • new offices for the now 30-plus student activity groups, adjunct faculty, permanent faculty. • a new student-faculty commons area on two levels designed for interaction and dining among faculty members and students. • a stunning new Rare Book Room for scholars’ access to our world-renowned rare book collection. • a new multi-media information technology center. • office suites for our important and growing research centers and our new Joint Degree Program. The success of our Capital Campaign will permit us to continue to compete for the best law students and to recruit and retain a stellar fac- ulty, the hallmarks of the Minnesota Law School. We hope you’ll continue to be a partner with the Law School throughout “Campaign Minnesota:The Law School’s Next Century.” E.Thomas Sullivan Dean and William S. Pattee Professor of Law ALUMNI LAWNEWS Dean E.Thomas Sullivan Contents Editor Terri Mische IFC The Dean’s Perspective Editorial Assistance G. Mickelene Garnett Carl Johnson 2 Feature Story: Casting a Wide Net: Interdisciplinary Studies at Contributing Writers the Law School Priscilla Crary 6 Robert Levy Sharon Reich 6 Faculty Essay: Paula Swanson Eco-Pragmatism: Environmental Regulation for Tricia Baatz Torrey Susan Wolf the New Century Photographers 10 Faculty Research and Development Carl Johnson Dan Kieffer Tim Rummelhoff 15 Law School News and Events 21 The rendering of the new Law School addition on the cover was provided courtesy of Leonard Parker Associates. 22 Commencement 1999 Designer 30 Distinguished Alumni Jennifer Kaplan 34 Class Notes The Law Alumni News magazine is published twice a year, in April and October, by the Univer- sity of Minnesota Law School Office of Alumni Relations and Communications.The magazine is 41 In Memoriam one of the projects funded through the member- 22 ship dues of the Law Alumni Association. Correspondence should be addressed to the Edi- tor, Office of Alumni Relations and Communi- cations, University of Minnesota Law School, 229-19th Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55455-0444. The University of Minnesota is committed to the policy that all persons shall have equal access to its programs, facilities and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national ori- gin, sex, age, marital status, disability, public assis- 42 tance status, veteran status or sexual orientation. Law Alumni News / Fall 1999 1 FEATURE STORY Casting the Wide Net: Interdisciplinary Studies at the Law School —by Tricia Baatz Torrey ost of us of a certain age and scholars who write and teach in the wrestle to the ground problems like how remember seeing, as children, areas connected to law.” to protect people’s privacy in the era of Man animated film that began genetic information, what kind of patent with a boy fishing in a boat, zoomed into The Dean added “When a student is rights should exist in the era of genomics, a view of his molecular structure and exposed to a broader and deeper curricu- and how do you protect the environment then out again to the edges of our uni- lum, that student is going to be better adequately while encouraging human verse, presenting us, within a few educated...We must continue to educate industry and activity.Those are unavoid- moment’s time, with an ultimate, mind- well-rounded, well-grounded generalists, ably interdisciplinary problems. A law boggling concept of “big and small,” the because, it turns out, that the most impor- degree doesn’t quite get you there in coexistence and interrelatedness of all tant skill a lawyer has is his or her judg- terms of equipping you to handle those matter and substance.Analogous to this is ment, and that comes from a well-round- problems and devise an answer, nor does a world at once made small by technol- ed educational experience.” a science degree.You need both.You need ogy and internationalization of law and to to be able to think outside the enve- economy and enormous by the capacity Law School and affiliated faculty as well lope, using the tools of more that one dis- to expand ideas, knowledge, and under- as alumni can speak to the intrinsic val- cipline, to solve problems like that. It was standing.There is a great challenge to be ue of interdisciplinary studies, siting the to meet that need, to generate people met in harnessing the energy created by strengths and rewards of such a program. who could lead in answering these prob- the era of an “information explosion.” Susan Wolf, who teaches in both the Law lems, that we put this program together.” The University of Minnesota Law School School and Medical School at the Uni- (For a more detailed description of the is taking on the task. versity of Minnesota, as well as the direc- new joint degree program, seeWolf’s arti- tor of the new Joint Degree Program in cle on page 4.) When Dean E. Thomas Sullivan first Law,Health and Life Sciences, comment- arrived at the Law School in 1995, he ed that the new program is a natural for In addition to building this new joint thought it important to expand the inter- the University because of its preexisting degree program, the Law School, over the disciplinary curriculum.