Alumni Forum, Fall 1984
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Golden Gate University School of Law GGU Law Digital Commons Alumni News Other Law School Publications Fall 1984 Alumni Forum, Fall 1984 Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.law.ggu.edu/alumnews Part of the Law Commons Recommended Citation "Alumni Forum, Fall 1984" (1984). Alumni News. Paper 28. http://digitalcommons.law.ggu.edu/alumnews/28 This Newsletter or Magazine is brought to you for free and open access by the Other Law School Publications at GGU Law Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Alumni News by an authorized administrator of GGU Law Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ~ ~~ (,I~: lI,!\; /J..~ JINOr Rfft101 ~ .,. W LIBRA#OM -..J . rJl A I DmII .. Y o ~ ("j • ~ FOUNDED 1901 .j' .:r. (:o~ ® \>~ 00L O~ Vol. 10, No. 1 FALL 1984 G.G.U. Toughens Standards In an effort not only to maintain but increase academic standards in the face of the nationwide decline in law school applicants, the 1984 entering class at interest in attending law school by changes, in the view of Professor Golden Gate Law School is more than appealing to a wider audience. "In the Janice Kosel, chair of the committee. 10% smaller than last year's class and legal profession," Tom says, "the "The payoff should be the message to 20% smaller than the year before. And reputation of an institution is based, in the students that we're getting this reduction in class size is expected addition to the programs it offers, on tougher around here," says Kosel. And to continue. "In a couple of years I how hard it is to get in." tougher is the word. Approximately think the Law School as a whole will be Or, as Dean Wilson puts it, "We 25% of last year's first year class had 25% smaller than in recent years," must be in a competitive posture. We failing averages (below 2.00), and predicts Dean John P. Wilson. must be able to attract students approximately 15% were disqualified While painful in a financial sense, because Golden Gate is a good law from returning as second year stu the reduction in class size reflects the school." dents. School's commitment to increasing In no way does this suggest, But one of the inevitable and the academic quality of the student however, that the School is turning its unfortunate effects of diminished body as a response to the previous back on the non-traditional law class size is, of course, a decline in decline in the bar pass rate. This students: minorities and women. revenue. The school is seriously decline has been reversed in the last Admissions Director Tom points out contemplating the lay-off of four non couple of years when most other that for this year's entering class the tenured faculty members next year as California law schools have had falling school offered admission to 6% more a direct result of the class size changes. bar pass rates. women and 7% more minorities than '1t hurts to do it, but we can't afford The reduced applicant pool left the last year. the same size faculty when personnel School with two choices, according to Further evidence of the Law School's costs are the largest item on the Admissions Director Ed Tom. "We commitment to academic excellence budget," Dean Wilson explains. could have kept the size of the class the is the change in academic standards The administration is looking at same by dipping lower into the pool implemented recently. The grading various ways in which to make up the and compromising quality, or we could curves for both the frrst year and shortfall in students and, thus, money. maintain quality by shrinking the size upper division classes have been Among the plans under consideration, of the class," Tom explains. "We lowered by a tenth of a percent, and according to Dean Wilson, is to open decided to shrink the class, and as a the minimum acceptable GPA for the the School to mid-year admissions result the average LSA T scores and first year of studies has been raised and to offer LLM programs in real GPAs for this year's entering class are from 1.60 to 1.80. estate and labor law. essentially no different than they were This increase in the minimum Also under serious consideration are . ten years ago." acceptable first year GPA, originally efforts to increase communication The admissions director's long-term approved by the Academic Standards with the Law School alumni, a group strategy is to counteract the effect at Committee more than a year ago, is which everyone agrees is an under Golden Gate of the nationwide drop in the more significant of the two utilized resource for the School. McCaffrey taught as an adjunct at the New College in San Francisco before New Course: coming to Golden Gate this term. The course in Chinese Law uses an unpublished text prepared by Profes Chinese Law sor William P. Alford from UCLA Everyone who has gone to law Law School. The text includes such school has read Learned Hand, Earl chapter titles as "The Theory of Warren, and the UCc. But how many Contradictions and its Implications of us were assigned writing by Mao for the Law," and "The Cultural Tsetung, from the People's Daily or Revolution and Its Impact on the excerpts from the indictment of the Legal System." Gang of Four? The first part of the course That and much more is part of the provides an overview of the history of curriculum for Chinese Law, a new Chinese legal systems and philoso offering at Golden Gate this year phies. The course then will move into taught by Brian McCaffrey. A 1976 modern legal practices, with an graduate of Hastings who practices emphasis on law and the economy. civil litigation in San Francisco, Criminal law, family law, and human McCaffrey spent three years at Brian McCaffrey rights will also be studied. Wuhan University in China, first When asked to comment on the teaching English (1979-81) and then lecture format, so I would lecture the differences between the law students teaching Contracts in English at the material, and then go over it with in China and those in the U.S., newly-established law department cases. We covered three or four cases McCaffrey quickly responded, "My (1981-82). a week." Chinese students were guaranteed McCaffrey calls his year teaching Upon returning to the States, jobs." contracts in China "an ideal teaching experience. The students were tested by a rigorous national exam before Bar Exam Controversy Resolved gaining entry. They were among the most academically qualified students In the last issue of the Alumni Forum, decided to certify for admission all in the country." there was a story on the controversy those applicants who took the July But, on the other hand, the regarding the July 1983 bar exam and 1983 exam who received scores students had no experience in the role alumnus Stan Naparst ('83) between 1241 and 1259. While con Western law or teaching methods, had in leading the fight against the tending the grading "was fair and McCaffrey recalls. "So I used a scaling of the exam. On July 14,1984, equitable in all respects," the commit modified Socratic method. The the state Committee of Bar Exam tee admitted that the description of students were accustomed to a strict iners, in an unprecedented move, the grading process sent to appli cants before the test "may have been unclear." School's New Placement Director This decision affected 269 people, many of whom had also passed the In June, Golden Gate Law School the San Francisco City Attorney's February 1984 bar, including Naparst hired Jane Thomson as the new Office, the San Francisco Public and several other GGU alumni. The placement director. She formerly Defender and Prudential Life Insur bar examiners reached their decision directed administrative services and ance. after a June 23rd public hearing in personnel for the National Council on Thomson is also organizing a series which examiners, lawyers and experts Crime and Delinquency and the of workshops and panels of interest to testified that the re-scaling of the Lighthouse for the Blind. Prior to that, both students and alumni (see story exam had made it unreasonably she ran an alternative sentencing page 3) and has compiled a handout on difficult compared to earlier ones. program in Alameda County for ten "Resources Available to the GGU Job Naparst represented alumni Terri Kim years. Seeker and Career Planner" as well as and Jan Fuchs at the hearing, pre Thomson wants alumni to be aware Placement Planner newsletters. Pick paring extensive petitions and even that she is available to help in job up copies in the Placement Center, enlisting a statistician. searches whether you are seeking a Room 205. "My training at GGU was of first-time job or wanting to switch H you want to list a job for either immeasurable help in preparing me for firms. There are many active job students or grads or if you are willing the hearing process," he said. "1 listings in the newly-reorganized to advise current students on your especially found my Appellate Advo Placement Center (which now in field of specialty or your own job cacy and Trial Advocacy classes cludes both an office and a library) and search experience, contact Jane Thom helpful." many on-campus recruiters are willing son at (415) 442-7257. "I see a strong Dean Wilson was one of three to interview recent grads.