Behind the LECTERN B Y K A T H Y F L E M I N G 32 U F L A W
Alumni Provide a Glimpse into Their Classrooms O One <strong>of</strong> the subjects Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Christina Bohannon (JD 97) teaches at the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Iowa <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Law</strong> is Conflict <strong>of</strong> <strong>Law</strong>s, an obscure and undervalued area that frequently surfaces in the practice <strong>of</strong> law. Most UI students donʼt take the elective course. Early one fall semester a second-year student hurried over to Bohannon to relay how a conflict <strong>of</strong> law issue had become a frustrating obstacle in a case at being handled by a large litigation firm where he was interning over the summer. No one in the firm was knowledgeable about the subject, so the intern—who had just taken Bohannonʼs class the previous semester—gave a short presentation to the entire <strong>of</strong>fice, including senior partners. “He felt like a hero for helping them, and I felt like a hero for helping him,” Bohannon said. “I simply love teaching law.” She discovered she loved law during her first days as a student at the UF <strong>Law</strong> school in 1994, when she realized the substance <strong>of</strong> the information and the intensity <strong>of</strong> the environment sparked a passion—for the first time—for the actual process <strong>of</strong> learning. “I would watch how my teachers taught and how much they enjoyed their jobs. I liked them as teachers and as people, and I felt inspired,” she said. She was so inspired that she finished first in her class, served as editor-in-chief <strong>of</strong> <strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Law</strong> Review, began publishing, and clerked in a federal appellate court. She began as an adjunct pr<strong>of</strong>essor and became an associate pr<strong>of</strong>essor at Iowa in 2002, the same year she was nominated for a teaching award. UF SCHOLARS About 125 UF <strong>Law</strong> graduates stand behind the lectern at law schools across the country. About a quarter <strong>of</strong> them are LL.M. graduates <strong>of</strong> UFʼs top-ranked graduate tax program. Countless others serve as adjunct faculty, bringing their practice expertise into the classroom. Still others—such as Henry Mallue, Jr. (JD 69), who is on business faculty at the <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> William and Mary, and Sandra Chance (JD 90), who is on the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Florida</strong> <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> Journalism and Communications faculty and directs the Brechner Center for Freedom <strong>of</strong> Information—teach within other university colleges. To have a career in the hierarchical and highly competitive academic pr<strong>of</strong>ession, the golden path usually requires a law degree from a top law school. Paths similar to Bohannonʼs also are helpful: outstanding academic performance in law school, senior level work on the law review, a prestigious judicial clerkship and earning a LL.M. or S.J.D. degree. “Our law school is an excellent training ground because it provides the kind <strong>of</strong> in-depth learning experience necessary for teaching, especially in the subject areas in which we have particular depth such as taxation, environmental law and family law,” said Michael Seigel, a UF <strong>Law</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>essor and former associate dean for academic affairs who—like many <strong>of</strong> the UF <strong>Law</strong> faculty—followed the traditional path into teaching. His credentials include graduating magna cum laude from Harvard <strong>Law</strong> School, serving as an editor <strong>of</strong> its <strong>Law</strong> Review, clerking for a U.S. Court <strong>of</strong> Appeals judge and working as a federal litigator. “We also have faculty anxious to be mentors to aspiring academics, doing such things as advising them on post- JD work and even helping them to get published—which is almost a prerequisite to being hired as a law pr<strong>of</strong>essor these days,” Seigel said. “So many <strong>of</strong> us love to teach that we surely communicate by our passion for the job that teaching is a wonderful pr<strong>of</strong>ession.” THREE HATS Once ensconced, the life <strong>of</strong> a law pr<strong>of</strong>essor consists <strong>of</strong> three pursuits that are both stimulating and stressful: teaching, service and research. Whether carrying a teaching load <strong>of</strong> several classes, serving on university and pr<strong>of</strong>essional organization committees, doing pro bono work, or performing crucial scholarship, the hours are long and the commitment to better the world is real. Scholarship, in particular, allows law pr<strong>of</strong>essors to examine legal issues in depth to question or improve the legal system and influence social policy. “I think that any law school that aspires to be a great law school has an obligation to society to produce scholars who do good for society,” said UF <strong>Law</strong> Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Marty McMahon. For the UF law graduates that went on to teach across the nation, and those who provide a glimpse into their daily lives here, there is little doubt that being a law pr<strong>of</strong>essor requires a considerable amount <strong>of</strong> talent, skill and dedication. Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Donald Hall (JD 68), a Vanderbilt <strong>University</strong> <strong>Law</strong> School pr<strong>of</strong>essor retiring next May after 37 years <strong>of</strong> teaching, said teaching law is a “tremendous” experience. Said Hall, “I could not imagine a more energizing, challenging and rewarding career.” S U M M E R 2 0 0 7 33
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