Download Magazine - Levin College of Law - University of Florida

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Thomas E. Baker (JD 77) Visiting Professor of Law, William & Mary University Professor of Law, Florida International University CAREER HIGHLIGHTS • Teaching awards at every law school where he has taught, including the University of Athens in Greece • Eleven books, including two casebooks and more than 100 scholarly articles • Judicial Fellow for Supreme Court of the U.S. Chief Justice Burger and as the acting administrative assistant to Chief Justice Rehnquist. Every good teacher begins—and truly remains—a student of his subject. My teaching vocation traces back to the first day of Professor Fletcher Baldwinʼs storied course in constitutional law. His reputation as a teacher, scholar and appellate advocate preceded him, and we were intimidated just sitting there. He began to call on student after student, but each in turn struggled with his Socratic questioning. Then, I heard those fateful words every nervous 1L dreads, no matter how prepared he may be: “Mr. Baker, can you tell me about Marbury v. Madison” For the rest of the class period, he and I went back and forth about that famous case—he did not call on anyone else. After class, some classmates even came up to congratulate me, probably partly out of a sense of relief. At the end of the semester, I got up the nerve to climb the stairs to his office. A little out of breath to be alone with “the Professor,” I volunteered to work on his cases—one of which went all the way to the Supreme Court. Fletcher Baldwin became my mentor and friend. Observing his dedication to teaching and the fulfillment it brought him, I decided to become a law professor. Some 30 years and five law schools later, after teaching thousands of students, I still get excited when it is my turn to call on a student to recite on Marbury v. Madison. Leslie Yalof Garfield (JD 85) Professor of Law, Pace University When I was at UF in the mid-1980s the school had a wonderful tradition of presenting first year law professors with gifts at the end of the semester. Choosing a class gift was a source of some stress as we wanted to personalize the offering. I clearly remember, for example, that we ordered a case of Washington State apples for Professor Dawson, to remind him of his home state. What I found so wonderful about this tradition was that it only worked because our professors each shared a little of their own personality with us. The humanization of our law professors was particularly appealing since it came during a time when the dreaded Professor Kingsfield of “The Paper Chase” television show was the embodiment of those who taught law. Most importantly, it gave us a true connection with our professors beyond the text books or subject matters. I try to share enough of myself with my students so that they get a sense of who I am outside the classroom. This personal connection, which I so fondly remember from my days as a law student, helps teach my students about the humanity of the law and that personality and personal experience are as important to the law as is precedent. CAREER HIGHLIGHTS • Ottinger Award for Outstanding Teaching, Scholarship and Service, Pace Law School • Co-Founded and chaired the American Association of Law Schools Section on Academic Support • Former staff attorney, Council of the City of New York (where she drafted the NYC window guard law and contributed to the NYC no-smoking law) 34 U F L A W
The humanization of our law professors was particularly appealing since it came during a time when the dreaded ‘Professor Kingsfield’ of ‘The Paper Chase’ television ‘‘show was the embodiment of those who taught law. ‘‘ Robin Paul Malloy (JD 80) E.I. White Chair and Distinguished Professor of Law Vice Dean, Syracuse University Back in the mid-1990s I was working in China on property-related issues in the transition to a market economy. One of the other people working on the project was a partner from a big New York City law firm. While in China we had many conversations and he asked me if anyone ever actually read anything I wrote. This was asked in a tone of clear and obvious doubt. About six months after we finished our project I received a call from the partner and he was all excited. He said he had just spent a day interviewing students at Georgetown Law School for a position with his firm. By chance he asked one of the interviewees if they had ever read anything authored by me. To his surprise the student said “yes,” and she informed him that one of my books was a required text for her course. Then she pulled the book out of her briefcase, saying that she brought the book along to read while waiting for the interview. That was a fun moment for me. CAREER HIGHLIGHTS • Nine books, including a successful casebook on Real Estate Transactions and two scholarly books with Cambridge University Press; two translated into Japanese, Chinese and Spanish • Series editor of a book series with Cambridge University Press, and another series with Ashgate Publishing • Founder and director of the Center on Property, Citizenship, and Social Entrepreneurism S U M M E R 2 0 0 7 35
Page 1 and 2: UF LAW U N I V E R S I T Y O F F L
Page 3 and 4: UF LAW Vol. 43, Issue 1 • Summer
Page 5 and 6: MARTHA BARNETT Honored by UF For he
Page 7 and 8: Connecting Cultures B Y K A Y L A H
Page 9 and 10: A Right to Privacy Autopsy photos.
Page 11 and 12: A Pioneer in the Field Baseball pla
Page 13 and 14: CONTINUING TO GIVE BACK His politic
Page 15 and 16: in Iraq Captain Peter J. Jennison (
Page 17 and 18: Two Grads Win Outstanding Young Alu
Page 19 and 20: 1 Law school tuition takes care of
Page 21 and 22: KRISTEN HINES Judge Susan Harrell B
Page 23 and 24: Judge S. Jay Plager (JD 58) U.S. Co
Page 25 and 26: KRISTEN HINES A Mutual Respect Judg
Page 27 and 28: SCRAPBOOK House Hunting I arrived a
Page 29 and 30: There is a good lunch crowd early o
Page 31 and 32: Douglass began practicing law with
Page 33: Alumni Provide a Glimpse into Their
Page 37 and 38: ‘‘ Jack Freeland showed me that
Page 39 and 40: I began law school at the age of 34
Page 41 and 42: ‘‘ The following semester, I he
Page 43 and 44: The next night it was Property. The
Page 45 and 46: FACULTY OPINION Model Professors Wh
Page 47 and 48: FACULTY NEWS Leonard Riskin Brings
Page 49 and 50: Huck Finn Professor Says Icon is Ca
Page 51 and 52: Jeffrey Davis Professor; Gerald A.
Page 53 and 54: Pedro Malavet Professor ■ Appoint
Page 55 and 56: Scholarship Gregg D. Polsky Visitin
Page 57 and 58: Steve Willis Professor; Associate D
Page 59 and 60: with money,” Howe recalls, shakin
Page 61 and 62: CLASS NOTES Share Your News Please
Page 63 and 64: CLASS NOTES Jeanne Tate, managing p
Page 65 and 66: CLASS NOTES John Ruffier, of Lownde
Page 67 and 68: CLASS NOTES Steve Uhlfelder Receive
Page 69 and 70: IN MEMORIAM Professor Emeritus Fran
Page 71 and 72: UP AND COMING Entertainment Law Up

Download Magazine - Levin College of Law - University of Florida

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?