Connected Minds,Connected Cultures:\ Connected Minds

A L U M N I C O M M I T T E D A N D I N V O L V E Dthe first threshold is: Do they have thetime?” The fact that so many CUA lawalumni — some of them decadesremoved from their own years as a lawstudent — have chosen to serve on theBOV since its inception speaks volumesabout the depth of affection and esteemthat graduates feel for their law school.A Finger on the PulseTaking into account some recentstructural improvements to help theboard operate more efficiently, the lasttwo meetings of the group — on Oct.26, 2007, and April 11, 2008 — providesgood insight into how the board collectsinformation about the law school andwhat it does with what it has learned.Board of Visitors meetings typicallylast all day. Mornings are devoted toorientation for new members, and verbalreports are offered by the chairs oftwo newly created entities: theAdvancement Committee and theCareer and Professional DevelopmentCommittee. Orientation is designed togive the latest members an overallunderstanding of the law school’sstrengths, challenges and finances.There is usually time to ask questionsof the dean and senior administrators.The afternoon session brings theentire board together as a group. Atthe April 2008 meeting, memberswere welcomed by the chair, MichaelF. Curtin, 1965. His tenure as thegroup’s leader concluded with thatmeeting, a fitting capstone to a selflessrecord of personal service and volunteerismto the law school that spansmore than 40 years.After opening remarks from thedean, BOV members often receive apresentation from a member of the faculty,who may discuss recent work orthe latest developments in their area ofpractice. Professor Elizabeth Winston,for instance, offered her insights intotrends in intellectual property law atthe April 11 meeting.The committee chairs thenoffer their reports to the entirebody, followed by a comprehensiveupdate on the state of thelaw school from the dean.Assistant deans and other seniorstaff members are on hand toanswer in-depth questions aboutsubjects such as financial aid andscholarships, alumni relations,admissions and recruiting plans,public relations strategies andother matters.Members do not shy awayfrom asking probing questions.They may drill into subjects thatcause consternation to legal educatorseverywhere, such as theinfluence that the U.S. News &World Report annual graduateschool rankings exert on publicperception. Such exchanges arefruitful and necessary. Boardmembers come away with anenhanced understanding of lawschool strategies, and schooladministrators gain new knowledgeabout how to better meet theneeds of the legal marketplace.What’s in a Name?The Board of Visitors realizesthat it carries a somewhatambiguous name. What, afterall, is a “visitor”? In fact, theterm is in fairly wide use in highereducation. It describes a groupof practitioners who offer adviceand guidance to an institutionand its leaders. Although peopleare used to seeing words like“trustees” or “regents” in conjunctionwith the term “board,”those descriptions do not applyto the law school’s volunteercounselors. The importantdifference is that the Boardof Visitors has no fiduciaryresponsibilities or obligations tothe law school.Michael F. CurtinPro Bono AwardMichael F. Curtin hasbeen an extraordinaryadvocate onbehalf of his lawschool, but also formany other causes,such as CatholicCharities, the IgnatianLay Volunteer Corps,of which he is a founder, and So OthersMight Eat, a nonprofit that exists to help thepoor and homeless in Washington, D.C. Inhonor of his unparalleled record of pro bonoservice, the law school in 2008 inauguratedthe first annual Michael F. Curtin Pro BonoAward at its commencement ceremony onMay 23, 2008.The Michael F. Curtin Pro Bono Award recognizesa law student who has honored thehighest ideals of the Columbus School ofLaw by voluntary pro bono service to others.Its first recipient was Niknaz (Niki) Moghbeli,2008, in recognition of her service as the probono chair of the Legal Services Society duringher second year of law school. Moghbeliwas inspired to organize the law school’sfirst post-Hurricane Katrina relief trip toBiloxi, Miss., in 2007. She conceived the idea,planned and organized the relief effort andhelped to raise funds for the trip. Along withher classmates, she spent nearly two weeksalong the gulf shore working to secure financialassistance and economic justice for thedevastated victims of the historic storm.Michael F. Curtin, Niki Moghbeli, DeanVeryl Miles.Spring–Summer 2008 / C UALAWYER 7