FROM THE Dean’s DeskDear Alumni and Friends:This is the first letter I have been ableto write to you as dean <strong>of</strong> the lawschool. I hope to be able to write severalmore over the next few years.I was enormously flattered to be askedby Father David O’Connell, the president<strong>of</strong> Catholic University, to serve as dean.My appointment came as I began my 29thyear on this faculty. I have had severalopportunities to meet with individual graduatesand groups <strong>of</strong> alumni over the pastfew months. Each meeting confirms all thegreat and wonderful things our graduatesare doing, every day <strong>of</strong> the week, all overthe world. As I’ve spoken to many <strong>of</strong> you,I’ve been able to tell you about one <strong>of</strong> theenormous pleasures and satisfactions inteaching — watching what your formerstudents do when they get out into the realworld.In so many respects, the law school hasnever been better. We now enroll approximately950 students, roughly 300 <strong>of</strong> whichare in the evening division. The full-timefaculty now comprises more than 45 productive,hard working teachers and scholars.Our staff, one <strong>of</strong> the best in the world,numbers around 100.In the past two years, the entering credentials<strong>of</strong> the first-year class have risenmeasurably. We have nearly tripled theamount <strong>of</strong> financial aid we <strong>of</strong>fer to theincoming students. This year’s enteringfirst-year class comprises 243 full-time and87 part-time students. There are 180women and 154 men in the class who comefrom 165 different undergraduate schools,34 states and four foreign countries. One <strong>of</strong>them has five graduate degrees in biologyand management. Another owns and operatesseven Burger King franchises. Anotherfirst-year student is the chief <strong>of</strong> staff atGeorgetown University Hospital. One hasperformed as the percussionist <strong>of</strong> theHouston Sinfonietta. Another was, forthree years in a row, the leading scorer forthe Princeton University soccer team. Yetanother was a police <strong>of</strong>ficer in Memphis.Several others served in the JesuitVolunteer Corps, the Vincentian ServiceCorps, the Peace Corps and Americorps.Around 95 percent <strong>of</strong> our studentshave found law-related employment withinnine months <strong>of</strong> graduation. Unlike a number<strong>of</strong> other law schools, our placement statisticsremain strong. While most <strong>of</strong> ourrecent graduates have gone into privatepractice, we continue to see significantnumbers entering government service. Weare highly competitive with regard to clerkships,including federal clerkships. In thepast two years, we have placed one graduateas a clerk on the Ninth Circuit andanother in a Fifth Circuit clerkship. Two <strong>of</strong>last year’s graduates became foreign service<strong>of</strong>ficers. Several others were PresidentialFellows. We are optimistic about the jobmarket for this year’s graduating class, but Iwill need your help in making sure that ourgraduates are recognized for their excellenceand achievement and placed in thebest possible entry-level positions.The faculty continues to teach excellentclasses and to crank out books and articlesat a significant rate <strong>of</strong> production.Recent additions to our faculty includeSarah Duggin, the former general counsel<strong>of</strong> Amtrak, and Peter (“Bo”) Rutledge, aformer clerk for Supreme Court JusticeClarence Thomas. Under the guidance <strong>of</strong>Pr<strong>of</strong>essor David Lipton, the facultyapproved a new certificate program insecurities law that is proving highly popularamong our student body. Our other specializedprogram are thriving: communicationslaw, for which I am serving as interimdirector, law and public policy underPr<strong>of</strong>essor Lisa Lerman, comparative andinternational law with Pr<strong>of</strong>essor RettLudwikowski, and law and religion administeredby Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Robert Destro. Thefaculty remains active both internally andexternally. Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Michael Noone hasmade multiple trips to Geneva,Switzerland, on projects involving militaryjustice and military tribunals. Pr<strong>of</strong>essorWilliam Kaplin has been on a national lecturecircuit discussing the Supreme Court’srecent affirmative action decisions. Ourclinics play to strong reviews around thecountry.But I don’t want to overplay the U.S.News game <strong>of</strong> evaluating law schools merelyby raw statistics. A law school, particularlythis law school, is far more than a simplemeasure <strong>of</strong> student/faculty ratio, <strong>of</strong> placementfigures, <strong>of</strong> bar pass statistics. Weremain devoted to the mission <strong>of</strong> the universityand the mission <strong>of</strong> the Church. Iwant a faculty and a student body with thehighest aspirations <strong>of</strong> ethics and excellencein practice. I never want to lose sight <strong>of</strong> allthose graduates <strong>of</strong> ours who went into publicservice. These graduates litigate childabuse cases in D.C. Superior Court. Theyrepresent tenants in Prince George'sCounty. They work with the elderly aroundthe country. To assist our current studentswith these same aspirations, I will be talkingto all <strong>of</strong> you about scholarships and establishinga loan forgiveness program.Often, I am asked for my vision for thelaw school. On a number <strong>of</strong> occasions I’vementioned that two weeks after I arrivedhere as a first-year student in August 1970,I felt as if I had come home. I’ve never reallylost that feeling. But I don’t want us to betotally comfortable. I don’t want us to reston past laurels. Any law school <strong>of</strong> goodquality these days must continue to achieveand excel. Our high standard was set at thevery beginning by our first dean, WilliamCallyhan Robinson, who left Yale <strong>Law</strong><strong>School</strong> with the goal <strong>of</strong> duplicating itsexcellence right here. Dean Robinson envisioneda Roman Catholic law school in thefinest traditions and with the deepestappreciation for the university and theChurch. It was, and is, a worthy goal. Let uscontinue to pursue it.William F. Fox, Jr.Dean and Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> <strong>Law</strong>
cualawyerThe Catholic University Of America • <strong>Columbus</strong> <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Law</strong> Volume XX • Number 2 • <strong>Winter</strong> <strong>2004</strong>FeaturesALTERNATIVE CAREERS11 Ten Who’ve Gone Their Own WayActors to builders to educators: Alumni discover that a J.D.from <strong>CUA</strong> can take you anywhere.22LAWYERS IN LITERATURE22 Reflections on Mark Twain and the <strong>Law</strong>His books were filled with endearing rogues, rascals andrapscallions. Judges and lawyers were not spared.Departments1127MY TAKE27 The Moral Flaw in the Pro-ChoicePositionThe written opinion in Roe v. Wade <strong>of</strong>fers hints <strong>of</strong> doubt,according to a <strong>CUA</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>essor. He argues the 1973 SupremeCourt should have paid more attention to its secondthoughts.Highlights5 Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> <strong>Law</strong>, Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> Life6 A Conversation With the Dean8 Alums Get a ‘Firm’ Grip on Their Careers32 The Value <strong>of</strong> Experience34 Remarkable EventsF rom the Dean’s Desk inside cover“Excellence in everything we do …”Opinions 3F aculty News 35PublicationsRecent MediaPr<strong>of</strong>essional ActivitiesConferencesCommunity ServiceAlumni News 38Cross Country, 41In Memoriam, 44Honor Roll <strong>of</strong> Donors 45Calendar <strong>of</strong> Events inside back cover
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