CUA Cover Winter 2004 final (Page 2) - Columbus School of Law

IRREPLACEABLEPeopleProfessor of Law, Professor of LifeBy Debra (Bauhaus) Brown,Class of 1988Where were you in October of1987 when the stock marketcrashed? I was a student inProfessor David Lipton’s SecuritiesRegulation class. Whether that lifesizeevent was the spark or whether itwas the fact that Professor Liptonreally liked my last name (therefore Iwas called on often), I have been astudent of securities law since thattime. Great professors have the abilityto influence our lives in so manyways. I would like to share a storyabout Professor Lipton’s profoundinfluence on my life.Professor David Lipton has beenmentoring me and many other CUAlaw grads for many years. In a ratherunique way, Professor Lipton’s role asprofessor does not end with graduation,it begins. While in class,Professor Lipton begins recruiting forthe Securities Law Alumni Association.This is a group of esteemedCUA law grads who established theircareers in the field of securities law.Professor Lipton hosts an annualsecurities law alumni luncheon andissues a securities law directory everyfew years. He sends us an annual lettertelling us of the latest “securitiesdepartment news,” including therecent announcement of a certificationprogram in securities law. It is thisongoing level of support that encouragesme and others to write to tellProfessor Lipton of our recent accomplishments.Back in the fall of 1999, I felt thatI had some significant accomplishmentsto report to Professor Lipton. Iwrote to him proudly about a recentlypublished article in the InvestmentLawyer and special projects that I hadbeen working on. At the end of thenote, I casually mentioned that Iwas coaching soccer to a team of5-year-old boys.Debra Bauhaus Brown (blue sweatshirt, upperright) has expanded her definition of success.A few days later I receiveda wonderful e-mail from ProfessorLipton. Strangely enough, the e-maildid not even mention my publishedarticle and other work accomplishments.Professor Lipton told me howhe had coached soccer for 16 yearsand had enjoyed every minute ofspending time with his children andother children. He wrote of how heloved the smell of the soccer field ona crisp fall morning. He wrote of howhe missed those days on the soccerfield and how happy he was to hearthat I was coaching.The message for me wasclear — our most valuable accomplishmentscan be in coaching orspending time with our children.Since the day I read that e-mail, myoutlook toward coaching changed dramatically.I now have coached morethan 10 seasons of soccer for teamsof girls and boys. I became an officialfor USA Swimming and a gatekeeperfor USA Ski racing. This past yearmy husband joined the Ski Patrolwhere we ski. These endeavors havebrought great meaning to our livesand help us share sports with ourchildren. I proudly declare that I amnot a “soccer mom” because I am a“soccer coach”!It is often said that great teachersare those who inspire theirstudents to do great things and whonever give up on their students.Perhaps Professor Lipton’s greatest“The message for me was clear — our most valuableaccomplishments can be in coaching or spending time withour children. Since the day I read that e-mail, my outlooktoward coaching changed dramatically.”gift to his students is his willingnessto keep teaching us long after weleave the classroom. My job as acoach is to teach each child to lovethe game of soccer. At the end ofeach season, I present a trophy toeach player and congratulate them ona great season. I see my former playersall over town and share a specialbond with each of them. The parentsall express their appreciation for myservices as coach. But I know that Iam the one who is grateful. On thefinal day of each season when I amhanding out those trophies, my mindwanders to the great Professor Liptonwho taught me about what wasmost important in the life of thissecurities lawyer.Winter 2004 / C UALAWYER 5