Pagano, Anthony J.

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Golden Gate University School of Law: Digital Commons

Golden Gate University School of LawGGU Law Digital CommonsDean's Annual Report About GGU School of Law8-1993Dean's Report 1993Anthony J. PaganoGolden Gate University School of Law, apagano@ggu.eduFollow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.law.ggu.edu/deansrepPart of the Law CommonsThis Newsletter or Magazine is brought to you for free and open access by the About GGU School of Law at GGU Law Digital Commons. It has beenaccepted for inclusion in Dean's Annual Report by an authorized administrator of GGU Law Digital Commons. For more information, please contactjfischer@ggu.edu.Recommended CitationPagano, Anthony J., "Dean's Report 1993" (1993). Dean's Annual Report. Paper 3.http://digitalcommons.law.ggu.edu/deansrep/31;1'&8 'ON )!Ull;ld V':) 'O;)SPUB.I.!l UBS aNd ;ll!lqsod 'S'[1 'l!.IO mo.IduON Illustration by Liz Oliner G:!lLS3Jl631I NOIl.OIDlliOO SS31IGav Dean's Report August, 1993 Golden Gate University School of Law 0099-Zvv (91'17) 901'176 YO ·o:)spmu.d: UBS l~~JlS uOJSSJW 9~9 L 1 0 - MB"J JO lomps /1 Dean's Report Anthony J. Pagano August, 1993 To Alumni and Friends of the Golden Gate University School of Law Dear Graduate: This is my fifth annual report to alumni. Over the last five years, the Law School has changed a great deal. The full-time faculty has more than doubled in size and now stands at 32. The number of women on the faculty has increased from two in 1988 to 14, and the number of minority faculty now stands at four, up from zero in 1988. The student body has also grown, increasing from 459 in 1988 to 739 last academic year. Not only has the number of students increased, but the quality of the students as judged by LSAT scores has also increased substantially. As admissions standards have risen, we have also dramatically increased the presence of students of color. Whereas minority students accounted for only 10% of our entering class five years ago, 44% of the class entering this fall are ethnic minorities. Academic Program Our academic program has also been strengthened in a number of key areas, including litigation skills, international law, and environmental regulation. Skills Training We have been proud of our litigation offerings for many years; however, over the past three years, the Litigation Program has come into its own and is now among the finest in the country. Four very talented and experienced full-time faculty members, Professors Bernie Segal, Susan Rutberg, Laura Dorman, and Allen Brotsky, concentrate on teaching all aspects of litigation skills to our students. The basic skills of interviewing, counseling, and negotiating are taught in Lawyering Skills, with pre-trial pleadi ngs and motions covered in Civil Litigation: The Pre-Trial Phase. In Trial Advocacy, Mock Trial, and Advanced Mock Trial, students have an opportunity to 'try" a number of simulated civil cases from jury selection to closing argument. Professor Lani Bader's Alternative Dispute Resolution course exposes students to the mediation and arbitration processes. Students can also take Appellate Advocacy, International Dispute Resolution, or special litigation courses in Criminal Litigation or Family Law Litigation. Last year we introduced a new course, The Courtroom As Theater, which is taught by Arlin Armstrong, who holds both a Golden Gate law degree and a Ph.D. in Drama. International Programs Our International Law Program, under the direction of Distinguished Professor Sompong Sucharitkul, has advanced to the point where each year we offer over 15 courses in the fields of intemational and comparative law. In addition to choosing from an extensive list of classes, students can attend one of three Golden Gate overseas programs. For the past two years, in cooperation with Chulalongkorn University, we have sponsored a summer program in Bangkok, Thailand focusing on Pacific Rim studies. Next summer we will start our first European summer program, which will be housed at the world's oldest university, the University of Bologna. Our Italian program will be under the direction of Professor Franco Ferrari, a comparative legal systems specialist, who spends each fall teaching at Golden Gate and each spring teaching in Germany and Italy. This year we have also inaugurated a student and faculty exchange program with the University of Paris at Nanterre. Each year, French students will spend a year studying at Golden Gate, and, in turn, we will send some of our recent graduates to Nanterre, where they can earn either a diploma in European Law or a Diploma d'Etudes Superieures Specialsees (DESS). Through faculty exchanges, Golden Gate is becoming recognized throughout the world. Each year, a number of international visitors come to the Law School to teach, lecture, and participate in conferences. Some, such as Professor Alexander Martinenko from Kiev, Ukraine, have visited for an entire semester; while others visit for shorter periods. In the past few years, we have welcomed visitors from Austria, Bulgaria, China, European Economic Community, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Netherlands, Philippines, Singapore, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, and the Ukraine. This past May, Professor Marc Stickgold visited at the University of Amsterdam, and next spring two of our professors have been invited to teach at University of Paris at Nanterre. Faculty exchanges between Golden Gate Law School and the University of Modena will be inaugurated this year. In addition, I have been invited to deliver a series of lectures on American tax law at the University of Bologna in the spring. Environmental Law Recognizing the importance of environmental regulation in the practice of law today, we have recently appointed Professor Clifford Rechtschaffen to develop our Environmental Law Program. He is a 1984 graduate of the Yale Law School, where he served as an editor of the Yale Law Journal, and a 1978 graduate of Princeton University, where he was awarded his A.B. degree summa cum laude. After leaving Yale, Professor Rechtschaffen served as a law clerk for the Honorable Thelton E. Henderson, Chief Judge, U.S. District Court, Northem District of Califomia, and then was awarded a Reginald Heber Smith Community Lawyer Fellowship. Immediately prior to coming to Golden Gate, Professor Rechtschaffen served as Deputy Attorney General with the California Attorney General's Office in the Environment Section. Under Professor Rechtschaffen's direction, we will offer students a rich, exciting, and varied course of study in environmental law, one that goes beyond the confines of conventional environmental law curricula. In addition to basic classes in Environmental Law, Natural Resources Protection, and Land Use Regulation, advanced seminars will be offered in Hazardous Site Liability, International Environmental Law, and California Environmental Law. Acknowledging the disproportional impact poor environmental policy has had on disadvantaged communities, last year we added a course on Race, Poverty and the Environment to the curriculum. This seminar was taught by Professor Ralph Abascal, general counsel of California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA) and one of the leading public interest lawyers in the state. Women's Clinic This fall the Law School has become home to the newly established Women's Employment Rights Clinic. Working under the direct supervision of our newly hired Clinical Director, Professor Marci Seville, students will represent low-income women with employment-related problems. Professor Seville is a specialist in the field of labor and employment law, having served as counsel for the California School Employees' Association and the California Department of Industrial Relations. The Clinic is being funded by a grant from a local foundation which desires to remain anonymous. Bar Results This year our graduates did very well on both the July '92 and February '93 Bar exams. The pass rate for first-time takers in July was 68.7%; on the February Bar, the pass rate was 82.1 % for first-time takers, with 46 out of 56 graduates passing. Fund Raising Last year, the Law School raised over $400,000 in gifts from alumni, friends, and foundations. We are particularly grateful for the many special gifts received. Isabel Greiner Estate We received over $57,000 from the estate of Ms. Isabel C. Greiner. Ms Greiner, a 1945 graduate of the Law School, directed that her gift be used "for the benefit and improvement of the University's School of Law and the Library." Natalie F. Podell Law Scholarship The Natalie F. Podell Law Scholarship was established by the Podell family in memory of Natalie Feiler Podell, who died this past October. Mrs. Podell was a Golden Gate University Trustee and Law School alumna, JD '77. The Natalie Podell Scholarship will provide two annual awards, each of $5,000, to women students who have evidenced a commitment to the local community and have financial need. Preference will be given to single mothers and married women with dependent children. Paul Jordan Scholarship The Paul Jordan Scholarship was established in honor of Paul S. Jordan on the occasion of his 90th birthday. Mr. Jordan joined the Law School faculty as a lecturer in 1933, and served as Dean from 1944 to 1959. He was elected to the University's Board of Trustees in 1961, and still seNes in that capacity. The Paul Jordan Scholarship will be awarded annually to a student based on academic achievement and financial need. Baxter Lectureship The Lee D. Baxter Lectureship was established with a generous donation from Judge Lee D. Baxter, JD '74, and her husband John D. Baxter. The grant will subsidize an adjunct faculty member teaching in our litigation skills program. Speaker Series Last fall, the Law School inaugurated a Speaker Series for students, faculty, and alumni. Judges Stephen Reinhardt and Alex Kozinski of the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals opened the series with a judicial debate on the role of the federal courts called, The Agony and the Ecstasy. Their presentation was followed by a lecture on Democracy and Free Speech by Anthony Lewis, Pulitzer Prize winning columnist for the New York Times and the author of Gideon's Trumpet and the recently published Make No Law, which deals with freedom of the press focusing on the Sullivan case. With a generous grant from the Helzel Family Foundation, our Speaker Series will continue this year, opening with a lecture by Ralph Nader, who will address the Golden Gate community on Monday, October 4, 12:00 noon to 1 :30 p.m., during the University's Anniversary Week celebration. I look forward to seeing you at this event. Homecoming This year we are moving away from class-specific reunions to an overall homecoming event. The reason for this is that many graduates who have attended the reunions were interested in meeting with graduates from classes immediately preceeding or following their own. As a result, we,decided to have a celebration for all Law School graduates. I hope you can join us on Thursday, October 28, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., for the Law School's Homecoming Reception at the City Club in San Francisco. All Law School alumni are invited to this gala party to renew old friendships, meet new facu Ity, and get reacquainted with some old faculty members. Watch your mailbox for more information. I wish all of you a successful year, and encourage you to drop me a note about your activities. ~~cern~, Anthon~ Dean 

Dean\u27s Report 1993

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Dean\u27s Report 1993

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Golden Gate University School of Law: Digital Commons