Paul McGreal Dean, School of Law
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LAWYER SPRING 2014 2014 2DAYTON DAYTON LAWYER SPRING
CONVERSATION PIECES
DEAN’S MESSAGE
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ast fall, I spoke to the entering first-year class about a mission to “PRACTICExcellence.” I described how it captures the spirit of who we are as a community, as well as who we aspire to be. This column shares that vision. The phrase “PRACTICExcellence” arose from many meetings and discussions with faculty, staff, students and alumni since I became dean almost three years ago. In those conversations, I heard about how the law school, throughout its history, has set high expectations for everyone in its community. At the same time, the law school was preparing for its first cohort of Learning Communities, first-year study groups focused on study skills, leadership and service. (A story in this issue describes the Learning Communities and Dean’s Fellows programs.) The Learning Communities program adopted the acronym P.R.A.C.T.I.C.E. for its mission: PracticeReady Attorneys Committed to Inclusive Community and Excellence. Two words immediately struck me: practice and excellence. “Excellence” caught my eye because it appealed to the sense of expecting the best from ourselves and others. “Practice” resonated because it has three meanings relevant to our community: n Practice as a profession (e.g., to practice law) n Practice as preparation (e.g., to improve through deliberate practice with feedback) n Practice as a discipline or habit (e.g., a practice of scheduling time to proofread and revise drafts of written work) Our students must PRACTICExcellence by developing the discipline and habits required to excel in the legal profession through deliberate practice. “PRACTICExcellence” is our call to action. It describes who we are and who we continuously aspire to be. The forward-looking nature of this mission is crucial, as it follows the command of Marianist founder Father William Joseph Chaminade to “read the signs of the times” because “new times call for new methods.” And in harmony with the University’s mission to learn, lead and serve, we must lead transformation as times change. PRACTICExcellence is a call to do so. The law school has continued to live this legacy by introducing new programs and initiatives that read the signs of the times. Last year, the Program in Law and Technology (PILT), long a source of innovation and excellence, started an Entrepreneurship and Intellectual Property Clinic in partnership with the Business Planning Competition at the School of Business Administration. PILT also offers an array of cyber law courses that complement its long-standing strength in intellectual property and law and technology. The Learning Communities mentioned above assign upper-level students, known as Dean’s Fellows, to mentor and push our entering students to PRACTICExcellence. And this issue features two alumni — Bob DeRose and the late Ken Feldman — whose actions have demonstrated commitment to and support of our law school and our mission to PRACTICExcellence. During the coming months and years, I look forward to working with our community to find new ways to lead change in legal education and the profession. I invite all alumni and friends of this special institution to join us in this journey.
Defense never rests With substantial support from the UD School of Law, public defenders have received more than 1,000 hours of practical education through a partnership between the National Defender Training Project, coordinated by adjunct professor Ira Mickenberg, and the Office of the Ohio Public Defender. For the law school’s efforts, Ohio Public Defender Tim Young ’88 presented UD with one of the office’s inaugural Defender of Justice awards. “It makes me very proud,” Young says. “Representing the poor is an honor, a service to the community.”