In a student's first year oflaw school, one major challenge is the contracts course that is part of the foundation upon which legal education is built. "It's a veiy important subject, and you usually take it the first semester of your first year, so it can be really difficult," says Jacqueline Maykranz Kraeutler, 1'83. For many students who have passed through the University of Richmond School of Law, contracts was remarkable for another reason: It was the students' first exposure to Professor Bob Shepherd. By Rob Walker Frequent con/libutor to Richmond Law 18
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"He was a solid, straightforward teacher, " says Peter Eliades, 1'84, who laughs recalling how fellow first-term students sometimes sweated profusely when required to stand for a grilling in Shepherd's class. "That was part of our training, and he made sure we learned it early. He made you think on your feet, under pressure. " "He conveyed the substantive subject matter well, with a sense of humor, so the class was always enjoyable," says Kraeutler, assistant general counsel with ATOFI A Chemicals Inc.