PHOTO: DAVID LEIFER

Spring 2009 Dean's Message

Reasons for Hope

AS I WRITE THIS COLUMN, my feelings about the world mirror the early spring weather in Boston. We are enjoying occasional balmy sunshine. Early spring flowers are in bloom, the days are longer, and birds are beginning to build nests. There is nothing like a New England spring to bring a light heart and a feeling of optimism. But then, inevitably, come the days when winter’s shadow can still be felt.

These are indeed days of extraordinary optimism and hope — and times of deep worry and concern.

My experience working on President Obama’s transition team for the US Department of Labor this winter exemplified this duality. What opportunity! So much to be done!

Mirroring the world, we have many reasons for optimism here at the law school.

We began the fall with terrific news. We were ranked #1 in public interest law by The National Jurist, based on data collected by the national nonprofit organization Equal Justice Works. We reopened a fully renovated Dockser Hall, with state-of-the-art classrooms, a real moot courtroom and wonderful student gathering spaces.

This spring, our applications from prospective students are up almost 20 percent over last year. I believe we are riding the national tide of public service enthusiasm, combined with anxiety about the job market that heightens interest in the real work opportunities our program provides. This is not a simple countercyclical trend due to the lack of jobs: law school applications nationally have increased less than 5 percent compared to last year.

The arrival of new faculty members creates a spirit of renewal within an institution. This year, three outstanding people joined our community. Sonia Elise Rolland is an expert in international law and trade, with academic training and experience in both the US and Europe. Susan Barbieri Montgomery ’86 left her position as a partner handling international transactions and intellectual property at Foley Hoag to join us as executive professor of law and business, our first joint hire with the College of Business Administration. And Susan Sloane is our new director of legal writing, bringing years of practice and teaching in this field. Two additional faculty arrive this fall: Daniel Austin, an experienced bankruptcy attorney who will teach in the commercial law area, and Rachel Rosenbloom, an immigration specialist. Together, these new faculty bring experience and passion to our mix of faculty teacher-scholars.

But there are also shared concerns. We worry about the effects of the economy on ourselves, our families, our institutions and on those around the globe who face grinding poverty and repression. We continue to puzzle over the right balance between liberty and security, and the constant and unsuccessful quest for peace.

Within the law school, we are working hard to address pressing questions. How can we help our graduating students and recent graduates who face a very challenging job market? How can we persuade our friends and graduates to continue to support the school when times are so uncertain? Can the work that we do as advocates, scholars and teachers help to alleviate the pain that the current economic implosion is causing so many people?

The challenges of the economic downturn will, in the end, be temporary. As we hone the core values that have guided us and kept this law school relevant, strong and unique for more than 40 years, we also pursue change that will ensure we are as successfully innovative in the 21st century as we were in the 20th.

Planning for the future is always a team effort. I welcome your thoughts and suggestions.

Best regards,
Emily A. Spieler
Dean and Hadley Professor of Law