Live blog of State of the School
Jan 26, 2010
53 Comments
On Wednesday, January 27, Dean Garvey will make his yearly address to the school in EW 120. Dean Garvey will speak on changes at the Law School in the last year, as well as “new initiatives under way for the upcoming year.” He and other Deans will be available for questions as part of the proceeding. Even if you are unable to attend, you can submit questions to Eagleionline.com as comments to this posting or by emailing the staff. Staff of Eagleionline.com will be liveblogging throughout the event by posting comments to this story. Look in the comments section below for updates on the State of the School.
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Question: What is the status of the Light the World fundraising initiative and what portion of that fundraising will be allocated for BC Law? What will be done with it and by when?
Question: Can we please have Sen. Scott Brown as the commencement speaker this year?
QUESTION: FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, CAN WE GET AN ADDITIONAL GODDDAMN MICROWAVE IN THE CAF. I’LL BUY IT FOR $40 MYSELF.RELATED QUESTION: How is it far that student orgs and charities have to give a cut of proceeds to the mafia-esque BOC food services for events we do in the yellow room? They charge ridiculous prices and shake-down student groups whenever they don’t go through them.
It is heartwarming to see from the graphic accompanying this story that, after 25 years, MS Paint is still alive and well.
Question: Can we please have someone other than Sen. Scott Brown as our graduation speaker?
Sorry other 3L, he’ll be busy driving his pickup truck around Washington and railroading progress.
Dean Garvey just announced that he recently read his first Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice. We may be getting comparisons of BCLS to Elizabeth Bennett.
The economy is in the mind of the law school just like that of the Bennett family. I don’t know about you, but I am excited about this state of the school.
The faculty and staff took no salary increments and did not ask for any increases this past year as they thought a better use of the funds would financial aid.
Shared commitment by students and faculty towards the needs of the community. Students have done a lot of pro bono work for those in need.
Last year the school hired 5 people on the tenure track: Albert, Barrozo, Lyons, Rabb, and Dan Kanstroom. The school recently also hired a new tax scholar and is looking for another hire in the business law area.
Supposedly 90% of 1Ls got their choice of 1L electives.
Every 3L who wants to do a clinic is now supposed to be able to and the school is getting ready to announce a new joint degree with Tufts in Urban Design.
The school is seeking to continue to bolster its practical-skills curriculum.
All 3Ls who put in for a clinic for this semester, and hadn’t yet done one, were able to get a slot in some clinic or other. Pretty cool.
The school is increasing its summer course offerings and potentially allowing students to graduate a semester early.
Minority applications up 5%… the Dean cited the economy as one reason (in addition to active efforts)…
Minority applicants are up drastically at the law school and the new position for Dean West should help faciltate a further increase in diversity.
This summer, there will be a pilot summer school program. That seems like a pretty big step… the Dean mentioned Administrative Law as an option this summer.
The school is going to change the admissions model with more of a focus on past work experience.
Minority apps are up %15 – not 5%.
Here comes the "The Economy is Horrible, and Many Lawyers Have Lost Their Jobs" speech.
Firms of 700 or more hired 40% fewer summers according to Dean Garvey discussions with NALP.
Government likely to hire large numbers of individuals, including attorneys, as it seeks to institute new regulations in various sectors including the financial services area.
The Dean is pointing out some subfields in which hires, jobs have at least stayed static: IP, estate planning, etc.
Despite not increasing salaries, BCLS has hired a number of people in career services and is looking to hire a part time person to focus on clerk applications.
2Ls and 3Ls supposedly are members of the alumni community and can use BCLAWnet. I do not know any current students that have used this program but that is supposed to change.
School is looking to hire one more person for the career services office and seeking to emphasize use of its online alumni network.
Clerkship info: 25 federal and state clerkships for our students and a student received an equal justice works fellowship.
Last year, federal judges got 400,000 applications for clerkships. That’s a very high number of individual applicants… but of course every student looking for a clerkship is being encouraged these days to fire off very high numbers of applications.
At year end, the Annual Fund was doing better than last year’s at the same time. Over 200 additional donors, most at lower levels of giving.
The school gaves its highest gift ever to LRAP.
The Dean has referenced the Class of 2009’s Class Gift. All who qualified for the Loan Repayment Assistance Program this last year were able to get funding.The Class Gift truly was enormous, and I don’t want to belittle that in any way. Enormous accomplishment. But note this story from over the summer that reveals that some "implied" matching gifts weren’t really gifts at all: http://www.eagleionline.com/news/2009/7/28/class-of-2009-raises-the-bar-with-gift.html
A question about diversity initiatives, from the President of LALSA, speaking for other diversity groups.The school is planning on renovating Smith Wing in Stuart, which is where diversity student groups have office space. The question is voicing concern that a reduction in Smith Wing space, in order to make room for new faculty offices, will impact student groups detrimentally.
Garvey answer: As regards the Smith wing renovations, the Smith Wing is ugly and badly in need of a replacement. It is put on hold as a capital renovation and is part of the larger renovation from the cafeteria, to the admissions office, and then to the fifth floor of stuart house and the Smith Wing. 5th floor Stuart is delayed b/c of the asbestos, a fun piece of knowledge for those on journals.
Garvey: student orgs will keep their offices but have reduced space in a renovated form.
WilmerHale to sponsor the diversity month program.
Garvey got a hearty chuckle when saying "The Smith Wing, as we all know…. is ugly."
Question about the LLM program from Colin. What’s the financial state of the program? Whither efforts to expand?
Student: What is the financial state of the LLM program?
Garvey is answering based on competition with other schools, and hedging (maybe that’s too strong a word) by noting that this is the third year of the LLM program.
The LLM program was never meant to increase the overall size of the student body; the School preferred to keep the number of students at 800. The LLM program was intended to support itself…
Garvey: The school needs to attract more LLM students so the school has to allocate funds for financial aid for LLM students. Why is the school funding an unranked LLM program that may eventually hurt our rankings?
Question about commencement speakers; this year’s, the institution of the new selection process, and, of course… whether this year’s is Scott Brown.
Garvey… likes the new selection process (this is an accurate description, yes? please pitch in, random member of the audience…).Won’t answer re: Scott Brown, or this year’s commencement speaker’s identity. Says you never want your commencement speaker to know they weren’t your first choice… and you never get your first choice.
Has the law school done anything to be more actively welcoming to LGBT students? This question referenced (generally) a certain controversy in the fall.
Question: 15% increase of minority applicants but how is that relative to other admissions statistics? Garvey: overall, over admissions statistics are down 3%
Ah. Garvey answers, starting with how many students who disagreed with ____ were able to say, essentially, that’s fine, I honor academic freedom.
Garvey thinks that LGBT initiatives in the last few years have been strong.
Reorganization of the alumni network, a number of other unmentioned efforts over the past few years the Dean believes has helped to ensure that LGBT students are welcome at the school.