Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
Page 17
Page 18
Page 19
Page 20
15ErwinChemerinskyisFoundingDeanoftheUni-versityofCaliforniaatIr-vineSchoolofLaw.UCILawhasbeeninthespotlightasthemostre-centlyopenedlawschoolinCaliforniaandfortheex-tremelyhighbarpassrateofitsfirstgraduat-ingclassbutlookingbackwhatwasyourfirstreactionwhenyouwereinvitedtolaunchabrand-newlawschoolinOrangeCountyIwasnotlookingtoleaveDuke.Wehadonlybeenthereforafewofyears.ButthemoreItalkedtopeopleatUCIthemoreexcitedIgotforwhatsreallyaonce-in-a-lifetimeopportunitytobeapartofcreatingsomethingthatwillbeherelongafterImgone.WhathasbeenyourvisionforUCILawsinceitsinceptionTherehasalwaysbeentwopartstothevisionfromthebeginning.OnewasarticulatedbytheChan-cellorandtheprovostlongbeforeIwasinvolved.Theywantedthistobeatop20lawschoolbyeve-rymeasurefromtheoutset.Theotherismyvisionthatlawschoolshouldbeaboutpreparingstudentstobelawyersatthehighestleveloftheprofession.SoIwantedustolookforbetterwaystodoamuchbetterjoboftrainingourlawstudentstobelawyersthanlawschoolstraditionallydo.ManysaythatittakesdecadestoachieveapremierlawschoolstatusbutUCIissteadilygrowingtobeoneofthenationstoplawschools.WhatinyouropinionhashelpeditachievesomuchinafewshortyearsThetremendoussupportfromtheChancellorandtheprovostandtheOrangeCountylegalcommu-nity.Therealityiscreatingatoplawschoolisexpensive.Wehavetorecruittopfaculty.Theschoolisultimatelydeterminedonthequalityofthefacultyandthestudents.Forthefacultynooneisgoingtotakeapay-cuttocomehere.Mostnewlawschoolshireprimaryentrylevelfacultywithafewseniorlevelfaculty.Wevehiredover-whelminglyexperiencedfacultywithfewjuniorfaculty.Thisisthemostexpensivewaytogoaboutitbuttheuniversityprovidedthesupportandthecommunityprovidedthesupport.Wede-cidedinordertoattractstudentswewouldstartverysmallandwewouldraiseenoughmoneytogivethemscholarshipstocomehere.Wesuc-ceeded.Wegotterrificstudentstocomehere.Butthatrequiresthefinancialsupportfromthecommunitytodothat.AndsoIthinkthatthefi-nancialsupportprovidedbyouruniversityandbytheOrangeCountycommunityhasbeenthemostimportantinthesuccesseswehavehad.WhatisnewthisyearatUCILawWerealwaysaddingnewfaculty.WehavefourwonderfulnewfacultyjoiningusBenjaminvanRooijiscomingtousfromtheNetherlands.HeistheleadingexpertonChinalawintheworldandheisgoingtobetheheadofourChinaLawInsti-tute.DougNeJaimeisjoiningusfromLoyolaLawSchoolandisanexpertonsexualorientationlawwhichisconstitutionallaw.Andwehave2newclinicalprofessorsAnnieLaiwhowillworkintheimmigrantrightsclinicandJaneStoverwhowillbecreatingourdomesticviolenceclinic.Theschoolisexpandingintermsofstudents.Wereaggressivelylaunchingourbuildingcam-paign.Wehaveawonderfulfacilitybutwereoutgrowingitandwehavetobuildanewbuild-ing.Andweregoingtoformallylaunchthecam-paigntoraisemoneytobuildournewbuilding.TheFederalBarAssociationOCChapterisveryexcitedtohaveyouandDeanDeanellReeceTachatherecentlyappointedDeanofPepperdineSchoolofLawatitsSupremeCourtUpdateProgramonSeptember17thatContinuedonPage16InterviewerErnaMamikonyanINTERVIEWDISCUSSIONSWITHTWODEANS