Saturday night I braved the torrential rain at the invitation of Lt. Col. Clark Taylor (a regular in blog postings), to attend the Army ROTC Military Ball. The cadets and officers at the ball were from two different ROTC programs: the University of Arkansas and Northeastern State University in Oklahoma. There were a number of interesting traditions to witness. There was a very formal receiving line where each guest was announced to the line by the adjutant, in this case a young cadet standing to the right of Lt. Col. Taylor. The adjutant’s role is to present the guest to the presiding officer who in turn presents the guest to the guest of honor. The adjutant does not shake hands with the guests. Because I didn’t know, I extended my hand to the adjutant who remained in her perfectly straight position with her hands behind her back and announced me to Lt. Col. Taylor (oops!).

The colors were posted by a color guard of four women cadets. After the invocation and introductions, there were a series of toasts (with sparkling grape juice). We toasted to the Commander in Chief, Army, sister services, all who have served and are currently serving, the Razorback Brigade, The Riverhawk Battalion, families and guests and the ladies. Each toast was offered by specially selected cadet, except for the toast to the sister services which was offered by Admiral Mike Johnson (whom we know as the Associate Vice Chancellor for Facilities), whose terrific wife Terry was with him. Admiral Jack Buffington, a professor of civil engineering, was also a guest.

One of the most fascinating moments in the program was the Fallen Soldier Ceremony. The table is set for one and symbolizes the members of the military who are missing. Some were prisoners of war, missing in action or fallen soldiers. Their dedication to duty and commitment to the country as well as their memories are honored in this way. I’ve paraphrased the text of the ceremony:

• The small table set for one symbolizes the frailty of one soldier alone against his enemies.
• The white tablecloth symbolizes the purity of their intentions to respond to their country’s call to arms.
• The single red rose, displayed in a vase, symbolizes the blood shed to protect the liberty so cherished in our country.
• The yellow ribbon tied prominently on the vase, symbolizing remembrance, reminds us of the families and loved ones who keep the memories of those soldiers alive.
• The bracelet is worn upon the wrists of thousands, whose unyielding determination demands a proper accounting of our missing.
• The bronze star is a symbol of courage in the face of the enemy.
• A slice of lemon, on the bread plate, is to remind us of their bitter fate.
• There is salt upon the bread plate, symbolic of the families’ tears.
• The glass on the table is inverted, because they were unable to be present to join in the toasts.
• The chair is empty because the soldiers are not present.
• The candle is a reminder of the ultimate sacrifice fallen soldiers and their families have made to preserve our precious freedom.

Another surprising tradition was that the “most expendable” member of the company was called forth to taste the food before it was served. You can imagine the historical reasons for this, but it was nevertheless surprising to witness. The cadet declared the food to be “delectable and utterly pleasing to the palate.” At that point we dined on pork loin (there was also a choice of steak or chicken), twice backed potato, green beans and cheese or chocolate cake. I was delighted to be seated with Lt. Col. Taylor and his wife Julia, Col. Richard F. Bowyer, the keynote speaker, and his wife Kelly, Cadet Bishop, the Cadet Battalion Commander, and his date Rebekkah Mendoza and Susan Mayes, an instructor in health science and kinesiology at the university.

Here let me interject a wonderful and personal aside. One of the members of our law school community was in attendance. David Phillips, a third-year, was with his fiancée, Alline Fulton. They shared the most romantic story. As it turns out, David is an alumnus of the ROTC program. He left about 20 years ago, had a distinguished career in the military and returned for law school. But when he left, he also left Alline, and they hadn’t communicated in all that time. Little did David know that, while he was studying in Waterman Hall, Alline would walk by on her way to the Poultry S

cience Building. One day, David was looking in the campus directory and spotted her name. He emailed her and, as they say, the rest is history! David presented her with his mother’s ring, and they are engaged to be married. Thanks, David, for sharing your lovely story.

Anyway, back to the banquet. The speaker-Colonel Boyer from Ft. Sills, Okla.-directed his talk towards the cadets, but it was a great reminder for anyone striving to assume a position of leadership. Leaders, he said, are selfless, self-aware, have the capacity to make decisions, learn from mistakes and care for those who work with and for them. His talk was extremely motivational and it gave all the leaders in the room food for thought.

After the program, I danced a bit before heading home to rest after another busy week. A special thanks to Susan for driving, especially given the stormy weather.

Let me begin by mentioning that I lost a half day earlier this week because I was under the weather, but I was able to shake the crud that seems to be going around! Hopefully all you readers out there are keeping healthy through these last few weeks of winter.

The annual Arkansas Bar Foundation Scholarship Dinner was held February 15 at The Little Rock Club in Little Rock. For the foodies, the dinner was a delicious surf and turf-shrimp and steak-with green beans and twice baked potatoes. The event was extremely nice, and we had an opportunity to visit with a number of our alums-who are also members of the Bar Association-during the cocktail hour.

The event itself was a wonderful opportunity for the scholarship donors to meet some of the students whose lives have been profoundly changed through their gifts. That might sound cliché, but I really do believe that’s true. What makes this event work is the fact that the donors get to see and hear about the wonderful things that scholarship recipients are achieving with the help of the donors’ financial support.

The scholarship award winners are doing wonderful things for our community. The list of scholarship winners is long, but each student is deserving of mention:

• Stacia Alvarez (Donald J. Adams Scholarship)
• Phillip Brick (Guy Amsler, Jr. Scholarship)
• Clark Donat (Arkansas Bar Foundation Merit Scholarship)
• Baxter Drennon (David Solomon Scholarship)
• Sam Eastman (Harry P. Warner Scholarship) (Vincent W. Foster, Jr. Scholarship)
• Kristen Freeman (Arkansas Bar Foundation Merit Scholarship)
• Blake Glasgow (Justice J. Frank Holt Scholarship)
• David Gonzales (Arkansas Bar Foundation Scholarship, in honor of the Sebastian County Bar, U.M. Rose, Mike Gorman and Edward L. Wright)
• Grace Johnson (Judge John E. Miller Scholarship)
• April Kersten (Paul B. Young Scholarship)
• Talley Parker (Horace and James McKenzie Scholarship)
• Pamela Roberts (R.A. Eilbott, Jr. Scholarship)
• Trevin Ware (Rather, Beyer & Harper Scholarship)
• Taylor White (Judge J. Smith Henley Scholarship)
• Anisha Woodard (Edward Lester Scholarship)
• Ryan Younger (Wilson and Associates Ethics Scholarship)

Congratulations again to all of these outstanding law students! We are all very proud of your accomplishments.

For me, the best part of the event was that Dean Chuck Goldner and I had an opportunity to highlight each of the students who received scholarships. It was a bittersweet event in the sense that it was Dean Goldner’s last time to participate as a dean. As you know from reading my blog, he is stepping down as dean of UALR‘s law program at the end of this school year. He will certainly be missed, but it was a real joy to shar

e this event with him.

Thanks again to Ann Pyle, the executive director of the Arkansas Bar Association, for organizing such a lovely evening. It was a fantastic event! This was my first time attending, and I’m already looking forward next year. Thanks to all the students for making the drive to Little Rock so that our supporters were able to see what special people you all are. We all braved unpredictable weather to be there and perhaps more of our students will be able to attend in the future. I think we all agree that it was certainly a wonderful occasion, and worth the trip.

Today we were pleased to have Kelly Carithers and Jim Gresham, two Arkansas Bar Examiners, and Chris Thomas, the Director of the Office of Professional Programs for the Arkansas Judiciary, visit with us.

First, they met with law school faculty at lunch to share important information concerning the Bar exam. Chris Thomas began by talking about the nascent movement towards a national Bar exam. There are a number of state judiciary officials from around the country who have been meeting together to talk about the creation of a national Bar exam, and Mr. Thomas shared the issues surrounding that with us. Mr. Gresham and Ms. Carithers stressed Bar exam study methods, and said students needed to practice writing old exam questions, rather than just relying on the Bar-Bri buzz words. This has been a consistent problem during the time that Mr. Gresham and Ms. Carithers have been serving as bar examiners. After meeting with the faculty, all three visitors spent an hour with our students discussing the test.

I want to say thank you again to the Bar Examiners for coming to visit, particularly since Mr. Thomas was recovering from a cold, and because the weather was a little bit of a challenge. We’re very grateful to them for taking time out of their very busy schedules, and for their service to the legal community as Bar Examiners. Our licensing process could not function without their service and we’re very thankful for their dedication to the Bar.

On Sunday, Jan. 27, Phi Alpha Omega, and the Kappa Iota chapters of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Sorority, Inc. (AKA), celebrated the 100-year anniversary of AKA at the Garden Room on Dickson Street at 4 p.m. It was a wonderful program and dinner, and there were about 150 people there. Chapter members presented the history of the sorority and also of both the Northwest Arkansas chapters – Phi Alpha Omega and Alpha Iota. There were musical selections, and Lionel Jordan, the Vice Mayor of Fayetteville, read a proclamation designating January 15, 2008 Alpha Kappa Alpha Day in Fayetteville. Tjuana Byrd, a former member of the Kappa Iota undergraduate chapter, and currently a North Little Rock Assistant City Attorney, gave the remarks for the occasion. It was a wonderful event, and it is an exciting time for the members of Alpha Kappa Alpha as we celebrate 100 years of service.

Following the program, I had dinner with Philip Hood. Philip is the union-side, employee-side representative on the Arkansas Workers Compensation Commission. He was named to the position Jan. 9, 2007 and appointed to a six-year term after being a member of the Workforce Investment Board. His background is one that I find sympatico. He is the President of the Office and Professional Employees International Union Local 105. He worked in the air transportation industry for approximately 10 years. While there, he was a member of the International Association of Machinist and Aerospace Workers. Hood served as president for more than a thousand members of his local. It was composed of employees from Northwest Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and TWA. He also is currently a member of the executive board of the Arkansas AFL-CIO. He and I had dinner at Copelands of Louisiana and visited about workplace issues— workers compensation, unions, legislation and the decline of unions in the country and in Arkansas. It was a wonderful meal, very lively and just fun to sit down with someone else with a union background and to visit about those issues. For the foodies out there, Commissioner Hood had a steak and potato, and I had the blackened bayou chicken. One of the most exciting things about the visit is that he is looking to hire one or two students as interns with him during this summer. We are excited about that opportunity, and I suspect that many of our students will be interested in applying for these positions. If you are, please see Susan Snell.

Monday was busy as well. We had a faculty meeting that day, and I had a chance to sit down and brainstorm with Professors Judges and Kelley about the shape and future and potential funding sources for the Ukraine initiative. That was really a good discussion and also, it seems, a very promising program. We’re looking forward to building on that.

The next day Heidi Ernst, a writer for Lutheran magazine, interviewed me about my role here and also my work on behalf of workers and immigrants.

Wednesday was a very full day. At 7 a.m. I had breakfast with Mike Johnson, Associate Vice Chancellor for Facilities. It was fun to catch up with him and to thank him again for all the attention he’s given to the law school and for refurbishing our facilities. Mike is great, and it was good to see him even though it was 7 a.m. We went to Common Grounds and both had the breakfast casserole and coffee. At lunch, I ate with Lieutenant Colonel Taylor from the Army ROTC program and we went to Seafood Market Grill on West Street. We caught up about our vacations. He and his family went to Disneyworld and received a number of special recognitions. They just happened to be at the right place at the right time, and he was still tickled about that experience. It’s always good to see him again, and I am very grateful for our friendship.

That evening I had dinner with sorors Myra McKenzie and Ronetta Francis from Wal-Mart Legal. We met at Bonefish Grill in Rogers to catch up and talk politics, families and law. Ronetta has just recently relocated to northwest Arkansas, so we had plenty to chat about! We also thought out loud about how to get the Wal-Mart attorneys more directly involved with our students, like through mentor relationships. For dinner, Ronetta had the coconut crusted shrimp appetizer and the lump crab and corn chowder soup, Myra hand the Bonefish salad and Diablo shrimp fettuccini, and I had the same salad and the pistachio parmesan crusted rainbow trout with steamed veggies. For dessert, Ronetta had key lime pie, Myra had a brownie, and I had the crème brulée. All of the food was delicious. The weather wasn’t terrific, but their company certainly was.

This seems like a good place to mention the art project at the south entrance of the law school. The project was part of a symposium hosted by the University, and the piece displayed outside our building was made by artist Jeff Forster. His piece was chosen by New York City art critic John Perreault from more than 200 entries, and displayed alongside 30 other artist works. The art pieces were displayed all over campus and along downtown Fayetteville, and Mr. Perreault came to town to view the works personally. Jeff was one of three artists who received awards from Mr. Perreault for their work.

Friday, Feb. 1, Malcolm, Teri, and I travelled to Little Rock to visit with Arkansas Association of Women Lawyers, where I gave a law school update. While we were there, we had the pleasure of visiting with Judge Rick Taylor, our alum and a bankruptcy judge. He gave us a tour of his chambers, as well as all of the beautiful, restored courtrooms. Judge Taylor is a wonderful friend of the law school, and he was a great host. Thank you very much Judge Taylor. We enjoyed the time we spent with you. After hanging out with the Judge, we went upstairs for our presentation and lunch with the women lawyers association. Colleagues from the UALR School of Law attended as well. There was lots of excitement about all the changes around the law school but especially the fact that Justice Sandra Day O’Connor will be coming on Oct. 3, 2008, to dedicate the building. Our visit with them is always one of the highlights of the year. Everyone is so very gracious and warm, and I just want to say thanks again to everyone for their wonderful hospitality.

Afterwards, in an unexpected treat, we were invited to UALR School of Law to watch and participate in the ceremony acknowledging Black History Month. The ceremony honored the black legal pioneers, social and civil rights activists who were leaders in the struggle for equality and justice. It was a very moving ceremony led by Professor Adjoa Aiyetoro. As part of the commemoration we released a number of balloons in the park across from the law school. Afterwards there was a reception at the law school building with Dean Chuck Goldner, Cory Childs, the president of SBA, and other members of the law school community. Black Law Student Association members and the Student Bar Association recognized and appreciated the black faculty and staff at UALR’s law school and also Chuck Goldner for his efforts on behalf of diversity. It was just such a pleasure and a privilege to be able to be there to share that moment, especially given that Dean Goldner is such a good friend and has been so supportive of our law school. I’m just sad he’s going to be stepping down as dean, but I’m very, very grateful to him for his friendship and guidance over this year and a half that I’ve been in the deanship.

After an exciting end to the week, it was time to hit the road again for Fayetteville!

Monday, Jan. 21 was the university’s recognition of MLK day. There were no classes, the buildings were closed and I hope that everyone had a chance to reflect on how his legacy has created many of the opportunities and interactions that we all enjoy today.

That evening was the 12th Annual MLK Recommitment Banquet and thanks very much to Sharon Foster, Carl Circo, Bobbi Johnson, Amy and Scott Dodson and my mom for sharing the table at that dinner. Special highlights were the award given to Chancellor White for his efforts on behalf of diversity and Mayor Dan Coody’s reading of a proclamation officially changing the name of 6th Street to MLK Street. The keynote speaker was Dr. Roderick McDavis, President of Ohio University, formerly the Dean of the College of Education and Health Professions here at the University of Arkansas He talked about the significance and importance of diversity in higher education. At the end of the program the MLK Commission presented awards to corporate entities for their support of diversity efforts, and named Cox Communications the Corporation of the Year. Then there were a number of scholarships given out including the Rodney Momon Youth Award to Kendra Johnson, the Individual Achievement award to Dr. Charles Robinson, the Lifetime Achievement Award to Larry Slamons and the Rev. J. Aaron Hawkins Sr. Posthumous Award to John Lewis. Congratulations again to all the award recipients. Because the weather was terrible and it had started to sleet and ice over, many people left the dinner early. Fortunately, we were able to stay until the end to hear the closing remarks by Ernestine Gibson, Chair of the Commission (and a sorority sister ☺ ).

On Wednesday, I was invited to speak at NWACC for Black History Month. Chris Irwin, producer and director of Silas Hunt: A Documentary, joined me there as well as Jerry Moore, director of NWACC Upward Bound and a Silas Hunt historian. The audience viewed the Silas Hunt film, and then the three of us participated in a panel about the legacy of Silas, what he means to each of us, and how we think things have changed over time. It was wonderful to visit NWACC, and to see the wonderful diversity there. Thanks very much to NWACC for the opportunity to participate in that program.

On Thursday, Terri Stafford, Ray Guzman, Malcom McNair and I left for the Arkansas Bar Association Mid-Winter Meeting in Memphis, Tenn. at the Peabody Hotel. We hosted a reception during which we presented an update on the law school and visited with a number of great folks. More than 50 guests attended the event. Thanks to Ray Guzman, who is leaving us at the end of this year, for coming with us to visit with alums. It was a fun event, and we were excited to host it and look forward to doing so again next year.

Thursday evening, Rick Ramsay, our alum and the President of the Arkansas Bar Association, invited us to the president’s dinner at Felicia Suzanne’s Restaurant. It was a small, intimate setting and again, we were very pleased to be invited to be a part of that wonderful gathering. I shared a table with one of our alums, Lamont Pettus, and his wife Donna (congratulations to Donna who will be president of the Arkansas Bar Association in two years), Jim and Jan Sprott (Jim is immediate past-president of the Arkansas Bar Association), Karen Hutchins, executive director of the Arkansas Bar Association, and Malcolm. And, by the way, for the foodies out there, the food was fabulous. There was yummy crab cake appetizer and delicious scallop and lobster pasta dish. Did I say the food was great? Although it was a chilly evening outside the company was warm and the conversation fun.

Friday, the Bar Association had a two-track CLE program during which our own Harrison Pittman spoke on the Arkansas recreational use statute and its application to agricultural and rural land owners. During the day, I was able to meet with a number of our alums as well as to spend some time with Terri Stafford, to think about ideas for programs for the future as well as outreach ideas. Friday evening Bartels Law Firm of Jonesboro sponsored a wonderful dinner at the Rendevous Rib Restaurant. A number of our alums attended along with the rest of the bar. After dinner there was a dessert reception on the Peabody mezzanine, which was a great opportunity to socialize with many members of the Arkansas Bar Association including Chalk Mitchell, Denise Hoggard and her husband, Glen Hoggartt.

Our trip to Memphis was filled with a few surprises. When we stopped at a gas station in Ozark, we ran into Ben Carter, Director of Development for Mullins Library. In Little Rock at the Grille (where I had a fabulous grilled salmon sandwich) we saw Rhet Tucker, whose son Clark is a 2006 School of Law grad. Also, on the way back, we stopped at Trio’s (their shrimp enchiladas were terrific) and saw Cassie Baldwin and David Beran, both 2005 grads. It just goes to show that friends and alums of the law school are everywhere!

Saturday we returned to Fayetteville happy after a wonderful weekend at the Bar Association meeting and the opportunity to meet and great our alums.

Judge Wendell Griffen (’79), an alum of our law school and current Arkansas Court of Appeals Judge, came to speak to students at lunch today. His visit was sponsored by Equal Justice Works and BALSA, and the title of his talk was “A View from the Woods.” Judge Griffen expressed concern about the need to protect our liberty, and also fairness in our justice system. He encouraged the audience to uphold the promise of justice. As a reminder of how important that pledge is, he reminded students and audience members alike about how the founders of the United States promised each other as they signed the Declaration of Independence that they would stake their lives on the cause of justice.

We had a number of distinguished guests who came to hear Judge Griffen speak, including Jim Rose, Judge Griffen’s former pastor, Pastor McClarty, and Steve Clark. After the talks there were a number of questions from both our students and the media.

After Judge Griffen’s talk, professor Rob Leflar and I accompanied him over to Ella’s at Carnall Hall where we had a relaxing and enjoyable lunch. Even though we knew he was actively pursuing his reelection, we encouraged to take time out of his busy schedule to take care of himself. It was good to see Judge Griffen—he was one of the first people I met when I came to Arkansas, and he’s been a long-time friend. I really enjoyed getting to spend that time with him.

The next morning we started bright and early at the LSAC Dean’s Breakfast, with a breakfast buffet. As you know, I serve on the LSAC board, and it was fun to see Dan Bernstein (CEO) and Ellen Rutt (Chair of the Board). A couple of former LSAC Board members sat with us too, including Dean Dennis Lynch of Miami and Dean Dennis Shields of Phoenix (my hero). Len Strickman, my first Dean, currently Dean of FIU joined us as well. Dan presented information on the current test administration and application information, and Ellen talked about new LSAC initiatives.

After the breakfast, the deans attended a plenary session on the personal challenges of deaning. The presenters were Katherine Broderick, University of District of Columbia School of Law; Veryl Miles, Catholic University of America School of Law; Donald Weidner, Florida State University College of Law; and Susan Prager, Professor and former Dean of UCLA School of Law. The session was entitled “The Stages of Deaning.” Each dean shared the personal challenges they had encountered when stepping into their position, and reflected upon where they were in their deanship and how they viewed what they had accomplished, as well as their thoughts about the future. Dean Miles gave some very simple advice: to be fair, firm and friendly. Dean Weidner pointed out that over time a dean will mature in your job, but initially there is a very steep learning curve. One way to deal with the stress, he said, was to be engaged in activities outside of the job. Dean Prager said she was fortunate before assuming the deanship to have worked closely with the former dean and felt she has been able to complete their shared vision for the law school during her deanship. Dean Broderick shared the challenges of the accreditation process. One thing that was very interesting was that all the deans on that panel agreed when a dean leaves office is important to for her to think about how she feels about the transition, and how others—the faculty, central administration and alumni—feel about it and to work through those emotions. They suggested that deans think about teaching or researching in new areas, and that sometimes former deans find that it’s much more mundane to go back to a regular schedule without all the various tasks one juggles as dean than one might expect. Also a few of the deans expressed that the sentiment that it is surprisingly lonely for deans who return the faculty.

Lunch was hosted by the Access Group. Frankly, for a conference meal it was a very nice one with surf and turf, and a terrific chocolate dessert. The presentation, given in part by Dean Rick Matasar (my former civ pro teacher) addressed the recent investigations into the student loan industry and what that meant for the industry and students. The session also highlighted the changes in congress affecting student lending as well as the new student loan forgiveness program.

After lunch, the plenary session was on managing conflict and stress and finding joy in our work. The panelists were Jerry Parkinson, dean of the University of Wyoming College of Law, Karen Rothenberg, from the University of Maryland School of Law, Earl Martin, dean of Gonzaga University School of Law and myself. The tone of the panel was very personal. Each of the speakers gave their reaction to how the stress of the job, its effects and how they cope with those stresses. Dean Parkinson suffered some pretty serious health challenges, and he talked about how he has backed away and had more balance in his life. I talked about the journey from being a faculty member to the deanship and the ways that I deal with stress: developing an exercise program, having friends outside the law school and making sure to set reasonable hours. Dean Rothenberg talked more specifically about the stresses of fundraising.

The last breakout session focused on the joys and concerns of deans. Small groups of deans sat together and talked about the challenges they were facing and also shared their success stories. Each dean talked about one problem they’d like help with, and folk in the groups shared their ideas. of Southern Illinois University concluded the workshop with a few closing remarks. Thanks very much to Peter for putting together such a wonderful program in that it dealt not only with the professional challenges of being a dean but the personal costs as well.

That evening the Bar Foundation Fellows’ Opening Reception was held in the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza over in Los Angeles. Established in 1955, the fellows are an honorary organization of attorneys, judges and law professors whose professional careers have demonstrated remarkable dedication to the welfare of their communities and to the highest principles of legal education. I was invited to become a bar fellow this fall after being nominate by Judge Stroud and Carolyn Witherspoon. It was quite a long way across town in the traffic. In fact it took the greater part of an hour to arrive. The reception was held in the X Bar of the hotel and the fellow fellows I met were all interesting and welcoming. A number of the conversations I found myself involved in focused on increasing awareness of the need for pro bono service.

The next day was Saturday. I got up, went back to Curves, worked out, I had a bit of time to walk around Santa Monica and have lunch with Deans Alexander and Juarez. Then it was time to get dressed for the Fellows Awards Reception and Banquet which was held at Paramount Pictures which was a pretty neat setting. We took buses from the Hyatt which turned out to be quite a ways. The logistics of this meeting were overall a bit of a challenge. Everything in L.A. was really far and spread out. As we got off the bus, actor dressed as Rhett Butler and Mae West greeted us, along with a string quartet, bars and the tall heaters. We had a reception around the beautiful fountain and then we went inside for dinner. The dinner was very nice. All you foodies out there should try not to drool when you hear what was served. Our first course began with a chopped salad of romaine and arugula, tomato, white beans, olives and mozzarella cheese. Our entree was grilled Chilean sea bass and petit filet of beef, served with sundried tomato and potato galette and steamed baby broccoli. It was fabulous!

After dinner the American Bar Foundation handed out awards to outstanding members in their 52nd annual awards ceremony. The Outstanding Service award went to James R. Ellis of Preston Gates & Ellis LLP, the Outstanding Scholar award was given to professor Judith Resnik of Yale Law School, and the Oustanding State Chair award was actually given to the Oklahoma State Chairs collectively. Congratulations to all the winners. After dinner, we went into the theatre for the awards ceremony, and Professor Paul Bergman’s discussion of the image of the lawyer in film. That was a really neat presentation, very interesting. He’d selected films that I hadn’t seen before and made a number of poignant, funny comments. Afterwards there were desserts served in the area we’d dined in. Then it was time to board the buses back to the Grand Hyatt and from there I caught a cab back to my hotel.

Sunday I visited Mount Olive Lutheran Church. After church it was back to the hotel to check out and head for the airport!

I always enjoy getting together with and learning from my fellow deans from across the country, and this trip was no exception.

To all of my faithful blog readers (hello out there!) you will be noticing a change around here beginning with this post. Instead of posting a whole week’s worth of excitement, I’m going to write about each event as it happens. That will, hopefully, make posts shorter, easier to read and let me put in more pictures for your viewing pleasure. Have an opinion on the new format? Let me know by posting a comment. I certainly like to hear from all of you out there in cyberspace.

February 6 saw me at the 37th Annual Dean’s Workshop at the Mid-Year American Bar Association Meeting in Los Angeles. I hopped a direct flight from XNA, landed in Los Angeles and took a cab in rush-hour, which took almost an hour and cost $45 to get to my hotel! The Loews Hotel in Santa Monica was beautiful, and I was lucky enough to get a room that faced the ocean. It definitely made up for that cab ride.

The event began that evening with a dinner for women deans—no boys allowed. The meal was organized by Dean Lisa Kloppenberg, and it was a wonderful opportunity for the gals to visit and get to know one another better. It’s a very supportive and warm group, and I was proud to be included. The dinner was held at Joe’s Restaurant in Venice, Calif. The menu was spectacular, and included things like porcini mushroom ravioli with wild mushrooms, butter braised Maine lobster and crispy skin artic char. For you foodies out there, you can check the restaurant out online at joesrestaurant.com. Dinner at Joe’s was wonderful and a great way to start the workshop.

The next day we started bright and early at 7:30 a.m. with a breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, potatoes, fresh fruit, pastries and yogurt hosted by National Association of Law Placement. The folks of the NALP gave us an update on what’s happening to graduates in terms of where they’re going after graduation and the challenges facing them in the profession. One of the things the speaker pointed out is that there’s an increase in the salaries in high-end law firms, but not public sector/public interest employers. As you can imagine, that creates a problem for students who graduate with debt and who want to work in those positions. He also mentioned that 75 percent of graduates got jobs requiring bar passage, and another 8 percent of employers preferred it. The presentation was accompanied by an extremely interesting powerpoint.

Also discussed was the timing of employment offers. The issue lies in how long an offer must be held open once extended by a law firm. The rule has been that December 1 was the hard deadline for any student to accept or reject an offer. This has been a problem for students who receive offers over the course of the semester because the timetable leaves the law firms uncertain about incoming employees, and keeps other job-seeking students from finding employment. The new rule proposed by NALP now establishes a 45-day period once an offer has been extended for the candidate to reach a decision.

The actual workshop began at 8:45 a.m. with a plenary session on measuring output. The panel included Deans Joe Harbaugh of Nova Southeastern University’s School of Law, Robel of Indiana University School of Law at Bloomington and Emily Spieler of Northeastern University School of Law. They discussed the different ways we might measure output– how well the law school is doing. For example, Dean Spieler’s school has a very nontraditional approach which focuses more on experiential learning and less on traditional graded lecture-based courses. She talked about what that meant in terms of the accreditation process, especially about getting the accreditors to think outside the box when evaluating their program. Dean Robel recommended we use the Law School Survey of Student Engagement to look at how well we’re doing. It measures how well students think the school is performing, what they view as areas for improvement and whether they feel it is properly preparing them for the practice. This is useful information that schools can use to improve their programs. Dean Harbaugh talked about different ways to measure the quality and success of a program, for example evaluating course completion, student achievement, job placement and the curriculum. Right now the ABA Section on Legal Education has a committee that is looking at this very issue, and is determining type of output the accreditation team should consider. It was an interesting, and timely panel.

Directly following was a focus breakout session entitled “Being Innovative in the Face of Assessment” during which smaller groups of deans talked about the both outcome measures and how to measure. This is a very interesting issue because even if you come up with the outcome you’re looking for, there’s always a measurement issue. The issues raised and opinions voiced were great.

The program continued with The Diversity Challenges session from 11:00 a.m. to noon, and that panel was comprised of moderator Peter Pitegoff of the University of Maine and of Penn State School of Law, of Florida A&M University and Suellyn Scarnecchia of the University of New Mexico School of Law. Dean McConnaughay began by listing things he did to increase diversity at his law school, including recruiting diverse faculty and staff, starting a speaker series that featured diversity and hosting alumni dinners for student organizations and alumni of color. He’s funded diverse student groups and increased the number of need-based scholarships, too. Dean Pernell talked about the need to continue to focus on the pipeline and promote, to prospective students, the idea of law as a source of social change. He mentioned that in many communities of color, lawyers are viewed unfavorably and encounters with the law are not positive. Pernell encouraged us to go out into those communities and share the ways that lawyers are agents of social change and justice. We should listening to the needs of the communities and find ways to become engaged with those issues. He thought law schools would be more successful in terms of recruitment by adjusting the way they’re seen in communities of color. Dean Scarnecchia asked very tough questions: Are we concerned with the proportions of minority groups in our law schools, or are we just meeting “diversity” goals? Do we have a generally diverse student body, or are we evaluating the numbers in each group? Those are interesting questions to mull over

Lunch was sponsored by the AALS, and it was a wonderful for a conference lunch: baked salmon, rice, asparagus, carrots and creme brulée for dessert. The speaker was Carl Monk, and he gave us an update on the activities of the AALS, which I’ve already blogged about.

The next event on the docket was a plenary session on resources and relationships. The moderator was Doug Ray of Toledo College of Law and the speakers were of the University of Pittsburg School of Law, Robert Reinstein of Temple University School of Law and Fred White of the Golden Gate School of Law. Doug Ray, who has a labor background and is a good friend of mine, kicked off the panel with a few thoughtful remarks. He talked about the notion of bounded conflict, which is conflict between people who have a continuing relationship with one another, and how it’s important to improve those relationships. For example, he talked about the law school’s relationship with the university, and encouraged deans to think about their school as a team player. He also talked about the need to share with others how the law school can contribute to the university, and reminded us to say “thank you” to the staff and administrators around campus who assist us. He also stressed the importance of educating our colleagues in the university community about the value of the law school, for example, the pro bono work of our students and the impact that our graduates have in shaping state policies as legislators, state officers and judges.

Dean Crossley said deans should think more broadly about resources, which include relationships, and I think she’s right. How we approach people as individuals will affect our effectiveness. She also encouraged us to pull together folks from different organizations to put programs together, perhaps combining a corporate legal or university department with law school students. She reminded us of our community resources and how cooperative programs help raise the visibility of the law school. Dean Reinstein encouraged us to be participants and players on campus, and Dean White talked about not shortchanging university relationships. He said law school deans should attend university-wide meetings, particularly the faculty senate. He also encouraged us to invite our colleagues from across campus into the building and to law school programs. That’s one thing that I personally need to work on. I think it’s very good advice to go into the buildings across campus and see what’s going on in other departments—it makes you a part of the team. I haven’t been as good at that as I should, so I’ve taken Dean White’s advice to heart. I definitely brought something home with me from that panel.

After that there was a breakout session that was a focused discussion on public law schools. Many public law school deans were present, and the biggest issue was how to work around financial resource challenges.

After the dean’s sessions were over, I decided to do a little bit for my Fabulous at Fifty program. I haven’t mentioned this in the blog before, but I have begun a Fabulous at Fifty program which essentially means that I have until September to be fabulous. I must tell you, I’m not quite there yet, but I’m working on it. Anyway, among other things, the program has a fitness component, and I’m trying to be very diligent about sticking to a workout program. Terri Yeakley printed the location of Curves for Women in Santa Monica, so I changed into my sweats and called them. They told me that I could walk to the gym from the hotel, so off I went.

While I was on my way, I ran into a young man who stopped me and asked if I would buy him something to eat. I have a personal policy that I never give people money, but I will buy them something to eat. One of the jokes among my friends is that people stop me and ask me because I look like I’m well-fed! Anyway, it just so happened that there was a burrito shop right there on the corner, and quite frankly I was glad to stop walking. We went in and he selected a very modestly priced meal, and said “thank you very much, God bless you”, and I was back on my way.

It turns out that Curves was more than “just a short walk” from the Loews Hotel. In actuality, the gym was about 4 miles away, so by the time I got there I already felt like I’d had a great workout. However, focused on the notion of being Fabulous at Fifty, I went on with my usual exercise routine anyway. I have to admit, though, I definitely caught a cab back to my hotel!

That evening was the UCLA School of Law Dean’s Reception at the Rain Corporation in a lovely outside setting. It wasn’t too far from the hotel, thank goodness, because I don’t think I could have walked a long way to get there! There were tall heaters with heat lamps on them to keep everyone comfortable because it was a little bit cool outside, and everything was just wonderful. We had heavy hors d’oveurs and wine to munch on during the event. They were kind of strict, though, so I don’t have any pictures of that—you’ll just have to trust me when I say that it was lovely. It was a great way to wrap up the day.

On the 4^th of February, the law school hosted a program entitled “Sixty Since Silas, A Celebration of Pioneering Excellence,” which commemorated the integration of the University of Arkansas School of Law through the admission Silas Hunt on Feb 2, 1948. It has been 60 years since the momentous event which not only marked the University of Arkansas as the first southern school to voluntarily integrate, but paved the way for African-Americans in secondary education in Arkansas and across the nation. We knew that it was extremely important to commemorate such a significant event.

The program was extremely well-attend which was a tribute to the planning committee chaired by professor Chauncey Brummer. Professors Ned Snow, Mary Beth Matthews, Jim Miller and Steve Sheppard and Malcolm McNair were the additional committee members. We are all extremely grateful to them for their dedication and hard work to bring to life such a fantastic program.

The commemoration began with lunch in the courtroom, accompanied by a viewing of the award-winning documentary film entitled Silas Hunt: A Documentary. Originally commissioned by the former Dean of the School of Continuing Education, Donnie Dutton, the film was produced and directed by Mandel Samuels and Christopher Irwin, both from Media Services. They put an exhaustive amount of research into the production of the documentary. It took them 22 months to complete the story of Silas Hunt’s life. To do so they traveled as far away as California to tape interviews. All their hard work paid off, and they created a beautiful documentary which, by the way, is available through the University of Arkansas Media Services in the School of Continuing Education and Academic Outreach (formerly the School of Continuing Education).

Immediately after the screening of the documentary, there was a panel discussion of alumni who graciously returned to share their experiences at the law school and discuss how Silas Hunt’s legacy has affected their lives. The panelists for the program were George W.B. Haley (’52), Sharon Bernard (’69), Gene E. McKissic (’76), Rodney E. Slater (’80), Carrol Williams-Perkins (’89), André K. Valley (’96) and Carla Marie Martin (’04), and they were fascinating to listen to. Take a look at our Panelist Photos. Ambassador Haley talked about what it was like to be at the law school directly after Silas Hunt had been here, and the challenges he faced. He talked about the fact that his law school education, regardless of the circumstances he encountered while here, opened the door to the world for him even to the extent that he became an ambassador to The Gambia. The next speaker was Sharon Bernard, who was the first African-American woman to graduate from the University of Arkansas. She spoke about some of the hostilities she faced, but she also talked about how she felt that she was much stronger because of her experiences here-they enabled her to achieve great things, like serving the Michigan National Bank for 30 years and becoming the chair of the Michigan Children’s Trust Fund.

Gene McKissic of Brown and McKissic told a story about his family pulling up to get dinner at a restaurant when he was young. The waiter told his father that he had to enter through the back door, but his father refused. Gene spoke about what he learned from that-that it’s never good to compromise who you are-and Secretary Slater picked up on that during his remarks. Slater also told a story from his boyhood. The best ice cream in his hometown was at a little shop where black folks had to go to the back door to get an ice cream cone. His grandmother told him not to do that-that no ice cream was good enough to have to go to the back door for it. He remembered that lesson well, and still lives by the idea that you should never compromise your integrity and your dignity. He also talked about a the importance of life of public service and the many contributions on can make in the public sector.

Carrol Williams-Perkins spoke about how the school of law opened many opportunities for her after graduation. She talked about what it was like to be an African-American woman who spoke German and worked for the Siemens Corporation, and how she blew people’s expectations and stereotypes of her out of the water. Andre Valley talked about returning to Helena/West Helena and what can be accomplished through a life of service, particularly by representing the underrepresented. He also spoke about the broad variety of issues he deals with as a city attorney (by the way, his brother J.F Valley, also our alum, is the mayor of Helena/West Helena). Carla Martin, a Wal-Mart Realty Transaction Manager and the most recent graduate on the panel, talked about how far we’ve come and how grateful she was to each of the panelists who paved the way for her. She did say, however, that issues still exist. Carla told about how, even with all of her accomplishments and achievements in law school, she was unable to obtain a job in a private law firm in northwest Arkansas. Fortunately, things have changed even in the years since her graduation. But her talk reminded us that while we celebrate the history and how far we’ve come, we should remember that we still have a little ways to go yet.

The commemoration was attended by several members of the University administration and we’re very grateful to them for their presence. Our distinguished guests included: Chancellor White, Chancellor Designee David Gearhart, Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics and Director of Athletics Jeff Long, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Johnetta Cross Brazzell, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Bob Smith and his wife, Marcia June, Associate Vice Chancellor for Institutional Diversity and Education Carmen Coustaut, Director of Affirmative Action Willyard Collier, Vice Chancellor for Government and Community Relations Richard Hudson, former Board of Trustees Chairman Lewis Epley and nationally recognized poet Miller Williams. We were honored that they joined us for the afternoon presentation film and panel.

That evening, the speakers (except for secretary Slater who had a previous commitment). Miller Williams, Dean Linda Ballard of the School of Continuing Education and Academic Outreach, Chris Irwin and Mandel Samuels and their guests, the law school committee members who organized the event, and Provost Smith and his wife all joined us for a lovely dinner at Bordinos. We chose from salmon, steak or portobello mushroom lasagna entrees, all of which were delicious. Chancellor Designee Gearhart happened to be dining in the restaurant as well and joined us for a few remarks, which was wonderful. Each of us present that night reflected on Silas Hunt’s admission to the law school and how his admission affected us personally.

In light of the anniversary of Silas Hunt’s admission we have asked the registrar and the honorary degree committee to grant a posthumous degree to Silas Hunt. We think it’s time.