DEAN’S MESSAGE

Ihave been the dean of the School of Law for a little more than a year. The School of Law, like all of us, has experienced a significant amount of change during the pandemic. Our community continues to come together in supportive and innovative ways. The students have been persistent and resilient with their studies, receiving their legal education both in person and virtually. The faculty continue to embrace new technologies as they deliver the finest legal education possible to our students, while also advancing their ambitious scholarly pursuits.

Despite the challenges, reasons for optimism abound. In May, we were able to hold an in-person commencement ceremony for both the Class of ’21 and members of the Class of ’20, which enabled them to walk across the stage to receive their hard-earned diplomas. The School of Law also saw increasing recognition of the prominence of its faculty and specialty programs. Our faculty was ranked in the top 15% nationwide in scholarly impact and in the top 20% in teaching. Eight of our specialty programs were ranked in the top 25%, including Contracts/Commercial Law, Business and Corporate Law, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, Intellectual Property, International Law and Tax, as well as our part-time program. I look forward to announcing at least one significant faculty hire this spring, as we continue to build on the strength of this stellar faculty through aggressive hiring across a wide range of fields.

USD law students have soared in national competitions. Last spring, the Mock Trial team placed second in the national Black Law Students Association Constance Baker Motley Mock Trial Competition. We were fortunate to have students win or place in individual rankings, competitions and student writing competitions. I think you will also be inspired by the work of Marcus Friedman, ’21 (JD), the 2020-2021 Julie D. Fellmeth Public Interest Scholar, which focuses on gun violence prevention.

This year, we came together to celebrate the Distinguished Alumni Awards and the 50th anniversary of the Legal Clinics. We have held exciting conferences and symposiums, including the Class Action Law Forum, co-hosted with Western Alliance Bank and co-chaired by David S. Casey Jr., ’74 (JD), and Gayle M. Blatt of CaseyGerry; Erin M. Bosman, ’94 (JD), of Morrison & Foerster; and Joshua Jessen, ’02 (JD), of Gibson Dunn.

A new initiative to advance the School of Law’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) has launched. The DEI Task Force is composed of faculty, administrators, students and alumni who will develop recommendations for promoting DEI for all members of our community. The work will dovetail with universitywide efforts through USD’s Horizon Project.

Many of you have fond memories of your time on Law Review. I am delighted for you to meet the editors of our student-led journals.

In the Faculty Footnotes pages, we include a look at Professor and Director of Graduate Tax Programs Miranda Perry Fleischer; Professor Orly Lobel and her work on employment law and innovation policy; and Professor Michael Ramsey, who was appointed to serve on the Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court of the United States. We wish a fond farewell to Professor Walter Heiser, who retired last May.

It is an exciting time at our law school. I am continually inspired by our students, staff, faculty and alumni. I look forward to seeing you on campus!

Robert Schapiro Dean and C. Hugh Friedman Professor of Law