Santa Clara University

Looking Back, Looking Forward

REBECCA SUE JONES ’87 is a partner with Gallagher, Reedy & Jones in Los Gatos. She has taught first-year legal analysis, research and writing, and upper division legal writing at the School of Law since 1987. She can be reached at 408-354-1388 or rjones@scu.edu.

As I sit here contemplating the text of my final column as president of the Law Alumni Board, I do so with mixed emotions. I have thoroughly enjoyed serving Santa Clara University School of Law and and our alumni as president over the past three years. Our alumni involvement and outreach has continued to grow as we are sponsoring more alumni events (see the calendar of events on Page 26). Further, we have appointed outstanding and distinguished alumni to our Board (see the list of current members of the Law Alumni Board at right). During my tenure, I have enjoyed my positive interaction with Dean Player, Dean Polden, the administrators, faculty, students, and alumni of the law school.

Dean Polden has recently convened a long range planning committee consisting of Law Alumni Board members, and we are brainstorming many new ways to further strengthen and expand our board and reach out to our fellow alumni. Kurt J. Seibert ’84 has been elected as president for the 2004-2005 academic year. I am confident that Kurt and the renewed and revitalized board, coupled with Dean Polden’s unwavering support and commitment, will continue to further our goal of reaching out to alumni, raising desperately needed scholarship funds, and mentoring current and future law students. Some of our thoughts about the reorganization of the structure and operation of the Board are: (1) increasing the size of the board; (2) reaching out to alumni outside of the Bay Area; (3) changing board appointment terms; (4) developing a leadership hierarchy; (5) expanding our subcommittees; and (6) meeting less frequently.

Most of you know Santa Clara University is near and dear to my heart; therefore, I will gladly continue to serve on the Law Alumni Board as past-president in addition to teaching Legal Analysis Research and Writing and Advocacy at the law school. Thank you for providing me with this opportunity to give back to Santa Clara University. It has been an exceptional and rewarding experience serving as your president.