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Law Alumni Return to Work at SCU

By Susan Vogel 

It used to be that when Cathy Terán B.A. '69, J.D.'97 assisted with SCU School of Law administration, she thought she knew all about the law school, but being a law student, she says, "showed me a whole different side of how the law school works."

Terán is one of at least a dozen School of Law alumni who work on campus. Some work full-time, some part-time, and some straddle jobs on campus and legal practices. Some left and came back. Others, like Terán, never left.

While their paths to and from SCU differ, they have several things in common: a positive law school experience, a belief that their experience as law students adds a dimension of understanding to their jobs, and a deep appreciation for the values of SCU.

The SCU Draw

Terán, now senior assistant dean for law school administration, is one of those who remained at SCU following graduation from the law school. During her undergraduate studies in French, she worked in the law library. She took time off to raise a family, and then returned in 1989, becoming director of administrative services for the law school in 1991. She enrolled in the law school's evening program in 1993. Upon graduation and passing the bar, then-Dean Mack Player offered her an appointment as assistant dean.

Terán thought about going into practice, but says, "I was so grateful for the opportunity to go to law school while working that I wanted to give something back." She chose to stay in her job because she loved it and the people she worked with. "I felt appreciated," she says.

Wendy Chou '01, associate director of planned giving for the University, returned to SCU shortly after graduation. Chou knew, by year one of law school, that she eventually would go into planned giving. During summers after her first and second years, she took positions at Greater Boston Legal Services and the planned giving departments of Tufts University and U.C. Berkeley. Soon after graduation, the SCU Development Office hired her to help with planned giving, which will represent 20 percent of the University's $350 million campaign.

"I appreciated the education I got at SCU and I feel very strongly about supporting educational institutions. It's easy to get up in the morning and go to work when I know I'm helping students with their education," says Chou.

Cathy Terán, B.A. '69, J.D. '97 and Vinita Bali '96

Other alumni ventured out into practice, eventually returning to SCU.

Vinita Bali '96 practiced for several years as a litigator and a corporate transactions lawyer before returning to SCU as director of the law school's Academic Success Program (ASP). Like many attorneys, she enjoyed practicing law but the business aspect of running a law firm did not appeal to her. "The realities of the practice and the general pursuit by lawyers and clients of monetary goals became more apparent and frustrating to me the farther along I went in my career," she says. 

When her current position opened up, Bali felt it was perfect. "I knew that the position as director of ASP would offer me the opportunity to apply my knowledge of the law, work closely with students, and…create the supportive and giving environment that is the hallmark of ASP and Santa Clara law school."

Wendy Chou '01 and Molly McDonald '95

Molly McDonald '95, assistant vice president for human resources for SCU, spent seven years as human resources director, attorney, and later general counsel for the Diocese of Monterey, before returning to SCU in May 2003. She returned to SCU in order to work in Catholic education. (McDonald had earlier taught at Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose.) "I am the product of a Catholic education," she says, "and I have always been committed to Catholic education. I had really wonderful experiences at Loyola and at SCU. Both of these institutions have made me the professional I am today. Both have enhanced my desire and enthusiasm for the pursuit of knowledge."

Besides full-time employees, a good number of practitioners work part-time for the law school, including as LARAW (Legal Analysis Research and Writing) instructors. Rebecca Sue Jones B.A. '83, J.D. '87, Alumni Board president for the past three years, wasted no time getting out into the world after graduation. She passed the bar and immediately hung a shingle with her brother, Michael Jay Jones '83. She returned to campus as a LARAW instructor and has been teaching in the evening program since 1992.

Transitional Challenges

The transition from student to faculty member or administrator is not without its challenges. Bali grew up in India where teachers and students rarely interacted on an informal basis. Teachers were revered, referred to only by their formal titles, and kept at a distance. Classes were chosen for you, and boys and girls were kept safely apart. 

Even in college, a strict dress code was enforced (by the nuns, as these were Catholic schools).

Rebecca Sue Jones B.A. '83, J.D. '87

By the time Bali entered law school in 1993 (and despite a year at a women's college in 1984-85 that her parents expected would maintain these formalities), she had begun a transformation. In the intervening nine years, she had adapted to U.S. college life, had moved across the country, and had left an arranged marriage. ("I had barely ever spoken to a man before I was married," she says.)

Still, when she made the transition from student to lawyer to teacher, the shadow of her education in India followed. At her SCU workplace, Bali started out calling law professors "Professor." When one of them suggested this placed her on a different level, where she might not be treated as an equal, she stopped. "Making the mental transition from student to faculty member was a more difficult task than I could have imagined," she says.

McDonald agrees that the "oddest thing has been calling the professors by their first names." And Chou says she cannot stop herself from calling the Dean "Dean Polden," "whereas I would probably call the dean of the engineering department by his or her first name."

New Insight

SCU employees who have had the experience of being SCU law students believe it adds to their understanding of the whole University and to their ability to do their jobs.

Initially, it makes adjusting to a new job a lot easier. "You automatically know the landscape," says McDonald. "I knew physically where things are; I knew who people are. Most importantly, I knew and understood the mission of SCU. I don't think having been a student is a prerequisite, but it makes things easier."

Chou's experience as an SCU alumna is an instant icebreaker when approaching potential donors. "The first question they ask is 'Are you an alum?' That gets me in the door and gives me credibility. I can speak from personal experience about SCU. Most of the donors are alumni who love SCU and had a positive experience. Once they know I'm an alum too, they start telling me stories of their experience. This is one of the best parts of the job. The older the donor is, the more stories!"

Having been a student also enables Chou to see the University from the point of view of student, administrator, and alumna. "It's good to have a clearer picture of what the University is; it allows me to do my job better. I can speak to many other facets of the University."

Terán, as well, believes her experience as a student has helped her in her job. "For one thing, the academic schedule would not be so clear to me had I not been a law student here," she says. "Now I know better what students need and how their lives intersect with the law school-especially evening students. Being a law student really gave me wonderful insight into how the place ought to work and how to work with faculty. I don't think it's absolutely necessary to have been a student here, but it helps me tremendously in doing my job well."

Terán also credits the law school experience of Mary Emery '63, associate dean for the School of Law, as a factor in making Emery an outstanding mentor, who has assisted Terán in decisions regarding education, career, and family. "I owe a debt of gratitude to Mary Emery. Her perspective, having been a student, and her loyalty to the institution have made her a wonderful role model."

Bali says that in her role assisting students with study skills and other tools for law school success, "it is a distinct advantage to have experienced learning in the environment where I am now teaching. I can steer students more effectively having been through their particular experiences, and having shaped my own career as a law student from the same basic mold."

For the love of it

Practical considerations underscore most job decisions. In the case of law school alumni who return to campus, another consideration seems to weigh heavily: a deep appreciation of the values of SCU, often described as a love for SCU.

Bali says the law school has a special place in her heart as it "offered me a mind-opening educational opportunity far beyond any that I had previously experienced. Besides paving my road to independence and security, the law school has enabled me to form friendships and relationships that will be a part of my professional and personal life for many more years than I was a student at this school."

McDonald says she feels a strong connection with "the community atmosphere of SCU and its values." She says, "I'm so proud of working for SCU because it has so much to offer students, faculty, employees, and indeed the whole community." (As the mom of a toddler, McDonald is especially appreciative of the care her two-year-old receives at SCU's Kids on Campus.)

Dean Donald Polden is not surprised by the depth of alumni commitment to SCU and the desire to return. "It is a wonderful place to work and has a collegial atmosphere. The high ethical pursuits begin at the top and permeate the structure of the institution," he says.

Jones' experience with the law school demonstrates the degree to which so many alumni are committed to SCU and its values. She completed her undergraduate degree in political science at SCU in 1983 and then applied to the law school. "Two of my older brothers graduated before me as undergrads and my brother Michael graduated before me in law school. Following in their footsteps, Santa Clara was my first and only real choice for law school."

Jones, however, was not accepted to SCU School of Law. She attended Lincoln Law School for her first year. Then she reapplied to SCU and was accepted. She so wanted an SCU law school education that she repeated her entire first year of law school. She does not regret her decision. "Santa Clara is in my blood," she says. "Although I graduated from the law school in 1987, I feel as though I have never left."

Susan Vogel is a frequent contributor to Et al. and other SCU publications.