Dear Friends,

I had the great joy of spending time in "sweet home” Chicago for the ABA-AALS Deans’ Week. There is something special about gathering with law school leaders from across the country, brilliant and visionary public servants who deeply understand the challenges and opportunities facing legal education today. I had the chance to facilitate an insightful dialogue with fellow deans of private and mission-centric law schools, reconnect with dear friends whose counsel I have so appreciated over the years, and warmly welcome new deans just beginning their own leadership journeys. 

Together, we developed innovative strategies for expanding affordable access to legal education, preparing our students to become stewards of the rule of law and ethical advocates for their clients and communities, and making more visible the overwhelming evidence of the tremendous economic and social value of a legal education. I want to extend my sincere thanks to our gracious host, Loyola University Chicago School of Law, for their hospitality and brilliant programming, particularly Dean Michelle Alexandre, Teresa Mastropieri, and LaTrina Porter. 

It was wonderful to be back in Chicago for this special occasion, where I also had the great pleasure of gathering with our incredibly accomplished alumni and current students, including Ann Marie Ursini, Patrick Zelazko, and Jeff Ferriell. I was once again reminded of how special our Santa Clara Law alumni are and the positive difference they are making in the world. 

While in Chicago, I also had the privilege of visiting the awe-inspiring Obama Presidential Center. For all people who genuinely love America, the Center is a tearful and spiritual journey of hope in these challenging times, reminding us of President Obama’s call to action at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama: “The single most powerful word in our democracy is the word ‘We.’ … Oh what a glorious task we are given, to continually try to improve this great nation of ours.”

Behind the resolute desk in the Oval Office at the Obama Center

Over the summer, our graduates have been preparing for the July Bar Exam. Please join me in sending them our best wishes and in thanking our Office of Academic and Bar Success and Law Student Services teams for providing invaluable support during the long and intense study period. I have justifiable confidence in our bar takers, and I’m grateful for how our community has rallied behind them as they join their fellow alumni in taking up the “glorious task” of trying to “improve this great nation of ours.” 

With warm regards and great gratitude,   

 

Michael J. Kaufman
Dean and Professor of Law
Santa Clara University School of Law