Willamette University College of Law welcomes six new faculty members. They will contribute expertise to the school’s curricular modernization efforts. One of them will serve as dean of the college. And one is a distinguished practitioner and former federal jurist. Several others bring experience and knowledge to the law school, and all will help prepare students for a rapidly changing world.
The Law School is also expanding experiential learning opportunities for students. In an effort to make the student experience more interactive, Willamette will soon resume in-person education for the first time in more than a decade. A gift from Marty Wolf ’57, LLB’60 has allowed for an expansion of the experiential learning programs. This will include additional classes and a new children’s law training center.
As part of its curricular modernization, Willamette Law has introduced its Signature Strengths Initiative. The initiative recognizes and fosters the professional skills that students develop during their time at the law school. These strengths are designed to improve their career prospects in the legal profession. It is a component of Willamette Law’s historically progressive approach to legal education.
The school has also announced its newest faculty for the 2022-23 academic year. David Friedman, an associate professor of law at Willamette, joins ISG’s Legal department, and will support The Standard. Additionally, the University of Denver Sturm College of Law fellow will be joining the College of Law faculty.
Professor Bertrall Ross, who teaches Constitutional Law and Public Policy at the University of Virginia School of Law, published a paper examining the risk of political violence. He is working to help combat child sex abuse images online. Previously, he was the director of the school’s clinical law program. Another professor, Associate Professor Shelley Welton, published five articles in the top fifteen law reviews in the last five years.
In addition to new faculty, several new departments are now open. For example, the Children’s Law Center will have a first-class teaching space, and will improve the ways in which the school protects children in South Carolina. Similarly, the new Palmetto LEADER mobile law office will help those in need, and will be available in areas of need throughout the state.
Other new additions to the law school include a group of faculty focused on the legal design of money. Their research includes land use law and the legal design of the financial system. Some of their recent work has been instrumental in helping to draft a Congressional Resolution approving streaming royalty for musicians.
The law school’s newest class is one of the best in its history. They were recognized at their commencement exercises for their achievements in the 2020-2020 academic year. Many students fought for their bar exams, and they passed. Others took advantage of resources that were available to them to overcome the barriers they faced to becoming attorneys.
The school is encouraging its students to utilize all the resources they have to help them succeed in the legal field. Two of the law school’s recent mock trial competitions received outstanding results. The Bruce Spaulding Trial Competition held its final round of contests in September. Students contested for a chance to win the King of the Hill Mock Trial Competition in October.