Dear UDC-DCSL Community and Friends,

This edition of The Advocate highlights community service and accomplishments, a wonderful set of recent educational programs on campus, and some change and progress at the School of Law. As always, our students lead the way. We are all so proud of those honored for their outstanding clinical legal services by the Olender Foundation at the Kennedy Center in December, and those working every day in the clinical programs. When you read about the work our students undertake, you will know how difficult it is to select award winners. Beginning on page 16 in “Clinic Highlights,” read about student law reform efforts like the Standby Guardianship Bill; individual representation of low-income tenants in Superior Court and in administrative hearings; advocacy on behalf of prisoners facing parole revocation; research and legislative drafting for D.C. Councilmembers to e.g., improve health and safety, criminal justice, and voting procedures; and lawyering for juveniles in the abuse and neglect system and for those with special education needs.

We are also enormously proud of our alumni, ten of whom were sworn into the U.S. Supreme Court Bar in November. Building on the legal education received in the classroom and in the clinic, alumni are receiving graduate law degrees, becoming judges, being appointed special masters, and for Joe and Brooke Teefey, ‘94), delivering triplets!.

Our faculty also continue to astonish with an amazing work output pursuing law reform on behalf of vulnerable D.C. residents, speaking at national and local conferences, and publishing at an ever increasing pace.

As you peruse The Advocate you will see coverage of the Reparations in the 21st Century Program, Jesse Jackson, Jr.’s Book Party for his new book, A More Perfect Union: Advancing New American Rights, death penalty foe Steve Bright’s lecture, Fannie Mae V.P. Jamie Gorelick’s career services presentation and other programs, e.g., on education, human needs, and non-violent alternatives to war. These programs brought hundreds of D.C. residents to the UDC campus, many for the first time. Stay tuned! We are already planning an equally exciting spring line-up.

The School of Law has made great progress this year. It became eligible and applied for full American Bar Association accreditation on October 15, 2001. The next site evaluation team arrives April 10 for a three-day inspection, and the Team’s report will be considered at the November 2002 Accreditation Committee meeting. We are delighted to have reached this milestone! Assisting the School of Law in its final push is a new member of the Management Team, Associate Dean for Administration and Finance, Janice Washington (DCSL ‘94). She is already making a wonderful contribution. Many thanks for the extraordinary service provided by former Associate Dean Stephanie Brown who will resume teaching in the fall as part of the faculty after a much deserved sabbatical leave.

I hope you enjoy this issue!

Sincerely,
Shelley Broderick
Dean, UDC David A. Clarke School of Law