DeanWuBlog

Enrichment Activities

Welcome again to both the new academic year and to our Law School. Fall on campus is always exciting, and it is one of the great pleasures of my role as your Dean to participate in the many enrichment activities that bring us together as a community. We have a wonderful series of events already planned, and I hope you will come to as many of them as possible. Although your primary responsibility as a student is to your formal coursework, your education is completed by informal extracurricular experiences.

An important book entitled Making the Most of College, written by Professor Richard J. Light following his extensive interviewing of undergraduates showed that “learning outside of classes, especially in residential settings and extracurricular activities such as the arts, is vital.” Indeed, most students identified as their most important experience one that occurred outside of classes. His findings extend to professional school. Of course, I trust you have the seriousness of purpose required for success in your legal studies as the beginning of your legal career. I urge you as well to become acquainted with a teacher by visiting him/her during office hours, form a study group that cultivates thoughtful discussion, and join one of the myriad student organizations. And I ask that you come at least once per semester to a lecture or a panel presentation or a debate with one of the many guests whom we are honored to host.

Aside from the intellectual benefit, our enrichment activities are an occasion for networking that advances your career and socializing that creates a sense of stakeholding. Our reputation is enhanced by these events, not only locally but nationally.

I've listed below the major activities that are coming up. We expect to introduce a web-based public calendar this academic year that will facilitate planning and publicity.

Thank you very much.

ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES

September 12, 2006. History of Michigan Law symposium. The Law School is sponsoring, with the Ohio University Press, publisher of a series of books on the legal history of the former Northwest Territory, a symposium celebrating publication of the volume The History of Michigan Law. The lunch featuring adjunct professor David Chardavoyne is at noon in the Law School Faculty Lounge (please RSVP to Ms. Dortenzio at robind@wayne.edu); the panel discussion and reception begin at 6:30 pm in the Law School’s Partrich Auditorium, with a keynote at 8:30 pm by Professor Paul Finkelman, a noted legal historian specializing in race and civil rights, speaking on those topics with an emphasis on our state.

September 21, 2006. John Trasviña. The President of the Mexican American Legal Defense & Education Fund (MALDEF), John Trasviña, will deliver a public address on “Legal Issues Facing Latinos and America’s Future,” at 7:00 pm in the Law School’s Partrich Auditorium.

September 27-29, 2006. Scholar in Residence Kimberle Crenshaw. Professor Kimberle Crenshaw, of UCLA and Columbia and a founder of the Critical Race Theory movement, will come to the Law School as a short-term academic visitor sponsored by the Izumi Family Fund. The main public event is an address on “Ten Myths About Affirmative Action,” at 7:00 pm, September 28, in the Law School’s Partrich Auditorium. Faculty and graduate students in all fields are invited to an informal lunch with Professor Crenshaw, 12:15 pm, September 29, in the Law School Faculty Lounge; please RSVP to Ms. Teryn Kennedy of the Dean's Suite, terynkennedy@wayne.edu.

October 12, 2006. 14th Annual Bernard Gottfried Memorial Labor Law Symposium. This day-long conference, co-sponsored with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the State Bar of Michigan Labor and Employment Section, honors the late Director of the NLRB Region Seven, who also taught as an Adjunct Professor here for many years.

October 12, 2006. The 3rd Biennial Damon J. Keith Lecture. Professor Derrick Bell will be the featured speaker for this major event, sponsored by the Damon J. Keith Collection in African-American Legal History. Professor Bell, from NYU Law School and author of numerous critically-acclaimed books, will speak on “The Civil Rights Lawyer’s Role in a Time of Mortal Crisis,” at 6:30 pm in the Law School’s Partrich Auditorium; reception to begin at 6:00 pm.

November 9, 2006. Symposium on the Economic Loss Doctrine. This event will feature a panel discussion on the economic loss doctrine. Details are forthcoming.

November 16, 2006. Law Review Symposium. This day-long event, an annual tradition of the Wayne Law Review, will consider the “War on Terrorism.” Details are forthcoming.