Dear Alumni and Friends,

When visiting alumni, I am frequently asked, “How is the law school doing?” I have many responses, of course. The theme of each response is one of progress; the subject of the response varies.

If the subject is our students, then I can say with confidence that the law school is doing very well. The law school exists for the students, for the future of the legal profession. Let me take a moment to give you a sense of the talent our faculty enjoys in the classroom every day.

The Fall 2008 entering class of 290 students was chosen from an applicant pool of more than 2,200. There were 7.5 applicants for each seat in the entering class, as compared with the applicant pool from nine years ago when we had only four applicants for each seat in the entering class.

Although the numbers are still preliminary, we can be fairly certain that the average full-time student beginning her law school classes next Fall will have earned a 3.5 grade point average as an undergraduate; she will have scored at the 72nd percentile on the Law School Admissions Test. The entering class will have equal numbers of men and women, and will have been drawn from more than 130 undergraduate institutions and 30 states. Our top undergraduate feeder schools will once again be Saint Louis University, the University of Missouri at Columbia, Washington University and the University of Illinois.

Of course, the numbers tell only part of the story. In my nine years at Saint Louis University, I have had the privilege to get to know many of our students. Many have been in my Evidence and Remedies classes. Many have been the student leaders in the law journals, student government, moot courts and the like. Suffice it to say, our students continue a long SLU Law tradition. They come to us as very well-rounded citizens on their way to being fine lawyers. As undergraduates they were academic stars, varsity athletes and campus leaders; they were involved in their community and were caring sons and daughters, brothers and sisters. As they build on these qualities in law school, the entire law school community prospers, and so, too, will the legal profession and the public which it serves.

We have wonderful students. I would like to introduce you to the valedictorian of our May graduating class. Elizabeth Millard, ’08, grew up in Denver and graduated from Kenyon College, summa cum laude, with a B.A. in Molecular Biology. She earned a Ph.D. in Molecular Cell Biology from Washington University in 2003. She is a registered patent agent. At Saint Louis University Elizabeth has earned the top grade in numerous courses, served as managing editor of the Saint Louis University Law Journal, received the Best Student Note or Comment Award, and served as a teaching assistant in Legal Research and Writing. After the bar examination, she and her husband will travel to Uganda and Rwanda for a change of scenery before Elizabeth starts at Senniger Powers this Fall.

As I write, the Spring semester is drawing to a close, examinations are upon us, and graduation for 282 SLU law students is just around the corner. Soon they will be working for law firms and companies large and small; they will be working for local, state and national government; they will be working as public defenders, prosecutors and judicial clerks. And as their careers develop they will have opportunities galore; legal education is the most enabling of all educational opportunities. You, our alumni, are perfect evidence of this fact!

We have much more to accomplish in the years ahead. The support of alumni and friends of the School of Law will continue to be key. One of the distinguishing characteristics of great American law schools is the presence of strong alumni involvement. Please keep sending outstanding students to your law school. Please keep hiring the graduates of your law school. And please continue your financial support — for it is your generosity that makes it possible for us to fully support our students and their teachers. In a real and measurable way, your contributions provide that margin of excellence which is so important for the continued progress of your law school.

And now, with the advent of summer I offer my wish that each of us will find time for some good restorative recreation and relaxation with family and friends.

Take care,

Jeffrey E. Lewis
Dean and Professor of Law