Dean’s Message

Dear Alumni and Friends,
From the pages of this issue of Saint Louis Brief,  I am confident you will see what I see every day — a totally engaged student body, taught by a talented and productive faculty, supported by a dedicated staff. I hope you will peruse the pages that follow so that you may see and enjoy for yourself the richness that is Saint Louis University School of Law. 

At the School of Law the Jesuit, Catholic tradition of involvement in the community is taken seriously. From ninth graders at Northwest Academy in St. Louis, to victims of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, our students, faculty and staff have been giving of their time and talent in service to others. This summer more than 38 School of Law students will work in the public interest supported by the Public Interest Fellowship Program; resources for this program flow from the proceeds of the annual PILG auction, the School of Law Annual Fund and the Dagen endowment. On the scholarly side, Professor Sidney Watson, a specialist in health care access for the poor, was the laboring oar in an important study on medical debt and housing security in the State of Missouri.

The Center for Health Law Studies continues to be a jewel in the crown of our law school. The new Saint Louis University Journal of Health Law & Policy will be inaugurated this coming academic year. Published bi-annually by the Center and a student editorial board, the Journal will feature articles that provide in-depth analysis of topical and developing issues in health law and policy. An innovative feature of the Journal will be a Web site, maintained by the editorial board of the Journal, which will feature a health law blog, and podcasts of the Center’s Distinguished Speaker Series and annual symposium. On the faculty front, Professor Tim Greaney, the Chester A. Myers Professor of Law and co-director of the Center, was named the 2007 recipient of the Jay Healey Health Law Teachers Award by the American Society of Law, Medicine and Ethics; this award is based on excellence in teaching, mentoring students, and supporting colleagues. On the student front, it is quite fitting that our health law program continues to be considered the top program in the nation for the fourth year in a row according to U.S. News and World Report. And fitting also is that the Health Law Moot Court Team won the National Health Law Moot Court Competition.

Speaking of moot court competitions, you will see that our student moot court teams traveled the nation and acquitted themselves in fine fashion; this enhances the prestige of our law school and provides a terrific educational experience for our students.  More generally, student involvement through co-curricular activities and organizations reached a new level this year. Of particular note was the adoption of a student-administered honor code by the faculty and the student body this spring. This marks a new era in student responsibility and engagement in the professional environment of our law school. My special thanks to Professor David Sloss, who chaired the faculty committee, Student Bar President Brandon Porter and Matthew Bober, who chaired the Student Honor Code Committee.

Now that I’ve discussed faculty and students, I would be remiss to leave out the final pieces of the puzzle — you, our friends and alumni. As you already know, your financial support of the School of Law is crucial to its future. As an example, the resources that support our moot court teams come from the School of Law Annual Fund.  The Annual Fund is the way in which you can help us assure that our students and their teachers have the resources needed to support an excellent education in the law. This year the Annual Fund goal was $400,000; as of the date of this writing we are at $430,000 and counting - thank you so much!

In order to secure our position as one of the premier law schools in the nation, we must enhance and enlarge the physical space that houses the School of Law. This will assure our ability to maintain a great faculty, an outstanding student body and an excellent educational program. Take a look at the architectural rendering below — this is our vision.  Your assistance will be crucial to making this vision of the New School of Law at Saint Louis University a reality. This is an essential next step in our future.

Sincerely yours,

Jeffrey E. Lewis
Dean and Professor of Law