Downtown

The road ahead for Brooklyn Law School

July 6, 2013 By Dean Nicholas Allard Brooklyn Law School
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(This is a condensed reprint of a message sent to the Brooklyn Law School community by Dean Nick Allard.)

One year ago I became your dean, and what a year it’s been. There is something about anniversaries that prompts one to take stock of the past and think about the future. This note will be the first of regular communications from me to you to discuss opportunities and challenges for our Law School.

First, I thank the entire Brooklyn Law School community for the warm welcome that Marla and I have received and for the incredible support and encouragement from our students, faculty, staff, alumni, trustees, and the local legal and civic community. I also acknowledge and extend my gratitude to Dean and President Emerita Joan Wexler, who enhanced this institution beyond measure. It is an incredible privilege to serve and be part of our great Law School.

A Look Back

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Together, we have accomplished a good deal this past year. Consider, for example:

*      The announcement of the first accelerated two-year J.D. program in the New York metro area;

*      The launch of our Business Boot Camp over intersession break;

*      The addition of a new dual degree program with Pratt Institute;

*      Recognition of our Journal of Law & Policy as the most cited policy-related law journal by courts in the last eight years;

*      Our strong commitment to the community, as reflected in the Brooklyn Sandy Relief Legal Clinic and new pro bono and volunteer opportunities;

*      Enhanced intellectual discourse and networking opportunities through a packed schedule of academic and alumni events; and,

*      So much more.

These accomplishments only happen because of the talent, hard work, and dedication of many people, and the groundwork done well before I arrived. We know that we can become an even better Law School. One thing that I’ve learned about Brooklyn Law School – both in its long history and over this past year – is that it rises to challenges, that adversity makes it stronger.

Brooklyn Ready
 

When our students graduate, they are ready. In fact, they are “Brooklyn Ready.”

Brooklyn Ready means being able to handle any curveball that a world of change throws your way, being able to answer tough questions, and forging solutions to new problems that no one has thought of yet.

Brooklyn Ready also means leveraging and embracing our borough – the best laboratory in the world in which to experience and study law. We are a stand-alone law school, but hardly alone – the only law school in the heart of Downtown Brooklyn’s renaissance and part of a vibrant community. Our students give as much as they get, and they get a lot by giving. The current issue of BLS LawNotes highlights this symbiotic relationship and the incredible innovations it yields.   

Five Specific Goals

In the year ahead, I will be focusing on five specific goals to help strengthen the Law School, and I need your help:
 

1.    Building on our reputation in the legal and academic community;

2.    Significantly improving job prospects for our students and recent alumni;

3.    Assuring that students are prepared to pass the bar;

4.    Launching the most comprehensive program for training students to become lawyers for new businesses in the U.S.; and,

5.    Increasing alumni participation by objective metrics.

I will continue in the year ahead, as I have done in the past 12 months, to make myself available to hear and learn from you. So as we move resolutely forward, we will build an even stronger modern law school by working together, while staying true to our ideals and enduring traditions.

Thank you for your support of Brooklyn Law School.


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