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Welcome Back Message from Dean David Van Zandt

January 07, 2002


A Message from the Dean

Welcome back for the spring semester! I hope you all enjoyed the holidays and are ready for an active and productive semester.

I'm pleased to announce that after months of brainstorming with students and working with designers, the IT and Communication departments have posted the new Esqwire Central website. The sleek new design features a weekly and monthly calendar of events as well as the most recent Law School announcements.

Quick Links connect you to the Law School homepage, the Registrars Office, Black Board/Course Info, the Law Library, Student Affairs and many other important sites. You can check or forward your email, change your password, easily submit or modify your organization's events and announcements, connect to your favorite news sources, find a roommate or sell your stereo in the classifieds, suggest links you think should be added, and even see the countdown to graduation.

Law students developed the internal home page several years ago, and they were integral to the development of the new Esqwire Central. Please take time to check out all the new features, and let us know what you think by e-mailing your comments or suggestions. This is your site, and we want to know what is or isn't useful to you.

Speaking of important announcements, please join me in welcoming this semester's visiting professors.

David L. Cameron, a professor at Willamette University College of Law, will teach teach Basic Federal Income Taxation and Taxation of Intellectual Property this semester. He earned his BS from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his JD from Northwestern. David's office is RB 345, his office phone number is 312-503-1747, and his e-mail is d-cameron@law.northwestern.edu.
John Oldham McGinnis, a professor at the Cardozo School of Law, will teach sections of Constitutional Law and International Trade this semester. He earned his BA and JD from Harvard University and his MA in Philosophy and Theology from Oxford University. John's office is LM 275, his office phone number is 312-503-3235, and his e-mail address is j-mcginnis@law.northwestern.edu

I also want to let you know about a few important events that will occur this semester. Of course you can also link to Esqwire Central for more information about each by clicking on the links that follow.

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR DAY CELEBRATIONS, January 21-24
Each year the D.R.E.A.M. Committee coordinates lectures and programs to educate the Chicago Campus community on the teachings and contributions of Dr. King. This year's Chicago events include keynote speaker Reverend Billy Kyles, performances by the High Jump Program and Habeas Chorus, a lecture and book signing by Jesse Jackson Jr., and a panel discussion about diversity in law firms and another about public housing. For more information click here.

LAWYER AS PROBLEM SOLVER CONFERENCE FOR FIRST YEAR STUDENTS, January 25
Several faculty members have worked with the Student Affairs team to organize the "Lawyer as Problem Solver Conference." The innovative all-day conference will take place on January 25 at the Westin Hotel. It is mandatory for all first year students and will cover conflict management, team building, negotiation, creative problem solving, interviewing, counseling, ethics, and written communication skills. For more information click here.

MOOT COURT COMPETITION, February 5 - March 8
Preliminary rounds for the Julius H. Miner Moot Court Competition begin February 5. The Competition is held in honor of Judge Miner who received an LLM degree from NU in 1945. We expect more teams than ever to compete this year, which means we need more judges than ever. Any faculty members interested in judging should please e-mail Chris Lavigne mailto:c-lavigne@law.northwestern.edu. For more information click here.

CHIEF JUSTICE CHARLES T. WELLS OF THE FLORIDA SUPREME COURT TO DELIVER POPE & JOHN LECTURE, February 14
The Hon. Charles T. Wells, Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court, will deliver the 2002 Pope & John Lecture Series on Professionalism on February 14, at 5 p.m. Justice Wells entered the national spotlight during the historic courtroom battle over the Florida balloting system when he issued a dissent to the Florida Supreme Court's majority decision to order a county-by-county recount in the 2000 Presidential Election. For more information click here.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH, February 18-21
DIVERSITY WEEK, March 4-8 (tentative)
Each year several student organizations, including the Black Law Students Association and the Diversity Coalition, work with the Student Affairs team and the Office of Minority affairs to plan events and panel discussions to promote dialogue about diversity within the Law School community. Lani Guinier, the Bennett Boskey Professor of Law at Harvard University, will deliver the Black History Month keynote address on Monday, February 18, 2002.

DAY AT NORTHWESTERN LAW, April 6
Each spring more than 100 admitted students attend Day at Northwestern Law, a special event planned by students working with the Admissions and Student Affairs teams. The goal is to introduce admitted students to the Law School and help them make the decision to join our community. For more information click here.

CULTURAL HISTORIAN GARRY WILLS TO DELIVER JULIUS ROSENTHAL FOUNDATION LECTURE SERIES, April 9-11
Garry Wills, an adjunct professor in the Northwestern University Department of History, will deliver this year's Julius H. Rosenthal Lecture Series at the Law School on April 9-11. Professor Wills' books include penetrating studies of George Washington, Richard Nixon, the Kennedy family, Ronald Reagan, and religion in America. For more information click here.

I hope you will mark your calendars for these upcoming events!

David E. Van Zandt
Dean and Professor of Law
Northwestern University School of Law

 

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