From the Deans' Suite - 1/21/26 - AI at CSU|Law
Over the last semester, we've heard a steady refrain from students, alumni, and employers: AI is showing up everywhere in legal work - so how do we make sure our graduates are ready to use it responsibly and well? That question has driven a wide-ranging effort since this summer to design and implement an AI strategy for CSU Law. Today we're pleased to share news about our first significant step that is already generating real momentum.
AltaClaro + CSU|LAW: Preparing Students for AI-Enabled Practice
From the Deans' Suite - 1/14/26 - What "Break" Really Looks Like at CSU Law
Spring semester classes started this week, and it’s wonderful to have folks back in the building.
I’d like to share today a bit of what some of our faculty were up to during the “break” between semesters. First, “break” is something of a misnomer. While classes pause, the work does not. Throughout the winter recess, our faculty were deeply engaged in scholarship, teaching innovation, and national leadership, perhaps nowhere more evident than at last week’s American Association of Law Schools (“AALS”) Annual Meeting in New Orleans.
CSU College Of Law Rolls Out Prompt Engineering Course
Published via Law360 Pulse by Steven Lerner (opens in new window)
In an effort to ensure that its graduates enter the legal profession with a proper understanding of how to use artificial intelligence responsibly and effectively, the Cleveland State University College of Law launched a prompt engineering for lawyers course in early January.
CSU College of Law announced the new program Wednesday, with over 130 of the school's 500 students already enrolled in the voluntary course. The program uses the Fundamentals of Prompt Engineering for Lawyers course developed by the legal training platform AltaClaro.
CSU|LAW & AltaClaro Partner to Offer Prompt Engineering Program
Published via Legaltech News by Ella Sherman (opens in new window)
The optional certificate program covers prompt engineering basics and AI’s limitations in the legal practice.
What You Need to Know
The U.S. Attacks Against Venezuela: Does Might Make Right?
Public Forum with Professors Milena Sterio and Kyle Shen
On January 3, U.S. forces launched an attack against Venezuela. In the early hours of the same day, U.S. forces captured and kidnapped Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro as well as his wife; within hours both were transferred to the Southern District of New York, where a criminal indictment had been pending against Maduro since 2020, and where a newly filed indictment added Maduro's wife and so as co-defendants. The indictment charges them with conspiracy to traffic drugs and arms into the United States.
From the Deans' Suite - 12/18/25 - Gratitude
As we end the Fall semester and bring 2025 to a close, we’ve been taking some time to reflect on our first semester serving as Co-Interim Deans.
What stands out most—what rises above the calendars and commitments—is how incredibly fortunate we are to work with such a dedicated, caring group of faculty and staff who understand that our work is not only about training lawyers, but also a craft and a calling to shape lives and realize dreams. One of the most wonderful parts of this job is hearing directly from students how our colleagues demonstrate that commitment: with rigor and patience, with high expectations and steady belief, with acts of everyday kindness that can change a semester—or a life.
From the Deans' Suite - 12/2/25 - You've Got This
As exams approach, we want to speak to our students not just as your deans, but as former law students who remember the knot in the stomach, the late nights, and the quiet hope that all the work will be worth it.
It will.
Exams Are Where the Learning Happens
It’s easy to see exams as a verdict. But in truth, a huge amount of real learning happens while you prepare for them.
When you:
From the Deans' Suite - 11/26/25 - Thanksgiving Edition
As we head into Thanksgiving, I find myself reflecting on the incredible spirit of generosity that defines our Cleveland State University College of Law community. Last Monday, I had the privilege of attending the Ohio Supreme Court swearing-in ceremony, where more than 80 of our newest alumni became attorneys, surrounded by their families and friends. It was a wonderful and inspiring occasion. Justice DeWine reminded the new lawyers of their responsibilities to their communities, of the unique role they play as people who understand the rules of our legal system, and of the importance of seeking opportunities, both within and beyond their practice, to make a difference.
From the Deans' Suite - 11/19/25 - Leaders in Intellectual Property
“This was the first CSU Law IP+ conference I have attended. I found it to be one of the best CLE conferences I have attended in the 51 years since I graduated from then Cleveland-Marshall College of Law.”
That generous reflection from an alumnus who joined us last Friday for the IP+ Conference 2025 captures what a special event it was. With more than 300 people registered, this was one of the largest professional conferences we’ve hosted at CSU|Law—bringing together judges, leading practitioners, scholars, students, and alumni for a genuinely exceptional day of learning and connection.
From the Deans' Suite - 11/13/25 - Celebrating What Our Hall of Fame Represents
Last Friday, we welcomed more than 500 friends, alumni, students, faculty, and staff to CSU’s Glasscock Ballroom for our annual CSU Law Hall of Fame Celebration. It was a night filled with pride and gratitude—a celebration not just of individual achievement, but of the collective impact of our community.
This year, we inducted Dean Emeritus Lee Fisher into our nearly 200-member Hall of Fame—a distinguished group of graduates and friends whose accomplishments have shaped our law school, our city, and the broader legal community. Recognizing our inductees is always special. But what’s even more meaningful is celebrating what the Hall of Fame represents: the reach, influence, and enduring legacy of CSU Law.