“You hold in your hands what many believe to be the best novel ever written. To Kill a Mockingbird is the story of a crusading lawyer, Atticus Finch, and his fight for moral truth and racial justice. Today, his character continues to ignite important dialogue.
This iconic story has inspired many of our students to be lawyers. It is our gift to you because of the path you have chosen and because the story of Cleveland-Marshall is also an iconic story of justice and equality.
In our 120-year history of leadership and innovation in legal education, we were the first law school in Ohio to admit women and one of the first to admit African-Americans. Through our longstanding clinical and pro bono programs, our students have worked hard to build a world that strives for justice. We not only honor our past; we invest in our future. From leadership in cybersecurity and health care law to innovation in collaborative learning, we continue to be a law school of firsts and an institution of opportunity and excellence.
We are proud that you have met our high standards for admission and we would be even prouder to welcome you to our C|M|Law family as we Learn Law & Live Justice.”
Over the past several months, we’ve been sending To Kill a Mockingbird to each of our admitted students. Chris Lucak, Assistant Dean for Admission and Financial Aid, and Elaine Terman, Director of Marketing and Communications, conceived this creative idea, and it’s been exciting to implement.
On the inside cover of the book is their name, the date they were admitted to C|M|Law, and additional lines for the date they will graduate law school, and another for when they pass the bar. It is accompanied by my above personalized note. Personal outreach is a vital part of our strategy to attract the best students and increase our enrollment, and I’m very pleased to report that our personalized approach is resonating. Below is a sampling of the notes we have received from admitted students, as well as staff, faculty, and alumni.
“I would just like to take the time to say thank you for the pleasant gift I received in the mail today. "To Kill A Mockingbird" is one of my all-time favorite reads; and now that I have a pristine new copy, I'll for sure be reading it very soon. I would also like to thank you for making me feel welcomed into the Cleveland-Marshall family. I plan on visiting the school in the next few weeks, so I hope to meet you then. Yours sincerely.” - George Kennett
“The welcome gift of “To Kill a Mockingbird” was a wonderful surprise. The personalized bonus of my name and admitted date with space to add additional milestone dates, truly makes this a special keepsake. I would like to thank you and the Cleveland-Marshall family for accepting me into the school and allowing for the pursuit of my lifelong dream. It is with great excitement that I await the first day of 1L classes. Warmest regards.” -Lesley Nelson
“What an awesome Idea! It is greatly appreciated. Another example of how fortunate we are to have such caring, creative, talented and dedicated co-workers. I am honored to work among these wonderful individuals. Great job Chris and Elaine.” -Jean Packard, Administrative Coordinator, The C|M|Law Clinics
“Lee -regarding To Kill a Mockingbird, in 2010 I was part of a WCPN 50th anniversary discussion of the book. I discussed some of my personal experiences with the book along with my experience teaching the book in my Law in Literature and Film seminar. The link to that broadcast is here:http://www.ideastream.org/programs/sound-of-applause/to-kill-a-mockingbird -Professor Lolita Buckner Inniss (Lolita’s insightful comments begin at 3 minutes:15 seconds)
Equally notable have been the responses from the following alumni and adjunct faculty, voicing their enthusiastic support of our personal outreach to admitted students! Special thanks to Gary Adams, James Aussem, Brandon Cox, Deborah Coleman, Tim Collins, Joe Dunson, Tom Green, Alana Jochum, Ashley Jones, Dan Mordarski, David Neel, Russell O'Rourke, Patricia Ritzert, Tom Scanlon, Mark Smolik, Judge Melody Stewart, Kelly Tompkins, Joy Roller, Alan Jay Rom, Lisa Gold-Scott, Jerry Walton, David Weiner, Keith Weiner, Bob Weisman, Jen Wilson, and Scott Wilson. Below is a sampling of some of the responses.
“What a wonderful idea and congratulations to all who thought of it and implemented it. I know it is one of the books that inspired me to want to be a lawyer; I read it when it came out and the first thing I did when I finished it was to re-read it….What an ideal gift for an incoming student! Please refer any student who wants to talk to an alum to contact me; I will take any time s/he wants to talk about legal education, CM (then and now), about the practice of law and how that has changed, opportunities in the non-traditional world and anything else that I have experience and knowledge about.” - Alan Jay Rom ’72
“What a fabulous idea! This is just one example of why I love C-M Law! I love how your personalized note includes a nod to the past but is simultaneously forward-looking.” - Lisa Gold-Scott ‘94
“This warms my heart! What a beautiful idea, Chris. I'm so proud of the personal touch we give each admitted student. Well done, team.” - Alana Jochum ‘10
Have a great week!
Lee