Good Morning. First and foremost, thank you for the opportunity to serve as Interim Dean. It’s an honor and a privilege.
Every Monday Morning, I will share some thoughts, and this Wednesday we will launch our new bi-weekly (every 2 weeks) e-newsletter. We’ll highlight the great work of our students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends. And we’ll reflect not only on what we do but also on why it’s so important.
In June, the Cleveland Cavaliers ended Cleveland’s 52-year, 146 season professional sports championship drought by becoming the first professional basketball team to ever rally from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals.
Recently, the New York Times published “The Law School Bust” about the challenges facing law schools in an era of declining enrollment, increased need for financial scholarship support, and a challenging legal employment market.
What do these two seemingly unconnected things have to do with each other? A lot.
C|M|Law is an institution where, in the words of LeBron James, “nothing is given; everything is earned.”This past week, I had the privilege to welcome our impressive first year class. Our students at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law have the unstoppable drive to succeed despite whatever barriers and setbacks they’ve faced in life. They’ve worked very hard to earn the right to attend a law school of quality and opportunity. We believe in them and we are committed to do everything we can to enable them to believe in themselves, no matter the odds.
That’s why, during this historic year of Cleveland’s first professional sports championship in 52 years, I will sometimes refer to our law school as “Believeland-Marshall College of Law. Nothing is Given. Everything is Earned.” Maybe it’s a little hokey, but it has the advantage of being true. C|M|LAW is an iconic, revered and invaluable asset to the Ohio legal community, and Greater Cleveland and Northeast Ohio in particular. Just as importantly, C|M|LAW is important to successive generations of young women and men seeking to make a difference.
I welcome your recommendations about how together we can take C|M|LAW to the next level of excellence, impact, and distinctiveness as a great public law school in a great city where we believe in ourselves and everything is earned.
Thanks.
Lee
Lee Fisher
Interim Dean and Visiting Professor of Law