Sign up to receive an emailed copy of the Dean's Monday Morning Message each week!
Send me my Monday morning message
Monday Morning Message 4.20.2020 Who's the Busiest and Most Important Lawyer in the World? Hint: She Came to CSU Last Week
“Make sure that the statements you are making are things that you can live by and stand behind…..be true to your principles…..in those times where there's just so much information coming at you from all angles….. go back to your core values and your core principles…” – Aparna Bawa, Chief Legal Officer of Zoom
During this public health crisis, one company, in particular, has become an overnight global phenomenon and has become the virtual lifeline for most of us.
Monday Morning Message 4.13.2020 Just You Wait
“There's a million things I haven't done. But just you wait” –Alexander Hamilton, the musical.
“This world is full of conflicts and full of things that cannot be reconciled. But there are moments when we can... reconcile and embrace the whole mess, and that's what I mean by 'Hallelujah.'”– Leonard Cohen
During this difficult time, I have been struck by the messages of hope and solidarity springing up everywhere. The voices of song and music, in particular, have a special power to lift our spirits and bring us together.
So this morning, I’m sharing some of my favorites that were produced in just the last few weeks. To paraphrase Bob Dylan, they provide “shelter from the storm.”
Monday Morning Message 4.6.2020 Students on the Front Lines
“As I witness faculty, staff, and students rising to overcome the seemingly impossible challenges this pandemic presents, I have never been more proud to be a member of the CM family…..Everyone is working so hard to adapt, and of course my heart especially goes out to the students…..My gift to the Student Emergency Fund won't go nearly as far as I'd like, but my hope is that it makes a difference in someone's life….. Susan Becker, CSU C|M|LAW Professor Emerita, Public Interest Leader-in-Residence, Member, Hall of Fame
Monday Morning Message 3.30.2020 Our North Star
“Professor Garlock….During this unprecedented time, it has been extremely tough for myself and my fellow classmates to navigate remote instruction. We all think you have done a splendid job in easing this transition for us. We recognize that this transition was and is not easy for you either… As you remember, the first year of law school is the most difficult. It has become even more difficult coupled with the unique circumstances we are facing. Despite it all, you have demonstrated an unequivocal passion for teaching and sincere regard for your students.” -1L Student
Monday Morning Message 3.23.2020 Set Apart To Feel Together
"The great paradox, of course, is that we had to be set apart in order to feel together… Solidarity is not a feeling; it’s an active virtue….It’s solidarity that causes a Marine to risk his life dragging the body of his dead comrade from battle to be returned home. It’s out of solidarity that health care workers stay on their feet amid terror and fatigue. Some things you do not for yourself or another but for the common whole.” – David Brooks, New York Times, March 19, 2020
Monday Morning Message 3.16.2020 We Are All In This Together.
“Our CSU Pandemic Response Team continues to work together to aggressively prevent the spread and transmission of COVID-19. We continue to remain vigilant, and will continue to communicate with you as events evolve during this difficult and uncertain time…. this new workforce flexibility reinforces our resolve to limit health risk from COVID-19 to the CSU community — and the Cleveland community at large — while maintaining our focus on delivering on our Engaged Learning promise in these challenging times.” – CSU President Harlan Sands
Monday Morning Message 3.9.2020 No Ladders Up.
“We have to take a “no-ladders up approach” ….we have to make sure that even when we have achieved the numbers that women and persons of color believe make a real leadership presence within our profession, we have to make sure we are not leaving behind any colleagues, those with disabilities, or our LGBTQ+ colleagues. Because if they are left behind, our profession is not at its best for the people we serve.” – Judy Perry Martinez, President, American Bar Association
Monday Morning Message 3.2.2020 Life's Most Persistent and Urgent Question
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?” Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
“There’s no greater challenge and there is no greater honor than to be in public service.” – Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
At CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, we continually seek ways to support students on their paths to live justice. For students interested in public service and public interest work, that can often mean making a tough choice between paid employment or an unpaid position with a government or non-profit organization. This can be a difficult choice when coupled with student debt, the expense of attending law school, and overall living expenses.
Monday Morning Message 2.24.2020 Our Unsung Heroes
“We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.” – Cynthia Ozick
“The real heroes are not necessarily the ones in the headlines.
The real heroes are the ones you don’t hear about.
The ones doing the jobs that need to be done.
The ones fighting against the odds who still manage to inch forward.
Don’t be concerned about fame.
Be concerned about the best you can be.
Because it’s better to be an unsung hero
Than a sung unhero.” - Anonymous
Monday Morning Message 2.18.2020 We are the Champions...
Yesterday was President’s Day, so this message is being sent Tuesday morning.
“The life of the nation is secure only while the nation is honest, truthful, and virtuous.” - Frederick Douglass
“We cannot play ostrich. Democracy just cannot flourish amid fear. Liberty cannot bloom amid hate. Justice cannot take root amid rage. America must get to work. In the chill climate in which we live, we must go against the prevailing wind. We must dissent from the indifference. We must dissent from the apathy. We must dissent from the fear, the hatred and the mistrust…” - U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall