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Monday Morning Message 2.26.24 We Believe in You
“The brick walls are there for a reason...they are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something." - Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture
The Ohio Bar Exam is tomorrow and Wednesday. I want our most recent graduates, many of whom graduated last December, to know that we believe in them…… so I’ve taken the liberty of writing this brief message to them.
Serenity Prayer for CSU|LAW Bar Takers
God grant me the serenity to accept that I have prepared the best I can.
The courage to change from studying details to preparing my mind and body to breath, stay calm, and focus.
Monday Morning Message 2.19.24 27 Presidents
"I desire so to conduct the affairs of this administration that if at the end, when I come to lay down the reins of power, I have lost every other friend on earth, I shall at least have one friend left, and that friend shall be down inside me." – President Abraham Lincoln
With all due respect to America’s doctors, dentists, nurses, engineers, architects, and business executives, no profession is more responsible for producing America’s local, state, and national leaders than the legal profession.
No profession is more common among U.S. Presidents and among those who founded our country.
Monday Morning Message 2.12.24 A Law Degree That Fits Your Life and Jumpstarts Your Future.
“I imagine getting this program up and running has been a monumental lift, so I wanted to make sure you heard from me saying thank you. It would be difficult for me to be going to law school in person, given my circumstances and where I live, so this opportunity has been and is very important to me…..I want to thank all the folks who have worked tirelessly to pull this program together so that people like me can have an opportunity to study the law. – Student, CSU|LAW J.D. online part-time program
Monday Morning Message 2.5.24 Calling Out Hate
“Don’t hate what you don’t understand.” - John Lennon
“When you hear people making hateful comments, stand up to them. Point out what a waste it is to hate, and you could open their eyes.” - Taylor Swift
Throughout this 2024 presidential election year, when divisions in our country run deep and are likely to run even deeper, I intend to write regularly about our obligation to call out and condemn hate with moral clarity, our need for civil discourse, our responsibility to defend democracy, and the enduring value of free speech. Most importantly, I will continue to emphasize the need to treat each other – including those with whom we disagree – with respect and understanding.
Monday Morning Message 1.29.24 We Are For Each Other
“They are one person. They are two alone. They are three together. They are for each other.” - "Helplessly Hoping", Crosby, Stills, and Nash
This is the time of year when prospective students are deciding which law schools they will apply to, and if admitted, where they will enroll. There are many factors that students should consider, but if I could give only one reason why prospective and admitted students should choose our law school over many other fine law schools, it would be this:
Monday Morning Message 1.22.24
“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” – Maya Angelou
“I cannot believe the transformation I see in myself. I started out as an intimidated insecure caterpillar and it’s because of outstanding professors like you that I have transformed into a confident unstoppable butterfly.” - 2022 Graduate to Professor Heidi Robertson
As we begin the Spring 2024 semester and a new year, my message this morning is to our students, especially our first year students whose first semester grades were disappointing.
Monday Morning Message 1.16.24: 12 Thoughts for 2024
Each January, I choose 12 quotes, one for each month of the year, to serve as my guideposts for the coming year. So here’s some wisdom to live by in 2024….
Monday Morning Message12.12.23 Just One Request Before Your Inbox Gets a Winter Break.
“The new year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written.” —Melody Beattie
Each of our students is writing a new chapter in their lives. But it’s not a solo journey. All of us have a role to play as co-authors.
Please be a co-author of a student’s next chapter by making a year-end gift to support our students.
Monday Morning Message 12.4.23 No Shortcuts.
“I don't know that there are any shortcuts to doing a good job.” – Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor
“You have to have confidence in your ability, and then be tough enough to follow through.” - First Lady Rosalynn Carter
Monday Morning Message 11.27.23 Lighting Fires Every Day
“Thank you for the opportunity to serve as Chair of the Board of Visitors. Today was full of reminders of the impact that CSU’s law school has on changing lives, opening doors and empowering great talent. You have put together a great team.” – Sarah Flannery ‘02, Chair, CSU|LAW Board of Visitors
“Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire.” – William Butler Yeats
Not a week goes by when I don’t receive a positive message about the extraordinary teaching of our faculty and extraordinary student support provided by our staff. As the fall semester comes to an end, I’m pleased to share some of those emails I’ve received this past year.