Professor Milena Sterio Named CSU Distinguished Professor

Professor Milena Sterio, the Charles R. Emrick Jr. - Calfee Halter & Griswold Professor of Law, has been named Distinguished Professor of Law by the Provost of Cleveland State University.  The title of Distinguished Professor is the highest honor conferred by the University, and is awarded to only one professor per year across the University.

Monday Morning Message 4.24.23 "Mr. Chief Justice, May It Please The Court

“Equal Justice under the law is not merely a caption on the facade of the Supreme Court building, it is perhaps the most inspiring ideal of our society.” – Former Supreme Court Justice Lewis Powell

In some years, through a very competitive application process, our law school is granted the privilege by the U.S. Supreme Court to host a small group of up to 12 lawyers for an official swearing-in ceremony in Washington D.C. for admission to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court. 

Monday Morning Message 4.17.23 Financial Wellness

“Before you speak, listen. Before you write, think. Before you spend, earn. Before you invest, investigate. Before you criticize, wait. Before you pray, forgive. Before you quit, try. Before you retire, save. Before you die, give.” —William A. Ward

Last week I focused on our responsibility to take our students’ mental health challenges seriously and to promote a culture of wellness. There is another component to wellness that we also take very seriously – financial wellbeing.

Money is a major stressor for many of us, but particularly for law students who are trying to balance loan debt and other costs associated with attending law school as well as everyday living expenses.

Monday Morning Message 4.10.23 You Are Not Alone

“Nothing can dim the light that shines from within.” – Maya Angelou 

“Self-care is how you take your power back.” – Lalah Delia

“What mental health needs is more sunlight, more candor, and more unashamed conversation.” – Glenn Close 

Monday Morning Message 4.3.23 CSU|LAW in National Spotlight

"Judge Newman is a testament to the highest aspirations for the judiciary in South Carolina." – South Carolina State Representative Roger Kirby

"Judge Newman is the very best we have to offer here, a pillar of our judiciary and our bar."  - South Carolina State Senator Thomas McElveen 

Monday Morning Message 3.27.23 Carrying the Torch

“Life is no ‘brief candle’ to me. It is sort of a splendid torch which I have a hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it over to future generations.” ― George Bernard Shaw

I am very pleased and excited to announce the 2023 Members of our Hall of Fame and our 2023 Leader on the Rise, Delante Spencer Thomas ’16! See their names and photos below.

Monday Morning Message 3.20.23 Our Masters of Law

“Our ability to reach unity in diversity will be the beauty and the test of our civilization.” – Mahatma Gandhi

“The world has only one border. It is called humanity. The differences between us are small compared to our shared humanity.” – Nadia Murad

While it is widely known that law schools offer a J.D. degree (Juris Doctor), many people are unaware of another law degree offered by some U.S. law schools: the LL.M. degree, an internationally recognized postgraduate law degree. LL.M. is an abbreviation of the Latin Legum ("of Laws") Magister (“Master”), or Master of Laws.

Monday Morning Message 3.6.23 Just Mercy

“Thank you for the copy of Just Mercy!  It was a wonderful surprise to receive the package yesterday. Your thoughtfulness and encouraging words are greatly appreciated! My feet still haven’t touched the ground since receiving my acceptance letter!” –2023 Admitted Student

“[We are] training lawyers with a conscience. You might call them advocates….crusaders…champions. We call them graduates.” – CSU|LAW Video Justice is Calling You.

Every day we try to stay true to our mission: Learn Law. Live Justice.

Monday Morning Message 2.27.23 Our Talent Dividend.

“If you hire people just because they can do a job, they’ll work for your money. But if you hire people who believe what you believe, they’ll work for you with blood and sweat and tears.” – Simon Sinek

At CSU|LAW, we have built the most reliable legal talent pipeline in Northeast Ohio for recruiting and educating students with a deep understanding of law, leadership, innovation, and emerging issues for our city, region, and nation. 

I call it our Talent Dividend.

Employers often tell us that what distinguishes our graduates from other law schools’ graduates is grit, perseverance, and work ethic. 

Tuesday Morning Message 2.21.23 Believe You Can and You're Halfway There

“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” – President Theodore Roosevelt

This message is being sent Tuesday morning because yesterday was President’s Day.

Today and tomorrow, a number of our recent graduates will be taking the February Ohio Bar Exam. I sent them the below message last week.

I want to send you this personal message of encouragement and support.

To some, the bar exam is a barrier to entry to the legal profession, but I prefer to see it as a gateway.

As Randy Pauch, author of The Last Lecture, wrote, “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."