"Teaching is the greatest act of optimism." –Colleen Wilcox
“I touch the future. I teach.” –Christa McAuliffe
Last week, I noted that there are many compelling reasons for students to choose Cleveland-Marshall, but one factor, above all others, is the most important – the quality of our faculty.
I’m very pleased to share another sampling of the student evaluations of some of our faculty from last semester.
Professor Michael Borden (Contracts):
“Professor Borden encourages students to think critically, and helps create a friendly and inviting learning environment. He also is clear regarding what he expects his students to know for exams, which helps students study effectively….His lectures are comprehensive and eye opening. He does a good job teaching students to see both sides of an issue…..wonderfully engaging and really fun to listen to a lecture, and his analogies and diagrams can be incredibly helpful visuals to help students remember concepts.”
Professor April Cherry (Women and the Law):
“Professor Cherry clearly knows the material for this course like the back of her hand. She easily challenges our thinking without being disrespectful…. The feedback on written assignments was amazing and highly constructive.”
Professor Pam Daiker-Middaugh (Community Advocacy Clinic):
“Professor Middaugh is great and is approachable for any question the student may have…..She is kind, generous, and approachable. She is very knowledgable.”
Professor David Forte (Constitutional Law):
“Professor Forte is without question the most well versed historian and constitutional law authority I have ever had the privilege to learn from…he is accessible and very helpful in one–on–one consultation on this course. His feedback is almost real–time as it's offered in class during discussion and is very helpful…..His love of the Constitution and ability to tell a great story almost made me feel like a fly on the wall of the Constitutional Convention….he is a magnificent professor, storyteller, and mentor.”
Professor Peter Garlock (Torts):
“While the course requires a lot of preparation for class participation, the end result is that you come away with a strong grasp of the material. Additionally, Professor Garlock fosters good habits in terms of using precise and accurate language and thinking critically….The course is rigorous but it made everyone perform to a higher standard…..He utilized every moment of class and gave a nuanced and rich background of the cases. It was always amazing to me to see how he peels back a whole layer of the case that I didn't see the first time.”
Professor Debby Geier (Taxation):
“Anyone interested in the subject area will appreciate Professor Geier's enthusiasm for the material…..Offers great feedback through her optional quizzes…..Does a great job integrating the textbook with in class lectures.”
Professor Matthew Green (Employment Discrimination):
“Professor Green is an extremely professional and kind teacher….Professor Green is one of the best professors I have had at Cleveland-Marshall. He is knowledgeable, organized, and makes class fun.”
Professor Doron Kalir (Contracts):
“Professor Kalir is an amazing contracts instructor. Not only is he clearly knowledgable about and experienced in the material he's teaching, he's passionate about it too. I've never seen someone so excited to talk about something as dense as the formation of a contract…. I learned a lot from him in class and he was incredibly helpful in office hours. He also made it clear that he cared about all of us and wanted us to feel comfortable asking him anything.”
Professor Sandra Kerber (Legal Writing):
“Professor Kerber is an amazing instructor and student advocate. In her class you know that she's there to help you learn and will spend the extra time to ensure that you get things right….highly motivating and truly cares about student success… genuinely cares about each student in the class, fosters an atmosphere of respect.”
Professor Ken Kowalski (Civil Litigation Clinic)
“Very helpful and gives good feedback….. received very in–depth feedback about my externship and we had meetings during the semester to track my progress…Professor Kowalski was very helpful and seemed very interested in the research I was doing on–site.”
Professor Browne Lewis (Estates & Trusts):
“Professor Lewis is clearly exceptionally smart and knowledgeable. She presented the course information clearly and effectively.”
Professor Karin Mika (Legal Writing):
“Professor Mika is very willing to help and very good at accommodating first year law student needs anxieties and stress…. She is an amazing person who wants us to succeed.”
Professor Reggie Oh (Constitutional Law):
“Excellent professor…..Professor Oh does an excellent job of fostering student participation and learning. I particularly enjoy when he changes around a small detail of a case that we've just read and asks us to consider how the Court might rule based on that revision. It makes us think more critically about the law we are learning and it especially helps me understand the big picture better….The course is eerily pertinent to the politics of the day and I appreciate that we discuss current events in the context of past Supreme Court decisions…..He makes it very clear what he expects from his students and is well organized!”
Professor Brian Ray (Legislation & the Regulatory State):
“His style is engaging, and he treats the subject as a riddle to be unraveled with the expectation that it will be different in every scenario. This is an effective way to learn the material, as it seems to be a realistic approach to understanding and interpreting statutes in a real world scenario. Professor Ray knows the material very well, and has a casual, conversational style of leading the lecture that encourages participation from students. … is always animated and engaging, which makes class fun and interesting……met with each student individually after taking a practice mid–term.”
Professor Mark Sundahl (Commercial Law):
“Professor Sundahl is a clear lecturer and teaches commercial law effectively.”
Professor Alan Weinstein (Legislation & the Regulatory State):
“Professor Weinstein really wants us to learn and does a good job pushing our understandings and asking questions in class…gives very useful practice problems and guidance on what is going to be expected on the final exam. I think he really prepares you to succeed by providing study guides and examples that show clearly how he would like for things to be explained….gives very useful practice problems and guidance on what is going to be expected on the final exam.”
Our faculty members offer a level of expertise, encouragement, and optimism that many law schools don’t offer. They touch the future.
This Week’s Monday Moment: The Dreaded Reply All Moment
Have a great day. Have a great week.