MISSION
her as both a person of faith and a woman of color. She doesn’t take the job of training future attorneys and upholding the school’s mission lightly. “To be able to impact students, so many of whom really do care about justice, and to expose them to not just the evil in the world, but to try to give them tools for overcoming that evil, has been incredibly impactful to me,” Paulose said.
lifetime success of our students by deepening their understanding of the legal system” he said. “We are undisputedly the leader in professional formation among law schools in terms of trying to innovate curricular and co-curricular supports for students to grow holistically as professionals. We need to keep on that path and develop it further. “Our ability over the last 20 years, to become even more deeply a student-centered institution while maintaining our scholarly culture that has impact far beyond our walls – that is unusual,” Vischer continued. “Often that’s viewed as a choice. You can either be a student-centered place, or a serious scholarly place, and we’re doing both. We see that as part of our collective calling as a Catholic law school – our commitment to advancing truth in ways that advance the common good. That’s a nonnegotiable part of who we are.” As a student, Nañez said she’s proud to see her professors and their scholarship in the spotlight. “Our professors are an extension of the school and the institution itself,” Nañez said. “The fact that they are living the mission and putting action toward their words and thoughts, and St. Thomas is not only supporting that but encouraging it and allowing each professor to be an expert in their own field – that’s inspiring.” MORE TO DO Vischer said the school, because it is mission-focused, isn’t interested in chasing prestige. “The investment is in the impact on the lives of students and the lives we touch
THE IMPORTANCE OF SCHOLARSHIP
University of St. Thomas President Julie Sullivan said she’s proud of the law school faculty, who are ranked in the top 25 in the nation for their scholarly impact and have published in top law journals and major academic books. Their expertise has been sought after by media outlets across the globe. “Through their scholarship and work in our clinics, they are contributing to a more just world,” Sullivan said. “And they are involving our students in this work, which is rooted in the principles of human dignity, such as more equitable sentencing and clemency policies or police accountability and reform. This is so important in strengthening our law school graduates’ commitment to continuing the work of building a more just world throughout their careers.” Vischer said the scholarship the law school is doing in collaboration with students affects those at the school and beyond. “We are already building a distinctive legacy in certain areas, such as criminal justice reform and religious liberty, and the overall scholarly culture contributes to the
Dean Rob Vischer
through research, advocacy and collaborations,” he said. An ever-growing number of law school alumni are finding their way into impactful careers. Whether it’s as a judge, elected official, law firm leader or nonprofit director, these lawyers all have one thing in common – their journey included a stop at the law school. “The impact that our alumni have, as they grow into positions of greater influence, is a huge inspiration,” Vischer said. And, as Carr said, students and graduates are the measure of the mission. “[St. Thomas Law] was a brave, untested idea 20 years ago,” he said. “It has become a respected, distinctive, mission-driven example of the best of legal education for a challenging future.”
Summer 2021 Page 23
Powered by FlippingBook