Law School Briefs – 11/6/13

Law School Briefs highlights news from law schools in Indiana. While Indiana Lawyer has always covered law school news and continues to keep up with law school websites and press releases for updates, we gladly accept submissions for this section from law students, professors, alumni, and others who want to share law school-related news. If you’d like to submit news or a photo from an event, please email it to Marilyn Odendahl at [email protected], along with contact information for any follow-up questions at least two weeks prior to the issue date.

Notre Dame welcomes scholars for 2-day law conference

Notre Dame Law School’s London Law Centre joined the NDLS Program on Constitutional Structure to host a conference addressing, “International Perspectives on Public Law.”

The two-day event at the school’s London facility brought together leading scholars from the United States and the United Kingdom.  

“The basic idea behind the conference was to bring together scholars who were trained in different legal traditions but who share a focus on matters of constitutional theory, public rights, and judicial behavior,” said NDLS professor Randy Kozel. “The conference discussions reflected both the differences and commonalities. They were wide-ranging and diverse, but they revolved around a common core of issues that we all grapple with in our respective ways.”

IU McKinney offering degree especially for non-lawyers

The Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law is joining a national trend by offering a master’s degree for non-attorneys beginning in the summer of 2014. The Master of Jurisprudence degree is for working professionals who need to better understand the law for their job. Graduates of the program will not be licensed to practice or dispense legal advice.

“Knowledge about the law and regulations is becoming increasingly important as it affects more and more disciplines, such as the life sciences; social work; human resources; business and corporate affairs; the environment; and real estate development, to name a few,” said program director professor Deborah McGregor. “The focus of the M.J. degree is on those professionals who are interested in learning about the law as a way to enhance and potentially advance their careers.”

Individuals enrolled in the 30-credit-hour program will be able to choose the classes in the area of the law that will be most helpful to their respective careers. They will have their choice of more than 150 courses that cover substantive areas of the law but will not be allowed to participate in the legal clinics or hands-on training that is offered to the J.D. students.

IU Maurer expecting to name new dean in the coming weeks

The Indiana University Maurer School of Law could be welcoming a new dean before the end of November.

An unranked list of recommended candidates for the dean’s post has been submitted by the search committee to IU Provost and former IU Maurer dean Lauren Robel. The provost will select the next law school dean.

“I feel very upbeat and am looking forward to seeing what happens,” said John Applegate, search committee chair and executive vice president for University Regional Affairs, Planning and Policy.

Although the timing depends on the provost, Applegate expects a new dean could be named in a couple of weeks.

Applegate led the second search committee that was convened in June after the first search committee, named in August of 2012, concluded its work without a new dean being named. The university did not disclose if the first committee had interviewed any candidates or made any recommendations, but Applegate attributed the extension of the search to needing extra time to find the right individual to lead the school.

The second committee included Maurer faculty members along with alumni and members of the bench and bar. Applegate praised his committee, calling them “wonderful” and “a great group of people.”

Applegate acknowledged the next Maurer dean will be taking the helm at a time of real change in legal education. He said maneuvering the shifting landscape of what students must be taught as well as helping students with their career development must be the main focus of the next dean. •