J.D. Class of 2015 and LL.M. Class of 2013 Arrive for Orientation
Students Welcomed by Dean, Faculty Members, and Administrators
New York, Aug. 30, 2012—The new classes of Columbia Law School arrived on campus for orientation, a two-day program that introduced students to fellow classmates, professors, administrators, and all that lies ahead.
In his welcome address to the J.D. Class of 2015 and the LL.M. Class of 2013, Dean David M. Schizer emphasized that lawyers play a pivotal role in crisis management, in stoking entrepreneurial activity, and in making society a fairer place for both citizens and businesses.
“The best reason to train as a lawyer, in my view, is that the legal profession is the steward of the rule of law, which is the bedrock of our freedom and prosperity,” said Dean Schizer. “Just societies govern through principle, not arbitrary authority. In order for citizens to make their own choices and to live free and independent lives, the law must be clear and predictable, and rights must be rigorously enforced. This means the judicial system needs to be robust, efficient, and fair. Lawyers obviously are the heart and soul of this effort.”
As the campus readied itself for the arrival of new and returning students, the Law School lost no time over the summer in making several notable enrichments. Recently, the Law added to its faculty, voted tenure to three professors, welcomed influential visiting professors and scholars-in-residence, and established new legal centers. Below highlights developments that were announced over the summer.
Four Distinguished Scholars Join Faculty
The Law School’s faculty has grown by 20 percent since 2004, making it the largest and most diverse in the school’s history. Columbia Law School announced the appointment of four new full-time faculty members who joined us on July 1, 2012:
- Anu Bradford is a scholar of international trade law, international antitrust law, and European Union law. She joins us from the University of Chicago Law School, where she served as an assistant professor. She has served as an advisor on economic policy in the Parliament of Finland and as an expert assistant to a member of the European Parliament.
- Jessica Bulman-Pozen is a scholar and teacher of administrative law, anti-discrimination law, constitutional law, and federalism. She was previously an attorney-adviser in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel.
- Jody Kraus, a noted expert on contracts, commercial law, philosophy of law, jurisprudence, and law and economics joins us from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He holds a dual appointment to the Columbia University Arts and Sciences faculty in philosophy.
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David Pozen was most recently a special adviser to the U.S. Department of State’s Office of the Legal Adviser and brings expertise in public international law, constitutional law, and nonprofit organizations.
Three Faculty Members Receive Tenure
The Law School strengthened its cadre of outstanding young faculty by voting tenure to three professors this year:
- Jamal Greene, a constitutional law scholar who joined the faculty in 2008, teaches and writes about constitutional law, constitutional theory, and federalism.
- Olati Johnson,who has twice recognized by a student vote as the “Public Interest Professor of the Year,” is an expert in anti-discrimination law, constitutional law, civil procedure, and administrative law.
- Matthew Waxman, who joined the faculty in 2007, is an expert in national security law, international law, and domestic and legal aspects of combatting terrorism. He has served in senior level positions at the Department of State, the Department of Defense, and the National Security Council.
Columbia Law School Welcomes Distinguished Visiting Professors and Scholars-in-Residence
Each year the Law School hosts exceptional scholars, researchers, and practitioners from all over the world, whose work adds vibrancy to the curriculum. This year, a new short-term international visitors program was launched, which integrates more leading international faculty with the intellectual life of the School.
Visiting professors and Scholars-in-Residence for the 2012–2013 year can be found here.
Three New Centers Established
In July, the Law School announced the establishment of new academic centers that focus on global markets, constitutional governance, and international arbitration, respectively. These initiatives will bring together leading experts in each field and promote scholarship on increasingly important areas of the law.
- The Ira M. Millstein Center for Global Markets and Corporate Ownership will study the global financial market, interdependent actors, and the interdependence of world economies. Building on the Law School’s longstanding strength in the field of corporate law, the center will conduct timely research on crucial real-world issues, including the restoration of public trust in the market and the appropriate relationship between investors and corporations. Ira M. Millstein, a senior partner at Weil, Gotshal & Manges in New York City, will bring his expertise on government regulation and antitrust law to the center. The center will be co-directed by Jeffrey N. Gordon, the Richard Paul Richman Professor of Law and co-director of the Richman Center for Business, Law & Public Policy; and Professor Robert. J. Jackson Jr., the Milton Handler Fellow at Columbia Law School.
- The Center for Constitutional Governance will bring together a formidable roster of constitutional scholars who are deeplyengaged in the study of governmental structure and relationships, including experts on separation of powers and issues of federalism. The center will sponsor cutting-edge workshops and conferences on crucial matters in the field of constitutional law and will attract visiting scholars with a shared interest in the field of constitutional governance. Gillian E. Metzger ’95, the Stanley H. Fuld Professor of Law and vice dean of Columbia Law School, and Trevor W. Morrison ’98, the Isidor and Seville Sulzbacher Professor of Law and co-director of the Roger Hertog Program on Law and National Security, will serve as co-directors of this new center. Metzger writes often about administrative law issues and federalism, and Morrison’s scholarship focuses on separation of powers, with special attention given to issues of executive authority.
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The Center for International Commercial and Investment Arbitration Law will further the teaching and study of international arbitration, building on the Law School’s considerable expertise in this area of legal practice. The new center will be led by George A. Bermann ’75 LL.M., the Jean Monnet Professor of European Union Law, the Walter Gellhorn Professor of Law, and co-director of European Legal Studies.
New Courses and Externships
Adding to its already voluminous curriculum, Columbia Law School will offer 30 new courses and externships during the 2012–13 year on an array of subjects including federalism, mediation, the origins of financial crises, the law of government secrecy, and the role of the today’s in-house counsel. And the already strong externship program has been expanded to include several new offering, including one on city and state policy advocacy, and another on constitutional rights enforcement in capital habeas and prison cases.