California Western Dean Steven R. Smith

The last few years have been a good time for California Western. Much of this issue recounts the past advances of the law school.

It is great to reflect on these good days, but I want to take a few lines to consider the future: The best days of the law school should be ahead.

These successes reflect the work of our Board of Trustees, Council of Visitors, students, alums, faculty, staff, and friends. The foundation was laid by Mike Dessent and Bob Castetter during their tenures as deans and the law school owes them a deep debt of gratitude for their extraordinary service.

I confidently predict that the best of times for California Western lie ahead despite the current handwringing throughout legal education. Most of the immediate "crisis" in legal education is primarily the down portion of a 10-year cycle that law schools have experienced for many decades. This is not to say that things will not change for legal education - change is, in fact, likely - but it is not a real crisis. Moreover, California Western is positioned to take advantage of its strengths to contribute even more to our students (and their future clients), legal education, and San Diego.

The JD program will continue to be the jewel of our educational efforts.

• The law school has been at the cutting edge of helping our students become problem solvers with the education that makes them ready for the profession and ready to change with the profession over the next 40 years.
• Success on the bar exam reflects the success and rigor of the academic programs and will be a source of ongoing pride in our students.
• Innovation will continue to be a defining element of the JD programs. It is possible to imagine, for example, one or more branches to expand the reach of the JD programs.

New programs have expanded the reach of the law school and will continue to do so. Here are a few examples:

• Expanded opportunities will be available in our current programs, particularly the MAS with UC San Diego in health law, the M.C.L. and LL.M. in American law for foreign lawyers, and the LL.M. in criminal defense.
• Additional high quality master's degrees are likely to complement these existing programs. Some will be creative partnerships with other institutions. Of particular importance will be cutting-edge programs that reflect the economic needs of the San Diego region - intellectual property, health law, biotech, and telecom, for example. Some may be partially or wholly online, but quality will continue to be the watchword no matter what the mechanism of delivery.
• New certificate programs for those in other professions who want some understanding of the law, but do not seek a full degree program. California Western is likely to be a law school that is not just for lawyers anymore.

Partnerships with other institutions are poised to flourish. We created a formal Association Agreement with UC San Diego, and an Affiliation Agreement with SDSU. Those agreements allow us to create additional strong interdisciplinary programs. We have, for example, dual degree programs with SDSU in business and social work, and a joint degree with UC San Diego in health law. In addition, we are a member of the Consortium for Innovative Legal Education (CILE) and with our partner law schools do excellent foreign programs (Chief Justice Roberts will again be teaching at one of the CILE programs this summer). Cooperation with other organizations will be a defining strength of California Western in the years to come.

The people of CWSL are great - and will continue to be so. So many contribute to the sense of community: our Board of Trustees (careful stewards of the resources and future of the law school), our Council of Visitors (the source of great advice), our students (committed to the ideals of the profession, hardworking, and serious-minded), our faculty (dedicated to providing a top-notch education and publication that adds to the national scholarly discussion), our staff (careful stewards of the resources of the law school and committed to making the education as good as possible), and our alums (supporters, advisors, and contributors - they are great assets of the law school). These people are leaders locally, in legal education nationally and internationally - those connections will strengthen California Western.

The reputation of the law school will continue to grow. It is very good locally and growing regionally and increasing nationally. I am thinking here of the real reputation, based on real accomplishments, as opposed to the more artificial magazine ratings. The California Western story will be told ever more clearly with an improved website and other electronics, and through the word-of-mouth of the success of our graduates.

What will drive all of this?

• California Western's tradition of innovation will continue to make it a leader in education and services.
• Technology, when used carefully, will help make much progress possible.
• Careful management, efficiency, and financial strength will also be important. With over $100 million in net assets (market value), the law school is financially stable and solid. Those assets reflect the consistent commitment of the Board of Trustees to careful management of the assets of the law school - with each dollar donors or students entrust to us used carefully.
• Private fundraising has been an important part of the progress of the school. Over the past three years on average, it received over $1.6 million in gifts and grants. The law school is poised for much greater fundraising success (this is a chance to remind our friends how important that they be a part of this future by contributing to the school).

In closing I want to thank so many of you who have supported the law school, contributed to it in many ways, and have helped and supported me personally. Lera and I are grateful - what fun we have had!

It has been a great honor to be part of the recent history of the law school. I am so much looking forward to being a part of the extraordinary days that lie ahead. The best really is yet to come.

DEAN STEVEN R. SMITH // RES IPSA ONLINE