The Tierneys and the Law

nsliI had the opportunity last month to be involved in the presentation by our National Sports Law Institute of its Master of the Game Award. The NSLI has given out this award, over the years, to such distinguished individuals as Hank Aaron, Donna de Varona, Bob Harlan, Al McGuire, Bud Selig, and Bart Starr. This year the award was presented to the Tierney family, especially to recognize the contributions of the late Joseph E. Tierney, Jr., of our law class of 1941, and his wife, the late Mrs. Bernice Tierney. The Tierneys are an historic family at Marquette, with Joe Tierney “the first” having been a member of our law class of 1911. As dean, I had the privilege to get to know the late Mrs. Tierney before her death earlier this year. As I explained in my remarks at the NSLI’s luncheon where the award was presented, Mrs. Tierney possessed an unusual combination of intelligence, grace, conversational skills, wit, and good humor; truly she was a remarkable woman. The more impressive remarks, from my perspective, were those of Joseph E. Tierney, III, of our law class of 1966 (and of Meissner Tierney Fisher & Nichols), who recalled his parents—their involvement in the Law School and the sports law program in particular, to be sure, but more generally as well. As Joe noted in his closing, “To be masters of the game, it is important to identify the game. For both of them, the game was life.” Joe’s remarks, which touch eloquently in just a few words on such varied topics as law, sports, family, and filial piety and such individuals as Marty Greenberg and the late Chuck Mentkowski and Jane Bradley Pettit, are well worth reading.

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Journalist Alan Borsuk Joins the Law School

Alan BorsukAs announced today in this press release by the University, Alan J. Borsuk is joining the Law School as senior fellow in law and public policy. This appointment follows a search in which the Law School sought a journalist with experience and skills in investigating and reporting on matters vital to the community. Marquette Law School is becoming a powerhouse of education, ideas, and action, thanks in large measure to the support from the University, as has especially characterized the presidency, since 1995, of Rev. Robert A. Wild, S.J. To have attracted Alan—a seasoned reporter who gained an outstanding reputation for his work at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel—not only confirms but also expands the Law School’s role as a civic institution committed to gathering and communicating information and ideas about critical public policy concerns. Alan will work with faculty and others at the Law School, such as Mike Gousha, on matters such as criminal justice, water policy, health care, technology, and dispute resolution. Alan will also maintain his own portfolio of projects, particularly in the area of education policy. Alan’s appointment presents exciting opportunities to further advance our missions of research, teaching, and service.

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Justinians Honor Professor Blinka

rsz_danblinkaLast weekend, together with a number of colleagues (including Professor Emeritus James D. Ghiardi and Professors Irene Calboli and Thomas J. Hammer), I attended the Justinian Society’s annual Columbus Day dinner. The society consists primarily of Italian-American lawyers and their families and meets at the Third Ward’s Italian Community Center (which, former Milwaukee County Circuit Court Chief Judge Patrick T. Sheedy, L’48, once remarked, might well have been the “Irish Community Center,” if it had not been for the Lady Elgin disaster in 1860). The evening included the Justinian Society’s honoring our colleague, Professor Daniel D. Blinka, with its annual “Jurist of the Year Award.” The award was presented by Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge John J. DiMotto, with citations also presented by Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson and current Milwaukee County Circuit Court Chief Judge Jeffrey A. Kremers. One who does not know Prof. Blinka can get a sense, from this outline of Judge DiMotto’s remarks, of the remarkable way that Prof. Blinka devotes himself to teaching, scholarship, and service (see also this article from a previous alumni magazine). It was a privilege to be at the event, as well as to be Prof. Blinka’s colleague.

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