Merit Scholarships and Training for Hierarchy

When the Critical Legal Studies movement was still vibrant during the 1980s, Harvard Law Professor Duncan Kennedy frequently argued that, beyond exploring the cases and rules, legal education offered training in hierarchy.  Students (and many professors as well) came to appreciate the steps on our social ladders and how to climb or, at least, remain balanced on those steps.  Recent developments involving law schools’ use of merit scholarships with stipulations (“stips,” as some students call them) teach lessons in hierarchy in ways Kennedy never imagined.

The New York Times reported on May 1, 2011, that 80 percent of law schools are now awarding merit scholarships with stipulations and that these scholarships are gradually replacing conventional need-based scholarships.  The University of Florida Law School, for example, requires students to maintain a 3.2 grade-point average to keep their merit scholarships, as does Wayne State University Law School.  At Chicago-Kent Law School, merit scholarship recipients have a choice: They can receive $9000 annually for three years with no stipulations or $15,000 annually if they maintain a 3.25 or higher.  Ninety percent opt for the latter, perhaps unaware that most students earn nothing near a 3.25.

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Making the Right Choices

It’s been a very long time since I’ve attended a CLE presentation and found myself absolutely riveted by the speaker and the content of his or her presentation.  That happened on May 5 at the State Bar of Wisconsin’s Litigation, Dispute Resolution, and Appellate Practice Institute.  The speaker was Egil “Bud” Krogh who served as White House counsel under President Richard Nixon from 1969 to 1973.

Sure his story is remarkable.  He is one of the “White House Plumbers” who created and authorized one of the most infamous covert operations ever.  His actions resulted in a criminal conviction, a six-month prison sentence, and later disbarment from the practice of law.   This is where his story becomes important to me.

His time in prison and subsequent reflections on his years in the White House allows him to share a perspective about the importance of good and sound decision-making with a sense of integrity.  Notwithstanding his actions in the early 1970’s, he is now able to lead by example and talk about how the pressure of our work, our relationships with co-workers, our need to address client demands, and our internal pressure to succeed can interfere with our need to maintain both personal and professional integrity.

He talks about the legal profession with a level of respect and, candidly, enthusiasm that is infectious and truly inspirational.  He has lived through some tough life experiences that are certainly unique to him.  Nonetheless, his message resonates with all of us.  Thank you, Mr. Krogh, for sharing with us your recipe for how to make the right choices.

 

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Law Students of Hope

This past Friday, Marquette Law School held a celebration of hope – hope for our community, hope for the legal profession, and hope for our institution.  The 2011 Posner Pro Bono Exchange between Fr.  Fred Kammer, S.J., director of the Jesuit Social Research Institute at Loyola University in New Orleans and Mike Gousha, Distinguished Fellow of Law and Public Policy at Marquette Law School, followed immediately by the induction of 91 new law student members of the Pro Bono Society (bringing the total to 103 for the academic year), was bounded by hope.

How could we alumni, staff, faculty, and donors in attendance not find hope and admiration for so many law students who committed themselves to placing their legal education at the service of those in need, without credit or compensation, even in the midst of a difficult economy and increasing academic competition?  There is no requirement to perform such voluntary service, yet, each year, an increasing number of our law students choose to perform more than fifty hours of supervised, law-related, volunteer service in our community.  Whether at the Marquette Volunteer Legal Clinic, the Legal and Medical Partnership for Families, the Marquette Foreclosure Mediation Program, the Marquette Legal Initiative for Nonprofit Corporations, or any of a dozen other programs or placements, these students render a real service to those in need – and in so doing, begin a career commitment to the principal of pro bono publico – service for the good of the public.

Fr. Kammer reminded us that service to others, particularly service to the most vulnerable among us, is at the heart of Catholic Social Teaching and thus, a central theme of Jesuit education. 

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