Best of the Blogs

Time for a new feature here at the Marquette University Faculty Blog.  From time to time the editors of the blog will share links to some of the more interesting recent law-related posts appearing on the blogosphere.  I will get things started.

Over at Scotusblog, Tom Goldstein has an excellent round up of the recently concluded Supreme Court term.  It is commonplace to read broad generalizations about the Roberts Court in the media lately, for example during the hearings on the nomination of Elena Kagan.  Is this an activist Court, rejecting precedent and beholden to corporate interests?  Or has the Court found its moorings once again after years of drifting along according to the whims of Justice Kennedy?  Tom takes a cold hard look at the evidence, and his conclusions may surprise you.  You can read his post here.

Continue ReadingBest of the Blogs

Memories of Sensenbrenner Hall (Part 5)

As the faculty prepares for a move to the spacious and spectacular Eckstein Hall, my thoughts go back to my first day as a faculty member on October 15, 1946.  I was one of three new faculty members, all in their late 20’s, that joined a seasoned faculty that had kept the School intact during World War II.

I shared an office with one of my new colleagues and thus began my teaching career.  As we became adjusted to faculty life, we looked for an increase in the social opportunities among faculty members.  We decided to begin meeting for coffee at an agreeable hour on a daily basis.  We had difficulty in finding a location, facilities or equipment.  We located a room in the southeast corner of the basement.

The room was filled with donated law books that were not needed or essential for the library.  Some where on shelves, but many were piled on the floor.  We cleaned out a corner of the room, scrounged a table, some chairs, a coffee pot and a hot plate.  The faculty coffee (no tea) hour was in business.

Continue ReadingMemories of Sensenbrenner Hall (Part 5)

What Causes People to Be Successful in Their Careers?: The Three Essentials of Effective Communication

My name is Claude Kordus, a Marquette lawyer graduate of a time before most of the readers of this piece were born. In fact, only Professor Jim Ghiardi, our outstanding torts professor, maintains a connection to the Law School. I’m looking forward to being the July Alum Blogger. 

While I started my career as a corporate lawyer with the Miller Brewing Company, I early on moved into the business world, where my law degree proved to be useful. I spent thirty-five years at Hewitt Associates, helping companies set human resource objectives and design human resource programs, including employee benefits, salary plans, incentive pay systems, stock option and stock ownership schemes, employee communication materials, and human resource policies and practices. 

In this and my following blogs, I will focus on one question: What causes people to be successful in their careers? Whether you pursue a legal career or, like me, make the jump into the “business world,” I believe that those who understand and develop their “soft side skills,” not just “technical skills,” will be the most successful. 

Clear evidence exists that career success stems as much from people skills as from technical skills.

Continue ReadingWhat Causes People to Be Successful in Their Careers?: The Three Essentials of Effective Communication