|
Dean seeks community connections;Pacific McGeorge law school leader has inspired a nationwide outreach effort
When Elizabeth Rindskopf Parker became the dean of McGeorge School of Law almost four years ago, the former national security lawyer saw a problem that seemed to cry out for a national solution. Law schools, training attorneys and a high percentage of civic and corporate leaders for a society in which all races, all nations would have to work together, were fighting over a limited supply of qualified African American and Latino applicants, said Parker, whose perspective comes partly from an earlier career as a civil rights lawyer. To the extent McGeorge was recruiting them, she said, it was "simply stealing from other schools. There's simply not enough to go around." Parker's answer has sparked a small revolution. Increase the supply, she said. Move past competition and foster collaboration among urban schools at all levels to turn today's inner-city teenagers into tomorrow's leaders. In response to invitations from Parker, four-member teams from seven cities have been meeting to explore ways of producing a legal profession for the 21st century. Team members say Parker and McGeorge have created a movement and infused it with energy. Parker is teaching that law school isn't just about the educating of lawyers "but the building of our communities," said Karen Sanchez Griego, a member of the Albuquerque team. ... "Elizabeth is very aware of having legal education respond to the problems of not just the community or the state or the country but the world," said McGeorge professor Lawrence C. Levine. "She's extremely committed to the idea that if our future leaders understand the interconnectedness of the world, they will be much more effective both as lawyers and as citizens."
For a copy of the complete article, contact CJRG. |