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Law School Special An independent newspaper http://www.dailyemerald.coin Wednesday, August 21,2002 Volume 104, Issue 16 Adam Jones Emerald Former University School of Law Dean Rennard Strickland, left, and current Dean Laird Kirkpatrick share a laugh Tuesday in front of a New Guinean ceremonial hut entrance door, which was donated from Strickland’s personal art collection. A crisp, clean set of goals Law school Dean Laird Kirkpatrick prepares to take the helm—and the challenges that come with it By Jenni Schultz Oregon Daily Emerald Dean Laird Kirkpatrick’s office is something reminiscent of a law professor’s office from a movie. It has a large windows, wall-to-floor bookcases, a pro fessional-looking desk and of course, a plush, brown leather chair. The crisp, clean look of his office may indicate Kirk patrick’s attitude toward his new job as dean of the School of Law. His excitement about his new position is apparent, and he said he’s ready to meet some goals for the law school. Kirkpatrick’s resume boasts many things which make him more than qualified for the job. He has served as counsel to the head of the criminal di vision at the U.S. Department of Justice, as well as an as sistant U.S. attorney. Kirkpatrick received his first degree from Harvard in 1965 and from the University School of Law in 1968. He said he came to Oregon originally because he loves the beauty and the fact that the mountains and coast are only an hour away. Among his many accomplishments, he has been a profes sor at the law school since 1974, which makes him very qualified for the job of dean, law school Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Margaret Paris said. She added that his experience and time spent with the faculty provides easy communication between him and the school. “He has such a direct relationship with the faculty,” said Turn to Kirkpatrick, page 6A Program receives national award for alternative lawyering methods American Bar Association recognition is the latest success for the law school’s growing Appropriate Dispute Resolution Program By Jillian Daley Oregon Daily Emerald The School of Law’s Appropriate Dispute Reso lution Program won the American Bar Associa tion’s first ever Chapter of the Year award for its student group, the ADR Advocates. The latest trainees in the ADRP are not students, and they can attest to the program’s high stan dards, especially since they came all the way from the Ukraine to learn the alternative lawyering methods the program offers. “We thought before coming that the only way to solve problems between neighbors, divorced couples, was the courts,” Ukrainian law Profes sor Iryna Voytyuk said. “Now we have a new vi sion of the way to solve problems and disputes between people.” Voytyuk teaches at Lviv Commercial Academy in Ukraine. She said that while these forms of le gal practice have been in America for about two decades, it is still a new concept in the Ukraine. However, the ideas that the ADRP espouses have only recently begun to receive widespread in terest in America. “It just may be a program whose time has come,” ADRP manager Judy Sprauer said. Sprauer noted that faculty has begun to see an increase in student involvement in the program in the past few years. Supporters of the ADRP said that the Universi ty has an innovative and well-run program that teaches students methods such as mediation and arbitration, two ways of solving cases out of court. Traditional classes teach students mostly Turn to Award, page 6A Outgoing dean leaves a legacy in many places Rennard Strickland plans to take a year off for research before returning to teaching at the law school By Brad Schmidt Oregon Daily Emerald When Rennard Strickland speaks in his self-assured, vivid voice at faculty workshops each summer, he always empha sizes to prospective law professors that each can become a “raven mocker.” The Cherokee, he tells them, have a figure — the raven mocker — who can be in many places at once. So, he says, if a professor can become reasonably effective at getting students interested in a particular field of study then, in a way, the professor’s legacy will live on. “You and your ideas — through your students — can be many places at the same time,” he said. And if anyone should know, it’s Strickland. Since he began teaching in 1965, Strickland, who has taught at more than 15 universities and was dean at four of those, has left his mark on many. “I have a great many students over the years who have done really exciting and important things in Indian law, and I always like to take credit for everything that they have done,” said Strickland, who ended a five-year run as dean of the School of Law on July 31. A self-described “academic gypsy,” Strickland, who is considered a pioneer in American Indian law, will be on leave to do research this fall while he attempts to complete his book “Spirit Red: The 500 Year War.” Having worked on “Spirit Red,” his 36th book, for more than 17 years, the 62-year-old bachelor is eager to see it published. But his sabbatical won’t last too long. Strickland, who al ways seems to find his way into the lives of students, will be back this spring to teach a seminar. “I think that he is going to find the move into the faculty an easy one,” law school Associate Dean for Operations James O’Fallon said. “Students appreciate that they’re being talked to ... as peers. ” Then again, Strickland has always had a way of connect ing with people. As dean, Strickland hosted annual dinners for incoming students to answer questions and share stories. Raised in Oklahoma, Strickland was the oldest of three Turn to Strickland, page 4A Adam Jones Emerald Law professors from the Ukraine are training at the School of Law’s Appropriate Dispute Resolution Program, which recently received a Chapter of the Year award from the American Bar Association.
