2014 Associate Deans' Conference

Engaging Faculty in Today's Challenges and Opportunities

April 18-19, 2014
University of Colorado Law School 
Boulder, Colorado  

Today’s reality is that law school faculties and administrators are confronted with the challenge of how to change the culture of legal education. The opportunities available for our students are changing, creating an imperative for us all to ask what competencies will be critical for future success. The strain on current resources, moreover, asks us all to evaluate how to make the most of our community, developing our current and emerging initiatives in more effective ways.

We are bringing together leading educators, practitioners, and scholars to engage in a set of discussions and interactive break-out sessions to provide potential roadmaps and strategies that can enhance the effectiveness of Associate Deans for Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, and/or Scholarship.

Agenda  

THURSDAY, APRIL 17, 2014

Law School Innovation Conference

FRIDAY, APRIL 18, 2014  Download Brochure 
 

8:30 - 9:15 a.m.Breakfast and Registration
  
9:15 - 9:30 a.m.Welcome and Introduction
  
9:30 - 10:30 a.m.

The Many Law School Constituents and 
The Role of an Associate Dean from the Dean’s Perspective

 Barry Currier, Managing Director, ABA Section of Legal Education
 Nora Demleitner, Dean, Washington and Lee University School of Law
 Dan Rodriguez, Dean and Harold Washington Professor, Northwestern University School of Law, President of AALS
Moderator:Kellye Testy, Dean, University of Washington Law School
  
10:30 - 11:00 a.m.Break
  
11:00 am - noonChange Management, Leadership, and Retooling For A Changing Environment
 George Kembel,Founder, Stanford University Institute of Design
 Paul Lippe, CEO and Founder, Legal OnRamp
 Trish White, Dean, University of Miami School of Law
Moderator:Phil Weiser, Dean, University of Colorado Law School
  
12:00 - 1:30 p.m. Lunch
  
1:30 - 3:00 p.m.

What Are We Trying to Teach?: Defining Core Competencies and 
What We Want Students to Get Out of Law School

 Fiona Arnold, Former General Counsel, Vail Resorts
 William Henderson, Professor of Law, Indiana University Maurer School of Law
 Mark Roellig, General Counsel, Mass Mutual
 Ann Shalleck, Professor of Law, American University Washington College of Law
Moderator:Deborah Cantrell, Associate Professor of Law and Director of Clinical Programs, University of Colorado Law School
  
3:00 - 3:30 p.m.Break
  
3:30 - 5:00 p.m.Building An Effective Team and A Collaborative Culture
 Jenna Buffaloe, Organizational Consultant
 Anthony W. Crowell, Dean and President, New York Law School
 Patricia Kuszler, Associate Dean, University of Washington School of Law 
Moderator:Jeremy Paul, Dean, Northeastern University School of Law
  
5:00 - 6:00 p.m.Reception

 

 

 

SATURDAY, APRIL 19, 2014

We will offer breakout group sessions from 9:00 - 10:30 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m., repeating the sessions that will take place simultaneously during that time.  The sessions will cover Curriculum; Research; and Student Affairs.  Descriptions of each session and the session moerdators are listed below.

I.       Creating An Environment to Encourage, Support, and Reward Research Room 303            

Given that law school faculties are likely to hire less in the future, the importance of mentoring faculty members, creating a vibrant intellectual climate, and providing opportunities for meaningful feedback will become even more important. To that end, law schools are becoming more creative about how to provide support for and nurture scholarship, find ways to celebrate successes, and use existing and new mechanisms to review the work of faculty members to encourage excellence (e.g., the distribution of summer research stipends). At this session, led by Oregon Law Dean Michael Moffitt, these topics will be explored in an interactive format, seeking to share best practices, and reflect on lessons learned by different institutions.

Moderator: Michael Moffitt, Dean, University of Oregon Law School

II.      Taking the Lessons of Critical Competencies into the Curriculum:  Answering the How Questions Room 300

Developing a curricular framework around key competencies begs the question of how to take advantage of all resources available to legal education, including adjunct and visiting faculty, as well as how to assess whether classes are teaching students effectively. To answer these questions, many schools are both experimenting with their curriculum and working hard to develop new ways to measure teaching excellence and provide effective feedback to all teachers. This session, led by UNLV Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Ngai Pindell, will build on the prior day’s discussion of core competencies and move to the “how” questions (how to recruit adjuncts and visitors most effectively; how to work with other units on campus; how to develop effective teaching by our full-time faculty members; etc.).

Moderator: Ngai Pindell, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Professor, University of Nevada at Las Vegas William S. Boyd School of Law

III.    Towards A More Purposeful and Collaborative Student Experience Room 330

Students choosing law school today are thinking harder than ever before about whether and why to attend law school. For law schools, this means that there is a unique opportunity to develop a more systematic approach to the student experience, ensuring that students are in a supportive environment, taking a purposeful approach to their experience, and owning their career paths. Given the increasing diversity of society, law schools also must take seriousness the need to make their environment not only diverse, but also inclusive. One benefit of today’s more challenging environment is that it is requiring law schools to take a harder look at the experiences of their students and how they can better assess the student experience. To exchange ideas, suggestions, and raise questions about how to do that, Denver Law Associate Dean Viva Moffat will lead this breakout discussion on the student experience.

Moderator: Viva Moffat, Associate Dean, University of Denver Sturm College of Law 

 

HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS

There is no specific hotel for the conference. The following is a list of hotels and bed and breakfasts that attendees of other Colorado Law conferences have used. Please contact the hotels directly as prices and availability may have changed.

Nationwide Hotels

HOMEWOOD SUITES
Average price per night: $150
http://homewoodsuites1.hilton.com

COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT
Average price per night: $180
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/denbd-courtyard-boulder

MARRIOTT HOTEL
Average price per night: $225
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/denbo-boulder-marriott

Boutique Hotels & Bed and Breakfasts

THE BRIAR ROSE
Average price per night: $180
http://www.briarrosebb.com/

THE BRADLEY BOULDER
Average price per night: $225
http://www.thebradleyboulder.com/

HOTEL BOULDERADO
Average price per night: $250
http://www.boulderado.com

ST. JULIEN HOTEL AND SPA
Average price per night: $330
http://www.stjulien.com

TRANSPORTATION

Renting a car, riding a RTD bus, or taking a super shuttle present the three best options for traveling from Denver International Airport to Boulder. Once you are in Boulder, you can use either a rental car or the local bus system to get around. You will need to check with your hotel on whether they provide a free shuttle to Colorado Law.

Directions to the Law School

Visiting Colorado Law 

RTD Bus Information

Boulder/DIA - Route AB

Boulder Bus Routes

Super Shuttle

General Information

DIA Specific Information

2014 RESOURCE LIST

University of Colorado Law related work:

Silicon Flatirons Center related work:

Relevant readings:

2014 Associate Deans Conference Moderators

Phil Weiser, Dean, University of Colorado Law School
Moderator: Change Management, Leadership, and Retooling For A Changing Environment  

Kellye Testy, Dean, University of Washington Law School 
Moderator: The Many Law School Constituents and The Role of an Associate Dean from the Dean’s Perspective 

Deborah Cantrell, Associate Professor of Law and Director of Clinical Programs, University of Colorado Law School
Moderator: What Are We Trying to Teach?: Defining Core Competencies and What We Want Students to Get Out of Law School 

Michael Moffitt, Dean, University of Oregon Law School
Moderator: Creating An Environment to Encourage, Support, and Reward Research

Ngai Pindell, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Professor, University of Nevada at Las Vegas William S. Boyd School of Law 
Moderator: Taking the Lessons of Critical Competencies into the Curriculum:  Answering the How Questions

Viva Moffat, Associate Dean, University of Denver Sturm College of Law
Moderator: Towards A More Purposeful and Collaborative Student Experience 

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