Dear Friends,
Since winter break, our 3Ls have hit the home stretch and can see the light flickering at the end of the tunnel. They are eager to fulfill their calling to our profession, knowing they have one final hurdle to clear—passing the bar.
Our 2Ls are coming up for air as they reach the halfway mark of law school, finalizing summer work plans that will influence the future trajectory of their careers.
Our 1Ls, they are settled into law school and have received their first semester grades. I’m sure you remember your emotions and the ebb and flow of your self-confidence every time you turned in a paper or took a final exam. I know I do. 1Ls, in particular, may be questioning whether coming to law school was the right decision.
I sent a message to the 1L class the weekend right before the second semester began. I said that some of them may be feeling relieved, while others feel overwhelmed, diminished and alone. I urged our first-years not to let law school have too much power over their self-confidence. The ways law school measures a student’s performance are inherently limited and are not the whole picture of who they are. The wider world will value skills and traits that law school isn’t equipped to measure.
Having seen our profession from many angles over more than three decades since graduating from Carolina Law in 1992, I know all too well that how a student performs in law school – whether they make many A’s or more B minuses than they may like – will have a very short shelf life.
I told our students that while law school doesn’t hold all the keys to making them great lawyers, the long-term value of a Carolina Law degree will eclipse any grade they receive.
In order to sustain and enhance the value of our Carolina Law degrees, we need to bolster our scholarship offering. We need to continue recruiting and retaining an outstanding faculty.
On March 26 , I challenge all Carolina Law alumni to join me by investing in our school with a gift through the GiveUNC campaign. Between now and then, you will hear from our advancement team about all the ways you can unlock challenges and rally your classmates to give back. No gift is too small. Collectively, our gifts can be transformative.
One of those people you will hear from is Associate Dean for Advancement Louise Harris, who has returned to us after a five-year absence. Louise is native North Carolinian who previously served 17 years in alumni and development-related positions at Carolina Law. Most recently, she served as Director of the North Carolina Bar Foundation. Many of you know Louise and her unwavering love and support of Carolina Law. I lack words to adequately express how thrilled I am to have her back at the law school.
Louise is a living database of Carolina Law alumni with a superb record of fostering relationships and sustaining decades-old friendships. Her institutional knowledge of Carolina Law is unrivaled. For those who don’t know Louise, I strongly suggest you email her and introduce yourself. You will make a friend for life.
I encourage you to click through the pages of this magazine to learn how members of the Carolina Law community – students, faculty and alumni – are affecting positive change in the world.
Carolina Law is a top-ranked law school because of the hard work of our employees, students, and alumni. The degree you received here has opened doors to your own success and will continue to do so for those coming after you. On March 26 (GiveUNC), let’s do our part to increase the value of a Carolina Law degree by making a gift of any size and feeling good about it.
Sincerely,
Martin H. Brinkley ’92
Dean and William Rand Kenan, Jr.
Distinguished Professor of Law