Southern University’s Law Center has had its accreditation reaffirmed for another 10 years. The school strove to update policies, practices and procedures and upgraded their instructional methods to prepare students for the rigors of law school. Even in the midst of the pandemic, the faculty and staff spent much time to ensure as little disruption took place as possible, while still ensuring that the instructional methods in place were enhanced to better meet the needs of the student body.
“We are proud of the hard work of our faculty and staff to achieve SULC’s accreditation reaffirmation,” said John K. Pierre, chancellor of the Southern University Law Center. “SULC remains a quality higher education institution that continuously lives out its mission to provide access and opportunity to all.”
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Jim Kerr and his wife, Frances, have donated $2 million to the University of North Carolina School of Law to further the cause of social and racial equity. UNC has long been an institution that has worked to bring change to the state as a whole.
“Carolina has always hit the most important problems of our time head-on,” Kerr said. “We study cancer at the medical school. We study the financial crisis at the business school. Why shouldn’t the law school take on challenges that have torn our country and communities apart? I think our legal institutions are our best hope for the future. Wrestling with civil rights issues, thoughtfully and critically, at the law school is part of that great hope.”
The donation will create The Kerr Family Civil Rights Endowment Fund, which will support teaching, research, experiential learning and student engagement to advance the cause of civil rights. Research and community-based outreach will also play a part in helping students to confront the issues that are present in the country today.
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Marquette Law School established a new Center for Restorative Justice, thanks to a $5 million donation from Louis and Suzanne Bouquet Andrew, a Marquette alumni couple. The center’s inaugural director will be Janine Geske, a retired professor and current trustee of the university.
Geske defines restorative justice as a powerful, peaceful means for addressing conflict, promoting healing, and facilitating problem solving that differs from current mediation practices.
“It has been my dream to have a permanent restorative justice program at Marquette Law School,” Geske said. “As a judge and attorney, I experienced both the successes of our criminal justice system as well as its failures in bringing restoration to victims and communities harmed by crime. I left the bench because I wanted to help better address the needs of those who have been harmed and marginalized in society.”
The center will teach students how to use those principles at local, national and international levels. It will also support research by faculty, as well as bolster restorative justice work in the community at large.
