Today’s college students live in a world that’s challenging the legal status quo. As president of the University of Oregon, Michael Schill should prepare them for it.
This year, the U.S. Supreme Court held that same-sex marriages are a civil right, the State of Oregon took its first step towards the full legalization of marijuana and a fierce debate over the use of deadly force by police officers erupted — to name just a few legal issues that will be in the public mind for decades to come.
On July 1, Michael Schill stepped into Johnson Hall as the University of Oregon’s new president. Of course, his job isn’t to try to address these problems directly. But his background as a legal scholar and dean of the University of Chicago’s prestigious law school allow him to turn these issues to the UO’s advantage.
For example: his presidency should embrace the opportunities presented by debates over fundamental legal problems. By helping give students the tools to apply the law to today’s most important issues, Schill can give them the edge — both intellectually and practically — in an uncertain world. The UO will be stronger for it.
The university’s presidency has had an uneven past. With the exception of David Frohnmayer, no president in over 70 years has lasted more than a decade in office. And, in the past five years, there have been two interim presidents.
The UO can’t be an elite institution without resolved leadership. Its students and faculty need a common goal that bridges the university’s diverse academic interests. For Schill, a focus on comprehensive legal education would play to his strengths while satisfying both these needs.
The need for legal education is everywhere. To be useful and ethical citizens, young Americans need to be able to grasp the complexities of gay marriage, gender discrimination and voting rights when they go to vote. The future will still need champions of civil rights, and champions from all disciplines should be educated here in Eugene whether or not they choose to formally study the law.
Students who learn about the law will also have an edge in the marketplace. Companies want to hire people who understand the world around them, and entrepreneurs need a firm grasp of the legal system to build robust businesses. Here, Schill can really shine — he’s written respected texts on property law, securities and the regulation of housing markets.
And finally, a legal education will help students deal with the increasingly intrusive surveillance state that has accompanied the proliferation of technology into everyday life. Some politicians feel that they can hide behind confusing statutes and obtuse legal processes to gather information on American citizens. But armed with an understanding of due process and other constitutional rights, the University of Oregon’s students could put forth a serious, grassroots challenge to such activities.
However, the real question is still this: How can Schill create a sustainable plan for both scholarly and institutional growth while simultaneously producing the short-term results his enormous salary demands?
He can start by attracting donations and imaginations to the university’s undergraduate legal program, encouraging innovation like the Inside-Out class and engaging faculty with a cohesive campaign to reimagine Oregon’s conception of a well-rounded student. And hopefully, though his focus should remain broad, he can help the UO’s law school shed its modest national image.
At heart though, his goal should be this: give the UO’s students an unrivaled edge over their competitors. A basic legal education, whether through interaction with Oregon’s incarcerated citizens or studying the Constitution, is a crucial step towards accomplishing that.
Dal Pino: An open letter to President Schill
Thomas Dal Pino
July 16, 2015
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