Words to Live By

USC Law announces new vision statement

- By Gilien Silsby

"The University of Southern California Gould School of Law cultivates analytical ability, ethical values, and a spirit of collegiality that prepare our students for meaningful careers benefiting society.  We enrich human knowledge and the principles of justice through superior scholarship." -- USC Law's vision statement, adopted September 2009

The vision that has animated USC Law’s teaching and scholarship for generations has been boldly articulated in a new statement released by the school’s dean, faculty and alumni leadership.

The vision statement formally positions USC Law as a center for exceptional scholarship that challenges students to think analytically, behave ethically and work together in a collegial environment so they are prepared for careers after graduation.

Created by Dean Robert K. Rasmussen and his 34-member Board of Councilors (BOC), the new vision statement will guide USC Law well into the 21st century.

“Our vision statement captures both how the Board views the law school and how we view ourselves,” Rasmussen says. “We have had many wonderful discussions about the value of legal education and why we are committed to USC Law.”

Stephen Rader ’81, recently installed chair of the BOC, agrees, saying that the Board has been energized by the process of creating the vision statement. “We put all of our heads together and came up with a short vision statement which speaks volumes about USC Law and its outstanding programs.”

The key to USC Law’s success is to consistently keep up with changes in legal education and offer new programs that will help law students achieve in the classroom and long after they graduate, Rader says.

Under Rasmussen’s leadership, three major programs have been developed, demonstrating the law school’s commitment to change and investment in the future. A graduate Tax LL.M., Entertainment Law program and Law and Business program will launch concurrently in fall 2010.

“Our goal is to ensure that students develop the skills that they will need,” Rasmussen says. “In boom times, the common refrain from hiring partners was that they cared about grades and personality. Now, however, an increasing number of partners are looking more closely at what the student actually learned during law school. Have they taken a curriculum that will allow them to start adding value sooner rather than later?”

To that end, Rasmussen hired John A. Schulman, a former Warner Bros. executive for 25 years, to create and direct the new Entertainment Law program at USC Law.

“This program has already attracted an enormous amount of interest among our alums and our students,” Rasmussen says. “We have many graduates who are major players in the entertainment industry, and are eager to lend their credibility to our program. Similarly, a number of students have approached me and asked me how they can get involved. Many students come to USC because they want to be entertainment lawyers, so this only makes sense.”

Another program USC Law is implementing is the Tax LL.M. With such top tax faculty as Elizabeth Garrett, Thomas Griffith, Edward Kleinbard and Edward McCaffery, launching a program was a natural, Rasmussen says.

“We have one of the top five tax faculties in the country,” he says. “Our Tax LL.M is an opportunity to highlight what has traditionally been a strength of our law school. Moreover, this will allow those interested in tax to build their capital.”

USC Law is also taking major steps on a third initiative that has been discussed for the past two years — a Business Law program. Prof. James Spindler of USC Law and Prof. Duke Bristow of the USC Marshall School of Business are working together to build a program that will provide students with a structured course of study for practice on the corporate side.

“Too often, students who want to be corporate lawyers fail to learn the basic skills they will need. While it is always a good thing to prepare students adequately, it is crucial in today’s economic climate,” Rasmussen says.

With an articulated vision and several new programs, Rader believes USC Law will continue to strengthen as an institution. “USC Law is an amazing school with a world class reputation,” he says. “It is innovative and boasts amazing scholarship.”