For this quarter, my message to you will focus on the gratitude I owe you. As I reflect on all the challenges we are all dealing with because of the pandemic, the economy, and our societal racial justice issues, I am filled with appreciation for the generosity of the McGeorge alumni community. McGeorge would not be enjoying its upward trajectory in terms of bar pass, job placement, student entrance credentials, and excellence in legal education without your support.

Thank you to those of you who support the law school by giving of your time among other things:

  • teaching for us as adjunct faculty, contributing your specialized expertise and enormous amounts of time to the betterment of our educational program;
  • coaching our mock trial, moot court, client interviewing and counseling, and negotiations teams to such stunning success;
  • working with our students one-on-one as part of our distinctive, guaranteed alumni-student mentoring program;
  • speaking as guest lecturers in our classes;
  • presenting to our students and alumni as featured speakers for our many events; and
  • participating in mock interviews to help our students prepare for their real ones.

Thank you also to those of you who serve the law school by serving on our various boards, including our Alumni Association Board of Directors, Dean’s Cabinet, Diversity Board, Capital Center Board, International Board of Advisors, and forthcoming Advocacy Center Board. We, the faculty, staff, and administration of McGeorge learn so much because of your time and effort. I must add a special thanks to those of you serving on more than one board! I am certain we would not be making the progress we are making absent your involvement.

A big thank you to those of you who have been able to contribute to the law school financially. Your gifts allow us to:

  • offer more and better student scholarships, allowing our students to avoid taking on too much debt;
  • support our students who are struggling, as we do via our Virtual Food Pantry Fund and Emergency Loan Fund;
  • enhance what we do to support our students in passing the bar exam, such as our very successful bar incentive program that resulted in a 93% pass rate among the students who completed it for the October 2020 California bar exam;
  • recruit and retain excellent faculty;
  • launch new programs, such as our forthcoming Homelessness Medical-Legal Partnership Clinic; and
  • ensure that our facilities are worthy of our students.

I am also grateful to those of you who advance McGeorge every day through your accomplishments, i.e., those of you who

  • are serving in state and federal judgeships throughout the country;
  • are partners in large, medium and small law firms;
  • hold major elected and appointed offices in city, county, state, and federal governments;
  • lead and work in non-profit organizations;
  • serve as general counsel in large and small corporate entities;
  • work as public defenders and district attorneys; and
  • just plain do good work.

Once again, thank you. I wish you all the very best and encourage you to reach out if there is ever anything I can do to support you.