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Coming of Age
Cardozo is a young law school, founded in 1976, and yet there are many accomplishments that indicate we have come of age. One of the most visible, and the one that we celebrate in this issue of Cardozo Life, is the attainment of a chapter of the Order of the Coif. This honor is a mark of our growing strength and reputation, and also an important recognition from our peers for our superior educational programs and academic values. Our faculty, programs, administration, and students were scrutinized by the Coif organization during a two-year process, and nomination of the Law School passed the various committees and a vote of the membership with flying colors.
Starting immediately, Cardozo graduates at the top of their class will be among those who can proudly wear membership in this national honorary society. This spring, we inducted members of the classes of 1997 and 1998 and, at graduation in June, those from the class of 1999 who attained grades that placed them in the top 10 percent of their class. They received the Order of the Coif for academic excellence, as will future Cardozo graduates. This achievement, however, is an institutional, not an individual one. Every Cardozo graduate past and future, indeed the entire Cardozo community, benefits from this recognition for it is another indication that we are moving forward on a nationally respected course.
Even a quick look at the pages that follow will show the breadth of
activities in which students are involved, and the depth of scholarship
that takes place throughout the Law School. These include visits from both
Justice Stephen Breyer and Prof. Andrew Kaufman, among others; students
providing representation for people wrongfully convicted and fighting the
IRS; and faculty members publishing books and articles in many languages,
providing representation and counsel in high-profile cases, and speaking
at symposia and panels throughout the world. In Rabbi Lamm's interview,
you will read that Cardozo was founded with the desire to emphasize the
professional aspects of the law as well as the law's cultural, ethical,
and intellectual worth. The Squadron Program celebrating its 10th anniversary
is one way in which Cardozo meets its mission and provides students with
the tools needed to do meaningful scholarship and participate in the culture
of the law. In short, this issue is filled with milestones that document
Cardozo's mission and point to achievements that fulfill the promise of
our future.