From the Deans' Suite - 3/12/26 - Happy 90th Milly Collins!

Earlier this month, at the Cleveland State University alumni gathering in Florida, I had the pleasure of meeting Milly Collins, a proud graduate of CSU Law’s Class of 1981. Milly turned ninety this past Sunday, March 8th.

As we talked, Milly shared a story that is quintessential CSU Law: ambitious, practical, service-minded, and deeply connected. Her story demonstrates what our part-time program (and now online program) has always made possible: an education that meets talented people where they are, and helps them achieve their dreams.

From the Deans' Suite - 3/3/26 - The Profession in the Building

When we talk about what makes CSU Law special, we always highlight our alumni and our deep connections to the practicing bar and the fact that lawyers don’t just support this school — they show up.

Last week offered a vivid slice of how the local legal community shows up for our students. Judges, alumni, legislators, and practicing attorneys were in our building — questioning, mentoring, advising, debating, coaching. Across multiple events, our students were not simply studying the law. They were receiving direct guidance from the lawyers who practice it every day. They were being questioned, coached, and pushed to improve.

Here’s what that looked like.

Moot Court Night: Appellate Advocacy on Display

From the Deans' Suite - 2/25/26 - Faculty & Staff Focus | February 2026: Scholarship, Leadership & Global Impact

We are very fortunate to have outstanding full-time, adjunct, and emeritus faculty, leaders-in-residence, and staff. We are pleased to share regular updates on their excellent scholarship, presentations, teaching, and service. This Faculty/Staff Focus is distributed widely to Law School students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the CSU community.

From the Deans' Suite - 2/12/26 - From Cleveland Heights to the Olympic Stage

This week in From the Deans’ Suite, we step back and make space for a message from our emeritus colleague, Professor Ken Kowalski, who reminds us that sometimes the impact of our work in the law shows up in unexpected ways and sometimes many years later.

The U.S. Women's Hockey Team is having phenomenal success at the Winter Olympics, currently standing at #1 in Group A. That success is due in no small part to a player from Cleveland Heights, Laila Edwards, as detailed in the Plain Dealer.

Greater Cleveland and Cleveland Heights in particular can take pride in Ms. Edwards' accomplishments.

From the Deans' Suite - 2/3/26 - Opening Doors

There’s a particular kind of door you only notice once you’ve walked through it. When you turn around to look back and realize that you’re now the expert, the person other people rely on and look to as a role model. No one ever walks through these doors on their own. Someone (often more than one) was always on the other side, holding the handle, saying, “Come on in. Let me show you how this works.”

Mentors open those doors. They do it through a conversation over coffee; a candid story about a mistake made and a lesson kept; a resume marked up with honest red ink; an encouragement, delivered when things turn hard, that you, too, can find your place in this profession.

From the Deans' Suite - 1/29/26 - Rock & Roll Meets Moot Court

I usually use this space to reflect on the week just behind us. This week, I’m going to look back a little further—because something truly special deserves a second look.

Two weeks ago, CSU Law’s Moot Court Team hosted the inaugural Rock & Roll Moot Court Festival, the first and only moot court competition in the country devoted entirely to the music industry.

From the Deans' Suite - 1/21/26 - AI at CSU|Law

Over the last semester, we've heard a steady refrain from students, alumni, and employers: AI is showing up everywhere in legal work - so how do we make sure our graduates are ready to use it responsibly and well? That question has driven a wide-ranging effort since this summer to design and implement an AI strategy for CSU Law. Today we're pleased to share news about our first significant step that is already generating real momentum.
 

AltaClaro + CSU|LAW: Preparing Students for AI-Enabled Practice

From the Deans' Suite - 1/14/26 - What "Break" Really Looks Like at CSU Law

Spring semester classes started this week, and it’s wonderful to have folks back in the building.

I’d like to share today a bit of what some of our faculty were up to during the “break” between semesters. First, “break” is something of a misnomer. While classes pause, the work does not. Throughout the winter recess, our faculty were deeply engaged in scholarship, teaching innovation, and national leadership, perhaps nowhere more evident than at last week’s American Association of Law Schools (“AALS”) Annual Meeting in New Orleans.

From the Deans' Suite - 12/18/25 - Gratitude

As we end the Fall semester and bring 2025 to a close, we’ve been taking some time to reflect on our first semester serving as Co-Interim Deans.

What stands out most—what rises above the calendars and commitments—is how incredibly fortunate we are to work with such a dedicated, caring group of faculty and staff who understand that our work is not only about training lawyers, but also a craft and a calling to shape lives and realize dreams. One of the most wonderful parts of this job is hearing directly from students how our colleagues demonstrate that commitment: with rigor and patience, with high expectations and steady belief, with acts of everyday kindness that can change a semester—or a life.

From the Deans' Suite - 12/15/25 - December Faculty/Staff Focus

We are very fortunate to have outstanding full-time, adjunct, and emeritus faculty, leaders-in-residence, and staff. We are pleased to share regular updates on their excellent scholarship, presentations, teaching, and service.