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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.
From the Deans' Suite - 12/2/25 - You've Got This
As exams approach, we want to speak to our students not just as your deans, but as former law students who remember the knot in the stomach, the late nights, and the quiet hope that all the work will be worth it.
It will.
Exams Are Where the Learning Happens
It’s easy to see exams as a verdict. But in truth, a huge amount of real learning happens while you prepare for them.
When you:
From the Deans' Suite - 11/26/25 - Thanksgiving Edition
As we head into Thanksgiving, I find myself reflecting on the incredible spirit of generosity that defines our Cleveland State University College of Law community. Last Monday, I had the privilege of attending the Ohio Supreme Court swearing-in ceremony, where more than 80 of our newest alumni became attorneys, surrounded by their families and friends. It was a wonderful and inspiring occasion. Justice DeWine reminded the new lawyers of their responsibilities to their communities, of the unique role they play as people who understand the rules of our legal system, and of the importance of seeking opportunities, both within and beyond their practice, to make a difference.
From the Deans' Suite - 11/19/25 - Leaders in Intellectual Property
“This was the first CSU Law IP+ conference I have attended. I found it to be one of the best CLE conferences I have attended in the 51 years since I graduated from then Cleveland-Marshall College of Law.”
That generous reflection from an alumnus who joined us last Friday for the IP+ Conference 2025 captures what a special event it was. With more than 300 people registered, this was one of the largest professional conferences we’ve hosted at CSU|Law—bringing together judges, leading practitioners, scholars, students, and alumni for a genuinely exceptional day of learning and connection.