“They are one person. They are two alone. They are three together. They are for each other.” - "Helplessly Hoping", Crosby, Stills, and Nash
Crosby, Stills, and Nash has been one of the soundtracks of my life. So when the legendary singer songwriter David Crosby passed away this past week, I listened again to many of their songs and was reminded how much their music and lyrics have resonated with me over the decades.
If I could give only one reason why prospective and admitted students should choose our law school over many other fine law schools, it would be this:
In the words of David Crosby, we “are for each other.”
Some law school assets can be measured by national rankings, but even more cannot. As Albert Einsteinnoted, “Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts.”
So I say to our prospective and admitted students, take your own measurements.
There is no ranking of law schools that measures how much your law school cares about you personally and professionally and supports your success, yet that is the single most important measure.
The essence of who we are is best summed up by some of our recent graduates.
“We study together, laugh together, and lift each other up. Here, we do not hide notes from each other or try and set others up for failure, so we can rise in rank. Here, we work together to lift us all up and make sure we all succeed in this…Going to CSU Law was the best decision of my life.” -MaKenna Daus ‘22
“Ask yourself, am I looking for a law school that encourages relationship building among myself and lifelong peers? Am I looking for a law school with supportive faculty and staff members to help guide me throughout my rigorous academics? If you’ve answered yes, then CSU Law is your perfect fit.” – Samia Shaheen ’22
“I chose CSU Law because I felt the support and dedication to students even before I walked into the building….During my initial visit, every faculty member had a smile on their face and their passion spread like wildfire….After leaving my tour and orientation, I felt like I would have the ability and the support to change the world." – Courtney Parson ‘22
“As a student, I was assigned a professional mentor. As someone who knew nothing about the legal world until law school, my mentor has helped me tremendously in attempting to figure out my personal goals. At the class level, the entire student body has a wonderful school spirit that makes you want to succeed not just for yourself, but for your school. We help each other and cheer on each other in a way that I think is unique to the school.” - AnnaMaria Jadue ’22
“I was torn between my alma mater CWRU and CSU Law. What it really came down to for me was the connections and feeling I got when I visited CSU Law….. something special is brewing here….I can't tell you the amount of times I've gone to office hours for professors and almost invariably, the first thing they ask is how I'm personally doing….In my opinion, the connections you'll make here are unrivaled for schools in this area. I can't tell you how many meetings, interviews, and opportunities I've gotten simply by telling people I go to CSU Law. -Dustin Likens’18
There is not one path. There is not even the right path. There is only your path.
As you consider your decision, please look at the big picture because you are making a long-term decision that affects the rest of your life - not just the next few months or years.
You’re one decision away from a completely different life.
No matter how bright and talented you are, your success will be determined not only by your hard work but also by the support you receive from faculty, staff, alumni, fellow students, friends, and family.
Here students will find open doors and open minds and a level of accessibility, support, encouragement, and interaction that many law schools don’t offer.
We are for each other.
Stay safe. Stay healthy. Stay Committed to Living Justice.
Have a great day. Have a great week.
My best,
Lee
Lee Fisher
Dean, Cleveland State University College of Law | Cleveland State University
Joseph C. Hostetler-BakerHostetler Chair in Law
For copies of past messages, please go to this link: Monday Morning Messages.