From the Dean
On Journeys and Destinations
Photography by Michael Ray
Many of us have heard the adage, “Success lies not in reaching a destination, but in the quality of the journey.” As I look back over my first year as Dean at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, I am struck by the number of fascinating journeys that have been proceeding on parallel tracks involving the Law School. You will read about many of these journeys in the pages to follow—like the multi-year effort by Health Law Clinic students to secure coverage for a client’s life-saving transplant surgery, or the journey by Pitt Law students to the Gulf Coast to assist in the aftermath of Katrina , or the receipt of an international Webby award by JURIST, the legal news and research Web site hosted at the Law School. And, of course, any account of the first half of 2006 in Pittsburgh can’t neglect mention of the Steelers incredible journey to a Super Bowl victory—and, yes, there is a Pitt Law tie-in here!
Some of the most enjoyable journeys from the past year for me, though, have been those to visit alumni. Whether I’ve been traveling simply from Oakland to downtown Pittsburgh to lunch with alums at local law firms or to New York or Los Angeles and points between, I have been consistently impressed by the value of the work that Pitt Law alums are doing and inspired by their commitment to the Law School. Senator Orrin Hatch, ’62, whom we invited to author this issue’s alumni guest article, exemplifies how a Pitt Law degree can provide the foundation for a distinguished career of public service. I hope to meet more of you in the next year, whether in the course of my travels or perhaps at the Law School’s Reunion Weekend scheduled for October 20–21.
Finally (for now), this inaugural issue of Pitt Law Magazine itself commences an important stage in the Law School’s journey towards becoming a truly great law school. The move to a magazine format represents our commitment to improve our communications with our alumni and friends. Pitt Law Magazine is for you—to inform you, to entertain you, and, most importantly, to help you stay connected with the Law School. One donor, recognizing how critical the connection to alumni is to the School’s success, is already targeting financial support to this new undertaking. I invite each reader to be a part of the new magazine’s success in some way as well, whether by sending in items for the Alumni Notes section, by emailing to give us feedback on the magazine, or even by supporting the magazine financially. A wealth of good stories about the Law School and its alumni are just waiting to be told, and we are looking forward to telling them!
In closing, I encourage each of you, as you proceed on your individual journeys, to join too in our community’s collective journey. Take time to make your way back—literally or figuratively—to Pitt Law.
Happy reading and safe journeys,
