There come times in the life of an institution when it is called upon to make a choice. It may choose to try to remain as it has been. Or it may choose a bolder path – to become even more than it has been. Now is such a time for The University of Alabama School of Law.
One thing is certain: We cannot stay strong by standing still. Competition for faculty is intense. Competition for students is fierce. Keeping our physical facility up to date requires resources. Providing a first-rate legal education impels us to enhance existing areas of excellence and to redouble efforts to bolster areas in which, even now, we have capacity for growth.
Alabama Law is our law school. I say “our” for two reasons. It has shaped who we were as students and who we’ve become as professionals. And in part because of the gifts that have come from our legal education, we retain a special connection to this extraordinary place.
With these gifts and this connection, we have a responsibility: to make Alabama Law even more than it has been, so it can flourish far beyond our limited years. I hope you will join in this effort. Our students need us. Our state and nation need us. Our profession needs us.
Mark E. Brandon
Dean and Thomas E. McMillan Professor of Law
