From the Dean

a. aman

This has been a great year for Suffolk University Law School. I am pleased to report that we have been recognized nationally in several important ways. This year's U.S. News and World Report rankings placed our clinical programs 20th in the nation, tied with those of UCLA and the University of Chicago, and our legal writing program 33rd in the nation, tied with those of Georgetown and Marquette. Additionally, our faculty's productivity, as measured by the number of articles downloaded from the Social Science Research Network, was ranked 33rd in the country. These are all well deserved recognitions and speak to the many strengths of this law school.

There have been other exciting developments as well. In December we celebrated the opening of the Rappaport Center for Law and Public Service. This center is very important to us as we go forward. It will stimulate dialogue between and among policy makers, academics, and members of the bar on a variety of important public policy issues; it will promote public service and access to public interest careers for our students; and it will manage our law school's pro bono program. The center will, in effect, leverage Suffolk Law's long tradition of public service in ways that will substantially benefit the community and our students.

In March, we announced the appointment of Professor Alasdair Roberts as the first holder of the Rappaport Chair in Law and Public Policy. Professor Roberts is a celebrated legal and policy scholar whose expertise in law and public policy issues makes him an invaluable addition to our faculty; you can read more about his accomplishments here ».

These achievements and additions to our faculty and school are significant and bode well for the future. But what has perhaps excited me most this year has been my deepening relationship with the Suffolk Law alumni community. I spent much of the winter traveling the eastern seaboard, meeting with as many of you as I could. And what I discovered firsthand is the tremendous loyalty and dedication to Suffolk Law felt by all of our graduates. This enthusiasm and pride is very important to us and is emblematic of the help that our alumni have provided-and continue to provide-to our law school. More travel is planned, and I very much hope to have the opportunity to meet as many of you as possible.

We have had a successful year, and I look forward to keeping in close touch with you about our accomplishments and our future plans.

Best wishes,
Alfred C. Aman, Jr.
Dean and Professor of Law