Dean's Welcome

Welcome to Seattle University School of Law. You will soon learn what I have known for many years, since I first became a student and then a professor and now dean of this law school: It is a remarkable place, with an exceptional faculty, exciting centers and institutes and an outstanding student body.

Seattle University School of Law educates outstanding lawyers to be leaders for a more just and humane world. Our twin goals of academic excellence and education for justice set us apart. Through our program of legal education, Seattle University School of Law prepares students for the competent and ethical practice of law in a global and highly complex society. We work hard to ensure that our students graduate with both a concern for justice and the capacity to promote it.

Our Legal Writing Program is recognized as the best in the country, and our Ronald A. Peterson Law Clinic gives students the chance to work on real cases and to make a difference in their clients' lives. Acclaimed centers and institutes, including the Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law and Equality, the Center for Global Justice, and the Center on Corporations, Law & Society, provide intellectual enrichment and opportunities for students to work with faculty scholars on cutting edge legal issues. The Access to Justice Institute stands as the core of our social justice mission and seeks to inspire our students toward a lifelong commitment to social justice, public interest and public service, wherever their career paths may take them. Our international programs are ever-growing, with summer study abroad programs in Brazil and South Africa, and international externships around the world.

With our diverse and active student body, the law school offers a wide variety of co-curricular and extracurricular activities, ranging from service activities to social gatherings to scholarly pursuits. Our alumni are successful in every area of the law, business, the judiciary and public service - and they are eager to share their experiences with students.

I encourage you to read more about the programs and people who make Seattle University such a special place. I know you will be inspired, just as I was when I joined this vibrant community. You may contact any of any of our faculty, staff or administrators for more information, and please feel free to e-mail me directly with any questions.

Annette Clark '89
Interim Dean