Monrad Paulsen and the Idea of a University Law School

Abstract

Monrad Paulsen played a very special role in both of our lives. He was our friend and our first dean, and we will likely remember no future dean with the same affection, loyalty, and admiration. Monrad knew when to encourage and when to criticize, and he used his knowledge and the force of his personality to help launch both of us in the academic profession. He was, however, more to us than friend, supporter, and critic: our views about legal education were, in important and permanent ways, shaped by Monrad Paulsen. Central to Monrad's view of legal education was his belief in the special nature and role of a university law school. For Monrad, it was supremely important that the law school be engaged not merely in vocational training, but in serving as an integral part of the university. As such, the school has a unique function: to marshall the many intellectual resources of a university toward the promotion of justice. Today, when the performance of law schools is being questioned by the judiciary, the organized bar, and the present generation of law students, we could think of no better way to participate in this tribute to Monrad than to remind people of his ideal and to record briefly our views about law schools and legal education—views that bear the unmistakable influence of Monrad Paulsen.