December 2021 First Monday

Dear Alumni and Friends,

We are in the home stretch of a very busy semester and year! Our students are taking their first exams today, and our December graduates are preparing for Saturday’s commencement in Moscow. Meanwhile, the moving trucks have arrived in Boise. Thanks to the tireless work of so many around the College and the University, we are beginning the transition to our Boise forever home!

As 2021 winds to a close, I invite you to reflect on a few of the highlights of the tremendous year we have had at the College of Law.

This year, we:

• Welcomed three new members of our faculty (along with the first woman dean!)
• Announced the Tribal Homelands Scholarship, which guarantees at least $10,000 per year in scholarship to every accepted student who is a member of a federally recognized tribe
• Launched the new Housing Clinic in Boise to help address the eviction crisis in Ada and Canyon counties
• Invested in three new faculty positions to increase the academic support we provide to students throughout law school and in preparation for the bar exam
• Expanded our national moot court program to field teams from Boise and Moscow
• Secured a more spacious building in Boise to better meet demand for legal education in our state
• Began renovations of the courtroom and two classrooms in Moscow
• Celebrated three members of our faculty who were honored as Leaders in Law and Business
• Recruited a new Assistant Dean of Admissions and two Associate Directors to improve our ability to counsel and support applicants from around the state and region
• Published 22 new articles, book chapters, and essays
• Honored our first University of Idaho alumnus as the Bellwood lecturer

And we did it all while managing the continuing challenges of the pandemic.

These successes are the product of tremendous efforts by this law school’s dedicated faculty and staff. I am inspired daily by their commitment to our students, the College, and to the practice of law in our state. Truly, this team embodies the land grant mission of which we are so proud.

And, of course, your support for us makes it all possible. Jeff Stoddard, ‘75 was instrumental in helping us secure our new home in Boise. A gift from Michael Beatty, a former professor at the College, enabled the expansion of our moot court program, and Judge Cynthia Yee-Wallace, ’00, ‘03 and Magistrate Judge Megan Marshall, ’08, ’11 stepped up to coach the teams. The Coeur D’Alene Tribe is providing crucial support for the Tribal Homelands scholarship. The 47 courses taught by our 66 dedicated adjunct faculty expanded the curricular opportunities available to our students and allowed them to build meaningful connections with the bench and bar. The list goes on. The investments you make in us are transformative in the life of the law school – and we are deeply grateful.

Finally, I would be remiss if I failed to acknowledge the leader who set us on the course for success this year, Jerry Long, my predecessor and colleague. I arrived at a law school on the rise, and that is due in no small part to his efforts. We look forward to welcoming him back from a well-deserved break in January.

I hope that the holiday season brings joy, peace, and time for reflection for you and your loved ones. I look forward to seeing you in the new year.

Yours,

Johanna Kalb
Dean and Professor of Law