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S5E13: Getting to Know Dean Johanna Bond, with SBA Presidents Fotini Sisois RLAW'24 and Hannah Soisson RLAW'24
174 Plays6 months ago
Today's episode flips the script, and our two SBA Presidents interview our host, Dean Johanna Bond!
The Power of Attorney is produced by Rutgers Law School. With two locations minutes from Philadelphia and New York City, Rutgers Law offers the prestige and reputation of a large, nationally known university combined with a personal, small campus experience. Learn more by visiting law.rutgers.edu.
Executive Producer: Shanida Carter
Series Producer & Editor: Nate Nakao
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Transcript
Introduction to the Podcast and Guests
00:00:08
Speaker
You're listening to the Anthem Award-winning podcast from Rutgers Law School, The Power of Attorney. I'm your host and dean of the law school, Joanna Bond. Today, I'm joined by two third-year Rutgers Law students, Hannah Soissen and Fotini Sisoyas.
00:00:33
Speaker
They both are extraordinary law students and leaders of Rutgers Law School.
Paths to Law School: Hannah and Fotini
00:00:40
Speaker
So we'll get into the specific ways that they impact the law school environment in a minute, but I wanna ask them initially to tell us a little bit about themselves and why you came to law school.
00:00:54
Speaker
Sure. I can go first. My name's Hannah. I'm the SBA president of the Camden Rutgers Law School. I knew I wanted to go to law school early on in life. I actually took that quiz that they make you take in high school. It's like 200 questions and they match your personality to a profession. And I got paired with a judge.
00:01:16
Speaker
And while I think I exercise good judgment, I definitely see myself as more of an advocate and being the one formulating my own arguments. And I chose to go to Rutgers for my legal education because of its emphasis on scholarship, its historical significance in the legal community, and also for the people. All of the conversations I had
00:01:39
Speaker
Prior to being a law student, I was just really impressed with how genuine, impersonable everyone was. And we have such a diverse student body. We're really dynamic thinkers and well-rounded individuals. And I just knew that that's the type of community that I wanted to join and be a part of.
00:01:58
Speaker
Hannah, that's great. Thank you for those insights. Some of those things are exactly the reasons that I was attracted to Rutgers Law School, too, the diversity of the student body, the diversity of the community, the strength of the community itself, and the incredible work that our faculty does and that our students are doing. It's just an exceptional place to study. So with that, I'm going to ask Fotini the same question.
00:02:24
Speaker
Yeah, thank you, Dean Bond. My name is Fotini. I am the SBA president of the Newark campus. I'm originally born and raised in Florida, specifically Tarpon Springs. And just like Hannah, I decided early on that I wanted to be a lawyer.
00:02:40
Speaker
But I decided to be a lawyer because I had the privilege of being accepted into an internship program in high school that partnered me with a local law firm. And it was a criminal defense law firm, but they took me to the courthouse very frequently. And so I got to see early on what it's like to be a criminal defense attorney, and I knew that that was what I wanted to do. So Rutgers Law has an incredible criminal defense clinic.
00:03:09
Speaker
and great ties to the Newark market and the New Jersey market. And that's what initially drew me to Rutgers, but what has made me fall in love with Rutgers Law is the community, the connections with the alumni network. They're incredible people. The administration being so helpful and caring and
00:03:33
Speaker
just the social culture of the law school. So I'm so happy to be here and I'm happy to be on this podcast today. That's wonderful. Well, we're so lucky to have you both as guests on the podcast and as 3L students. I mentioned that you all are both real leaders within the law school. And that is absolutely true. You're both SBA presidents and truly leaders within the student body. So
00:03:59
Speaker
So I wanna thank you for all of the time and energy that you've put into making the law school a better place. It is without a doubt a better place for both of you having been here and been real leaders in the community. So thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I think now we wanna flip the script and I think we're curious to know your origin story. How did you become a lawyer and ultimately Dean of Rutgers Law School?
Dean Joanna Bond's Career Journey
00:04:27
Speaker
Well, that is a great question. I started out really wanting to do women's rights work. I discovered in college that I wanted to do women's rights work. And that's what drew me to law school. But I always thought I wanted to do domestic women's rights work. I was very involved in domestic violence work and with a focus on work in the US.
00:04:54
Speaker
And then when I got to law school, I had an opportunity to work in an NGO that was housed at the law school. So it was a separate nonprofit organization, but it was housed at the law school. And that organization focused on women's rights globally. And I happened to get a job there. And so I worked there all through law school, but it was fantastic. It was a great introduction to doing women's rights work across the world.
00:05:24
Speaker
And so that led to, well, then I did a clerkship. I did a clerkship in US District Court in Minnesota, worked with a wonderful judge who was a fantastic and continues to be a fantastic mentor. And we're still in touch, and she's just a fantastic human being. And so after the clerkship, I did a year of human rights work.
00:05:51
Speaker
where I was working with different organizations. Mostly they were based, well some were based in the US, some were based internationally, but I was able to do research for them and I worked as an independent contractor essentially for a year.
00:06:10
Speaker
That was right before my clerkship. Then I did my clerkship. And then I started teaching. I took a teaching fellowship at Georgetown at the law school. And the name of the fellowship program was the Women's Law and Public Policy Fellowship Program. And so this was right at my alley. I knew I wanted to do women's rights work. This was an organization that took young, recently graduated lawyers and placed them in women's rights organizations.
00:06:39
Speaker
And so I thought I was gonna be placed in some nonprofit organization working on women's rights in DC. And I was actually placed in the Georgetown Women's Rights Clinic. And that was my first introduction to teaching. I had never really thought about teaching before that. I always thought I'd be an activist, an advocate on behalf of women and women's rights. And then this opportunity at Georgetown came up.
00:07:06
Speaker
And so I worked in the International Women's Human Rights Clinic at Georgetown and started teaching there. And then I discovered that I really loved teaching. So that was my entree into academia. And I worked at Georgetown for several years, even after the fellowship as a visiting professor. And then I went to University of Wyoming for two years to teach. And then I went to Washington and Lee, which is a small private law school in Virginia.
00:07:36
Speaker
And I stayed there for 15 years. So during that time, I was doing a lot of women's rights work, particularly in Tanzania, and taught a class in which I brought students to Tanzania to collaborate with local partners. And that was fantastic. And I did that multiple times while I was teaching there.
00:07:58
Speaker
But really then when I took the job at Rutgers, it felt like I was finally coming to a place that was really truly aligned with my own kinds of values around access and affordability and social justice and diversity. And so it really felt like an amazing place to land. So that's the story in a nutshell.
00:08:23
Speaker
Well, we're so glad that you did land here. I would like to take us back to your law school days and ask what your go-to methods of self-care were that got you through law school.
00:08:37
Speaker
Such a great question. So in my, I should say I did a joint degree. So I did a degree in, I got a master's in public policy as well. So for me it was four years, but I did one year of law school, one year of public policy school, and then I came back to the law school for my final two years of law school.
Self-Care and Overcoming Challenges
00:09:00
Speaker
And sometime about,
00:09:05
Speaker
Oh, probably spring of my first year of law school. I decided it was time for me to get a puppy. So I did. I did. And it was the best thing I ever did. My parents thought I was crazy because there were all these other demands on my time. And I thought, no, this is perfect. And it was fantastic. So I went to the pound, picked up a pound puppy.
00:09:29
Speaker
And she and I bonded, and she was my go-to for health and wellness. She was just an incredible support through law school and beyond. So she was with me for 10 years after that, but really, really important to me to have her during law school.
00:09:48
Speaker
I relate to that so much because in undergrad I needed a self-care puppy and I'm so glad to still have him here through law school. Oh, that's fantastic. That's wonderful. Yeah, it's just it's so nice to come back from studying or work and have somebody greet you so enthusiastically and with so much love no matter what. It just kind of turns your day around.
00:10:10
Speaker
Yeah, I did something similar. I got my cat fall of my 1L year. So it only took me like two months to be like, I need a little fur baby. He's actually right here. Yeah, I think it's a great coping mechanism.
00:10:24
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. So knowing that you had your puppy, what else would you go back in time to tell your past self in law school about what to expect for your legal career? Or do you have any words of wisdom that you would tell the law school version of yourself? I was always a little, um,
00:10:51
Speaker
nervous about doing things and trying new things. It wouldn't stop me from trying new things, but professionally speaking, I had imposter syndrome big time. I thought it took me a while to be convinced that I could do this, that I could be a lawyer. I felt like all through law school, I was fighting against that.
00:11:13
Speaker
And so if I could go back and tell my younger self that I had all the tools and that I had what it takes to not only get through law school but really thrive, I wish I could deliver that message and save myself a lot of angst and worry and major imposter syndrome. So if I could deliver that message to myself, I would. Totally.
00:11:36
Speaker
Yeah, I mean we're graduating in what three weeks and I feel like something's still gonna happen where I won't walk across the stage I Know we're so
Global Experiences and Motivation
00:11:48
Speaker
close. Yeah. Um, so you kind of touched on this earlier But your career has taken you all over the country and really all over the world you are a Fulbright scholar in 2001 and 2015 and
00:12:00
Speaker
and have been a part of several law school faculties around the country. So what is your favorite place that you have visited and your favorite place that you have lived in?
00:12:14
Speaker
In 2014 and 2015, I had a sabbatical year. And that's when I did my Fulbright in Tanzania in the spring of 2015. But in the spring of 2014, my spouse, who's also a law professor, got a Fulbright in Chile. So we spent that entire year living six months in Chile and six months in Tanzania.
00:12:37
Speaker
And we had three young kids at the time. But they were game for anything and totally up for it. And they were at really great ages, with the exception of my daughter, who was a little bit young. She remembers it only really through stories and photographs. But my two older children were 12 and 10 at the time. So really good time to be exposed to different places and different cultures and people.
00:13:07
Speaker
It's really hard to choose between those two as a favorite place that we've lived. But they were both extraordinary experiences where we got to know and really become friends with a lot of people in each of those places. And it was kind of hard to leave at the end of six months for both Chile and Tanzania.
00:13:31
Speaker
Earlier, you mentioned my Fulbright, the earlier Fulbright, and that was around 2000. I forget exactly.
00:13:41
Speaker
I hiked to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro during that trip and that was really an amazing experience. It was incredible. It's about four days up and only about a day coming down because you just go down a lot faster. It was such a fun experience.
00:14:04
Speaker
and really felt like a different view of the world from on top of the mountain. So I would put that in the category of really, really extraordinary travel experiences. And I would say Chile and Tanzania are really tied for coolest places that I've lived. Wow, that's awesome. That sounds incredible. It really was. Yeah, it was really, really an amazing time.
00:14:31
Speaker
So we kind of touched on this earlier too, but I think we're curious to know what led to your decision of wanting to be a law school dean and kind of having a role beyond just teaching. That all started
00:14:48
Speaker
back when I was working at Washington and Lee in Virginia, I really loved teaching my classes, but I found myself thinking more and more about how we could improve the institution. And if we just did this differently or that differently, we could make such a difference in the lives of our students. And so that led me to want to be involved in making change within the institution. And so I think it's that impulse to sort of
00:15:19
Speaker
work towards making institutions better that led me to the administration. So I did it. I did about four years as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at Washington and Lee. And there
00:15:33
Speaker
It's a very small law school. It's a very small faculty and a very small administration. So I was really part of a three-person team leading the law school. There was the dean. There was me as associate dean for academic affairs. And there was an associate dean for finance and administration. And the three of us were a great team. And we sort of led the law school
00:15:55
Speaker
And I learned so much during those four years, but there was more I wanted to do. And so I thought really the way to have an impact on an institution is to be a leader, a real leader within that institution. So I decided it was time to look for a deanship.
00:16:14
Speaker
I grew up in New Jersey, so I've always had a very special place in my heart for New Jersey and for Rutgers. When the deanship came open and I was looking around,
00:16:26
Speaker
As I mentioned earlier, there are so many things about Rutgers that really appealed to me and appealed to my sense of values. And Rutgers Law School really aligns well with what I think law schools should be doing and focusing on and how they should be preparing students to be real change makers in the world.
00:16:48
Speaker
As I said, it was a fantastic place to land, and I've loved my first year. Not quite done with the first year yet, but it's been amazing so far.
00:16:59
Speaker
Absolutely. I think we can really relate to what you're saying because that's the reason why we wanted to be active in the SBA. I really enjoy being a liaison between the students and the faculty. I don't like complaining about things if I don't have a role in trying to fix them.
00:17:19
Speaker
Exactly. I can totally relate to that. Yes. And that's why I'm so appreciative of you really being open to the students and attending our events. I'm sure it's hard to split your time between Camden and Newark, but we're really grateful for your presence on both campuses. Thank you so much. That is truly the hardest part of my job. I've loved so much of it. And the hardest thing for me is not being able to be everywhere all at once.
00:17:49
Speaker
I spend 50% of my time on the Camden campus, probably a little bit less than that because I'm in New Brunswick occasionally. But less than 50% of my time in Camden, less than 50% of my time in Newark, and then a little bit of my time in New Brunswick. So it's just impossible to go to all the things that I want to go to and to participate in
Balancing Campuses and Exploring New Jersey
00:18:09
Speaker
the way that I would
00:18:09
Speaker
love to participate. But I really do think that the move toward a single executive dean makes a lot of sense for this institution. It's sort of the final stage of the merger. So it makes sense, but it just means that I'm on the highway quite a bit driving between campuses. But fortunately,
00:18:31
Speaker
I strategically decided to make my home almost right in between. So I'm living in central Jersey and it's almost equidistant to both campuses.
00:18:45
Speaker
So you believe there is a central New Jersey? I was just going to say that. Yes. I mean, I do. I'm new to this controversy because I grew up in North Jersey and I grew up in this little bubble of Bergen County. So I didn't even really know that there was a South Jersey when I was growing up. So it's been a lot of lessons around South Jersey and Central Jersey since I've been back. But I actually do think there's a Central Jersey. How about you two? What do you think?
00:19:15
Speaker
So I'm from Florida. I don't know that I have the right to discuss, but I do personally think there's a central jersey. Yeah. I mean, it makes sense. I'm a Philly girl, so I also put my hands in the air and just listen, but I think I agree with you.
00:19:32
Speaker
Okay, so sports teams, do you root for any New Jersey sports teams or Philly sports teams? I ironically have always been a Giants fan for literally no reason. I think I just kind of liked the whole thing. That's great. So it was a seamless transition.
00:19:49
Speaker
Fantastic. How about you, Hannah? I'm a little different. My parents are from Pittsburgh, so I grew up a Steelers fan. Right. But I do tend to like the Phillies more than the Pirates. So I don't know if that makes me like a team hopper or whatever, but... No, no, that's okay. I'll take for the hot dogs. Yeah, right. Phillies is good. That's New Jersey adjacent. We'll take it. Cool.
00:20:16
Speaker
Well, kind of on the topic of exploring New Jersey, we were wondering if within this first full year of your deanship, if you've gotten to explore the areas surrounding either of the law school campuses. And if so, could you tell us a little bit about your favorite places to eat around each of the law school campuses?
00:20:37
Speaker
This is going to be so hard for me because I do love food. I love exploring new restaurants and I have had some wonderful meals, both in Newark and in Camden, Philadelphia.
00:20:54
Speaker
But I will honestly tell you that I haven't spent as much time exploring each of those cities as I would have liked. And that's partly just because when I'm at the office, I'm generally in meetings. And so there's not as much time as I had hoped to really explore the cities. But I have had some lunches that have taken me to really wonderful places. I couldn't name them for you.
00:21:19
Speaker
I don't remember, but there are some fantastic restaurants in Newark and the Camden Philly area. So I have spent a lot of time exploring restaurants in Princeton where I live, mostly because that's when I go out for meals with my family. And I came from this small town in Virginia where
00:21:45
Speaker
There were 7,000 people, so it was tiny, a dot on the map. We knew the same four restaurants. We knew the menus by heart. It was so exciting every time you went to a different city. Now, I feel like I live in a place where every day I've got options for eating. I'm like a kid in a candy store. It's ridiculous.
00:22:07
Speaker
Yeah, Princeton is probably one of my favorite parts of New Jersey for sure. Yeah, it's nice. And to your question, the other place that I brought my family very early on was down the shore. I grew up going to Point Pleasant. And I guess it was mostly Point Pleasant. That's just where kids from my high school went. And it's the northern part of the shore anyway.
00:22:36
Speaker
pretty soon after we moved here, I said, OK, we've got to go check out the shore. And so I think I brought them to Seaside Heights at that point, just as an introduction to the Jersey Shore. And it was fun. We had a blast. But that's, I think, a really unique part of New Jersey's culture. So I wanted them to see it.
00:22:54
Speaker
Yeah, seaside heights is amazing. Probably my favorite part of the shore too. Close second is Asbury Park, of course. I haven't spent enough time in Asbury Park, so I'm going to have to check it out this summer. Yeah, it's really cool and artsy. Yeah, that's great. Do you all have any other shore recommendations? Because I'm going to spend some time exploring this summer.
00:23:15
Speaker
I actually haven't been to too many, but my best friend growing up had a house in Avalon, so I would go there and go to the Stone Harbor shops during the day and the beach in the afternoon. Oh, nice. It's a little bit more quiet, so it's more peaceful if you want a chill day. Right. Yeah. My perspective has changed a little bit since high school, so I'm much more looking for a chill day than I was on the boardwalk in high school.
00:23:41
Speaker
Yeah, that's why I like Seaside Heights because it has all of the different beaches. So like some of them are so small and so private. Yeah, it's nice.
00:23:54
Speaker
But yes, going back to my initial question, have you at least gotten to try a Lacosina empanada? We had some yesterday at Unity Day. Yes, I should have mentioned Lacosina. Yes, absolutely. I love their empanadas. They're unbeatable. Love a good Lacosina empanada. Absolutely.
00:24:15
Speaker
So I think a question I have is, I think the legal industry is really booming with more women.
Gender Challenges and Diversity Initiatives
00:24:22
Speaker
And I know at least in Camden, I do think my graduating class is dominated by women. Maybe I'm wrong on that, but I think we're about 53% women. But still, I as a young woman sometimes get intimidated about the male dominated field I'm about to enter. So I'm just curious if you ever had any professional experiences where you felt like you were
00:24:44
Speaker
not respected because of your gender, if there are any challenges you faced as a woman in the legal industry. Oh, absolutely. Sadly, I think that those challenges still exist and you all will probably experience something like that, but hopefully not too frequently.
00:25:05
Speaker
But, you know, I had people tell me that they assumed I didn't want a higher position because I had kids, I had young kids. And I thought, you know, that's a decision I get to make. You shouldn't make that for me just because I have young kids. And so things like that where I definitely felt like there was a glass ceiling and
00:25:26
Speaker
And there were certain assumptions about me based on gender and family responsibilities, too. So for a while, for a long time, I didn't talk about my kids at work at all. I thought that's going to cause people to view me as primarily a mother and not a lawyer or a law professor. And I just thought at that early stage in my career,
00:25:55
Speaker
I didn't want that. I thought it would be an impediment to progress. So yes, there are definitely those times where I've sort of had to adjust my own behavior or thinking because there were those hurdles. And I wish I could say that it's 100% better. I do think we're making progress.
00:26:20
Speaker
I say that with some hesitancy now that we've had some regression in terms of Supreme Court jurisprudence around women's rights, certainly around reproductive justice. It's sort of like two steps forward, one step back. So I think we're making progress. It feels woefully slow to me.
00:26:45
Speaker
But I hope that you all will have all kinds of opportunities and not experience tremendous sexism when you're out in the working world. But the realist in me says you'll probably experience some.
00:27:02
Speaker
Yeah, probably if we're all being realistic. You know, it is leaders like you and hopefully leaders like us who will change that narrative so we can only hope for, you know, a better tomorrow as cliche as that sounds.
00:27:18
Speaker
No, Fotini, you're absolutely right. I totally subscribed to that view. I mean, I'm ridiculously optimistic, but I think if you're really committed to social change, you have to be somewhat optimistic. You have to believe that all of the advocacy and all of the efforts towards law reform and everything will be worth it in the end. So there's a certain amount of optimism that I think just comes from being an activist.
00:27:46
Speaker
I think, quote, ridiculous optimism is what is necessary for good change. So that's not at all a bad thing. But I would like to continue the conversation of diversity in the legal field. And I'd like to ask how you plan to keep empowering minority students at Rutgers Law School.
00:28:09
Speaker
One of the things that drew me to Rutgers Law School is the minority student program on both campuses, both in Newark and in Camden. And I think that Rutgers Law School is a national model in terms of how we should be
00:28:25
Speaker
supporting and learning from diverse students. And we have an incredible diversity within our law school population. And that includes racial and ethnic diversity, gender diversity, LGBTQ plus diversity, first gen diversity,
00:28:47
Speaker
life experience diversity. It's such a rich collection of human beings. And we have this program that's been in existence well over 50 years, at least on the Newark campus, that was designed to help diversify the legal profession. And through those efforts over the last 50 plus years,
00:29:08
Speaker
There has been major progress that we can point to as a direct result of the MSP program. That's our minority student program. And it's partly because we are intentionally creating community for students in the MSP program and providing
00:29:26
Speaker
work opportunities, study academic opportunities, and just generally creating a supportive community. And that has enriched the law school community for every single person, including those outside of the MSP program. It's just a really tremendously enriching program. So I think that continuing to support that program and to
00:29:52
Speaker
expand it in ways that make sense for the institution and for the students is always going to be one of my priorities. I just think it's a signature program of the law school and one that we should feel very proud of. And I certainly feel very, very proud of. So that's one way.
00:30:10
Speaker
And then I think, just to add to that, I think thinking creatively about our admissions process in light of the Supreme Court's recent jurisprudence, I think it's on everybody's mind. How do we continue our commitment to diversifying the legal profession, diversifying our community here in light of new constraints? So that commitment is there, it's very strong, and I'm excited to see where we go with it.
00:30:38
Speaker
Yeah, that's amazing. As a member of the minority student program, I can attest from the inside that it is as amazing as it seems on the outside. And so yeah, thoughts of expansion and more support for the MSP program are always so needed.
00:30:57
Speaker
Yeah, I feel like it betters the classroom environment too, because our professors do allow collaborative discussion. And I feel like I learn more from my classmates sometimes than the professors. And I think going into law school, I ignorantly thought all of my classmates would be like 20-somethings. And I was just so wrong. I have so many friends who do not fit that stereotype in our non-traditional students.
00:31:25
Speaker
The Camden's SBA secretary, he was actually a professor for many years and went to law school to, yeah, to learn. I think he was a philosophy professor and, you know, he went back to law school to learn more just about like what you said, the jurisprudence of new Supreme Court decisions. And he's really interested in governance and constitutions and just wanted to gain a better understanding.
00:31:48
Speaker
And we're just so inclusive. He comes out with his wife to parties and happy hours and stuff like that. And just people like him are such a crucial part to my experience at Rutgers and also my education.
00:32:03
Speaker
I'm so glad you mentioned that, Hannah. Yeah, that's a great example of somebody who comes with really rich life experience and brings a new perspective to conversations about the law and jurisprudence. And incidentally, in Camden, I'm sure you know this, Hannah, but Fotini may not. There is a law and philosophy program where there's a really strong emphasis on the intersection of law and philosophy.
00:32:26
Speaker
So I'm not surprised that we attract people who are interested in thinking about philosophy and the law. We have some really strong faculty members who have made that their career. So it's a great place to be just in terms of intellectual stimulation.
00:32:45
Speaker
Yeah, I didn't know about that program. That sounds incredible. Similarly, on the Newark side, we have someone who is a neurosurgeon and has her own practice and someone who's a veterinarian and started a chapter of the Animal Law Society because she felt like Rutgers Law didn't have enough focus on animal law and she has been a trailblazer in
00:33:08
Speaker
you know leading that and so that's one thing that i love about rockers law too is just we really have fostered a lot of leaders and people in the community who just wanna.
00:33:21
Speaker
make change in different ways. Yeah, absolutely. That's another great example. I mean, these are students who want to impact their world in a positive way, and they're very entrepreneurial too. I mean, you all are great examples of that too, but it makes for a very dynamic, really fascinating, and very supportive community.
00:33:42
Speaker
Yeah, along those same lines, just seeing the Newark community at large and connecting with them is something that's so incredible about specifically being a Newark campus student. Throughout my time as an admissions ambassador and as the co-chair of Street Law, it has become so apparent to me that the law school prioritizes in many ways
00:34:08
Speaker
making higher education accessible to students of diverse backgrounds? Is this a shared priority for you as the Dean as well?
Rutgers' Community Engagement and Strengths
00:34:17
Speaker
And if so, what are some ways that you plan to connect with the Newark and Camden youth and make higher education seem more accessible to them?
00:34:26
Speaker
Absolutely. One of the things I love about the contributions of Chancellor Nancy Cantor is the way that she envisions the university's relationship with the broader community. And she's really coined the term and brought it to life.
00:34:49
Speaker
the term anchor institution. And so the way that we think about the university as it relates to the broader community is as an anchor that provides, it provides not only support, but also it's a two-way street and we learn so much from our interactions with the community. And so looking at that relationship as mutually beneficial is really important in terms of thinking about
00:35:17
Speaker
the university as an anchor institution that has the potential to provide a lot of financial opportunity to the broader community.
00:35:27
Speaker
And so I do think about the law school in those terms. And I have begun to think about how to develop some Newark specific and Camden specific scholarships that will really open a pathway to students from the Newark area and the Camden area to law school. I mean, this is our constituency.
00:35:49
Speaker
We are the public law school of New Jersey. This is who we serve. And so really creating pathways for students who may not otherwise consider themselves potential lawyers. But having those conversations early on that might open the door for them to think of themselves as future lawyers.
00:36:09
Speaker
So we're continuing to think and build in that area, but I think it's critically important. And I really value our relationship with our broader community in a way that really resonates with the anchor institution concept. So it's a priority for me. I think that we have so much
00:36:33
Speaker
to learn, too, from our community partners. One of the ways that the law school does that is through its clinics. When we are providing a needed legal resource to community members through our clinical program, we're serving the community, but we're also
00:36:51
Speaker
teaching our students and educating our students and teaching our students how to be empathic lawyers and client-centered lawyers who really understand the client's objectives and also the client's journey. And so, you know, those are the values that we're teaching and we're sort of using this vehicle of clinical service to do that.
00:37:15
Speaker
But it's also a way to give back to the community in really important ways and serve the community in ways that it's currently being underserved. So I think that our relationship to the community is sort of central to who we are.
00:37:31
Speaker
Yeah, thank you so much Dean Bond for explaining all of your plans and for agreeing that the Newark community, specifically in the Camden community and connection with them is so incredibly important.
00:37:46
Speaker
Here at the Newark campus, yesterday we planned Unity Day and it was supposed to be a way for the law school community to come together and celebrate the school year and getting close to the end. And because it was such a beautiful day, we decided to move it outside.
00:38:05
Speaker
But then that ended up becoming an incredible opportunity for us to connect with the Newark community because we had students from different local schools. We had different people just walking by and interacting with us. We had huge Connect 4 and Jenga and basketball.
00:38:25
Speaker
and photo booth. And it was a really great time. And it really reminded me of one of the reasons why I came to Rutgers Law, which is because of the incredible Newark community. And it has become a passion of mine to connect with them from the middle schools and the elementary schools in Newark, because they're all so incredible. And so it was a really nice way to kind of come full circle yesterday and do that once again.
00:38:53
Speaker
Absolutely. It was such a perfect day yesterday for that activity and it was so nice to see so many students outside. And I also saw members of the community, you know, people pushing strollers through and stopping to play Jenga and it was great. It was great on so many levels.
00:39:09
Speaker
Yeah, in fact, a little girl came up to me and asked me who we are and what we're doing. And I said, oh, we're at the law school. And she's like, law school? Who wants to go to law school? And I was like, you're right. She might change her mind someday. You know, I tried my hardest to get her to do that in that moment. She said, well, maybe I should be a lawyer. I like to argue with my siblings. And I was like, yeah, you should. Perfect.
00:39:37
Speaker
But anyways, speaking of Rutgers Law School, that's why we're here. I would like to finish us off and ask what you think the strengths of Rutgers Law School are that have stood out to you in your first year as Dean. And what is one thing you've come to appreciate about the Rutgers Law School student body in your time as Dean?
00:40:00
Speaker
Wow, there's so many things running through my head right now. Because there are so many things that I have discovered are real strengths of this place. And as I said, I've had a wonderful first year, and it has been full of all of these discoveries. All of the things that I suspected would be true about the mission of the law school and the focus on
00:40:24
Speaker
students has been true and I've tried to really live and breathe that sense of student centeredness. The emphasis on using the law either
00:40:39
Speaker
through public service or through a corporate law career that involves pro bono work or a public interest career that's focused on social justice. There are certain values that we know we're exposing our students to. Frankly, a lot of students come in with those values.
00:41:02
Speaker
But we we really do want to emphasize that there is a responsibility as lawyers to give back to be leaders in the community and to give back and and so that has been underscored for me time and again with our students with the incredible work that the faculty is doing and so
00:41:23
Speaker
I really do appreciate that in ways that I didn't when I was just reading about the institution from afar. I think being here and interacting with students and faculty and staff has just underscored for me not only what an important place it is in terms of the values that we're
00:41:42
Speaker
communicating to students, but also what an incredible community it is. And I hate to beat a dead horse. I know we've talked about what a special place this is, but it really is an extraordinary community on both campuses. And I have loved that. I've loved getting to know the people.
00:41:58
Speaker
One of my favorite things is interacting with students and alums. I'm not in the classroom right now, so I take every opportunity I get to interact with students outside of the classroom. I've had just wonderful experiences talking to students at events and getting to know them outside of class.
00:42:18
Speaker
and the students are remarkable i mean you all know this you you you are the embodiment of this but you can also look around and see your peers doing really incredible things and and you both mentioned examples of students who really enrich
00:42:35
Speaker
the intellectual life, and the community here. And so every time I get to talk to students, I love it. When I go out and meet alums, I love it. Because they're alums out in the world. They're using their Rutgers law degree in all kinds of really fascinating and fantastic ways. So I get really energized when I talk to our students or our alums.
00:43:00
Speaker
And I really appreciate the fact that students feel a connection to Rutgers Law School and they want to maintain that connection. And so, you know, I have had really great experiences with alums who want to give back to the institution and, you know, that may be through
00:43:20
Speaker
mentoring a current student. It may be through coming to a class to give a talk. There's so many ways that our alums want to be involved. And it's because they had a positive experience. They want to give back to ensure that our current students are actually having a positive experience too. So that impulse to give back is something that I really, really appreciate.
00:43:43
Speaker
Yeah, I couldn't agree more, especially about the alumni network. Every time I get to interact with alumni, it's just really incredible to see, one, what I could be in the future and to kind of have a role model for what I should be doing when I go out into the field and how I should be connecting with Rutgers Law students, but also because they do so much for us.
00:44:11
Speaker
Absolutely, absolutely. Well, and I know you both well enough to know that you all are going to go out into the world and be exactly that kind of alum that works hard to stay connected with us, which I'm sure you will do and I truly appreciate, and that you'll look for ways to give back. I have no doubt in my mind you all are extraordinary law students, you will be extraordinary attorneys, and I look forward to following your path in years to come.
00:44:38
Speaker
Thank you so much for that. I personally can't imagine a world in which I'm not connected with Rutgers Law School. It has done so much for me and winding down my law school career is both bitters. It's been bittersweet because I just love it so much. That's so good to hear. I'm so glad.
00:44:57
Speaker
Well, that was personally all the questions I had for you. Thank you so much for answering them. Absolutely. It was so fun to talk to both of you. And I want to thank you for taking the time to chat with me on the podcast today. And I also want to say congratulations to each of you with your upcoming graduation. You all have worked hard and earned this. And I wish you all the best and great success to come. Thank you so much. Yeah, absolutely. Take care.
00:45:29
Speaker
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