Dear friends, this issue of University of Wisconsin Law School’s Gargoyle magazine is a special one. We’ve got some especially poignant and exciting stories to share about some of the latest developments at the Law School, to which so many of you have contributed.
A prominent example is the work of the Wisconsin Innocence Project (WIP), which has been changing lives for people wrongfully convicted of crimes — and the students who represent them — for nearly three decades. Since its inception in 1998, WIP has secured the release of more than 30 people. Recently, many years of hard work paid off with two big wins, when longtime WIP clients Manuel Cucuta and David Bintz were both released from prison. This issue explores the clinic’s life-changing impact on people who’ve been wrongly convicted, as well as WIP students who discover their life’s path along the way. Learn more in “We’re the Last Hope.”
We also highlight the Center for the Study of Liberal Democracy (CSLD), which recently became part of the Law School, in “Sparking Nuanced Conversation.” Directed by Professor Cecelia Klingele ’05, the center serves a unique role on campus, sponsoring classes, scholarly lectures and other learning opportunities that introduce students to a broad range of viewpoints. The CSLD has long been a core part of the university’s commitment to freedom of speech, freedom of religion and the robust exchange of ideas. After 28 years in the political science department, the center moved to the Law School last year. We’re thrilled to have CSLD at the Law School and look forward to its reaching new heights under Professor Klingele’s leadership.
We also explore the history and recent success of the Law School’s annual Jackie Macaulay Auction, which supports summer public interest and public service work by our students in “Bidding for the Better.” This auction is named after the late Jackie Macaulay ’83, a woman who wasn’t afraid to go against the grain, whether standing up during the civil rights movement, graduating from UW Law at the age of 50 or representing vulnerable clients in their hour of need. Profits from the auction allow UW Law students to work for government and nonprofit employers, including on women’s rights issues that were so close to Jackie’s heart.
This issue also allows us to express gratitude to Emeritus Professor Stewart Macaulay, who established the new Jackie Macaulay Fellowship Fund to honor his late wife. This fellowship will support students doing public interest work, now and for many years to come. Thank you, Stewart, for your lifetime of teaching all of us and leading by example, including through this generous support of our students and the great work they aspire to do.
Also spotlighted in this edition is Evjue-Bascom Professor of Law Mitra Sharafi, who received the Indian Law Review’s Best Article Prize for her article “Indian Constitutionalism, the Rule of Law, and Parsi Legal Culture.” The prize is awarded annually to the best article published each year in the journal. We’re very proud of Mitra, who is an outstanding teacher as well as a world-renowned scholar.
This issue has lots of other nuggets, including news on the recent celebration honoring the 50th anniversary of our William H. Hastie Fellowship and last fall’s Midwest Clinical Conference, which brought together more than 100 clinical faculty across the country to share ideas and teaching strategies. We’ve also got interviews with current students, as well as stories highlighting a few of our amazing alumni. I hope you enjoy reading about some of the ways in which UW Law faculty, students and alums are making a difference in the world.
I’ll close with a big thank-you to everyone who has supported the Law School financially over the past year. Our alums have a long and proud tradition of philanthropy, for which we’re very grateful. Special thanks to UW Law Board of Visitors members Elizabeth Gracie ’83 and John W. Miller ’06, who recently spearheaded a 1:1 match in support of the State Democracy Research Initiative (SDRI). Our alumni and friends fulfilled that match in less than six weeks, ensuring that SDRI can continue their critical work on state and local democracy issues (see “Supporting Strong Democracy“). This is just one of many examples of the UW Law community coming through with much-needed support for the critical work that our faculty, staff and students are doing.
We are, as always, eternally grateful.
On, Wisconsin!
