Mitchell on Law
Winter 2008WILLIAM MITCHELL COLLEGE OF LAW MAGAZINE SAINT PAUL | MINNESOTA
For 23 years, Eric S. Janus has been preparing a foundation for leading William Mitchell College of Law into its second century of pioneering legal education. Janus was welcomed as the law school’s president and dean on Nov. 8, 2007, after serving for three months in an interim capacity.
Support for Janus as president and dean came from all corners — students (who have voted him favorite professor time and again), alumni, board members, faculty, staff, and the legal community.
“You couldn’t have made a better choice,” said Greg Stenmoe ’81, chair of the board of trustees and partner at Briggs and Morgan. “There is great confidence in his abilities. We have known him for years as a professor and an administrator. The support for him was overwhelmingly enthusiastic. He knows the institution, the legal community, and the broader community.”
“The community response to Eric’s appointment has been universally enthusiastic,” added Mary Cullen Yeager ’89, chair of the dean selection committee and partner at Faegre & Benson.”People are energized and excited and recognize that we have a strong, dedicated, and inspirational leader at the helm.”
“The broad support from a variety of constituencies for Eric to be selected as dean allowed the board of trustees to take quick, decisive action, including the decision that a national search was not necessary,” said Tenth District Judge Elizabeth Hoene Martin ’80, who also is a member of the board. “Eric’s talents made him a natural as a candidate.”
Following the announcement, Janus received more than 200 emails of congratulations from colleagues, including Ken Starr, dean of Pepperdine University, and students whom he taught as long as 20 years ago.
Since Janus joined Mitchell as the director of the clinical program in 1984, he has focused on the integration of personal values with professional values and practical experience with scholarly study.
“As a professor at Mitchell, I’ve had support for my pro bono work litigating cases involving constitutional rights at all levels of the federal and state court systems. This real-world experience has formed the basis for much of my scholarly writing,” Janus said. “Mitchell continues to create opportunity and provide support to faculty and students to be out in the real world using their skills to improve the administration of justice, create legal precedent, and influence public policy. That’s what the school did for me; that’s how I would describe my 23 years at Mitchell. It’s that principle that guides me as I begin my role as president and dean.”
“We do real-world work that is at a very high level,” Janus added. “What Mitchell brings to bear is national and international expertise. We are not just sitting in offices thinking about it; we are out there making a difference in the real world. And we literally have a global reach.”
Janus cited examples such as the William Mitchell Law Review, which is 16th in the nation in court citations; faculty writing cited frequently by courts; and faculty members quoted by major media outlets nationally and internationally. “Just last week,” he said, “our faculty members were quoted in the New York Times and on National Public Radio.“
Janus said his goals for William Mitchell are two-fold: First, to raise scholarship funds that not only provide access to legal education but also help recruit the mix of students that defines Mitchell as a premier independent law school.
The second goal is to ensure Mitchell has the resources to attract and retain top faculty members by supporting their scholarly work and by communicating their study and expertise. For example, new centers and institutes at Mitchell encourage real-world legal practice on key issues, such as negotiation, elder justice, and intellectual property, providing faculty, as well as students, opportunities to impact the community.
What differentiates Mitchell from our competitors, he said, is what’s at our core — the value of engaged legal education. “We are highly intellectual but also highly engaged,” Janus emphasized. “Our faculty members are helping to transform the next generation of lawyers. We have a proven track record of producing more judges and legal work that have had a long-lasting impact on and value to our community than other schools in our region.”
Continuing to differentiate Mitchell in its second century is one of the college’s challenges. Janus said the Carnegie Foundation report on educating lawyers is having a big impact nationally. The report calls “for rethinking the curriculum to better prepare graduates for the practice of law.” Mitchell has always prided itself on helping students gain practical wisdom in their education, including developing cognitive, practical, and professional values.
Janus said his task is to build on that kind of practical legal education with advancements in assessing students in their learning and new curriculum, such as Mitchell’s new Keystone Program which starts in spring 2008. Keystone courses, taken in the final year of law school, require students to assume active responsibility as professionals, addressing realworld challenges and producing substantial, concrete products reflecting their learning. Students also receive reinforcement and evaluation, including self-evaluation.
As the new president and dean, Janus will leave his role as professor, but he hopes that eventually he will be able to add a class or two back into his schedule.
“While I will have to temporarily scale back my teaching, I hope I can return to it in the long-term because that is how we stay in touch with the student,” Janus added. “In my first 30 days on the job I’m focused on advancing the mission of the school, supporting the terrific faculty, wonderful staff, and strong students.
“I am happy if I can use my skills to help Mitchell flourish and thrive. With the full support of our college’s friends and alumni, I have great confidence that we can accomplish that.”
About Eric S. Janus
Eric S. Janus has a long-standing interest in the Middle East, specifically Turkey, where he served for two years in the Peace Corps. He demonstrates the global reach of Mitchell in his current work with Turkish lawyers, judges, and peace officers to modernize the country's legal system to help Turkey gain entrance into the European Union. In addition, he has expertise in mental health issues and mental health law, helping establish the Law and Psychiatry Clinic. He has frequently testified before the legislature, and in 2006, Cornell University Press published his book Failure to Protect: America's Sexual Predator Laws and the Rise of the Preventive State.
His Family
Wife Carolyn Chalmers, an attorney leads the office for conflict resolution at the University of Minnesota. Daughter Leah follows in her parents' footsteps as an attorney at Fredrickson & Byron. Son Seth is an ear, nose, and throat surgeon. Eric's daughter-in-law is also a physician, and his son-in-law is a Humphrey Institute public policy grad who works for the city of St. Paul.
His Resume
William Mitchell, 1984-present
Minneapolis Legal Aid Society, 1973-1984
J.D. Harvard Law, 1973
B.A. Carleton College, 1968
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