A Dean of Character

Jeff Lewis’s deanship will be remembered for the tangible contributions it made to the development of Saint Louis University School of Law (the School) and to the University of which it is an important part. The size of the faculty increased dramatically through entry-level and lateral hiring (the latter something rarely done before). More resources were made available to support faculty scholarly activities. The School intensified its commitment to clinical and practical skills training, the curriculum was expanded and arranged in a coherent manner to better prepare students for practice, and small-section classes were introduced. The School’s program centers were given additional support, and new academic concentrations were created to respond to increased specialization in the legal profession. Study abroad programs were created, including the American Bar Association (ABA) approved Summer Law Program at the University’s Madrid campus. In addition, the School made increased efforts to connect with alumni consistent with Dean Lewis’s respect for the practice of law. The credentials of the incoming student body improved, bar passage rate increased, the number of faculty chairs tripled, and new scholarships were created. The School also began a capital campaign to finance a new building project—shortly before the economy tanked, unfortunately