From the alumni president

One of Emory Law’s treasured alumnae, Judge Dorothy Toth Beasley 08L, recently passed away. Judge Beasley was a trailblazer. She was the first woman appointed and then elected as judge to the State Court of Fulton County in 1977.

Seven years later, she would become the first woman appointed to the Georgia Court of Appeals. After leaving that Court in 1999, she continued to lead a life of service, and, among her many contributions to the law school, Judge Beasley served on the Emory Law Alumni Board and the EPIC Advisory Board. Her alumni leadership and commitment to excellence at the law school is something we all can and should aspire to.

As you work in and serve your professional and personal communities, I encourage you to reflect back on the ways in which alumni engagement enriched your law school experience. You, too, can inspire future generations of Emory lawyers by acting as a mentor, judging competitions, teaching adjunct courses, serving as Kessler-Eidson Trial Techniques faculty, employing our graduates, providing financial support, and in a myriad of other ways, large and small. If it has been some time since you connected at an alumni event or with the law school, there has never been a better time to do so. If you have been an active alumnus, thank you for supporting your alma mater and our students. Your engagement strengthens Emory Law.

Incoming Dean Freer put it best when he recently said, “what a great time to be at Emory Law.” I could not agree more. This issue features only some of the reasons why — the dynamic new faculty hires, 300 newly-minted law school graduates, and an outstanding class of alumni award recipients. We are also so fortunate to have Dean Freer at the helm. I hope you enjoy learning more about his vision for the law school.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your Alumni Board president, as I take the reins from my predecessor, Ben Fink 92L. Like Judge Beasley, a former alumni award recipient, and the alumni award recipients highlighted in this issue, Ben represents the very best of Emory Law, and we are fortunate to count him among our ranks.

I look forward to hearing your ideas for the betterment of the law school, and I hope to see you at an alumni event or around the law school soon.

Emily C. Baker 98C 01L is a partner at Jones Day in Atlanta.

 

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