Dear Colleagues,

As I conclude my second month as president, I am reflecting on our transition from summer to the beginning of the new academic year – a year which recently started for our law school community and soon will be in full swing for all of us. I hope you have enjoyed meaningful moments of joy and laughter with family and friends, as well as found time for some rest and rejuvenation this summer.

I can’t tell you how excited I am to embark upon my first academic year at Santa Clara. My life has revolved around the academic calendar since I entered kindergarten, and my excitement about a new year never wanes. It is a time of reminding ourselves of our collective community values and of the higher purpose of our educational mission. And it is a time to get reenergized about living those values and pursuing our purpose together as a community.

In talking with numerous individuals and groups over the past two months, including many of the past, current, and future leaders of our collaborative governance system, the excitement is particularly high for our upcoming academic year. We are yearning to be in community with one another and for meaningful personal interaction. And we are hopeful for what we can accomplish together. And to varying degrees, we also are anxious, and perhaps fearful, about a number of things, including the lingering impacts of COVID-19; political uncertainty about women’s reproductive rights, and perhaps marriage and intimacy rights, in the aftermath of the Dobbs decision; the mental health crisis, particularly among our young people; and preparations for our large incoming class. You are not alone in coping with these anxieties, and we continue to prioritize providing resources within our community to help address these issues. 

So, let’s seize the excitement of this moment of launching a new academic year and welcoming new and returning students and colleagues with enthusiasm! Let’s also seek to recognize that each of us will be in different places along the spectrum of joy and anxiety and seek to accompany one another with empathy and respect. And let’s ensure that each of our actions helps nourish and sustain our community as one where all are affirmed, cared for, and experience a sense of belonging.

I am honored to lead Santa Clara and am very excited and hopeful for the upcoming year! I look forward to sharing more thoughts and meeting many more of you at the Annual Faculty and Staff Convocation on Wednesday, September 14 at 3:30.

My best,

Julie Sullivan
President