THE MICHIGAN DAILY, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1994
Page 15
Law dean prepares
school for changes
m 21st century
By JAMES M. NASH
Daily Staff Reporter
Spurred by advances in technol- what left speechless when I think I
ogy and the globalization of the have had the good fortune to be able
economy, the legal profession is shift- to contribute to the school in this way
ing from the days of dusty law books at this time."
toatime when law is firmly entrenched Lehman said he plans to return to
in professional life. teaching when his tenure as dean is
As the recently appointed dean of over. He said his term as dean can
the University's Law School, Jeffrey only enhance his teaching.
Sean Lehman is in a position to keep "I was a student here in the 1970s
up with changes in the field. But and a faculty member in the 1980s
Lehman has never been satisfied with and I thought I know this institution in
simply keeping up. and out. I did know virtually every-
Lehman was picked in May as the one who works here and the functions
Law School's 14th dean. At 37, he is of the school, but I didn't know then
the youngest head of the school this the way I need to know now as dean of
century, a distinction he downplays the school."
in his characteristic low-key manner. Lehman has stressed an interdis-
"Most people who I've met have ciplinary approach tothe Law School.
known that I'm 37 years old, so I Heis afaculty memberoftheInstitute
don't think they've been too sur- for Policy Studies, a position that
prised," said Lehman, clad in a polo fosters cooperation with the Law
shirt, khaki pants and tennis shoes. School.
Lehman rocketed to the top of the "I think it is possible that collabo-
Law School two years afterbecoming rative ventures between other units of
a full professor. He joined the school the University and the Law School
in 1987 as an assistant professor. may come even easier in the future
"His is a storybook career for a than in the past," he said. "The Law
young law school graduate," search School is already a pioneer in build-
committee chairTheodore St. Antoine ing bridges with other departments."
said of Lehman, who entered the Uni- Such a cooperative approach is
versity Law School in 1977. increasingly important as the legal
Lehman has high praise for the profession braces for the 21st cen-
school ranked No. 8 in the nation by tury, Lehman pointed out.
U.S. News & World Report. The field is entering a phase of
"I think it is unique in the world in soul-searching as lawyers think of
the combination of opportunities that themselves as "public servants and
it has to serve students, alumni, the not merely hired guns," the new dean
profession and society at large," he said.
said. "In all honesty, I am still some- "I believe that law schools can
Northern Ireland (
closer to peace, lea
Lehman
play a vital role in working with the
bar and units of universities that work
with other students to think about
what will be the professional role in
the next century," he added.
And the next century poses un-
precedented changes for the field,
Lehman said. For example:
The globalization of the
economy will require lawyers to fa-
miliarize themselves with interna-
tional law and business.
Technological advances will
place more information in the hands
of professionals than previously pos-
sible.
"Over the next 10 years, I believe
those changes will revolutionize the
way attorneys practice," Lehman said.
"More work will be done via net-
works that link flexible teams of indi-
viduals who are spread across the
world and connected via video con-
ference."
0 The legal field will continue to
redefine itself in terms of professional
and ethical responsibility. Lehman
rhetorically asked what distinguishes
an attorney from a business analyst or
provider of other services.
The Washington Post
BELFAST, Northern Ireland -
The British government took its first
concrete step yesterday toward ac-
cepting the legitimacy of the Irish
Republican Army's week-old cease-
fire announcement, declaring that
there would be a slight reduction in
the level of British security in North-
ern Ireland.
At the same time, Prime Minister
John Major, who has been holding
out for a statement from the IRA that
the cessation of hostilities is "perma-
nent," said yesterday that while he
was still not fully satisfied, it was
"becoming a little clearer that this is
not just a temporary" cease-fire.
Formal British acceptance of the
sincerity of the IRA's promises is
crucial to a continuation of a peace
process that has been underway pri-
vately and publicly for the past year.
Major has said he would be pre-
pared to start talking about a frame-
work for the province's future 90 days
after he was satisfied that the IRA had
permanently renounced further vio-
lence. That 90-day clock would start
ticking, he has said, after the IRA or
the leader of its political wing, Sinn
Fein, declared the truce to be "perma-
nent."
That word has yet to be uttered.
But great significance has been placed
by observers here on ajoint statement
Tuesday in Dublin in which Sinn Fein
leader Gerry Adams said, "We are all
totally and absolutely committed to
democratic and peaceful methods of
resolving our political problems."
There has been no IRA violence
since the cease-fire was declared, in
spite of the bombing of the Sinn Fein
office here in Belfast and the slaying
of a Catholic by Protestant extrem-
ists.
Sir Patrick Mayhew, the British
secretary of state for Northern Ire-
land, said here yesterday that it was
the absence of violence over the past
seven days that has led army and
police officials to reduce the level of
security.
Mayhew said a first step would be
for British army troops to replace
their combat helmets with berets.
While this is a small, symbolic step, it
is in line with Catholic nationalist
urgings that steps be taken to reduce
the atmosphere of Belfast as a milita-
rized state.
ne step
ders say
Some residents said that security
measures at checkpoints have taken
on a lower profile as well.
Yesterday's developments were
part of an elaborate public minuet that
began a week ago with the cease-fire
announcement. It has featured Major
ejecting Ian Paisley, the militant Prot-
estant leader in Northern Ireland, from
his office following Paisley's refusal
to say he believed that Major had
made no secret deals with Dublin or
Irish republicans here, who favorjoin-
ing Catholic-dominated Ireland.
On the same day, Irish Prime Min-
ister Albert Reynolds staged what was
described as a "historic" meeting with
Adams, shaking his hand and posing
for pictures - the first time an Irish
prime minister has been so friendly
with a republican leader, not to men-
tion one associated with the 25-year
violent campaign against British rule
in Northern Ireland.
Vice President Al Gore got in-
volved yesterday, meeting with
Reynolds in Shannon, Ireland, and
declaring that he believed Reynolds'
enthusiastic endorsementofthecease-
fire's permanence was a "correct"
interpretation.
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