New Year’s Greetings! We are very excited for 2012, which marks our 50th anniversary as the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. This is a wonderful time to celebrate the successes during our first 50 years and to contemplate our future successes. I am pleased to announce that the 50th Anniversary Celebration will be hosted by the Law Alumni Chapter on Saturday, September 29. For more information about the celebration, contact our alumni coordinator, Wendy Sumner-Winter. 
 
We began the academic year in August by welcoming 143 first-year students, and we completed finals on December 16.  On December 17, five law students received their degree during the University’s winter commencement at the FedEx Forum.
 
In 2011, we hosted more than 50 special events and welcomed nearly 14,000 visitors into our building. We celebrated our Thurgood Marshal Mock Trial Team’s national championship and the elevation of The Honorable Bernice Donald (JD 74) to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and we honored six Pillars of Excellence in the Memphis legal community during the Law Alumni Chapter dinner.
 
We also launched an updated website, a project that was in the works for much of the year. The redesigned site is easier to navigate, displays larger photos of our historic building, and has fresh copy. The new website provides a better vehicle to show prospective students everything the law program has to offer and gives our alumni and many friends a more accessible way to remain connected with life at the law school. I would like to thank the Law Alumni Chapter for its generosity in funding the project.
 
In 2012, the law school will continue to host many events, including the National Trial Competition for Region Five, the annual Law Review Symposium, and a very special spring commencement. In addition, we will launch a new curriculum that will take effect with the incoming class of 2012. The curriculum will maintain the rigor of our academic program while permitting greater flexibility in course sequencing. And, of course, our faculty will continue their excellence in teaching and scholarship.
 
We hope that you enjoy a look back at 2011 and will join us in looking forward to what 2012 has in store.

Regards,

Kevin H. Smith
Dean and Thomas B. Preston Professor of Law