Jesus Christopher Edley Superstar

There's a great article by Peter Hong in today's LA Times about the ambitious plans set forth by first year Boalt Dean Christopher Edley. The fiscal crisis that has plagued California is perhaps the single-most important issue facing the law school today and the Dean has some pretty ambitious plans for tackling the issue.



Briefly, Dean Edley, aside from posing for pics on top of the steps as students file out after finals, wants to switch Boalt to the Michigan and UVA model of privatizing the law school. And I say it's about time. As much as I hate saying this, but we're no longer in the California of the sixties where the UC's and Cal States were free to residents. While the Legislature and the Regents still refuse to call our payments tuition, that's what they are. I can't say I pay nominal education fees for going to the UC with a straight face. Dean Edley has made it crystal clear that he's committed to access to Boalt for the underprivileged and public interest law. If privatizing the law school is the best way to continue this mission then so be it. Frankly, we've reached an era in California where higher education cannot possibly compete with the Prison Guards Union for the Legislature's attention.

And completely unrelated but for the Jesus reference, there's an interesting quote from a 7th Circuit decision today about La Crosse, Wisc. selling a plot of land to the group that donated the money to pay for a Ten Commandments monument on public land. The lone dissenter writes, "And, as I recall the story, when asked whether the law of God or the law of man was law to follow, the answer by the founder of Christianity was, “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.” Neither God nor religion requires an endorsement from Government—nor does the law permit it. I would affirm the finding and order of the district court." (Ash v. City of La Crosse, hat tip, Bashman, about whom I will soon come forth with some earth-shattering revelation).