LMU Loyola Law School Professor Justin Levitt opened the ceremony to install Fritz B. Burns Dean Brietta Clark by pointing out that the date – September 7, 2024 – happened to be one day before the law school’s 104th anniversary.
“That means we’ve only been waiting 104 years for Dean Clark,” Levitt said.
But of all the praise lavished upon Clark, perhaps the most poignant remark came from LMU Trustee and chair of the Loyola Law School Board of Directors Brian Kabateck ’89 as he reflected on the significance of this moment for Loyola.
Turning to Clark, Kabateck said simply, “It’s about time.”
Kabateck’s sentiment was echoed by many during the ceremony. “As the first woman and the first Black person at the helm of our law school, she invites future leaders to build on and expand her legacy,” said LMU President Timothy Law Snyder, PhD.
The installation ceremony, held on a stage erected over the fountain in front of Founders Hall on the LLS campus, featured remarks by Snyder, LMU Executive Vice President and Provost Thomas Poon; LMU Board of Trustees Chair Paul S. Viviano; Trustee George C. Fatheree ’07; Kabateck; and Levitt. The four most recent former deans – David W. Burcham ’84, Victor J. Gold, Paul T. Hayden, and Michael Waterstone – also joined the platform party in celebration.
Many speakers throughout the ceremony noted that Clark’s passion, leadership, and joy for the law and legal education have prepared her to take on this role since she first joined the faculty in 2001.
“Brie Clark was one of the first faculty members I met when I arrived here 14 years ago, and it was breathtaking and energizing at the same time,” Levitt said. “The depth of her intellect, the degree of her commitment, the wisdom and savvy of her counsel — and the giant heart at the center of it all. She is dedicated to continuing the work of building rigorous excellence, while also continuing the work of building toward a beloved community.”
Addressing Clark as he officially conferred to her the title of dean, Snyder said: “You are charged to carry out the mission of this great law school. To achieve and maintain excellence in the instruction of law and to promote legal scholarship and research in the context of academic freedom. To seek to educate persons who will be leaders in the legal profession and society, demonstrating in their practice of law and public service the highest standards of personal integrity, professional ethics, and a deep concern for social justice.”
In her inaugural address, Clark shared the profound influence her father had on her as a child and young adult, inspiring her passion for the law and its potential to change society for the better.
“My father saw a career in law as key to a successful future for me, and as a path for social mobility, to ensure access to resources so that I wouldn’t have to struggle,” she said. “But the real gift my father gave me was in how to think about the law … it was the way he helped me see law as a tool that I could use to shape the world I wanted to see.”
Clark cited the law school’s commitment to social justice, inclusive access, and academic excellence as the reasons why the school is positioned to meet future challenges, and what excites students – and her – about Loyola Law School.
“[T]hank you for creating this community …. [E]ntrusted with this mission, it is my job to hold fast to and protect the core of who we are and what we do well, and to help us innovate, adapt, and continue to be a leader in legal education,” Clark said.
A reception for faculty, staff, alumni, and guests followed the ceremony, featuring a performance led by Geoff Gallegos ’20 and his jazz band Double G NineNet.
Marjorie Williams ’09 said even as a faculty advisor for the Black Law Students Association when Williams was a student, Clark has always been supportive, welcoming, and genuinely invested in students’ success.
Williams is especially heartened by Clark’s commitment to making an LLS degree accessible to all students regardless of financial need.
“I’m extremely excited for the vision Dean Clark expressed today,” Williams said, “and her true commitment to everyone who is a law student here in realizing that those resources are only going to continue to elevate the level of students coming in and, by proxy, the level of students coming out and becoming practicing lawyers with the Loyola Law School name behind them.”