A couple weeks ago, I wrote Ten Promises For New Law Students to Consider, which discussed the promises I made to myself when I went to law school.  It seems to me appropriate that I should follow up with something applies to me now.

This list for law professors (or at least, this law professor) includes some of the promises I made myself when I left practice, and some that have evolved over the almost decade I have been teaching.  It's hard to believe this is my tenth year as a full-time teacher. 

To that end, here are my suggestions for faculty members, based on my experience. I don't always keep these promises, but (as I did with the law school promises) I try.  This list is even less exhaustive than my last effort, and I welcome additions to the list in comments. I am not going to lie, this was a harder list to make, and it's a challenge to fulfill them all (especially #6). 

I promise: 

 

(1) To be intentional.  That is, I will choose books, assign readings and exercises, and draft paper assignments and exams with a purpose.  They may not always be the best choice, but there will be a reason (supported by good intent) they were chosen. 

 

(2) To remember, whether it's related to demeanor, effort, or analysis, that I cannot be the benchmark for all my students.  They are not me, and I am not them.  We all have a story, and it is (in some way) unique. 

 

(3) To remember that, while kindness, sympathy, and empathy are essential skills to being a good teacher, colleague, and human being, they are not inconsistent with high expectations.

 

(4) To keep connected to practice and to people with non-academic jobs so that I can keep current and  grounded in the practical realities of life as an attorney and member of a broader community. 

 

(5)  To take pride (and risks) in my work in an effort to be better at what I do and to evolve in all aspects of my work — teaching, research, and service.  (Old dogs can learn new tricks.)

 

(6) To recognize boundaries and to be kind and patient with my family because who I am at home impacts who I am at work (and vice versa).

 

(7) To do my best to get enough sleep and enough exercise. 

 

(8) To find the fun in my work when I can, and not forget that one of the best parts of being an academic is writing about things I choose (not that my clients choose) and taking positions I think are right.

 

(9) To be friendly and helpful to build relationships so that the community I know is a community I want. This includes my faculty colleagues, our staff and support colleagues, and our student colleagues.  

 

(10) To understand that I cannot be everything to everyone and that opportunity costs are real.  Thus, as I seek to fulfill John Wooden's ideal — "Don't measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability."– I will keep in mind that accomplishments are more than articles written and classes taught. They include those, but they also include things like laughs, hugs, bike rides, soccer games, swing sets, sunsets, beaches, and good food. Beer, wine, and cocktails, are sometimes a nice touch, too.