Law School Dean Joel Seligman's Response to Critics

From: Marjorie Anderson [mailto:manderson@wulaw.wustl.edu]

Sent: Thursday, October 10, 2002 2:59 PM

To: rz[...]

Subject: Re: Say It Isn't So!

Due to the overwhelming number of emails, I am helping Dean Seligman answer all incoming mail. In response to your email, Dean Seligman replies:

"Thank you for your recent email. The SBA and the ProLife students have been meeting and in the normal course of events, the ProLife student's application for recognition will be considered again and I suspect ultimately adopted. I have been far more impressed by the ProLife students here who have recently been constructive and worked to secure approval than I am in the wild posturing of FIRE.

To be quite precise, all of us at this school of law also value democratic process. It would be thoroughly inappropriate for a dean to override or ignore the traditional autonomy of student organizations. I did, however, communicate to the Student Bar Association my personal view that this school should be based on mutual respect and pluralist principles."