Prof. R. Nils Olsen, Jr.

Segment Synopsis: Fifth floor state of art conference center built with help from Baldy Center, interested in interdisciplinary work. Clinical Education is favorite program. Came to tenure track and also teach as a clinical fellow. Likes doing both. Developed 12 week sessions and 4 week bridge course. Dean for 10 years. Changes in legal education. Difference between teaching practical versus theory. Law firms are hiring less and lower enrollment in Law School. Implementing new curriculum and the model has disseminated to other schools. Role of Law School. CLE, relationship with practitioners. UB2020 committee. White paper on Community Engagement and Public Policy. Dedicate university's intellectual capital to areas important to their community.

Keywords: Curriculum; Environmental Law; Teaching Law; UB Law School general

Subjects: LAW; TEACHING; UB LAW FACULTY; UB LAW MISCELLANEOUS

Segment Synopsis: Had significant practice experience and knew alumni. Maintain contact and interest in alumni, engagement of alumni and development. Mentoring program. Experiences with students, adult teaching like Dan Spitzer, story of his work with him and the federal brief Dan wrote. Gary Storm. Working collaboratively with students. How he teaches. Changes to where students come from, was NYC now more local students and international students who pay cash and are highly prized, foreign language barriers, Chinese and Taiwanese students. Practice internationalized, NYC program with Halpbern and students working on at law firms and actual cases. International issues more prevalent. NYC Levin Institute created by Pataki, collaboration gives SUNY UB Law access to NYC. Fewer job available now, changes in hiring in lawyers.

Keywords: Alumni; Alumni Association; Curriculum; Employment / Jobs / Wages; Teaching Law

Subjects: LAW; TEACHING; UB LAW AS STUDENT; UB LAW FACULTY

Segment Synopsis: Adjustments law school made, cuts number of new students. Story of NY Law School inflating number, bad publicity for legal education/profession. Numbers have dropped, quality has not, non-value of LSAT. Non-traditional students make better students, more interesting, more dedicated. Legal issues engaged in now, Dept. of Conservation. Dennis Vacco story. NYS Environmental justice, Lewiston hazardous waste, Manhattan Project radioactive waste, Modern Disposal hazardous landfill. Did two areas: federal Habeus Corpus and environmental policy. Politics involved in environmental regulatory practices. Cases in NYS for environmental justice. Area beset with enormous environmental issues. Good federal judges. Supported courthouse being named after Judge Curtin, his respect for Curtin's work. Also Elfin and Telesca. DEC, EPA, Waste Management two hazardous waste incinerators were stopped after a 12 year fight that cost 40 million dollars. Unique area for this clinical practice. Lucky to have support of Greiner and Boyer. How they approached the cases, strategies. Most fun and most interesting work he's done.

Keywords: Environmental Law; Significant Cases

Subjects: LAW; PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE; UB LAW FACULTY