AMSL Students Act While Deans Ignore
Wed, Nov21, 2007 - Category: School of
Law
Earlier this week, Ave Maria School of Law's Student
Bar Association (SBA) voted to discipline a fellow
student who engaged in questionable and highly public
McCarthyist activities to promote Tom Monaghan's
governance at the institution. According to Monday's
SBA meeting minutes, the first-year law students
"petitioned with a majority to approve removal via
impeachment" of student representative R. Hamilton.
The final draft of the SBA's statement reads: "We
condemn the actions of Senator Hamilton, including
his blog and unprofessional behavior within the
Senate. However, in the spirit of the school's unity,
we have accepted his apology and take on face value
his promise to act with integrity and decorum from
here on out."
Examples from the student's now-defunct blog can be seen by clicking "More..." below.
The SBA's representatives ("Senators") accused Hamilton of using vulgarities, misrepresenting another student's position, "an obvious breach of honor code", "the condoning of explicit sexual content", and insulting and offending "countless others". One SBA Senator said: "[Hamilton's] high profile has been read by untold attorneys and judges and has cost the school's credibility and quite possibly student jobs many times". At one time, Hamilton's blog was popular enough to be listed in the blog directory at ABA Journal's Law News Now.
It is not newsworthy to report a law student using indiscretion while making statements, or abusing a new position of authority. Of interest is that AMSL's administration - given their preoccupation with "affirmatively injurious behavior" from alumni and faculty who question Tom Monaghan's governance [see also 1,2,3,4] - for all this, the administration left the headache and labor of dealing with Hamilton to the students themselves. According to the minutes from Monday's meeting, the SBA President said "the Administration has been met with and they have made it clear this is a student problem to resolve".
Would AMSL's Dean Bernard Dobranski have taken such a hands-off approach if the student in question employed the same methods to challenge, rather than promote, Tom Monaghan's agenda? The depth of tolerance that Dobranski seems to find for the pro-Monaghan crowd is again exemplified, similar to the passing-over that he gave to the outrageous behavior and statements of AMSL's Chaplain Orsi (see the BoysCherries series here along with Orsi's views on rape, immigration, and discrimination).
It seems obvious to this observer that the ABA's investigation of the environment under Dobranski's watch is once again justified. Dobranski recently blamed the students themselves for not doing well on the Michigan bar exam. Would it ever occur to him that the environment created by him is to blame... that sticking students with the energy- and time-consuming distraction of dealing with an offensive pro-Monaghan student, and the instability of moving to Monahgan's for-profit Florida development, creates a grossly unhealthy academic environment? How pathetic it is that the student President, rather than the institutional President, is the one to show concern for wasted student time and energy by saying ".. people need to focus on mid terms. You 1Ls do not have time for this, and this is a first in the school's history (referencing a call for removal from office), the same goes for the resignation. I have an entire agenda hanging on my board in my office that we have not gotten to."
Indeed, the entire institution appears to have only one agenda of import - that of Tom Monaghan's.
Examples from the student's now-defunct blog can be seen by clicking "More..." below.
The SBA's representatives ("Senators") accused Hamilton of using vulgarities, misrepresenting another student's position, "an obvious breach of honor code", "the condoning of explicit sexual content", and insulting and offending "countless others". One SBA Senator said: "[Hamilton's] high profile has been read by untold attorneys and judges and has cost the school's credibility and quite possibly student jobs many times". At one time, Hamilton's blog was popular enough to be listed in the blog directory at ABA Journal's Law News Now.
It is not newsworthy to report a law student using indiscretion while making statements, or abusing a new position of authority. Of interest is that AMSL's administration - given their preoccupation with "affirmatively injurious behavior" from alumni and faculty who question Tom Monaghan's governance [see also 1,2,3,4] - for all this, the administration left the headache and labor of dealing with Hamilton to the students themselves. According to the minutes from Monday's meeting, the SBA President said "the Administration has been met with and they have made it clear this is a student problem to resolve".
Would AMSL's Dean Bernard Dobranski have taken such a hands-off approach if the student in question employed the same methods to challenge, rather than promote, Tom Monaghan's agenda? The depth of tolerance that Dobranski seems to find for the pro-Monaghan crowd is again exemplified, similar to the passing-over that he gave to the outrageous behavior and statements of AMSL's Chaplain Orsi (see the BoysCherries series here along with Orsi's views on rape, immigration, and discrimination).
It seems obvious to this observer that the ABA's investigation of the environment under Dobranski's watch is once again justified. Dobranski recently blamed the students themselves for not doing well on the Michigan bar exam. Would it ever occur to him that the environment created by him is to blame... that sticking students with the energy- and time-consuming distraction of dealing with an offensive pro-Monaghan student, and the instability of moving to Monahgan's for-profit Florida development, creates a grossly unhealthy academic environment? How pathetic it is that the student President, rather than the institutional President, is the one to show concern for wasted student time and energy by saying ".. people need to focus on mid terms. You 1Ls do not have time for this, and this is a first in the school's history (referencing a call for removal from office), the same goes for the resignation. I have an entire agenda hanging on my board in my office that we have not gotten to."
Indeed, the entire institution appears to have only one agenda of import - that of Tom Monaghan's.
The following excerpts are from the now-defunct "Senator Hamilton" blog; much of the text was unavailable at press time, thereby limiting AW's scope for quotes. Spelling mistakes and capitalization are from Hamilton, not AveWatch.
"We are going to make this school even better when we go to Florida. I will make sure of that. [...] I am telling that you are going to part of something big. You are going to be pioneers like our class. We will be the revered founding fathers of Ave Maria School of Law."
"I am a politician and I plan to fight for the conservative cause until the day I die."
"These cowardly anti Ave Maria Bloggers may be good a keyboard pissing contest, but everybody knows I would clean anyones clock in live debate. THE OFFER IS ALWAYS ON THE TABLE. TELL ME WHEN AND WHERE. I'll be there and you will have your one shot to go face to face with absolute greatness."
"Why would a good looking guy from Southern California leave all his social connections and drive solo across the country to Ann Arbor, [...].. I choose Ave Maria because it is a conservative school (politically and socially). Unless you are new to this Blog, it is obvious how my political leanings are. I am a true blue conservative. I hate the liberal ideology. In fact, I do not even associate with anyone has a liberal leanings. I mean how often do you hear the same old apologetic phrase: "Although I am conservative, I have friends that are liberals..." WELL I DO NOT. I DESPISE THEM ALL. THEY ARE RUINING MY COUNTRY."
"Listen to this, anytime I am dating a chick and I find out she is liberal --EVEN IF SHE IS SUPER HOT! -- its over right there on the spot."
"Therefore, I am here to serve; here to lead; and here to overcome any obstacles that bring this school down. I am a fighter, not a negotiator. I will not rest until these anti-school snakes are put down by there own blogging methods of poison.."
".. I am more like the Apostle Paul. I like himself was blinded by the light on my own road to Damascus. And when my sight was restored I became inspired to protect Ave's reputation and help the 1L class regain its confidence in the school's direction. One must also remember that Paul was not around during the actual ministry of Christ (Ave's first 6 years of operation). He did not witness his crucifixion (the Florida and Professor controversy). But no other author in the New Testament has had more of an effect on the modern day religion than what was written in his Gospels (i.e. blogs). My blog [now defunct] will be read and cherished by the future students that attend the great Ave Maria School of Law in Florida in the many centuries to come."