There is no better way to experience a different culture than through immersion. Joline and I visited Western Europe for two weeks in 2002, but didn’t have a sense of what it was really like until we immersed ourselves in it for five months during the fall of 2003. Waking up each day knowing we […]
One of the many wonderful things about teaching at a university is the whole notion of the sabbatical. Every seven years, professors are eligible to apply for a leave from their teaching and committee responsibilities. Contrary to popular conception, however, “sabbatical” is not synonymous with “vacation.” At Pepperdine, like other universities, the application process for […]
Yesterday, we left Southern California and won’t return until the beginning of August. Santa Rosa will be our home base for the next three weeks before we leave for Uganda on January 26th. Leaving was pretty tough, especially on our kids, as they had to say goodbye to their friends for seven months. The day […]
As our departure for Uganda nears (27 days), we are increasingly asked if we feel like we will be safe in Africa. We are also asked about how our kids will do in a third-world country. In fact, during our visit to Santa Rosa last week, one of our dear friends at my parents’ church […]
Pepperdine first became involved in Uganda in 2006 when Bob Goff invited two of our students to join him for a conference he was hosting for the Ugandan judiciary. On this trip, these two students (Matt Kraus and Lizz Alvarez) learned that unlike their US counterparts, Ugandan judges do not have law clerks (recent law […]
I have been blessed over the course of my twelve years at Pepperdine to have a front-row seat to numerous selfless acts of kindness by my students. About seven years ago, one of my students was struggling to meet the minimum GPA necessary to graduate. He had one semester left and needed to have his […]
In March of 2005, Dean Ken Starr asked me to join Pepperdine Law’s administrative team for a two-year term as the law school’s inaugural Associate Dean for Student Life (Dean of Students). After nearly seven years in this position, today was my last day in the Deans’ Suite. After I return from my African sabbatical, […]
There is a rather famous story about footprints in the sand, and how during our most difficult times God carries us. But my time in Africa has gotten me thinking quite a bit about fingerprints. Scientists tell us that everyone has different fingerprints, and law enforcement officials tell us that most hard surfaces we touch […]
The day began with Bob Goff leaving San Diego at 2:00 a.m. on his way to Cedars Sinai Hospital. Bob had convinced nearly everyone involved to allow him to scrub up and assist with the operation, but alas, he couldn’t get past the hospital’s final line of defense – the lawyers. Lawyers too often mess […]
I feel like I have been surrounded by tests these past few weeks. My former students recently received bar exam results, the vast majority of whom passed this intense test and will soon be admitted into the practice of law. On Saturday, my oldest daughter Jessica took the SAT and hopes to receive a good […]
