Dean Welcomes the Class of 2011

August 19, 2008

Dean Getches welcomed the Class of 2011 to Colorado Law and addressed the first-year students as “tomorrow’s trusted lawyers, judges, successful business people, and revered community and political leaders.” 

The class of 2011 ranges in age from 21 to 45 years of age with some students coming directly from undergrad and others with years of experiences to draw from. Students hail from 98 colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. Over half of the entering class speaks a second language in addition to English, including Mandarin Chinese, Arabic, Azerbaijani, Farsi, Dari, and Portuguese.

Among those who had other careers before beginning law school are songwriters, professional athletes, a flight instructor, patent agent, database designer, state trooper, entrepreneur, and a journalist who was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. Additionally, every branch of the military is represented.

The Dean underscored the importance of the rule of law in society and the new-found responsibilities students accept when choosing to enter the legal profession. “We are looked to by clients and the communities we live in to lead the way in solving problems and protecting rights. We are the watchdogs against abuses by government itself. Our ethos is the foundation of our society’s deference to us, the system’s empowerment of us.” The incoming class will join the ranks of alumni who are judges, legal advocates, business leaders, government representatives, and politicians throughout Colorado and the nation.

Read the Dean’s Welcome in its entirety.