University of Texas School of Law - Peregrinus Yearbook (Austin, TX)

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AROUND TOWNES 1990 PEREGRINUS Boycott Classes! — 19

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BOYCOTT CLASSES' Slightly less than 15 percent of students decided to skip class on April 6 to protest what they thought was a less than diverse Law School faculty. Organizers of the boycott downplayed the small turnout, explaining most law students wore lapel stickers demonstrating their agreement with the cause. The protest was part of a nationwide call in 50 other law schools for more diversity in race and gender among faculty. Of UT's 59 tenured or tenure track faculty, six are women, two are black and one is Asian-Amcrican. Ed Mayfield, third-year student anti vice chairman of the Coalition for a Diversified Law School said, we looked at the actions of the faculty appointment committee and believe that they fell short of everyone's expectations. Dean Mark Yudof agreed the problem of faculty diversity was national in scope but efforts were being made to remedy the situation. Yudof said progress was slow because most professors arc tenured and there is a low turnover rate. He said the law school is committed to increasing diversity, and added that since 1979, nine of 30 appointments for tenure positions have been to women and minorities. While 200 students did miss class on the day, it was business as usual for hundreds more. The 1989 boycott had mote than twice the number of participants, with 500. Some students didn't think the boycott was necessary. Kenneth Moore, first-year student, felt the most important thing students could do was to attend class. Then we can effectuate change from a position where we can truly do something, as opposed to just talk. he said. Some students complained the boycott was really just an excuse for students to skip class. But Mayfield said a student's decision to skip class that day was very important. I think it's a farce to say it has no effect. Alumni hear about it, the public in general hears about it, legislators hear about it and they call Dean Yudof. And Yudof has to explain what's going on, he said. Boycotters' other cotKcm was with the absence of a sexual-orientation discrimination policy with law firms that recruit through the school's placement office. The placement office is in violation of policies set forth by the American Association cf Law Schools,” Mayfield said. The office does have a non-discriminatory policy that protects minorities but nothing to protect homosexuals.” Yak, Stanford and UCLA enacted such policies in 1987. Dean Yudof said the changes prescribed by the American Association of Lavr Schools were referred to University President William Cunningham. Individual schools or colleges aren't permitted to make changes in the university-wide non-discriminatory rules,” Yudof said, President Cunningham has referred the mattes to the general counsel for the University of Texts System. AROUND TOWNES 1990 PEREGRINUS 18 — Boycott Quae!

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AROUND TOWNES 1990 PEREGRINUS SUNFLOWER CEREMONY For more than 90 years the graduation ceremonies at The University of Texas School of Law have been markedly simple. When the University was established in 1883, none of the graduates wore caps and gowns for the final ceremonies. At the rum of the century, however, a salesman representing a supply house appeared at a meeting of the senior class and offered to rent each one a cap and gown. At that time the Law School was in the basement of the Main Building. No one thought of including law seniors in the meeting. The faculty and seniors met — or a committee from each group met — and decided that the class would look good in caps and gowns. So the order went out. The law students then met, and, because they had not been invited to the original meeting nor consulted on the advisability of wearing caps and gowns, refused to rent the caps and gowns. Perhaps foreshadowing later events, they then formulated a reason to uphold their decision, i.c., that caps and gowns were traditional to, and representative of, the academic school and not the professional school. Although judges had worn the wig and gown foe centuries, theirs were worn for a purpose entirely distinct from the purpose here proposed. The law faculty met with the President and at the meeting a decision was reached that the law students must conform to the wishes of the senior class, or they must wear a significant insignia at the exercises. It was not in a spirit of reconciliation, or in appreciation of the dignicy of the occasion, that the sunflower was chosen as the distinctive insignia. It was agreed, however, that the senior law students would wear white suits. Once more reasons were advanced to justify the choice of the flower. The sunflower, genus Hclianthus, belongs to a family with world wide distribution. So, also, do the lawyers. As the sunflower always keeps its face turned to the sun, the lawyer rurns to the light of justice. The Sunflower Ceremony is held twice durit the year: once in November [usually on the Sunday before Thanksgiving] for December graduates and again in May [usually on the Sunday after the University Commencement] for May and August graduates. Originally, a sunflower was pinned on the coat lapel of each senior by his or her best friend. This custom changed, however, and the Associate De-an Assistant Dean of the Law School assumes this responsibility. Although originally a symbol of protest, the early tradition has endured and rather than caps and gowns, graduates receive a sunflower symbolizing the highest ideals in the practice of their profession. 20 — Sunfbwtj Ceremony