Although it would be possible to pass through the Law School without getting to know any professors well, it would be very hard to be anonymous-the small class size during the first year means several professors likely will know who you are by the end of the first year. And during the second and third year, if you decide to pursue them, opportunities abound to work closely with professors as a research assistant, through work on a journal, in an independent study, or even in a seminar. Faculty accessibility and the small size of the Law School translates into exciting classes. Students speak their minds openly in class, and their views are received by professors with respect. This does not mean that everything we say is on target, but rather that our ideas are considered seriously. Even a lecture with one hundred students in attendance can turn into a lively discussion about the societal value of a particular legal doctrine. And while it is true that a professor is likely to have a strong intellectual orientation that affects his or her interpretation of the law, this is so simply because the professor has integrated his beliefs with his convictions about the way the world should be. This is a desirable thing. It does not mean that the professor insists his students share his world-view. Indeed, competing beliefs underlie some of the most interesting discussions in our classes. But because everyone is required to come up with evidence and arguments for a position, bald assertions are frowned upon, and people actually end up talking to each other in (and after) class.

Beyond exchanges between students and faculty in the classroom, there are more formal communications aimed at improving the class experience and student life. At the end of each course, students complete anonymous surveys critiquing the professor's performance. These forms are taken seriously by students and faculty. Many professors specifically ask their classes to write extensive comments on the surveys, so that they can more accurately identify students' concerns-especially in courses that they are teaching for the first time. In addition to the surveys, each faculty committee (for instance, admissions, financial aid, placement) has a student liaison from each class, whose job it is to communicate student desires to the faculty.

On the lighter side, faculty take an active part in the life of the Law School. Each Friday afternoon, several law professors show up at the student-run happy hour. Students and faculty compete against each other in the annual trivia contest each Spring. And finally, each year a couple of professors make cameo appearances in the annual Law School musical, often bringing down the house.