John Ryan Leaves the ABA by John Paul Ryan After 16 years of rewarding work here at the American Bar Association Division for Public Education, I will be leaving in July. Beginning in the fall, I will work as an educational consultant with schools, colleges, not-for-profit organizations, and the new media on a variety of topical and policy issues as well as marketing/communication strategies. I look back with pride on the work of the ABA's Commission on College and University Legal Studies, for which I served as the founding staff director. In 1984, there was little precedent for an ABA program working with colleges and universities. What followed pleased and sometimes even surprised me. There was a sizable and ever growing constituency of faculty like yourselves -- teaching about law, the legal system, and the role of law in society at the undergraduate level, most of whom eagerly embraced the idea of a network organized, coordinated, indeed led by the American Bar Association. Focus on Law Studies, begun in 1985, has been and will continue to be a key forum for the faculty network. Our faculty conference, also begun in 1985, has convened more than 1,000 faculty across a wide range of disciplines in fifteen national conferences. The conference continues -- now on a biennial basis. The conference theme and location/date for 2001 will be announced shortly; consult the Division's Web pages at www.abanet.org/publiced for an update. On a personal level, what makes these years so special has been the large number of acquaintances and friendships I have made with faculty around the country. When I came to the ABA, I knew many political scientists (having been an active member of the APSA for years) and a few faculty from other disciplines through the Law & Society Association. But little did I expect that I would come to know so well hundreds of faculty from so many different disciplines and colleges and universities as a result of my work here. Please continue to stay in touch, both with the excellent programs of the ABA Division for Public Education and with me. At the Division, please contact Jennifer Kittlaus at 312/988-5736 or e-mail at kittlauj@staff.abanet.org for information about programs and materials for college/university faculty. After July 15, I can be reached by e-mail at johnpryan@mindspring.com. Spring 2000 Issue Home | The 20th Century | Celebrity and Privacy | Privacy Abuses Driver's Privacy Protection Act | Legislation | Resources | Contributors Credits/Disclaimers | John Ryan Leaves ABA Focus on Law Studies Home | Subscribe to Focus | Questions/Ordering Back Issues