A crisp autumn day at the Old School (truly - founded 1779)
We have just wrapped another semester of dirt law classes at William and Mary Law School in Williamsburg, Virginia. Today was the last day of instruction in our Land Use course, as well as in our Eminent Domain & Property Rights class.
Many law schools feature Land Use Law courses, but only a few are so bold as to include a course on Eminent Domain and Property Rights in their offerings (and a substantial three-credit course, at that). William and Mary Law School is an excellent and very appropriate place to study these topics.
What a great law school, and wonderful, committed, students. I learned way more than I conveyed. A welcoming administration, faculty and staff, too.
A huge thank you to law school Dean Benjamin Spencer, Professor Emerita Lynda Butler (for entrusting me with her beloved Land Use class upon her retirement), and Professors Tom McSweeney (a better office suitemate I could not ask for), and James Stern for your guidance and support, and making me feel like I belonged. And to my students, who challenged me.
And, of course to Joe Waldo, who made it all possible.
Not sure why, but these ducks are a "thing" at the Law School.
They just show up, anonymously, in random places on campus.
Our final Land Use class says "adieu" to the Fall 2023 semester.
The future of the Dirt Law Bar says hello!
We had a bit of fun in our final Land Use class. Remember that game "Gunner Bingo" you might have played in 1L? We did a form of that (much less mean-spirited, naturally), where instead of singling out the gunners, we based it on words and phrases the Professor (me) said during the final class as we summarized the semester. See below for a sample of some of the suggested phrases.
Not to be left out from the games, our Eminent Domain and Property Rights class played "Take or No Take?" where the contestants were given a fact pattern from a real case, and asked whether the property owner has a viable takings claim -- with reasons why or why not.
These games were not merely academic exercises.
There were prizes, including Trader Joe's gift cards,
hot chocolate, and snackies.
We chose our TJ gift cards carefully,
to be sure they depicted the corn.
Why corn (yes, there's a tie to the courses)?
That's right, Magna Carta.
No constable, or any of our bailiffs, shall take anyone’s corn [grain]
or any other chattels, unless he immediately [statim] pays for them
in cash, or else he can agree with the seller to postpone payment.
Yes, the end of another semester leaves us
with a touch of sadness. But WM Law has
been around since 1779, so we're guessing this isn't
the last time for these courses.