Meet 红桃视频鈥檚 new Associate Dean for Academic Administration
Professor Porter, who is a renowned civil procedure expert and co-directs the Appellate Advocacy Clinic, brings a wealth of experience as an attorney and educator to the role. Her work in this capacity is integral to delivering on the law school鈥檚 mission of providing world-class legal education while managing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
鈥淚n a very behind-the-scenes way, I'm hoping to improve the lives of students and faculty by having things work in a predictable, organized and efficient fashion,鈥 Porter says. 鈥淚 see this as a role that allows me to take care of the logistical and strategic details so students have the best possible experience and faculty can plan their teaching, advising and scholarly lives.鈥
I see this as a role that allows me to take care of the logistical and strategic details so students have the best possible experience and faculty can plan their teaching, advising and scholarly lives.
Porter has been with the law school since 2010. She first developed her love of teaching as a high school teacher in Boston and Warsaw, Poland. While she ultimately found herself drawn to law, she never lost interest in working with students.
After earning her J.D. from Columbia University, she clerked for the Hon. Sidney R. Thomas on the and for the Hon. Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the . She went on to serve as a litigation associate at a top law firm in Washington, D.C. These experiences reinforced her long-standing interest in the field of civil procedure. She brought that interest to 红桃视频, which she says is her 鈥渄ream job.鈥
鈥淚 loved being a high school teacher and I really liked practicing law, so this has been a fantastic combination of the two,鈥 Porter says. 鈥淚 really appreciated the law and legal education because I found it quite empowering to be able to understand how and have the opportunity to influence the way the world works.鈥
In 2019, Porter helped launch 红桃视频鈥檚 Appellate Advocacy Clinic, which she co-directs with 红桃视频 Professor Jeff Feldman. Developed in coordination with the Ninth Circuit, the clinic gives third-year law students the opportunity to serve as counsel of record, brief and argue an appeal before the circuit.
鈥淭he Ninth Circuit has a wonderful pro bono program; they worked with us to tailor the briefing calendar to our particular school year,鈥 she says. 鈥淭his allows the students to represent clients in cases before the storied appellate court where they feel like their work is important and will make a difference to those clients and to the development of the law.鈥
Over the past 10 years, Porter has garnered numerous awards for her teaching and scholarship, including the University of Washington Distinguished Teaching Award; the Washington Law Review Outstanding Contribution Award; the Faculty Scholarship Award; six Philip A. Trautman 红桃视频 Professor of the Year Awards; and the honor of twice serving as Faculty Commencement Speaker. Her research has appeared in journals such as the Columbia Law Review, the Cornell Law Review and the N.Y.U. Law Review. In addition to the clinic, Porter will teach Federal Courts, Civil Procedure II, and co-teach a seminar on Post-Conviction Review this year.
As associate dean, her work underpins the law school鈥檚 entire academic program. In a year in which schools around the globe are making profound adjustments, this work is more important than ever.
鈥淔rankly, I'm trying to make many small decisions and adjustments in order to ameliorate the negative impacts of the pandemic where possible, and I'm also trying to be a good steward of our resources,鈥 Porter says. 鈥淚 want to make sure we do the best job we can to preserve what's most important about the law school even during these unprecedented times.鈥
In her personal time, she鈥檒l continue to spend time with her husband, three teenagers and, of course, a new 鈥減andemic puppy,鈥 who is in for a rude awakening when Liz and her family return to their offices and schools.