Marion Julmis, 2L

Contributor

“IT’S ALL GOOD.” Three little words that, when joined together, form a short, simple, yet informative phrase that has the ability to answer many of the questions I asked in my conversation with Professor Michelle Adams, one of the new faces of the Cardozo faculty.

Becoming a Professor

Prof. Adams, like many other professors, did not enter law school with the notion of becoming a law professor in mind. However, she did enter with a strong affinity for civil rights work. “I wanted to do civil rights work, and that’s what I did,” she said.

When asked why she had such a strong interest in civil rights, Prof. Adams said that when she was growing up, people such as Thurgood Marshall and members of the NAACP were hero figures in her household.

Prof. Adams’ interest in civil rights work carried directly into her career. She served for three years as a staff attorney at the Legal Aid Society, Civil Appeals and Law Reform Unit, here in Manhattan. While there, she had the opportunity to work on a big case against the city housing authority for racial discrimination in the early 1990s. It was after several years in practice that Prof. Adams decided she would like to have the opportunity to become a law professor and went back to school for an LL.M. at Harvard.

So, what motivated Prof. Adams to make the jump from private practice to teaching? “You don’t have any time as a lawyer.” Prof. Adams explained that as a practicing lawyer, you have to fight for your client zealously. Sometimes when you come across interesting topics or theories, you really don’t have the time to research or look more deeply into them, whereas as a law professor you have that time to delve into things that are interesting.

Teaching Style

Being a member of academia rather than private practice has not diluted Prof. Adams’ role in the arena of civil rights; in fact, it is a safe assumption that her role as a professor has afforded her the opportunity to teach that particular area of law—an opportunity that she has taken full advantage of here at Cardozo.

Prof. Adams currently teaches Constitutional Law I, Constitutional Law II, Federal Civil Rights Law, Federal Courts, and Race, Law, and Remediation. All courses tie in closely with civil rights issues. When asked which course was her favorite, Prof. Adams simply said, “It’s all good.” Each class possesses an aspect that she finds enjoyable.

Why Cardozo?

With a long-standing history at Seton Hall (12 years to be exact), I was very curious as to why Prof. Adams came to Cardozo. She explained that it is the vibrancy of the intellectual community, the strong student body, and the attentiveness to faculty that make Cardozo the “total package” for her. Prof. Adams enjoys the intellectual atmosphere here at Cardozo, describing it as “fantastic.” She said that with all the new and exciting things going on at Cardozo on a daily basis, from lectures and events to panel discussions, the only downside is finding the time to keep up with it all.

Outside the Classroom

Though Prof. Adams admits that teaching monopolizes most of her time, she still occasionally gets the opportunity to do some civil rights work and writing outside of the classroom. Recently, she co-authored an amicus brief in the Parents Involved case for the National Parent Teacher Association. The case deals with the legal issues surrounding the question of whether it should be permissible to use race to determine which kids are going to get into which high schools, junior high schools, and elementary schools.

Prof. Adams also writes with some frequency, having authored many articles dealing with affirmative action. She has a piece out now about the Parents Involved case. Prof. Adams is also active within the Cardozo community: she currently serves on the appointment committee, which is charged with the task of hiring new professors.

The Future

Currently Prof. Adams is living, as she describes it, “the dreams of dreams.” According to her, many people work to eventually land the job they want and get the recognition they seek, but she is currently doing all that as a law professor. Being a law professor is what she loves and it is what she gets to do on full-time basis. So, what does the future hold for one who is already living her dream? Whatever the answer, I am confident it will be “all good.”