Special Celebration To Be Held In Honor Of Retiring Faculty

A special celebration will be held this April for seven longtime Dayton Law faculty members who will retire this May, and students, alumni, staff and faculty are invited to join in honoring their service at UDSL.        

After years of distinguished service, Professors Becky Cochran, Tom Hanley, Cooley Howarth, Jeff Morris, Vernellia Randall, Rich Saphire, and Dale Searcy will be retiring after graduation this May.

Becky Cochran is the 1999 recipient of the University of Dayton’s Alumni Award for Excellence in Teaching and the 2009 recipient of the Alumni Association's Honorable Walter H. Rice Honorary Alumni Award. She has taught Torts I, Torts II and Bar Exam Preparation: Procedure and Practice.

Tom Hanley has been the director of UDSL's Zimmerman Law Library since 1982. He sets library policies, reviews librarian and staff performance, determines staff salaries and oversees general library operations. He makes sure the librarians are able to do their jobs and help the students and patrons.

Cooley Howarth has been teaching at the School of Law since his graduation from the University of Denver College of Law in 1976. While at UDSL, Professor Howarth has taught in areas such as Legislation and Statutory Interpretation, Family and Juvenile Law, Environmental Law, State and Local Government Law, the Law Clinic, and Legal Research & Writing/Appellate Advocacy. His principle teaching and scholarly work has been in Administrative Law, the area of law governing the conduct of the administrative agencies of the federal, state, and local governments.

Jeffrey Morris has been teaching at the School of Law since 1981. He has been selected Professor of the Year more than 10 times by students, and he was named Samuel A. McCray Chair in Law in 2004. He has also been a visiting professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and The Ohio State University.

A professor at the School of Law since 1990, Vernellia Randall has taught areas such as Criminal Law, Health Care Law, and race and racism. She also writes extensively on and speaks internationally about race, women, and health care. She is the recipient of the Ohio Commission on Minority Health Chairman’s Award, and she was named one of the “Top 10 Most Influential African-Americans” on the 2001 Black Equal Opportunity Employment Journal list.

Richard Saphire began teaching at the School of Law in 1976. Involved with the American Civil Liberties Union for many years, he provides pro bono work as a civil rights and liberties lawyer. Professor Saphire has received the Service Award from the ACLU of Ohio. In addition, he has been a board member of Homefull, a Dayton homeless shelter, since 1989, and is the recipient of Chase College of Law’s Distinguished Alumni Award.

Dale Searcy has been a professor at the School of Law for more than 25 years. He is the adviser for the Tax Moot Court teams and the Phi Delta Phi legal professional fraternity. He also founded and advises the Tax Clinic. The law school student body has selected him Professor of the Year 10 times.

The event will take place on Friday, April 19, at 5:30 pm at the Riverview Cafe on South Patterson Boulevard.

Dean Paul McGreal said the event will be a way for the school and the alumni community to thank the retiring members for their dedicated service to Dayton Law.

McGreal noted that while the faculty will leave full-time teaching, they will remain part of the UD family. Some of the professors will teach part-time following their retirement.

"We hope that you will join faculty, staff, and alumni in expressing our thanks to the retiring faculty members for their dedication, and wishing them well in retirement," McGreal said. "And I am excited that for some of these faculty members, their retirement will include part-time teaching here in Keller Hall."

All combined, the retiring faculty members have contributed more than 212 years of teaching to Dayton Law. They have impacted the lives and shaped the careers of the more than 5100 students and alumni who chose Dayton Law for their legal education. 

A block of rooms has been reserved at the Dayton Marriott on South Patterson Boulevard and the Crowne Plaza on East 5th Street.

To reserve a room at the Marriott, click here: http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/dayoh-daytonmarriott/?toDate=4/20/13&groupCode=LAWLAWA&stop_mobi=yes&fromDate=4/19/13&app=resvlink. The group code is LAWLAWA.

To reserve a room at the Crowne Plaza, click here: www.cpdayton.com. Enter your booking date and enter EG3 in the group code box. You can also reserve by calling 1-888-233-9527

Airport shuttle for the Crowne Plaza can be arranged in advance or upon arrival by calling 937-224-0800 and making those with the front desk.  This is complimentary and based upon availability, (only available until 10 pm each day).  There is a complimentary 5-mile radius shuttle that is based upon availability, (only available until 10 pm each day).  Complimentary Covered Self Parking is available at the Convention Center Garage. The hotel is attached to this via skywalk.  Valet parking is available for $15.00 per night.  

For more information on the event please contact Sandy McGuire at 937-229-2785 or events@udayton.edu.