Brandeis School of Law faculty vote to adopt compassion resolution

On Tuesday, Jan.19, the Brandeis School of Law faculty voted 26-2 to adopt a resolution declaring the school as a compassionate institution.

The resolution is part of the Compassionate Louisville initiative, initially launched on Nov. 11, 2011. The initiative already includes community partners such as Brown-Forman, UPS, Spalding University, the Louisville Bar Association and the University of Louisville Medical School.

The specific resolution adopted by the law faculty reads in full:

WHEREAS, The City of Louisville has made compassion a priority and has received the International Compassionate City Award by the International Institute for Compassionate Cities, a project of the Compassionate Action Network; and

WHEREAS the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law holds as a core value demonstrating and cultivating compassion consistent with achieving the rigorous academic goals of preparing students for the profession; and

WHEREAS, the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law defines compassion as the "sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it;" and

WHEREAS, the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law embraces compassion and empathy in its instructional content as exhibited by courses that promote alternative dispute resolution, service to the community, and critical approaches to improve the plight of the underserved and underrepresented; and

WHEREAS, the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law follows the public service tradition of Justice Brandeis by being a community partner, engaging in public service hours and providing high quality and compassionate legal services to our clients; and

WHEREAS, the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law considers it a priority to show respect and compassion for members of our law school community; and

WHEREAS, the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law considers it a priority to promote the mental health and wellness of our students, staff, faculty, and the legal profession; and

WHEREAS, the resolution is consistent with those promoted by the International Institute for Compassionate Cities; and

WHEREAS, the resolution has been endorsed by the law school faculty,

NOW THEREFORE, be it resolved that the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law commits to:

SECTION I: Work with the Partnership for a Compassionate Louisville and other groups toward the common aim of compassion.

SECTION II: Partner with the City of Louisville in its effort to become, "The Most Compassionate City in America."

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law will embrace the principles of the charter and champion the cause of compassion, serve as an exemplar for compassion, and promote a culture and climate of compassion.

APPROVED BY:

Susan Duncan, Dean

January 19, 2016