Paul Hendrick became dean of Florida Coastal School of Law March 1. He assumed the position after serving as the founding FCSL assistant dean and as co-director of the school’s Center for Strategic Governance and International Initiatives. He’s practiced law for one of Florida’s largest law firms, for his own firm and worked for the federal government in Washington, D.C. Hendrick also has a background in politics, having managed numerous political campaigns and serving on the “Inner Circle” of former U.S. Sen. Connie Mack. He met recently with Daily Record staff writer Bailey White to talk about his goals for the school and his commitment to a new kind of law school.
Question: Now that you’ve been named dean, are any changes forthcoming?
Answer: There are some key objectives, some of which we’re reaffirming, some of which we’ll take to a new level. We are reaffirming and taking steps to see that the student-centeredness that defined this institution is at the forefront. By student- centeredness, we mean that students who have concerns or questions, who seek help from faculty, from administrative staff, from others here, find a willingness to partner, to be helpful and are always to be treated with respect and dignity. That has not always characterized the atmosphere in all law schools. The law is a complex and wonderfully involved set of systems. It requires the development of new ways of thinking and analyzing and solving problems, so there’s a great adjustment for law students coming in. They move from intuition to developing ways of approaching problems that identify what is important, what the law requires or permits and how to decide dispute. All of this is to prepare students to counsel their clients with skill and valued kinds of advice.
We try also to develop a concern for the ethical issues that arise in dealing with clients and in working in adversarial legal systems. So what we’re doing then in the law school is essentially preparing practice-ready attorneys, not just graduates. We want our students increasingly to pass the bar exam, with high percentages. We expect this law school to be at the top of bar pass rates of law schools in the states and we expect this law school to be known as the most selective in Florida.
Q: When you were still in school you traveled extensively, spending a year in New Delhi, visiting 17 nations, appearing at diplomatic functions and UN conferences. Do those experiences continue to shape your life?
A: That was a real turning point in my life. I had grown up an hour from Jacksonville, in a small town, Jasper. My parents were from North Florida, so I had little actual knowledge of people from other countries or other cultures. That year in India opened a whole new world of understanding for those who find different ways that work well for them. Being in a situation where I was not part of the dominant culture was fascinating, and I came away with a great appreciation of that country and the people and a much better understanding of those things that are fine and good about America and those things which we should probably change.
Q: Obviously, achieving a diverse population at the law school is important to you. How do you achieve that?
A: We are making a great effort to recruit very intelligent African American, Hispanic American, Pacific Island Americans and others to build a multicultural community. We’ve been very fortunate to have really gifted students and students who have contributed a great deal to defining FCSL. We have a very active Black Law Students Association, which I’ve advised since its beginning, and a Hispanic Law Students Association. We have an international environmental symposium which brings government officials and scholars from all over the country and the world. We have many program speakers and others presenting role models focusing on issues of understanding across ethnic lines. In our classrooms, we also include those values of multiculturalism and globalization because of what law practice will be in 10 or 20 years. The typical lawyer will be empowered by technology, able to advise clients in many parts of the world instantaneously, to move and shake and put together transactions as if we were all dealing in the same part of the region. We also have had a commitment to civil rights, to equality and respect. We have a credo at the law school that calls upon each person here to be quick to acknowledge mistakes and to be more reluctant to pass blame to to others.
Q: Did you practice law here and do you agree with Jacksonville’s reputation as a friendly, cordial place to practice?
A: I practiced near here, in Miami and in North Florida with cases that brought me here. And of course, many of the lawyers in Jacksonville were classmates at the University of Florida [where Hendrick obtained his bachelor’s and master’s degrees; he earned his law degree from Washington College of Law, American University]. And yes, I think, first of all, that the Jacksonville bar practices at a very high, very respected level in Florida and that in court and in meetings with other counsel, there is a sense of civility, and graciousness that characterizes this part of the world. I think Jacksonville has always been a community that had greater tolerance and understanding amongst all groups than in some other cities. When I was growing up, Jacksonville was the place I could visit when I had been good. It was the special place to come to shop, to see the beach, to see the tall buildings, to come to see the Gator Bowl, all sorts of things. So Jacksonville is a kind of special home for me.
Q: Having been with the law school since the beginning, what are some of the things that you’re most proud of?
A: This law school began with 60 students and it has grown to more than 400. In a very short time it had full approval of the American Bar Association. It has jumped from an average bar pass rate to a very strong bar pass rate, in the high 70 percentile. That speaks of how innovative and full of energy and sense of purpose this law school has had. Most of all, among faculty, there is great dedication to the success of students, there is great excitement and a commitment to learning. We develop ties here that adhere long after students leave and we watch with pride as judges in Jacksonville, law firms in Jacksonville, the corporations and the government offices, State Attorney’s Office and the Public Defender’s Office hire our graduates. Now, they don’t worry so much about them being right out of a — fledgling was the term that was used — law school. When we started, some doubted that there was any need for a new law school anywhere in America. Jacksonville was one of the largest cities that had no law school. Jacksonville was the site selected and there’s always been a great outpouring of applicants. We’ve had over 3,000 applicants so far this year for a class that will be somewhere around 200, so there’s a huge interest. It’s very encouraging.
Q: Do you see physical growth of the school in the near future?
A: I think on the horizon there is a very serious set of decisions on where the facility should be located. To date, we’ve been emphasizing human capital, developing programs and fleshing them out so that they’re effective. We will, at some point, be part of a state-of-the-art, technologically wired or wireless law facility that will be a great nurturing place of learning. We’ve looked at about five different parts of Jacksonville, had great interest from the government and educational communities and it won’t be too long before we make those decisions and set a time table for a new facility.
The law school will be engaging in some new entrepreneurial initiatives. We’ll be getting into some distance learning programs so that students might be able to take courses online. I think that law school will transform in the next five to 10 years so that technology will be a part of every aspect of law study, computers, search engines, connection to other sources and the actual delivery of legal education. We need to be at the forward edge of that wave.
Q: Do you continue to teach at FCSL?
A: Yes, I teach contracts. We’re looking at all the agreements that make our lives work. And Jacksonville is a great city in which to teach property and land use planning, which I teach at an advanced level. Jacksonville is a city that has always grown and it isn’t a city that has stopped like other cities in Florida. There’s much more opportunity for growth here than in Miami and Tampa. Jacksonville behaves like a young city, as one that has new heights to reach. I was in North Florida at the time when you had to pay toll to get across the bridges and when you felt like Jacksonville was a lot of subdivisions here and there. But they all grew together and its a wonder to see. I find that Jacksonville has so much more in the way of a cosmopolitan culture, in the way of fine restaurants and entertainment.
Q: What, if any, are some key issues to pay attention to when planning law school curriculum?
A: We’ve tried to answer some of the questions of a 1982 report on American legal education, which made the point that what is taught in most law schools is not what lawyers and law firms need when they serve clients and practice law. The effort is to bridge that gap between law teaching and the needs of practicing lawyers and that means developing practical client service skills, not just memorizing, but learning to solve legal problems in ways that add value to clients. Clients come to lawyers when they have problems and they need help and they expect a lawyer to be able to give highly skilled help, to either help them achieve valuable things or help them stay out of serious trouble.
Q: What are some of the key steps you took in your background that have gotten you where you are today?
A: From the time when I was at the University of Florida, I have always been deeply concerned about quality education. When I served in the federal government, I was involved in the teaching and development of federal executives. When I practiced law, I practiced with very demanding senior partners, who essentially put us through a graduate law program in a number of fields, with a heavy amount of research. I have been in court several times a week on average for a number of years and that, if you enjoy law practice, which I enjoy so much, offers a great deal of satisfaction. After I decided not to run for Congress in 1994, I decided that education was where I’d really like to be, to make use of what I’d learned. I had heard of the new law school in Jacksonville and didn’t know what there plans were. When I came here and met the founders, I was excited beyond words. It was as if they had embraced my dream of doing law school in a better way. This institution has attracted a number of others who have that kind of passion to provide legal education in ways that are more student centered and take into consideration more human values and reach down to social problems and other kinds of social concerns. I’ve been fortunate to have very challenging work at all points of my life, and any person may live several lives as they grow in their careers, but I’ve been fortunate that each of those things that I’ve done has been demanding to the point that I learn things that I could use and hopefully I became gentler, more compassionate, more empathetic of other people’s concerns.