I am not surprised by the discussion generated by the LU School of Law job
posting. In fact, I would have been disappointed if there were no
discussion. I am pleased to see our community engaged in thoughtful,
meaningful, intelligent conversation. Important issues need to be discussed
freely and openly in the light of day, for "the fruit of light is found in
all that is good and right and true." I am even more pleased to see the tone
of the exchange has largely been professional, candid, and cordial while
continuing to be sincere, spirited, and moving.
The job description was crafted to be honest, open and transparent; I am not
trying to hide anything. The length of the job description is to provide a
thorough description, to disclose as much detail as possible about this
unique job opportunity. It was never my intent to obscure, conceal, or
disguise our non-discrimination policy. In the spirit of full disclosure I
included the full text of the policy adopted by the LU School of Law. In
actuality and in practice, there is no difference between the LU School of
Law policy and the AALL policy. More on this below.
With respect to the issues raised regarding AALL recruitment policy, I want
to assure you that LU School of Law has no intention of trying to mistreat,
misuse, or misinterpret the policies of the recruitment office. AALL has
right to do business as it pleases, and neither I nor LU School of Law will
make misrepresentations to AALL and its membership to exploit any of
services offered by AALL, including the placement office. Because this is
such a thorny issue, and because my own membership profile in AALL is still
associated with my prior employer (I have only been here 7 months), I have
chosen not to post on the AALL Hotline at this time.
I posted the position announcement on law-lib. "Law-Lib is a listserv for
legal information professionals. Although this listserv is not maintained by
AALL, many AALL members subscribe." The FAQ for law-lib explicitly states
that job announcements are appropriate.
For the benefit of anyone interested in applying, as well as for the
edification of our community, let me take a moment to describe the mission
and vision of LU School of Law. Our objective is to build a law school
committed to academic and professional excellence in the context of the
Christian intellectual tradition with an appreciation for the historic
Western legal tradition. We aim to equip future leaders in law with a
superior legal education in fidelity to the Christian faith expressed
through the Holy Scriptures.
The School of Law proposes to accomplish this task by preparing its students
to think, analyze, and communicate through the analytical grid of a
comprehensive Christian worldview. It stands to reason that an understanding
of and a personal commitment to a comprehensive Christian worldview are
essential job requirements for the professionals responsible for developing,
supporting, and sustaining this enterprise. This is not a form of
discrimination any more than my own inability to become an academic law
library director without at JD degree.
I encourage you to learn more about us at our website, located at
http://law.liberty.edu/. Let your evaluation of our program be informed by
facts, not prejudices about our Chancellor and our parent university.
I look forward to continuing my six-year association with and service to
AALL. I have made good friends along the way, and I hope to make many more.
Amor doctrinae floreat -- Let the love of learning flourish
===============================
Eric W. Kistler <mailto:ekistler@liberty.edu>
Information & Technology Law Librarian
Liberty University School of Law
1971 University Boulevard
Lynchburg, Virginia 24502
phone: (434) 582-2809
fax: (434) 582-2803
===============================
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Wed Nov 14 2007 - 20:45:29 PST