To honor James C. Gaither's ('64) remarkable dedication and service to the University, the law school has raised more than $6 million to create the James C. Gaither Fund. The James C. Gaither Fund will be used to establish the James C. Gaither Professorship and the James C. Gaither Fellowship, both at the law school.
The Gaither Fellowship has been established to support promising graduates seeking to make a transition into careers, like academia, for which additional time for research is essential.
"For years, Stanford Law School has been at the forefront of training law students for academic careers," said Barbara Fried, William W. and Gertrude H. Saunders Professor of Law. "Jim's generous and farsighted gift is the capstone to those efforts. The Gaither fellowships will enable us to do what few law schools have been able to do: provide an opportunity for some of our most promising graduates to develop as scholars and teachers before going on the academic job market. Everyone will be a winner: our graduates, the law school, and the legal academy."
Gaither Fellows will be chosen based on nominations to the dean from the Teaching Prospects Committee. The fellowship will typically be for two years, though it can be shorter or longer in individual cases, and there need not be a fellow every year.
The law school has not yet been determined who will be the inaugural holder of the Gaither Chair nor which area of study will benefit from it. The first Gaither Fellow, however, has been chosen. Starting in fall 2006 Andrew Coan ('05) will return to Stanford for two years to teach and work on research.
"I am extremely grateful to the Gaither Family in particular, and to the professors at Stanford Law School who encouraged me in my academic pursuits," stated Coan. "Especially Professor Fried, who was instrumental in connecting me with the Gaither Fellowship."
Coan is just finishing a clerkship with Judge Richard Posner of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Coan's principle areas of interest include constitutional law, federal courts, and administrative law.
"I hope to use this fellowship as a spring board for a career in teaching," said Coan. "It was such a thrilling experience to be a part of the intellectual community at Stanford Law School over the past three years, and I am very much looking forward to rejoining that community and continuing my relationships with the professors in a different capacity. I am also looking forward to working with the fantastic students that Stanford Law School attracts."
Coan began his graduate career as an English literature student but soon decided that the focus was too isolated from practical world affairs. He spent the next year teaching high school English which reaffirmed his decision to pursue a teaching career but in the field of law not English. "I chose law school because I thought it represented an ideal combination of the intellectual and the practical world," recalled Coan. "And being part of the vibrant community at Stanford Law School was a key factor in my decision to pursue a legal academic career."
During the fellowship Coan will teach a class but will focus mainly on research and writing.