Remembering Mr. Galen and His Legacy
Morris Galen, JD'50—Oregon law graduate, successful attorney, and generous supporter of legal writing—died peacefully on December 4, 2024. Mr. Galen was passionate about legal writing, literally writing a booklet on effective writing that he shared with new lawyers (and our law students). Through his substantial gift, and the gifts of colleagues who wished to honor him, he dedicated funds to create the Galen Endowment for the Advancement of Legal Writing. He was always enthusiastic about Oregon Law’s Legal Research and Writing Program and was proud of its #1 ranking nationally. For more about his remarkable life, please see this story in The Oregonian. It ends with this further indication of his support and generosity: “Donations in his memory may be made to the Galen Endowment at the University of Oregon Law School or to the charity of your choice.
The Galen Endowment for the Advancement of Legal Writing was established to enhance legal writing education for Oregon Law students. Galen Endowment funds support new upper-level writing courses, advance professional writing in clinics and on law journals, increase the emphasis on writing in doctrinal law courses, and provide awards to celebrate outstanding student writing.
Galen Scholar in Legal Writing
One of the primary initiatives of the Galen Fund is to support faculty members serving as the Galen Scholar in Legal Writing. Each year, the LRW Program awards a stipend to a faculty member for developing projects for a particular theme. Many of the Galen Scholars’ contributions have become valued and permanent fixtures in the legal writing landscape at Oregon Law.
Current Galen Scholar
Rebekah Hanley is the 2023-25 Galen Scholar in Legal Writing. In this role, she is researching the ways generative AI tools are reshaping teaching, learning, and the practice of law, and then sharing her research at national conferences and in faculty colloquia. Professor Hanley is also collaborating with university colleagues to reimagine longstanding policies so that students, faculty members, and university departments engage effectively with AI.
Previous Galen Scholars include:
Galen Distinguished Guest in Legal Writing
The Galen Endowment brings distinguished professors and practitioners to Oregon Law each year to work with students, faculty, and other groups with the goal of enhancing student writing.
Oregon Law welcomed Associate Dean Anne Mullins back to Eugene as the 2024-25 Galen Distinguished Guest in Legal Writing. She teaches at Stetson University College of Law, where she serves as Associate Dean for Assessment and Professional Engagement. Dean Mullins began her academic career as a visitor at Oregon Law 2011-13.
During her three-day visit, Dean Mullins presented her current article, “Writing Judiciously,” to the faculty during a noontime colloquium. Earlier in the day, she met with new journal students to provide tips for writing that first scholarly article. Dean Mullins also engaged with faculty and administrators committed to professional identity formation, sharing the innovative Stetson Inns program. Throughout the visit, she met frequently with legal writing colleagues to discuss scholarship and teaching.
This visit was funded by the Galen Endowment for the Advancement of Legal Writing, which brings distinguished professors, judges, and lawyers to Oregon Law each year.
Previous Distinguished Guests include:
- Associate Dean Olympia Duhart, 2023-24 (ALWD Visiting Scholar)
- Judge Jacqueline Nguyen, 2022-23
- Professor Nantiya Ruan, 2021-22
- Associate Dean Michael Higdon, 2020-21
- Judge Jean P. Rosenbluth, 2019-20
- Professor Leslie Culver, 2018-19
- Deputy Solicitor General Anne Egeler, 2017–18
- Professor Mary Beth Beazley, 2016–17
- Professor Melissa Weresh, 2016–17
Student Writing Awards
The Galen Endowment supports two student writing awards that celebrate excellent student writing.
The Excellence in Legal Writing Award is presented to second- and third-year JD students and master’s law students each semester.
A faculty committee selects the recipients’ papers based on originality and relevance of the topic; cogency, logic, and reasoning in the analysis; and clarity of grammar, organization, citation, and writing style.
The Excellence in Written Advocacy Award recognizes excellent writing produced by first-year Legal Research and Writing students at Oregon Law.
The LRW faculty selects recipients based on the appellate briefs students write in the spring semester of the course; the criteria include analysis, research, persuasiveness, and clear writing.