FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 23, 2003

CONTACT: Lisa Lacher, Drake, (515) 271-3119
Allan D. Sobel, AJS, (312) 357-8810 before June 1
or (515) 271-2281 after June 1

DRAKE JOINS FORCES WITH AMERICAN JUDICATURE SOCIETY

Drake University has established a partnership with the American Judicature Society (AJS), which will move from Chicago to the Drake campus on June 1.

Founded in 1913, AJS is an independent national nonpartisan organization of more than 6,000 judges, lawyers and other members of the public who seek to improve the nation's courts.

"We are very excited about the opportunities that await us both as we develop this new partnership," said Drake President David Maxwell. "All of us at Drake University are profoundly grateful to Dwight Opperman, a distinguished lawyer, businessman and Drake alumnus who has been instrumental in bringing this partnership to fruition."

With support from Opperman, chairman of Key Investment Inc., the University is renovating the stately 19th century, three-story house at 2700 University Ave. that served as the Drake president's residence until 1951. The landmark structure will be renamed The Opperman Center and will become the AJS headquarters.

Opperman, former chairman and CEO of West Publishing Co., is a major benefactor of AJS and Drake University, which named Opperman Hall and Law Library in his honor. He also established the Opperman Lecture in Constitutional Law, which has brought eight current or former U.S. Supreme Court justices to speak at Drake University.

"The close proximity of Opperman Center to the Drake Law School will benefit both AJS and Drake, creating opportunities for joint initiatives in a variety of areas of mutual interest," President Maxwell said. "Collaboration with one another is a natural fit - education and research are at the forefront of what we both do to promote the effective administration of justice."

Allan D. Sobel, executive vice president and director of AJS, also is enthusiastic about the new partnership. "The move to Des Moines will allow AJS to partner with Drake University and share many of its resources, not least of which is its student body and faculty," he said. "Although each organization will operate independently, AJS and Drake will collaborate on programs and projects of mutual interest."

"We at the Drake Law School are extremely excited about the prospects of students and faculty working with AJS on its many endeavors," said Drake Law School Dean C. Peter Goplerud III. "The educational and professional opportunities presented by establishment of this partnership are limitless. We look forward to AJS and the Law School jointly exploring innovative and more efficient ways for the nation's courts to function and administer justice."

For most of its 90 years, AJS has been based in Chicago. AJS conducts and disseminates research to support reform in areas such as judicial conduct, judicial election abuses and court procedures. The organization also publishes Judicature, a bimonthly refereed journal, as well as the Judicial Conduct Reporter. In addition, AJS offers educational programs and operates the Elmo B. Hunter Citizens Center for Judicial Selection, the Center for Judicial Ethics, the Center for Judicial Independence and the National Jury Center, which facilitates jury research and innovation. For more information about AJS, visit www.ajs.org.

Drake University is a private, independent university with approximately 3,300 full-time undergraduate and pharmacy students from 48 states and 60 countries. Total enrollment with part-time, law and graduate students is nearly 5,100.

Drake Law School, one of the oldest law schools in the country, combines a strong theoretical legal foundation with practical experience and professional skills development. Drake's location in Des Moines, Iowa's capital, provides numerous opportunities for internships and clerkships with private firms, government agencies, and federal and state judges at both the trial and appellate levels. Featured guest lecturers and adjunct professors have included prominent lawyers, legal scholars and Supreme Court justices. Drake Law School is accredited by the American Bar Association and the Association of American Law Schools.