NSU Horizons Fall 2011

24 horizons Often students have a class or two—in any curriculum— that they dread taking. But, Bruce Rogow ’s law classes brim with students who feel privileged to learn from this professor who has been with NSU for 37 years and who has made significant impact on the law and the legal profession. Rogow, J.D., teaches Civil Procedure and Federal Jurisdiction at the Shepard Broad Law Center. In the past, he has taught First Amendment Law and Criminal Law, among other courses. Those able to secure one of the prized seats in Rogow’s classes, as did Thomas M. Lynch IV, judge for the Broward County Circuit Court, describe it as an unforgettable experience. “In the classroom, and in the courtroom, Bruce has been on the cutting edge of law for more than 40 years. He is professional, classy, and cool—one of a handful of true constitutional scholars,” said Lynch, who earned his J.D. from NSU in 1977. Rogow’s belief in a legal education goes beyond the mock courtroom. He’s on a personal mission to generate interest in the NSU Law Center and to motivate alumni to give back to the university. During fall 2010, Bruce and Jacquelyn Rogow, who have made contributions in the past, made a donation of $25,000 for scholarships and a challenge to alumni: raise another $25,000, and the couple would match it. The Rogow Challenge, as it was dubbed, was the first time that such a campaign had been undertaken at the Law Center. The couple is proud to have been the catalyst to help raise $75,000, so far. They expect that the Rogow Challenge will continue to build from alumni momentum and will help attract more top-rate students to the Law Center. “Students are the Law Center’s number one resource. And we are in a battle for the best students, and some of that is waged with dollars,” Bruce Rogow said. “Abe Fischler put the Law Center on a strong intellectual footing. Then, Ray Ferrero, Jr., grew it through good academic and business decisions as well as a commitment to the commu- nity.” Rogow said he looks forward to George L. Hanbury II, Ph.D., NSU’s president, leading the Law Center and NSU into the future. Rogow’s reputation is stellar in the legal community. His numerous awards through the years include the National Legal Aid and Defender Association’s Reginald Heber Smith Award and the Playboy Foundation First Amendment Award. He was the first practicing lawyer to win the James C. Adkins Award for contributions to appellate practice in Florida. In 2007, he was named the Most Effective Appellate Lawyer in South Florida. Rogow has argued more than 500 cases in his career, 11 of which were before the U.S. Supreme Court and more than 50 were before the Florida Supreme Court. Civil Rights Work Before moving to Florida to work at Legal Services of Greater Miami, which provides free civil legal services to needy individuals, Rogow began his career in Mississippi during the middle of the civil rights movement. He recalls working with extraordinarily talented attorneys and volunteers from the Lawyers’ Constitutional Defense Committee and the American Civil Liberties Union. This period in history taught Rogow how the law can change things and improve access to justice. The 1960s civil rights battleground ultimately spun off into reforms for women, gay rights, and a host of other efforts. During his esteemed 47-year career, Rogow has had notable impact in various areas of law including criminal, constitutional, appellate, and civil litigation. He has been listed in Best Lawyers in America in multiple areas of law for 25 years. Following the 2000 election, Rogow represented Theresa LePore, Palm Beach County’s supervisor of elections at the time, whose butterfly ballot created a national furor. Coming of age during the turbulent 1960s, along with his extensive experience in the courtroom, has given Rogow a broader interpretation of law school, which he believes provides a “specialized liberal arts education.” Although many attend law school for traditional reasons such as to become a trial or appellate attorney or to specialize in tax, bankruptcy, or real estate, Rogow believes that “to look just at those professions is a short-sighted view of what a person can truly get out of a legal education. Look at any page of a faculty profile “One is a better lawyer for having a broad range of knowledge of law and society.” Bruce Rogow Believes in the Power of the Law By Brandon Hensler