Sturm College of Law Dean to Meet With More Than 5,000 Alumni in His First Year

Bruce Smith, Dean of the University of Denver’s Sturm College of Law, plans to meet with thousands of Sturm alumni in Colorado and around the U.S. during his first year as Dean. The goal is to engage with 5,280 alumni this academic year in a campaign known as the DU Extra Mile. The goal of meeting with 5,280 alumni symbolizes an important number to the University of Denver community. Commonly heard around campus, the city of Denver sits 5,280 feet above sea level, also earning it the nickname “Mile High City”.

Dean Smith’s journey is being documented in an interactive map on the Sturm College of Law website, with the dean also sharing posts and updates about his meetings on Twitter. To date, he has visited with 2,112 alumni in 61 cities in Colorado and in San Francisco. During his meetings, he has taken part in discussions with alumni related to law, philanthropy and new concepts for alumni engagement.

Dean Bruce Smith was appointed to be the 20th Dean of Sturm College of Law in July 2016. Prior to joining the University of Denver, he served as dean of the University of Illinois College of Law from 2009-2014, where he also taught since 2006. Specializing in Anglo-American criminal procedure, Dean Smith is internationally recognized and authored History of the Common Law: The Development of Anglo-American Legal Institutions. He has taught as a visiting faculty member at George Washington University, the University of Luxembourg and University of Michigan Law School. He also practiced law in Washington, D.C., focusing on intellectual property law and sports law. His appointment to the position of Dean in 2016 represented a continued commitment to the advancement of Sturm, and a commitment to increasing alumni engagement and deepening collaboration within the Denver community and beyond. The DU Extra Mile campaign represents one major step towards realizing these long-term goals.

For more information and to track where Dean Smith has been, visit the DU Extra Mile page on the Sturm College of Law website, or follow along on Twitter at #duxtramile.