EDITORIAL: Losing Lani to Harvard Law

A top-rate teacher, scholar and role model, Lani Guinier brought notoriety to the University. Next fall, it will be the University's immeasurable loss when Guinier joins the faculty at Harvard Law School as its first female minority professor. Guinier's name alone has brought prestige to the Law School. She is a passionate voice in the areas of election law, voting rights, race and gender theory and professional responsibility. And her controversial views provide stimulus for national debate. But perhaps more importantly, since her arrival at Penn in 1988, Guinier has again and again proven herself an extraordinarily effective teacher, an excellent scholar and a strong role model. She is attentive to classroom trends, and she has come out against traditions such as the Socratic method, which she believes is unfair to women and creates an overly combative approach to law. All in all, Guinier embodies the characteristics of the ideal faculty member. She has contributed immensely to the University and will, in turn, be a great asset to Harvard. Her departure, however, will leave a noticeable void at Penn. The University will be hard pressed to find faculty members of equivalent caliber to take her place.