Preamble

Gonzaga University's Mission Statement Asserts That ...

In light of our own tradition and the variety of human societies, we:

• Seek to understand the world in which we live. It is a world of great technical progress, scientific complexity, and changing ideologies. It offers great possibilities for cooperation and interdependence, but at the same time presents us with the fact of widespread poverty, hunger, and injustice, and the prospect of degeneration and destruction.
• Seek to provide for our students some understanding of contemporary civilization, and we invite them to reflect on the problems and possibilities of a scientific age, the ideological differences that separate the peoples of the world, and the rights and responsibilities that come from commitment to a free society.
• Hope to prepare our students for an enlightened dedication to the Christian ideals of justice and peace.

Each school of this University has a duty to accept and carry out this mission and to strive to imbue its students with this dedication to justice and peace.

The Gonzaga University School of Law Mission Statement Avows That ...

We help our students to develop the personal qualities necessary for them to become leaders in a variety of endeavors and to lead creative, productive, and virtuous lives. Consequently:

• We labor to instill in our students a desire to engage in public service and to further social justice during law school and after graduation.
• In order to graduate highly competent attorneys willing to work toward the goals set out above, Gonzaga Law School is committed to providing not only rigorous instruction, but also a personalized education for our students, both in and out of class.

This statement is central to the law school's mission. This Public Service Requirement for graduation is a necessary part in fulfilling that mission.

Moreover, Rule 6.1 of the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct includes a similar recommendation for lawyer public-spiritedness.