Professor Bainbridge...on law, politics, religion, culture & food

Fires Affect So Cal Law Professors

Paul Caron reports on the effect the massive Southern California fires are having on our fellow law professors:

Our thoughts and prayers go out to our colleagues at Southern California law schools, at least three of which have cancelled classes today in light of the rampant fires burning in the area:

• California Western


• Pepperdine


• University of San Diego

Tom Smith (San Diego) has riveting accounts here and here.  This morning’s National Law Journal reports:

[I]n the Los Angeles area, several law professors have been fighting for their homes ... “I’ve been watching for the last several hours with my hose in hand,” said high court scholar Douglas Kmiec, a law professor at Pepperdine who sat on the roof of his house while helicopters dumped water on nearby flames Monday morning. “The sky is literally filled like an air show.” ... Kmiec and his wife live in the Carbon Canyon area, where the flames in Malibu were headed on the morning of Oct. 22. “We spent most of the day yesterday trying to move brush away from the house and making sure we had some things packed,” he said. About 30% of all Pepperdine faculty and 50% of the students live on campus, Kmiec said. Those residents were moved to fireproof buildings but allowed to return to their homes and dorms on Sunday afternoon, according to the school’s Web site.

Other law professors weren’t so lucky. Bernard James, a member of Pepperdine’s law faculty for nearly 25 years, and his wife, Connie James, associate professor of business at Pepperdine, have moved into the home of a colleague after their house burned down on Oct. 21, Kmiec said.

Like Paul, my thoughts and prayers go out to my fellow law professors who have been affected by the fires. Of course, it’s not just law professors. There are thousands of others who have also been forced to evacuate and hundreds who have lost homes. Catholic Charities is one way you can help:

With fires raging in Southern California, local Catholic Charities in San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Bernardino/Riverside are coordinating and collaborating with their local Catholic and disaster relief partners to assess the needs and determine relief efforts.

Catholic Charities-Los Angeles

Catholic Charities-San Diego