I hope you’ve shared the experience of many Drexel alumni when visiting the campus from time to time: It’s that feeling of discovery, when you encounter new and upgraded facilities, or learn of ways in which the student experience has changed for the better while still being familiar from your Drexel years.
Often, a new building or a renovated space — such as the stunning Korman Quadrangle, updated recently — brings about a change in our daily routines or provides new possibilities for teaching and learning. That’s certainly the case with the newest setting for students of the Thomas R. Kline School of Law, featured in this issue.
At the new Kline Institute of Trial Advocacy at 12th and Chestnut streets in Center City Philadelphia, students will be able to hone their litigation skills in a courtroom setting that’s not only realistic, but which also conveys the majesty of the law and their calling to seek justice. This inspiring space has been created through the extraordinary generosity of Kline Law’s naming benefactor, Thomas R. Kline.
As a formidable litigator, whose courtroom victories have prompted important reforms, Tom conceived of an ambitious plan to turn a former bank building designed by famed Philadelphia architect Horace Trumbauer into a litigation training center. Following its meticulous renovation, the building houses stateof-the-art courtrooms that include a glass-enclosed main courtroom recently awarded top honors by the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia.
I encourage you to stop by the Kline Institute and feel the pride in knowing that this building extends Drexel’s reach while also ennobling our purpose. Winston Churchill said, “We shape our buildings; thereafter, they shape us.” With the Kline Institute opening, and so much more happening at our University, we can be confident that the shape of things to come at Drexel will be exciting and well worth discovering.
Sincerely,
John A. Fry / President