Bench & Bar July/August 2025

COLUMNS

THE LUNSFORD ACADEMY AT CHASE GOES BEYOND WHAT’S IN A NAME

I n some ways, the name of the W. Bruce Lunsford Academy for Law, Business + Technology at Salmon P. Chase College of Law says it all – almost. While the honors program does focus on what is in its name, it also mixes in some access to justice, per sonal wellbeing, and a lot of camaraderie and community building. As an extended classroom, it is a com munity of students and alumni for shared interests and professional pursuits. The camaraderie among students involves sharing of ideas and analyses in courses such as intellectual property and financial analysis. It is enhanced through gatherings such as an annual dinner with alumnus and academy benefactor W. Bruce Lunsford and events with academy alumni. “Being a part of the Lunsford Academy has significantly bolstered my academic journey by fostering a profound sense of self-assurance and intellectual confidence.” says student Devin Rogers, who will grad uate in 2026. “Through my experiences, I have received personalized feedback and encouragement, which has helped build my confidence in my academic pursuit. “The networking events, guest lectures and mentorship programs facilitate connections with professionals in the legal field. Partic ipating in these activities has allowed me to expand my professional network, gain insights into various legal career paths and learn from experienced professionals.”

For Katherine Shearer, who graduated this past May, “Through supplementing the traditional law school curriculum, I have been afforded the opportunity to become a well-rounded law student with an eye geared toward problem-solving outside the typical law school setting. The academy has afforded me access to networking oppor tunities in law, business and technological fields. The networking opportunities have prepared me to speak to clients and other practitioners in the legal, business and tech nological fields, so I am able to continue to make lasting relationships.” The academy was created in 2013, and sub sequently expanded, through funding from Mr. Lunsford, a 1974 Chase graduate who is chairman of Lunsford Capital, a private investment firm in Louisville. Through two years as academy director (with her third beginning in August), Professor Michelle Browning Coughlin, has built on the pro gram in both traditional and new ways. “This past academic year we launched Lunsford Seminar, a year-long seminar that 1Ls begin in spring semester and which carries over into fall semester of their 2L year. This seminar is full of activities and class sessions focused on helping students expand their understanding of the inter sections of technology, business and law, as well as developing a better understanding of what it means to be a lawyer and some of the ‘soft skills’ needed in the profession,” she says.

Chase alumnus W. Bruce Lunsford, center, stays connected with students in the W. Bruce Lunsford Academy for Law, Business + Technology to hear each year about their experiences. The gather ing in April at Hotel Covington, in Covington, Kentucky, included Academy Director Michelle Browning Coughlin, third from left, and to Mr. Lunsford's left, his wife, Eleanor Lunsford, and to her left, Dean Judith Daar. “One of the outstanding opportunities that students in the Lunsford Academy have had is to attend the American Bar Association TechShow on law-related technology. Help ing students to feel really plugged into the profession is an experience about which our students have been very enthusiastic. With this in mind, we are looking to expand opportunities for students to attend other legal conferences and meetings, focused on intellectual property, privacy, business, entrepreneurship and more.” For an opportunity to apply technol ogy themselves to help meet legal needs, students this past spring competed in a friendly bit of television-style Shark Tank idea pitches on access to justice issues. Among them were ways people could pro tect against domestic abuse, handle small claims, access immigration information, and how counties could save money on warrants when defendants fail to appear in court. And in the spirit of college-wide programs that promote wellness and wellbeing, students on a chilly early March Satur day crossed the Ohio River to Cincinnati for what was billed as a two-mile “urban hike,” from the valley-level neighborhood of Over-the-Rhine to the hilltop Mount Adams. Whether hiking or networking, the Lunsford Academy adds up to a lot more for students than law, business and technology.

34 july/august 2025