In 1893, just two years after its founding, Stanford University created the law department, the predecessor of today’s SLS. If you are counting the years, that means 2018 marks our 125th anniversary, an occasion to reflect on our history and—in classic Stanford fashion—to look forward as well. This issue, which I hope you will enjoy as much as we all have as we put it together, is very much a part of that effort.

As a transplant to Stanford, it has been a joy and privilege to come to understand the values and character of this place. I think what best captures Stanford Law School for me is that we are changing all the time, but at the same time our values and character hold steady.

What remains constant? There are several enduring values at SLS. A bedrock value is our commitment to teaching and mentoring future professionals in the spirit of the best ideals of our profession. We also strive every day to advance our understanding of law and legal systems through our research. We make a tremendous effort to cultivate our community, both here on campus as well as among our alumni who are spread around the globe, so that all feel part of a common enterprise. Then there is the character of this place: We seek excellence, but resist arrogance; we care little about pedigree; and we work very hard, but seek joy and laughter in life as well.

Here is what is changing all the time. For decades, we have been forward-looking in our curriculum, seeking constantly to better adapt it to what we see to be the knowledge and skills that our graduates will need as they make their way in the world. We developed the first course on computers and the law, we tried Curriculum B, we opened ourselves to the rest of this great university in order to truly embrace multidisciplinary education, and we created a best-in-class clinical program. Today, our new initiatives give our students greater opportunity to work on policy matters, to better comprehend the increasingly globalized nature of the economy, and to dive deep into machine learning and big data in ways that will be critical to their success in the future. In our faculty hiring, as we anticipate a future Stanford Law, we are not looking back, but looking forward—finding and attracting talent with domain expertise in law as well as in other disciplines to produce the knowledge that will inform the ever-changing set of questions we need to answer.

This issue of the magazine gives you a great sense of this combination of enduring values and character combined with an eagerness to change. In the feature, we catch a glimpse of SLS today through the eyes of students experiencing it—and taking advantage of just some of the learning opportunities I outlined above; in the article about the Rule of Law Program, we hear from students who are helping to bridge the divide in law—and lawlessness—around the globe. In the Q&A, James C. Gaither offers us a tutorial on how to build a successful career in law that encompasses much of what we aim for. From his government service in the Johnson administration to becoming managing partner at Cooley to gaining the reputation as a “Midas touch” star in the VC world, Jim has been a model for us all and an emblem of those enduring values and character.

I hope you enjoy this commemorative 125th anniversary issue. It is a snapshot of the SLS community today, the huge variety of interests and passions on display, held together by our enduring common bond, this remarkable institution.