The Faculty Lounge

Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen [UPDATED with Bette Midler and Paul Simon]

"Bei Mir Biz Du Sheyn" was written in 1932 by the renowned Yiddish lyricist Jacob Jacobs and the even more renowned composer Sholom Secunda (who also wrote "Dona Dona," among others). It premiered in the Yiddish musical comedy "I Would If I Could," starring the great Aaron Lebedeff. The Yiddish title was more poignant -- "Men Ken Lebn Nor Men Lozt Nisht," "You Could Live, but They Don't Let You." I have no idea what the plot was, and the show was not a big hit on Second Avenue.

Sammy Cahn and Saul Chaplin provided English lyrics in 1937, leading to the Andrews Sisters first big hit under the Germanized title "Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen."

As the story goes, Secunda first offered the song to Eddie Cantor, who turned it down as "too Jewish." In contrast, the Greek-Norwegian Andrews Sisters first attempted to record it in Yiddish, but couldn't get it right and had to turn mostly to English. To this day, it is probably the most popular mainstream Yiddish-inspired song, though only the title and a single line remain of the original.

"Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen" has become a jazz standard, with countless covers. Don't miss the origin story, by Jacob Jacobs's granddaughter, at the bottom of the post.

Here is the Andrews Sisters original, audio only:

Hiring Announcement: Belmont University College of Law

From a recent email message:

The Belmont University College of Law invites applications for up to two Visiting Professors for the 2024-2025 academic year. Belmont is seeking visitors who have the ability to teach Business Associations, Torts, and Intellectual Property beginning in Fall of 2024. Visitors will be hired on a contract basis for the academic year and are not tenure eligible. It is anticipated that each visitor will teach two classes each semester, as determined in consultation with the Academic Dean based on the law school’s teaching needs. While a single candidate does not have to teach all of the above-named courses, there is a need to hire two candidates who collectively can cover Business Associations, Torts, and Intellectual Property over the course of the 2024-2025 academic year.

The Belmont College of Law encourages applications from people whose background, life experiences, and scholarly approaches would contribute to the diversity of our faculty, curriculum, and programs.

Preferred applicants should possess a J.D. from an accredited U.S. law school, have excellent credentials, and must demonstrate excellence in teaching.  Belmont is an EOE/AA employer.  Belmont College of Law reserves the right to exercise a preference for those candidates who support the goals and missions of the University.

If interested, please submit a letter of interest and curriculum vitae to Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Deborah R. Farringer, at [email protected].  Please feel free to email Dean Farringer at the same address if you have questions about the position or would like further details.

Belmont University is a private, Christian university focusing on academic excellence and is located in the heart of Nashville, one of the fastest growing and most culturally rich cities in the country. Please visit our website at https://www.belmont.edu/law/ for more information about the school and its program.

 

Kellye Testy Appointed AALS Executive Director and CEO

The Association of American Law Schools has announced that Kellye Testy will be its next Executive Director and CEO, taking over from Judy Areen who has been in the job for a decade.  Testy is currently President and CEO of LSAC and previously served as dean and professor of law at University of Washington School of Law and Seattle University Law.  She will assume the new role on July 1. 

Judy is, and has been, a transformational leader of AALS - and much the same can be said of Kellye's work at LSAC.  I am excited anticipating the continued success of the AALS as both the representative of law schools writ large and the discipline's learned society. 

Hiring Announcement: Widener Law Commonwealth

From a recent email message:

Widener Law Commonwealth seeks entry-level or pre-tenure lateral faculty members to fill two tenure track positions starting in the 2024-2025 academic year. For one position, we have a specific need in our year-long Contracts course. As to the rest of the teaching package and the second position, we have flexibility, but we have particular needs in the areas of Constitutional Law (including First Amendment), Criminal Procedure, Evidence, and Legal Methods.

We are looking for candidates with strong academic backgrounds, commitment to excellence in teaching, and demonstrated potential to be productive scholars. Candidates must possess at least a JD degree or its equivalent.   For more information, contact Professor Robyn Meadows, Chair, Faculty Appointments Committee ([email protected]) or visit the University's position posting here.

CFP: International Legal Ethics Conference

This just in:

From July 17-19, 2024 the bi-annual International Legal Ethics Conference (ILEC) will come, for the first time ever, to continental Europe. ILEC 2024 will be hosted by the Centre on the Legal Profession and Access to Justice at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. The International Legal Ethics Conferences are an exciting opportunity to meet fellow legal ethicists from all over the world and present theoretical, doctrinal or empirical research. ILEC 2024 will focus on Legal Professionals in a digitalising world. IAOLE would be delighted to welcome you in Amsterdam. Please note that the deadline of the call for papers in February 7, 2024. For further information about the conference and the call for papers, please have a look at the conference website: https://www.ilec2024.com/. You can contact the conference organizers at [email protected].

Jelani Jefferson Exum Named Dean of St. John's Law

St. John's University School of Law has announced that Jelani Jefferson Exum will be its next dean.  She is currently dean at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law.  Exum, who holds a JD from Harvard, will take over on June 1.

Jessica Berg and Michael Scharf Stepping Down as Co-Deans of Case Western Law

Case Western Reserve has announced that Jessica Berg and Michael Scharf will step down as the law school co-deans this summer.  They became co-deans in 2013.   The university is planning to launch a national search.

Stefanie Lindquist Named Law Dean of Wash U

The School of Law at Washington University in St. Louis  has announced that Stefanie Lindquist will be its next dean.  She is currently a professor of law and political science at Arizona State University and has previously served as dean at University of Georgia's School of Public and International Affairs.  Lindquist, who holds a JD from Temple and a Ph.D from South Carolina, will take over on July 1.