Faculty and staff gathered Oct. 24, 2012, to wish Professor Randall T. Peterson (right) congratulations as he retires from John Marshall. He enjoyed the afternoon with Professors Walter Kendall (left) and Rogelio Lasso (center).
After 35 years at The John Marshall Law School, Professor Randall “Randy” Peterson was given an official send-off by his faculty colleagues, staff members and friends at an Oct. 24, 2012 luncheon, as he retires from his teaching duties.
Peterson first came to John Marshall in 1977 as director of Library Services after having helped establish the J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University. He worked as John Marshall’s library director for 13 years. His efforts included the library’s expansion from two to five floors, and the merger of the Chicago Bar Association library collection with John Marshall’s.
In 1990, he moved to a faculty position and spent many of those years working with negotiation and client counseling students. His students’ wins at regional and national client counseling competitions in 1994 won them a spot at the international competition in Scotland. Peterson also became involved in the International Client Counseling and International Negotiation Competitions serving as a judge in England, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada and the Netherlands.
“Client counseling involves the most intimate function of lawyering. It is you and the client” relating to one another, said Professor Robert Gilbert Johnston. He said Peterson was so good at teaching students these techniques because he himself is “decent and unassuming,” and he saw his work with students as “assisting them in their dreams and goals.”
Professor Ann Lousin remembered that on one of Peterson’s first days at John Marshall, he had to contend with a flood in the library, but he didn’t seem flustered by it. His even-tempered personality is what Professor Allen Kamp remembered in his story of how another law school was supposed to line up judges for a competition but failed to do so. Peterson saved the competition in a week’s time by dedicating himself to calling judges day after day until he developed the needed judges roster.
“Randy proved he’s just a better guy,” Kamp said, as he thanked him for his many years of friendship and camaraderie.
Professor John Gorby gave a toast to Peterson telling him his colleagues “are very grateful for your time here. You’ve been invaluable to John Marshall.” Gorby made note that many faculty members who started about the same time as Peterson “can’t think of leaving John Marshall, but we understand you can’t serve two masters. So, we understand and forgive you for leaving us ‘the ancients’ who will remain.”
Peterson will be retiring to do missionary work through his church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He and his wife, Judy, expect they will be stationed somewhere around the globe in a year’s time. Peterson has already dedicated years to the church and today is the president of the Naperville State.
Peterson’s children and grandchildren now number 32, but he said of his colleagues “you, too, are my family. John Marshall is a great place to work” noting that many others had helped him with his teaching. “I will always be grateful to each of you.”
