The Toledo Way Series
"The Critical Importance of Professionalism in the 21st Century"
Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025 | 12 p.m.
Law Center, McQuade Law Auditorium
Technology and individualism have become prominent features of society in the 21st century. As a result, civil engagement and a unified sense of purpose, which are mainstays of a functional society, often diminish.
To maximize civil engagement and a unified sense of purpose in contemporary society, citizens, particularly lawyers, must advocate for a greater commitment to the three fundamental tenets: respect for the rule of law, altruism, and civility. As the late United States Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had emphasized, these tenets constitute the very essence of professionalism and become the Holy Grail of democracy.
A pizza lunch will be provided.
About the Speaker
Blake D. Morant
Blake D. Morant is the Robert Kramer Research Professor of Law and former Dean of The George Washington University Law School. He also serves as a Distinguished Counselor for the Association of American Law Schools. Prior to serving as Dean of GW Law, he served as Dean of the Wake Forest University School of Law, where he built a national reputation as an exceptional law school administrator, tireless advocate for students, and respected legal scholar.
He speaks around the globe on pressing issues in legal education and has published extensively in his areas of scholarly focus, including contract theory, media law, and administrative law. Morant has served in numerous national leadership positions at the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) and the American Bar Association (ABA), including as AALS President in 2015. He has served as a member of the ABA’s Commission on the Future of Legal Education and is president-emeritus of the AALS Fellows.
Morant served as a visiting fellow of University College, Oxford. He became the Straus Distinguished Visiting Professor of Law at the Caruso School of Law, Pepperdine University in 2022. He previously served as the Distinguished Visitor Professor of Law at the University of California, Irvine School of Law. He commenced his academic career at The University of Toledo College of Law.
DIRECTIONS & PARKING
McQuade Law Auditorium is on the main level of the Law Center — located at 1825 West Rocket Drive, immediately inside the UToledo West Entrance off of Secor Road and south of Bancroft Street.
You will need a guest permit, which can be obtained at parkutoledo.com/visitor-parking/. Alternatively, you can use the ParkMobile app in most areas on campus, which allows you to pay for short-term parking.
About the Series
The Toledo Way sums up the culture of the Toledo legal community. It stands for the proposition that attorneys are collegial and cordial to each other. We stand by our word, and we treat even opposing counsel with respect and integrity. In addition, the Toledo Way means that we nurture and instruct our new lawyers so that they will become competent attorneys in their own right. For a list of guest speakers from previous years, please visit our past speakers page.
Questions?
Kate Abu-Absi, Program Manager, Alumni and Student Engagement
katherine.abu-absi@utoledo.edu
419.530.5108