Terence Lau
After graduating from the College of Law in 1998, Terence Lau embarked on a legal career that took him from Detroit to France to Thailand to the U.S. Supreme Court. He worked in the Office of the General Counsel at Ford Motor Company. He served as director of ASEAN Governmental Affairs for Ford Asia Pacific Operations. He was a Judicial Fellow, working for the counselor to the chief justice of the United States.
But it was a guest speaker role at the University of Dayton (UD) that changed the course of his career. When he was invited to consider taking a faculty position there, he decided—“after a lot of thinking and introspection,” he says—to make the move to academe.
Lau, who was recently named dean of the College of Law, has held multiple academic and leadership positions in higher education since then. At UD he started as a faculty member in the School of Business Administration and went on to serve as chair of management and marketing and associate dean for undergraduate programs. He also ran faculty affairs for the University of Dayton China Institute. Lau later went to California State University, Chico, where he served as dean of the College of Business, interim dean of the College of Engineering, Computer Science, and Construction Management, and interim provost and vice president for academic affairs. He begins his tenure at Syracuse today.
SU News sat down with Lau to learn more about him and his plans as dean.
It’s an unbelievable opportunity. The education I received at the College of Law is central to who I am personally and professionally, and is at the center of many good things that have happened in my life. I’ve supported the college in any way I could over the years, from contributing to the campaign for the building of Dineen Hall to serving on the Board of Advisors. To now have the privilege of serving as dean is something I never would have dreamed possible. I can’t wait to get started.
As I see it, the college has four primary strengths. The first is a longstanding reputation for academic excellence and outstanding graduates, including the current president of the United States. The second is an ability to produce innovative programs, including the first-in-nation JDinteractive (JDi) program. The third is a strong and supportive alumni network. The fourth is a diverse group of faculty experts, leaders in their field who contribute to the college’s research output and academic reputation.
Looking at these strengths, I think there are opportunities to leverage the Syracuse brand to grow JDi even more, and to continue to lead the nation in delivering high quality legal education on demand and, in the process, to continue to disrupt the legal education industry.
There are also opportunities to grow our dual-degree, blended and certificate programs, as more skilled workers seek smaller credentials and specialized legal knowledge beyond the broad-based J.D. program. I’d also love to see us tell our story in a more compelling way and to be recognized in external rankings as a top-tier law school.
Finally, as the nation’s economy continues to evolve in a post-COVID world, I see the legal industry changing to adapt to those changes, and legal education will also change. The traditional model of success as being defined by being part of “Big Law” in New York City will probably give way to a broader definition of success as a lawyer.
I’m excited to take my wife and daughter to Dinosaur Bar-B-Que for the first time! And to explore all the beautiful places around Central New York.
At the College of Law, I’m excited to get to know our outstanding faculty and staff and listen to what they have to say about who we are, what we do, what makes us different and where we should be going. And I’m really looking forward to meeting some of our outstanding alumni who are making a big impact with their Syracuse legal education.
In my first year I hope to have met with every single faculty and staff member in the college in a meaningful way, to learn how I can best support them and give them the tools and resources they need to build a high performing organization. I hope to spend a significant amount of time with students in all our programs, listening to their dreams and aspirations as well as their frustrations and ideas for ways to improve their Syracuse experience. And I look forward to working with Interim Provost Lois Agnew and Chancellor Kent Syverud to continue to find ways for the college to contribute to the University’s goal of leading with distinction.
In five years, I hope we will see a law school that has moved up considerably in external rankings, with outstanding bar passage and employment outcomes, and that is recognized as a national leader in access and diversity, and in innovating new ways to meet the needs of the legal industry.
First: Approach being a law student like it’s a job in terms of time management. It’s critical to set aside time and be really strict about academic work. When I was a law student, having nights and weekends as “me” time was really important, so I made myself a promise that if I was a law student between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., I didn’t have to be a law student after 5 p.m. or on weekends. It didn’t always work out that way, but having that understanding with myself helped me stay afloat of all the work.
Second: Make sure that self-care is high on the list. Students who are able to step away from their studies are the ones who can come back to it refreshed and energized, versus being burned out all the time.
Finally: The road to becoming a lawyer starts on the first day of law school, and the type of attorney you will become is defined early. Give some thought to what that means for you; it matters and will make a difference.
My family and I love to travel, see new things and make new memories. And I’m an avid runner: I find it’s my most productive thinking time and a real stress reliever.
Kindle/e-reader or old-school books?
Definitely old-school books.
Movies or series?
Series. These days there are so many good ones!
Take out or dine out?
Take out.
Museums or theater?
Theater.
Ocean or lake? Domestic or abroad? Beach or adventure?
Ocean. Abroad. Beach!
College sports: Yes or no? Football or basketball? Other?
Yes, and basketball!
Sleep: Night owl or early riser?
Early riser, definitely.
Favorite season?
Summer.
Something about you no one would expect?
I have a private pilot’s license and I love all things aviation related. And of course, being from the car industry, I think real cars have manual transmissions!
