Janet K.G. Dickson ‘88, a dedicated faculty member who has skillfully taught the craft of legal writing to generations of Seattle University School of Law students, will retire at the end of the 2024-25 academic year in June. Her substantial contributions to the field and to the law school during her 36-year tenure have helped to build its Legal Writing Program into one of the nation’s best.
“Professor Dickson has been a stellar colleague and member of our faculty community, and we will miss her deeply,” Dean Anthony E. Varona said.
For Dickson, her passion for her work has only grown since her first day on the job in 1989. That is due primarily to the bonds she has created with the many students who have passed through her classroom on their way to successful legal careers.
“I feel honored, from the bottom of my heart, to have had the gift of such a rewarding career,” Dickson said. “Even on my worst days, when I walk into the classroom and see my students’ faces, I smile, and my day suddenly has meaning. And when a student is struggling but keeps working with me until the light comes on, my effort is well spent. That’s what made me come back year after year.”
“As someone who did not come from a family of lawyers or have any experience in the legal industry, when I started law school, I felt like I was behind from the moment I arrived,” said Vicky Slade ‘11, a partner at Davis Wright Tremaine. “Professor Dickson not only made me feel comfortable in those early days, she made me believe I was just as qualified to be there and capable of succeeding as anyone else. She continued to serve that role through law school and beyond, generously allowing me to call on her as a sounding board and mentor throughout my career. I am without a doubt a better attorney for having met Professor Dickson.”
After starting her career in private practice, Dickson was drawn to teaching legal writing for several reasons. This discipline, with a unique style of writing and vernacular where concision is valued, came naturally to her. She also values legal writing as a form of legal thinking, she said, since a lawyer cannot develop a brief until they undertake a thorough examination and analysis.
Dickson also appreciates the small class sizes of legal writing, which afforded her the opportunity to work directly with students to help them develop their voices, find their confidence, and communicate authentically.
“Whenever you write, you are putting a piece of yourself onto the page. With this in mind, I knew my criticism needed to be constructive and nonjudgmental,” Dickson said. “I hope to plant seeds and help them grow. My job is to help them become better and more educated versions of themselves.”
Challenging experiences early in Dickson’s life steered her toward law and eventually legal academia. In her early 20s, she was the victim of workplace sexual harassment. Feeling that she lacked a voice, she vowed to stand up for herself and others in the future.
During this period, she also lost several close friends and relatives, including her brother, who died in an accident at just 15 years old.
“That very much shaped who I am," she said. "It made me look at my life and question if I am living it the way I want to. Is this who I want to be?”
After determining a career in law fit with this mandate, she enrolled at Seattle U Law after moving to the Puget Sound area from California for her husband’s work. In law school, she came to love the intellectual challenges and the rigor of the institution.
After graduation, Dickson began practicing in trusts and estates, but she again questioned if that was the best career path. Having previously served as an adjunct professor at the invitation of Professor Emerita Laurel Oates, she felt called to transition her career to full-time teaching. At the time, she was just the fourth graduate to become a full-time faculty member, joining Oates, Paula Lustbader, and Annette Clark ‘89, who was also hired the same year.
During her tenure, Dickson eventually became a co-director of the Legal Writing Program, with fellow faculty member Mimi Samuel, shepherding it through a difficult period
“Together we did our best to support our students and legal writing faculty, we made some tough decisions, and we laughed a lot,” she said.
Dickson has been honored with the university’s Living Mission Award and has also taught law students around the world, with stints in Turkey, Morocco, Italy, South Africa, Kenya, and the Czech Republic. She even taught Ukrainian law students online as the war with Russia was raging through USAID’s Justice for All program.
“I’m grateful for all the people around the world who have broadened my view,” she said.
In retirement, Dickson plans to continue teaching on a limited basis, with a possible return to the Czech Republic. She also plans to continue traveling extensively for pleasure, including spending time sailing, since her husband is an experienced sailor. While she is home, she looks forward to expanding her cooking repertoire, playing with her dogs, and being outside gardening.
In addition to the many students who she has had the pleasure of teaching, Dickson will also miss her colleagues in the Legal Writing Program, as well as at the law school and the university.
“I have become close with many people I work with here,” she said. “My Legal Writing colleagues have been incredibly supportive over the years, and it has been an absolute honor to be a part of this community.”