In recent efforts by SDSU Mock Trial to form connections with San Diego State University (SDSU) Pre-Law alumni and connect them with our organization, the President of SDSU Mock Trial, Ian Mariano Von Dyl, spoke with Dr. Jack Goetz. In learning about the work Dr. Goetz has done both inside and outside of the legal profession, we found it important to highlight his career.
Dr. Goetz graduated from San Diego State University in 1976 with a Bachelors of Arts in Economics. From there he received his Juris Doctor (JD) from Boston University, his Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Pepperdine University, and his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Education from Capella University. Now, Dr. Goetz works as a lecturer in law at University of Southern California Gould School of Law and as a mediator and arbitrator for several organizations. A notable accomplishment of his is the creation of the first nationally accredited online law school, Concord Law, in 1998.
To begin the discussion with Dr. Goetz, he first spoke about his experience as an undergraduate at SDSU. Living in Zura Residence Hall, Dr. Goetz remembers SDSU as a “caring community” and highlights how professors, such as Sue Holt, supported him during his academic experience. For most of his time as an undergraduate student, Dr. Goetz had no intentions of pursuing a law degree, however, these plans changed during his senior year after viewing James Bridges' “The Paper Chase,” a popular movie which follows a law student at Harvard. Dr. Goetz was further motivated to attain a law degree after he realized, regardless of if he was going to seek a job in the legal field, a law degree would “provide a strong foundation for [him] personally and professionally,” and he was up for the intellectual challenge. After working hard throughout his time at SDSU and taking the LSAT, Dr. Goetz made the decision to attend Boston University School of Law.
During his time as a legal professional, Dr. Goetz enjoyed being a mediator the most. While this does not require a law degree, he finds joy in his ability to work “with disputants ‘at war’ with one another and leaving the ‘room’ with a settlement.” Dr. Goetz still works as a mediator today, where he serves a third party “who negociate[s] agreements between disputing parties, hopefully achieving a ‘win,win’ solution.”
However, Dr. Goetz’s proudest triumph may come from his work as an educational intrapreneur, specifically in his creation of Concord Law, the first online law school, which now operates under Purdue University Global. He first began this project under Kaplan, Inc., “which at the time was just a test preparation company.” Initially, Kaplan was unsure if the law school was going to be successful given that the company had no infrastructure to support an entire college, however, the law school went on to receive high praise in the Wall Street Journal and continued to take off from there.
Looking back at his efforts, Dr. Goetz thanks the Vice-President of Kaplan for his complete support and faith in creating the law school. Recently, Dr. Goetz was given the opportunity to attend Purdue University Global’s 25th anniversary celebration, in which he received high praise from many alumni for his work.
When looking back at his own experience within the legal field, Dr. Goetz advises those interested in pursuing a legal degree to focus on their passions and motivations, rather than chasing a perceived benefit that may not even materialize. To those interested in a mediator or arbitrator role, regardless if you plan to attend law school, Dr. Goetz notes the importance of gaining experience in the legal field before you seek these positions, as “most mediators and arbitrators have more success in their endeavors with some work experience.”
To conclude, Dr. Goetz remains in support of his alma mater and its pre-law programs. He appreciates the passion that President Ian Mariano Von Dyl has for the SDSU Mock Trial program and respects the work that Dr. Kimberley Fletcher and Mary Pendleton put towards advancing the pre-law opportunities at SDSU. While Dr. Goetz has never been involved in any mock trial programs before, he offers his support for the opportunity it presents to students: to learn the “art of marshaling the facts in pursuit of the truth—which is what a trial is about.”
SDSU Mock Trial thanks Dr. Goetz for his donation to SDSU Mock Trial and for his countless contributions to the wider SDSU community and legal profession.
If you are interested in donating to SDSU Mock Trial, email sdsumocktrialpresident@gmail.com.