Timothy G. Lynch’s Post

I’m very happy to share that I have been named an instructor in Goju Ryu Karate at the wonderful Japanese Martial Arts Center, in Ann Arbor. https://lnkd.in/eG88rT4q. JMAC is a truly special, supportive place, where even students who begin later in life (like me) can learn and grow.

Go Blue!

I’m deeply grateful to the wonderful Anne Cortina Perry and Aaron Lewis for coming to Ann Arbor on Friday to share their extraordinary, world-class expertise and experience with students in my Internal Investigations seminar at the University of Michigan Law School. Anne and Aaron provided the kind of first-hand insights and wisdom that law students treasure; and they were so gracious in answering questions and offering valuable advice long after class ended. Thanks, Anne and Aaron!

Julia Donovan Darlow, who’s also known to me as Regent Emerita Darlow, is a true legend in the law, a trailblazer for women, an arts supporter and afficianado, and a truly, truly wonderful person.

I’m pleased to share that the Board of Regents today adopted the University of Michigan Principles on Diversity of Thought and Freedom of Expression, a document that expresses our values, commitments, and highest aspirations. I am grateful for the contributions of so many members of our broad academic community who shared their recommendations on various drafts of the Principles. And I am especially grateful for the privilege of having chaired an outstanding faculty committee—comprising Professors Michelle Adams, Kristina Daugirdas, Don Herzog, Gabe Mendlow, and Chandra Sripada—that dedicated countless hours of thought, discussion, and drafting to make the Principles a document of which we can be proud.

It’s so wonderful to be with all my NACUA colleagues at our annual conference. And I’m deeply honored to be a recipient of the First Decade Award. I owe a huge debt of thanks to all my Michigan OGC colleagues—a truly spectacular collection of higher ed law all stars.

Graduation season at the University of Michigan is always a truly special, joyful time. This year was particularly meaningful for me, as I got to hear one of my musical heroes, the great Wynton Marsalis, deliver the commencement address to tens of thousands of students, families, and friends at the Big House. Wynton’s words to our 2023 graduates were deep, memorable, and inspiring: “You are the avant garde of our optimism. We need a new belief and a massive unapologetic assertion of integrity. May you never lose the sense that a collective will can create unimagined change to better the lives of more and more citizens. You are needed out here. Hello!!! We desperately need you and your creativity, your conscience AND your consciousness. The genius alto saxophonist Charlie Parker wrote a defining blues of the bebop style entitled ‘Now’s the Time.’ If you believe in the ascendancy of humanity, please loudly declare your intentions. And spend your lives making those dreams, whatever they may be, a reality. Class of 23, I know you can help put us on the good foot. We need your very best and we need it now.”

Each of us needs to find a path toward navigating and thriving in demanding, high-intensity jobs. I’m privileged to be able to draw on three sources of support. First, and most importantly, I have a truly wonderful loving and kind family. Second, I work with an incredibly talented team of lawyers, paralegals, executive assistants, legal assistants, and interns. And, third, I practice Goju Ryu karate, which I took up four years ago, at 51. I get to train each week at the Japanese Martial Arts Center, in Ann Arbor. And this week I had the extraordinary opportunity to train in Saitama, Japan, with Shimizu Shun Sensei (27) and his teacher, Nobetsu Tadanori Kancho (87), for three to five hours a day. Karate offers important health benefits. But most relevant for my work, I can strive to achieve a sense of mushin, which roughly translates as “empty mind.” When I train well and focus all my energy on the breathing and moves of a kata, I can experience even for a moment a healthy break from all the understandable challenges of work and life. When I return to all the emails, texts, calls, and Zoom meetings that await, I do so with a renewed energy and focus. Karate and its potential for achieving mushin has become one key part of my professional path. I recommend it as one potential waza for everyone.

I'm happy to share an interview with the Michigan Law Quadrangle in which I was able to share my thoughts on the privilege of representing a great public research university and working with extraordinary OGC colleagues and University leaders. https://lnkd.in/gZResksu