Brandeis hires Rose to litigate Rose

Brandeis University has switched from a former Massachusetts attorney general to a lawyer named Rose to defend itself against a suit filed by three overseers of the school’s Rose Art Museum last July aiming to force the school to not sell the museum’s treasured collection and to keep the museum open and functioning as it was until Brandeis administrators threatened in January 2009 to close it.

Thomas Reilly (pictured at left), the former state attorney general, had been representing the Waltham school in the case as well as in its response to the current Massachusetts attorney general’s investigation into possible misuse of donations to its Rose Art Museum stemming from school leaders’ threat to shutter the museum and sell off its collection.

But now Brandeis has switched to Alan D. Rose (pictured at left) of the Boston law firm Rose, Chinitz & Rose to represent it in this matter. Rose is apparently no relation to the Rose family who gave the Rose museum its name – it’s just a delightful coincidence.

A Brandeis spokesman did not respond to requests for comment about the switch.

The next hearing in the case is scheduled for March 3 at Suffolk Probate and Family Court in Boston.

Previously:
Dec. 23, 2008: Rose freezes curator search
Jan. 26, 2009: Brandeis to close Rose
Jan. 27, 2009: Update: Brandeis to close Rose, sell art
Jan. 27, 2009: Brandeis president’s e-mail on Rose
Jan. 27, 2009: Brandeis’s money
Jan. 27, 2009: AG on Brandeis's plans
Jan. 29, 2009: Brandeis’s liquidator-in-chief
Jan. 29, 2009: The first painting Brandeis should pawn
Jan. 29, 2009: Question: Brandeis financial management?
Feb. 5, 2009: Brandeis won’t close Rose?
Feb. 5, 2009: Will defunct Rose replace defunct Safra Center plan?
Feb. 9, 2009: Open discussion at the Rose tomorrow
Feb. 11, 2009: How do you solve Brandeis’s budget crisis?
March 16, 2009: Rose family objects to closing Rose museum
March 16, 2009: What is the Rose family saying?
May 15, 2009: The end of the Rose?
May 20, 2009: Voices from the Rose.
May 20, 2009: Rose collection treasures.
July 27, 2009: Rose overseers sue to preserve museum, stop sale of art: If museum can’t be saved, they say give art to new Rose Preservation Fund.
July 31, 2009: Key weaknesses in the Rose suit.
Sept. 15, 2009: Brandeis seeks dismissal of Rose lawsuit.
Sept. 25, 2009: Brandeis president announces resignation.
Sept. 28, 2009: Brandeis’s Rose Museum: Where to go from here?
Oct. 2, 2009: Administrative exodus from Brandeis.
Oct. 8, 2009: Rose budget increased?
Oct. 14, 2009: Brandeis agrees to not sell some Rose art: Attorneys disagree on what happened at hearing yesterday.
Oct. 16, 2009: Attorney General investigates Brandeis over Rose.
Oct. 28, 2009: Quiet protest at “Rose at Brandeis" opening: Cops attend too, while Brandeis board meets.
Nov. 1, 2009: Brandeis considers suing Harper’s Magazine.
Nov. 3, 2009: Brandeis seeks art curator … but not for Rose.
Nov. 10, 2009: Review of “The Rose at Brandeis” exhibition.
Dec. 18, 2009: Brandeis looks for new Rose staff.