2022
Life in Stillness
Kathy Gale (’78) Painting since 2008, Kathy Gale’s work is best described as “Impressionism with a strong abstract quality.” Her current pieces are rooted in the landscape and inspired by the photos she takes while traveling throughout Washington, Idaho, Oregon, and Montana. Her specific collection of paintings featured in her residency at Gonzaga Law are “a response to my first viewing of the Skagit Valley tulip fields in spring 2015.”
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ABOUT THE ARTIST
“Instead, I snapped as many photos as I could in a four-hour time span and came home to start working on just as many paintings. I was captured, not by the tulips, but by the field workers themselves. They have compelled me toward my easel more than any other subject I’ve approached. I hope that my work pays adequate homage to these tenacious field workers of The Skagit Valley. Whether a migrant worker or day laborer, their physical resilience and emotional grit are the qualities that keep agriculture productive every day, throughout the world.” Gale and the Art Spirit Gallery will be donating a portion of the artist-in-residence stipend to the Immigrant Resources and Immediate Support Foundation in the Skagit Valley. IRIS serves immigrants in immediate need of health, residential, and clothing assistance. Additionally, both Gale and the gallery are donating a portion of the sales to the School of Law’s student emergency fund, which gives students resources and assistance during unexpected and unavoidable life emergencies. Readers can view more of Gale’s work on the Art Spirit Gallery website: theartspiritgallery.com.
ON THE COVER PALOUSE FIELD SKETCH #1 Acrylic on panel By Kathy Gale
RAINY DAY IN THE SKAGIT VALLEY Acrylic on Canvas
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DEAN’S NOTE
MISSION IN ACTION
STUDENT SUCCESS
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2022 GRADUATES
LIFE IN STILLNESS
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
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INNOVATION
FACULTY EXCELLENCE
CELEBRATIONS
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HONOR ROLL
MAXEY “UNFORGETTABLE”
FAIRHURST TRIBUTE
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President Thayne M. McCulloh Dean, School of Law Jacob H. Rooksby Editor Kate Vanskike Faculty Adviser Agnieszka McPeak Senior Writer Anna Creed Contributing Writers Megan Ballard Chantell Cosner Michele Fukawa Dale Goodwin Sarah Guzmán Agnieszka McPeak Tom Miller Photography Zack Berlat Design Henry Ortega Contributors Kim Hai Pearson Kurt Heimbigner Project Manager Dale Goodwin
Gonzaga Law is published annually for alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of Gonzaga University School of Law to stay connected to one another and the mission of Gonzaga University. The opinions expressed do not always represent the view of the administration but are intended to foster open dialogue and lifelong learning in the Jesuit tradition. If you have comments or suggestions, please contact the Office of Alumni Engagement and Strategic Initiatives at guzmans@gonzaga.edu Visit online: gonzaga.edu/law
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A Welcome from
Dean Jacob H. Rooksby Life in Stillness This past academic year was marked by achievement and flourishing in the face of prolonged periods of difficulty and uncertainty for our students and society. The pandemic once again impacted our ability to socialize, work, and travel freely. And just when we thought it was over, crisis-mode living persisted. Fortunately, Gonzaga’s commitment to in-person instruction enabled us to continue living, working, and learning in an educational community noted for its compassion and concern for the individual. While the world at times seemed to stand still, we managed to find vibrant life in that stillness, forging connections, strengthening community, and manifesting care for the whole person in the best tradition of Jesuit education. Our mission shines through the intangibles. This past year, we announced the elimination of conditional scholarships for all current and entering students. Going forward, each scholarship we offer is guaranteed for the duration of the student’s time with us. This promise aligns with our desire to walk with our students in support of their journey toward becoming attorneys, no matter the ups and downs along the way. Our recent class sizes reflect strong interest in Gonzaga and life in the beautiful Inland Northwest. The class entering in fall 2021 was our largest since 2007, and our most diverse class ever. The class entering this Fall is just as accomplished, in quantity and quality. And as former Washington State Gov. Christine Gregoire (’77 J.D.) told graduates at Commencement in May, the ability of ZagLaw graduates to impact the world is limitless. Gonzaga Law alumni consistently impress their peers, reaching the highest levels of influence in our profession and society. Our Center for Civil & Human Rights (CCHR) and Center for Law, Ethics & Commerce (CLEC) continue to polish our prestige and focus, drawing new faculty to our ranks whose scholarly work supports these important academic centers that showcase, from different approaches, our concern for social justice. Professor Jeffrey Omari, an anthropologist and our former CCHR Fellow, returned to Gonzaga Law this year from Northern Illinois College of Law. Also joining the faculty are employment law expert Professor Dallan Flake from Ohio Northern University Pettit College of Law, and health law and antitrust scholar Professor Theodosia Stavroulaki, a former Jaharis Faculty Fellow at DePaul College of Law. Gonzaga Law donors and benefactors help us advance the Law School in important ways. With more than $5 million in cash gifts since 2018, I am extremely thankful for the financial generosity that enabled us to initiate new programs that underscore
our attention to diversity – such as the Honorable Franklin D. Burgess (’66 J.D.) Law Scholarship, the Carl Maxey (’51 J.D.) Social Justice Scholarship Program, and the Lincoln LGBTQ+ Rights Clinic – as well as launch new initiatives that help build our brand and attract faculty, like the Gonzaga University Wine Institute, CLEC, and the Clute-Holleran Scholar in Corporate Law. To embrace life in stillness is a daily feat of reflection and discernment. The challenges of our times require us to keep doing just that. Beauty surrounds us. Sources of hope are infinite. The only normal is now. And beyond zealous advocacy, the lawyer’s job also is to comfort and to connect. We are all leaders, leading all the time. Swiss philosopher and poet Henri Frédéric Amiel captured well the opportunity and challenge we face: “Life is short. We have too little time to gladden the hearts of those who travel the way with us. So, be swift to love and make haste to be kind.” In that spirit, we proceed onward, as people and as an institution, with humility and a passion we put into practice.
Jacob H. Rooksby, J.D., Ph.D. Dean and Professor, School of Law Professor, School of Leadership Studies
MISSION IN ACTION
Gonzaga Law Announces Elimination of Conditional Scholarships By Chantell Cosner In January, Gonzaga University School of Law announced that it would eliminate the use of conditional scholarships for current and future admitted students. Going forward, scholarships for all student recipients will be guaranteed for the duration of their academic program. “This decision comes after careful consideration of the financial and academic impacts of conditional scholarships on both the institution and on our students,” said Jacob Rooksby, dean of the School of Law. “As legal education has evolved, we now have a fuller picture of how this practice impacts students, not just during law school, but beyond.” Conditional scholarships are a form of merit-based financial assistance that traditionally comes with the condition that students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA at the end of each academic year for their scholarship to renew. Over 40% of law schools across the country offer conditional scholarships. Now, with the elimination of such scholarships at Gonzaga Law, students will maintain their full merit scholarship. “We see this as a way of manifesting our support for students throughout their time with us at Gonzaga Law,” Rooksby said.
“Our decision to make our scholarships guaranteed is one that better aligns with our Jesuit mission, as we walk with our students on their journey through law school.” This past fall, 99 percent of students in the entering class received a scholarship. This included both merit-based scholarships and scholarships awarded by the Gonzaga Law School Foundation. The Foundation provides over 80 scholarships each year to students including from recently established funds like the Carl Maxey (’51 J.D.) Social Justice Scholarship Program, the Honorable Franklin D. Burgess (’61 ’66 J.D.) Law Scholarship and the Kathy (’84 J.D.) and Ralph Brindley Endowed Scholarship for Law Students. Both the elimination of conditional scholarships and the establishment of new scholarship programs aim to remove financial barriers to legal education, especially for underrepresented populations. “There is a continuing need for the legal profession to reflect the communities it serves,” Rooksby said. “This move allows us not only to recruit, but also to retain diverse students who seek to make an impact in our region and beyond.”
The need for breaking down barriers “I wanted to write you to applaud Gonzaga’s elimination of conditional scholarships. When I was a 1L, I suffered a mental health crisis that significantly impacted my academic performance. As a first-generation college graduate and first-generation law student I already faced unseen barriers navigating higher education that others did not. I was consumed by the thought I would not be able to sit for the bar exam and seeking help would negatively impact my career goals. The stigma surrounding mental health in the legal profession is pervasive, and the conditional scholarship punishes those with disabilities, mental health crises, family
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needs or other unforeseen life events. As for me, I was able to utilize campus resources to get counseling. I had some very kind professors that mentored me and worked with me, but the damage was done – I lost my merit scholarship. My one really awful-bad-terrible-no-good semester has not dictated my professional trajectory aside from the financial burden I carry. I went on to have decent grades, participate in the international law journal, and serve with numerous clubs. But the additional debt I must now carry has followed me through every career choice since graduation. It has seeped into decisions about getting married, having children, and buying a home. I know it has
and will deter many who seek to work in public interest and government positions. Now, I have the honor of being appointed by Nevada’s governor to serve our state as the Chief Rights Attorney and State Legal Assistance Developer. Thank you for recognizing the need to invest in students and creating a climate that breaks down barriers and reduces stigma for those climbing up the ladder of the profession. Onward we climb. Regards, Jennifer Richards, Esq. ’12 J.D. Chief Rights Attorney Carson City, Nevada
Partnership seeks to create a pipeline of Latinx and Indigenous students from Heritage University Goal is to meet the need for ‘homegrown’ lawyers who can serve Central Washington’s communities By Chantell Cosner A new partnership between Washington’s three law schools (Seattle University School of Law, University of Washington School of Law, and Gonzaga University School of Law) and Heritage University in Central Washington aims to make a law degree more accessible to diverse Latinx and Indigenous students from this historically underserved region. Funded by a Law School Admission Council Prelaw Undergraduate Scholars Program grant, the near-term objective of the Washington Law SchoolsHeritage University Collaborative is to create a pipeline of students of color who will enroll in law school and then return to Central Washington to practice. Ultimately, the Collaborative’s goals are more comprehensive. “Historically, Central Washington does not have sufficient lawyers, particularly racially and ethnically diverse lawyers, to serve the legal needs of its people and the community,” said Seattle University Law Dean Annette Clark. “Our goal with this partnership is to expand these students’ horizons and make a legal career an achievable goal. This will also help address the critical shortage of diverse lawyers in the region, thus enhancing access to justice for the clients and communities they will serve.”
The Collaborative’s primary element was an intensive, three-week summer program on Heritage University’s campus in Toppenish, near Yakima. Students visited with several Washington Supreme Court justices, took a mock law school class, had roundtable discussions with leaders of minority bar associations, and received information to demystify the application process and the law school experience. A shorter, follow-up program component will take place in October. Students who complete the program receive a stipend. Heritage, a private undergraduate rural college, is home to just under 1,000 degree-seeking students. The university specifically seeks to serve students of traditionally marginalized communities, particularly Latinx and Native American. As one of only two universities in the nation designated as both a Hispanic Serving Institution and a Native American Serving Non-Tribal Institution, Heritage is a natural partner for this pipeline effort. “This program’s goal is nearly identical to the mission of Heritage – which was founded to empower students to overcome social, cultural, economic, and geographic barriers that limit access to a college education – providing our students with the valuable opportunity to become practicing lawyers serving
the communities they both live in and love,” said Andrew Sund, president of Heritage University. Not a single graduate of Heritage has entered law school in Washington during the past five years, which suggests that the barriers to entry into legal education are magnified for diverse students who live in this rural part of the state. According to Heritage administrators, the reasons their graduates do not attend law school include the high cost of tuition, the difficulty of relocating to other regions of the state or beyond due to family commitments, a lack of confidence in their own abilities, and the cost and time required to study for and take the LSAT, the primary law school entrance exam. The Collaborative is a useful intervention in breaking down those obstacles and creating a vibrant pathway to postgraduate study for these future lawyers. “We are excited to participate and expand pathways to legal education for these students in our state,” said Gonzaga Law School Dean Jacob Rooksby. “For too long, the legal profession has not been reflective of the diversity of society. This innovative program takes us one step closer to closing the gap.”
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STUDENT SUCCESS
Moot Court Gonzaga University School of Law students impress in a variety of national moot court competitions.
National Appellate Advocacy Moot Court Team 1
National Appellate Advocacy Moot Court Team 2
Sarah Fortier (3L), Allison Milne (2L), Gloria Ixtaly Herrera (2L)
Skye Johnson (2L), Hannah Daniels (2L), Cody Millward (2L)
Saul Lefkowitz Trademark Moot Court Teams Whitney Wakefield (2L), Olivia Bloom (3L captain), Sarah Garranger (3L), Emily Martin (2L), Coach J. Christopher Lynch, Danny Ledonne (3L captain), Katie Handick (2L), Angela Mabry (3L), Anthony Greene (2L)
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The Civil and Human Rights Moot Court
National Trial Competition
In early March, two accomplished Gonzaga teams competed against 22 other teams from around the United States in the McGee Civil Rights Moot Court Competition.
Competing in the National Trial in Salt Lake City were:
TEAM 1
TEAM 2
Kamryn Geesaman Napper, Erin Harbaugh, Julie Zimny
Susan Straka, Cierra Sande, Madeline Mathew
Congrats to Team 1 for achieving Best Brief for Petitioner.
National Appellate Advocacy Moot Court In mid-February, Gonzaga fielded two teams of talented individuals for the San Francisco Regional Competition. TEAM 1
TEAM 2
Sarah Fortier, Allison Milne, Gloria Ixtaly Herrera
Hannah Daniels, Skye Johnson, Cody Millward
Both teams advanced to day two of the competition. Team 2 reached the final round with a 20-point lead – ranked as No. 2 before narrowly losing to No.1-ranked USC in a decisive matchup. In addition to the fantastic overall performance, Gonzaga earned these honors: • Team 2 had the No. 2 Brief in the Region • Hannah Daniels was a Top 10 Orator, ranked seventh out of 136 competitors.
TEAM 1
TEAM 2
Sarah Vatne, Nicholas Cortes, Casey Kinross, Thor Tangvald II
Samuel Fenton, Jacob Schmidt, Kelsey Cooley, Joseph Graham
Both teams beat BYU in its home state and offered stellar closing-argument and cross-examination work. Most of the departing members were with the program for the last two years and helped cap off their mock trial career by earning a team invitation to the 2022 Summit Cup, which honors trial teams that won tournaments this past year or have otherwise demonstrated excellence. With only 12 national teams selected, this invitation is a testament to the hard work of our current and departing members. Next year’s Bulldogs will match up against the top law schools in the country.
Saul Lefkowitz Trademark Moot Court In early February, from the virtual Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, two Gonzaga teams competed in INTA’s Saul Lefkowitz Trademark Moot Court Competition. TEAM PUNCTUAL
TEAM PRACTICAL
Danny Ledonne (captain), Sarah Garranger, Angely Mabry, Whitney Wakefield
Olivia Bloom (captain), Katie Handick, Anthony Greene, Emily Martin
Gonzaga argued in lively rounds against the University of the Pacific McGeorge, Santa Clara University, University of California Berkeley and the University of California Davis. Critiques of Gonzaga students were uniformly excellent, including many invitations to join the judges’ fellowship of brand protectors as a vocation. Team Punctual took third place in one of the most competitive Saul competitions in years.
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DAVID SALGADO
Graduates
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All for One and One for All By Dale Goodwin (’86 M.A.T.) During his first year of law school, David Salgado found himself part of a Know Your Rights presentation for recently arrived immigrants as part of a community effort to welcome the newcomers to Spokane. Being bilingual, he took it upon himself to make sure Spanish-speaking immigrants understood the messages.
debt-free, as did Diana last December. Elizabeth is a GCU freshman this fall.
Gonzaga Law Professor Megan Ballard saw David’s interactions and asked him if he would participate in the Gonzaga In Action: Nogales, Mexico, trip with several classmates, to help refugees seeking asylum learn the process and complete the necessary forms.
“Then I got a call from Gonzaga saying they thought I’d be a great candidate for the Thomas More Scholarship and urged me to apply,” David says. “I asked, ‘When is the deadline?’ and the caller said ‘tomorrow.’”
“To hear the testimony of those from all over the world seeking relief from persecution and asylum in the United States, was heart-wrenching,” David says. “It taught me more than I could have learned in a classroom.” During his second year, David continued to perform immigration work through Gonzaga’s Immigration Clinic and returned to the Nogales border the following spring semester. With a year of experience on his side, he was able to help other law students expand their impact on those in need. Meanwhile, Gonzaga helped David connect with the Northwest Justice Project in Yakima, Washington, where he helped educate and empower immigrant farm laborers through numerous legal issues. He was reminded of his own grandfather, Romualdo, who has also worked in the fields in extreme temperatures; it made David proud to be able to help others like his granddad. Graduating in May and moving back to Phoenix, taking the bar exam in July and getting married in August to his sweetheart, Victoria – a nurse whose unconditional love helped him navigate personal, mental, and emotional difficulties often associated with law school – he was ready to begin his career as an immigration attorney in Phoenix for the Florence Project.
In the Beginning David grew up in Phoenix with mom, Jovi, and dad, Rudy. After the children were well-established in grade school, Jovi opened a house-cleaning business and Rudy drove trucks for a freight company. Both parents worked hard to ensure David and his two sisters, Diana and Elizabeth, could attend college if they so wished. David is the first in his family to earn a college degree, graduating from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix
David has always been interested in laws so a career as a lawyer was the option that made best sense to him. He had heard good things about Gonzaga, was finally accepted, but wasn’t sure how he would pay for his education.
That made for a quick turnaround, completing the application and finding another supporter to write a letter of recommendation that evening. His application at first was denied, but his mother continued to support his dream. “All for one and one for all,” said Jovi. “We need to work together as a team” and we’ll get through this. God opens doors. Wait and be patient, she told her son. David’s patience paid off. Another call from Gonzaga and a subsequent interview led to him receiving the scholarship. “I was blown away,” David says. “Along with the financial benefits (tuition waiver), it allowed me to engage with likeminded community service advocates who share my desire to serve others. This scholarship, my Gonzaga Law education and the connections it provided have given me a clear direction for the rest of my career.”
“To hear the testimony of those from all over the world seeking relief from persecution and asylum in the United States, was heartwrenching,” David says. “It taught me more than I could have learned in a classroom.”
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2022 GRADUATES
Celebrating ‘Firsts’ By Tom Miller (’72) Margarita Esquivel Torres had worked as a financial adviser for five years before she entered law school at Gonzaga – a role she continued for another two years while a student. She figured studying business law would enhance what she could offer clients.
In another “first” of sorts, she came full circle to Othello during an externship working with the Adams County Prosecutor’s Office in Ritzville, 60 miles southwest of Spokane. Maggie handled the District Court docket in Othello. “I decided to go out of my comfort zone,” she said.
But something happened along the way. Maggie, as she’s known, began practicing family law in September with Gravis Law, which has offices in seven states besides its 10 Washington locations.
And the day she graduated from law school, her parents attended both that event and her younger sister’s commencement ceremony at WSU. Their brother, the middle child, is a University of Washington graduate. Talk about proud parents!
Her “pivotal moment” came when she received the inaugural Lukins & Annis Law, Ethics and Commerce Scholarship, providing both financial assistance and a summer associate position at the firm in 2021. “Lukins & Annis allowed me to get into multiple practice areas,” she said. “Litigation was enjoyable and opened my eyes. I took a turn in choosing classes after that. I started exploring classes like Criminal Procedure.” Deemed an outstanding graduate by faculty and staff, the impression Maggie had made during her time at Gonzaga led to the law firm’s scholarship. In addition to working in the Catholic Charities Immigration Clinic at Gonzaga Law, she volunteered as a student liaison for the Washington State Minority and Justice Commission and other entities focused on advancing diversity efforts in Spokane. “We are thrilled to have Maggie be the first recipient of the Lukins & Annis scholarship,” Mike Maurer, president, said at the time. “As a first-generation law student, she has firsthand knowledge of the hardships that many like her face and will use her law degree to advocate for advanced education, diversity, and tolerance in our legal community.” Maggie is familiar with “firsts.” Born in Mexico City, she moved with her family to Othello, Washington, as a child and became the first in her family to earn a college degree when she graduated from Washington State University in 2011. Studying in Florence last summer was her first trip abroad. She spent a month there with fellow Zags and students from other schools such as Idaho and Kansas in an experience she called “magical.”
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Maggie has been an ambassador for the law school the last couple of years, taking many phone calls and emails from young women. She said she emphasizes “the type of community that GU is founded on” and “that we are provided the tools to go out in our immediate community and make a difference.” She also shared with inquirers that “our professors are really invested in us and try to make sure we get the most out of our education.” “Don’t be afraid to give it a shot,” she told them.
As a first-generation law student, she has firsthand knowledge of the hardships that many like her face and will use her law degree to advocate for advanced education, diversity, and tolerance in our legal community.
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2022 GRADUATES
The Impact of Politics By Hunter Hauser (’23) Sead Muradbegović – already working for the Spokane County Public Defender’s Office as a limited license legal intern – has found fulfillment in serving the people of Spokane. “I’ve always valued the importance of public service and the constitutional principle that everybody deserves the right to an attorney,” said Sead. “As a legal intern, I get to represent indigent and our most vulnerable clients.” Sead has had a passion for law and politics since childhood. In August 2000, his family emigrated to the United States as refugees of the Yugoslav Wars. He grew up in Twin Falls, Idaho, living with fellow Bosnian and Somali refugees. “Growing up as the child of refugees, I learned early that politics and law matter. Politics put my uncles in concentration camps and made my father restart his life in a foreign country at 43 years old,” said Sead. “Citizenship laws had us leaving behind family and traveling through Europe and America to stay together. Both politics and law impacted my life very early on.” The impact of these events left an impression, and he knew that his background allowed him to be an instrument for social change. To pursue his vision for change, Sead attended the College of Idaho, graduating with a degree in International Political Economy and minors in Spanish, Business, Natural Sciences, and Pre-Law. He then became the youngest state legislative candidate in Idaho’s 2018 midterm elections, selected as the primary Democratic representative for District 10A. “Going to school fulltime, working a job and then hitting the campaign duties really wears you out – especially at 21,” said Sead. “On the other hand, I was really driven to show that we had a strong, competitive campaign. I wanted people to go vote and to feel like they have a candidate worth voting for.”
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Sead certainly made an impact and after the election decided to attend law school; Gonzaga was the perfect fit. “I got to stay in the Pacific Northwest, my parents were nearby, and it’s a place with a deep commitment to public service,” he said. “It was the best opportunity for me to grow both professionally and personally, spend time with my loved ones, and give back to the community in the form of public service.” Sead plans to continue his work for the Spokane County Public Defender’s Office after graduation to grow and help the Spokane community prosper. “I’ve found a sense of fulfillment in this job that I don’t think I would have found working elsewhere.”
“Growing up as the child of refugees, I learned early that politics and law matter. Politics put my uncles in concentration camps and made my father restart his life in a foreign country at 43 years old.”
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Life in Stillness
THE OLD ROAD Oil on Canvas
From the Off ice of Alumni Engagement & Strategic Initiatives
Movement in Stillness This past year I found myself experiencing “movement” more than I did the year before: Moving my home office back to my real office in the Law School, moving my daughter out of her makeshift classroom back to middle school, moving around campus from meeting to meeting and moving between school and after-school activities again. I once again boarded airplanes to visit alumni in Alaska, Nevada, Utah and within the state of Washington. And, of course, I really got moving during the Alumni Weekend and even more so on the trip with alumni and friends to Florence, Italy, with the GU Wine Institute. Even with all that movement, there were moments of stillness. Time stood still, it seemed, when I slowed down and could be fully and purposefully present. Two of the most impactful moments of stillness were working with the late Chief Justice Mary Fairhurst (’79, ’84 J.D.) and the parents of Nichole Lovrich (’09 J.D. †). Thanks to technology, I was able to connect with Mary in various ways before and during her battle with cancer. Having known Mary for many years, I graciously accepted the task of honoring her with a visual display of her legal career in the newly named Chief Justice Mary Fairhurst Bench-Bar Room located in the library of the law school. Mary attended Alumni Weekend and was delighted with seeing her completed room. (See article, page 42.) Later, I met with Nichole’s parents, Dr. Nicholas and Katherine Lovrich, who traveled from Pullman and wanted to meet in person about how best to honor their late daughter. Nichole’s passing was tragic and far too soon. There is a special kind of stillness and quiet that comes when grief and sadness are present. It’s felt, acknowledged, and then honored as words and actions seem to slow down. Working with these families, I was reminded that my mind and heart needed to be moving as one. When the world stopped during the pandemic, I felt their alignment. I was tuned in and intentional with how I approached life for my daughter and others. There were many times (maybe too many) to sit, think, and feel; to lead with my heart. The support of the Gonzaga University School of Law community was the blessing that the Fairhurst, Lovrich, and Guzmán families needed most. Thank you for believing in the good work being done here, and for helping move our collective mission forward. Because of you, many have found the moments of calm, focus, and structure necessary to navigate grief, chaos, challenge and even triumph. This is what makes our community so distinctive, and for that, I am truly grateful.
Nichole R. Lovrich Rising Public Defenders Endowed Fellowship Nichole Lovrich (’09 J.D. †) had a deep passion for justice and social equity. She spent most of her young career as a public defender in Montana. After her tragic passing, her parents Dr. Nicholas and Katherine Lovrich created the Nichole R. Lovrich Rising Public Defenders’ Endowed Fellowship. It is for Gonzaga Law School students who share Nichole’s passion for public defense and her commitment to a career as a public defender. Nichole R. Lovrich Rising Public Defenders Endowed Fellowship will: • Allow students to have a paid summer experience while living out our Jesuit mission, “service to others,” in organizations that are not able to provide funding • Provide accessible legal services in Washington state
Respectfully,
Sarah Guzmán (’18 M.A.)
You can make a gift in her honor at gonzaga.edu/lawgive/lovrich
Director
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LIFE IN STILLNESS
[GUESS EXPERT]
An Evening with Michelle Alexander By Jason A. Gillmer, J.D., LL.M. Director, Center for Civil and Human Rights On Feb. 28, the Center for Civil and Human Rights at Gonzaga Law welcomed Michelle Alexander, author of the award-winning book “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness” (2010). The communitywide event was part of the Center’s annual speaker series, which brings nationally recognized scholars and activists to campus to present on social justice topics central to the Center’s mission. “The New Jim Crow” chronicles the War on Drugs and the rise of mass incarceration, detailing how millions of Americans – particularly Black Americans – have been relegated to a permanent second-class status after being caught up in the criminal legal system. Saddled with criminal records for life, persons under control of the state find themselves without many of the political, social, and economic rights enjoyed by others, such as the right to vote, to serve on juries, to obtain public housing, and to be free from discrimination in employment.
Alexander likens the creation of this caste-like system to the Jim Crow era because of its overwhelming impact on persons of color, even as the criminal legal system adheres to principles of colorblindness. During her presentation, Alexander charted her journey from civil rights lawyer to award-winning author. It took a young man with a criminal record – earned, he said, after a police officer later implicated in a corrupt scheme to plant drugs on Black men planted drugs on him – to open her eyes to the vast new system of racial and social control created by the War on Drugs. As she started listening to those who were cycling in and out of prison, each one burdened by laws that made it legal to discriminate against them, she concluded that, “We have not ended racial caste in America; we have merely redesigned it.” “The New Jim Crow” has been hailed as “one of the most influential books of the last 20 years” by the Chronicle of Higher Education. But Alexander said there
is much more work to be done. “Racial history is not one of lineal progress,” she said, “but of cycles of backlash, reform, and retrenchment.” To be sure, since its publication, more people have recognized the devasting impact mass incarceration has had on communities of color, and efforts to reform parts of the system – bail and sentencing reform, for example – have helped. But Alexander pointed to George Floyd and other examples of racial injustices to remind the audience that “tinkering” at the margins will not do. We need to “talk about what justice is,” she said, and that involves a “commitment to honoring the dignity and value of everyone.” We need to stand “with those who have been discarded, those who are deemed disposable, those who have cast aside, and see the divinity within them.” Alexander’s event was co-sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences, the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, the Unity Multicultural Education Center, and the William L. Davis, S.J., Lecture Fund.
We need to “talk about what justice is,” she said, and that involves a “commitment to honoring the dignity and value of everyone.” We need to stand “with those who have been discarded, those who are deemed disposable, those who have cast aside, and see the divinity within them.”
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Law Students Left Behind: REMEDYING THE DEVASTATING EFFECTS OF FEDERAL EDUCATION POLICY By Professor Sandra L. Simpson Minnesota Law Review, Vol. 107 (Forthcoming June 2023) This article addresses the unintended consequences of misdirected federal education policy which results in students coming to law school with underdeveloped critical thinking and cognitive adaptability skills. As the products of the No Child Left Behind Act and its progeny, students educated in the United States after 2002 excelled at memorization and multiple-choice exam strategies but were not afforded the practice needed to fully develop other critical professional attributes that law students need to be successful students and lawyers. Because federal education policy has the effect of encouraging memorization and narrowing the K-12 curriculum, students experienced a less holistic education which would have given them more training in and practice of necessary professional skills. These statutes focused on high-stakes testing have created holes in the K-12 education.
This article analyzes vital skills, discusses what led to the federal statutes and policy, focuses on the federal statutes at fault, and explores what higher education is doing to address the deficits. The article then argues law schools and professors can and should assist their students in developing these attributes by adapting teaching methods, improving institutional and classroom assessments, and broadening the curriculum. Law schools owe that to its students. The educational background of the law students has changed, making static legal education outdated. Drawing on interdisciplinary methods, education law and policy, educational science, and models from undergraduate institutions, the article makes theoretical and concrete suggestions to help law students bridge this educational gap.
It’s Not OK, Boomer: PREVENTING FINANCIAL POWER-OF-ATTORNEY ABUSE OF ELDERS By Assistant Professor Genevieve Mann (’03 J.D.) Maryland Law Review, Vol. 82 (Forthcoming January 2023) Most people hope they will never need another person to step in and make financial decisions for them if they become “incapacitated.” Yet many execute a power of attorney to protect their assets just in case. The power of attorney has become the universal financial management tool to prepare for future incapacity, preferred because it allows loved ones to effortlessly assist an elder with diminishing capacity. Unfortunately, along with ease of use, comes ease of abuse. Too often this ubiquitous instrument is used to misappropriate an elder’s property or usurp their autonomy due to a lack of oversight. Mann’s article offers a new framework to prevent this insidious form of exploitation. The rate of elder financial exploitation continues to rise as the U.S. population ages. The COVID-19 pandemic also exacerbated isolation and vulnerability for our elders. Nevertheless, the legal profession steadfastly holds its grip
on the power of attorney as a utility instrument – despite the high risk. The academic conversation too narrowly focuses on a polarized choice: either keeping powers of attorney unregulated and unsupervised or opting for an overly restrictive regulatory process. Rather than adhering to this false dichotomy, a better approach is creating a legal framework to address the increasing number of elders exploited at the hands of unscrupulous individuals. A multidisciplinary infrastructure should be bolstered with necessary oversight and protection measures. In particular, the model should include agent supervision and a centralized power-of-attorney registry to increase detection and prevention, while not overburdening agents or elders. It is no longer adequate to allow unregulated power of attorney use while a growing number of elders remain at risk.
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LIFE IN STILLNESS
GOLDEN PALOUSE, STUDY Oil on panel
Using All the Colors in the Crayon Box By Dale Goodwin (86 M.A.T.)
Holding up a black crayon and a white crayon, Gloria Nevarez made her point: Life is not black and white. Instead, it’s like the bag of multicolored crayons she raised before the graduates and guests at the 2022 Law commencement. The West Coast Conference commissioner offered a keynote address reflecting on guiding the WCC through two years of COVID, shepherding the conference adoption of the country’s first conferencewide diversity hiring initiative – the Russell Rule – and renegotiating a new WCC media rights agreement resulting in unprecedented levels of national exposure for the league. Nevarez enjoyed her own successful basketball career and undergraduate student experience at the University of Massachusetts, before completing a law degree from the University of California, Berkeley. She was well into a budding career with a prestigious San Francisco law firm when she decided to change career colors, take a 50% pay cut and enter the world of college athletics. She never looked back. After key administrative roles at San Jose State, Cal-Berkeley, Oklahoma and at the Pac-12 Conference, Nevarez was selected commissioner of the WCC in 2018.
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But she reminded her law school audience: “The commissioner is only as powerful as he or she is persuasive. I can stand up, pound the table and advocate till I’m red in the face. But at the end of the day, the leaders of the schools will make their own decisions, in the best interest of their institutions because that’s their job.” She continued: “But that’s when I get to put on my lawyer hat. I get to litigate, to debate and ultimately, build consensus. Even though I did not pursue the path to be a trial lawyer, I am still trying to convince a jury every day, oftentimes persuading people who may have black and white viewpoints to agree on a color in between. That’s how we get schools like BYU and Pepperdine to agree with USF and LMU. That’s how the WCC adopts a ground-breaking hiring commitment like the Russell Rule designed to diversify the administration and coaches who serve the athletes of the WCC.” Her job is not an easy one. She is the league leader, but the votes are in the hands of each school representative. “Imagine the different perspectives, agendas and concerns each of our 10 institutions wrestle with in developing policies that work for everyone,” Nevarez said. “In crafting and adapting policies, we use just about every color in the crayon box, many that were homed in law school.”
West Coast Conference Commissioner Gloria Nevarez at Law Commencement Ceremony
“If there is one thing I learned in my career, nothing in life is black and white,” she said. “Innately, you must consider the array of colors available to you as you paint your pictures and live your life. I suggest daring to color outside the lines.” OUTSIDE THOSE LINES “What the nation loves about Gonzaga is how different you are from the accepted model,” Nevarez said. “Media pundits like to use the term blue bloods as a moniker of privilege for schools like Duke and UCLA. But that’s language from an old world that’s black and white. Gonzaga, on the other hand, always seems to color outside the lines, disrupting establishment and tradition every step of the way.” Looking out to the graduates, “If you’re anything like the Zags I’ve known in my life, you will bring the same colorful disruptions as lawyers to a legal system that is always in need of more vibrance,” she said. She was clear to point out that painting the perfect picture is not a solo act. “It requires the help and support of all the colors on the palette, and all the supporters in your corner. They are your team. Just like an amazing athlete, you are only as good as the team
around you. You are uniquely blessed by some combination of incredible classmates, supportive teachers, and loving families,” she said. “As you go out into the world, I invite you to look past binary choices, the black and white solutions first offered, and take risks of embracing the nuance. The richness revealed by such an approach will bring you greater professional satisfaction,” Nevarez said. “If you ask me, that is a picture worth painting.”
“The commissioner is only as powerful as she is persuasive . . . But, that’s when I get to put on my lawyer hat. I get to litigate, to debate and ultimately, build consensus.”
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Q&A:
Gloria Nevarez, WCC commissioner,
is one of nine female conference commissioners in NCAA Division I athletics – and the first Latin American to ascend to this role. She discussed her career path and the future of college sports with Associate Dean Agnieszka McPeak, who directs Gonzaga Law’s Center for Law, Ethics, and Commerce. This interview has been edited for clarity and space.
Associate Dean McPeak: How would you describe your career path, and how did you get to where you are?
Associate Dean McPeak: What does it mean to be WCC commissioner?
Commissioner Nevarez: My career path was kind of a straight line from undergrad through law school. I was working in a big firm in San Francisco and then I just took a hard left, quit the job, took a 50% pay cut and went into college sports.
Commissioner Nevarez: As CEO of the league office at the core of a collegiate conference, my office consolidates media rights, negotiates the contracts for our ESPN, CBS Sports Network and Stadium agreements, schedules league contests through the WCC championships and hosts our conference championship events. Along with that, we assign the officials to make sure participants follow the rules. We have side programming for student-athlete welfare, but really at the core, it’s about media rights, scheduling, and championships.
Associate Dean McPeak: What was your first college sports role? Commissioner Nevarez: San Jose State University. I was the first full-time compliance person; at that time compliance in college athletics was a new field. Fresh out of law school, I had to build the compliance program. Then I went to UC Berkeley to work in its compliance office.
Associate Dean McPeak: What is the most challenging aspect of your job? Commissioner Nevarez: Commissioners have very little legitimate authority. When it comes to cases of misconduct, I have some authority in the handbooks to penalize, but most everything is by consensus of the board, which is the presidents of our 10 schools.
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Associate Dean McPeak: What innovations are you working on as WCC commissioner, and what makes you most proud?
Associate Dean McPeak: What advice do you have for students who might be interested in sports law?
Commissioner Nevarez: I would say I’m most proud of the way our league came together and adopted the Russell Rule (named for WCC basketball great Bill Russell) requiring the conference office and our membership to include a member of an underrepresented community in the pool of final candidates for every athletic director, senior administrator, head coach, and full-time assistant coach position. It’s the first conference-wide hiring commitment by a league to encourage diversification of our athletic department administration and coaches. We just finished our first year under the Russell Rule, and our results show a member of an underrepresented community in the final candidate pool was hired in more than 50% of searches.
Commissioner Nevarez: If you love sports, it’s rewarding – even on my worst day when people are killing us over a bad officiating call or something. I love the college sports space because you get young people in that time in their lives when they’re figuring out their path. They’re not pros, but they’re not recreational youth; they’re nationally competitive. We’re kind of in that sweet spot.
Associate Dean McPeak: How important has your law degree and your legal experience been for your role as commissioner? Commissioner Nevarez: When I took that hard left turn out of a traditional law practice into sport, I really had anxiety over the debt incurred for this degree and thought I’d never use it. Honestly, I’ve used it every day. It allowed me to get a job, probably at a higher level of both responsibility and pay. There was a lot of synergy that I wouldn’t ordinarily have without law training. I use it for being persuasive, building consensus, making the case, telling the story to lead the group to a decision, and then negotiating the contracts. Associate Dean McPeak: How have you navigated some of the challenges that women face in sport, particularly women in leadership roles like yourself? Commissioner Nevarez: I always get this question, and it’s really difficult to answer because I have never not been in sport. Having played sports, you have a little bit more comfort in the athletic environment. When I started, there were very few women. It’s really cool today to see how many women are at this level – we have nine Division I female commissioners and several athletic directors. There’s certainly not parity but I do think there’s a network and so much more programming to help connect us with the young people coming up. Mentoring has always been really important to me.
Associate Dean McPeak: In June 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court held in the Alston case that the NCAA cannot limit education-related payments to student-athletes, a ruling that has had a huge impact on the NCAA’s rules relating to name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights in college athletics. How have the new NIL rules impacted your conference, and how are you pivoting to adjust to these developments? Commissioner Nevarez: I’m in favor of allowing studentathletes to monetize their name, image, and likeness. I think we’ve been slow to change those rules. We’re turning a big ship; we don’t seem to do things very quickly or efficiently. However, it’s been difficult cracking open new NIL rules with only two guardrails – one, you can’t pay to play; and two, schools can’t be involved in brokering the deal. These have not provided enough structure. Both institutions and studentathletes are at risk. I think schools could help at least to guide student-athletes without overly restricting their ability to monetize. So I do think that we need some regulation. Associate Dean McPeak: Here at Gonzaga, we clearly feel we’ve built something special over the years in our basketball program. What do you think is the key to success for a school like ours? Commissioner Nevarez: I first worked at the WCC during the Adam Morrison and Dan Dickau years. What I love about Gonzaga is that you have built this thing over two decades – you know, this hasn’t been a flash in the pan. I think it’s the consistency of culture from the top – the president, athletic director, coach, the kind of student-athletes you recruit – there’s so much stability. I think Gonzaga probably has the most double-digit year employees in the athletic department because of the culture and what it means to be a Zag. I think that’s been the special sauce here.
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LIFE IN STILLNESS
Free Expression and Civil Discourse A Conversation with Christine Gregoire (’77 J.D.) The Honorable Christine Gregoire served two terms as governor of Washington and now is CEO of Challenge Seattle, an alliance of CEOs from 21 of the Puget Sound’s largest employers dedicated to addressing critical issues facing Washingtonians, such as homelessness, racial equity, and education. In 2021, she co-chaired a task force that authored a report, issued by the Bipartisan Policy Center, titled “Campus Free Expression: A New Roadmap.” On May 6, when Gov. Gregoire received the Law Medal at Gonzaga commencement, Dean Jacob Rooksby sat down to discuss campus free expression and civil discourse. Following is that conversation, edited for space and clarity. Dean Rooksby: What motivated the Bipartisan Policy Center to issue the report?
Dean Rooksby: How do you think universities can enhance viewpoint diversity on campus?
Gov. Gregoire: I had just left office and there was an incident at the University of Washington where an ultraconservative individual was invited by the College Republicans to speak on campus. There was a lot of controversy associated with it. The president called me and asked what I thought, and I said, “Campuses are the heart of free expression and the protection of First Amendment free speech. So let the person come.” Well, the person came and there was a demonstration the day of the speech that led to a shooting on campus. That same speaker then went to speak at the University of California, Berkeley, and literally a fire broke out during a demonstration. So, I took this issue to the Bipartisan Policy Center because I observed that boards of trustees were leaving their presidents hung out to dry on these highly contentious issues. And I said, “Surely we can begin the process of ensuring that we’re protecting freedom of speech on our campuses, and that we are supporting these presidents who take the risk and encourage everybody on campus to support a culture where it’s right to have freedom of expression.”
Gov. Gregoire: Social media is a major contributor. The dynamics have changed considerably by virtue of it. And we have created with the students a cancel culture on campuses that leads to a lack of willingness to communicate because of the fear of what social media will do to them. At the same time, look at what’s happening around the country: Students at a prestigious law school shouted down a conservative speaker, not letting that individual speak at all. It’s very disconcerting, because to me, higher education is where you prepare your citizens of tomorrow to be open to different experiences and different viewpoints. Most particularly at law schools.
Dean Rooksby: How has the report been received? Gov. Gregoire: The reception has been amazing. Presidents read about what goes on at other campuses, and I think most of them are thinking, “Please don’t let that happen on my campus.” What we were trying to share is that it is going to happen on your campus. You have to assume that, and you have to be prepared.
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Dean Rooksby: What are the best institutions doing to balance these tensions? Gov. Gregoire: Institutions we found to be successful said to first-year students early on, “Here is the culture of this campus. And yes, we are going to put free expression at the center of it. And you may not feel comfortable about some things that are said, but that is life. You’re not going to be comfortable anyplace else, but you can be uncomfortable and be safe here.” And that’s the duty of any higher education institution, I believe: to ensure that students can hear what they don’t want said, while also giving them the skills to manage their own discomfort.
Dean Rooksby: Where do you see our democracy headed? Gov. Gregoire: I think the country is under the gun. Many citizens today live in communities that are like-minded. They only look at social media that is like-minded. They only watch television programs that are like-minded. Hence, we don’t have a diversity of thinking or experience. So I am concerned about the direction the country is taking. In times past we refused to hear the Left. Now we seem to be disassociating ourselves from the Right. We should listen to both. We’re better as a country when we do. And if you want a point of contrast, just look at what’s going on in the rest of the world. Is that how we want to live? I don’t think so.
Dean Rooksby: What’s the opportunity for a private institution like Gonzaga to engage in the work of improving civil discourse? Gov. Gregoire: I didn’t come to Gonzaga just to get a legal education. I could have gotten that at any law school. I wanted an education that was about value-driven lawyering and valuedriven leadership, and that’s this institution. That’s what you learn here. You learn that, yes, you make decisions based on truth. Yes, you learn about ethics. But you learn much more than that. Gonzaga isn’t just about legal ethics. Again, we can all study that. An education at Gonzaga Law is more than just learning how to practice law. It’s character. It’s learning how to be a good citizen and a good lawyer and making the world a better place in the process. 2022 | Gonzaga Law Magazine | 23
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
Back to Business By Paul Swegle Executive in Residence
The student-led Gonzaga Business Law Club just re-launched after six years of dormancy. Gonzaga Law recently co-launched a Certificate in the Legal and Business Aspects of Wine with Gonzaga’s Schools of Business Administration and Leadership Studies. And Gonzaga Law established an Executive-in-Residence position within the Center for Law, Ethics & Commerce (CLEC) in 2022. Gonzaga Law is getting back to business. Business law, that is!
THE NEW CLEC EXECUTIVE-IN-RESIDENCE ROLE The Executive-in-Residence (EIR) is a newly created CLEC affiliation that allows Gonzaga Law to work closely with an experienced business expert who will lend specialized industry knowledge to the Gonzaga Law community. The EIR delivers and attends CLECrelated lectures, consults with students, and enriches programming and student support in the areas of business, technology, and innovation. I am honored to be the first Gonzaga Law Executivein-Residence. As EIR, I am championing all things entrepreneurship and business law, including talks, classes, careers, professional development, and networking.
BUSINESS LAW JOBS ARE PLENTIFUL, INCLUSIVE, AND HIGHLY REWARDING Business law-related positions account for a high percentage of all law job postings. In addition to paying well, business law careers are among the most professionally and personally fulfilling. Business law careers are often focused more on building, creating and protecting, and less focused on fixing problems and resolving disputes. Many business lawyers also end up in-house where they feel more like an integral team member and less like an outside consultant or adviser. This also brings many business lawyers into more regular contact with non-lawyer colleagues from different departments with different skills and perspectives, unlike lawyers in law firms who interact more routinely with other lawyers. As a longtime member of the Washington State Bar Association Corporate Counsel Section, including as its past chair, I also see greater progress in achieving diversity in in-house law departments than in law firms. Simply compare the general counsels of 20 random companies with the managing partners of 20 wellknown law firms.
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FOUR WAYS YOU CAN HELP SUPPORT GONZAGA BUSINESS LAW-FOCUSED STUDENTS
NEW BUSINESS LAW OFFERINGS Gonzaga Law’s focus on business law has steadily increased, building on a foundation developed and maintained by dedicated individuals like Professor Daniel Morrissey, whose excellent Business Planning and Securities Regulation classes have been top draws for years. The Center for Law, Ethics & Commerce substantially expanded in 2019, offering students interdisciplinary programming in business, technology, and innovation. Three new faculty members will strengthen Gonzaga Law’s business-law offerings beginning this fall. Professors Dallan Flake brings expertise in labor and employment law; Theodosia Stavroulaki is an expert in health and antitrust law; and Jeffery Omari’s expertise lies at the intersection of law and technology, including privacy and entertainment law. In late 2020, Dean Jacob Rooksby, a technology licensing attorney and IP strategy specialist himself, reached out to me about teaching Counseling Startups: Law, Regulation, and Fundraising, a course I was teaching at Seattle University. Counseling Startups was fully enrolled in its first year at Gonzaga and remains so today. The course closely tracks my book, “Startup Law and Fundraising for Entrepreneurs and Startup Advisors,” which is used in law and MBA schools around the world. My focus with the students is threefold: building companies on solid legal and governance foundations, avoiding common legal and regulatory mistakes, and helping companies fundraise in the right amounts, at the right intervals, on the right terms, and from the right investors – all in compliance with state and federal securities laws.
STUDENT INTEREST IN BUSINESS LAW IS STRONG Over the last several years, I have spoken to numerous Gonzaga Law classes, including Contracts, Business Planning, Securities Regulation, and Dean Rooksby’s own Business Innovation Clinic. Students from each of those classes approached me afterward expressing strong interest in business law-related careers. They have noticed the uptick in business law offerings and programs, and they are hoping the trend continues and accelerates.
Here are four ways alumni can help Gonzaga Law’s many students interested in business law careers:
1
Reach out to Assistant Dean Laurie Powers (powersl2@gonzaga.edu) soon and often with business law-focused internships and employment opportunities.
2
Engage with the Business Law Club to offer business law talks and networking events. Ashlyn Hannus is the current Business Law Club president (ahannus@lawschool.gonzaga.edu). Students have expressed interest in talks on blockchain, cryptocurrency, artificial intelligence, media law, space law, and FDA regulation of medical devices, biotech, and pharma. They would also benefit from more exposure to federal agencies, including the FTC, FCC, SEC, USPTO, and Treasury.
3
Connect with Associate Dean Agnieszka McPeak (mcpeak@gonzaga.edu), director of the Center for Law, Ethics & Commerce, and ask how you can help her fulfill CLEC’s mission to “combine the study of business, innovation, and technology with ethical considerations that further the common good.”
4
Mentor and inspire Gonzaga Law students (www.gonzaga.edu/school-of-law/careers/ mentoring). Some Gonzaga students feel isolated from Seattle and from other larger commercial centers. They also seem unaware of the vibrant and growing startup ecosystem in Spokane. Be a mentor. Help them get connected. Share opportunities.
Please reach out to me directly if you have a summer position or other opportunity that might be of interest to one of my fantastic current or former Counseling Startups students. They will be ready for whatever work you have for them!
pswegle@gmail.com, (206) 300-7165. 2022 | Gonzaga Law Magazine | 25
INNOVATION
Viva la Vino! By Dale Goodwin (’86 M.A.T.)
One was a White House staffer and NFL counsel, the other a collegiate soccer athlete. Both have popped the cork on new career paths, via the Gonzaga University Wine Institute. Hear from two recent recipients of the Institute’s new Certificate in the Legal and Business Aspects of Wine. OREGON OPPORTUNITIES What does a lawyer do after she’s worked in the White House and for a U.S. senator, as a big law associate, and as counsel to the NFL and a growing tech/property management company? She hits the wine. Born in Oregon, Heather Davis has explored the state’s wine country with her husband since the early days of their relationship. However, until the COVID pandemic, the couple considered New York City home. “When the pandemic
hit, we were in New York City, and it was, frankly, a scary time,” she says. Wanting to move closer to her parents and leave New York, Davis and her husband decided to spend summer 2020 in Oregon, specifically Yamhill and McMinnville. The time spent in “the heart of Oregon wine country” helped her change course from oenophile to something more, exploring ways in which she might be able to work in the wine industry. Previous searches for law courses on the wine industry came up empty. But that summer, she found the new online certificate program that Gonzaga University had just launched. She says that Gonzaga’s Wine Institute “was particularly intriguing to me because it was offered in conjunction with the law school.” This was not just a repackaged CLE. “In addition to offering some really interesting courses focused on the laws governing the production and distribution of wine in America, it provided me some really valuable
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insight into the types of roles lawyers perform in the industry,” she says. The courses provide a thorough education in the business and art of wine, including trainings on intellectual property, regulation and taxation, employment issues, wine production and advertising, business funding models, and even wine tasting and the history of wine. Davis notes that Gonzaga’s certificate “was a really great way to challenge myself as a lawyer and reignite my interest in learning about the law while diving deeper into something I really enjoy outside of work,” she says. “The program really achieves a nice mix of legal and business information and engaging courses about wine more generally.” And now that she resides in Oregon’s wine country, Davis hopes to become part of the wine community as more than just a consumer.
But Bergstrom wants more, so she attends class sessions through Gonzaga University Wine Institute, developed a couple of years ago by the School of Law, to provide continuing education on business and legal aspects of the industry she loves. “The Institute provided me with an opportunity to learn more about wine laws, water rights, winery events, and much more,” she says.
FINDING THE GOAL Emma Leigh Bergstrom played Division I soccer for Oregon State University. But she’s getting an even bigger kick out of her work in the wine industry. In 2018, Bergstrom became a wine educator and guest services representative for Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery in Woodinville, Washington. Her job entails promoting and selling all international and domestic brands in the Ste. Michelle portfolio. She shares her knowledge of wine and the wine industry with visitors to the Ste. Michelle Salon. She creates custom wine-tasting experiences for guests while creating a welcoming tasting room environment. And she plays a part in encouraging visitors to attend summer concerts and other events at the winery.
How could a wine connoisseur not find interest in a class about wine clubs? It was Bergstrom’s favorite, so far. She enjoyed learning about conversion rates and club goals. “It inspired me to try to get everyone to join a wine club,” she says. The class was taught remotely, allowing her to balance homework, full-time job responsibilities, and a social life. Her experience will help her better serve her clientele at Ste. Michelle. And truth be told, she has always been of service to others. In 2016, she helped build a house for a family in need through Habitat for Humanity. A year earlier, as a youth soccer coach, she encouraged children with disabilities, adapting to the individual needs and personalities of each child. She even served as a Paris Air Show intern. Nobody ever said Bergstrom couldn’t find the goal.
ABOUT THE GONZAGA UNIVERSITY WINE INSTITUTE Gonzaga University’s Wine Institute is designed to be a premier resource for lawyers and business professionals involved in the wine industry and is proud to offer the Certificate in the Legal and Business Aspects of Wine. Through classes taught by top professionals to immersion trips to successful wineries, this program gives participants a unique education on wine law and business. Directed by Jessica Kiser, J.D., associate professor of law, faculty for the program include John Trinidad, partner at Dickenson Peatman and Fogarty as the adviser to wine and alcohol industry clients; Rachel Ramey, regulatory compliance and trademark specialist at Ste. Michelle Wine Estates; and Jacob Rooksby, dean of Gonzaga School of Law.
Learn more at gonzaga.edu/wineinstitute
FACULTY EXCELLENCE
Research & Scholarship Upendra Dev Acharya, LL.B., M.C.L., LL.M., S.J.D. Professor of Law and Director of Global Legal Education
Militarized Approach to Human Rights: An Epistemological Challenge, in Human Rights And International Criminal Law, (Borhan U. Khan ed., Brill Pub. 2022).
Megan J. Ballard, M.A., J.D., LL.M. Catholic Charities Professor of Immigration Law and Policy, Director of the Border Justice Initiative, and Professor of Law
Learning and Teaching Immigration Law through Experience: Law School Clinical Programs, with Richard A. Boswell and Stacy Caplow, in Teaching Migration And Asylum Law: Theory And Practice (Richard Grimes, Vera Honuskova, and Ulrich Stege, eds., Routledge, 2021).
Lynn M. Daggett, J.D., Ph.D. Professor of Law
Admission of Evidence in Title IX Sexual Misconduct Hearings, 52 Seton Hall L. Rev. 1 (2021). Student Privacy in the New Title IX Sexual Misconduct Formal Complaint Process, 50 J. L. & Educ. 64 (2021).
Jessica M. Kiser, J.D. Associate Professor of Law and Director of the Gonzaga University Wine Institute
Fundamentals Of U.S. Intellectual Property Law: Copyright, Patent, And Trademark (7th ed. Wolters Kluwer 2021) (with Amanda Reid & Sean Tu).
Agnieszka McPeak, J.D. Associate Dean for Faculty Scholarship, Frederick N. and Barbara T. Curley Associate Professor of Commercial Law, and Director of the Center for Law, Ethics & Commerce
Adaptable Design: Building Multi-Modal Content for Flexible Law School Teaching, 65 ST. LOUIS U. L.J. (2021).
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Daniel J. Morrissey, J.D. Professor of Law
Securities Litigation (2nd ed. Carolina Academic Press 2021) (with Marc Steinberg, Wendy Couture, and Michael Kaufman).
Ann Murphy, J.D., M.A. Professor of Law
Author, U.S. v. Zayn al-Abidin Muhammad Husayn, U.S. Supreme Court No. 20-827, On Writ of Certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, Brief of Evidence Law Professors as Amici Curiae in Support of Respondents, filed Aug. 19, 2021.
Kim Hai Pearson, J.D., MSt Associate Dean of Academic Affairs & Program Innovation and Professor of Law
Children Are Human, 8 Tex. A&M L. Rev. 495 (2021).
Sandra Simpson, J.D., M.I.T. Professor of Law
Interactive Legal Research & Writing Lessons: A Modular Approach (1st ed. West Academic 2022) (series editor). https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4055572
Drew Simshaw, J.D., LL.M. Assistant Professor of Law
Access to AI Justice: Avoiding an Inequitable Two-Tiered System of Legal Services, 24 Yale J.l. & Tech 150 (2022).
Jacob H. Rooksby, J.D., Ph.D. Dean and Professor of Law and Leadership Studies
Academic Leadership is a Full-Contact Sport: Reflections from a Law School Dean, 62 Santa Clara L. Rev. 91 (2022).
Wayne Unger, J.D. Visiting Assistant Professor of Law
How the Poor Data Privacy Regime Contributes to Misinformation Spread and Democratic Erosion, 22 Colum.. Sci. & Tech. L. Rev. 308 (2021).
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FACULTY EXCELLENCE
Presentations Luis Inaraja Vera, J.D., LL.M.
Sandra Simpson, J.D., M.I.T.
Assistant Professor of Law
Professor of Law
Takings Property and Appropriative Water Rights, forthcoming in Cardozo L. Rev.
Law Students Left Behind: Law School’s Role in Remedying the Devastating Effects of Federal Education Policy, forthcoming in Minn. L. Rev. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers. cfm?abstract_id=4055572
Jason Gillmer, J.D., LL.M. John J. Hemmingson Professor of Civil Liberties, Director of the Center for Civil and Human Rights, and Professor of Law
Litigating Slavery’s Reach: A Story of Race, Rights, and the Law During the California Gold Rush, forthcoming in Loy. L.A. L. Rev.
Genevieve Mann, J.D., M.S.W. Assistant Professor of Law
It’s Not OK, Boomer: Preventing Financial Power-ofAttorney Abuse of Elders, forthcoming in Md. L. Rev. Transforming Clinical Experience and Effectiveness Through Community Theater Engagement: How Collaboration with Creative Arts Empower Vulnerable and Underserved Populations, Association of American Law Schools Clinical Law Conference (2022)
Gail Hammer, J.D. Associate Professor of Law and Coordinating Attorney, Gonzaga Law School Clinical Legal Programs
Speaker, Joy As Resistance, for International Conference on Hate Studies (2021)
Inga N. Laurent, J.D. Professor of Law
Keynote Speaker, Adversity & Equity: The Opportunities for Healing Through Social & Emotional Learning, Whitworth University’s International Education & Diversity Forum (2021)
Drew Simshaw, J.D., LL.M. Assistant Professor of Law
Daniel J. Morrissey, J.D. Professor of Law
Special Purpose Acquisition Companies: Wall Street’s Latest Shell Game, forthcoming in Ark. L. Rev.
Presenter, An Algorithm Wrote This Brief: The Ethics of AI Legal Writing Tools, Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, Symposium on Artificial Intelligence and the Legal Profession (2021)
Mary Pat Treuthart, J.D., LL.M. Professor of Law
Presenter, Teaching Tips for Family Law Courses, Brooklyn Law School Family Law Teachers and Scholars Conference (2021)
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WELCOME
Three New Faculty Members Bring Diverse Interests By Chantell Cosner
Gonzaga University’s School of Law welcomes three full-time faculty members with a wide range of interests this summer.
“Each of these three outstanding individuals will bring important expertise, teaching prowess, life experience, and scholarly profile to the institution,” said Jacob Rooksby, dean. “We look forward to them joining us in the fall as we embark on another exciting year at Gonzaga Law.”
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Dallan Flake Dallan Flake comes from Ohio Northern University, where he taught civil procedure, employment discrimination, evidence, labor and employment, advanced legal analysis, and sports law. “It’s such an honor and a dream come true to join Gonzaga Law,” Flake said. “I have long admired Gonzaga’s unique mission and commitment to social justice and am so excited to be joining such a vibrant and close-knit community.” Flake’s research addresses how professional sports teams and schools can be held liable when spectators harass athletes. His work has appeared in numerous law journals, including the University of Pennsylvania Law Review and the Minnesota Law Review. His recently published article, “Restoring Reasonableness to Workplace Religious Accommodations,” appeared in the Washington Law Review. Flake received his Juris Doctor from University of Michigan Law School and a Master of Science in sociology from Brigham Young University. He practiced law in Dallas, where he represented employers in all aspects of labor and employment law.
Jeffery Omari
Theodosia Stavroulaki
Jeffery Omari, who returns to Gonzaga after serving as assistant professor of law at Northern Illinois University, first came to GU as a visiting assistant professor for the Center for Civil and Human Rights in 2018.
Theodosia Stavroulaki brings a wealth of experience in fields such as health law and policy, antitrust law, and health care antitrust.
“After serving as the inaugural Visiting Assistant Professor in the Center for Civil and Human Rights from 2018-2020, I’m beyond excited to return to the Inland Northwest and reunite with Gonzaga’s vibrant academic community,” Omari said.
“I look forward to joining this inspiring and dynamic community,” said Stavroulaki, who recently was the Jaharis Faculty Fellow at DePaul College of Law in Chicago, where she taught antitrust law and public health law.
Omari’s research sits at the intersection of law, technology and social science. At Northern Illinois he taught constitutional law, privacy law, business associations and torts.
Stavroulaki holds a doctorate from the European University Institute in the field of health care antitrust. Her forthcoming book, “Healthcare, Quality Concerns and Competition Law,” explores how health care quality considerations are addressesd by antitrust authorities on both sides of the Atlantic.
His current work examines internet governance through the lens of Brazil’s cyber law, the Marco Civil da Internet. He spent 18 months in that country conducting ethnographic fieldwork in two contrasting locations: the favelas (informal, low-income communities) of Rio de Janeiro and Brazil’s top law school, Fundação Getúlio Vargas Direito.
Stavroulaki’s research has been funded by the American Bar Association, the Fulbright Commission, New York University School of Law and University of Michigan Law School. Her scholarship has been published or is forthcoming in the Journal of Competition Law and Economics, Berkeley Business Law Journal, and the American Journal of Law and Medicine.
Formerly a Law and Social Science Doctoral Fellow at the American Bar Foundation, Omari holds a doctorate in anthropology from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois College of Law.
Prior to her academic career, she worked as an antitrust associate in a law firm in Greece where she advised multinational firms on antitrust and business issues, and was a lawyer at the Policy Unit of DG Competition of the European Commission.
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CELEBRATIONS
By Sarah Guzmán (’18 M.A.)
Last October, more than 150 alumni, donors, and friends of the law school made their way to Spokane for Alumni Weekend. Zags traveled from nine states, from the West Coast to the East Coast and into the South / Southwest. After great thought, planning, and a few prayers, we decided it was time to safely gather once again. The weekend kicked off Thursday with the traditional beloved Red Mass for the Legal Profession, celebrating with our Spokane legal community in St. Aloysius Church. John J. Durkin (’76, ’80 J.D.) was honored with the Distinguished Legal Service Award. Dean Jacob Rooksby addressed guests about the “renaissance” experience at the Law School and noted these highlights: three new clinics, greater support to ensure student academic success, renovation of the entire building to be more welcoming and inclusive, and strengthening a commitment to diversity. “We’ve also recommitted to our Catholic, Jesuit identity by once again having a full-time Jesuit on faculty, Fr.
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Bryan Pham,” the dean noted. He also shared his pride in the Class of 2021 achieving the highest bar passage rate of any law school in Washington. Law student ambassadors led visitors on tours of the newly renovated building, showing off updated classrooms and chairs, as well as the inspiring Go Forth piece by local artist Ben Joyce (’01). True to our Jesuit roots, we participated in community service projects: Reforest Spokane with The Lands Council (communications director, Lindsay Box ’12 J.D.) and Heal Spokane (founder Sather Gowdy ’19 J.D.). Some guests toured campus; others completed the Zag Law Fun Run (or walk) sponsored by Farmgirlfit, a locally owned and alumni-operated fitness studio (Jaunessa Walsh ’06, ’07; Jenni Niemann ’04, Mark Niemann ’04, ’07 J.D.; Ryan Leong ’05). Participants enjoyed the ever-changing landscape of campus while supporting the Zag Law Emergency student fund. Later that night, alumni donned dancing shoes, cocktail dresses or suits for a gala at the historic Davenport Hotel. We gathered to reminisce, acknowledge our many blessings, and assist members of the class of 2020 in re-creating a Heidelberg that was missed. It was too much fun not to do it again, so mark your calendars for October 2025!
Distinguished Legal Service Award: John J. Durkin (’76, ’80 J.D.) John J. Durkin graduated cum laude from Gonzaga Law School after completing an undergrad business degree in accounting. While an undergraduate, he was a member of the debate team and represented Gonzaga at the national debate tournament in 1975 and 1976. During John’s second year of law school, he received the American College of Trial Lawyers medal for Excellence in Advocacy at the Regional National Moot Court competition. He also represented Gonzaga at the National Moot Court competition in New York and competed in the finals of the Linden Cup moot court competition in his first and third years of law school. John is married to Allison (’76). They have five children, three of whom attended Gonzaga University, and one, Colleen, who graduated from Gonzaga Law School (’12 J.D.). Following law school, John clerked for the Honorable Smithmoore P. Myers, U.S. Magistrate for the Eastern District of Washington. He joined the Tacoma firm of Troup, Christnacht, Ladenburg & McKasy in 1981 where he became a partner and practiced in the field of personal injury until 2020 when the firm closed. John currently is counsel with the firm of Ladenburg Law in Tacoma. John has been an active member of the Gonzaga Law School community throughout his career. He served on the Washington State Association of Justice Board and was the recipient of the WSAJ Professionalism Award in 2011. John has served on boards with the Emergency Food Network in Pierce County and the University Place Chamber of Commerce.
Sarah Guzmán, John Durkin, and Jacob Rooksby
2022 | Gonzaga Law Magazine | 35
CLASS ACTION
2021 Aziza L. Foster is an associate attorney
to Menke Jackson Beyer LLP in Yakima, Wash.
Dalia Pedro Trujillo received an
Equal Justice Works fellowship, a highly competitive national distinction for public interest lawyers striving to make a lasting impact in underserved communities.
2018 Christy Vu DePasquale was
featured in the Minnesota Lawyer, where she shared her work as an attorney at the Autism Advocacy & Law Center. DePasquale helps clients establish guardianships, estate plans, trusts, among other services at the center, and a small, private law firm in Minneapolis.
2017 Chris Morgan was elected as a partner of Barran Liebman LLP in Portland, Ore. Morgan specializes in the defense of a wide range of employment and commercial contract disputes, serving as lead trial counsel on high-stakes litigation matters for companies across Oregon and Washington. Courtney B. Whitten has joined Winston & Cashatt as an associate attorney. Whitten’s practice focuses on criminal defense and complex civil litigation.
2016 Sarah Elsden joined Kutak Rock’s litigation practice group as counsel in the firm’s Spokane office. She focuses on complex commercial and intellectual property litigation and counseling in connection with various industries, including software services, consumer products and financial services.
2014 James Blankenship joined Seattle
firm Lasher Holzapfel Sperry & Ebberson’s employment law and business litigation practice groups.
Tanya L. Lawless became partner
at Kutak Rock LLP in Spokane. She specializes in bond, disclosure, issuer’s and underwriter’s counsel in public finance transactions for local government and educational institutions.
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2012 Robert W. Grim was appointed to the
Okanogan County Superior Court. Grim has served as an Okanogan County District Court judge, hearing criminal and civil cases, including a term as its presiding judge from 2019-2021.
Christine Hayes was appointed as the
commissioner of the Superior Court of Clark County. She has broad experience across multiple areas of law. Most recently she is serving as the city attorney/prosecutor for Battle Ground, Wash.
2009 Megan New became partner in Barnes
& Thornburg’s Chicago office. New joins the firm’s intellectual property department and focuses on complex litigation related to trademark and patent infringement, false advertising, and trade secret misappropriation.
2008 Jacob B. Carlton was named director of Gilmore & Bell, P.C.,’s Salt Lake City office. Carlton assists clients with municipal finance matters, focusing on tax-exempt private activity bonds including housing and 501(c) (3) bonds.
2005 Colin Charbonneau is the new head
of the public defender’s office for Spokane County. He has served several positions in the office since 2006.
Mariah Dunham was appointed
Benewah County (Idaho) prosecutor. She has been practicing with Dunham & Wolff, P.A. since 2010.
Josh R. Freeman Stinn was appointed judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Stinn has been senior counsel at Loeb & Loeb LLP since 2019, where he has held several positions since 2006.
2001 Reserve Capt. Eric M. Pedersen was honored in February with a JAA Outstanding Career Armed Services Attorney Award. He serves as executive officer of the legal team supporting Commander, Naval Reserve Forces Command. Pederson also served as an active-duty judge advocate from 2001 to 2009.
1999 Richard Davey was appointed
president of New York City Transit where he will oversee the 54,000-person workforce, as well as operations for New York City subways, buses, paratransit services, and the Staten Island Railway.
1997 Michelle L. Rodriguez was sworn in as the new family court master for Elko County District Court in Nevada. Rodriguez is known for her representation of minor wards in guardianship cases and for her representation of children involved in the child welfare system.
1994 Cindy L. Runger was appointed to
the board of directors of First Financial Northwest, Inc., and the following committees: audit/compliance/risk, investment and asset/liability, and internal asset review.
1993 Patrick J. Casey was named co-chair
of Fox Rothschild’s nationwide construction practice. Casey is the firm’s Denver office managing partner and represents owners, builder vendors, developers, declarants, general contractors, and design professionals in all aspects of construction projects.
Jacqueline Stam was appointed to the Benton & Franklin counties Superior Court. She had served as a court commissioner since 2011, presiding over family law, probate, guardianship, and juvenile dockets.
1992 Daniel L. Keppler was named a general
counsel for Foster Garvey in Portland, Ore. Keppler oversees and implements the firm’s professional responsibility, client intake, and risk management programs and advises and educates the firm’s attorneys and staff on legal ethics and best practices.
Norma Rodriguez was appointed
the first Latina Superior Court judge for Benton-Franklin Superior Court. Since 1994, Rodriguez has operated her own law practice in Kennewick, Wash.
1980 Houston Putnam Lowry was
elected chair of the Avon, Conn., board of finance. He practices at Polivy, Lowry & Clayton, LLC, in commercial law.
CLASS ACTION
GOLD CLUB Gonzaga School of Law Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the Class of 1972.
Susan Allen
Mr. Edward J. Markle
Dennis Calfee
George A. Marlton
Dennis Cava †
William Murphy
Alan Bruce Corner
Joseph Nappi, Jr.
Brian Dano
John Nollette
William E. Davis
Fay Oakes †
Gary Densow
Terence M. Ryan
Howard Doherty, Jr.
Richard W. Sanger
F. J. Dullanty
Michael D. Smith
James Emacio
Gregory Staeheli †
Tolman Gibson †
Graeme Strickland, Jr.
Jay Hastings
The Hon. Dennis J. Sweeney
Gerald Healy
David Syre
William Henry
Robert Waldo †
Gail Holden
Mr. Stephen L. Wanderer
Leonard Kerr
Edwin Watson
Dana Chris Madsen
Bruce Willoughby
The Hon. Dan Maggs †
J. Lawrence Wright † Honors those who have passed away.
Spokane Jets star Gail Holden and U. S. Olympic Boxer Tolman “Toby” Gibson † receiving their degrees at commencement. - Gonzaga University Archives
Were you a member of the Class of 1972? Share your memories by emailing us at lawalumni@gonzaga.edu.
2022 | Gonzaga Law Magazine | 37
2022 Honor Roll
LIFETIME CONTRIBUTORS With sincere thanks to our donors, the Gonzaga Law School Foundation proudly recognizes those whose support through May 31, 2022, ensures the school’s continued success. $1,000,000 and Above - Louis † and Kathryn † Barbieri, ’40 - Chester † and Catherine † Chastek, ’40 - Fred † and Barbara † Curley - J. Donald ’60 and Va Lena Scarpelli Curran, ’58 - John Hemmingson - Paul, ’59 and Lita (Barnett) Luvera, ’77 - Smithmoore Myers † and Sandy † Sandulo-Myers, ’39
$500,000 - $999,999 - Gonzaga University Law Adjunct Faculty - John and Deborah Holleran, ’79 - Norm † and Rita Roberts, ’59 - Katharine Witter Brindley and Ralph Brindley, ’84
$250,000 - $499,999 - John † and Nancy Clute, ’63 - Kevin Curran and Jean-Carlo Rivera, ’88 - Joseph † and Helen † Delay, ’52 - Renee R. Reuther, ’90 - Jim † and Beverly Rogers - Edmund and Beatriz Schweitzer - Sunbelt Communications Company
$100,000 - $249,999 - Matt and Eleanor Andersen, ’76 - Holly Louise Caudill †, ’93 - Ben B. Cheney Foundation - Harry and Dorothy † Dano, ’41 - William Eddleman †, ’39 - Jerry † and Helen Greenan, ’57 - Mark and Mary Griffin, ’86 - The Honorable and Mrs. Richard P. Guy, ’59 - Daniel P. Harbaugh, ’74 - Jerome and Vicki Jager, ’57 - George † and Shari Kain, ’58 - Bob and Ginny Kane, ’77 - William V. Kelley † - Joseph † and Muriel † Murphy, ’42 - The Honorable and Mrs. Philip M. Raekes, ’59 - Bill Roach † - Patrick † and Diane Sullivan, ’59 - James and Dee Sweetser, ’84 - Sweetser Law Office - Washington Trust Bank - Carrie Welch Trust Estate
$50,000 - $99,999 - Charles Brink, ’78 - The Brink Foundation - Janice Brown, ’84 - Loren † and Janell Burke, ’83 - John R. Clark †, ’80 and The Honorable Ellen K. Clark, ’82
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- Harriet Clarke † - Kelly and Sharon Cline, ’85 - Marvel Collins Estate - Reanette Cook Estate - Dan † and Susan Corkery, ’75 - Michael and Rebecca Costello, ’96 - Vern Davidson † - Delay, Curran, Thompson & Pontarolo, PS - James † and Frances † Flanagan, ’40 - Bart, Hilke and Bridget Gallant, The Horrigan Foundation - Harold and Mary Anne † Hartinger, ’54 - Stephen † and Martha Haskell, ’77 - Greg and Susan Huckabee, ’76 - Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Phoenix, Inc. - Helen John Foundation - Frank and Maureen † Johnson, ’51 - George and Nancy Lobisser, ’78 - Dr. Nicholas and Katherine Lovrich - Lukins & Annis P. S. - Timothy J. Lynes, ’84 and Joan C. Morningstar, ’83 - John E. Manders Foundation - Dick Manning and Jen Gouge, ’60 - Richard McWilliams Estate, ’58 - John and Guelda Messina, ’69 - Yale Metzger and Susan Richmond, ’95 - Wes and Mary Lee (Toepel) † Nuxoll, ’54 - John R. Quinlan †, ’60 - Irene Ringwood, ’84 - Elizabeth D. Rudolf - John and Nancy Rudolf - Dick, ’79 and Karen Sayre, ’85 - Chuck † and Rojean Siljeg, ’60 - Skip Smyser, ’77 - Philip † and Margretta Stanton, ’56 - Washington Trust Bank Financial Corporation - The Honorable Bob † and Diane Waitt, ’57 - Washington State Bar Association - Jim † and Joyce † Workland, ’64
$25,000 - $49,999 - AccessLex Institute - American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers - American College of Trial Lawyers - Gene † and Carol Annis, ’59 - Bank of America Foundation - David and Nancy Bayley, ’76 - Boise - David and Ellen Bolin, Jr., ’85 - John † and Kaye Condon, ’77 - Patrick and Paula Costello - Paul and Joan Delay, ’86 - Ralph Dixon, ’77 - Gary J. and Claire Dmoch, ’76 - Gary J. Dmoch & Associates
- Philip † and Mary † Dolan, ’47 - John J. and Allison Durkin, ’80 - Mr. Phillip E. Egger, ’81 - Bill Etter, ’78 - Richard C. Eymann, ’76 - Chief Justice Mary E. Fairhurst †, ’84 - Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund - Rick Flamm, ’79 and Vesna Somers, ’81 - Michael A. Frost, ’73 - Joe † and Joan Gagliardi, ’59 - Jim † and Margel Gallagher - Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund - Stevan Hann - Jeffrey and Diana Hartnett, ’76 - Karen and Michael † Harwood, ’88 - Howard and Darlene Herman, ’62 - Dennis M. Hottell and Terese Colling, ’76 - Innovia Foundation - Robert Lawrence Ives and E. Marie Pintler - Steven Jager, ’80 - Jager Law Office PLLC - Richard † and Janet Johnson, ’75 - Dan and Margaret † Keefe, ’74 - King County Bar Foundation - Lee & Hayes, PLLC - Ellen (Kremer) Lenhart, ’87 - Bill and Suzanne Lindberg, ’73 - The Honorable John J. Madden, ’68 - Helen McDonald † - Alejandra Mireles, ’04 - Joe Nappi, Jr. and Mary Nappi, ’72 - Verne † and Mary † Oliver - Dean Lewis H. † and Mrs. Jackie Orland † - Patton Boggs Foundation - Pricewaterhouse Coopers LLP - Donald † and Christie Querna - Gary and Sharon Randall - Diehl † and Anne Rettig, ’69 - Kerm and Fran Rudolf †, ’51 - Rudolf Family Foundation - James and Marilyn Sachtjen - Kenneth A. Scaz, ’98 - The Honorable and Mrs. † Richard J. Schroeder, ’63 - John and Penny Schultz, ’63 - Roger † and Angelika Smith, ’58 - Jim and Margaret † Solan, ’49 - Lee M. Solomon Estate - Joseph and Parker Sullivan, ’85 - David and Kay Syre, ’72 - Paul and Gail Taylor, ’84 - Phebe Thompson - Robert Thompson, Jr., ’73 - David and Angelica Torres, ’86 - The U.S. Charitable Gift Trust - Union Pacific Foundation - United Way of Benton & Franklin Counties
- United Way of King County - J. Prentice Warner Estate - Clifford and Karen Webster, ’77 - Dennis † and Jackie Wheeler - The Honorable Donna L. (Kamps) Wilson, ’80
$10,000 - $24,999 - Keller and Kathy Allen, ’89 - American Endowment Foundation - Phillip Armstrong, ’78 - Association of Corporate Counsel Washington State Chapter - Jim and Linda Baker, ’79 - BarBri Bar Review - The Honorable and Mrs. Paul Bastine, ’64 - Jim and Lynelle (Wahl) Beaulaurier, ’77 - Cristine Beckwith, ’04 - Mark Beggs and Florfina Cacanindin, ’80 - Maureen (Greenan) Bergquist - James Berlin † - The Blackbaud Giving Fund - Jefferson W. Boswell, ’09 - Allen Brecke, ’77 - Roger G. Brown, ’80 - The Honorable Franklin D. † and Mrs. Treava Burgess, ’66 - Paul Burglin and Ramona SandersonBurglin, ’84 - Bruce and Judy (Acher) Butler, ’80 - William and Judy Carlin, ’76 - Carney Badley Spellman - CEMEX Materials LLC - Thomas and Joan Chapman, ’66 - Paul Clausen Estate, ’40 - Mr. Charles A. Cleveland ’78 and The Honorable Joyce J. McCown, ’80 - John and Mary S. † Close, ’38 - Thomas and Barbara Cochran, ’75 - Francis † and Audrey Conklin - Jack and Angela Connelly - James P. † and Marianne Connelly, ’53 - John and Barbara Cooper - John and Mary Jo Costello - The Honorable Kenneth L. Cowsert, ’73 - James and Carolyn Craven, ’75 - George and Diane Critchlow, ’77 - Michael and Teresa Crofts, ’80 - Mike and Alison Delay, ’88 - Fred O. Dennis Estate - John and Kristine Dippold, ’95 - Norb † and Ruby † Donahue, ’41 - Kevin and Jackie Driscoll - Leo † and Mary † Driscoll, ’51 - Paul † and Carol Eng, ’87 - Robert Evans and Lisa Fitzpatrick, ’78 - James Fausone, ’81 - Roger A. Felice, ’73 - Joe Fennessy, Jr. †, ’40 - James † and Mikell Fish, ’62 - Dan and Karen Flynn, ’83 - Professor and Mrs. Michael F. Flynn, ’77 - Benjamin and Kelly (Drew) Folger, ’07 - Francois X. and Debra J. Forgette, ’77 - Merrit and Yolanda † Foubert, ’51 - Gary Gayton, ’62 - Janice (Bennett) Geier, ’89 - Jim Giudici, ’79
- Phelps † and Mary Jean Gose, ’62 - William and Margaret † Grant, ’54 - Paul D. and Nancy Greeley, ’82 - Bill † and Norma Grismer, ’53 - Frederick † and Marie Halverson, ’61 - Hands Off Cain - European Parliament - Randy, ’78 and Bridget (McInerney) Harris, ’79 - Frank P. Hayes †, ’43 - Mary and Tom Herche - Lloyd and Linda Herman, ’66 - Prof. Gerald Hess and Dr. Layne Stromwall - Daniel and Jill Hulsizer, ’02 - E. J. Hunt, ’80 - IBM Corporation - Mark R. Iverson and Michaele E. Dietzel, ’88 - Thomas and Sandra Jarrard, ’07 - Mary Lou Johnson and Dr. Daniel Schaffer, ’92 - Johnson & Johnson Law Firm, PLLC - Robert Keefe, ’73 - Marcus † and Dorothy Kelly, ’57 - Daniel L. Keppler ’92 and Meagan Flynn, ’92 - Mike and Terri Killeen, ’77 - James and Mary Anne (Metcalfe) King, ’78 - Thomas † ’76 and Cheryl (DeMers) Kingen, ’76 - The Honorable Frank L. Kurtz, ’74 - Alan Lamia, ’70 - Paul and Kristina Larson, ’75 - Alex and Karen Laughlin, ’85 - Legal Foundation of Washington - Tom Lewis - Tom Lucas, ’76 - Earl F. and Laura Martin - The Honorable Craig Matheson, ’76 - Prof. John Maurice - Lenora McBirney † - Mr. Leo A. McGavick †, ’29 - The Honorable † and Mrs. J. Ben McInturff, ’52 - Robert † and Christina † McKanna, ’54 - Scott ’90 and Nicole (Annis) McKay, ’92 - Ryan R. and Sarah McNeice, ’05 - Johnston Mitchell ’92 and Christine CoersMitchell, ’92 - John Monahan, ’74 - Donald † and Mary Moore †, ’53 - Daniel and Mary Beth Morrissey - Ann Murphy - The Honorable and Mrs. James M. Murphy, ’73 - Jerry Neal, ’69 - Jack Nevin, ’78 - Northern Trust Bank - Northwest Fund for the Environment - Donald and Christine O’Neill, ’78 - The Honorable Stephen and Karen Osborne, ’73 - Charles I. and Helen † Palmerton, ’52 - PEMCO Mutual Insurance Company - Tony and Patty Philippsen, ’73 - Harry and Alethea Platis, ’69 - Estate of Louis Powell - Preston Gates Ellis & Rouvelas Meeds, LLP - Joseph F. Quill and Dolores M. Quill Trust - Tim Quirk and Sally Bulger Quirk, ’73
- Les † and Clara † Randall - Timothy and Julie Reid, ’83 - Prof. Speedy Rice and Judy Clarke - John † and Joy Richards, ’87 - Sheila C. Ridgway, ’84 - Ridgway Law Group, P.S. - The Honorable Jack J. and Patricia † Ripple, ’50 - Ronald and JoAnn (Salina) Roberts, ’64 - The Honorable Michael P. Roewe †, ’74 - Dr. Jacob Rooksby - Sayre & Sayre P.S. - Nicholas Scarpelli, ’74 - Albert † and Betty † Schauble, ’58 - Gerald and Rita Schears - John A. † and Catherine Schultheis, ’61 - Dennis and Marie Sheehan, ’76 - Stokes Lawrence, P.S. - Irene Strachen Charitable Trust - Stritmatter, Kessler, Whelan, Withey, Coluccio - Robert Sullivan, ’86 - The Honorable Gregory Sypolt, ’76 - Gaetano J. and Melissa Testini, ’00 - The Honorable and Mrs. † Joseph A. Thibodeau, ’66 - James and Carmelita † Thomas - Prof. Mary Pat Treuthart and Dan Webster, Jr. - James † and Marian Triesch, ’41 - Patrick and Kristina Trudell, ’80 - Joseph and Janna Uberuaga, ’77 - United Way of Spokane County - The Unova Foundation - Prof. James M. Vache - Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program - Donald Verfurth, ’85 - Verizon Foundation - Shannon M. Votava, ’85 - Marc and Nancy Wallace, ’75 - James and Kathleen Walsh, ’81 - Dr. Thomas Walsh and Bonnie Lupton, ’90 - Washington Judges Foundation - Martin and Jane Weber, ’64 - Stan and Gina Welsh - Western Atlas Foundation - The Honorable † and Mrs. John F. Wilson, ’56 - Mark E. Wilson † - Winston & Cashatt - James and Jackie Wolff, ’74 - Women’s Law Caucus - Michael and Anita Zdancewicz, ’88
Great care was taken to ensure the accuracy of this listing. Should there be any discrepancies, please contact Sarah Guzmán at guzmans@gonzaga.edu.
2022 | Gonzaga Law Magazine | 39
“UNFORGETTABLE” the Legacy of Carl Maxey
Enter the Center for Civil and Human Rights in Gonzaga’s School of Law and behold a bold and powerful tribute to Carl Maxey (’51 J.D.), civil rights leader, boxing champion and Gonzaga Law graduate. Aptly titled “Unforgettable,” the piece depicts the life and enduring legacy of Maxey, whose passion for social justice continues to inspire students. During his career of more than 40 years, Maxey earned a well-deserved reputation as an exceptional trial lawyer. He was the first African American attorney in Eastern Washington and a powerful advocate for the underserved. Despite a highly successful private law practice, Maxey devoted about 20 percent of his time to pro bono work and often took cases that other lawyers wouldn’t. The Center for Civil and Human Rights selected “Unforgettable” after launching a call to the local artist community for submissions that commemorate Maxey and demonstrate a lasting and powerful imprint on social justice. In consultation with the Maxey family, the review committee
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selected the work of award-winning printmaking artist and assistant professor Reinaldo Gil Zambrano, who came to Gonzaga in 2020. Originally from Caracas, Venezuela, Gil Zambrano uses relief printing as a storytelling tool for its illustration and reflection. His work expands to installations, murals and even large-scale printmaking with a steamroller. Gil Zambrano holds an MFA from the University of Idaho and a BFA from the College of Idaho. His work has been displayed at local galleries across the Inland Northwest and at international locations. Asked how he pursued capturing Maxey’s powerful ethos and rich personal history, Gil Zambrano replied: “The power of resilience strongly inspired me. Carl was a fighter since an early age, and he demonstrated that proactiveness and willingness to challenge and change during his life. I wanted to illustrate his resilience on a dynamic piece showing his early years as a student-athlete to become a lawyer and a voice for the invisibilized in his community.”
The artist also sought to illustrate movement, depicting how dynamic Maxey was, with layers of historical facts and pivotal moments of his life. “I appreciate the space the Gonzaga School of Law gives to the arts, providing images that interpret the history and legacy growing inside its walls,” says Gil Zambrano.
CONTINUING THE LEGACY The Law School’s Carl Maxey Social Justice Scholarship Program provides financial assistance to students from historically underserved communities. Last year, three firstyear law students became the inaugural scholars in this program, which supports their commitment to social justice.
“I appreciate the space the Gonzaga School of Law gives to the arts, providing images that interpret the history and legacy growing inside its walls,” says Gil Zambrano.
Want to support the Carl Maxey Social Justice Scholarship? Make your gift here. gonzaga.edu/lawgive/maxey 2022 | Gonzaga Law Magazine | 41
Steward of Justice
The Honorable Mary E. Fairhurst [1957-2021]
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selection committee and enjoyed judging the law school’s most prominent student competition, the Linden Cup, for many years. She was most proud to serve as president of the law school’s Board of Advisors, which also brought with it a term as a University Regent. Fairhurst will be remembered forever at Gonzaga and her legacy has been permanently memorialized with the establishment of the Chief Justice Mary Fairhurst Bench-Bar Room at the School of Law. HONORING MARY Chief Justice Mary Fairhurst Bench-Bar Room The Honorable Mary E. Fairhurst (’79, ’84 J.D.) shared her final moments with her family and loved ones before she passed on Dec. 28, at her home in Olympia, Washington. Many will remember Fairhurst as a longtime member of the Washington State Supreme Court, most recently serving as the 56th chief justice from 2016 to 2020. When cancer left her too fatigued to continue serving on the Court, she wrote to the governor, saying, “I’m not going home to die, I’m going home to get better.” She was first elected to the Court as an associate justice in 2002, following a 16-year career working in the Washington State Attorney General’s office. She was reelected to the bench in 2008 and 2014. The first recipient of Attorney General Christine Gregoire’s Steward of Justice Award, Fairhurst clerked for the late Washington State Supreme Court Chief Justice William Williams and Justice William Goodloe before joining the attorney general’s office. She was the second woman and youngest attorney to have served as president of the Washington State Bar Association. She also served on the Bar’s Board of Governors, representing the Third Congressional District and as the president of Washington Women Lawyers. Her legal career included extensive experience in criminal justice, transportation, taxation, and labor. She headed the revenue, bankruptcy, and collections division during her time as assistant attorney general in Olympia. Fairhurst was a loyal supporter of Gonzaga University and its School of Law. In addition to her financial generosity, Fairhurst served on many committees and task forces. She took a special interest in serving on the Myra Bradwell Award
The Chief Justice Mary E. Fairhurst Moot Court Endowment was established in honor of Mary’s legacy and commitment to legal education. Her dedication to litigation began early as she placed first with her Linden Cup team while in law school and then competed as a member of our National Moot Court Competition team against law schools across the country. The National Moot Court Competition is one of the oldest and most prestigious appellate advocacy competitions and has been operating for the past 72 years. It has been a foundational part of Gonzaga Law’s interschool moot court competition program. Each year students at Gonzaga University School of Law participate in competitions that help to develop practical skills in client counseling, negotiation, and oral advocacy, while also encouraging teamwork and esprit de corps within and among the student body. Opportunities to practice and obtain feedback on these professional skills are often difficult to come by in traditional law school courses. Moot court competitions require students to utilize and develop strong research, writing, and oral advocacy skills while also fostering intellectual flexibility and confidence under pressure. The purpose of this fund is to support the Moot Court program at the law school. Support shall include, but not be limited to, travel, competition expenses, and other related expenses.
You can make a gift in her honor at gonzaga.edu/lawgive/fairhurst
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END NOTES
In Memoriam The Gonzaga School of Law community extends its deepest condolences to the families of our beloved alumni and friends. Basil Badley / 1970
Nichole R. Lovrich / 1984
The Hon. J. Justin Ripley / 1957
Darrel Blaine Carter / 1978
Richard Mah, Jr. / 1977
The Hon. Michael Roewe / 1962
Mark Cipolla / 1998
Frank Marchant / 1963
Dr. Susan Tuck Rooksby
Christopher J. Dodd / 1985
Barbara L. Maurer / 1976
James Sloane / 1981
Leo Driscoll / 1966
James Michel / 1964
Richard P. Solberg / 2005
Gerald Gates / 1983
Robert D. Miller, Jr. / 1984
Gregory Staeheli / 1961
Robert J. Gunovick / 1977
Ron Mullin / 1952
Charles A. Stoner / 1965
Douglas Hartwich / 1973
Warren Olson / 2001
Patrick Sullivan / 1959
Steve Jolley / 2011
Mark Pearson / 1982
Greg Tichy / 1961
Gregory G. Jones / 1960
Thomas Pfalzer / 2009
Julie Towler / 1990
Harold Karldvik / 1993
John Quinlan / 1992
Stephen K. Treece / 1956
Gregory Kosanke / 1974
Anthony B. Rearden / 1976
Gary Watson / 1972
The Hon. Thomas P. Larkin / 1976
Gary Riesen / 2007
Patrick Sullivan (’59 J.D.) 1935 – 2022 Blending fun, his Irish heritage and great client services, Pat Sullivan created an annual tradition of celebrating St. Patrick’s Day at his Spokane law firm Winston & Cashatt, where he practiced from 1964-2003. The party became legendary around town. Pat’s specialty was construction law, and he was acclaimed as a skilled courtroom litigator as he tried cases worldwide. He served on Gonzaga Law’s Board of Advisors for 13 years, was inducted into the American College of Trials Lawyers, and received the Gonzaga Law Medal in 2010. He and his wife, Diane, created two scholarships with the law school. The Pat and Diane Sullivan Endowed Law Scholarship provides aid to 2L and 3L students. The Holly Caudill (’93 J.D.) Memorial Award, named for Diane’s cousin, is an annual award to a student who exhibits outstanding contributions to the school through service, leadership, and citizenship. Pat and Diane tirelessly performed mission work around the world.
A Holistic Approach to Student Well-being By Susan Lee, ’13 Ph.D. | Assistant Dean of Students Of the many lessons learned while navigating the uncertainty and isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, one that will continue to resonate is the need for a broad view of wellness and wellbeing of our students – particularly law students who may be working and tending to family needs while completing their degrees. At the center of our work in Student Affairs at the law school is the Jesuit tradition of educating the whole person, and we have sought to encourage students’ overall well-being. We have been intentional about engaging our students in supportive and inclusive ways and – acknowledging the land where our law school resides, the ancestral grounds of the Spokane Tribe – draw on the sacredness and connectivity between our wellness and the land. Our framework for well-being includes dimensions of emotional, physical, intellectual, social, spiritual, financial, and cultural development. We are fortunate to have campus partners who share our commitment, and connecting our students to these resources has been critically important. One of those is Gonzaga’s Center for Health and Counseling Services, which many students access for the first time to seek individual counseling to help navigate their life experiences. Another is the Disability Access Office which serves those who have experienced temporary or permanent disabilities and deserve equal access in our community. When we discovered a need for nutritious and accessible food options for students, we created the Gonzaga Law Food Pantry. Mariah Welch, SBA social justice chair, explained, “Food insecurity doesn’t stop at the doors of the law school. That’s why we came together to create a place where students can receive a quick lunch or a meal to take home.” Since its inception in
March, the pantry has been available in the Student Bar Association (SBA) suite 24/7, and has served hundreds of students. Further opportunities for care and development have come through the Chastek Library, Alumni Relations, Law Chaplain’s Office, and the Center for Civil & Human Rights. Our staff has arranged a wide range of stress-relievers, from social activities like movie nights and trivia games to workshops on meal prep and movement classes, plus chair massages, therapy animals, and a petting zoo. We’ve also encouraged community discussion through books and films to celebrate Black History, Hispanic Heritage, and Pride months. SBA President Cassidy Pappas shared, “Law school can feel like an isolating experience at times. There is so much value in participating in activities that provide opportunities to build connections and, above all, allow an escape from the everyday stress of law school.” I am heartened daily by our students; they truly are the center of our work. They have shown their vulnerabilities, exhibited persistence, expressed compassion for others, and shared a deep desire to feel connected. I am honored to journey with them. May we all be well along our paths.
You can make a gift to support the law school fund pantry at gonzaga.edu/lawgive/foodpantry
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Experience the best of Gonzaga University Wine Institute in Italy! Join Dean Rooksby and other wine enthusiasts on this exclusively planned journey to Italy. Get your passports and palates ready for May 2023. Details forthcoming. Scan the QR code to be on the mailing list.