MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI & FRIENDS || FALL 2019
llll llll llll llll llll llll llll llll llll
KU Law Magazine is published annually for alumni and friends of the University of Kansas School of Law. Green Hall, 1535 W. 15th St. Lawrence, KS 66045-7608 Phone: 785-864-4550 Fax: 785-864-5054 law.ku.edu DEAN Stephen Mazza EDITOR & DESIGNER Margaret Hair mhair@ku.edu 785-864-9205 CONTRIBUTORS Ashley Golledge Mike Krings Mindie Paget Michele Rutledge PHOTOS Ashley Golledge Kelsey Kimberlin Meg Kumin Earl Richardson, L’08 Andy White PRINTING Allen Press Lawrence, Kansas
The University of Kansas prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, gender identity, gender expression and genetic information in the University’s programs and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies: Director of the Office of Institutional Opportunity and Access, IOA@ku.edu, Room 1082, Dole Human Development Center, 1000 Sunnyside Ave., Lawrence, KS, 66045, 785-864-6414, 711 TTY.
2 KU LAW MAGAZINE
30
Leaving a legacy Four long-time professors retired from KU Law this year: Webb Hecker, Mike Kautsch, John Peck and Dennis Prater. Meg Kumin / KU Marketing Communications
CONTENTS KU LAW MAGAZINE || FALL 2019
DEPARTMENTS 4 IN BRIEF
12 KU Law’s global impact Jayhawk lawyers and scholars working, researching all over the world.
Conferences, rankings and a continuing commitment to community service
26 FACULTY NEWS + RESEARCH
Research highlights, media coverage, kudos
32 ALUMNI NEWS 2019 Distinguished Alumni Award winners 34 VOLUNTEER HONOR ROLL Recognition of alumni who have donated time,
energy and expertise during the past year
40 CLASS NOTES Alumni earn promotions, change jobs, win
awards and expand their families
44 IN MEMORIAM Deaths in the KU Law family
6 Nationally ranked A standout 2018-2019 competition season for KU Law’s moot court teams lands the program a No. 14 national ranking.
KU LAW MAGAZINE 1
MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN
FROM KANSAS,
2 KU LAW MAGAZINE
TO ANYWHERE KU Law’s international programs have worldwide reach
T
here’s a long history of international and comparative law here at KU. Whether you’re looking at course offerings, alumni working abroad or faculty engaging in international scholarship, it’s clear that the law school’s reach goes far beyond the Midwest. International law courses have been in KU Law’s catalog since just a few years after the law school’s founding, and faculty members have made important scholarly contributions for well over a century. The tradition extends beyond the classroom. The school’s Dwight D. Eisenhower International Law Society dates back to 1971, and the group continues to support students interested in learning more about international legal issues. In the past 20 years, lecture series including the Diplomat’s Forum and the Robert C. Casad Comparative Law Lecture have brought international and comparative law experts from around the world to Green Hall. In this issue of KU Law Magazine, we feature the law school’s broad global impact, from alumni working in international law to faculty conducting research and service around the world. We also catch you up on all that’s going on with the school’s international and comparative law program, which now spans four degree options, plus study abroad programs in several countries, international moot court competitions and multiple lecture series. From our alumni community, Jayhawk lawyers are engaged in international trade practice and comparative law research in a range of areas. Devin Sikes helps clients navigate complex international trade matters. Luis Gomar practices international energy law in a network of more than a dozen
Latin American countries. Dr. Lijuan Xing has taught law courses in Canada and Hong Kong. And Dr. Vivek Sehrawat is continuing his research on drone use from his new post as an assistant professor at a university near Delhi, India. From our faculty, the reach of KU Law’s service and scholarship radiates outward from Kansas. Virginia Harper Ho – who took the reins as associate dean for international and comparative law at the start of 2018 – has written and traveled extensively to China for her comparative law work focused on corporate governance and sustainability. Raj Bhala has traveled to Taiwan to advise the Taiwanese government on working with the World Trade Organization. Shawn Watts helps train diplomats in mediation and peace dialogue in connection with the United Nations. And several faculty have engaged with international work around climate change and sustainability. Jayhawk lawyers are everywhere, and the education they received in Green Hall helped them get there. For many, that education wouldn’t be possible without the generous alumni who offer their support in the form of mentorship, volunteer engagement and financial resources. Thank you for all you do to ensure that KU Law students can launch a legal career anywhere in the world.
Stephen W. Mazza Dean and Professor of Law
KU LAW MAGAZINE 3
IN BRIEF
COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY KU LAW STUDENTS MAKE 2019 PRO BONO HONOR ROLL
T
hirty-one students at the University of Kansas School of Law contributed 4,153 hours of free legal services over the past year, earning a spot on KU Law’s Pro Bono Honor Roll. Students prepared tax returns for low-income residents, helped clients expunge past criminal convictions, represented the interests of children in foster care as court-appointed special advocates and worked with government agencies, prosecutors’ offices and public defenders’ offices. “One pillar of the legal profession is to give back to the community through pro bono service, and KU Law students take this to heart,” said Meredith Schnug, clinical associate professor. “Students also gain valuable legal experience and a desire to continue serving throughout their legal career.” Collectively, members of the Class of 2019 contributed 5,183 hours of pro bono service, the largest number completed by a graduating class since the beginning of KU Law’s Pro Bono Program. Since the Pro Bono Program launched in 2016-17, 41 students have earned Pro Bono Distinction at graduation. Over the past three years, KU Law students have logged more than 8,100 hours of free legal services benefiting their community.
4 KU LAW MAGAZINE
Eighteen students from KU Law participated in the spring 2019 “Clean Slate” Expungement Clinic, a partnership between KU Law’s Legal Aid Clinic, the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office and local legal aid groups. From left: 2019 KU Law graduates Jessie Pringle, Matthew Beal and Paeten Denning Vogel, with Senior Assistant District Attorney C.J. Rieg and Clinical Associate Professor Melanie DeRousse.
RECOGNIZING SERVICE Twenty students in the Class of 2019 were honored with Pro Bono Distinction at graduation for completing 50 or more hours of service during their law school career: • • • • • • •
Erica Ash Matthew Beal Erik Blume Karlee Canaday Kristen Cannon Traci Hagedorn Katy Kettler
• • • • • • •
Viet Le Jacob Nemeroff Erika Owunta Jessie Pringle Alex Rindels Evan Rodriguez Spencer Short
• • • • • •
Brandi Spates Blake Stokes Kaylee Trost Megan Tunget Paeten Denning Vogel Cody Wright
GIVING BACK
45 expungements resulting from the annual “Clean Slate” project co-hosted by KU Law’s Legal Aid Clinic.
MEDICAL-LEGAL PARTNERSHIP PROVIDES LEGAL ASSISTANCE TO PATIENTS IN NEED Since its launch in 2008, the KU Law Medical-Legal Partnership (MLP) has provided free legal assistance to thousands of low-income patients at area hospitals while providing hands-on training to law students. Staffed by licensed attorneys and KU law students, the MLP serves patients referred by medical partners in Kansas City at the University of Kansas Medical Center and in Lawrence at LMH Health. The program has seen rapid growth in patient referrals since its start as the first MLP in Kansas. During the 2018-19 fiscal year, the KU Medical Center clinic received 940 referrals, a 10% increase from the previous year. In 2016, the project expanded to LMH Health in Lawrence. From its launch through July 2019, the LMH program received nearly 800 referrals for over 1,000 different legal needs, with referrals increasing each year.
More than 7,100 items collected during the Black Law Student Association’s 28th annual Thanksgiving Food Drive, benefiting three local nonprofits.
Earl Richardson
Over $10,000 donated to two local charities that support victims of domestic violence with proceeds from Women in Law’s Pub Night.
Clockwise from top right: Chief Judge Julie Robinson, L’81, delivers the keynote; Alyse Zadalis, L’15; Kriston Guillot, L’17; event attendees at the Oread Hotel.
SUPPORTING DIVERSITY IN LAW The 2019 Diversity in Law Banquet set a new record. The Feb. 22 celebration of diversity in the legal profession raised more than $19,000 for the KU Law Diversity Scholarship Fund, thanks to the generosity of sponsors and donors who purchased tickets. The Black Law Students Association hosted this year’s banquet. Chief Judge Julie Robinson, L’81, was the keynote speaker. Judge Robinson is the first African American and the second woman to be appointed to the federal district court in Kansas. She was appointed as a United States District Judge in 2001.
KU LAW MAGAZINE 5
IN BRIEF
EXCELLENCE IN ADVOCACY KU LAW TEAMS EARN COMPETITION TITLES, ACCOLADES MOOT COURT PROGRAM RANKED 14TH IN NATION
Andi Leuszler argues as part of the winning team in KU Law’s 2019 In-House Moot Court Competition. Andy White / KU Marketing Communications
6 KU LAW MAGAZINE
NATIONAL NATIVE AMERICAN LAW STUDENTS ASSOCIATION MOOT COURT For the fourth time in the past five years, a KU Law team advanced to the final round of the National NALSA Moot Court Competition. Chris Carey and Maria Drouhard won the national championship in the 2019 competition on March 2 at the University of Arizona. Carey also received the G. William Rice Best Oralist Award. All four KU Law teams in the competition made it to the Sweet 16 round.
JESSUP INTERNATIONAL MOOT COURT A team of KU Law students made it to the international rounds of the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition. Team members Vince Becraft, Bridget Brazil, Karen Fritts, Diana Jarek and Adam Merello took first place at the Rocky Mountain Regional Championship in Denver on Feb. 24. They earned a spot at the international rounds of the Jessup competition, which were held in Washington, D.C. on March 31 - April 6.
Top: Maria Drouhard and Chris Carey. Bottom: (front row) Vince Becraft, Bridget Brazil, Diana Jarek, Karen Fritts; (back row) Adam Merello.
MORE SUCCESS FROM THE 2018-2019 SEASON Chris Carey and Maria Drouhard won the regional rounds of the National Moot Court Competition in St. Louis, then placed in the Sweet 16 in the national finals in New York.
Dan Kopp and Nancy Musick advanced to the semifinal round of the National NALSA Moot Court Competition in Tucson, Arizona. They finished third overall and won second-best brief.
Logan Fancher and Madeline Level advanced to the Sweet 16 round of the Robert F. Wagner National Labor and Employment Law Moot Court Competiton in New York.
Robert Teutsch, Morgan Hepler and Paul Keithley competed in the international rounds of the Stetson International Environmental Moot Court Competition in Gulfport, Florida. They were undefeated in the preliminary rounds.
Based on KU Law’s No. 14 national moot court ranking, a KU team is invited to compete in the 2020 Blakely National Moot Court Championship in Houston. In-House Moot Court winners TJ Blake and Andi Leuszler will represent KU.
Colby Everett and Shauna Leslie were semifinalists in the National Trial Competition’s Regional Mock Trial Competition in Lubbock, Texas.
KU LAW MAGAZINE 7
IN BRIEF
CONNECTING SCHOLARS
2018 LAW REVIEW SYMPOSIUM
THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC
K
illing more than 130 Americans every day, the opioid epidemic has become a foremost health crisis. Scholars gathered to explore legal issues and perspectives related to the epidemic during the Kansas Law Review’s annual symposium. “Addicted: Legal Perspectives on the Opioid Epidemic” took place Sept. 21, 2018 at the University of Kansas School of Law. “Our nation is in the midst of an unprecedented opioid epidemic, and the death toll keeps rising,” said Symposium Editor Erica Ash, L’19. “Now, more than ever, it is important that we talk about opioid addiction in this country to better understand the complex causes and begin to contemplate even more complex legal solutions.” Laura Hines, Centennial Teaching Professor of Law at KU, opened the event with background about the opioid epidemic. Speakers explored the issue as it relates to public health, tribal governments and policy development. Other presenters included Micah Berman, Ohio State University; Kelly Dineen, Creighton University; James Hodge Jr., Arizona State University; Stacy Leeds, University of Arkansas; Stacey Tovino, University of Nevada, Las Vegas; and Elizabeth Weeks, University of Georgia. The 2019 Kansas Law Review Symposium will be held on Friday, Nov. 8, 2019 at KU Law. Learn more at law.ku.edu/antitrust-law.
8 KU LAW MAGAZINE
Speakers (top to bottom): Kelly Dineen, Creighton University; Stacey Tovino, University of Nevada, Las Vegas; James Hodge Jr., Arizona State University.
2019 TRIBAL LAW & GOVERNMENT CONFERENCE
SCOTUS AND FEDERAL INDIAN LAW American Indian law scholars and advocates gathered at KU Law to discuss the “U.S. Supreme Court and the Future of Federal Indian Law” during the 23rd annual Tribal Law & Government Conference on March 8. “Given the recent changes to the Supreme Court with the additions of Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, now is a critical time to consider how such changes potentially impact Indian country,” said Elizabeth Kronk Warner, former KU professor of law and director of KU Law’s Tribal Law & Government Center. “This urgency is amplified by the fact that the Supreme Court had several cases pending before it implicating tribes and Indian law.” Ian Gershengorn, a partner at Jenner & Block in Washington, D.C., delivered the keynote address. Gershengorn is one of the nation’s premier Supreme Court and appellate advocates. Before joining Jenner & Block law firm in 2017, he served in the Office of the Solicitor General at the Department of Justice. Gershengorn’s address was followed by three panel discussions exploring taxation in Indian country, the future of Indian reservations following Carpenter v. Murphy and the scope of tribal treaty rights following Herrera v. Wyoming. Other presenters included Bethany Berger, University of Connecticut School of Law; Ethan Jones, Yakama Nation Office of Legal Counsel; Monte Mills, University of Montana School of Law; Colette Routel, Mitchell Hamline School of Law; and Joel Williams, Native American Rights Fund.
Colette Routel, Mitchell Hamline School of Law
KU LAW LAUNCHES FREE BAR PREP With their law degree in hand, the only thing standing between graduates and their legal careers is the bar exam. A new program at KU Law helps students clear that hurdle without the pressure of paying for a bar review course. Through a partnership with Themis Bar Review, KU Law’s Free Bar Prep Program provides a comprehensive suite of preparation resources – including a postgraduation commercial bar review course – to every student at no cost. December 2018 graduates were the first beneficiaries. “Research shows that graduates who take commercial prep courses pass the bar exam at higher rates, and we want to set our students up for success as they launch their careers,” said Stephen Mazza, dean and professor of law. “Covering the cost of their study is a worthwhile investment.” In addition to the review course, the program includes MPRE preparation, a diagnostic exam for first-year students and access to an on-site bar exam instructor.
KU LAW MAGAZINE 9
IN BRIEF
ONWARD, JAYHAWK LAWYERS CLASS OF 2019 CELEBRATES HOODING, WALKS DOWN HILL
Clockwise from top left: Kyle Klucas stands to answer a question posed by Dean Mazza from the stage; Michael Hayes prepares to carry the law banner down the Hill during Commencement; Cassie Wait, Courtney Brownlee, James Hampton, Jacob Turner, Angela Stillwagon and Elliott Brewer pose at the top of the Hill. Far right, from top: Brandi Spates; Samantha Wagner and Alex Pierce.
10 KU LAW MAGAZINE
2018-19 STUDENT AWARDS & PRIZES ORDER OF THE COIF Erica Ash Chris Carey Jeffrey Carmody Maria Drouhard Michael Hayes Kyle Klucas Nancy Musick Amelia Selph Robert Teutsch Jacob Turner
JACK E. DALTON LEGAL WRITING AWARD Morgan Hepler Dan Kopp Nancy Musick Robert Teutsch
WALTER HIERSTEINER OUTSTANDING SERVICE AWARD Erica Ash
ROBERT E. EDMONDS PRIZE IN CORPORATION & SECURITIES LAW Rafael Ramos Aguirre
JUSTICE LLOYD KAGEY LEADERSHIP AWARD Jacob Turner
FACULTY AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT Chris Carey
SAMUEL MELLINGER SCHOLARSHIP, LEADERSHIP & SERVICE AWARD Nancy Musick
GEORGE GARY DUNCAN SCHOLASTIC IMPROVEMENT PRIZE Amelia Selph
FAMILY FUND AWARD Chris Carey
C.C. STEWART AWARD IN LAW Michael Hayes
HERSHBERGER, PATTERSON, JONES & ROTH ENERGY LAW AWARD Diana Stanley
ROBERT F. BENNETT STUDENT AWARD James Hampton
W. ROSS HUTTON LEGAL AID AWARD Miranda Luster
WILLIAM L. BURDICK PRIZE Nicholas Kellum
LAW CLASS OF 1949 AWARD FOR LEADERSHIP Matthew Beal
MARY ANNE CHAMBERS SERVICE AWARD Katherine Kettler
JANEAN MEIGS MEMORIAL AWARD Paula Bustamante Hoefer Dan Kopp Jessie Pringle
JAMES P. MIZE TRIAL ADVOCACY AWARD Colby Everett Shauna Leslie PAYNE & JONES AWARDS Fall 2018: David Biegel Nicholas Kellum Howard Mahan Emily Reed Jacob Schmidt Spring 2019: Michelle Brady Michael Burcham Bailey Hockett Zachary Kelsay Blake Saffels POLSINELLI MOOT COURT AWARDS Best Oral Advocate: TJ Blake Finalists: Andi Leuszler, Tate Hughes, Cole Cummins Best Brief: Tate Hughes and Cole Cummins Second-Place Brief: Andi Leuszler and TJ Blake SHAPIRO AWARD FOR BEST PAPER ON LAW & PUBLIC POLICY Marissa Hotujac UMB BANK EXCELLENCE IN ESTATE PLANNING AWARD Robert Teutsch
Earl Richardson
KU LAW MAGAZINE 11
llll llll llll llll llll llll llll llll llll
12 KU LAW MAGAZINE
Jayhawk lawyers and scholars work, research and teach around the world
A
long tradition of international law at the University of Kansas School of Law stretches back nearly 140 years, with courses and scholarship in the area starting shortly after the school opened its doors. Today, Jayhawk lawyers can be found working on six continents and in over 30 foreign countries. Both students and faculty take on work with global reach. “International and comparative law are not an isolated part of what we do at KU Law,” said Virginia Harper Ho, associate dean for international and comparative law and Earl B. Shurtz Research Professor. “Our faculty and students engage with legal issues from a global perspective across the curriculum, in conversations with scholars and students from around the world, and through research and service that cross boundaries.” While some students expand the scope of their legal education by taking an international law course or two, others gain deeper expertise through the law school’s International Trade & Finance Certificate Program. KU Law students also study abroad and travel to international moot court competitions. Faculty present research at international conferences at leading universities worldwide, and are frequent contributors to public dialogue through media appearances and outreach events. Speakers from around the world also bring a global perspective to Green Hall through events, such as the Diplomat’s Forum and the Robert C. Casad Comparative Law Lecture. Joint degree programs take the scope wider. KU Law students have the option to combine a J.D. with a master’s degree in East Asian Languages and Cultures, or in Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies. International students and visiting scholars from foreign universities further add to the diversity of ideas and experience at the law school. “At a time when globalization and the value of international engagement are being questioned here in the U.S. and around the world, we believe that international and comparative law programs have never been more critical to our mission as a law school,” Harper Ho said. Since taking on the associate dean role in January 2018, Harper Ho has worked to deepen the law school’s relationships in Europe and Asia, particularly in China and India, and to build connections in Latin America. “I’ve also worked at Green Hall to make sure our international students and scholars succeed, whether that’s through a research project, getting ready for the bar exam or finishing a dissertation,” Harper Ho said. “We are building on their experience and the great tradition of international and comparative law at KU to grow these programs in the coming years.” In this issue we highlight KU Law’s global impact through the work of alumni, faculty and students. You’ll meet Jayhawk lawyers working in international trade law, maritime law and international energy, and KU Law alumni in academia. You’ll read about faculty research and service that span the globe. And you’ll find updates from the international and comparative law program that highlight the reach of KU Law’s global-minded curriculum.
llll llll llll llll llll llll llll llll llll
STORIES BY ASHLEY GOLLEDGE AND MARGARET HAIR KU LAW MAGAZINE 13
INTERNATIONAL TRADE
DEVIN S. SIKES, L’08 // ALUMNI PROFILE
From small town to international trade Devin S. Sikes excels at representing clients in complex international trade cases
D
evin S. Sikes, L’08, is one of the few people in the world who has clerked on both the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT) and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC). He clerked for the Hon. Judith M. Barzilay at the CIT and the Hon. Evan J. Wallach at the CAFC. Out of the five people to clerk for both courts, Sikes is the only one to date who went on to practice international trade law. Sikes has assisted clients in navigating international trade matters before U.S. agencies, U.S. courts and international tribunals for 12 years. “I have the privilege of working
14 KU LAW MAGAZINE
for some really fascinating clients,” Sikes said. “It’s fun to try to help them solve some of the trade issues that they’re facing.” He serves as counsel at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP in Washington, D.C. At his firm, Sikes specializes in international trade litigation. He advises and represents clients in antidumping and countervailing duty investigations, customs matters, and a broad range of trade proceedings. He also counsels clients on administrative law and patent issues. Before joining his current firm, he served in the U.S. government for nearly a decade.
Sikes has handled over 35 cases before the CIT and more than 10 appeals before the CAFC. In trade matters, he has represented clients in dispute settlement cases before the entities under both the North American Free Trade Agreement and the World Trade Organization. Sikes also makes an effort to give back and assist those who can’t afford legal services. “I have a pretty robust pro bono practice here at the firm,” Sikes said.
INTERNATIONAL TRADE
“We, as attorneys, are incredibly privileged once we complete our education. I think it’s incumbent upon us to preserve a sense of commitment to our community.” In April, Sikes had the chance to present at the Inter-Pacific Bar Association’s annual meeting in Singapore. Professor Raj Bhala and Cody Wood, L’17, also presented. “It was a real privilege to be at a conference with over 1,500 attendees from all over the world to hear about the different issues that they face in their practices,” Sikes said. Sikes grew up in the small town of Rose Hill, Kansas, which is near Wichita. His interest in international trade law began while he was earning undergraduate degrees in philosophy and Spanish from KU. “I developed a strong interest in the synergy of trade and people,” Sikes said. “Trade law is what interested me. That was my calling.” He decided to pursue a legal education at KU Law, in substantial part, because of Bhala and his expertise in international trade. “I knew that I wanted to do international trade law. It just so happened that I had the world’s leading international trade scholar right there in my backyard,” Sikes said. Sikes said international trade law courses at KU Law were critical to launching his career. He advises law students to form relationships with classmates, build up a professional network, try to understand different perspectives and to aim high with their goals. “Take my case as a prime example. I was a kid growing up in a very rural town of 2,500 people in Kansas. Don’t let any preconceived geographic limitations hold you back. There’s a world of opportunity out there,” he said. —Ashley Golledge
Advising Taiwan
Professor Raj Bhala provides WTO guidance
R
aj Bhala’s work in the area of international and comparative law has taken him to both sides of disputed international borders. He’s conducted scholarship in Taiwan and mainland China, Israel and Arab countries, and Pakistan and India.
“Here we are in the American heartland, with a borderless professor who’s trying to advance cosmopolitan, borderless thinking in his teaching and research,” said Bhala, who serves as the Brenneisen Distinguished Professor at KU Law. He is a senior advisor at Dentons US LLP and writes a column for BloombergQuint, based in Mumbai, India. In December 2018, Bhala traveled to Taiwan to advise the Taiwanese government’s Office of Trade Negotiations on policies and strategies related to the World Trade Organization (WTO). The visit included private meetings with senior officials, as well as a closed-door session for government representatives. Bhala also spoke to a public audience of 200 people in a presentation titled, “WTO Reform in Context: FTAs, National Security and Three Specific Crises – Tentative Thoughts for Taiwan.” Bhala addressed challenges facing the WTO, proposals Taiwan could make to ensure the success of the WTO, and Taiwan’s relationship with international trade partners. “Taiwan wants to embrace organizations like the WTO and maybe get plugged into a free trade agreement network,” Bhala said. “The overall picture is, how can Taiwan safeguard its unique position in the world trading system?”
The 2018 visit was Bhala’s second consulting trip to Taiwan – he taught a week-long course on General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade law and policy in 2014. Bhala also traveled to Israel in March of this year to teach an intensive course in international trade law to students at Tel Aviv University who came from around the world. It was the most recent of nearly two dozen trips to the Middle East, Bhala said. He had previously traveled throughout the region, not only on trade matters, but also to develop his textbook on Islamic law, titled Understanding Islamic Law (Sharī‘a). Working on multiple sides of trade and political borders reveals links between international trade and comparative law, Bhala said. “The connecting theme is national security,” Bhala said. “We’ve never been in an era in which the link between trade and international security is more tightly drawn, and a lot of my scholarship highlights that link.” Bhala recently authored the fifth edition of International Trade Law: A Comprehensive Textbook, a four-volume work about economics, politics, international relations, philosophy and religion as they relate to international trade law. His commentary on international trade has recently appeared in outlets including The Washington Post, NPR’s Marketplace and Reuters. —Margaret Hair
KU LAW MAGAZINE 15
INTERNATIONAL TRADE
LUIS GOMAR, L’05 // ALUMNI PROFILE
Navigating energy Luis Gomar counsels clients on international energy
I
nternational energy attorney Luis Gomar, L’05, is passionate about international work with Latin America because that’s where he is from originally. Gomar was born and raised in Mexico City. “When Mexico started opening up investment to private parties in energy, it was an opportunity for me to help the country that I was born in,” Gomar said. Gomar is a partner at Baker McKenzie in the firm’s Houston office. Baker McKenzie has a network of 15 offices in Latin American countries that Gomar travels to extensively. “Baker McKenzie has global management,” Gomar said. “It truly is an international firm.”
16 KU LAW MAGAZINE
Gomar counsels clients on domestic and international transactions involving divestitures; financing; fund formations; mergers and acquisitions; and joint ventures. He advises energy companies on contracts, formation and structure planning. He is also a frequent speaker on the Mexico Energy Reform. “My job is very unique because I can truly have a positive impact on communities based on just doing the type of corporate transactions that I do,” Gomar said. Before joining Baker McKenzie, Gomar was a partner at the law firm
of Thompson and Knight in their international energy department. He served as the head of Thompson and Knight’s Mexico City office and advised clients on cross-border transactions in the energy and finance sectors. Gomar enjoys international energy law because of the opportunity to effect economic and social change. “You have an opportunity to be at the forefront of policy change,” he said. “Energy companies truly invest in the communities that they end up going into, whether it’s in Africa or Latin America.” What is Gomar’s key to success as an international lawyer? His ability to develop a quick understanding of business cultures. “You really have to focus on empathy and really understanding cultures,” Gomar said. “That doesn’t necessarily mean you have to speak their language. It means being able to assess what people are trying to say to you versus what they’re actually saying to you.” Gomar said that international law courses he took at KU Law were instrumental to his career path in international law. “I was so positively influenced by practically every professor I had at KU Law that I think holistically KU prepared me for an international career better than I think most law schools could,” he said. Gomar is proud to be a part of the KU Law alumni community. KU Law’s network of alumni spans the globe and every practice area. “Law students should know that KU Law truly prepares them for a career in law, whatever it is that they decide they’re going to do,” he said. “There’s also a great network of individuals that are always open to provide guidance and assist. It’s a true community.” —Ashley Golledge
ACADEMIC IMPACT
INTERNATIONAL DEGREE PROGRAMS
Students from around the world Degree programs aimed at international students produce scholars, teachers
S
ince KU Law’s Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D.) program launched in 2007, 34 students from 17 countries have earned the terminal degree in law. Designed for students interested in deep legal research and writing, and a career as a legal scholar or a senior public official, the program is one of three degrees at the law school aimed at international students. KU Law also offers a Two-Year J.D. for overseas students who already hold a foreign law degree, and a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in American Legal Studies. S.J.D. candidates go on to careers in law practice, government and academia. Graduates of the S.J.D. program have taken positions at universities across Asia, Africa and North America, in countries including China, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Japan and the United States. Many have taken government positions, among them a deputy commissioner to Bangladesh’s Ministry of Finance and a legal advisor for Saudi Arabia’s National Anti-Corruption Commission. “Many of our international students, particularly our S.J.D. graduates, go on to contribute to the advancement of the international rule of law and the enhancement of legal education overseas,” said Virginia Harper Ho, associate dean for international and comparative law. On the following pages, meet two recent S.J.D. graduates who’ve taken their KU Law pedigree into legal education, research and beyond: Dr. Lijuan Xing, a Chinese comparative law scholar, and Dr. Vivek Sehrawat, an assistant professor of law in India. —Margaret Hair
S.J.D. Graduate Placement
34 graduates Since program launch in 2007
44% Academic 40% Government 13% NGO 3% Private
KU LAW MAGAZINE 17
ACADEMIC IMPACT
DR. LIJUAN XING, L‘12 // ALUMNI PROFILE
Comparing laws
Dr. Lijuan Xing explores intersections of laws
W
hen Chinese scholar Dr. Lijuan Xing decided to bolster her legal education with an American doctorate degree, she set her heart on KU Law. It is one of the few law schools in the U.S. that offers a Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D.) degree. Xing earned an S.J.D. from KU in international and comparative law in May 2012. She delivered a dissertation titled, “Behind the Mounted Ladder Trading System: Legal Indigenization and the World Trade Organization in Comparative Perspective.” Her dissertation explored how common, civil and Chinese law traditions each influence major WTO members’ legal perspectives and their participation in the organization. “Pursuing a doctorate degree at a place that was completely strange to me, at that time, was one of the biggest decisions I’ve made in my life,” she said. “It turned out to be one of the
18 KU LAW MAGAZINE
best decisions that I have made.” Xing holds an LL.B. in international maritime law and an LL.M. in international law from Dalian Maritime University. She also has a Ph.D. in economics from Dongbei University of Finance and Economics. Xing is originally from the harbor city of Dalian, China. When she looked into S.J.D. programs in the U.S., she was attracted to KU Law because of Robert W. Wagstaff Distinguished Professor John Head, and his published works in both international and Chinese law. Head was the supervisor for Xing’s dissertation. The pair have since coauthored four books and worked on a number of research projects. “Professor Head kindly provided me with an opportunity to work with him,” Xing said. “He is a rigorous writer and researcher. I am truly humbled to call myself his colleague.” Since graduating from KU Law
seven years ago, Xing has published five monographs; 14 journal articles and book chapters; and a number of conference papers and book reviews in various jurisdictions across the globe. In addition to her published work, Xing has taught law courses in multiple countries. She was a visiting scholar at the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Law in Winnipeg, Canada, where she taught the university’s first course on Chinese law in 2012. She was also an assistant professor and the associate director of the LL.M. program at City University of Hong Kong. At City U, she taught courses on the intersections of international law, common law and Chinese law. As an educator, Xing aims to emulate the teaching styles of faculty members she took courses from or communicated with at KU Law. “Their ways of teaching and inspiring me have influenced me a lot and made me a better teacher of the law,” she said. Xing said earning an S.J.D. from KU Law has had an impact on her both personally and professionally. “I am very proud to be a Jayhawk. I am truly grateful for all the time I’ve spent at KU and in Lawrence,” Xing said. “My experiences and studying at KU Law have made me a better lawyer and a better person.” Referring to Xing’s work, John Head noted that, “she is one of the many success stories emerging from our international and comparative law program here at KU. The experience Lijuan had during her time in Green Hall helped her make important contributions through her scholarly research in a wide range of topics that include international trade, maritime law, environmental protection and global institutions.” —Ashley Golledge
ACADEMIC IMPACT
DR. VIVEK SEHRAWAT, L’17 // ALUMNI PROFILE
Drones and security Dr. Vivek Sehrawat researches drones from an international point of view
A
s he was getting ready to apply to Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D.) programs, Dr. Vivek Sehrawat was looking for an angle. He had been reading about technology – specifically, drones – and came up with an idea that stood out. “This is a hot topic right now. There’s a lot of controversy regarding the usage of drones internationally,” Sehrawat said. Sehrawat earned his S.J.D. with distinction from KU Law in December 2017. His dissertation was titled, “Drones: The Role of LOAC, Targeted Killing, International Law, and Privacy Law.” The research looked at drone usage from a national security point of view, particularly when
drones are used internationally for warfare. He looked at examples from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria and Yemen. Sehrawat’s perspective on the role of law in drone use shifted as he explored the issue, he said. “As I went into my research and I started reading about drones, I thought, this is a great technology, and this is going to benefit the entire world,” Sehrawat said. “It depends how you handle it. It could be a boon for the society.” He also researched privacy issues related to drones and comparative uses between the U.S., the United Kingdom and India. “I looked into the privacy issues in domestic use by different departments,
and I tried to bring a global set of laws which can be applicable in any of the countries,” he said. After KU Law, Sehrawat continued his research as a visiting scholar at the University of California Davis School of Law. He added a new chapter to his dissertation to turn it into a book, which he plans to send out for publication. His scholarship about drone use and autonomous weapons systems has been published in the Santa Clara High Technology Journal and the Penn State Journal of Law & International Affairs. Originally from the suburbs of Delhi, India, Sehrawat found his way to KU with support from the school’s faculty involved in international and
KU LAW MAGAZINE 19
ACADEMIC IMPACT
comparative law, he said. He has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Delhi; an LL.B. in law from the University Institute of Law and Management Studies in Gurgaon, India; and an LL.M. in international human rights, immigration law and business law from the UC Davis School of Law. During his time in Green Hall, Sehrawat was a research assistant and teaching assistant to Dr. Michael Hoeflich, John H. and John M. Kane Distinguished Professor of Law. Working with Hoeflich, Sehrawat developed his research abilities on a range of topics. He sat in on classes to advance his legal writing and lawyering skills. Sehrawat also benefited from faculty guidance on publishing his scholarship, he said. “They were always willing to guide me as to what will be expected from me when I go for jobs, once I started teaching,” he said. Sehrawat recently started as an assistant professor at BML Munjal University in Gurgaon, India, near his hometown of Delhi. He is teaching courses on Indian legal systems, English legal writing, national security, torts, international law and international humanitarian law. A few months into his position, Sehrawat said he is enjoying teaching and interacting with students. “I was very sure from a very young age that I didn’t want to practice. Even before getting into my S.J.D., I was sure that I wanted to teach,” he said. —Margaret Hair
SHAWN WATTS // FACULTY SERVICE
UN mediation
Shawn Watts trains diplomats in mediation, dialogue
F
or the past three years, Clinical Associate Professor Shawn Watts has led interactive workshops that train diplomats in mediation and peace dialogue at the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). Watts is a recognized expert in mediation and conflict resolution. “Mediation is fun. People have interesting stories, and their conflicts are always interesting,” Watts said. “It’s almost never the same thing twice. You get to learn a whole lot about a wide range of subject matters that you wouldn’t expect.”
20 KU LAW MAGAZINE
To date, Watts has led more than 20 workshops at the New York Office of UNITAR. He has also designed new training methods based on interactive practice of theory and application of skills. Each workshop explores the topic of peace dialogue principles or conflict resolution, and integrates with one of the 17 goals of the UN’s Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development. Last spring, his workshop topics were: Leadership and Self-Awareness for the Diplomatic Community; Guiding Diplomatic Conversations Through Asking the Right Questions; Gender Equality in Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution; and Conflict Resolution for Environmental Protection. In addition to his work with the UN, Watts stays busy in the sphere of international law. His activities this summer included: training Japan’s resident diplomatic core in conflict resolution and peace dialogue; launching a program with India’s resident diplomatic core; working with the Delhi High Court to upskill mediators; and launching mediation clinical programs for universities in India. Watts joined KU Law’s lawyering faculty in 2018, and serves as director of the law school’s Tribal Law & Government Center, Tribal Judicial Support Clinic and Mediation Clinic. He teaches courses in Native American peacemaking and lawyering skills. Prior to KU Law, he was associate director of the Edson Queiroz Foundation Mediation Program at Columbia Law School. Watts is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. —Ashley Golledge
ACADEMIC IMPACT
Growing up on the U.S.-Mexico border Second-year law student Samantha Natera strives to help the immigrant community
S
amantha Natera grew up on the border of Ciudad Juárez, Mexico and El Paso, Texas, where it is not out of the ordinary to cross the U.S.-Mexico border on a daily basis. “I have family in both the U.S. and Mexico, and for me it was normal crossing the border every day to go to school or see my friends and family,” Natera said. Natera, a second-year law student at the University of Kansas School of Law, strives to help the migrant community. This summer, she was a legal intern at Diocesan Migrant and Refugee Services, Inc. (DMRS) in her hometown of El Paso. At her internship, Natera translated client statements, researched case requirements for clients, went to court with lawyers, visited detention centers to interview clients and called clients to assist them with applications. “Going to the detention center was tough because it seems like a prison even when most of these people have not committed any crimes. They have just crossed the border,” she said. “They have to be detained and away from their families.” She said the most gratifying part of her job was having the opportunity to help others. “It is rewarding to see that lawyers here help people who don’t have the means to pay for legal help,” she said. “Having organizations like this makes a difference in people’s lives. I admire DMRS for all the good work they have done and the awareness they have spread.” Having grown up on the border of Mexico and Texas, Natera has seen
first-hand the conditions that migrants face when they cross the border. “Most people have misconceptions about the immigration system and immigrants in general. The situation is much more complex,” she said. “There must be more awareness about
from the University of Texas at El Paso in 2018. She decided to pursue a legal education at KU Law because of the strength of KU Law’s international law program and the approachability of people in Green Hall. Natera is the treasurer for the llll
“There must be more awareness llllllll llll llll about the conditions the people llllllll llll migrating are coming from.” llllllll the conditions the people migrating are coming from.” In addition to her day-to-day responsibilities, Natera tracked updates about the situation at the border and monitored laws that impact the migrant community. “Being informed about the current situation was very important,” Natera said. “The law is always changing, and it is important to be aware of this and to keep track of the changes.” Natera applied for her positon as a DMRS legal intern to learn more about immigration law and how she can help people. “I am very thankful for this opportunity and for being able to help in any way possible to keep families together and educate them about the law,” she said. “This internship has been a great experience, and I am very happy that I can help the migrant community.” The border-town native earned undergraduate degrees in both finance and international business
school’s Hispanic American Law Students Association (HALSA). “I like being part of HALSA because we try to represent Latinos in the legal field,” Natera said. She is also the president of the International Law Society (ILS), a member of the Women in Law organization and a participant of the school’s intramural sports teams. “I am happy to be the ILS president because I can represent women and Hispanic people through this leadership position,” Natera said. “I also enjoy sharing information with other KU Law students about global situations, such as immigration, international treaties and human rights.” Natera’s career aspirations have international reach. Her dream job is being a lawyer for the United Nations. “I want to become a lawyer to improve the lives of people and communities,” she said. “I would love to be part of the United Nations’ legal team and help the UN provide stability and protection of human rights.” —Ashley Golledge
KU LAW MAGAZINE 21
GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY
CENTERED ON SUSTAINABILITY KU Law faculty research addresses environmental concerns
S
ustainability is a global issue. As sustainability concerns and environmental threats occupy an ever-growing role in international affairs, KU Law faculty have placed an emphasis on scholarship, policy work and course offerings in this area.
“We see sustainability as a core focus of our international and comparative law programs,” said Virginia Harper Ho, associate dean for international and comparative law. “These issues cross not only geographic boundaries but also legal disciplines from environmental law and natural resources, to intellectual property, jurisdiction and finance, to immigration and national security.” More than one-third of the law school’s faculty are engaged in teaching or research on international and comparative law issues. Of that group, a growing number are working on projects related to sustainability issues and impacts. Below are highlights of recent faculty scholarship in the broad field of global sustainability.
Virginia Harper Ho: Green finance Associate Dean, International and Comparative Law Earl B. Shurtz Research Professor Companies and investors are increasingly concerned about the financial impacts of climate risk and other environmental, social and governance (ESG) concerns. Professor Virginia Harper Ho’s research offers new evidence and policy solutions to help corporate boards, investors and regulators confront those challenges. Her work focuses on corporate governance, sustainability and finance from a comparative perspective, with recent projects covering green finance and shareholder activism around ESG issues and ESG disclosure reform for publicly traded companies.
22 KU LAW MAGAZINE
“Over 60 governments around the world, and international organizations from the United Nations to the G20’s Financial Stability Board, are also developing standards that can help companies be more transparent about climate risk and help financial markets do better about taking those risks into account,” Harper Ho said. Several of Harper Ho’s recent articles focus on the financial incentives for large investors to shape how companies address climate impacts and environmental risks. In 2017, she authored a brief report on investor priorities for The Conference Board, a global business think tank. Several of her recent articles have received
research awards. “My latest work presents empirical evidence of where the views of investors and business groups align – or not – on how the Securities and Exchange Commission should revise public company reporting rules to address ESG risks,” Harper Ho said. Harper Ho is also an expert on contemporary Chinese legal reform. Her most recent projects shed light on how China is implementing its national policy framework for sustainable finance. Harper Ho’s article in the Cornell International Law Journal is one of the first to look at Chinese banks’ efforts to introduce green lending practices. In 2018, she was a visiting research fellow at the Central University of Finance & Economics’ International Institute of Green Finance in Beijing. While there,
GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY
she joined local scholars at the Institute in conducting field research on Chinese policy proposals to align financial systems with sustainable development goals. Harper Ho has presented her work at the United Nations’ Principles for Responsible Investment annual academic conference and at leading universities in the U.S. and abroad. John Head: International law and environmental protection Robert W. Wagstaff Distinguished Professor Climate change poses challenges to global production. Meeting those challenges will require legal and institutional reform on a global scale. That’s where John Head’s research comes in. Head is three books in on a four-book series about the intersection of international law, agricultural reform and environmental protection. In 2016, he received a Fulbright fellowship – the third in his career – from the U.S. Department of State, to further his scholarship in the area. Head’s research aims to examine and contribute to efforts at reforming global agriculture in ways that will help address crises in the areas of climate change, ecological degradation and food insecurity. Reflecting his international law specialization, his work gives special emphasis to concepts of sovereignty, global governance and the public trust doctrine. “My overall aim is to design new legal and institutional frameworks to facilitate a transformation of agriculture to a sustainable system,” Head said. Head presented on the topic at the Institute for Comparative Federalism
Courses on sustainability + international law Advanced International Trade Law Biodiversity Law Biolaw Chinese Law Corporate and Social Responsibility, Sustainability and the Law Global Challenges in Law, Agriculture, Development and Ecology International Aspects of Homeland Security Public International Law
Top: Professor Uma Outka, right, with Professor Uday Shankar at the Rajiv Gandhi School of Intellectual Property Law in Kharagpur, India. Bottom left: Professor John Head, left, with Carolin Zwilling, senior researcher at the Institute for Comparative Federalism in Bolzano, Italy.
in Bolzano, Italy, during a fall 2018 research semester. Uma Outka: Energy law and environmental law Associate Dean, Faculty William R. Scott Research Professor Professor Uma Outka’s research focuses on the intersection between energy systems and the environment. “The transition to low-carbon energy sources is underway around the globe as nations strive to meet the goals of the United Nations Convention on Climate Change,” Outka said. “My
work engages this transition from multiple angles, considering legal pathways and barriers to decarbonization.” In recent work, Outka has studied the evolving role of the consumer on the electric grid. The work considers large corporate consumers’ demands for clean power on the one hand and the place of low-income households in energy law on the other, she said. Outka traveled to India in May
KU LAW MAGAZINE 23
GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY
2018 to explore climate change solutions rooted in renewable energy law and policy with Indian students and faculty. She co-taught a course at the Rajiv Gandhi School of Intellectual Property Law in Kharagpur, India. She taught the course with Professor Uday Shankar. “Collaborating on the course deepened our understanding of the context for scaling up renewable energy in the U.S. and India,” Outka said. “Climate change is a global issue, and every country has to approach climate mitigation in ways that work for its unique circumstances.” The course was funded by the Global Initiative for Academic Networks, an effort by the Indian government to foster international connections through its higher education system. Shankar invited Outka to provide international context for India’s renewable energy law policies and to offer comparative legal perspectives. “This is a really interesting time for energy law. Virtually every country in the world shares a goal to decarbonize the electricity system and shift to low-carbon sources,” Outka said. —Ashley Golledge and Margaret Hair
llll llll llll llll llll llll llll llll llll
M.S. in Homeland Security: Law and Policy
Teaching national security
K
U Law’s newest degree program culminates in a multi-day, real-time simulated response to a national disaster. The simulation is the final step for students participating in a practicum course, the capstone piece of KU’s Master of Science in Homeland Security: Law and Policy program. The disaster simulation is a hallmark of the program, said Donovan Diaz, program director. “The students get practice behind the theory,” Diaz said. “That’s what makes the program really stand out.” Now in its third year, the M.S. in Homeland Security program is based in Leavenworth, Kansas and draws students from military, federal government and civilian positions. Students complete core courses in homeland security law and
24 KU LAW MAGAZINE
select electives from topics including crisis communication, information security and environmental security. Among the core courses is International Aspects of Homeland Security Law. Many of the issues tackled in elective courses – from epidemiology to chemical plant safety – can happen anywhere in the world, Diaz said. Diaz joined the M.S. in Homeland Security program in July as its first full-time director. Dr. Michael Hoeflich, the John H. & John M. Kane Distinguished Professor of Law at KU, helped create the program, designed its hallmark simulation and served as director for its first two years. Diaz comes to KU Law with broad experience in national and homeland security, including military and civilian service in domestic and international settings. A former Judge Advocate General’s Corps attorney, Diaz has completed a six-month deployment to Baghdad and worked as counsel to the U.S. Department of Justice. From 2009 to 2014, he was based in Okinawa, Japan, serving as Counsel to Marine Corps Community Services through the Office of the General Counsel to the Navy. As program director, Diaz recruits students, coordinates instructors and pursues partnerships to support growth. This spring, he’ll teach a course focused on military law and national security issues. Making sure the program’s curriculum is in line with the current state of the law is key, Diaz said. “The homeland security and national security world is a moving target. It is not a steady-state form of law,” he said. “We want to train our students to be ready for the current threat environment.” —Margaret Hair
WORLDWIDE REACH
JAYHAWK LAWYERS AROUND THE WORLD KU Law alumni live and work on six continents and in nations all over the world. Some are U.S. students with an interest in international law, comparative studies, global sustainability, human rights, security or diplomacy whose careers take them abroad or involve working with foreign countries from companies based in the states. Others come to KU from foreign nations to learn about the American legal system and then return to their home countries to put their knowledge in action. Those who come to study are part of a university community of over 2,100 international students representing more than 100 countries from every region of the world. Below are some of the places where Jayhawk lawyers have put their KU Law degrees to work. Australia Bangladesh Belgium Brazil Cameroon Canada
China Colombia Ecuador Egypt Ethiopia Germany
Greece Hong Kong India Italy Japan Korea
Liberia Malawi Mexico New Zealand Oman Qatar
Saudi Arabia Singapore Spain Switzerland Taiwan Tanzania
Thailand Turkey United Arab Emirates United Kingdom
53
38
34
6
Graduates of the Two-Year J.D. for Foreign-Trained lawyers program since its launch in 2003
Nations represented by students in KU Law’s degree programs aimed primarily at international students
Graduates of the Doctor of Juridical Science program since its launch in 2007; 16 students currently enrolled
Continents on which KU Law alumni live, work and impact the world
KU LAW MAGAZINE 25
law.ku.edu/faculty 26 KU LAW MAGAZINE
nicat mmu KU M arket ing C o
FACULTY SCHOLARSHIP
ions
FACULTY NEWS
CLARIFYING INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION LAW
Legal Analytics focuses on how technology has already changed the legal field. Matjaz Slanic / iStock.com
LEGAL ANALYTICS CLASS TAKES AN INNOVATIVE LOOK AT TECH, LAW
B
ig data and robot lawyers revolutionizing the legal profession may sound like something out of a law student’s abandoned side novel, but it’s real and happening now in law firms and courtrooms around the world. A new class at the University of Kansas School of Law is teaching future lawyers to understand statistics, data analysis, artificial intelligence and how they can challenge the very foundation of American justice. Legal Analytics is a first-of-its-kind course focusing on how technology has already changed the legal field and how practitioners of the future can use it to their advantage in ways previously unimaginable. Dr. Andrew Torrance, Paul E. Wilson Distinguished Professor of Law, teaches the class and has spent his academic career bringing big data and scientific approaches to legal research. Many lawyers and law students can be scared off by the thought of math, but a general understanding can make them much more efficient, productive and valuable to their clients, Torrance said. The first half of Legal Analytics gives students a foundation in math and statistics. With that established, the second half moves on to how software, artificial intelligence and data analysis can change how they work. “Math phobia is a real thing, but the class shows you can use it to your advantage without having a Ph.D. I try to make it fun and approachable in part by making it practical and showing how students can use it in their everyday practices,” Torrance said. “I feel like legal analytics is going to be a critical tool in a lawyer’s kit. In fact, in a lot of ways it already is.” Perhaps nothing is speeding up legal processes more than artificial intelligence. Students with an understanding of technology and analytics will likely be the ones who develop the next revolutionary legal technology, Torrance said. — Mike Krings
A KU Law professor played a key role in efforts to clarify U.S. law governing international arbitration. Christopher Drahozal, John M. Rounds Professor of Law, was an associate reporter for the Restatement of the U.S. Law of International Commercial and Investor-State Arbitration. The American Law Institute approved the restatement, which will help guide judges and lawyers in international arbitration cases. The restatement addresses the U.S. law governing the enforcement of arbitration agreements as well as the enforcement of awards issued by arbitrators and court actions supporting arbitration proceedings. Work on the project began in 2007. Drahozal, along with a team of associate reporters, prepared drafts addressing a wide range of topics on U.S. international arbitration law. With final approval, the restatement can be cited by lawyers and courts as the official position of the ALI. Drahozal said that the process of preparing a restatement was highly gratifying, knowing the work will help guide the work of U.S. judges and lawyers from around the world involved in cases with billions of dollars at stake. “It’s been an amazing thing to be able to work on,” Drahozal said. “I’ve learned a great deal, and the interaction with my colleagues has been everything you could want. Ultimately we’re happy we can be helpful to judges and lawyers.” — Mike Krings
KU LAW MAGAZINE 27
FACULTY NEWS
Lua Yuille received tenure and was promoted to full professor. Yuille’s work connects property theory, economics, business law and group identity.
Corey Rayburn Yung was awarded a one-year interdisciplinary fellowship at Harvard University’s Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study.
Dr. Andrew Torrance was selected to serve for one year as Senior Director of Intellectual Property at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard.
28 KU LAW MAGAZINE
Pexels.com
FACULTY KUDOS
FREE TRADE PROTECTIONS FOR WOMEN’S, LGBTQ RIGHTS The world of international trade is changing rapidly. In the midst of the ongoing trade upheaval, a University of Kansas law professor has examined how trade agreements can help advance the rights of women and LGBTQ individuals around the world. For the first time, a select few free trade agreements contain language about how women, LGBTQ individuals and other minorities can have their human rights respected and advanced through trade. Raj Bhala, Brenneisen Distinguished Professor at KU Law, co-wrote a twodimensional examination of such clauses. In what Bhala calls an “amazing evolution” for international trade law, some new agreements address the role trade can play in advancing rights of traditionally marginalized communities. He co-wrote the first scholarly examination of the protection clauses in free trade agreements with Cody Wood, a KU law school graduate and attorney at Dentons LLP. Their article was published by the Georgia Journal of International & Comparative Law. “The CPTPP (formerly Trans-Pacific Partnership) and new version of NAFTA both have provisions on women’s rights. The new NAFTA has LGBTQ protections as well,” Bhala said. “That’s the first time we’ve ever seen that in free trade agreements in the world. Cody and I were curious if they can be successful in securing protections for those communities in the workforce, and if so, how.” Not all countries guarantee civil rights to oppressed communities. In many nations, severe repercussions, including death, can befall LGBTQ citizens. With that in mind, Bhala and Wood performed the first examination of the civil rights clauses of the agreements using a two-dimensional approach they developed to so-called “hard” versus “soft” law. The second part of the paper argues how the agreements could be improved to guarantee civil rights for the communities in question. — Mike Krings
FACULTY MEDIA COVERAGE
Lumen Mulligan The Wichita Eagle
Kyle Velte ABA Journal
The importance of actual impartiality and the appearance of impartiality to the legitimacy of the judicial branch — and thus the rule of law — cannot be understated.” Discussing an ABA opinion
On the one hand it makes perfect sense. We want our police officers to be on the beat. The question is, to what degree? Where exactly do we turn the control knob? Right now, it’s a very high hurdle.” On a judge’s decision that Wichita police couldn’t be sued due to qualified immunity.
that judges who perform marriages may not refuse to do them for same-sex couples.
Corey Rayburn Yung ProPublica
Richard Levy Associated Press
I think it’s more likely the end result would be the death penalty is still constitutional but more safeguards have to be applied in Kansas than at the national level.” On an
This pattern has happened over and over. Usually, the department cleans house, brings in new people, and it happens again.” Regarding reporting that law enforcement agencies use “exceptional clearance” to close unsolved rape cases.
argument that a Kansas Supreme Court decision protecting abortion could mean capital punishment violates the state constitution.
KU Law lecturer Quinton Lucas took office as Mayor of Kansas City, Missouri, in August. Lucas joined the KU Law faculty in 2012, and has taught contracts, securities regulation and administrative law. “We’re incredibly proud of what Quinton has accomplished so early in his career,” said Stephen Mazza, dean and professor of law. Lucas will teach a seminar in local government law this spring.
KU LAW MAGAZINE 29
FACULTY NEWS
LEAVING A LEGACY RETIRING PROFESSORS COMMITTED 140+ YEARS OF SERVICE TO KU LAW
30 KU LAW MAGAZINE
Clockwise from top left: Dennis Prater teaching in 1994; Mike Kautsch and student look-alike Wesley Williams, L’19, at the Bluebook Relays; Webb Hecker shares KU Law history during the Walk to “Old” Green Hall in April; John Peck at his last class.
Professor Webb Hecker has helped shape the
Professor John Peck retired in July after 41 years
Professor Mike Kautsch, a media law expert
Professor Dennis Prater committed 34 years to
minds of thousands of Jayhawk lawyers. He retired this summer after 47 years at the law school, capping off the second-longest teaching career in KU Law’s history. Hecker began teaching at KU Law on August 16, 1972. He was the last member of the faculty who taught at “Old” Green Hall — now known as Lippincott Hall — which was the home of the law school until 1977. “A lot of things have changed since 1972, but the one thing that has been constant is that the KU Law students are consistently a really good, nice and genuine group of people,” Hecker said. “It’s been a true pleasure to try to go in and help them get started down the right road toward their professions.” Hecker’s teaching awards include the Immel Award for Teaching Excellence in 1996, the W.T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence in 2000, the Dean Frederick J. Moreau Award in 2008 and the Chancellors Club award in 2017. He was named the Centennial Teaching Professor in 2015. Hecker also co-directed the Polsinelli Transactional Law Center. — Ashley Golledge
and former journalist, retired this summer after 40 years at KU. “I truly have enjoyed the University of Kansas,” Kautsch said. “It’s been a fabulous institution.” Kautsch taught at KU’s William Allen White School of Journalism & Mass Communications for 18 years and at KU Law for 22 years. During his time at the journalism school, he served as dean for a decade. He left his post as dean in 1997 to develop the program on Media, Law and Technology at KU Law. He has helped plan and present the annual Media and the Law Seminar for many years. He received awards including the Honor for the Outstanding Progressive Educator Award in 1985 and the Outstanding Service Award from the Kansas Bar Association in 1997. In 2017, he was inducted into the Kansas Newspaper Hall of Fame. Kautsch has testified before Kansas legislative committees on media-related bills and chaired the Media Bar Committee of the Kansas Bar Association. He is a longtime media law consultant to the Kansas Press Association and was a leader of a 2010 effort to establish a shield law for journalists in Kansas. — Ashley Golledge
at KU Law, where he taught courses on contracts, water law, land transactions and family law. Asked what he enjoyed about teaching, Peck said, “almost everything.” “I get to be with smart, challenging young people and wonderful colleagues. I have the freedom to conduct legal research and writing on any issue I’m interested in,” he said. A native Kansan, Peck graduated from Kansas State University with a degree in civil engineering. He earned his law degree at KU in 1974 and practiced law in Manhattan, Kansas, before joining the KU Law faculty. A highly regarded teacher, Peck asked his students to be self-reliant, encouraging them to “ask themselves first, before asking others.” His dedication to students didn’t go unnoticed. Peck received both the Immel Award for Teaching Excellence and the Dean Frederick J. Moreau Award in 1998. He was named a Connell Teaching Professor of Law in 1999, and received the W.T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence in 2004. KU Law gave Peck the school’s Distinguished Alumni Award in 2016. — Margaret Hair
helping nervous law students transform into formidable advocates. He retired in December. A 1973 graduate of KU Law, Prater had been a student director of the Legal Aid Clinic and knew how valuable the experience could be for future lawyers. When he took the helm in 1984, he was the first practicing attorney to lead the Clinic. He directed the Clinic through the summer of 1995. “It was not uncommon the first time students appeared in front of a judge for me to be standing beside them and watching them shake,” Prater said. “By the time I got through with them, they were in control of the courtroom.” In addition to running the Clinic, Prater taught courses in evidence, practice in Kansas and advanced litigation. An authority on the law of evidence, he is the lead author of Evidence: The Objection Method, a textbook widely adopted at U.S. law schools. Prater received the Immel Award for Teaching Excellence in 1993, the Dean Frederick J. Moreau Award in 1989 and 1994, and a W.T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence in 1998. He was named Connell Teaching Professor of Law in 1999. — Mindie Paget
KU LAW MAGAZINE 31
ALUMNI NEWS
Linda Legg, L’75 Legg retired as senior vice president and general counsel of an AT&T Inc. division. During her 35-year career at AT&T, Legg assisted the business through many dynamic changes, held several leadership positions and received numerous honors. She has served on the KU Law Board of Governors since 2015. For over 30 years, Legg has stressed the importance of teaching professionalism and ethics, assisting with programs at both KU Law and the University of Missouri School of Law, her late husband’s alma mater.
Clyde “Butch” Tate, L’82, was also selected for the 2019 Distinguished Alumni Award. He will be honored at the spring 2020 celebration and in the next edition of KU Law Magazine. Tate retired as a major general from the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps in January 2014.
DISTING TWO ALUMNI RECEIVE LAW SCHOOL’S HIGHEST HONOR
32 KU LAW MAGAZINE
Myron Frans, L’83 Frans is Minnesota’s management and budget commissioner, a position he was appointed to in 2015 and again in 2019. During his tenure, Frans has led Minnesota to tax reform, public pension reform, repeated budget surpluses and a triple-A credit rating. Frans began his career as a tax attorney for Miller & Chevalier in Washington, D.C. He later became a partner at Gray Plant Mooty and senior partner at Faegre & Benson in Minneapolis. Frans was selected as a “Best Lawyer in America” for more than 10 years and has served on KU Law’s Board of Governors. He has also served as president of Leeds Precision Instruments. In 2011, Frans was appointed as Minnesota’s revenue commissioner. Earl Richardson
GUISHED 2019 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD
FOR EXEMPLARY SERVICE TO PROFESSION, COMMUNITY
KU LAW MAGAZINE 33
ALUMNI NEWS
Alphonso Eason, L’02, talks with a student about government job opportunities during Legal Options Career Day. Meg Kumin / KU Marketing Communications
34 KU LAW MAGAZINE
Above: Lisa Schultes, L’85, center, speaks at a Women in Transactional Law panel discussion with Professor Virginia Harper Ho, right. Left: Bill Walberg, L’15, teaches Legal Aid Clinic students the fundamentals of debt collection defense.
2018-2019
VOLUNTEER HONOR ROLL The Volunteer Honor Roll recognizes the many KU Law graduates who donate time, energy and expertise mentoring and staging mock interviews with students, guest lecturing in law classes and at student organization events, judging moot court rounds, hosting alumni receptions, serving on boards and otherwise volunteering for the benefit of the law school and future generations of KU lawyers.
WE VALUE YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS!
Names that follow represent volunteer efforts from April 2018 to April 2019. If you are aware of omissions or errors, please contact Margaret Hair at mhair@ku.edu.
KU LAW MAGAZINE 35
ALUMNI NEWS
THANK YOU GUEST LECTURERS, SPEAKERS & PANELISTS Xavier Andrews, L’14 Ava Azad, L’14 Vedrana Balta, L’09 Brian Baltzell, L’08 Sarah Lynn Baltzell, L’08 Jeb Bayer, L’80 C.J. Boyd, L’17 Shannon Braun, L’04 Gerry Brenneman, L’85 Karen Cain, L’95 Michael Cappo, L’13 Heather Cessna, L’03 Lindsey Collins, L’14 Kevin Connor, L’88 Jeffrey Coppaken, L’13 Hon. Daniel Crabtree, L’81 Alison Collins Dessert, L’18 Graham Doeren, L’13 Tyler Epp, L’03 Elizabeth Fast, L’84 Laura Clark Fey, L’92 Kelly Foos, L’09 Trip Frizell, L’80 Brian Goldstein, L’98 Luis Gomar, L’05 Bryanna Hanschu, L’15 Steven Hengeli, L’13 Scott Herpich, L’95 Robert Hingula, L’04
36 KU LAW MAGAZINE
Nick Jenkins, L’14 Bob Johnson, L’08 Kraig Kohring, L’92 Kelli Lieurance, L’05 Joan Lowdon, L’10 Bill Mahood III, L’93 David Melton, L’98 Paul Mose, L’15 Andy Nolan, L’98 Pat O’Bryan, L’05 Danielle Promaroli, L’18 David J. Rebein, L’80 Stephen Scheve, L’81 Lisa Schultes, L’85 Danielle Onions Sediqzad, L’16 Courtney Sipe, L’11 Mark Sprecker, L’13 Darin Stowell, L’04 Jeffrey Stowell, L’01 Larry Swall, L’91 Spencer Toubia, L’15 Bill Walberg, L’15 Jabari Wamble, L’06 Emily Warr, L’14 Rebecca Winterscheidt, L’83 Brian Wolf, L’08 Daniel R. Zmijewski, L’03
6TH SEMESTER IN D.C. Scott Bergstrom, L’94 Slade Bond, L’11 Brutrinia Cain, L’09 Joshua DeMoss, L’17 Dr. Nicholas Kittrie, L’50 Elle Marino, L’13 Brian McCormally, L’82 Sen. Jerry Moran, L’82 Jeff Morrison, L’95 Nathan Muyskens, L’95 Spencer Toubia, L’15 Becky Weber, L’85
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING SUPERVISORS Sarah Lynn Baltzell, L’08 Amii Castle, L’97 Mitch Chaney, L’81 Hon. Daniel Crabtree, L’81 Sophia Dinkel, L’18 Hon. Paul Gurney, L’82 Hon. Dave Hauber, L’83 Hon. Teresa James, L’84 Hon. Timothy Lahey, L’84 Hon. Steve Leben, L’82 Charles Marvine, L’96 Rob McCully, L’85 Damon Mitchell, L’00 Hon. Carlos Murguia, L’82 Addison Polk, L’16 Shon Qualseth, L’97 Hon. Julie Robinson, L’81 Hon. Kathryn Vratil, L’75 Jabari Wamble, L’06 Hon. Robert Wonnell, L’02 Marie Woodbury, L’79 Hon. William Woolley, L’86
CAREER MENTORS
Ashley Akers, L’16 Collin Altieri, L’01 Jennifer Ananda, L’10 Paige Blevins, L’15 James Carter, L’12 Alison Collins Dessert, L’18 Lindsey Collins, L’14 Ebonie Davis, L’13 Bryan Didier, L’04 Matt Donnelly, L’07 Anne Emert, L’05 Tyler Epp, L’03 Shelby Jacobs Farmer, L’11 Mike Fischer, L’07 Alan Fogleman, L’11 Ivery Goldstein, L’06 Jesús Güereca, L’14 Thomas Hiatt, L’15 Martha Hodgesmith, L’78 Nick Jenkins, L’14 Shannon Johnson, L’07 Jason Harmon, L’15 Steven Hilburn, L’13 Jonathan Hines, L’13 Sara Juarez, L’05 Chris Kaufman, L’10 Molly Walsh Keppler, L’09 Anna Kimbrell, L’14 Crystal Cook Leftridge, L’13 Andrew Logan, L’15 Will Manly, L’12 Blane Markley, L’06
Rachel Martin, L’14 Erica McCabe, L’17 Alison McCourt, L’15 Maxwell McGraw, L’17 Jack McInnes, L’04 Jean Ménager, L’14 Matthew Moriarty, L’15 Paul Mose, L’15 Michele Nelson, L’14 Whitney Novak, L’14 Hon. Lawton Nuss, L’82 Sean Ostrow, L’09 Brendan Quinn, L’15 Robin Randolph, L’16 Robert Reynolds, L’17 David Roby, L’06 Jason Romero, L’09 Kate Marples Simpson, L’14 Amanda Stanley, L’14 Patrick Sullivan, L’17 Chalinee Tinaves, L’14 Kenneth Titus, L’14 Spencer Toubia, L’15 Emily Vijayakirthi, L’04 Sean Walsh, L’11 Ed Wilson, L’00 Steven Wu, L’15 Ashlee Green Yager, L’14 Natalie Yoza, L’07 Alyse Zadalis, L’15 John-Mark Zini, L’12
Laura Dakhil Monahan, L’07, speaks during the second annual 2L/3L Orientation, a professional development training day; Trip Frizell, L’80, addresses a Deals class; Hon. Teresa James, L’84, chats at the Diversity in Law Banquet. Ashley Golledge and Earl Richardson (bottom)
KU LAW MAGAZINE 37
ALUMNI NEWS
MOCK INTERVIEWS ON-CAMPUS INTERVIEWS
Christopher Allman, L’89 Kyle Binns, L’07 Ross Boden, L’10 Shannon Braun, L’04 Grant Brazill, L’15 Emily Brown, L’17 Brian Burge, L’03 Walt Cofer, L’81 Kevin Cowan, L’94 Victor Davis Jr., L’71 Ashley Dillon, L’13 Kip Elliot, L’95 Mike Fischer, L’07 Alan Fogleman, L’11 Sean Foley, L’12 Patrick Fowler, L’88 Andrew Geren, L’13 Tim Girard, L’88 Matthew Gough, L’05 David Green, L’14 Rick Griffin, L’04 Michael Grigsby, L’15 Kriston Guillot, L’17 Bryanna Hanschu, L’15 Garth Herrmann, L’06 Thomas Hiatt, L’15 Christina Holland, L’00 Lauren Hughes, L’16 Natalie Hull, L’12 Evan Jarrold, L’12 Neal Johnson, L’09 Christopher Joseph, L’00 Andrew Kovar, L’07 Mary Kuckelman, L’14 Adam LaBoda, L’04 Brad LaForge, L’01 Greg Lam, L’91
38 KU LAW MAGAZINE
Kristy Lambert, L’91 Kurt Level, L’92 Kelli Lieurance, L’05 Stephanie Lovett-Bowman, L’10 Joan Lowdon, L’10 Catesby Major, L’04 Carrie McAtee, L’03 Chris McHugh, L’00 Hon. Stephanie Mitchell, L’06 Terelle Mock, L’04 Jill Moenius, L’12 Jeffrey Nichols, L’99 Andy Nolan, L’98 Pat O’Bryan, L’05 Lannie Ornburn, L’96 Ann Parkins, L’12 Demetrius Peterson, L’09 Shawn Rogers, L’98 Eli Rosenberg, L’12 Bill Sampson, L’71 Joseph Schremmer, L’13 Dave Seely, L’82 Jere Sellers, L’93 Ronald Shaver, L’05 Pierce Shimp, L’18 Sharon Stolte, L’89 Roger Templin, L’92 Todd Thompson, L’82 Kenneth Titus, L’14 Brian Turney, L’01 Jabari Wamble, L’06 Tom Weilert, L’75 Zach Wiggins, L’11 James Wolf, L’03 Daniel Yoza, L’08
Paige Blevins, L’15 Michael Cappo, L’13 Tim Davis, L’10 Reid Day, L’16 Kelly Foos, L’09 Jeremy Graber, L’09 Chris Kaufman, L’10 Anna Kimbrell, L’14 Kyle Kitson, L’13 Crystal Cook Leftridge, L’13 Erica McCabe, L’17 Max McGraw, L’17 Jean Ménager, L’14 Nell Neary, L’18 Hillary Nicholas, L’15 Julia Ronnebaum, L’15 Emily Smith, L’14 Elizabeth Souder, L’93 Cody Wood, L’17
COMPETITION JUDGES AND COACHES Jay Berryman, L’14 Megan Carroll, L’18 Jason Harmon, L’15 Becky Howlett, L’14 Jordan Kane, L’18 Anna Kimbrell, L’14 Samuel LaRoque, L’18 Hon. Steve Leben, L’82 Eric Mikkelson, L’94 Maureen Orth Moeder, L’16 Kelley Sears, L’74 Sangeeta Shastry, L’18 Kevin Wempe, L’14 Brian Wolf, L08 Stan Woodworth, L’78
DIVERSITY ADVISORY COUNCIL
THANK YOU LEGAL CAREER FAIRS Susan Alig, L’11 William Bahr, L’97 Curtis Barnhill, L’90 Bryce Bell, L’02 Jonathan Benevides, L’09 Brynn Blair, L’18 Stacey Blakeman, L’09 Cliff Brazen, L’14 Emily Brown, L’17 Ethan Brown, L’17 Kaitee Brown, L’14 Ryan Brunton, L’02 Kristiane Bryant, L’05 Megan Carroll, L’18 James Carter, L’12 Kelley Catlin, L’05 Tyler Childress, L’17 Reid Day, L’16 Bryan Didier, L’04 Ashley Dillon, L’13 Sophia Dinkel, L’18 Andrew Dufour, L’12 Alphonso Eason, L’02 Jill Eggleston, L’83 Kip Elliot, L’95 Andy Ellis, L’11 Kent Erickson, L’90 Rich Federico, L’02 Mike Fischer, L’07 Meghan Flanders, L’10 Lauren Fletcher, L’05 Alexander Gard, L’08 Andrew Geren, L’13 Ivery Goldstein, L’06 Jeremy Graber, L’09
Lindsay Grantham, L’16 David Green, L’14 Steve Grieb, L’07 Rick Griffin, L’04 Jesús Güereca, L’14 Erika Hane, L’13 Bryanna Hanschu, L’15 Jason Harmon, L’15 Hon. Deborah Hernandez Mitchell, L’96 Garth Herrmann, L’06 John Hicks, L’02 Lauren Hughes, L’16 Natalie Hull, L’12 Neal Johnson, L’09 Chris Kaufman, L’10 Paul Klepper, L’09 Tom Knutzen, L’10 Linda Koester-Vogelsang, L’91 William Larzalere, L’83 Tamera Lawrence, L’10 Jacob Lazzo, L’16 Bill LeMaster, L’04 Kimberly Long, L’99 Joan Lowdon, L’10 Carly Masenthin, L’18 Joseph McEvoy, L’14 Jack McInnes, L’04 Jean Ménager, L’14 Terelle Mock, L’04 Phil Moderson, L’17 Matthew Moriarty, L’15 Whitney Novak, L’14 Brian Nye, L’09
Skyler O’Hara, L’03 Danielle Onions Sediqzad, L’16 Ann Parkins, L’12 T.C. Penland, L’15 Demetrius Peterson, L’09 Rebecca Proctor, L’06 John Rapp, L’03 Scott Reed, L’08 Joseph Schremmer, L’13 Natalie Scott, L’13 Robert Scott, L’08 Dave Seely, L’82 Adam Seitz, L’02 Pierce Shimp, L’18 Lora Smith, L’18 Libby Snider, L’99 Amanda Stanley, L’14 Patrick Sullivan, L’17 David Treviño, L’07 Jay Van Blaricum, L’04 Blake Vande Garde, L’01 Jabari Wamble, L’06 Patrick Waters, L’04 Kathleen Watson, L’16 Tom Weilert, L’75 Kevin Wempe, L’14 Britton Wilson, L’08 Ed Wilson, L’00 Eric Witmer, L’17 Cody Wood, L’17 Shelley Woodard, L’17 Samantha Woods, L’13
Mayra Aguirre, L’07 Laura Clark Fey, L’92 Amy Fowler, L’00 Rico Kolster, L’00 Pat Konopka, L’94 Jehan Kamil Moore, L’05 Demetrius Peterson, L’09 Melissa Plunkett, L’11 Kelley Sears, L’74 Henry Thomas, L’13 Jabari Wamble, L’06 Issaku Yamaashi, L’00 Alyse Zadalis, L’15 Holly Zane, L’86 Gabe Zorogastua, L’07
STUDENT RECRUITMENT Bryan Didier, L’04 Cate Zollicker Green, L’16 Kriston Guillot, L’17 Rayven Ouellette-Garcia, L’18 Matthew Scarber, L’17 Stephen Scheve, L’81 Lisa Schultes, L’85
NEW MEMBERS KU LAW BOARD OF GOVERNORS Michael Andrusak, L’13 Tracy Applegate Cole, L’89 Tim Davis, L’10 Hugh Gill, L’95 Adrienne Joyner, L’07 Nate Muyskens, L’95 Wayne Smith, L’87
KU LAW MAGAZINE 39
ALUMNI NEWS
CLASS NOTES
Items were received or collected prior to July 15, 2019. Submit your news online at law.ku.edu/keep-touch. KU Law Magazine relies on alumni for the accuracy of information reported.
1954 Gene Balloun received a Lifetime Achievement Award from FosterAdopt Connect, a nonprofit working with foster children in Kansas and Missouri. He created a scholarship fund for foster and adoptive children through his law firm, Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP.
1960 William Turner wrote a book about his hometown, Arcadia, Kansas. In “Arcadia - A Memoir,” Turner describes his life growing up in Arcadia during the 1930s and 1940s.
1971 Bill Sampson received the Louis B. Potter Lifetime Professional Service Award from the Defense Research Institute and the Richard T. Boyette Award from the National Foundation for Judicial Excellence. He is a partner at Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP.
1972 Dan Boulware was among five honorees for Missouri Lawyers Weekly’s 2019 Influential Lawyers award. He is a shareholder and managing partner at Polsinelli PC in St. Joseph, Missouri.
1974 Hon. Nicholas LoBurgio retired from the Social Security Administration, where he served as regional chief administrative law judge for the Denver region and acting regional chief administrative law judge for Seattle.
1976 Ross Hollander was named Wichita’s “Lawyer of the Year” for labor law management in the 2019 edition of
40 KU LAW MAGAZINE
Best Lawyers in America. He is a partner at Joseph, Hollander & Craft LLC in Wichita.
1977 William Docking was elected vice chair of the KU Endowment board of trustees. He is chairman of Union State Bank and president, chairman and CEO of Docking Bancshares, in Arkansas City.
1978 Phyllis Bock was named one of 125 Extraordinary Ordinary Women of Montana State University. Bock set up the Student Legal Services program and served as its director for 32 years. Hon. Sebastian T. Patti accepted a position in Los Angeles as a federal immigration judge. He was appointed to the bench in 1995 by the Illinois Supreme Court and began his first full term in 1996.
1982 Julia Craft was honored as an outstanding businesswoman in the Wichita Business Journal’s annual Women in Business issue. She is manager of Joseph, Hollander & Craft LLC in Wichita. Hon. Steve Leben, Mark Hinderks and former KU Law Professor Stan Davis founded the CLE program, Ethics for Good, 20 years ago. The program has raised $711,000 in donations to various nonprofit organizations. They were honored by the Kansas Bar Foundation with the Robert K. Weary Award. Anne McDonald retired as executive director of the Kansas Lawyers Assistance Program. She served as a founding member of KALAP’s board in 2001.
1983 Forrest Robinson Jr. joined the National Center for State Court’s Warren E. Burger Society. He is a senior partner at Hite, Fanning & Honeyman LLP in Wichita. Rebecca Winterscheidt was recognized as a 2019 “Lawyer of the Year” in immigration law by Best Lawyers in America. Winterscheidt is an attorney at Snell & Wilmer in Phoenix.
1984 Laura Howard serves as Secretary for the Kansas Department for Children and Families and the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services. James Pottorff is vice president and general counsel at the University of Nebraska.
1985 Jay Simpson joined the law firm of Stinson LLP in Kansas City, Missouri as a partner.
1986 Holly Zane is now associate director of human resources for employee relations at KU.
1987 Reggie Robinson was named the new president and CEO of the Kansas Health Foundation, starting Dec. 1. He is currently the vice chancellor for public affairs at KU. He previously served as director of KU’s School of Public Affairs & Administration.
1988 Mark Bannister was named interim dean of the College of Business and Economics at Boise State University in Boise, Idaho.
Patrick Fowler is a senior partner in the Phoenix office of Snell & Wilmer, and recently celebrated his 30th anniversary with the firm. Kathy Greenlee joined PYA Healthcare as a healthcare consulting principal.
1990 Shannon Barks is a partner at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP in Kansas City, Missouri. Joan Bowen joined Creative Planning Legal, PA in Overland Park. Bowen previously practiced at Conlee Schmidt & Emerson in Wichita. Paul Burmaster was appointed to fill a district court vacancy in the 10th Judicial District. Tim Schantz moved into his new role as chief executive officer of Troon, the world’s largest professional golf club management company.
1991 Valerie Baldwin joined Leidos on Capitol Hill as senior vice president of government affairs. Baldwin was previously at Lockheed Martin serving as vice president of legislative affairs for U.S. Army and Special Operations Forces programs. Robert Correales is vice president of compliance at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Frances Douthat and her husband were co-presidents of the Snow Ball charity event for Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas, raising $3 million.
1992 Denise Drake earned a Litigation Practitioner Award from Missouri Lawyers Weekly as part of their Women’s Justice Awards. Kurt Level was promoted to deputy general counsel of Koch Companies Public Sector and was named to the board of directors of the Cause of Action Institute in Washington, D.C.
1993 Debra McLaughlin was appointed
1999 Sarah Deer was inducted into the
as judge of the 23rd Judicial Circuit of West Virginia. McLaughlin has practiced law in West Virginia for two decades.
National Women’s Hall of Fame for her work on feminist and Native issues. She is the fifth Kansan and the first woman from KU to be inducted. Eric Madden was named to The 2019 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America. He is a partner with Reid Collins & Tsai LLP. Matt Richards joined KU Endowment as a development director for KU Law. He previously practiced transactional law at firms including Barber Emerson, LC in Lawrence.
1994 Diana May is county attorney for El Paso County, Colorado. May has been with the county government for 22 years. John Snyder was promoted to chair of Dentons’ U.S. real estate practice. He has served for nine years as managing partner of the firm’s Kansas City office.
1995 Hugh Gill was selected as a member of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. Gill is with Hinkle Law Firm LLC’s trusts and estates practice group in Wichita. Kellie Hogan was appointed to the Federal Bench-Bar Committee. She is an attorney for Kansas Legal Services in Wichita. Brian Markley joined Spencer Fane LLP as a litigation partner in Kansas City, Missouri.
2000 James Grogan joined Blank
Louise Mattox Award from the Kansas Women Attorneys Association.
Rome LLP in Houston as a partner in the firm’s finance, restructuring and bankruptcy group. Stephanie Morrell was elected associate circuit judge for the 13th Judicial Circuit Court Division 11 in Boone County, Missouri. Devon Reese is an at-large council member for the Reno City Council. Reese is a partner at Reese Kintz law firm in Reno, Nevada.
1997 Hon. Grant Bannister was
2001 Brad Burke is regional director of
appointed chief judge of the 21st Judicial District by the Kansas Supreme Court, effective through Dec. 31. Randy Perez is senior vice president of product management for Motorists Insurance Group in Columbus, Ohio. Hale Sheppard is a shareholder in the tax controversy and litigation section at Chamberlain Hrdlicka in Atlanta. In 2018, he published 13 articles in major tax journals.
the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights, Region VII, which includes Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and South Dakota. J.L. Cherwin, Jr. made partner at the Chicago-area law firm Meltzer, Purtill & Stelle LLC.
1996 Joni Franklin received the 2019
1998 Amy Hansen joined the board for the Fax Partnership, a Denver-based nonprofit that works to preserve affordability and diversity in the East Colfax neighborhoods. Hansen is a shareholder at Polsinelli PC.
2002 Diane Bellquist is a member of Joseph, Hollander & Craft LLC in Topeka. Stephanie Mendenhall Perry was elected president of Stubbeman, McRae, Sealy, Laughlin & Browder, Inc. in Midland, Texas. She is the first woman to hold the role in the firm’s 83-year history.
KU LAW MAGAZINE 41
ALUMNI NEWS
David Waters was named one of the 50 Kansans You Should Know by Ingram’s Magazine. He is a real estate attorney and partner at Lathrop Gage.
2003 Dan Cranshaw was named to Lawyers of Color’s inaugural Nation’s Best list, recognizing his accomplishments and commitment to diversity and inclusion in the legal profession. Cranshaw is a shareholder at Polsinelli in Kansas City. Hon. Reuben Renstrom was appointed to the 2nd District Court bench in Ogden, Utah. Renstrom has been a justice court judge since 2006. Hon. Kyndra Stockdale was appointed Associate Circuit Judge for the 16th Circuit, Division 32 in Missouri. She was previously a senior attorney at Foland, Wickens, Roper, Hofer & Crawford.
2004 Brook Poston wrote a book called “James Monroe: A Republican Champion” that was published by the University Press of Florida. Hon. Meaghan Shultz was sworn in as municipal court judge for the Unified Government of Wyandotte County in Kansas City, Kansas.
2005 Carl Folsom III received the inaugural Clarence Darrow Award from the Kansas Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Rachel Monger was named McKnight’s Senior Living Woman of Distinction. She is vice president of government affairs at LeadingAge in Topeka. Hon. Patrick Pugh was appointed to the 17th Judicial District Court in Colorado. Pugh has been of counsel at Ballard Spahr LLP since 2007. Holly Smith, corporate counsel for ReeceNichols Real Estate in Kansas City, was honored in Ingram’s Magazine’s 40 Under Forty.
42 KU LAW MAGAZINE
2006 Hon. Jeffrey Gettler is chief
2009 Stacey Blakeman is now director
judge of the 14th Judicial District in Kansas for 2019. Before his election to the bench, Gettler was in private practice and was city prosecutor for Independence, city attorney for Cherryvale and attorney for USDs 446 and 447. William Moore was honored in Ingram’s 40 Under Forty. Moore is senior vice president for strategy and corporate development at Crestwood Equity Partners LP in Kansas City. Christine Pina Rosengreen merged her Kansas City-area practice with that of Joseph, Hollander & Craft LLC.
of career services for KU Law. She previously practiced immigration law at Treviño Law Office, LC in Lawrence. Michael Dill made partner at Holland & Hart LLP in Denver. Dill serves as outside general counsel to clients across the U.S. in a variety of industries, with a focus on energy, financial services, outdoor recreation and technology. Justin Hendrix took an in-house position at the newly formed Collins Aeorospace in Chula Vista, California. He is in charge of intellectual property for the aerostructures division. Cullin Hughes was elected a shareholder at Polsinelli PC in Kansas City, Missouri. Hughes is a member of the firm’s health care alignment and organizations practice group.
2007 Laura Dakhil Monahan was recognized in the Wichita Business Journal’s inaugural class of Women Who Lead in Healthcare. Monahan is chief legal officer for the Cancer Center of Kansas. 2008 Dustin Bradley opened his own law firm, Bradley Law Firm, PLLC, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Clay Britton is chief counsel to Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly. Britton has worked as an assistant U.S. attorney in Kansas since October 2016. Matt Franzenburg, of Lenexa, and his wife, Kelli, announced the birth of their son Braden on May 31, 2019. Abigail Grantstein Howard joined USA Swimming as associate counsel. Her office is in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Mark Simpson was appointed to serve on the Douglas County District Court. Simpson has been a prosecutor in Douglas County for 11 years. Sara Zafar is Title IX coordinator for Wichita State University. In her new role, she investigates claims of sexual misconduct, coordinates services for affected individuals and provides training to WSU students, faculty and staff.
2010 Timothy Davis was elected partner at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP in Kansas City, Missouri. He practices commercial litigation and labor and employment law. Margaret Mahoney is an assistant city attorney for the city of Seattle. Shane McCall is a senior associate attorney at Koprince Law LLC in Lawrence. Ayesha Mehdi was chosen for the Leadership Development Program of the American Health Lawyers Association’s (AHLA) Fraud and Abuse Practice Group, starting July 1. Mehdi is a health care attorney with Frontier Health Law in Las Vegas. She serves on KU Law’s Board of Governors. Peter Simonsen joined Charlesworth Consulting as a risk management and insurance consultant. He was previously an assistant city attorney for Lenexa, where he handled risk management and civil litigation.
2011 Frank Basgall was elected partner at Stinson LLP in the firm’s Wichita office. He is a member of the firm’s business litigation division and focuses his practice on commercial litigation, oil and gas exploration, and tax appeals. Bill Cross joined Lathrop Gage LLP as a labor and employment law associate in Kansas City, Missouri. He was previously at Rasmussen, Dickey & Moore LLC. Natasha Das was featured in the St. Louis Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 as a tax credit and incentive finance attorney at Stinson LLP.
2012 Courtney Armstrong was recognized in the St. Louis Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 as the manager of KPMG’s St. Louis State and Local Tax (SALT) Practice. James Carter was promoted to member at Leverage Law Group in Leawood, Kansas. Carter represents investors, lenders and developers in tax credit transactions with a focus on renewable energy developments. Christian Corrigan is senior counsel to the assistant secretary for civil rights at the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C. Samantha Levine, of Denver, is senior vice president of JLT Specialty USA’s cyber/E&O practice. Christopher Nelson joined the business litigation team at Lathrop Gage LLP in Overland Park. Kyle Ritchie was elected to shareholder at Seigfreid Bingham, PC in Kansas City, Missouri.
Erik Rome joined Lathrop Gage as an associate on the wealth strategies team in the Overland Park office. Amanda Sisney was elected as the 2018 president of the Hispanic Bar Association of Greater Kansas City. She practices employment litigation at Lathrop Gage LLP.
2013 Kyle Kitson is a corporate attorney for MMC Corp. Kitson was formerly with Littler Mendelson. Jade Marie Martin, formerly with Spirit AeroSystems, Inc., is now an assistant general counsel with Textron Financial Corporation in Wichita. Julie Parisi received a 2018 Up & Coming Award from Missouri Lawyers Media, recognizing early-career lawyers who positively impact their profession and communities. Joseph Schremmer accepted a full-time, tenure-track faculty position with the University of New Mexico School of Law as an assistant professor and the Judge Leon Karelitz Chair in Oil and Gas Law. Hon. Shannon Swimmer and Kevin Primo married in Cherokee, North Carolina. Swimmer is an associate judge with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Tribal Court. Primo is an employment specialist in the tribe’s human resources department. Casey Walker won an Outstanding Young Lawyer Award from the Kansas Bar Association.
2014 Scott McGreevy opened Access to Justice Attorneys at Law in Joplin, Missouri with Austin Knoblock, L’17. The firm primarily handles criminal law cases and aims to make legal services more affordable for more people. Peter Montecuollo is with Shook, Hardy & Bacon in Kansas City, moving from Snell & Wilmer LLP in Phoenix. Patrick Newsum, of New York, joined Morgan Lewis as an M&A associate in the corporate business transactions group. He was previously at Wiggin and Dana. George Sand joined DLA Piper in the firm’s La Jolla, California office. He previously worked at Stinson LLP in Kansas City, Missouri. Jacob Wamego, Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, won the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development’s Native American 40 Under 40 award. He is president/CEO of Prairie Band LLC in Mayetta, Kansas.
2015 Bryanna Hanschu joined KU Law as assistant director of admissions. Hanschu was previously an assistant county attorney for the Leavenworth County Attorney’s Office. She will assist in the law school admissions process and work with undergraduate prelaw advisors.
KU LAW MAGAZINE 43
ALUMNI NEWS
1948
Jake McMillian started a new role as assistant director of recruitment and outreach at the John Marshall Law School in Chicago. Bill Walberg was recognized by the Kansas Bar Association for an Outstanding Young Lawyer Award. Walberg is an associate attorney at Shook, Hardy & Bacon in Kansas City, Missouri.
Harry Crowe, Jr. Tulsa, Oklahoma September 2, 2018 Stanley Lind Kansas City, Kansas March 15, 2019
1951
2016 Kyle Craig joined the real estate
Faculty
team in the Overland Park office of Lathrop Gage LLP. He previously served as legal counsel for Corbion in Lenexa.
Hon. James Logan Former KU Law Dean Professor, 1957-1968 Overland Park, Kansas September 8, 2018
2017 Jake Ediger joined Kutak Rock LLP in Denver as an associate. Mason Lent started at Mann, Wyatt & Rice, LLC. He practices in personal injury and workers’ compensation. Robert Reynolds is an associate attorney with Sanders Warren Russell & Scheer LLP in Overland Park.
2018 Haley Claxton joined Koprince Law LLC in Lawrence as an associate. Jordan Haas is an associate attorney with The Smith Law Group, PC in Shawnee, Kansas. Tim Hadachek is on the intellectual property litigation team at Lathrop Gage LLP in Kansas City, Missouri. Brian Lynn is an associate in the wealth strategies practice group at Lathrop Gage LLP. Nell Neary joined the real estate group at Lathrop Gage LLP. Lora Smith is an associate at Hinkle Law Firm in Wichita, focusing on estate planning and probate. Joseph Uhlman is an attorney at Adrian & Pankratz, P.A.
2019 Matthew Sondergard is an associate attorney at Arthur-Green Law Firm of Manhattan, Kansas. n
44 KU LAW MAGAZINE
Patrick Thiessen Augusta, Kansas March 7, 2019
1954 Larry Keenan Great Bend, Kansas February 23, 2019
George Coggins Professor, 1970-2010 Lawrence, Kansas August 29, 2019
1955
William Westerbeke Professor, 1975-2016 Lawrence, Kansas August 28, 2019
1956
Robert Smith, Jr. Austin, Texas June 9, 2019
Robert Garrity Thornton, Colorado November 22, 2018
1957 James Hanson Wichita, Kansas August 14, 2018 John Jurcyk, Jr. Kansas City, Kansas December 29, 2018 Col. Darrell McNeil Topeka, Kansas May 17, 2019
IN MEMORIAM 1966 Darwin Johnson Overland Park, Kansas August 21, 2018
1958 N. Jack Brown Kansas City, Kansas December 19, 2018 Carl Warner Eisenbise Wichita, Kansas July 10, 2019 Robert Howard St. Petersburg, Florida March 8, 2019
1959 Thomas Krueger Canton, Georgia March 23, 2019
1961 William Dye Wichita, Kansas February 13, 2019
1964 Hon. Terry Bullock Topeka, Kansas August 2, 2019 Robert “Rip� Hedrick Fort Worth, Texas September 5, 2019
Wendell Kellogg Salina, Kansas August 18, 2018 D. Michael Linihan Naples, Florida April 14, 2019 Roger Sherman Sun Lakes, Arizona December 29, 2018
1967 Robert Schulman, Ph.D. Lawrence, Kansas June 11, 2019
1968 William Dean Owens Lawrence, Kansas May 22, 2019
1969 Ronald Reuter Kansas City, Missouri July 1, 2019 Rodney Vieux Johnson, Vermont October 16, 2018
1979 Robert Weems Kansas City, Missouri December 4, 2018
1980 David Belling Holcomb, Kansas June 29, 2019
1982 James Stevens Berkeley, California May 10, 2019
1987 D. Richard White Lawrence, Kansas November 27, 2018
1988 S. Andrew Heidrick Salina, Kansas January 16, 2019
1990 Alice Lee Nida Wilmington, North Carolina November 14, 2017
1995 John Kriss Tecumseh, Kansas July 24, 2018 Robin Webb Nashville, Tennessee August 19, 2018
2014 Lindsey Lewis Dallas, Texas September 17, 2018
KU Marketing Communications
Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage
PAID
Lawrence, KS Permit No. 116
Green Hall 1535 W. 15th Street Lawrence, KS 66045-7608
law.ku.edu
PLEASE JOIN US
2019 KU Law Reunion + Homecoming Weekend
October 25
Reunion Cocktail Party + Class Dinner Classes of 1979, 1989, 1994, 1999 and 2009
October 26
Homecoming Tailgate | All alumni invited Earl Richardson
Printed on paper that contains at least 10% post-consumer recycled content
PLEASE RECYCLE