KU Law Magazine | Spring 2015

MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI & FRIENDS | SPRING 2015

Jayhawks in the JAG

Alumni embrace military legal careers

Legal lifeline for vets National honor for state judge Volunteer Honor Roll

KU Law Magazine is published twice a year for alumni and friends of the University of Kansas School of Law. Green Hall, 1535 W. 15th St. Lawrence, KS 66045-7608 785.864.4550 | F: 785.864.5054 law.ku.edu DEAN Stephen Mazza EDITOR & DESIGNER Mindie Paget kulaws@ku.edu | 785.864.9205 CONTRIBUTORS Mike Krings, Emily Sharp, Noelle Uhler PHOTOS iStock.com/CatLane, Kelsey Kimberlin, Meg Kumin, Mindie Paget, Rick Reinhard, Earl Richardson, U.S. Navy COVER ILLUSTRATION Mindie Paget PRINTING Allen Press, Lawrence, KS

KU Law supports environmental sustainability by purchasing renewable energy certificates (green tags) through the Bonneville Environmental Foundation that offset carbon emissions from producing the KU Law Magazine.

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, 1246 W. Campus Road, Room 153A, Lawrence, KS, 66045, 785-864-6414, 711 TTY.

LETTER FROM THE DEAN Imagine being the only person of color in your law school class. Now imagine it’s the late 1890s, and less time has elapsed since slavery’s abolition than remains before the start of the civil rights movement. KU Law alumnus Adam E. Patterson found himself born into this era.

After spending his childhood in the Deep South, Patterson earned his LL.B. from the University of Kansas in 1900 and went on to become the first African-American Judge Advocate in the U.S. Army.

He led a fascinating life1, but what strikes me most about Patterson is his desire to serve this country in spite of its history of slavery and segregation. He joined the Army in 1917, after America’s entry into World War I, and less than a year later was promoted to major and appointed Division Judge Advocate for the all-African-American 92nd Infantry.

Thus began what remains a strong and enduring connection between KU Law and the JAG Corps. In this issue, we feature a handful of modern-day Judge Advocates who have followed in Patterson’s footsteps. You’ll find that they share his call to service — as lawyers and military officers.

At KU Law, we’re finding innovative ways to support those who defend the American way of life. A first-of-its-kind website that matches Kansas veterans and active duty military personnel seeking legal assistance with pro bono attorneys willing to take their cases will launch this summer (page 24). I hope you’ll consider joining lawyers from across the state to help meet these legal needs.

We are grateful for all that you already do to advance the law school. In the Volunteer Honor Roll (page 34), we recognize your donations of time, energy and expertise in a variety of roles — all of which benefit future generations of KU Lawyers.

Our combined efforts on behalf of our students are paying off. Employment for the Class of 2014 has returned to levels not seen since before the Great Recession (page 7).

Ninety-two percent of 2014 graduates secured jobs by April 15, and the proportion in full-time, long-term positions that require bar passage places KU Law among the top quarter of law schools in the country.

This success wouldn’t be possible without your support. Thank you for answering the call to service, whatever form your contribution takes.

Stephen W. Mazza Dean and Professor of Law 1. See “Lore of the Corps: Adam E. Patterson: First African-American Judge Advocate in History,” Fred L. Borch, The Army Lawyer (February 2015), available at law.ku.edu/ku-law-magazine.

CONTENTS KU LAW MAGAZINE | SPRING 2015

DEPARTMENTS 2 IN BRIEF

PatCon returns to KU Law; KU rises for third consecutive year in law school rankings; Middle East partnership; the Future of Indian Education; Class of 2014 employment success

26 FACULTY NEWS + RESEARCH

New hires, retirements, research highlights, media appearances, kudos

32 ALUMNI NEWS

Photos: Diversity in Law Banquet; 50/50+

Reunion; alumnus receives judicial honor

34 VOLUNTEER HONOR ROLL

JAYHAWKS

COVER in the JAG

Alumni embrace military legal careers

Recognition for alumni who have donated time, energy and expertise during the past year

39 CLASS NOTES

Alumni earn promotions, change jobs, win

awards, and expand their families

44 IN MEMORIAM

Deaths in the KU Law family

A LEGAL LIFELINE FOR VETERANS An innovative new model for delivering legal aid to Kansas veterans will help alleviate barriers to relief.

24 JUSTICE FOR ALL Judge Steve Leben receives one of the nation’s highest judicial

38

honors for enhancing the public’s confidence in the court system.

KU LAW MAGAZINE 1

IN BRIEF

PatCon returns to KU Law SCHOLARS CONVENE FOR NATION’S LEADING ANNUAL PATENT CONFERENCE

e Pa t Th

rence

2 KU LAW MAGAZINE

fe

former senior adviser to the White INFECTIOUS DISEASES KILL MORE House Office of Science and Technology than 10 million people each year, most Policy; Eric von Hippel, economist of them in the developing world. The and professor at the MIT Sloan School high cost of life-saving drugs is one of Management; and barrier to treatment. Should strong A. Christal Sheppard, patent protection, which director of the U.S. drives up pharmaceutical Con t n Patent and Trademark prices, keep people from e Office satellite branch getting the medicine they in Detroit. need to survive?

“One of the

It’s one of many most exciting aspects questions that scholars of PatCon is the explored during the fifth opportunity not only annual Patent Conference to share bleeding-edge on April 10-11 at KU Law. patent research but Patent scholars from 5 il 10-11, 201 PatCon5 | Apr of Law Kansas School University of also to hear the nearly a dozen countries atcon law.ku.edu/p debates this research and four continents — spurs among the in law, economics, leading patent management science and experts who attend,” other disciplines — shared said Andrew Torrance, professor of law the latest research on and co-founder of the conference. “For patent law, policy and business. example, one of the hottest topics in

Plenary speakers included Colleen patent law today involves so-called Chien, Santa Clara law professor and

‘patent trolls’ and how they either promote or harm innovation. In fact, many of the scholars at PatCon have signed one of two competing letters sent to Congress several weeks ago raising serious concerns about trolls.”

Other topics included the role that patents play in inequality, international patent issues, patent policy, how to value complicated property rights like patents, whether patents promote or crush innovation, and exploding interest in design patents.

“Another exciting phenomenon is the rise of ‘big patent data,’ which scholars are increasingly using to answer fundamental questions about the patent system and even to challenge long-accepted legal doctrines,” Torrance said. “Some of the leading ‘big patent data’ experts presented their latest, often surprising, results at PatCon.”

KU Law hosted the inaugural Patent Conference in April 2011. Affectionately known as PatCon, the conference has snowballed into the country’s leading annual patent scholarship conference.

It rotates among the law schools of its founding professors: Torrance; David Olson, Boston College Law School; David Schwartz, Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago-Kent College of Law, and Ted Sichelman, University of San Diego School of Law.

The program was co-sponsored by the KU School of Law, Hovey Williams LLP and Lathrop & Gage LLP. PHOTO | Colleen Chien, Santa Clara law professor and former senior adviser to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, discusses “Intellectual Property and Innovation Policy at the White House” during the 5th annual Patent Conference.

KU rises for third consecutive year in law school rankings KU LAW IMPROVED ITS POSITION for the third straight year in rankings released in March by U.S. News & World Report, coming in at No. 67 overall and No. 36 among public law schools.

The jump of nearly 20 spots over two years can be attributed to continued strong employment numbers, improved academic credentials for the incoming class, and solid reputational scores from peer institutions, judges and lawyers that meet or exceed those of our regional peers.

KU Law was the only law school in the Big 12 conference to rise in the rankings this year. Of the 25 law schools in our eight-state region (Kansas, Missouri, Colorado, Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Iowa), KU Law was among only six schools that moved up. Others included Colorado, Denver, Missouri, Iowa and St Louis.

“Simply stated, among an everimproving class of peers, and despite graduating its last large class, KU Law not only held its ground, but made gains,” Dean Stephen Mazza said. “But it is impossible to reduce the quality of any law school to a single number.

Given these concerns, we maintain that any critical assessment of the quality and value of a law school must look to an array of relevant factors.”

Accordingly, better measures of KU Law may be found from other sources: n No. 18 for best value (National Jurist magazine) n No. 27 for lowest average debt at graduation (U.S. News & World Report) n Top 25 percent of law schools whose graduates secured full-time, long-term employment (ABA) n No. 23 for associates making partner at the nation’s largest law firms (National Law Journal)

MIDDLE EAST PARTNERSHIP KU to collaborate with Emirati law school on research, learning opportunities KU LAW HAS PARTNERED WITH the University of Sharjah Faculty of Law in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, to offer collaborative research and learning opportunities for students and faculty.

The universities signed a memorandum of understanding that will serve as a framework of cooperation. The schools pledge to cross-market their degree programs, team-teach courses, jointly sponsor conferences and symposia, and invite partner colleagues to lecture at their institutions. Raj Bhala, associate dean for international and comparative law at KU, and Bashar Malkawi, dean of the University of Sharjah Faculty of Law, brokered the agreement on behalf of their universities.

“The Middle East is strategically vital to the United States and to lawyers in economic, business, political, religious, cultural and national security terms,” Bhala said. “The Middle East is the center point of our national security strategy, and the biggest challenge we face is stability

in the Arab-Muslim world. The core of stability is rule of law. KU Law can help enhance the rule of law in Arab countries by helping them enhance their legal education systems.”

“We are pleased to enter into partnership with a leading law school in the U.S. recognized for its research and development activities with internationally recognized faculty,” Malkawi said. “The MOU with KU Law School will help us explore new initiatives and develop areas of mutual interest to benefit students.”

KU Law students are benefitting from the school’s international partnerships, Bhala said. Students have interned with law firms in India, and alumni have accepted jobs in the Middle East thanks to connections forged through the school’s joint agreements.

The University of Sharjah joins KU Law’s growing list of international partners committed to furthering cross-border legal education and understanding. Learn more at law.ku.edu/international-partners.

KU LAW MAGAZINE 3

IN BRIEF

Clockwise from top left, Rebecca Love Kourlis, Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System; 5th Circuit Judge Edward C. Prado; Laurel Rigertas, Northern Illinois University College of Law; Peter Joy, Washington University in St. Louis School of Law, left, and moderator Cheryl Pilate, L’90; Ronald Flagg, Legal Services Corporation.

ACCESS TO JUSTICE Fifty years after passage of the Criminal Justice Act, law school symposium explores results, gaps and future reforms IN COMMEMORATION OF THE 50TH anniversary of the Criminal Justice Act, a federal judge and scholars from across the country explored issues surrounding access to the nation’s courts during KU Law’s “Access to Justice” symposium in February.

Judge Edward C. Prado of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit opened the program with a keynote address on “The Criminal Justice Act: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow.”

Other panelists, who discussed access to justice in both criminal and civil settings, included: n Russell Engler, professor of law and director of clinical programs, New England Law n Ronald Flagg, general counsel, corporate secretary and vice

4 KU LAW MAGAZINE

president for legal affairs, Legal Services Corporation n David Gottlieb, professor, Wake Forest University School of Law n Peter Joy, Henry Hitchcock Professor of Law and director, Criminal Justice Clinic, Washington University in St. Louis School of Law n Rebecca Love Kourlis, executive director, Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System, University of Denver, and former justice for the Colorado Supreme Court n Laurel A. Rigertas, associate professor of law, Northern Illinois University College of Law

The Criminal Justice Act of 1964 and its subsequent amendment in 1970 established a comprehensive system for appointing and compensating lawyers to

represent defendants who are “financially unable to obtain an adequate defense.”

“Access to justice is more than just helping people approach the courts,” said Paige Blevins, third-year KU Law student and senior symposium editor for the Kansas Journal of Law & Public Policy. “People have the right to seek some kind of remedy for conflicts through our legal institutions. Without access, those remedies are only available to a certain subsection of our society and not to all.”

The symposium was co-sponsored by the Shook, Hardy & Bacon Center for Excellence in Advocacy and the Kansas Journal of Law & Public Policy.

Scholarship from the symposium will be published in a 2015 issue of the Kansas Journal of Law & Public Policy.

KU law team finishes second in national Indian law moot court competition A KU LAW TEAM BROUGHT HOME second place after rising to compete in the final round of one of the largest National Native American Law Students Association Moot Court Competitions in history.

Corey Adams, of Wichita, and Maureen Orth, of Prairie Village, placed second at the NNALSA competition March 6-7 at the University of Arizona.

Two additional KU teams competed at the event, including Annette McDonough, of Phoenix, and Samantha Small, of South Haven, who advanced to the Sweet 16 round; and Grant Brazill, of Las Vegas, and Jason Harmon, of Orem, Utah.

The NNALSA competition tests students’ knowledge of Indian law by evaluating their legal writing and oral advocacy skills. Students submit written briefs and participate in a simulated courtroom experience.

“This year’s moot court problem focused on the extent of a tribe’s jurisdiction over a non-member Indian,” said Professor Elizabeth Kronk Warner, team coach and director of KU’s Tribal Law & Government Center.

“The hypothetical non-member Indian sold important cultural property of the tribe to non-Indians, and the students were asked to consider whether the tribe could attach its adjudicatory and regulatory jurisdiction to her actions.”

Teams prepared for the competition by researching and preparing written briefs, participating in practice rounds, and receiving feedback from faculty judges and teammates.

“All the KU teams contributed to our success in the final competition,” Orth said. “All six of us worked outside of practice to try new themes, new arguments and to give each other feedback.”

#BestofKU Other highlights from the 2014-2015 moot court season include: n

From left, Annette McDonough, Corey Adams, Grant Brazill, Professor Elizabeth Kronk Warner, Maureen Orth, Samantha Small and Jason Harmon at the University of Arizona.

Participating in the competition helped students prepare for their future legal careers, Adams said.

“I feel like I am much better at articulating a coherent legal argument,” she said. “I see both sides of an issue and am better at making my arguments as concise and persuasive as possible.”

“Exceptional legal writing and oral advocacy skills are necessary to succeed in moot court competitions,” Kronk Warner said. “Students’ success in this competition is proof of their extraordinary skills, which are the foundation of the legal profession.”

With more than 70 teams, this year’s competition was one of NNALSA’s largest ever. KU students defeated teams from Columbia University in New York City, Hawaii and Seattle. The final rounds were judged by accomplished Indian law scholars and judges, including the chief justice of the Navajo Nation Supreme Court and a judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona.

Emily Barclay and Gretchen Rix placed second in the best brief category at the 2015 Federal Bar Association’s Thurgood A. Marshall Memorial Moot Court Competition, March 26-27 in Washington, D.C. n Paul Budd, Kerry Hillis and Chris Keyser’s draft agreement was deemed the best at the Transactional LawMeet Regional Competition hosted by Northwestern University School of Law in late February, while students Maria Caruso, Trevor Jennings and Dylan Long were named regional semi-finalists of the competition held at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. n KU Law brought home fourth place and third-year law student Katie Malott was named the fifth-best oral advocate at the Jessup International Law Rocky Mountain Regional Competition in Denver in late February. In addition to Malott, the KU team included third-year students Kasey Considine, Michael Wise, Steven Wu and Jacqueline Patton.

KU LAW MAGAZINE 5

IN BRIEF

The Future of Indian Education TRIBAL LAW CONFERENCE EXAMINES EFFORTS AIMED AT INCREASING EDUCATIONAL, EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR NATIVE PEOPLE

ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF INDIAN Affairs Kevin Washburn and experts from across the country discussed the status quo of Indian education and how it might change in the future based on President Obama’s recent commitment to reform during KU Law’s 19th annual Tribal Law & Government Conference March 13 in Lawrence.

The federal government began rolling out plans last summer to overhaul the Bureau of Indian Education. Through

reform efforts, the administration hopes to increase educational and employment opportunities for Native people.

“This is a significant time for Indian education within the United States,” said Elizabeth Kronk Warner, professor of law and director of KU’s Tribal Law & Government Center. “Given the recent push for reform, this topic is particularly relevant to Indian country and legal communities throughout the United States. Further, given Lawrence’s historic

connection to Indian education and Haskell Indian Nations University, it is particularly appropriate that the University of Kansas host a conference on this important topic.”

Washburn opened the conference with a survey of Indian education and the federal government’s role, along with an exploration of proposed reforms. Panel presentations on the history of Indian education at the collegiate and K-12 levels, and a nationwide survey of proposed legal reforms to Indian education followed.

Kronk Warner closed the conference with an examination of the ethical quandaries that typically face tribal lawyers and judges.

Panelists included: n Dawn Baum, senior attorney and Indian Education team leader, U.S. Department of Interior, Office of the Solicitor, Bureau of Indian Education n Mandy Smoker Broaddus, director of Indian Education, Montana Office of Public Instruction n Venida Chenault, president, Haskell Indian Nations University n Jill Eichner, attorney, Office of the General Counsel, U.S. Department of Education n Melody McCoy, staff attorney, Native American Rights Fund n William Mendoza, executive director, White House Initiative on American Indian and Alaska Native Education n Connor Warner, instructor for Urban Teacher Education, University of Missouri-Kansas City

PHOTO | Clockwise from top: Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs Kevin Washburn; Mandy Smoker Broaddus, Director of Indian Education, Montana Office of Public Instruction; Jacob Wamego, L’14, left, his wife, Kristen, and Mark Dodd, L’06.

6 KU LAW MAGAZINE ISTOCK

Class of 2014 Employment Statistics

Class of 2014 employment statistics best since 2007

Overall employment rate according to the American Bar Association

92%

Employed ÷ (Class Size - Employment Status Unknown)

119

Total reporting post-grad status

119

All students in Class of 2014

109

EMPLOYED

10

92% of all grads

85 17

UNEMPLOYED: SEEKING 8% of all grads

100%

Overall reporting rate

graduates obtained employment requiring

BAR ADMISSION

77.9% of employed grads

4

3

JD ADVANTAGE

PROFESSIONAL

NON-PROFESSIONAL

15.5% of employed grads

3.6% of employed grads

2.7% of employed grads

graduates obtained employment classified

graduates obtained employment classified

graduates obtained employment classified

Of employed graduates:

LAW FIRM 47 (43.1%)

BUSINESS/ INDUSTRY 21 (19.2%)

GOVERNMENT 24 (22.0%)

JUDICIAL CLERKSHIP 8 (7.3%)

EDUCATION 5 (4.5%)

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

The success of the Class of 2014 lies first and foremost with the graduates themselves. Our students are leaving an ever-improving and lasting impression on employers. They are determined, resilient, collegial and ambitious.

Other factors contributing to their outcomes include a 30 percent reduction in class size, financial and mentoring support from alumni, direct faculty involvement in job searches, and three full years under the guidance of the newly reformulated Career Services Office.

The rise in overall employment by 6 percent matches the leap we saw between 2011 and 2012 — a leap that led to KU Law’s dramatic improvement in various outside rankings.

Many regard bar admission-required and JD-advantage jobs that are full-time and long-term as the highest quality positions for new graduates. KU Law continued its rise in these categories with the Class of 2014, achieving a 3-point gain to 80 percent. This is part of an 18 percent rise in “best jobs” since 2011.

As national numbers are released, we will share more about how KU fared against law schools across the country.

One early analysis places the KU School of Law among the top quarter of the 200-plus ABA-approved law schools for students securing full-time, long-term positions that require bar passage.

To view more complete information on employment outcomes, visit the Career Services Office on the KU Law website: law.ku.edu/careerservices

PUBLIC INTEREST 4 (3.6%)

KU LAW MAGAZINE 7

MINDIE PAGET

8 KU LAW MAGAZINE

Jayhawks in the JAG Alumni embrace military legal careers

F

rom Adam Patterson, who earned his KU Law degree in 1900 and became the first African-American Judge Advocate in the U.S. Army, to Kailea Bogner, a secondyear law student who will intern this summer with the Navy JAG in Washington, D.C., KU Law boasts a strong and enduring tradition of producing military lawyers.

They are propelled by dual desires: to serve their country and practice law in a fast-paced environment that promises immediate responsibility and travel opportunities.

Some were born into military families and knew from childhood they would follow the same path. Some enlisted first and then attended law school later. Others were not aware the JAG Corps existed until a recruiter visited Green Hall to talk about legal employment in the armed forces.

Whatever their route, KU Law graduates in the JAG have forged fascinating, successful careers.

They deliver legal aid to military personnel and their families. They serve as prosecutors, defense attorneys and investigators in criminal matters. They provide trusted advice to commanders in war zones, lend expertise to policy debates in Congress, and help implement democratic rule of law and equitable military justice systems in partner nations around the world.

In this issue, we salute a small fraction of the many who serve.

KU LAW MAGAZINE 9

Jayhawks in the JAG

LTC Susan Mitchell, L’94 Former Lawrence police officer providing legal support in effort to recover missing war personnel

O

ne day at a time. People often invoke this mantra when a task seems impossible. It helps them focus on small victories amid overwhelming odds.

It’s a phrase U.S. Army Lt. Col. Susan Mitchell, L’94, uses when describing the massive effort to account for more than 83,000 Americans who remain missing in action from past conflicts around the world.

“We’re working to try and bring closure for those families whose loved ones have been missing for many, many years,” said Mitchell, the Associate General Counsel for the Defense POW/ MIA Accounting Agency. “And time is not on our side. For instance, for World War II casualties, many of their family members are aging and dying, so not only are we unable to bring closure to those particular families but also there are fewer people from whom we can gather DNA for comparison to remains we recover.”

From her post at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii, Mitchell provides legal guidance in support of the agency’s investigation, recovery and laboratory operations to identify missing personnel. The agency operates the largest and most diverse forensic skeletal laboratory in the world and averages about 100 identifications each year.

Mitchell’s role in that mission varies from day to day, and as she puts it, “I rarely see the same legal issue.” She negotiates international arrangements with countries where teams deploy to recover remains; deals with environ-

10 KU LAW MAGAZINE

mental concerns surrounding dig and dive sites; advises agency leadership on fiscal and ethical issues; helps sort out legalities when families disagree on how their loved ones’ remains should be handled, and more.

“Primarily my job is practicing operational law, which is essentially anything that comes up that impacts our teams. They may be out in the field and need an answer quickly,” she said. “Sometimes it’s difficult to draw upon the experiences of other military legal offices. There is no other organization that deals with some of the very unique issues that we encounter.”

But Mitchell is no stranger to challenges.

At the age of 9, she was struck by a car while walking on a sidewalk as she headed home from school. She spent months hospitalized in a full-body cast, relying on tutors to help her keep pace with schoolwork. During the course of the lawsuit that followed the accident, Mitchell met several detectives and attorneys.

“If you had talked to me when I was 10 years old, I would have told you I wanted to be a police officer or a lawyer,” she said. “When something that big impacts you, you grow up thinking, ‘I was meant to be in this world to make a difference.’”

Mitchell eventually realized both of her childhood professional aspirations. After earning a bachelor’s in political science at the University of Kansas, she joined the Lawrence Police Department for three years before enrolling at KU Law in 1991. She was one of three women on the police force.

“Lawrence was a great place to be a police officer.

There was plenty of action, but it wasn’t so bad that you were getting shot at every night,” she said. “As a police officer, though, you see the underbelly of society, and it can jade you, make you a little cynical. At the three-year mark, I felt like it was the right time to move on to my ultimate goal of attending law school.”

At KU Law, Mitchell gained well-rounded litigation experience through the Defender Project and the Criminal

Prosecution Clinic. She said working on both sides of the aisle helped prepare her for later positions as prosecutor and defense attorney in the Army JAG Corps, which she joined soon after graduation. She recalls trying murder and rape cases very early in her career when some of her law school classmates were still in law libraries primarily conducting BRANCH: research.

U.S. ARMY “In the JAG Corps, attorneys are able to get Joint Base Pearl experience in a wide range Harbor-Hickam | Hawaii of legal disciplines much Mitchell serves as quicker than you would Associate General Counsel get outside of the military,” for the Defense POW/ Mitchell said.

MIA Accounting Agency.

Her assignments have taken her from the Pentagon to Colorado, Hawaii and California. She taught military law at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. And her international portfolio includes positions in Germany and Bosnia-Herzegovina, with additional travel in Korea, Japan, Mongolia, Thailand and throughout Europe.

For the past year, though, Mitchell has enjoyed living near the beach in Hawaii with her family — three sons, ages 9, 10 and 14, and her husband, Col. C. Scott Mitchell, who serves as the 196th Infantry Brigade Commander at Fort Shafter.

“He outranks me, but he knows who’s really in charge,” she joked. “In all seriousness, the JAG Corps and the Army have been very good to my family. Even through our deployments, they’ve been able to station my husband and I together throughout our careers. And it’s been very worthwhile not only practicing law but serving my country.” — Mindie Paget

Sometimes it’s difficult to draw upon the experiences of other military legal offices. There is no other organization that deals with some of the very unique issues that we encounter.”

KU LAW MAGAZINE 11

Jayhawks in the JAG

CAPT Anne Bloomfield Fischer, L’92 Navy captain’s international education missions strengthen appreciation for American way of life

T It was gratifying to get to know military personnel in these countries.

My experiences reinforced the concept that most people in this world want the same things.”

12 KU LAW MAGAZINE

he Navy was not on Capt.

Anne Fischer’s radar until her third year of law school, when she noticed a sign-up sheet in Green Hall announcing a visit from a JAG recruiter.

“This was before the movie ‘A Few Good Men’ and before the TV show ‘JAG,’” Fischer said. “I didn’t realize the Navy had lawyers. I thought I’d sign up and see what they had to say.”

Fischer found the presentation compelling. “It was a three-year commitment at the time. I thought it would be a fun few years to see the world and do a bunch of different things, then I would have real-world experience and could do something different afterward if I didn’t love it.”

Twenty-two years later, Fischer is still loving it and still serving.

After finishing law school and passing the bar examination, Fischer completed Navy officer and legal training in Newport, Rhode Island, then reported for duty at the Navy’s legal services office in San Diego.

“When I reported, I got a stack of files and started seeing clients very soon,” Fischer said. “That was one of the big selling points — they give you immediate responsibility. I also loved living and working near the ocean.”

Fischer started off processing administrative cases and quickly progressed to more serious issues, prosecuting rape, assault and child sexual abuse cases.

“I was doing that within the first couple years out of law school, and I was the lead in these cases,” Fischer said. “It was a lot of responsibility

BRANCH: U.S. NAVY Washington Navy Yard Washington, D.C. Fischer serves as Admiralty Counsel in the Admiralty and Maritime Law Division, Office of the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General.

and hard work, but very rewarding.”

One of Fischer’s biggest cases early in her career involved a date rape. “It’s the typical story,” Fischer said. “She said she didn’t want to have sex, he said he thought she did, so it was a contested rape trial. The evidence showed that she did not consent, and I got a conviction. That was a very satisfying experience.”

While teaching at the Naval Justice School, Fischer also served on the Defense Institute of International Legal Studies (DIILS) mobile education teams. Composed of members of all branches of the military, the teams work with partner nations to build capacity and implement democratic rule of law and equitable military justice systems.

Fischer served on a team deployed to Moldova shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

“The folks in Moldova had just gained independence,” she said. “They were operating under the Soviet system and were very interested in how we ran our military justice system. They found it interesting that if a sailor got in trouble, he or she could go to a legal services office and have a Navy

Capt. Anne Fischer in Primary Flight Control, seven stories above the flight deck of the USS Carl Vinson. As a new Navy Judge Advocate, Fischer went on ships to provide legal services to sailors and learn about fleet operations.

lawyer assigned to represent them, advocate for them, and make sure they got a fair trial. For us in the U.S., we think, of course they have rights. They should be represented, they should have a hearing, they should be able to present evidence and call witnesses. At the time, these concepts were new to Moldova.”

Fischer later served on a DIILS team in Mozambique, a former Portuguese colony that was recovering from a protracted civil war and transitioning from a Marxist regime to a democratic system. The training introduced Mozambique Armed Defense Forces to the rule of law, human rights and civilian control of the military. It also provided an opportunity for rival factions within the military and civilian leadership to come together and discuss their differences and build relationships.

Both assignments in Mozambique and Moldova

were fascinating to Fischer. “Seeing firsthand the living conditions in former communist nations was very eye-opening and gave me a greater appreciation for how fortunate we are in the United States.”

Despite the hardships, the people she met in both countries were warm and friendly. “It was gratifying to get to know the military personnel in these countries,” she said. “My experiences reinforced the concept that most people in this world want the same things — life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, as our nation’s founders so eloquently wrote.”

After three years stationed in Italy, and another three years working for the commander of the Navy’s West Coast ballistic missile submarine fleet near Seattle, Fischer is now based in D.C. There she has worked at the Washington Navy Yard and the Pentagon in legislative affairs and as executive assistant and special counsel to the General Counsel of the Navy.

The Navy offers post-graduate education for lawyers in three areas: international law, environmental law and trial advocacy. Fischer earned an LL.M. in environmental law from George Washington University Law School and put her expertise to work on Capitol Hill, helping to address concerns raised by environmental groups about the effect of Navy sonar training on marine mammals.

“This became a significant issue that included litigation in the 9th Circuit and before the Supreme Court, and had the potential to negatively impact Navy training and readiness,” she said. “We had to finalize environmental compliance documents, rebut plaintiffs’ challenges in court, address public comments, and respond to congressional inquiries. On the Hill, our objectives included helping members of Congress better understand both the effect of sonar on marine mammals, and the strategic importance of Navy sonar training.”

The Navy posts specially trained marine-mammal lookouts on all vessels equipped with sonar and follows stringent measures to avoid marine mammals during training exercises, Fischer said. “These measures are effective in preventing impacts to marine mammals.”

On the Hill, in the courts, and in the press, Fischer played a key role in the Navy’s ability to inform and successfully rebut challenges to Navy operations.

Fischer continues to serve as a Division Director in the Office of the Judge Advocate General and as Admiralty Counsel of the Navy, a role she assumed in 2012.

“My philosophy was as long as I’m having fun I’m going to take another set of orders,” Fischer said.

“I continue to find it fulfilling and fun, so I continue to serve.” — Emily Sharp

KU LAW MAGAZINE 13

Jayhawks in the JAG

LTC Mark Hoover, L’99 From most forward-deployed location in the Pacific, Air Force lawyer helps defend South Korean way of life

S

Lt. Col. Mark Hoover serves as Staff Judge Advocate for the 51st Fighter Wing at Osan Air Base in South Korea. Opposite: Hoover deployed from March to July 2010 with the 451st Air Expeditionary Wing to Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan.

14 KU LAW MAGAZINE

candal at one of the nation’s largest military training grounds began capturing national attention in 2011, when news broke of sexual misconduct charges against instructors at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas.

As allegations multiplied and trials commenced, reporters relied on Lt. Col. Mark Hoover, L’99, to answer their questions about the proceedings.

“For about six months, I sat in the courtroom as media liaison for all the trials,” said Hoover, who was then stationed in the Staff Judge Advocate Office at Joint Base San Antonio. “The New York Times, Washington Post, NBC – they were all really interested in how the Air Force was going to handle these allegations of sexual misconduct against trainees. It was a learning experience to try to translate the military justice system for people who aren’t used to it.”

Ultimately, authorities identified more than 60 recruits as victims of sexual assault or other improper conduct by 32 training instructors between 2009 and 2012.

Less than a year later, Hoover found himself deployed with NATO’s International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, where he advised on U.S. troop levels and ongoing involvement in the country’s security.

“I provided advice on pieces of the Bilateral Security Agreement and the NATO Status of Forces Agreement. After I left, they both got signed,” Hoover said.

“Looking back, it’s neat to know that I worked on some pretty significant policy decisions, not just for the U.S., but for NATO.”

Hoover could never have imagined such a whirlwind career when he was

majoring in political science at Kansas State University with no clear vision for his future. Although his undergraduate constitutional law course piqued his interest, he admits to enrolling in law school more to put off “growing up and getting a job.” But the lawyer’s way of analyzing problems and applying fact patterns started clicking for Hoover during his 2L year, and he joined the Air Force JAG soon after graduation.

“It was a four-year commitment with the promise of getting into the courtroom quickly, gaining skills and performing government service. Next thing I know, we’ve been in almost 16 years,” said Hoover, whose wife, Dayna, and sons Jacob and Micah have moved with him to 10 homes in seven locations. “For a guy who had essentially lived in Kansas my whole life, the Air Force has taken me to 35 different countries. It’s definitely been exciting for us.”

Now stationed at Osan Air Base, South Korea, Hoover serves as Staff Judge Advocate for the 51st Fighter Wing at the most forward-deployed location in the Pacific.

“We’re about 48 miles south of the DMZ that divides South Korea from North Korea. We’re right at the tip of the spear,” he said. “Our mission is to defend our base and support combat operations that deter North Korea from aggression.”

Hoover’s team provides legal advice to the wing commander and handles everything from consumer disputes and family law matters on the civil side to minor disciplinary issues and full-blown courts-martial on the criminal side. They also participate in exercises that ensure the base can swiftly launch fighter jets if the installation comes under attack.

“If you want to go to work every day and think you’re doing one thing but you never know what’s going to happen, that’s pretty much life in the Air Force,” Hoover said. “You will end up going places that you never thought you’d go and meeting people and doing things that you really can’t imagine.”

Case in point: Hoover has worn a 9mm handgun on his hip when appearing in court.

The military didn’t routinely arm its lawyers in 2001 during his first Osan Air Base deployment to Saudi South Korea Arabia. But as the global war on terror expanded, Hoover serves that practice evolved, as Staff Judge and the standard issue for Advocate for Hoover’s 2013 mission in the 51st Fighter Afghanistan included a Wing. handgun and an M4 rifle.

“You don’t think of giving guns to the lawyers,” he said. “If we’re the ones shooting, then we’ve got problems.”

That level of adventure wouldn’t be attractive to every law school graduate. But Hoover has thrived on the variety of professional experiences and the opportunity to serve his country.

“We’re going to stay in as long as it’s fun and good for our family,” he said. “Some people love it, and some people do their four years and say, ‘I’m glad I served.’ Whether you give four years or 40 years, the fact is you raised your right hand and stood up. It’s really an honor.” — Mindie Paget

BRANCH: U.S. AIR FORCE

If you want to go to work every day and think you’re doing one thing but you never know what’s going to happen, that’s pretty much life in the Air Force.”

KU LAW MAGAZINE 15

Jayhawks in the JAG

LTC Pamela Cater, L’87 Army Reservist with Germany-to-Texas commute relishes public service career that straddles military, civilian spheres

W When we were saying farewells, the Ukrainian officer, who had trained in a Russian military academy, said, ‘Growing up, you were the enemy, and now I realize you’re a person just like everyone else.

I realize that you have a family and you want everything I want.’”

16 KU LAW MAGAZINE

hile the JAG Corps often attracts young law school graduates looking for adventure, for Lt. Col. Pamela Cater it brought the promise of professional development, leadership experience and stability for a young family.

When Cater applied for the Corps, she had already married, launched a successful legal career and had a young child.

“I had several close friends in law school, and one of them was the wife of an active duty JAG officer at Fort Riley,” Cater said. “That was my first contact with anyone in JAG Corps. It got me thinking about the corps as a career.”

Though the JAG Corps was long on the back of Cater’s mind, she waited until the timing was right to apply, pursuing other priorities first. She took a full-time job with the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services, had a child, and moved to McPherson, Kansas, where she worked as a child support enforcement attorney.

Cater preferred Reserve duty to active duty so her family would not be periodically uprooted and her husband could focus on his budding engineering career. A serendipitous twist of fate put Cater in touch with a court reporter who served in an Army Reserve JAG unit and connected Cater with a recruiter.

Once Cater submitted her application, the process moved quickly. She took leave from her job to attend basic training, then began her Reserve duty one weekend a month with an Army Reserve legal

BRANCH: U.S. ARMY RESERVE Baumholder Law Center | Germany Cater serves in a civilian capacity as Chief of Client Services in the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate.

She is also a Command Judge Advocate for the 211th Regional Support Group in Corpus Christi, Texas.

services office in Wichita. Her detachment included a team of attorneys available for active duty service, either for deployment or to provide legal office support.

The transition between military and civilian professional life was a seamless one thanks to the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, which provides job protections for service members who must miss work to complete their military duties. Balancing Army Reserve service with civilian job duties was a straightforward process, Cater said.

“I had the one weekend a month, and I generally knew well in advance when I would go in the summer. I provided copies of orders as soon as they were available,” she said.

While working for SRS, Cater volunteered for a deployment to Heidelberg, Germany, where she worked in the post’s legal services office and got her first taste of service overseas. She prepared wills and

Lt. Col. Pamela Cater, second from left, collaborated with officers from Austria, Moldova and Ukraine during a 2008 multinational peacekeeping training exercise in L’Viv, Ukraine.

power of attorney documents, provided family law advice and ran the office’s income tax preparation center.

In 2000, Cater accepted a civilian position with the Army in Baumholder, Germany. She still works there today, providing legal services to military members, retirees, civilian employees and their families. The international nature of her work turns even run-of-themill legal procedures into complex international law questions.

“Say we have a divorce case that involves a German woman married to a service member for 20 years,” Cater said. “Maybe he’s out of the military now, retired, working for the Army as a civilian. This becomes a very complex international law issue. Germany is probably the only place that has jurisdiction for the divorce, because unless you’re active duty military, you keep no U.S. court jurisdiction.

However, the German court has no ability to divide a military retired pension. So how do they divorce in Germany, and how can she assert her right in the U.S. for perhaps 50 percent of his military pension?”

Cater spends much of her time consulting with German colleagues to find the best resolution to joint issues. “I find that after 14 years, I’m the go-to person on conflict of laws, jurisdiction and international law,” she said.

Throughout her time abroad, Cater has continued her service with the Army Reserve. She is currently assigned to a unit in Corpus Christi, Texas, where she travels about once a month to advise a commander who is in charge of 1,300 soldiers. She provides guidance on issues ranging from civil and administrative law, to labor and employment, fiscal law, property loss and disciplinary actions.

Cater has also participated in multinational peacekeeping training exercises with soldiers from around the world — the first contact many have had with Americans.

“Our role is to take the lead, work side-by-side to walk them through appropriate use of force, rule of law — concepts they sometimes have not been exposed to before,” Cater said.

She recalls one exercise she completed with attorneys from Austria, Moldova and Ukraine.

“We met with them regularly, got to know each other, had the chance to teach them about rule of law,” Cater said. “When we were saying farewells, the Ukrainian officer, who had trained in a Russian military academy, said, ‘Growing up, you were the enemy, and now I realize you’re a person just like everyone else. I realize that you have a family and you want everything I want.’

“That was quite a breakthrough. We started a dialogue, a thought process that would take root in their military, and I’m sure it had an effect.”

Aside from a rewarding career, Cater’s family has soaked up the perks of life abroad.

“It’s absolutely beautiful over here,” Cater said.

“The community is probably 30 percent American. I live near Ramstein Air Force Base, and you can have as much or as little of America as you want. We enjoy living here, speaking German, traveling, eating the food.”

Cater’s daughter was 8 years old when the family moved to Germany, and her international upbringing has given her a perspective that many Americans do not have, even in adulthood.

“She opened a social studies book one time and saw a sculpture and said, ‘Look, Mom, we saw that in Rome in St. Peter’s Basilica!’” Cater said. “And I said, ‘No, it was in the Parthenon,’ and I realized she’s actually able to see these things instead of just reading about them in books.”

— Emily Sharp

KU LAW MAGAZINE 17

Jayhawks in the JAG

US NAVY

The USS Stark heads to port in May 1987 after being struck by two Iraqi missiles within 30 seconds in the Persian Gulf. Thirty-seven sailors were killed. U.S. Navy Capt.

Dennis Mandsager, L’76, now retired, was part of the team tasked with investigating the tragedy and recommending corrective action to prevent similar future attacks.

CAPT Dennis Mandsager, L’76 Retired captain who helped rewrite rules of engagement after Stark attack now teaching students from around world

I

n 1987, as the Iran-Iraq war raged, the USS Stark was hit by two Iraqi missiles during a patrol off the Saudi Arabian coast. Capt. Dennis Mandsager, L’76, was sent to the Gulf to investigate.

“When we reported to the Stark, it was still on fire,” Mandsager said.

“Thirty-seven people had been killed.

It was very intense for everybody on the team.”

A Navy JAG Corps officer, Mandsager and his colleagues were tasked with conducting an investigation and building a case, much like

18 KU LAW MAGAZINE

civilian lawyers do. The team conducted a formal hearing, presented evidence and heard statements from defense counsel representing parties to the investigation.

“The difference from a criminal case in the civilian world is intense pressure to find out what happened very quickly,” Mandsager said.

“There was little time to prepare or do discovery. We would gather stacks of statements and lots of evidence to give to the defense team at night, then in the morning we would start again with the hearing. It was a full month

of 19- to 20-hour days and lots of pressure to find out what happened, determine any lessons learned and take corrective action to prevent a similar attack from happening again.”

Mandsager’s team concluded that the Stark’s tactical officers were derelict in the performance of their duties and did not properly defend their ship, leaving it vulnerable to attack.

“It was a tragic accident that probably could have been prevented. It did result in important lessons learned that, in my view, have saved lives,” Mandsager said.

Corrective actions were taken as a result of the investigation’s findings, including significantly enhanced rules of engagement training.

Now retired, Mandsager always knew he wanted to serve his country in the military.

“I was in Navy ROTC in college,” Mandsager said.

“My dad was in the Army National Guard during World War II. He always encouraged the military. Ever since junior year of high school, I was looking forward to it.”

After completing his undergraduate degree at Iowa State and two tours of duty aboard Navy destroyers, Mandsager spent a brief period in Vietnam. At the time, the U.S. policy of “vietnamization” called for ending U.S. involvement in the war while transferring the task of fighting to the South Vietnamese. Before this tour, Mandsager was sent to Vietnamese language school, which proved to be good preparation for law school.

Mandsager and his fellow soldiers spent many hours studying in a rigorous classroom environment.

After his service, Mandsager took unpaid leave from the Navy to pursue law school. When he arrived at Green Hall, he found a diverse atmosphere, with a number of veterans among the student body.

“We had a broad mix of younger people who were 22 and just graduated, some folks in their 40s, then a number of us in our mid-20s with spouses and children, so it was a real mix in the classroom,” Mandsager said.

“After the first year of law school, we were totally broke.

My wife was a teaching assistant, and the Navy didn’t pay much. We didn’t have significant savings.”

Mandsager learned about the Navy Law Education program, which paid to educate naval officers in exchange for JAG Corps service after graduation. With the financial burden of law school alleviated, he embraced his future BRANCH: as a career naval officer.

U.S. NAVY As a JAG Corps officer, (RET.) Mandsager’s roles ranged from staffing Navy legal International offices, to teaching at the Institute of Humanitarian Naval Justice School, to Law | Sanremo, Italy serving at sea and in the Now retired from the Navy, Navy’s Washington, D.C., Mandsager serves on the headquarters. He earned Council of the International a graduate degree in Institute of Humanitarian international relations Law, where he teaches an and developed a specialty annual course on rules of in international law. engagement.

Now retired from the Navy and service on the U.S. Naval War College faculty, Mandsager works with the International Institute of Humanitarian Law in Sanremo, Italy, where he serves on the Council (board of directors) and teaches an annual course on rules of engagement. Students from around the world — military and government officials, academics, development experts, NGO directors — meet to study subjects ranging from international law, to rules of engagement, to the law of war, peace operations and crisis management.

“We have students from all around the world, including nations the U.S. doesn’t get along with terribly well,” Mandsager said. “To lecture on a sensitive topic, engage in debate, then go out for a glass of wine and pizza — that’s what makes it enjoyable.” — Emily Sharp

It was a tragic accident that probably could have been prevented. It did result in important lessons learned that, in my view, have saved lives.”

KU LAW MAGAZINE 19

Jayhawks in the JAG

MG Butch Tate, L’82 Retired officer who ascended to Army’s No. 2 attorney followed clients wherever mission demanded, even airborne

H

When Maj. Gen. Butch Tate, L’82, retired in 2014 after 32 years in the Army, he had risen to Deputy Judge Advocate General, a position that placed him among the top two military attorneys in the Army.

Opposite: Tate met fellow Jayhawk Capt. Shawn Atkins during his 2009 Afghanistan deployment.

20 KU LAW MAGAZINE

ow many lawyers do you know who would jump out of a plane to be with their clients? Maj. Gen. Clyde “Butch” Tate did it for a dozen years while supporting airborne and special operations units in the U.S. Army JAG Corps.

“I was scared every time I jumped, injured a couple of times. But if your clients find their way to the battlefield by parachute, you need to be with them.

Otherwise, you’re of no service,” said Tate, L’82. “That’s been what has changed so much in the last 13 years is the proximity of the legal support to the battlefield.

It’s no longer, ‘We’ll be back at the office.

Give us a call if you need us.’”

That shift occurred after 9/11, when the U.S. went to war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Counterinsurgency efforts waged in towns and villages dramatically changed the dynamics of warfare, and lawyers had to move near the front lines to answer questions about rules of engagement, detainees and other operational issues.

“There’s an element of adventure and excitement. If you don’t have a taste for that, I’m not sure you’re going to enjoy a career in the military,” said Tate, who retired in 2014 after 32 years in the Army.

“I served the last 13 years of my career during one of the most challenging times in the nation’s history.”

His final appointment as Deputy Judge Advocate General placed him among the top two military attorneys in the Army. Tate’s rise to that position included stints as a prosecutor, legal advisor to special operations and airborne units, and senior legal advisor for the Multinational Corps in Iraq, which he described as his single “most life-shaping assignment.”

“We were responsible for prosecuting

the cases stemming from the abuse at Abu Ghraib,” he said.

“We provided advice to commanders in combat to enable the success of their mission to hold the first free election in Iraq. To know that you were part of that is extremely rewarding.”

Tate knew in high school that he wanted to be a lawyer and a soldier. He watched his father rise from private to colonel in the Army, surrounded by fellow service members who bonded over the camaraderie of focusing on a single goal — the nation’s defense. At the same time, his government teacher at Leavenworth High School imparted a respect for the law as a noble profession.

Tate met his future wife, Lynn, in 10th grade and followed her to the University of Kansas. He joined ROTC as a sophomore, was commissioned in 1979 and deferred active duty until after law school.

“Any school could have prepared me academically, and KU Law certainly did that,” Tate said. “But there was also strong encouragement for public service.”

Tate vividly remembers representing inmates at the Lansing State Penitentiary as a student in the Defender Project. “All of a sudden, you’re not in the classroom anymore. You have to figure out how to apply all those things you learned when you’re face-to-face with your client.”

That hands-on experience served him well in the JAG, where his dizzying variety of titles included director of the Army’s federal litigation and procurement fraud programs, Army liaison to Congress, ethics official, professor, commandant of the ABA-accredited U.S. Army JAG’s Legal Center and School, and chief judge of the Army’s Court of Criminal Appeals.

“There’s a certain charge that comes from taking on a new portfolio of responsibility every two or three years,” Tate said. “It’s challenging, it’s fun — it’s daunting sometimes.”

And not just intellectually. More than 30 members of the U.S. Army JAG Corps have been wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan, Tate said, and seven have died. Like their colleagues in combat, military lawyers can experience

circumstances that lead to post-traumatic stress disorder.

Lockheed Martin

To help meet the needs Arlington, of struggling veterans, Virginia Tate took a post-retirement leadership position at Justice for Vets, a nonprofit creating a national network of Now retired from the Veterans Treatment Courts.

Army, Tate serves as Although he left that role associate general counsel to become associate general for Lockheed Martin’s counsel for Lockheed Washington Operations.

Martin’s Washington Operations, Tate still serves as chair of the ABA Standing Committee on Legal Assistance for Military Personnel, co-chair of the ABA Coordinating Committee on Veterans Benefit Services and a member of the KU Alumni Association’s Veteran’s Advisory Board.

“There are so many ways for someone to be engaged in public service. That’s what I tell students when I come and talk at the law school,” Tate said. “One of the great privileges of living in this country is getting an opportunity to make it better.” — Mindie Paget

BRANCH: U.S. ARMY (RET.)

I was scared every time I jumped, injured a couple of times.

But if your clients find their way to the battlefield by parachute, you need to be with them. Otherwise, you’re of no service.”

KU LAW MAGAZINE 21

Jayhawks in the JAG

Climbing the ranks Young graduates achieving success early in their careers

Lt. Col. Ashley Richards, L’05 Legal Advisor, Korea Air and Space Operations Center, Headquarters 7th Air Force, Osan Air Base, Korea Lt. Col. Ashley Richards began her Air Force career on an ROTC scholarship to study engineering at Duke University. After four years in the Air Force, she began law school at KU.

“The principal reason I chose the military was that I love the commitment to service. Most who serve are doing it for the greater good and not for personal or financial gain,” Richards said. “I love the variety of locations and positions. I am continually challenged, and as soon as I get comfortable it is time to move and learn something new.”

Upon her graduation from KU Law, Richards began her JAG Corps service with the 48th Fighter Wing at Royal Air Force Lakenheath in the United Kingdom, then served as Chief of Military Justice and Deputy Staff Judge Advocate for the 51st Fighter Wing at Osan Air Base in Korea. She has also served as a strategic policy intern, worked for the Office of the Judge Advocate General, and served as Chief of Readiness and Contingency Operations for the Operations and International Law Directorate

22 KU LAW MAGAZINE

at the Pentagon. In her current role, she provides legal advice to guide the Korea Air and Space Operations Center’s efforts to plan, execute, monitor and assess air, space and information operations.

“I am required to take massive amounts of information, distill it to a layman’s understanding and advocate for the right course of action,” Richards said. “It has sharpened my analysis because I have to be ready to respond coherently and correctly at a moment’s notice.”

Capt. Danielle Crowder, L’10 Assistant Staff Judge Advocate, 19th Airlift Wing, Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas Even as a law student, Capt. Danielle Crowder knew she didn’t want to work at a law firm. She met a JAG Corps recruiter at a career fair and was intrigued by the opportunities a military career offered, from travel and a variety of practice areas, to the more active and physical life of a JAG officer.

As an Assistant Staff Judge Advocate, Crowder provides legal services to 10,500 active duty,

Reserve, National Guard and employee civilians at the Little Rock Air Force Base. She received a direct commission as an Air Force Judge Advocate in 2010 and took her first assignment as Chief of Legal Assistance and Adverse Actions with the 31st Fighter Wing at Aviano Air Base in Italy. She has served as Chief of Justice for the 19th Airlift Wing in Little Rock since 2013 and was deployed as a Staff Judge Advocate in Afghanistan from August 2014 to March 2015. In her next assignment, she will be defending military members accused of crimes.

“My husband and I traveled all over Europe while we were stationed in Italy,” she said. “While deployed, I traveled numerous times to different parts of Afghanistan.

Those experiences can’t be replaced.”

The rotating nature of JAG Corps assignments means that officers practice in a variety of areas, from contracts to administrative actions to fiscal, environmental and international law. Officers also provide legal assistance, including wills and family law, and handle criminal caseloads as prosecutors.

“There’s always something different to focus on, which I love,” Crowder said. “The only thing constant is change in the military.

This is also true in the legal world as laws and common practices evolve.

Moving every two years forces you

to stay on your toes and continuously learn. I’m lucky enough to have great training and resources provided to me by the Air Force and the chance to use new skills each day in many areas of the law.”

Capt. Matthew Goble, L’11 Brigade Trial Counsel, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska A Lawrence native, Matthew Goble earned his undergraduate and law degrees at KU. After graduating from law school in May 2011, he attended the Judge Advocate Officer’s Basic Course in Charlottesville, Virginia. He accepted a commission into the U.S. Army in July 2012, serving as a Legal Assistance Attorney and Administrative Law Attorney for the 2nd Infantry Division, Camp Red Cloud, Republic of Korea.

“Going to law school and joining the JAG Corps allowed me to combine a passion — the legal profession — with a sense of duty and obligation,” Goble said.

Goble currently serves as a Brigade Trial Counsel for the 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Joint Base

Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.

“As a Brigade Trial Counsel, I am responsible for military justice issues, focusing primarily on courtsmartial,” Goble said. “My favorite aspect is getting to work with and advise commanders. Being able to provide timely and competent legal advice is an invaluable service and one that ultimately helps our military mission succeed.”

After Goble finishes his current assignment, he will transition to a new duty location and advocate for soldiers as a Trial Defense Counsel.

Lt. Robert Bombard, L’12 Staff Judge Advocate, Naval Station Everett, Everett, Washington Robert Bombard felt the call to serve through his family’s tradition of military service.

“I grew up listening to my father’s stories about being a Marine officer and my grandfather’s experiences as a Marine aviator,” Bombard said. “I sensed their pride and respect for the institution and it made me want to follow in their footsteps.”

After graduating from KU Law in 2012, Robert Bombard commissioned as a Naval officer and attended the Navy’s Officer Development School and the Naval Justice School in Newport, Rhode Island. He is currently closing his first tour at Naval Air Station in Jacksonville,

Florida, where his duties have included prosecution and defense work, administrative law, advising the commanding officer of the Navy base, and providing legal assistance to sailors, dependents and retirees.

Bombard notes that in his brief, three-year career he has lived in three states and has practiced in a variety of areas, experiences he would be hard-pressed to find in the civilian world.

“The military instills teamwork, discipline, and the importance of clear communication,” Bombard said.

“Already in my first three years, I’ve practiced in many different areas of the law and have received excellent mentorship and training. I am receiving a great foundation for my legal career, whether it is with the Navy or in the civilian world.”

Bombard is currently preparing for his next assignment, where he will serve as Staff Judge Advocate of Naval Station Everett in Washington.

— Emily Sharp

KU LAW MAGAZINE 23

Legal lifeline for vets ‘Technology with a social conscience’ to match veterans in need of legal aid with pro bono lawyers willing to take cases

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ISTOCK.COM / CATLANE

24 KU LAW MAGAZINE

t’s an all-too-common scenario. A service member returns home from deployment to find his life in chaos.

Perhaps his driver’s license has been suspended or a lien has been placed on his credit card. Maybe his spouse is challenging the custody of his children or his landlord is demanding thousands of dollars in back rent.

Legal issues exacerbated by military service make it difficult for veterans to resettle into civilian life. Although more agencies and law schools are focusing on providing legal assistance to military personnel and their families, those programs only work if clients ask for help.

“There are psychological impediments to going to see a professional, particularly for veterans with problems,” said Mike Hoeflich, the John H. and John M. Kane Distinguished Professor of Law at KU. “They might be embarrassed. They don’t want to go into a lawyer’s office or a law school clinic and say, ‘Help me.’”

Hoeflich hopes an innovative new model for delivering legal aid to Kansas veterans will help alleviate those barriers to relief.

It’s called Kansas Military Legal Connection, and it capitalizes on the public’s growing comfort with online interaction. When the website is complete, veterans and their families will be able to visit kansasmilitarylegalconnection.org, submit a confidential form with a basic description of their legal issue, and be matched with a licensed attorney in their jurisdiction who has agreed to take pro bono cases in that practice area.

What sets the site apart from projects with similar aims is that Kansas Military Legal Connection automates almost 100 percent of the matching process, much like an online dating service.

Hoeflich calls it “legal technology with a social conscience.”

“The majority of the focus of legal technology developments has been for profit, asking how we can increase efficiency and productivity in law firms and governments,” he said. “We also want to be sure that legal technology can assist nonprofits and those in need of legal services.”

After gaining the support of Kansas Legal Services and the Washburn University School of Law, Hoeflich applied for and received a $5,570 grant from the Kansas Bar Association’s Class Action Residual Fund to develop the project. He hired KU Law alumnus Frank Siler, L’11, to develop the sophisticated, open source website and recruited KU Military Law Society students to conduct initial screenings of online applications.

“I absolutely believe that there are veterans in need of legal services and there are lawyers who are willing to help those folks. What they need is a way to find each other,” said Marilyn Harp, L’79, executive director of Kansas Legal Services. “This program is an exciting way to do that using a high level of technology and minimal people involvement up front. I think it’s a great experiment.”

It’s also a way to engage future lawyers in pro bono work early in their careers. Law students at KU and Washburn will have opportunities to volunteer with attorneys who take cases through the website, providing research and writing support while gaining valuable professional experience.

Siler estimates several hundred attorneys from across Kansas will be needed to make the service valuable to clients in all corners of the state. Attorneys should be able to sign up on the site by mid-summer, answering a few survey questions that will enable the system to match them with potential clients once requests for assistance begin arriving.

Would-be clients will hear about the project through Kansas Legal Services and other referrers. Hoeflich and

PRO BONO LAWYERS NEEDED

Hoeflich

Lawyers interested in providing pro bono legal assistance to veterans and active duty military personnel through Kansas Military Legal Connection can sign up online by visiting KansasMilitaryLegalConnection.org.

Just enter your email address, fill out a brief questionnaire and become part of the site’s matching database.

his team will also spread the word through veterans’ publications and outreach to Veterans Affairs hospitals.

Brig. Gen. Scott Dold, L’90, chief of staff for the Kansas Adjutant General’s Department, supports the project.

“Our veterans have access to our National Guard Judge Advocates; however, our legal staff is fully committed to the day-to-day running of the Kansas National Guard and has limited time for individual legal assistance,” said Dold, who is responsible for managing the Kansas Army and Air National Guard. “Our part-time lawyers simply do not have adequate time to address all veterans’ needs. This website, pairing veterans with civilian lawyers who are willing to help at no cost, is a great step forward to satisfy veterans’ unmet legal issues.”

Once the service is well established, the KBA grant calls for its expansion to law enforcement personnel and their families. But Hoeflich and Siler see even broader potential for the matching model.

“There’s no reason why this couldn’t be done for other kinds of social and professional services,” Siler said. “Soup kitchens could use this framework. It’s open source and will be available for anyone to use for free. We’re hopeful it will be a seed for others.” — Mindie Paget

I absolutely believe that there are veterans in need of legal services and there are lawyers who are willing to help those folks. What they need is a way to find each other.”

— Marilyn Harp, L’79, executive director of Kansas Legal Services

KU LAW MAGAZINE 25

FACULTY NEWS

NEW FACULTY + PROMOTIONS

New leadership revitalizing KU’s Legal Aid Clinic KU LAW STUDENTS ARE ENJOYING a reinvigorated experience in the Legal Aid Clinic as a new director and associate director take the reins.

The new director, Clinical Associate Professor Melanie DeRousse, holds her J.D. from Washington University in St. Louis and her undergraduate degree from the University of Chicago.

She participated in Washington University’s nationally ranked clinical program and previously worked as a legal aid attorney with Legal Services of Eastern Missouri.

Clinical Associate Professor Meredith Schnug, the new associate director, graduated from Miami University in Ohio and also earned her law degree from Washington University. She, too, has extensive experience as a legal aid attorney, including service with the Legal Aid Society of Southwest Ohio.

The pair began work in January to revitalize the 48-year-old in-house general practice clinic by strengthening the seminar component; implementing best practices in pedagogy, practice management and technology; and regenerating community relationships.

PROMOTION & TENURE

MEG KUMIN

Clinical Associate Professors Meredith Schnug, left, and Melanie DeRousse took leadership of KU’s Legal Aid Clinic in January 2015 and are working to strengthen the seminar component; implement best practices in pedagogy, practice management and technology; and regenerate community relationships.

26 KU LAW MAGAZINE

Chancellor Gray-Little approved the University Committee on Promotion and Tenure’s recommendation that Elizabeth Kronk Warner be tenured and promoted to full professor and that Pam Keller be promoted to the rank of clinical professor. Kronk Warner will also begin service as associate dean for academic affairs in June 2015, when Melanie Wilson becomes dean at Tennessee Law.

RETIREMENTS

Three beloved professors teach final KU classes They’ve taught thousands of students over five decades in Green Halls old and new. Now, with nearly 130 years of combined service to KU Law, Professors Mike Davis, Martin Dickinson and Sandy McKenzie are retiring. They taught their last classes in April. We’ll have articles about all three in the next issue. For now, here’s how alumni and students responded to their retirements on Facebook: “Thank you, Professor Davis, for not only making Property, my first class at KU Law, enjoyable, but always remembering my name and talking to me when you saw me around school.

Thank you for your dedication to making KU Law both an academically rigorous but also home-like and caring environment.” —Lauren Summers, 2L

Mike Davis

Sandy McKenzie

“Sandy McKenzie is a great professor.

She was able to balance herself between teaching and being a friend.

She listened and was just a great person to be around. Thanks for making my law school experience memorable. Congratulations on your retirement!” — Enrique Torres, L’93 “Professor Dickinson was my favorite.

One day about two weeks into Income Tax, I asked him a question after class, and he knew my name!

I don’t remember my question, but I’ll never forget that he knew me out of 60-plus students. Also, ‘Pigs get fat, but hogs get slaughtered.’”

— Rebecca Miller, L’88

Martin Dickinson

KU LAW MAGAZINE 27

FACULTY NEWS

RESEARCH

Professor: Universities significantly underreporting sexual assault UNIVERSITIES ARE LIKELY UNDERREPORTING ON-CAMPUS sexual assault, new research by KU Law Professor Corey Rayburn Yung shows. Numbers of sexual assaults increased during periods of audit but remained low when universities weren’t under scrutiny.

Yung analyzed data from 269 universities in the U.S. and found that sexual assault is an estimated 44 percent higher than reported numbers. More than 11,000 schools in the U.S. are required to submit campus crime information to the Department of Education by the Clery Act. Yung limited the study to schools with 10,000 or more students. Since 2001, 31 institutions were audited. Many schools, especially smaller institutions, reported zero sexual assaults.

“I looked at those 31 to see how their numbers changed before the audit, during the audit and after the audit,” Yung said. “Based on their interactions with auditors there seems to be a systematic undercounting.”

The numbers showed that during the 31 investigations, reported sexual assaults rose nearly 44 percent. After the investigations, the rates dropped back to a level statistically indistinguishable from the rates before the audit. Yung

also examined the reported rates of aggravated assault, robbery and burglary.

No statistical variations appeared for those crimes during the investigations.

While they are different crimes, the numbers paint a troubling picture, he says.

“Each of those crimes has a very different dynamic,” Yung said.

“But the only one that shows this fluctuation during the audit is sexual assault.”

Yung suggests increased auditing and more severe punishments for universities that underreport sexual assault. The Campus Accountability and Safety Act, currently before Congress, would increase maximum penalties from $35,000 to $150,000.

“As it is, schools could undercount for decades,” Yung said. “It would be good to have an incentive for schools to count these crimes accurately.” — Mike Krings

ADVOCACY

McAllister argues before U.S. Supreme Court on states’ rights A KU LAW PROFESSOR MADE HIS SECOND APPEARANCE before the U.S. Supreme Court this term, arguing on behalf of Kansas and more than 20 other states in a case focused on natural gas, alleged price fixing and authority between state and federal governments.

Stephen McAllister, the E.S. & Tom W. Hampton Distinguished Professor of Law, argued on behalf of the plaintiffs in ONEOK Inc. v. Learjet Inc. in January. The case centered on natural gas and setting prices for the commodity. The federal government controls the wholesale part of the market, while states can regulate commercial sales, McAllister said. The states argued that their consumer protection laws prevent federal laws on the transportation and sale of natural gas from setting prices artificially high, or “price fixing.”

Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt asked

28 KU LAW MAGAZINE

McAllister, who is also solicitor general for Kansas, to write the amicus brief on behalf of the plaintiffs.

McAllister, who regularly offers legal assistance to the state, made his seventh appearance before the Supreme Court.

“It’s a thrill for me both personally and professionally,” he said.

“I think it speaks well for Kansas and the voice of Kansas when cases such as this show up at the Supreme Court.

Plus, it always gives me something I can bring back to the students and my scholarship.” — Mike Krings

RESEARCH

Tribes can be laboratories in climate change fight SUPREME COURT JUSTICE LOUIS BRANDEIS WROTE THAT states had the opportunity to serve as laboratories, testing new ideas and policies in the American federalist system.

A KU Law professor has authored a study arguing that American tribal governments are in a unique position to serve as laboratories for the fight against climate change, especially given the federal government’s lack of action on the issue.

Professor Elizabeth Kronk Warner, director of KU’s Tribal Law & Government Center, has authored a study examining how 74 tribes in the U.S. are taking the lead in forming laws and measures to fight and adapt to climate change. The tribes are embodying Brandeis’ idea at a critical time and could have lessons to teach the rest of the country.

“That’s how we have viewed states from a legal view, as laboratories for new ideas, but why can’t we view tribes the same way, especially in terms of environmental law where the federal government has really stalled out?”

Kronk Warner said. “I thought it would be interesting to look and see what we can learn from tribes and how it can be applied to states.”

Tribal governments are in a unique position to experiment with environmental law because they often are not bound by the same restrictions and regulations state and federal lawmakers are. That freedom to act not only allows tribes to be creative, it allows them to act more quickly.

“In theory, you could argue that they have more authority than states. They are sovereign entities, and they did exist before the formation of the federal government,” Kronk Warner said. “Tribes can also embrace the idea ‘we don’t need the federal government to be productive. We can do a lot on our own.’” — Mike Krings

law.ku.edu/faculty law.ku.edu/faculty-news

In the news FACULTY EXPERTS “It’s not 100 percent clear that their hand can be forced until there is a definitive Supreme Court ruling. Once there is a definitive Supreme Court ruling, then that becomes binding throughout the country.”

Professor Richard Levy provided expertise for a Guardian article on the U.S. Supreme Court’s failure to extend a hold on the ruling that overturned Alabama’s ban on same-sex marriages.

“It is very heartening that ultimately the process led to the disclosure. That’s a strength of our democracy and of our character.”

Professor Raj Bhala, associate dean for international and comparative law, commented in a KMBC9 News story on the release of a 500-page U.S. Senate report on the CIA’s enhanced interrogation techniques, adding that it was upsetting the report took so long to come out.

“When it comes to sexual assault and rape, the norm for universities and colleges is to downplay the situation and the numbers.

The result is students at many universities continue to be attacked and victimized, and punishment isn’t meted out to the rapists and sexual assaulters.”

U.S. News & World Report reported on Professor Corey Yung’s study, which found that the number of sexual assaults reported at large colleges and universities rose an average of 44 percent during audit periods but then quickly returned to pre-audit levels.

“In constitutional litigation, that very often includes a stay against the implementation of a law.”

The New York Times consulted Professor Richard Levy after a Kansas appellate court suggested that it might block a school financing plan that state lawmakers passed.

KU LAW MAGAZINE 29

FACULTY NEWS

Awards FACULTY KUDOS Outstanding Woman Educator Award recognizes Melanie Wilson’s teaching skills Professor Melanie Wilson, associate dean for academic affairs, received the Outstanding Woman Educator Award April 7 during the 2015 Women’s Recognition Banquet hosted by KU’s Emily Taylor Center for Women & Gender Equity.

The award honors a female professor, instructor or student teaching assistant who, through outstanding teaching skills, has contributed to the academic and personal growth of students.

An expert in her field, Wilson has served as an assistant attorney general in Georgia, has co-authored four books and many scholarly articles, and has won numerous awards and commendations for her work as an attorney and a professor.

Wilson serves as the law school’s director of diversity and inclusion and works to ensure that students feel safe and empowered in every space. This summer, she will become dean of the University of Tennessee College of Law.

Andrew Torrance honored for significant scholarly contributions to his field Professor Andrew Torrance received one of four 2015 University Scholarly Achievement Awards, which recognize midcareer scholars who have made significant scholarly or research contributions to their fields.

Torrance is not only one of the world’s leading scholars on the emerging field of “biolaw,” which is the intersection of law and biological issues, but he also has been instrumental in leading an effort to have it recognized as a field by the American Association of Law Schools. Torrance has published 30 articles on biolaw topics, including co-authoring commentary in Nature Biology, a top biotechnology journal.

Torrance also conducts research in patent law, intellectual property, innovation, food and drug regulation, biotechnology law, biodiversity law and empirical, experimental and big data approaches to the law. His invited presentations include a Google TechTalk at Google’s main campus.

30 KU LAW MAGAZINE

RESEARCH

Professor analyzes role of Iran trade sanctions A KU LAW PROFESSOR has authored an extensive look at the history of trade sanctions against Iran, noting that while they have had their intended effect, the problems are far from over.

Raj Bhala, associate dean for international & comparative law and Rice Distinguished Professor at the KU School of Law, has published “Fighting Iran With Trade Sanctions” in the Arizona Journal of International and Comparative Law.

“The purpose of this article is to explain, analyze and critique the most comprehensive set of trade law sanctions ever imposed by the United States, or any country, against another country,” Bhala said.

Iran’s nuclear ambitions lie at the heart of the disagreements. While Iran claims it is not interested in nuclear weapons and only wants to pursue peaceful nuclear energy, the U.S., Israel and many members of the United Nations claim the world simply cannot allow the country to develop nuclear weapons.

The sanctions have had the intended effect of weakening Iran’s economy, but they have evolved because they did not quell the behaviors they were intended to stop, Bhala said.

The strained relationship between the U.S. and Iran also has the potential to improve. If both sides were able to prevent nuclear armament through sanctions, it would be a triumph of international law and show that negotiations on complex, decades-old problems can work, if they are undertaken in good faith and with empathy.

“I think there’s a lesson of hope here,” Bhala said.

“For almost 40 years our relationship with Iran has been extremely poor. I don’t want to see these problems passed on to my daughter and her generation. This is a problem my generation should fix, and I think we can.”

— Mike Krings

RESEARCH

Faculty scholarship cited by SCOTUS A BOOK BY KU LAW PROFESSOR Chris Drahozal was cited by the U.S. Supreme Court in its March 31 opinion in Armstrong v. Exceptional Child Center, Inc. In reversing the 9th Circuit, the Court held that Medicaid providers do not have a private right of action to challenge a state’s reimbursement rates.

The court cited Drahozal’s book “The Supremacy Clause: A Reference Guide to the United States Constitution” (Praeger Publishers, 2004) to make the historical point that both supporters and opponents of ratifying the Constitution discussed the Supremacy Clause during debates over ratification.

BOOKS

Book examines international development bank KU LAW PROFESSOR JOHN HEAD, the Robert W. Wagstaff Distinguished Professor of Law, has written a book that thoroughly examines the operations of the Asian Development Bank as part of the International Encyclopedia of Law series. Head co-authored this third edition of “Asian Development Bank” with Xing Lijuan, L’12 SJD, law professor at the City University of Hong Kong.

One of four of the world’s regional multilateral development banks, the Asian Development Bank was founded in 1967 as a way to help countries develop through infrastructure projects. Over the years, much criticism has been leveled at the bank for how it operates, where its funding comes from and its resistance to change and improvement.

“Enormous misunderstanding of the multilateral development banks — including the Asian Development

and the World Bank as well — exists around the world,” Head said.

“In other books, I have offered my own critiques of these institutions, including the ADB. In this book I try to explain more about how that particular institution works, hoping this can serve as a firm factual foundation for considering how it can and should be improved.”

An expert in international commerce and investment, international economic law and comparative law, Head is intimately familiar with the book’s topic. In the 1980s, he was a staff attorney for the Asian Development Bank, headquartered in Manila, Philippines, and later served as legal counsel for the International Monetary Fund in Washington, D.C. In those roles he learned the value of possessing a deeper understanding of varying legal systems and cultures before offering criticism. Both legal and cultural problems are much more likely to be understood and workable solutions reached with cross-cultural understanding, he said. — Mike Krings

SELECTED BOOKS FALL 2014-SPRING 2015 Statutory Analysis in the Regulatory State Foundation Press | Richard Levy (with Robert Glicksman) Administrative Law: Agency Action in Legal Context Foundation Press, 2nd ed.

Richard Levy (with Robert Glicksman) Jurisdiction and Forum Selection Thomson Reuters/West 2014-15 Update Laura Hines (with Robert Casad) Kansas Civil Jury Instruction Companion Handbook 2014-2015 West Thomson Lou Mulligan (with Robert Casad)

KU LAW MAGAZINE 31

ALUMNI NEWS 1

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2

5

3

6

7

32 KU LAW MAGAZINE

8

Alumni events The 20th Annual Diversity in Law Banquet and the 50/50+ Reunion brought alumni from many generations back to Lawrence this spring.

9

10

1

Jaime Whitt, L’15, left, visits with Michael Stipetich, L’03, who founded OUTLaws & Allies during his time as a KU Law student. The student organization hosted this year’s Diversity in Law Banquet on March 6.

2

Marie Haynes, L’05, left, and Rachel Smith, L’99, catch up with Dean Stephen Mazza during the Diversity Banquet.

3

Anna Kowalewski, L’09, recruiting and diversity coordinator at Stinson Leonard Street LLP, converses with tablemates during dinner at the Diversity Banquet, held this year at the beautiful Arterra Event Gallery.

4

Ashley Dillon, L’13, enjoys introductory remarks by 3L Jake McMillian, vice president of OUTLaws & Allies, during the Diversity Banquet.

5

Kimberly Jones, L’94, of Seyferth Blumenthal & Harris LLC delivers the keynote address during the Diversity Banquet.

6

OUTLaws & Allies chose “History | Struggle | Progress” as the theme for the 2015 Diversity Banquet, capturing the trajectory of the LGBTQ rights movement.

7

Leah Terranova, left, director of career services, has a laugh with Chief Justice Lawton Nuss, L’82, of the Kansas Supreme Court, and his wife, Barbara.

8

Members of the Class of 1965 gathered for their 50th class reunion dinner on April 10 at The Eldridge Hotel.

Back row (l-r): Tim Emert, John Richeson, Brad Brehm, George Blackwood and David All. Middle row (l-r): Ernest Alderman, Don Culp, Dave Hederstedt, Marshall Crowther, Jim Logan and Gordon Penny. Front row (l-r): Topper Johntz, Karen Johnson, Jim Lawing and Dean Stephen Mazza.

9

Bob Meeker, L’63, left, meets Kathy Roeder, the guest of Charlie Wetzler, L’63, center, over cocktails at the 50/50+ Reunion Dinner on April 11 at the Adams Alumni Center.

10 Marshall Crowther, L’65, catches up with friends and

classmates during the 50/50+ Reunion Dinner in April.

Photos by Earl Richardson, L’08

KU LAW MAGAZINE 33

ALUMNI NEWS

KELSEY KIMBERLIN

VOLUNTEER HONOR ROLL

Stefani Hepford, L’03, meets her mentee during the 1L Mentor Reception in October 2014 in Green Hall. Top: Christi Bright, L’95, and her husband, Michael, of the Bright Family Law Center LLC in Overland Park, visit with students at Legal Career Options Day at the Kansas Union Ballroom.

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 2014 to April 2015. If you are aware of omissions or errors, please contact Mindie Paget at mpaget@ku.edu.

34 KU LAW MAGAZINE

GUEST LECTURERS, SPEAKERS AND PANELISTS

MOOT COURT JUDGES AND COACHES

Erin Anderson, L’00 Rae Anderson Nicholson, L’08 Joan Archer, L’92 Laci Boyle, L’09 Emilie Burdette, L’05 Cathleen Carothers, L’99 Hatem Chahine, L’01 Crissa Cook, L’07 Stephen J. Craig, L’73 Toby Crouse, L’00 Mark Dodd, L’06 Anne Emert, L’05 Mark Emert, L’05 Tyler Epp, L’03 Alison Erickson, L’09 Robert Flynn, L’06 Andoni Garrote, L’13 Paula Hahn, L’81 Katie Harpstrite, L’07 Mark Hinderks, L’82 Cmdr. Mark Holley, L’95 Michele Kraak, L’14 Cory Lagerstrom, L’98 Hon. Steve Leben, L’82 Travis Lenkner, L’05 Kelli Lieurance, L’05 Steve McAllister, L’88 Logan McRae, L’11 Melanie Morgan, L’93 Kevin O’Connor, L’92 James Pottorff Jr., L’84 Craig Reaves, L’78 David Rebein, L’80 Erik Rome, L’12 Anne Gepford Smith, L’10 Rachel Smith, L’99 Patrick Stueve, L’87 Jeffrey Stowell, L’01 Sarah Swain, L’01 S. Lee Meigs Taylor, L’82 Derek Teeter, L’06 Earl Tjaden, L’75 Rene Ugarte, L’13 Monte Vines, L’81 Jabari Wamble, L’06 Burton Warrington, L’09 Samantha Woods, L’13 Corey Ziegler, L’98

Samantha Clark, L’12 Mike Crabtree, L’77 Craig Evans, L’85 Lindsey Grise, L’11 Lindsay Heinz, L’09 Ryan Hudson, L’05 Beau Jackson, L’09 Nate Lindsey, L’12 Kenneth Lynn, L’81 Jill Moenius, L’12 Eddie Penner, L’12 Shon Qualseth, L’97 Bill Sampson, L’71 Mark Samsel, L’10 Kelley Sears, L’74 Bruno Simoes, L’13 Hon. Dale Somers, L’71 Jacob Wamego, L’14 Stanley Woodworth, L’78

1L MENTORS Chesney Allen, L’11 Collin Altieri, L’01 Jennifer Ananda, L’10 Caroline Bader, L’09 Curtis Barnhill, L’90 Lisa Bolliger, L’12 Carly Boothe, L’06 Trent Byquist, L’13 James Carter, L’12 Timothy Davis, L’10 Erika DeMarco, L’06 Alison Erickson, L’09 Alan Fogleman, L’11 Christopher Grenz, L’10 Stefani Hepford, L’03 Jonathan Hines, L’13 Martha Hodgesmith, L’78 William Hurst, L’06 Brandon Kane, L’05 Chris Kaufman, L’10 Anna Landis, L’10 Heather Landon, L’00 Jennifer Elle Marino, L’13 Jack McInnes, L’04 Demetrius Peterson, L’09 Richard Raimond, L’06 Erica Ramsey, L’10

Curtis Barnhill, L’90, counsels his mentee during the 1L Mentor Reception in October at KU Law. Top: Robert Flynn, L’06, of the Flynn Law Firm in Kansas City, Missouri, speaks to students at the Small and Midsize Firms Fair in January 2015.

Barbara Reinard, L’12 Rachel Rolf, L’07 Cary Smalley, L’05 Joshua Smith, L’10 Katie Studt, L’07 Kristen Toner, L’06 Amanda Voth, L’07 Burton Warrington, L’09 Christine White, L’05

LEGAL CAREER FAIRS Robert Allison-Gallimore, L’05 Curtis Barnhill, L’90 Diane Bellquist, L’02 Stacey Blakeman, L’09 Ryan Boyer, L’13 Christi Bright, L’95 Kathleen Britton, L’07

Laura Brooks, L’04 Ryan Brunton, L’02 Brad Burke, L’01 Trent Byquist, L’13 Michael Cappo, L’13 James Carter, L’12 Kelley Catlin, L’05 David Clauser, L’92 Ebonie Davis, L’13 Bryan Didier, L’04 Emily Disney, L’13 Kip Elliott, L’95 Michael Fischer, L’07 Robert Flynn, L’06 Vera May Gannaway, L’94 Rebekah Gaston, L’05 Julia Gilmore-Gaughan, L’08 Kate Gleeson, L’11

KU LAW MAGAZINE 35

ALUMNI NEWS

KELSEY KIMBERLIN

Rene Ugarte, L’13, speaks with students about opportunities with the Missouri State Public Defender’s Office during Legal Career Options Day in November 2014 at the Kansas Union Ballroom.

36 KU LAW MAGAZINE

Matthew Gough, L’05 Jeremy Graber, L’09 David Green, L’14 William Griffin, L’04 Marilyn Harp, L’79 Grant Harse, L’10 Marie Haynes, L’05 Garth Herrmann, L’06 Christina Holland, L’00 Neal Johnson, L’09 Chris Kaufman, L’10 Paul Klepper, L’09 Linda Koester-Vogelsang, L’90 Chad Kyle, L’11 Anna Landis, L’10 William LeMaster, L’03 Meghan Lowry, L’14 Katherine Marples, L’14 Casey Meek, L’08 Jo Mettenburg Zenk, L’99 Timothy Miller, L’12 Natalie Nelson, L’12 Timothy O’Brien, L’83 Julie Parisi, L’13 Braden Perry, L’02 Demetrius Peterson, L’09 Sara Pfeiffer, L’09 G. Joseph Pierron, L’71

Judy Pottorff, L’84 Christopher Reed, L’06 Andrew Ricke, L’10 Peter Riggs, L’04 Rachel Rolf, L’07 Mark Samsel, L’10 Mohitindervi Sandhu, L’13 Christopher Scott, L’08 Adam Siebers, L’10 Peter Simonsen, L’10 Michael Slack, L’09 Libby Snider, L’99 Henry Thomas, L’12 Kenneth Titus, L’14 Rene Ugarte, L’13 Molly Walsh, L’09 Jabari Wamble, L’06 Robert Williams, L’14 Joanna Wochner, L’12 Lucas Wohlford, L’09 Samantha Woods, L’13 Ashlee Yager, L’14 Daniel Yoza, L’08

SUPERVISORS FOR CLINICAL STUDENTS Nicole Proulx Aiken, L’08 Chesney Allen, L’11

Sarah Lynn Baltzell, L’08 Doug Bonney, L’85 John Bullock, L’91 Mitch Chaney, L’81 Leland Cox, L’81 Hon. Daniel Crabtree, L’81 Stan Davis, former faculty Hon. Robert Fairchild, L’73 Lindsay Grise, L’11 Hon. Paul Gurney, L’82 Elizabeth Hafoka, L’07 Kellie Hogan, L’95 Hon. Janice Miller Karlin, L’80 Hon. Peggy Carr Kittel, L’83 Anna Landis, L’10 Hon. Tim Lahey, L’84 Hon. John Lungstrum, L’70 Hon. Michael Malone, L’73 Charles Marvine, L’96 Robert McCully, L’85 Lori McGroder, L’89 Hon. Carlos Murguia, L’82 Scott Nehrbass, L’93 Timothy O’Brien, L’83 Shon Qualseth, L’97 Bethany Roberts, L’03 Hon. Julie Robinson, L’81 Rachel Rolf, L’07 Bill Sampson, L’71 Stephen Scheve, L’81 Michael Smith, L’89 Jon Strongman, L’02 Nancy Ulrich, L’83 Hon. Kathryn Vratil, L’75 Hon. Richard Walker, L’73 Jabari Wamble, L’06 Hon. William Woolley, L’86 Dan Zmijewski, L’03

ON-CAMPUS INTERVIEWS William Bahr, L’97 Sarah Baltzell, L’08 Geron Bird, L’01 Laci Boyle, L’09 Shannon Braun, L’04 Kathleen Britton, L’07 Ryan Brunton, L’02 Erika DeMarco, L’06 Mark Dodd, L’06 Andrew Ellis, L’11

Rebekah Gaston, L’05 Julia Gilmore-Gaughan, L’08 Matthew Gough, L’05 Steven Gough, L’76 Christopher Grenz, L’10 William Griffin, L’04 Andrew Halaby, L’96 Tyler Heffron, L’05 Garth Herrmann, L’06 Robert Hoffman, L’93 Mark Holley, L’95 Heather Jones, L’00 Laurel Kupka, L’11 Adam LaBoda, L’04 Brad LaForge, L’01 Lee Legleiter, L’11 Kelli Lieurance, L’05 Carrie McAtee, L’03 Christopher McHugh, L’00 Sarah Millin, L’03 David Morantz, L’05 Casey Murray, L’05 Jeffrey Nichols, L’99 Andrew Nolan, L’98 Bill Sampson, L’71 Mark Samsel, L’10 Ryan Schletzbaum, L’09 Christopher Scott, L’08 Peter Simonsen, L’10 Luke Sinclair, L’08 Darin Stowell, L’04 Michael Sullivan, L’74 Molly Walsh, L’09 Jabari Wamble, L’06 Tom Weilert, L’75 Kevin Wempe, L’14 Samantha Woods, L’13

MOCK INTERVIEWS Michael Cappo, L’13 Crystal Cook, L’13 Jonathan Davis, L’05 Bryan Didier, L’04 Mark Dodd, L’06 Lori Dougherty-Bischel, L’06 Robert Flynn, L’06 Jeremy Graber, L’09 Alicia Kirkpatrick, L’09 Kyle Kitson, L’13 Kelli Lieurance, L’05

Kelley Sears, L’74 Jabari Wamble, L’06 Issaku Yamaashi, L’00 Holly Zane, L’86 Gabe Zorogastua, L’07

KANSAS CITY OUTREACH COMMITTEE Gene Balloun, L’54 Eric Barton, L’93 Adam Gasper, L’08 Don Giffin, L’53 Robert Hoffman, L’93 John Jurcyk Jr., L’57 William Mahood III, L’93 Jeff Morris, L’93 Stephen Six, L’93 John Snyder, L’94 Frank Taylor, L’75

NEW MEMBERS OF BOARD OF GOVERNORS

KELSEY KIMBERLIN

Demetrius Peterson, L’09, visits with students about opportunities at the U.S. Department of Education during Legal Career Options Day in November 2014.

Top: Dan Zmijewski, L’03, center, provides feedback to students during the Deposition Skills Workshop in January 2015 at Green Hall.

Lauren Luhrs, L’13 Terelle Mock, L’03 Christopher Nelson, L’12 Richard Raimond, L’06 Jason Romero, L’09 William Sampson, L’71 Henry Thomas, L’12 Todd Thompson, L’82 Emily Vijayakirthi, L’04

MISCELLANEOUS Mark Dodd, L’06 Michele Kraak, L’14 Linda Legg, L’75 Zach Marten, L’05 Eric Namee, L’84 Holly Nielsen, L’82 Craig Reaves, L’78

SEPT

18

Katie Studt, L’07 Jabari Wamble, L’06 Burton Warrington, L’09 Alyssa Williamson, L’12 Josh Williamson, L’11 Andrew Zarda, L’14

DIVERSITY ADVISORY COUNCIL Mayra Aguirre, L’07 Laura Clark Fey, L’92 Amy Fowler, L’00 Tonda Hill, L’12 Rico Kolster, L’00 Pat Konopka, L’94 Don Low, L’75 Jehan Kamil Moore, L’05 Demetrius Peterson, L’09

Grant Bannister, L’97 Cynthia Bryant, L’95 Mitchell Chaney, L’81 Matthew Cobb, L’98 Casey Halsey, L’82 Emily Metzger, L’80 Stanford Smith, L’82 Michelle Worrall Tilton, L’88 Burton Warrington, L’09 Find a complete list of board members at law.ku.edu/board

CAPITAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE Martin Bauer, L’75 Lydia Beebe, L’77 David Elkouri, L’78 Kit Smith, L’72 Tom Wagstaff, L’72

CAPITAL CAMPAIGN KC SUBCOMMITTEE Dick Bond, L’60 Greg Silvers, L’94 Tom Wagstaff, L’72 Marie Woodbury, L’79

KU LAW MAGAZINE 37

ALUMNI NEWS

‘JUSTICE FOR ALL’ Alumnus receives one of nation’s highest judicial honors for enhancing public’s confidence in the country’s courts

38 KU LAW MAGAZINE

RICK REINHARD

K

ansas Court of Appeals Judge Steve Leben, L’82, believes every party to a case deserves a judge’s undivided attention when they appear in a courtroom. His passion for spreading that philosophy to judges across the country earned him one of the nation’s highest judicial honors last fall.

Leben received the 2014 William H. Rehnquist Award for Judicial Excellence from the National Center for State Courts (NCSC). The award is presented annually to a state court judge who exemplifies judicial excellence, integrity, fairness and professional ethics. Chief Justice John. G. Roberts Jr. presented the award to Leben during a Nov. 20 dinner in Leben’s honor attended by 250 state court leaders in the Great Hall of the U.S. Supreme Court building.

“There are a lot of judges who could be deserving of an award like this,” Leben said. “I felt gratified that the work we’re doing in the area of procedural fairness — which I really do think is important work — was recognized, and our message got out to an even larger audience.”

In 2007, Leben and Minnesota Judge Kevin Burke co-authored a white paper for the American Judges Association titled “Procedural Fairness: A Key Ingredient in Public Satisfaction.” The paper has since been published in Spanish, and Leben has conducted training sessions for thousands of judges across the country. He co-founded proceduralfairness.org, a website devoted to advancing procedural fairness in courts.

“A lot of public opinion surveys have been done related to people’s interactions with courts. Their own individual experience really does guide their view of the court system,” Leben said. “But many people leave court feeling that they weren’t listened to, that they were just a number or a cog in a wheel.”

For example, he said, modern benches equipped with computer screens make it easy for judges to get absorbed in electronic case files and forget to make eye contact with people in the courtroom.

“Once you point out some of these issues to judges and explain to them how anyone would feel in that situation, judges understand how to fix the problem,” Leben said.

He recently co-authored a second American Judges Association white paper, “Minding the Court: Enhancing the Decision-Making Process,” which has been widely

Chief Justice John. G. Roberts Jr., right, presents the National Center for State Courts’ 2014 William H. Rehnquist Award for Judicial Excellence to Kansas Court of Appeals Judge Steve Leben during a Nov. 20 dinner at the U.S. Supreme Court.

distributed among state and federal courts. He and his collaborators also keep judges up to date on current developments in the area through a quarterly research report and a blog associated with the procedural fairness website.

“Judge Leben has dedicated his career to ensuring that ‘justice for all’ is actual, not merely aspirational,” said NCSC President Mary C. McQueen. “As a result of his groundbreaking work in procedural fairness, Judge Leben has personally contributed to enhancing the public’s trust and confidence in our country’s court system.”

Leben was named to the Kansas Court of Appeals in 2007 after nearly 14 years serving as a trial judge in Johnson County, Kansas. He has served as president of the American Judges Association, has published more than a dozen law review articles and teaches the Legislation and Statutory Interpretation course as an adjunct professor at KU Law.

Since 1998, Leben has served as editor of Court Review, a national journal for judges. He is a co-founder of Ethics for Good, an annual continuing legal education program in Kansas City that has raised more than $500,000 for law-related charities over the past 15 years. In 2003, he received the NCSC’s Distinguished Service Award.

ClassNotes

Items were received or collected prior to April 1, 2015. Submit your news by email to mpaget@ku.edu or online at law.ku.edu/keep-touch. KU Law Magazine relies on alumni for the accuracy of information reported.

1954 J. Eugene Balloun, partner in the Kansas City office of Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP, celebrated his 1,000th pro bono adoption case of children in foster care. In addition to offering legal support for the adoption cases, Balloun helped establish a college scholarship fund exclusively for any student who has been in the foster care system in Kansas. The fund has provided $625,000 to nearly 500 students. Foster and adoption cases hold a special significance for Balloun, who with his wife has cared for 29 foster children and adopted two of them.

1967 Patrick H. Roark retired from the active practice of law in 2008. His emphasis had been juvenile law trial work and bankruptcy. He and his son, Mathew, now develop, build and manage real estate in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, where he continues to reside with his wife, Louise (Kane), E’65, and their three children and nine grandchildren.

During his years in Bartlesville, Roark has served on the boards of a number of civic organizations, including the United Way, Bartlesville Symphony, Children’s Services, Washington County Child Guidance and the YMCA. 1969 G. Phillip Shuler III, with the law firm of Chaffe McCall in New Orleans, has been selected for inclusion as a 2015 Louisiana Super Lawyer. Only 5 percent of attorneys in each state are chosen to receive this distinction. Shuler has been with the firm since 1973 and practices construction, health care and labor and employment law.

1971 Hon. G. Joseph (Joe) Pierron of the Kansas Court of Appeals has been elected to the Executive Committee of the American Bar Association Appellate Judges Conference and is chair of the Kansas Bar Association Law Related Education Committee. Pierron has served on the Court of Appeals since 1990.

1974 Hon. Nicholas J. LoBurgio was appointed regional chief administrative law judge for Region 8 (Denver Region) of the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR), Social Security Administration.

ODAR is responsible for deciding disability cases filed by adults and children under the Social Security Act. It employs about 1,500 judges nationwide and is the largest quasijudicial body in the U.S.

than 35 years of experience in corporate governance and tax, including extensive experience managing a corporate governance function. On March 19 in San Francisco, she received the National Judicial College’s Advancement of Justice Award at a private reception attended by distinguished attorneys and judges from around the country. The award honors those who have demonstrated dedication to improving justice in the judiciary.

1976 Ross A. Hollander announced that the Wichita and Topeka offices of Joseph, Hollander & Craft have each received the “Best Law Firms 2015 Metropolitan Tier 1 Ranking” by U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers in America in multiple practice areas, including criminal defense: non-white-collar (Wichita and Topeka), criminal defense: white-collar (Wichita and Topeka), employment law – management (Wichita), labor law – management (Wichita) and litigation – labor and employment (Wichita).

John A Koepke, partner at Jackson Walker LLP in Dallas, has been elected a fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation. Fellows are selected for outstanding professional achievements and a demonstrated commitment to the improvement of the Texas justice system. Koepke represents a variety of businesses in employment, trade secret, intellectual property and other types of litigation.

1978 Sheila C. Bair, former chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, has joined DLA Piper as a senior policy advisor in the Washington, D.C., office. Bair will provide strategic advice to the firm regarding developments in financial markets and their regulation, with a focus on the firm’s international practice and monitoring work.

Dan L. Fager, manager of federal government affairs, retired from Chevron after 34 years. He joined Chevron in September 1980 as a land representative in Denver, later advancing to district supervisor. He moved to Chevron’s Policy, Government and Public Affairs team in August 1988 as a Washington representative covering domestic upstream issues. During 26 years in the Washington office, Fager worked on international upstream, shipping and tax issues. He continues to reside in Washington, D.C. Michael R. Meacham published “From Backpack to Briefcase: Professional Development in Health Administration” (Cengage Learning). The book is intended to help both undergraduate and master’s students in health administration understand the tools they will need to conduct job and fellowship searches.

1977 Lydia I. Beebe, corporate secretary and chief governance officer of Chevron Corporation in San Ramon, California, has been elected as an independent member of HCC Insurance Holding Inc.’s board of directors, serving on the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Beebe has more

1981 Scott W. Mach, of Popham Law Firm PC in Kansas City, Missouri, has been selected as a member of the Nation’s Top One Percent by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel. The association aims

KU LAW MAGAZINE 39

ALUMNI NEWS

to objectively recognize attorneys who elevate the standards of the bar and provide a benchmark for other lawyers. Mach practices workers’ compensation and personal injury law.

Charles J. Pignuolo was appointed senior executive vice president and general counsel of BancorpSouth Inc. and BancorpSouth Bank in Houston. Pignuolo previously practiced law at Devlin and Pignuolo PC since 1981 and focused his practice on construction law, real estate, bank lending and mortgage lending in both transactional and litigation matters as well as mediation and arbitration.

1982 Hon. Karen M. Arnold-Burger of the Kansas Court of Appeals has been honored by the American Bar Association for her work in increasing public awareness of the need for an impartial judiciary.

Arnold-Burger received the ABA’s Burnham “Hod” Greeley Award during the Association’s Feb. 6 meeting in Houston. She served as an assistant U.S. attorney and a presiding municipal court judge in Overland Park before being named to the Court of Appeals in 2011.

Hon. Christopher S. Nye was appointed by Gov. Butch Otter to a new 3rd Judicial District judgeship created by the Idaho Legislature.

Nye, a partner with White Peterson Attorneys at Law in Nampa, Idaho, has been practicing law in Idaho since 1983, first as a deputy prosecutor for Canyon County, then as a deputy public defender in Nampa before entering private practice in 1990. His practice has focused on civil litigation. Nye and his wife of 35 years, Vicki, live in Caldwell, Idaho, and spend most of their free time enjoying Idaho’s wilderness areas.

Chief Justice Lawton R. Nuss of the Kansas Supreme Court gave his State of the Kansas Judiciary address on Jan. 21 from the courtroom of the Supreme Court at the Kansas Judicial Center in Topeka. His was only the second such address to be delivered

40 KU LAW MAGAZINE

from the courtroom of the Supreme Court in the state’s 154-year history. The audience included Kansas legislators, judicial branch employees and key constituent groups.

1983 Myron L. Frans was appointed by Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton to lead the Minnesota Department of Revenue as Commissioner of Minnesota Management and Budget and will join the governor’s cabinet. Prior to his service at the Revenue Department, Frans served as a tax attorney in private practice for 27 years, most recently as a senior tax partner at the law firm of Faegre Baker Daniels LLP in Minneapolis.

Kathryn A. Gardner was nominated

by Gov. Sam Brownback and confirmed by the Kansas Senate to fill the vacancy on the Kansas Court of Appeals. Gardner has served as a clerk to U.S. District Court Judge Sam Crow from 1986 to 1988 and from 2000 to the present. She also worked for a Kansas Court of Appeals judge, Attorney General Robert Stephan and the Martin Pringle firm in Wichita. Gardner was sworn in May 8, 2015.

Timothy M. O’Brien was awarded the Justinian Award for Professional Excellence by the Johnson County Bar Association. This is the highest award bestowed upon members of the Association and is awarded to attorneys who have exemplified integrity, service to the community, service to the legal profession, and warmth, friendliness and camaraderie. O’Brien is Clerk of the Court for the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas.

1984 John M. Holt, news anchor at WDAF-TV FOX4, will emcee the inaugural Kansas City Armed Forces Day banquet, “Celebrating Freedom & Honoring Service,” on May 16 at the Kansas City Convention Center. Hosted by the American Fallen Warrior Memorial Foundation, the banquet will bring together hundreds of active duty military personnel, reservists, veterans, their families, and business and community leaders.

1989 Grant T. Burgoyne was elected to the Idaho Senate in November 2014.

He was elected to the Idaho House of Representatives in 2008, and served as its

assistant minority leader during the 2013 and 2014 legislative sessions. Burgoyne is of counsel to the Boise law firm of Mauk & Burgoyne LLC, where his practice focuses on litigation and alternative dispute resolution.

1990 Ralph J. Kieffer retired Feb. 1 from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment Bureau of Air and has returned to Fort Collins, Colorado.

Roseann Geffre Ketchmark has been nominated by President Obama to become a federal judge for the Western District of Missouri. Ketchmark began her career as a Jackson County prosecutor and now works as a prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s office in western Missouri. The nomination requires Senate confirmation.

Debra J. Villarreal, a partner at Thompson & Knight in Dallas, has been elected a fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation.

Fellows are selected for outstanding professional achievements and a demonstrated commitment to the improvement of the Texas justice system.

1992 Joan K. Archer has been promoted to partner in Husch Blackwell’s Kansas City, Missouri, office. Archer is a member of the firm’s food and agribusiness team and has extensive experience representing companies within the industry. Her background also extends to matters involving agricultural software and other technologies, life sciences, chemical distribution, business seminars, consumer retail goods, marketing and advertising, and wine distribution and sales.

Tim Congrove has been selected for membership in the International Association of Defense Counsel, an invitation-only worldwide association of leading corporate defense counsel. Congrove is a partner in the Kansas City offices of Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP, where he has practiced since 1992.

1993 Richard R. Lozano has been selected for membership in the American Society of Legal Advocates, a distinction that singles him out as one of the top criminal defense attorneys in the state of Missouri.

Lozano’s firm is located in Clayton, Missouri.

Michelle Sourie Robinson was named president and CEO of the Michigan Minority Supplier Development Council in Detroit. She spent 13 years at Home Depot, where she created its first supplier diversity department and supporting strategy. She has served on the National Minority Supplier Development Council, National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development, Women’s Business Enterprise National Council and Diversity Information Resources.

1994 Michael D. Burrichter, of Lawrence, Kansas, has been appointed an administrative law judge for the U.S. Social Security Administration. He was sworn in March 13, 2015, during a ceremony in Washington, D.C. Jodi Morrison Kaus, director of Kansas State University’s student financial planning center, recently gave a presentation to Marion County Centre High School students on creating a college financial plan. Kaus has more than 15 years of experience in wealth management and financial planning.

Joseph F. Reardon was named head of the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority in a newly created position.

As the ATA’s president and chief executive officer, Reardon will be responsible for expanding and unifying the region’s public transit system. Reardon served as mayor of Kansas City, Kansas, for eight years. Since leaving office in 2013, he has practiced with McAnany, Van Cleave & Phillips.

Gregory K. Silvers has been appointed by the Board of Trustees of EPR Properties as chief executive officer and president. EPR Properties is a leading specialty real estate investment trust (REIT) with a total market capitalization of over $5 billion. Silvers previously served as executive vice president, vice president, chief operating officer, chief development officer, and secretary and general counsel.

1997 Jeffrey D. Stowman has a new position as a ski and snowboard instructor at Detroit Mountain Recreation Area, Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. Stowman still practices law at The Stowman Law Firm, focusing on personal injury and loss of life claims.

1998 Megan L. Brackney, partner at the New York firm of Kostelanetz & Fink LLP, was elected as a Fellow of the American College of Tax Counsel. The College is a professional association of tax attorneys whose membership is limited to a maximum of 700 tax attorneys across the United States.

J. Blake Terry, of the Salt Lake City firm Jones Waldo, was included in the Utah Business Magazine’s 2015 Utah Legal Elite.

The Utah Legal Elite are selected by their peers and must receive at least eight votes to be included. Terry’s practice focuses on real estate and business law.

Scholarships make a KU education possible for future leaders Supporting KU with your gift will benefit students for generations.

To learn more, please visit giving.farabove.org.

ALUMNI NEWS

2000 Kirk A. Patten, assistant chief of fisheries for the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, was chosen by the National Conservation Leadership Institute as part of the ninth cohort of Fellows for its 2014-2015 leadership development program. Since 2006, 36 conservation professionals join the ranks of Fellows selected each year from state and federal agencies, non-governmental organizations and companies working in the natural resources industry. Fellows have become widely regarded as future senior leaders who will help build a conservation legacy for the next generation. Kirk resides in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Robert G. Vaught has joined the Phoenix office of Quarles & Brady LLP, serving of counsel in its Labor & Employment Practice Group. He regularly counsels human resources and risk management personnel regarding Title VII, ADEA, FMLA, ADA, OSHA, wage and hour matters, hiring and discipline issues and wrongful discharge complaints. He also represents employers in related proceedings in state and federal courts, and before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Department of Labor, and state administrative agencies.

2001 Scott T. Filmore was elected to the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. Filmore practices in the tax, trusts and estates division of Stinson Leonard Street LLP in St. Louis.

2002 Jay E. Heidrick, shareholder at Polsinelli, has been selected as a 2015 Client Service All-Star, according to national consulting group BTI. He was one of only 25 intellectual property attorneys selected nationwide.

Heidrick practices out of Polsinelli’s Kansas City headquarters and is part of the firm’s Patent, Intellectual Property and Technology Litigation Practice.

Crystal M. Johnson was appointed magistrate judge for the Second Judicial Circuit, Lincoln and Minnehaha Counties, by the South Dakota Supreme Court. A South Dakota native, Johnson began her legal career in Wichita, Kansas, working for the law firm of Wallace, Saunders, Austin, Brown & Enochs,

42 KU LAW MAGAZINE

followed by work with the Sedgwick County Public Defender’s Office in Wichita. In 2005, she returned to South Dakota to work at the Minnehaha County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Braden M. Perry announced that Acquisition International’s 2015 International Hedge Fund Awards named Kennyhertz Perry LLC “Best in Securities Law – Missouri.” The award recognizes professionals in investment and financial services who go beyond in providing sound financial advice to individuals and businesses in areas ranging from wealth management to long-term planning. Perry was formerly senior vice president and chief compliance officer of a global financial services and FINRA member firm.

2003 Jacob B. Smith has been promoted to partner in the Phoenix office of Squire Patton Boggs. He focuses his practice on federal and state income tax matters, including mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, real estate transactions, tax planning for limited liability companies, partnerships and corporations, and international tax issues in cross-border transactions.

2004 Paul M. Croker has joined the Kansas City office of Armstrong Teasdale LLP as a litigation partner. Croker provides both commercial litigation and business consulting services to clients involved in a variety of industries, including consumer finance, banking, construction, real estate and technology.

Shannon Cline Holmberg joined First National Bank of Hutchinson as officer, personal trust services in the First Wealth Management department. Holmberg previously was an attorney for Gilliland & Hayes LLC. She and her family reside in Hutchinson, where she serves on the Wesley Towers Inc. board and is a member of Young Professionals of Reno County.

Kyle R. Skillman has been elected member of the Overland Park, Kansas, firm of Bond, Schoeneck & King PLLC. Skillman concentrates his practice on the representation of colleges, universities and individuals in

NCAA infractions matters. He is principally responsible for counseling NCAA member institutions during the course of enforcement investigations and working with colleges and universities to investigate, process and report NCAA rules violations.

Courtney Ann Wachal has been appointed the newest judge on the Kansas City, Missouri Municipal Court. Wachal previously served as an assistant city prosecutor.

2005 Matthew E. Austin was promoted to president of Caliber Development Company, a commercial real estate development and management company based in Oklahoma City and owned by Wexford Capital. Prior to joining Caliber in 2010, Austin was an associate at Polsinelli in Kansas City, Missouri, where he focused on real estate zoning and tax incentives.

Luis F. Gomar has joined Thompson & Knight LLP as a partner in the corporate and securities practice group of the firm’s Dallas and Mexico City offices. Gomar focuses on corporate and securities matters and advises clients on aspects of domestic and international business transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, financing, capital raising and fund formation.

Gomar previously served as the partner-incharge of Strasburger & Price LLP’s Mexico City office. He is a native Spanish speaker and a Texas licensed attorney. He was recently selected for inclusion in Texas Rising Stars 2015 by Thomson Reuters in the area of mergers and acquisitions.

Zachary M. Stolz has been named a partner in the firm of Chisholm & Kilpatrick LTD in Providence, Rhode Island. Stolz joined the firm in 2007 and, as a managing attorney, was instrumental in the growth of the firm’s veterans law practice. The firm is now one of the largest veterans law firms in the country and is responsible for many precedent-setting decisions that help millions of veterans.

2006 Jesse E. Betts was elected partner in the Dallas firm of Thompson & Knight LLP. Betts represents public and private

companies, management teams, private equity funds, and high net worth individuals.

His experience includes advising clients in a variety of industries with respect to mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, joint ventures, internal restructurings, compliance with securities law, securities offerings, venture capital investments, and other general corporate governance matters. He has been selected for inclusion in Texas Rising Stars

by Thomson Reuters (2012-2015).

Stephanie N. Mitchell was elected judge of the 291st Judicial District Court in Dallas.

Mitchell was a felony assistant district attorney in Dallas County prior to her judicial election in 2014. She previously served as chief juvenile prosecutor in Navarro County. Mitchell is also an adjunct professor of criminal law, contracts law, and criminal procedure at Kaplan College.

Jillian Smith Symes and husband Philip Symes welcomed a daughter, Aurelia Ruby Olive Symes (Ruby), on October 23, 2014. Symes is a senior manager on the U.S. tax desk at Ernst & Young LLP in London.

Derek T. Teeter has been promoted to partner in Husch Blackwell’s Kansas City, Missouri, office. Teeter is a member of the firm’s health care, life sciences and pharmaceuticals industry team, and his practice focuses on litigation involving federal and state regulatory statutes, governmental immunities, constitutional rights, consumer class action litigation and the False Claims Act. Leita Walker was admitted to partnership in the Minneapolis office of Faegre Baker Daniels.

Walker is an intellectual property lawyer who resolves disputes and counsels clients on media, advertising and privacy law. She handles copyright and false advertising claims, defends libel and invasion of privacy lawsuits, and obtains access to government records.

Jabari B. Wamble and his wife, Marissa, welcomed Braxton Amos Wamble into their family on January 27, 2015. Wamble is an Assistant United States Attorney for the

District of Kansas. The family resides in Lee’s Summit, Missouri.

2007 M. Katie Gates Calderon has been named a partner with Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP in the firm’s Kansas City office. Gates Calderon is a member of the firm’s Global Product Liability team. She defends corporations in individual and complex tort, product liability and consumer protection matters. She has experience litigating cases in state and federal courts throughout the country, including those involving asbestos products, pharmaceuticals and tobacco.

Richard A. Cook has been promoted to partner in Stinson Leonard Street LLP’s Kansas City, Missouri, office. Cook is in the firm’s real estate division. His practice focuses on economic development, government relations, real estate transactions, special district formation, financial services, and tax incentives such as tax increment financing and tax abatement.

Bobby W. Pineda was appointed as city prosecutor for the City of Green River, Wyoming, in February 2015.

Pineda operates a private practice that he established in 2008 and has acted as the alternate municipal court judge in Rock Springs, Wyoming, since September 2013.

Dillon L. Strohm was elected to the board of directors of the MidAmerica Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel. Strohm is associate counsel for Adknowledge in Kansas City, Missouri.

2008 Katie J. (Cheney) Schroeder was married on Jan. 2, 2015, and is now Katie Schroeder. She continues to practice law in Beloit, Kansas, and her new law office is Schroeder Law Office LLC. Thomas P. Maltese has been chosen by the Milwaukee Business Journal as a 40 Under 40 winner for 2015. The class represents the future of community leadership in southeastern Wisconsin. Maltese is a client services director/senior manager at Deloitte Tax LLP.

2009 Danielle N. Davey has been promoted to member at Sloan, Eisenbarth, Glassman, McEntire & Jarboe LLC in Topeka.

Davey’s practice consists of a wide array of civil litigation, including employment discrimination, real estate and contract disputes, and domestic violence and family law issues.

Mariza E. McKee has been promoted to partner in Kutak Rock LLP’s Chicago office.

McKee was instrumental in the foundation and growth of the firm’s EB-5 finance practice. Her practice focuses on structuring, negotiating and documenting complex structured EB-5 financings.

2010 Rury L. Grisham accepted a patent attorney position with Roberts Mlotkowski Safran & Cole in the Washington, D.C., area.

Prior to joining the firm, Grisham served for four years as a patent examiner at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, where he examined patent applications regarding facsimile and static presentation processing/ printers, scanners, networking devices, and fax machines.

Anne Weltmer Kealing and her husband, Jonathan, welcomed a son, William Roderick Kealing, on January 25, 2015. The Kealings reside in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Anne is an attorney with Morris Law Group PA. She practices in both state and federal court in the areas of real estate, business services, civil litigation, consumer and business bankruptcy, consumer debt settlement, and mortgage-related issues.

2011 Brandon J. Smith was appointed policy director for Gov. Sam Brownback. Since 2011, Smith has worked for the Federalist Society of Law

KU LAW MAGAZINE 43

& Public Policy Studies in Washington, D.C. 2012 Sean T. Foley completed a two-year clerkship with the Hon. Roberto Lange of the U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota last fall. He is now an associate at Lathrop & Gage LLP in Kansas City, Missouri, and lives with his wife, Erin, in Kansas City.

Hon. Layatalati Hill was elected in September 2014 to a six-year term as a trial court judge for the Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin. Hill fills a seat in the tribe’s new judiciary, which replaces the former Oneida Appeals Commission.

2013 Eric A. Sader accepted a position as director of housing assistance with the Lawrence-Douglas County Housing Authority. He was previously a therapeutic case manager at KVC Health Systems. He was also elected a member of the Hilltop Child Development Center board.

2014 Jay E. Berryman has joined the Kansas City, Missouri, office of Polsinelli and practices corporate and transactional law.

David A. Brock has joined the Topeka law firm of Hamilton, Laughlin, Barker, Johnson & Jones as an associate.

Brock specializes in the areas of eminent domain and property law.

Bradley E. Freedman has accepted an Equal Justice Works Fellowship in Washington, D.C., working on the Affordable Housing Preservation Project. He recently developed a moot court module being used by law students at the Government Law College, Mumbai, India. The module deals with international intellectual property issues in the context of climate change and the “North-South divide.”

Brisa I. Izaguirre practices commercial litigation in the Kansas City, Missouri, office of Polsinelli.

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IN MEMORIAM 1952 Robert G. Walmer Leawood, Kansas March 9, 2015

1979 John W. Campbell Topeka, Kansas November 25, 2014

1953 Phillip L. Waisblum Mason, Ohio December 23, 2014

1984 Octavio J. Viveros Jr. Fort Lauderdale, Florida November 12, 2014

1955 Richard B. Altman Houston, Texas November 11, 2014

1987 Kirk Dean Auston Great Bend, Kansas March 29, 2015

John C. Eisele Corpus Christi, Texas January 22, 2015

2007 Jonathan Coultis Naperville, Illinois December 31, 2014

1958 John L. Swyers Tallahassee, Florida December 6, 2014 1960 John E. Blake Jr. Garden City, Kansas January 3, 2015 1971 Dwight D. Wallace Wichita, Kansas February 11, 2015 1972 Barry K. Gunderson Minneola, Kansas January 12, 2015

Nikki Rose, L’16 “I want to assist the people of Kansas through policy change, but I didn’t feel I could influence the law before learning about it. KU Law has helped me create new contacts and cultivate existing relationships that have led to real-world, practical experience.

I’m eager to eventually practice law in my home state.”

Summer internship: Foulston Siefkin LLP, Wichita, Kansas

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Ready to work Graduates of KU Law enter the legal profession with the ideal balance of intellectual depth, practical knowledge, and real-world experience.

They learn under the guidance of top faculty with leading national reputations. They develop

the craft of the working lawyer through deposition, expert witness and other skills courses. They then bring those talents to bear in the real world through our extensive clinical programs, giving them opportunities to represent real clients with challenging issues.

Simply put: When KU Lawyers join your organization, they are ready to think, act and work

as lawyers from day one.

Contact us to hire a KU Lawyer: carservlaw@ku.edu | law.ku.edu/careers

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