LAW
Magazine for Alumni & Friends | Spring 2011
Faculty runners
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Journal 20th anniversary
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Volunteer honor Roll
KU Law Magazine is published biannually 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 Fax: 785.864.5054 www.law.ku.edu DEAN Stephen Mazza Editor & Designer Mindie Paget kulaws@ku.edu 785.864.9205 Contributors Sandy Patti Photos Randy Edmonds Crystal Mai Mindie Paget Steve Puppe KU University Relations PRINTING Allen Press CORRECTION A caption that accompanied a story about then-Interim Dean Stephen Mazza in the Fall 2010 issue incorrectly identified the woman in the photo as Mary Alice Hursh. The woman in the photo on page 4 is Rita Jurcyk, wife of John J. Jurcyk Jr., L’57.
from the dean After two dean searches during the 2010-11 academic year, it was announced on April 1 that I would become the 15th dean of the University of Kansas School of Law. The announcement represents the highlight of my professional career. I am honored to serve the school in this capacity, and I want to thank everyone who encouraged me to apply for the permanent post. The announcement may have taken place on April Fools’ Day, but the challenges facing the legal profession are no joking matter. Changes in the job market for legal talent over the last several years appear, by all accounts, to be structural rather than temporary. Instead of waiting to see how the market shakes out over time, law schools must respond to these challenges now by preparing students to succeed in a different economic environment. That process has already begun at KU Law. Tailoring our program of legal education so that it is responsive to the realities of the legal market while at the same time enhancing KU Law’s reputation regionally and nationally represent the two biggest challenges for me and the school over the next five years. As a new dean, I am fortunate to have an exceptionally talented and dedicated group of faculty and administrators who are committed to their students and the institution. In the classroom, KU Law professors continue to employ the Socratic method, challenging their students to analyze problems and resolve uncertainties. Increasingly, however, professors have begun to incorporate techniques recommended by experts in legal education, including writing assignments and multiple learning assessments. These improvements help ensure that students absorb and understand the material. We also continue to expand the number of skills-based courses we offer to students and have added back to the curriculum courses like Accounting for Lawyers that teach students concepts that will be useful to them in practice. Faculty members have accommodated these changes and, at the same time, have continued to produce scholarship that brings national attention to the school. One of the most immediate changes you may notice about KU Law is that we plan to enroll fewer J.D. students in the coming years. If fewer meaningful job opportunities exist for law graduates, then it seems only right to reduce the number of new lawyers who we train and send into the market. Reducing class size, however, is an exceedingly costly proposition for the school, and lost funding will not be made up through state support. In fact, state support makes up a smaller and smaller source of funding for the school each year. We also do not want to lose our reputation as one of the “best value” law schools in the country by significantly raising tuition. In order to respond to the current challenges, we will need to rely more and more on private giving. Many of you have shown yourselves to be extremely generous to the school in the past, and we are grateful for that support. We also understand that the economy has affected most everyone’s giving capacity. Still, if you believe that our law school can use these challenging times to improve our program and enhance our reputation, then I ask for your financial support. We can’t do it without you.
The University of Kansas School of 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.
Stephen W. Mazza Dean and Professor of Law
Contents KU law magazine | SPRING 2011
departments 10 ON THE GREEN News briefs: Diversity in Law Banquet; Law
Review and Journal symposia; Center for International Trade and Agriculture’s first Visiting Scholars
17 Faculty NEWS Stephen McAllister defends an orphaned
Cover: 1L Diaries Three law students chronicle the trials and triumphs of their first year in Green Hall.
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If the shoes fit Faculty and staff runners lace
argument at the Supreme Court on behalf of the United States
18 Faculty NOTES Publications, presentations and other notable
activities by KU Law faculty
28 VOLUNTEER HONOR ROLL
Recognition for alumni who have donated time, energy and expertise during the past year
up for fitness, work-life balance and the opportunity to visit new places through racing
32 Alumni News Photos: Alumni gather for KU Law Reunion
34 Alumni Notes Alumni win awards, change jobs, get married
Supremely Speaking
Photos: Justice Sonia Sotomayor visited KU in January, meeting with law students and talking about life at the Supreme Court
and Homecoming Reception
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and welcome new family members
47 In Memoriam Deaths in the KU Law family
By the People, For the people After 20 years, Kansas Journal
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of Law and Public Policy still guided by founding principles
KU LAW MAGAZINE 1
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June 19, 2009 — Big girls may not cry. But law students do.
I ride to class each day with three others who have chosen to remain in the Kansas City area and commute. This morning we all started talking about our cry fests. Our daily cry fests. I thought I was alone in this and am thrilled to find out I’m not. Last night was pretty rough. I was by myself, surrounded by Torts note cards and Property handouts. I didn’t know what to do or where to start. So I started crying. Can we say stressed? Honestly, that’s all I can say. I. Am. Stressed. My personal life is at war with law school, and my nerves are the casualties. I’m not talking social life. I’m talking the stress of living. Paying rent, finding funding for law school, dealing with a crazy roommate, my pets, my need for sleep, my need for food, finding a new place to live, a boyfriend I want to see more than once a week. I had forgotten about the balancing act school requires. I’m back to the land before 9 to 5 (or in my case, as a journalist, 11 to 11). I am back to all-nighters spent clinging to highlighters and coffee made with Mountain Dew. Forgetting to feed my cats and finding them dining on an unsuspecting bunny in the back yard (add a new, gross stress and guilt). Forgetting to feed myself and finding only dirty clothes to wear that day. Yikes. When did I become a college kid again?
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And worse than that, a cry baby. It’s nice to know I’m not the only one bursting into tears over silly things – though an unsuspecting bunny losing its life isn’t really silly. I just have to get back into the swing of things. And maybe buy a softer Kleenex. And find a cure to biscuit face – that puffiness that comes from a night of blubbering about everything and nothing. And you know, do laundry once in awhile. June 30, 2009 — I almost had a heart attack today. The essay portion of my Torts final literally almost killed me. It wasn’t that the exam was too hard. It wasn’t that I was unprepared. It wasn’t even that I suddenly forgot everything the moment that I sat down to take it. Nope. That test tried to kill me through Murphy’s Law (feel free to insert law school irony comment here). Basically, I was golden after the exam. I felt fine about my essay answers for the most part. A little iffy about the multiple choice portion, but everyone else felt the same so I figured we were all in the same grouping. I walked out of the Torts final and mentally went into Property study mode since that exam was the next day – and even that exam went as well as I expected. I let myself enjoy the weekend between sessions worry free. I lazed around a campfire at a random Iowa state park in an effort to “get away from it all.” I came home, caught up on cleaning and laundry. I read fashion magazines. Sunday evening I read the first-day assignments. All was good. I was calm. Until this morning, when I received a horrible email: Natalie, Can you stop by my office during the break between your classes today? [IT] has not been able to find your computer exam, so we need to try to determine where it is and what happened. Thanks. If ever in life there were a call for OMG, this was it. O.M.G. And I had to sit through 80 minutes of Torts talk (which I usually love!) trying not to hyperventilate and
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control the pace of my heartbeat. At one point, my neighbor said she thought I was going to burst into tears in the middle of a sine qua non discussion. I’m surprised I didn’t! I couldn’t stop my brain from its pinball machine of pinging thoughts: Was I to blame? Was it my own negligence (don’t get me started on that irony!)? What happens if it can’t be found in cyberspace? Will they accept the backup that is saved on my desktop? Will I fail? Did I submit it correctly? Maybe I missed something.
When the break came, I ran to student affairs, praying there was a defibrillator handy. IT came in, hit two keys on my computer and declared everything “good to go.” That’s it. Seriously. That anticlimactic. I thought about asking for a confirmation number (and now, I think they should upgrade the software to include that!) before I could comfortably leave the room. I am still edgy about it all. What if there is another glitch? Would lightning strike twice? It can when thrown by a law school professor. So, I am barely breathing until grades are posted. I’m not worried about the actual grades. I’m too busy worrying that I might not get an actual grade! Sept. 9, 2009 — I am only slightly panicked here. I missed three days last week because I was sick. This means I missed an ENTIRE WEEK of two classes. In that week, one of those classes went ahead by at least 120 pages. I am so behind I can barely wrap my head around it. There is no sick in law school. I know this, but when your vision starts blurring in the middle of class, all you can think about is getting to the safety of home. That was Wednesday morning. I had to pull over so many
times it took twice as long as normal for me to get home! Now, however, I feel sick in another way. So behind. How will I ever catch up? Sept. 24, 2009 — I came into law school knowing exactly what I want to do after law school: media law. But now that I am in the midst of so many classes about varying aspects of law, I’m not so certain anymore. Oct. 6, 2009 — So, I’m officially scared out of my mind regarding the cost of law school. They offered a seminar on good financial planning during law school. I was free and have been complaining about being broke, so I figured I would check it out. By the way, the irony wasn’t lost on me that this was the one 12:30 p.m. seminar that didn’t include free food! According to the panel of experts, if I continue on my current track of students loans, I will have to pay $1,500 a month in student loans once I graduate! How is it that I am living on $1,500 for the next three years and must pay the same amount for 10 years in order to be debt free? Nov. 18, 2009 — My open memo is due in less than 36 hours. I’m not done and doubt I will consider myself finished until 10:15 a.m. (it’s due at 10:20 a.m.) Friday. I want to make it clear that I did not procrastinate. I have been working on this consistently since receiving the assignment. However, I always feel pressure until the final moments. Even if I had finished this past weekend, I would still be going over every word and second-, third- and fourth-guessing myself. It’s my nature. My best work is done when my deadline looms closest. It has been an interesting journey. Through the process of researching the arson statutes in Kansas, I have learned a lot about myself: I am drawn
Please see NATALIE Hull, page 40
June 14, 2009 — Two weeks into class, still kicking. I am really, really glad that as a reporter I never had to write about property cases. Without any legal training, I could sit down with a criminal case file and write a fairly accurate article about the case. There is absolutely no way I could have even begun to write an article about a property case involving future interests and fee simples subject to executory interests and rule against perpetuities blah blah blah. I’m pretty well settled into my routine for classes in the summer. Classes get out about noon, and I stay in the library until dinner. In the evening I try to study at home, although I study more effectively in the library. I should work on that. It is helpful to be accustomed to an 8 to 5 routine (or as much of an 8 to 5 routine as newspapers will ever allow you to have.) I pretty much figure this is my job for the next three years. I also
figure that I will be putting in way, way, way more than 40 hours a week. But, the payoff is greater than it ever was at the paper. I’m gradually getting to know my classmates, and I think I’m starting to identify some of the folks with similar legal interests. The time is going by fast, however. I know in the summer they have to throw a lot at you in just a few weeks, but I’m already looking at my notes and case briefs from two weeks ago and wondering what the heck I was thinking at the time. My big accomplishment, however, has been finding the bike route to school that avoids The Hill of Perpetual Despair. (I think it’s Mount Oread, but I prefer my name.) I decided before I moved to Lawrence that I was going to bike as much as possible, in part to save money and in part because I figure it’s going to be the only exercise I get for the next three
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years. I live north of campus, and the first route I picked out was the shortest and most direct but also goes straight up the steepest part of The Hill. The next route I picked goes up Mississippi, which is a lot more manageable but still more of a workout than I want to do at 8 a.m. after two cups of coffee and a belly full of oatmeal. Finally, I figured out that if I come down Tennessee and cut over on 19th, I pretty much go entirely around The Hill. It adds
about 1.5 miles to my route but is only about four extra minutes. I called my old platoon leader from the National Guard the other day and compared notes. (He was a butterbar second lieutenant back then; now he’s a major.) He graduated from KU Law about 10 years ago or so. He had the same professors that I have right now. He said he loved it. I hope so; he wrote one of my letters of reference. Well, I need to go another round with the rule against perpetuities. We’ll see who wins. Aug. 23, 2009 — Classes start again tomorrow. Fall starters have already been at it since Thursday, but the summer starters already did what they’re doing so we get a stay of execution. … I’m really glad that I did the summer start option. It was good to be able to somewhat ease back into a school routine after being out in the world for a few years. It’s also nice to be able to do it and only have eight credits riding on it, as opposed to the 15 that we will have during the fall. I was able to develop a study routine somewhat and also to find out what works and what doesn’t work when it comes time to study for finals. For instance, I need to start working on my course outlines
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early because I felt like I spent most of the days right before finals working on outlines as opposed to actually studying. Also, I discovered that I’d rather eat lead paint chips than work on an outline. I got some really good news the other day: I qualify for some benefits under the post-9/11 GI Bill that Congress just passed. Actually, they passed it a year ago, but it’s just now going into effect. I don’t get the full
amount (apparently when you’re in the National Guard and you get shot at for a year in Baghdad it’s not as important as when you’re in the regular Army and you get shot at for a year in Baghdad), but at least I get something. It’s actually really good news because otherwise I’m pretty sure the student loans wouldn’t have covered this year, and I was going to have to sell a kidney on the black market. So I don’t have to do that yet. Aug. 30, 2009 — Wow. So basically this semester I’ve learned that five classes is way more than two. I can do basic math; no wonder they let me in law school. Looking at all the work I’m going to have to do for the semester — and based on what all the people I know who’ve been to law school tell me — apparently I need to effectively manage my time and be really, really organized. Neither of those things is exactly my strong suit. If you’ve ever been in a newsroom and seen a reporter’s desk, then you get an idea of what I’m talking about. That was one of the things I liked about reporting — everything was on the fly, by the skin of your teeth, barely keeping your head above water, scrambling frantically for those interview notes from that source it took you forever to find and who
gave you pure gold once you found him – in other words, awfully exciting. No one much cared about my organizational skills as long as I turned in copy by deadline, and I always did. It’s obvious that stuff won’t fly in law school. I mean, I could try, and I may even get by with it, but I think it would make things a lot more painful than they have to be. So I’m starting out the school year with an effort to be reasonably organized and stay on top of things. Sept. 20, 2009 — One month in and they haven’t kicked me out yet. Bonus! I think I’ve adjusted to the schedule more or less and have figured out when I need to read for what class. The weather has been ridiculously gorgeous — nice and cool all through August, and here it is late September and I’m not wearing a jacket yet. I did finally convert from shorts to jeans the other day, but it seems a lot later than usual. I think I’m adjusting to legal writing style decently. It’s just little stylistic quirks that you have to remember — spell out every number until 100, spell out complete state names, etc. But honestly, if a person is used to AP style, it doesn’t get any more quirky or random than that. (Seriously AP? You’re still capitalizing “Internet”? I think you can move on.) I think my reporting experience has its pros and cons as far as legal research and writing is concerned. On one hand, I’m really good at cutting through all the excess fluff and getting right to the heart of an issue and picking out the details that actually matter. (When you talk to a politician for 30 minutes and look at your notes after the fact and realize he didn’t tell you a dang thing, you start learning.) On the other hand, I think I run the risk of being too concise — not putting enough details in. Sometimes I gloss over key details that turn out to be rather important. Also, two-sentence paragraphs don’t seem to be all that popular around here. Nov. 1, 2009 — So October is done. When did that happen? It really seems
Please see JON RUHLEN, page 42
Sept. 7, 2009 — My life has done a complete 180 in the past month. A little more than four weeks ago, I was lounging on the beaches in Spain with my only preoccupation being that I might not get a second gelato before the ice cream shop closed. Now I’m contemplating whether I have time for a 30-minute break from studying. To be honest (which I really shouldn’t if future employers read this), I’m not really sure what’s going on in law school. After two years of working and traveling but very little mental stimulation, it takes all my brain capacity just to sit still for more than 15 minutes at a time. I’ve heard people say the brain is just like any other muscle: If you don’t use it for a while, it gets lazy and out of shape. My brain could use a couple of trips to the gym. I have, however, met a lot of great people. Orientation was a complete whirlwind experience for me. It was a bit like undergrad; the first couple of days, everyone is trying to make a good impression and remember the names of people they think they would like to get to know — and just surviving, really. I still can’t forget a faculty member warning us the first week that there was a good chance that in three years we would all “be clinically depressed, hated by society more than any profession except dentists and making an average of $40,000.” That really made my day, especially because my father is a dentist. Despite the dismal advice, I decided to kick off the school year in style and throw a party for the 1L students along with my next-door neighbor, who threw a party for the
2Ls. We are friends from Northwestern, so we figured we would try to get the classes together. Without going into too many incriminating details, the parties were a success. I doubt many people studied the next day. I’m sure as the year progresses, I will have less time for social engagements, so right now I am just enjoying new friends and the great atmosphere at the University of Kansas. After living around the world for the past six years, it’s good to be back. Sept. 25, 2009 — Now that I have more than a month of law school under my belt, I can safely say I am still hesitant to claim I actually know what’s going on. I have, however, gotten studying and time management down to an art. I know exactly how much time I need to prepare a somewhat eloquent argument in class if I am called on. Or if I’m feeling really adventurous, I’ll even raise my hand in class.
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I have also realized that power naps and coffee are clutch. I look forward to nothing more during the day than a short, little siesta right after lunch. I guess living in Spain influenced me more than I thought. And now that everything has settled down, I’m really trying to focus and get into a good rhythm to prepare for finals. Although finals are two and a half months away, I already feel the time crunch. Law school and undergrad really differ when it comes to the speed and the amount of work needed not only to understand what’s going on in class, but to take the material to another level and apply it to new cases. I wouldn’t consider my
as undergraduates. We used to huddle around the television as children and watch the Hawks (usually) dominate the NCAA tournament. One year we were vacationing in San Diego, and we still managed to track down a local bar owned by a Kansas graduate and watch the game. My family literally bleeds crimson and blue. However, this year was special for me. It was my first homecoming as an official Jayhawk. I completed my undergraduate degree at Northwestern, but I must admit that even in the Windy City I would sometimes feel a slight twinge of jealously not being able to attend the football or basketball games and cheer on the Hawks. I did
undergrad experience a cakewalk, but this is definitely a big step up. I have found a great source of inspiration for keeping on track. My friend from undergrad, who is currently a 2L, has been scoring really prestigious law interviews around the country and worked at an international firm last year. I find this extremely impressive, especially during the current economic climate. He studies a great deal and is at the top of the class. I like to think of him as my personal American Idol. Whenever I feel like slacking off or just calling it a day, I think “What would my neighbor do?” If he wouldn’t go out on Thursday night to start the weekend off right, than I probably shouldn’t either. It’s going to be tough for me because I am quite social by nature, but as long as I keep my eye on the prize I think I should be all right. And all work no play makes Jack a dull boy.
make sure that everyone knew where I was from. Did you guys see that KU is in the Final Four again? Yeah, that’s my team. Even when I lived in Madrid, I would proudly display my Jayhawk apparel. My boyfriend, who is Spanish, continues to wear the KU sweatshirt I gave him and constantly updates me on the latest news and scouting reports of the basketball team. I’m pretty sure he is the only European that gets as excited about Kansas as he does about soccer. And that’s something to be said. So when I walked into Memorial Stadium last weekend, decked out in crimson and blue with my fellow law students, it was an awesome experience. There is nothing like seeing 40,000 students, parents, alumni and fans sing Rock Chalk, Jayhawk or wave their hands to mimic the waves of the wheat. It was a sight to behold. And now at the ripe old age of 25, I am truly a Jayhawk.
Oct. 12, 2009 — I love being a Jayhawk. I lived in Kansas the first 18 years of my life. My grandfather, my mother and my two brothers all attended KU
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Nov. 16, 2009 — I’m slowly turning into one of those neurotic, slightly unbalanced law students. You know, the ones who always look like they’re mad scientists with crazy, unkempt hair and dirty jeans because there’s no time to take pride in good hygiene. I’m really not that bad, but I haven’t left my apartment for two days. That’s a personal record considering I can hardly sit still for five minutes. And it’s all because of the dreaded and infamous open memo. I’ve spent most of my young life writing, from the newspaper room in high school to my short-lived experience as a television reporter. Yet, I feel like I’m learning to write all over again. Bluebook citations? Discussion sections? I didn’t even realize there was an entirely different writing process in the legal profession. The good news is my memo will be finished on Friday. The bad news is my memo will be finished on Friday. I hope I can whip up something semi-intelligent and thought-provoking to convince my professor that I’m worthy of a decent grade. I’m trying my best, but you never know until January rolls around and first-semester grades come out. Nov. 28, 2009 — Law school differs from undergrad in one very big way: the competition to be the best or among the best. From day one, I heard all about rankings, grade point averages and spring on-campus interviews. Not to say that learning isn’t the main objective in law school, but all law students know, especially during an economic downturn like we are experiencing now, that grades are key to getting a summer internship. No amount of extracurricular activities will substitute for a less-than-stellar performance the first year. However, there is a fine line to be drawn between a healthy amount of competition and becoming the ever-so-famous class “gunner.” This, as I learned within the first week of school, refers to that special individual who constantly raises his hand to
make sure everyone knows he has not only read, but mastered the material. This person enjoys listening to the sound of his own voice. Perhaps he even practices reciting the answers in front of the mirror to sound more articulate. I hope I am not a gunner. I will raise my hand occasionally in class, more often in small classes than in large discussions, but I make sure to keep it to an appropriate level. It’s funny how strategic law school can become; I want to make sure that the professor knows that I am paying attention and engaged in the discussion, but I don’t want to come off as an arrogant, overzealous first-year student. Nobody likes those kinds of people. It is often the case that people who speak more, know less. As finals begin in less than two weeks, I’ve even heard discussions of people trying to size up their classmates to determine their chances of earning a good grade in the class. “Ryan really makes great arguments in class. I bet he’ll get one of the highest grades. Maybe if I get lucky, I can finish with a B+ because Jeffrey and Trevor have been partying a lot lately. I don’t think they’ve been to contracts in months.” It’s hard not to fall into the trap of comparing yourself to others. It’s human nature, especially when so much is potentially on the line and most students are working harder than they have worked in their whole lives. This is why I don’t study in the library. It makes me more concerned about what other people are doing or how they are studying. I’m trying to focus on what I can personally do to be successful in law school. Even if I end up with middle-of-the-road grades, as long as I know I did everything in my ability to prepare, then I will be satisfied with the results.
my Torts final and set the curve? Who knows? What I do know is that on the way to my Torts final — my very first final in law school — I committed a tort. I would probably classify it as a negligence issue, nothing of the intentional sort. A reasonable person of ordinary sensibilities may have taken more caution. Enough with the bad law jokes. Literally 30 minutes before my final, I pulled my SUV into the snowand iced-glazed parking lot at the Burge Union. I needed to pick up some bluebooks just in case my laptop failed to cooperate. There was an empty space with a pickup parked poorly in the adjacent spot. I thought I could make it. I was in no mood to scour the parking lot for other spaces. I pulled in slowly and wedged my car into the spot. Then there was a little noise. No big deal. I like to call it a “love tap.” I backed up, pulled out and decided that, in fact, I did not and could not make it. I hurriedly found another spot and got out of my car to survey the damage. The pickup was fabulous. No scratches, no dents, not even a hint of green paint had rubbed off of this ancient, but apparently quite durable pickup. Just to be sure, I had two other law students give me their opinions to make sure there wasn’t any damage. I didn’t want to have a hit-and-run on my hands. They both agreed the other car was in tip-top shape. I was quite pleased with the turnout. No insurance claim, no hassle of hastily leaving an awkward note: “Hey, sorry I ruined your car, but I have a law school final now, so I’ll give you a call sometime. If you ever need legal
Please see KELLIE MITCHELL, page 44
Dec. 10, 2009 — I did it. I’m incredible. I never cease to amaze myself. As Professor Mike Kautsch often says, I should receive a gold star. Did I rock
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green hall news
Photos by Steve Puppe
On the green
Clockwise from bottom right, David and Jacy Moneymaker, L’06; Hispanic American Law Students Association members Jose Ordonez and Isabel Segarra; 2L Susan Kivuvani, Kiereon Sisney and 2L Amanda Sisney, and Dan Cranshaw, L’03; and keynote speaker Albert Herdoiza, L’80.
At diversity banquet, alumnus reveals five tips for success as a lawyer Albert Herdoiza revealed five things that law students need to know to be the best lawyers they can be during the 16th annual Diversity in Law Banquet, hosted by the Hispanic American Law Students Association on March 4 at the Holiday Inn in Lawrence. Herdoiza delivered the keynote address at the event, which celebrates diversity in the law school and the legal profession. Now the owner of his own law firm with offices in Dodge City SEPT and Kansas City, Kan., Herdoiza, L’80, said he remembered being in Green Hall and feeling anxiety about the future. His five secrets to becoming a successful attorney are: 1. Don’t make excuses. “Don’t listen to those voices in your mind that tell you why you can’t do something, why you’re not going to accomplish something, why you can’t be something,” he said. “You can be anything you want to be.” 2. Be irreplaceable. Do your job well and then ask what more you can do, he said.
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View a photo gallery and hear Herdoiza’s speech at www.law.ku.edu/spring11 3. Find something you like to do. “Find something where your heart is alive,” Herdoiza said, noting that lawyers have double the rate of alcoholism and depression of the general public. “I think a lot of them didn’t listen to Rule No. 3.” 4. Always keep learning. Be around creative people and winners, he said. Soak up new knowledge so you can be successful.
5. Have a relationship with God as your foundation. “I think that all spreads out in your work and how you deal with your family and the people you work with,” he said. Herdoiza wrapped up his talk by encouraging students to remember where they came from when they get established in their careers. When the law school calls and asks if you want to serve as a mentor, he said, say yes. Give the same answer when they ask if you can help with a scholarship or let a student shadow you at work. About 160 alumni, students, faculty and staff attended the banquet, raising approximately $5,600 for the Diversity Scholarship Fund. Herdoiza deals primarily with personal injury cases in his solo practice, representing about 95 percent Hispanic clients. He hosts two live radio shows, one in Kansas City, Kan., and one in Liberal, that educate the Hispanic community on important legal matters. Herdoiza is also a member of KU Law’s Diversity Advisory Council.
Law Review symposium focuses on state constitutional law Legal scholars and judges from across the country explored the importance of state constitutional law during the Kansas Law Review 2010 symposium in November. Presenters at “State Constitutional Law Steps Out of the Shadows” covered a range of topics in a series of four panel discussions, including school finance and education rights, same-sex marriage and privacy rights, criminal procedure and search and seizure, and dual sovereignty. Steve McAllister, professor of law and one of four co-authors of a new textbook titled “State Constitutional Law: The Modern Experience,” was a moderator and panelist. Other presenters were: n Michael Berch, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, Arizona State University n Chief Justice Rebecca White Berch, Arizona Supreme Court n Justice Allison Eid, Colorado Supreme Court n Justice Randy Holland, Delaware Supreme Court n Allen Lanstra, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP n Sanford Levinson, University of Texas School of Law n Justice Mark Martin, North Carolina Supreme Court n Jeffrey Shaman, DePaul University College of Law n Justice David Stras, L’99, Minnesota Supreme Court n Judge Jeffrey Sutton, U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit Papers presented at the symposium will be published in the Kansas Law Review, Volume 59, Issue 4.
Justice Randy Holland of the Delaware Supreme Court speaks at the Law Review symposium, “State Constitutional Law Steps Out of the Shadows.”
n Dr. Andrew Allison, Kansas Health
Policy Authority Board n Dr. Marcia Nielsen, KU Medical Center Papers presented at the symposium will be published in the Kansas Journal of Law and Public Policy, Volume 20, Issue 2.
Environmental experts kick off visiting scholars program
Journal symposium examines states’ role in health care reform Kansas officials and scholars from across the nation explored the role of states in federal health care reform during the Kansas Journal of Law and Public Policy’s 2011 symposium in February. “The Role of States in Federal Health Care Reform” took a probing look at the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the most significant change to the U.S. health care system in a generation. Symposium speakers, including national health law and federalism scholars as well as Kansas state government representatives, explored the tensions created by the 900-page statute; explained the pros and cons of federal, as opposed to statebased, health reform; and detailed Kansas’ response to the new laws. Presenters included: n Elizabeth Weeks Leonard, KU Law n Sandy Praeger (pictured above), Kansas insurance commissioner n Tim Greaney, St. Louis University School of Law n Jonathan Adler, Case Western Reserve University School of Law n Abigail Moncrieff, Boston University School of Law n Mark Hall, Wake Forest University School of Law
Two internationally known environmental experts served as the first Visiting Scholars of the Center for International Trade and Agriculture (CITA) at KU Law. Warren Evans, director of sustainable development in the World Bank’s environment department, co-taught a special course on International Law, Agricultural Development and Environmental Protection in February with John Head, the Robert W. Wagstaff Distinguished Professor of Law and CITA co-director. Wes Jackson, founder and president of the Land Institute in Salina, visited on Feb. 15, participating in a panel discussion with Evans and then giving a public presentation. His lecture and all course sessions were open to the public. Evans’ contributions to the course focused on climate change, sustainable agriculture and international innovations in development issues, including food security. Jackson discussed the research work of the Land Institute and long-range prospects Evans of agricultural sustainability. CITA brings together scholars, practitioners, policymakers and students around the study and practice of international trade and agriculture. In addition Jackson to hosting Visiting Scholars, the center sponsors conferences, educates and trains law students through course work and summer placements, and hosts a working papers series. The center is co-directed by Head and Raj Bhala, Rice Distinguished Professor.
KU LAW MAGAZINE 11
green hall news
If the shoes fit Faculty and staff runners lace up for fitness, work-life balance
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hile a junior at Duke University, Raj Bhala went on a run to blow off steam after getting a B+ on a labor economics quiz. He hasn’t stopped running since. Between teaching, publishing and presenting at conferences around the world, the Rice Distinguished Professor logs 35 to 60 miles a week and has completed dozens of marathons and half marathons, finishing in the top 10 percent of men ages 45-49 at the Boston Marathon in April 2010. “Running is an opportunity for me to build an interior life and, thereby, an opportunity to become a better person and professional,” Bhala says. Bhala is one of many KU Law faculty and staff members who trade casebooks and student appointments for running shoes and the open road when they leave Green Hall. They run for the obvious health benefits. But they also pound the pavement to ease work-related stress and achieve mental clarity. “If I miss a run, I just don’t feel like myself,” says Todd Rogers, assistant dean for career services, who has run three marathons and six half marathons. “There’s something really wonderful about surrendering your worries and daily concerns to the
run and realizing, post-run, that your anxiety has dissipated.” Rogers heads up a Jayhawk Runners group, consisting of students and staff who run 2 to 3 miles over the lunch hour once weekly in the spring and fall. Exercising is one method among many that the Office of Career Services and the Office of Student Affairs recommend to students for managing the anxiety that accompanies law school. “The balance – or lack of it – that law students set in law school tends to persist rather tenaciously in their legal careers,” Bhala says. “Young lawyers need to be confident and make it clear to everyone around them that their running time is non-negotiable.”
Head game
Suzanne Valdez, L’96, clinical professor of law, says running makes her a better mother and lawyer. She runs between 20 and 50 miles a week, depending on whether she is training for a race. She has completed two marathons and eight half marathons. She also competes in an occasional 5K for fun. Valdez cites running experts who say the activity is 10 percent physical, 90 percent mental.
By Mindie Paget
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Law professors, from left, Mike Davis, Stephen Ware, Stacy Leeds and Suzanne Valdez, and career services dean Todd Rogers are among law faculty and staff who run for physical and mental well-being. KU LAW MAGAZINE 13
green hall news “As you get older, it sometimes hurts to run – your bones and joints may ache,” she says. “Typically when I run my long run, it can start off being a very daunting task to think about running 18 miles. But once I get out there, I find that I am alone with myself for about three hours, which gives me plenty of time to think about issues at work and home. “Before I know it, I have clipped off 6 miles and have resolved lots of issues going on in my life. It is so gratifying to work my body hard physically while focusing mentally not on my physical discomfort, but on challenges I’m facing.” Bhala prays the rosary during long runs, dedicating each workout and associated prayer to a different intention. “Running is an opportunity to engage body, mind and soul simultaneously,” he says. Stacy Leeds will run her first marathon next month in San Diego. She doesn’t consider herself a competitive runner, but she enjoys the festive environment of organized races and the benefits of finishing them. “Overcoming the little voice in your head that tells you to stop is the biggest challenge to long runs,” says Leeds, interim associate dean for academic affairs, professor of law and director of the Tribal Law and Government Center. “When you overcome your own mental demons, it gives you confidence that carries over into other areas of life.”
A positive outlet
Participating in races also provides an opportunity to enjoy other parts of the country. “Running through a city’s streets and parks gives you a different perspective than perhaps simply being a tourist or business visitor,” says Steve McAllister, L’88, professor of law. He ran five half marathons in 2010 and says running figures into his efforts to create a healthy worklife balance.
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Raj Bhala, Rice Distinguished Professor, competes in the Boston Marathon in April 2010.
“I sleep better, feel better and work more effectively with regular exercise,” he says. Professor Mike Davis has been enjoying those benefits for more than three decades. For many years, he ran with a campus group that included former KU men’s basketball coach
Roy Williams and former KU athletic director Bob Frederick. These days, he puts in 10 to 12 miles a week. “It is less dangerous than biking and less boring than swimming,” Davis says. “And it supports my other habits.” Stephen Ware, too, takes a casual
Briefly Extra content available online
Professor Mike Davis, left, used to run with a group of men that included, from left, Scot Buxton, Randy Towner, former KU athletic director Bob Frederick, former men’s basketball coach Roy Williams and Steve Robinson.
You can find a “flippable” electronic version of this magazine, as well as photo galleries, podcasts and videos that complement the stories in this issue and others, on the KU Law website at www.law.ku.edu/spring11. Highlights include: n Audio of Stephen Mazza’s first graduation speech as dean of KU Law n Photo galleries from the Bluebook Relays and the Walk to Old Green Hall You can keep up with us year-round on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn,YouTube and the KU Law Blog. Visit www.law.ku.edu and look for the icons above.
“When you overcome your own mental demons, it gives you confidence that carries over into other areas of life.” — Stacy Leeds, interim associate dean for academic affairs
approach to running. At least three times a week, he tries to get outside for a run to stay fit and clear his mind. If you’re working too hard to exercise three days a week, he says, then you’re probably working too hard. “Maybe that’s OK for a week or two,” says Ware, professor of law. “But longer than that seems like a red flag.” Legal professionals all need a positive outlet for work-related stress, says Valdez, who often hears of lawyers who drink heavily to cope with work demands. “It is true that being a lawyer is a high-stress profession, so we need to find some way to work that stress out of our lives,” she says. “I have found running has been my outlet. I see myself as a runner for as long as my body will allow me to be.” n
Race Ipsa raises more than $1,600 for Douglas County Legal Aid
Todd Rogers, assistant dean for career services, runs the 2010 Horsethief 5K in Eudora.
A 5K run/walk organized by University of Kansas law students benefitted a clinic that provides free legal services to Douglas County residents. The 11th annual Race Ipsa, organized by the Student Bar Association, took participants on a course through the KU campus on April 9. The event raised more than $1,600 for Douglas County Legal Aid. SBA President Natasha Das, L’11, is pictured above presenting a check to clinic director Chuck Briscoe. She also dropped off a supply of legal pads and pens. Douglas County Legal Aid is a clinic housed at the law school in which law students, supervised by faculty and staff attorneys, represent indigent clients in a variety of matters in municipal and juvenile courts.
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green hall news
Supremely speaking
SEPT Steve Puppe
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Steve Puppe
Steve Puppe
KU UNIVERSITY RELATIONS
KU UNIVERSITY RELATIONS
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Justice Sonia Sotomayor visited with law students from KU and Washburn during a private Q&A in January at the Dole Institute of Politics. She met with members of the Hispanic American Law Students Association (left and below) before taking the stage with KU Law professor Steve McAllister (bottom left) and Washburn Law professor David Rubenstein, who started the questioning. After the program, Sotomayor exited slowly through the center aisle, stopping to chat with students like Lindsay Grise, L’11, bottom left. Sotomayor talked about procedural matters and the collegial environment at the Supreme Court, how her life has changed since joining the court, and how diabetes, Nancy Drew and Perry Mason inspired her to pursue a career in the law. View a photo gallery and read a law student’s blog about meeting Sotomayor at www.law.ku.edu/spring11
McAllister tapped for rare opportunity to defend orphaned argument at U.S. Supreme Court
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teve McAllister is no stranger to arguing before the U.S. Supreme Court. But the KU Law professor and Kansas solicitor general charted new and rare territory in February when he agreed to defend the judgment of a lower court in a case whose underlying facts led many news outlets to describe it as a Lifetime movie plot. McAllister, L’88, became the 43rd attorney in the court’s history to be appointed by the justices to back a position that otherwise would have no advocate. He did so in the case of Bond v. United States. Slate called it “The Case of the Poisoned Lover.” Microbiologist Carol Anne Bond of suburban Philadelphia was excited to learn that her best friend was pregnant — until she discovered that her husband was the baby’s father. Bent on revenge, Bond first verbally harassed Myrlinda Haynes and later attempted to poison her with toxic chemicals. She was eventually convicted of possessing and using a chemical weapon under 18 U.S.C. § 229, a statute that implements a 1993 chemical weapons treaty. Bond, who received a six-year prison sentence and roughly $12,000 in fines and restitution, appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals
In this courtroom sketch by William Hennessy Jr., Steve McAllister, professor of law and solicitor general of Kansas, presents oral arguments before the justices of the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of Bond v. United States.
reached the Supreme Court, the government changed its position, arguing that Bond did have limited standing. Thus, the lower court decision had no defender. Until Justice Samuel Alito invited McAllister to do the job. “I was honored to get the call from Justice Alito and honored to serve the court in this capacity,” McAllister said. “Writing the brief was a huge undertaking, but a rewarding experience. And participating in the oral argument with former Solicitor General Paul Clement (petitioner’s lawyer) and Deputy Solicitor General Michael Dreeben (for the U.S.) was a joy. “Fortunately, my wife and three of my children were able to attend and see ‘dad’ in action.”
“I was honored to get the call from Justice Alito and honored to serve the court in this capacity.” — Professor Steve McAllister, L’88 for the 3rd Circuit. Her lawyers claimed that charging Bond under a federal chemical weapons treaty intruded on state’s rights as provided in the 10th Amendment. The 3rd Circuit held that Bond had no standing to make the 10th Amendment claim. When the case
Before Bond, McAllister had argued four cases before the Supreme Court and briefed another six. He said this case was different because he didn’t have a specific client. “At the end of the day, I have one goal, which is to do what the court asked: defend the 3rd Circuit judgment,” McAllister told the Los Angeles Daily Journal. McAllister, former dean of KU Law, teaches constitutional law, constitutional litigation and torts. Prior to joining the faculty in 1993, he clerked for Justices Byron White and Clarence Thomas at the U.S. Supreme Court, and Judge Richard Posner at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit. In the infrequent instances when the court has tapped lawyers to represent otherwise undefended positions, it has selected former Supreme Court clerks just over 50 percent of the time, according to a Stanford Law Review article published in April. The court has not yet issued an opinion in Bond. n
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faculty news
Faculty Notes Raj Bhala finished “Understanding Islamic Law (Shari’a),” a 50-chapter, 1,445-page book in the LexisNexis Understanding Series. Available as of May 2011, the book is a comprehensive text for Islamic law courses, which are now offered at nearly half of all American law schools and many law schools in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United Kingdom, East Asia and Europe. It is also intended as a reference for practitioners, who may need it for issues from Islamic finance to wills. Covering the religion, history and law of Islam, the book is the first such text written by a non-Muslim scholar for English-speaking legal audiences. The text also systematically compares Islamic law with U.S. legal rules and Catholic Christianity. Bhala gave the following presentations: n “Islamic Law (Shari’a): Basic Terms, the Sunni-Shi’ite Split, and the Law of War,” national conference of the Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps, Washburn University School of Law, Topeka, October 2010. n “Building Human Capital and Developing Legal Talent,” 9th annual Arab Thought Foundation Conference, followed by dinner at the Grand Serai (Prime Minister’s Palace) with the Prime Minister of Lebanon and other invited dignitaries, Beirut, Lebanon, December 2010. n “Sub-Continental Lawyers, AngloMuhammadan Law, and International Trade Law,” annual conference of the American Association of Law Schools, Law and South Asia Group, San Francisco, January 2011. n “Islamic Law (Shari’a): Origins, Sunni-Shi’ite Split, Jihad and Terrorism,” Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, January 2011. n “Understanding Islamic Law: Women’s Rights and Religious Freedom,” Human Rights Symposium, KU Law, February 2011. n “Theory and Practice of Islamic Banking Law and Finance,” KU International
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Programs seminar for faculty on “Islam in a Global World,” March 2011. n “Seven Points About the Arab Revolutions of 2011,” panel discussion on “Revolutions in the Middle East,” KU Center for Global and International Studies and Kansas African Studies Center, Lawrence, March 2011. Bhala has been elected to a two-year term as vice chair of the International Trade Committee of the Inter-Pacific Bar Association, headquartered in Tokyo. As a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, Bhala participated in a national conference call with Ambassador Ron Kirk, the U.S. trade representative, to discuss the Doha Round of world trade negotiations; efforts in Congress to pass free trade agreements with Korea, Colombia and Panama; and opposition in the U.S. to trade liberalization. He also participated in a national conference call on “Islam and Democracy in the Middle East,” hosted by Reza Aslan. Bhala gave a television interview on the revolution in Egypt and uprisings across the Arab world, featured on KSNT Channel 27 NBC News, Topeka. Bhala completed the 9/11 Patriot’s Run Marathon in Olathe (in 83 degrees heat) in 4:05:50, placing 10th out of 94 runners overall and 5th among men ages 40-49. Robert Casad published the 2010-11 supplement to the Kansas Code of Civil Procedure, the 2010-11 supplement for Jurisdiction and Forum Selection (2d ed.), and the 2011 edition of the Kansas Civil Jury Instruction Handbook. Mike Davis was appointed to the Governance Committee and re-appointed to the Finance Committee of the ABA Section on Legal Education and Admission to the Bar and chaired the six-person ABA accredita-
tion site review team for the Charleston School of Law. He spoke to the Hugh Means Inn of Court on the new Kansas statute governing common interest communities and was re-elected for an 11th year as chair of the Douglas County Community Foundation. Martin Dickinson served as a panelist at the KU Law Federalist Society program on the constitutionality of the individual health care mandate in September 2010. Chris Drahozal published “Creditor Claims in Arbitration and in Court,” 7 Hastings Business Law Journal 77 (2011), with Samantha Zyontz (Searle Civil Justice Institute, Interim Report, November 2009); and “An Empirical Study of AAA Consumer Arbitration,” 25 Ohio State Journal on Dispute Resolution (2010), with Samantha Zyontz (Searle Civil Justice Institute, Preliminary Report, March 2009). He gave the Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP Distinguished Lecture in Business Law on “Why Arbitrate? Substantive Versus Procedural Theories of Private Judging,” at Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada on Feb. 11. Drahozal presented a paper titled “Arbitration and Profit” (co-authored with Bo Rutledge, University of Georgia School of Law) at the Midwestern Law & Economics Conference, University of Colorado School of Law, Boulder, Colo., on Oct. 8; at a workshop hosted by the Center for Contract and Economic Organization at Columbia Law School, New York, Feb. 7; and at a workshop at Loyola New Orleans College of Law, New Orleans, March 3. Together with his co-reporters, Drahozal presented Council Draft No. 2 of the Restatement (Third) of the U.S. Law of International Commercial Arbitration to the Council of the American Law Institute on
Oct. 21. The council unanimously approved the draft, subject to revisions based on the discussion before the council and editorial prerogative. He and his colleagues presented Preliminary Draft No. 2 of the Restatement on Jan. 14 at Pepperdine University School of Law, in Malibu, Calif., and did a presentation on the Restatement at a Roundtable on the U.S. Arbitration Restatement in Paris on Nov. 22. On Jan. 15, Drahozal participated in a retreat for the Academic Council of the Institute of Transnational Arbitration at Pepperdine. The National Task Force on the Arbitration of Consumer Debt Collection Disputes, of which Drahozal is a member, issued the “Consumer Debt Collection: Due Process Protocol Statement of Principles” on Oct. 10. Jelani Jefferson Exum presented “The Child Pornography Sentencing Debate” at a brown bag lunch in September with judges from the United States District Court, Eastern District of Michigan. She was a visiting professor at the University of Michigan this spring and will join the faculty at the University of Toledo in the fall. David Gottlieb participated in the International Law Society’s 9/11 Forum on Sept. 11 and spoke as part of a roundtable on “Protection of Fundamental Rights in Europe” on Oct. 5 at the KU School of Law. He was a guest lecturer on social justice at Plymouth Congregational Church on Sept. 25 in Lawrence. John Head presented his inaugural lecture for the Robert W. Wagstaff Distinguished Professorship, “Civilization and Law: A Dark Optimism Based on the Precedent of Unprecedented Crises,” on Nov. 11. His remarks surveyed 20th-century developments that give cause both for deep concern about the fragility of civilization and some guarded optimism for the future. Head’s lecture will be published soon in the Kansas Law Review. He presented three introductory
lectures to students and other participants Feb. 8-10 on the subjects of “International Law, Agricultural Development, and Environmental Protection.” His lectures served as the opening acts for a special topics course carrying that same title and presentations by the two Visiting Scholars hosted by the Center for International Trade and Agriculture (CITA), which he co-directs with Raj Bhala. The special topics course had 17 students enrolled in it, and its class sessions were open to the public because it was offered under the auspices of the center. The Visiting Scholars were Warren Evans, head of the environment department at the World Bank, and Wes Jackson, founder and director of The Land Institute in Salina. Also in his capacity as CITA codirector, Head edited and published submissions on the center’s website for the CITA Working Papers Series. The most recent papers address issues of international trade and agriculture in Nepal and Syria. As the faculty adviser for two international law moot court teams, Head helped students prepare for competitions focusing on international use of force, international environmental protection and issues of governmental corruption. Head continued as co-adviser (with Raj Bhala) of the International Law Society. The student organization recently won an award for “best chapter in the world” for its range of activities, including a speaker series, fundraising efforts for international humanitarian causes and other efforts. Head served on the Dean Search Committee and, in December, was nominated by the local chapter of Phi Beta Delta, an international honorary society, for the Phi Beta Delta Faculty Award for Outstanding Contributions to International Education. Virginia Harper Ho published “‘Enlightened Shareholder Value’: Corporate Governance Beyond the Shareholder-Stakeholder Divide,” 36 Journal of Corporation Law
59 (2010) and a review of Ronald Brown’s book “Understanding Labor & Employment Law in China” in 69 Journal of Asian Studies (November 2010). She presented “Interactive Corporate Compliance: The Puzzling Case of China” at the Central States Law School Association conference, University of North Dakota School of Law, Sept. 25, and spoke on international careers in November at the International Law Society’s Career Opportunities Forum at KU Law. Harper Ho has been awarded $1,600 in research and travel grants from the Center for East Asian Studies and an $800 grant from the International Travel Fund, Center for Research Inc., to conduct research this summer in China on state facilitation of corporate social responsibility and its effect on corporate compliance and risk management. The grant was also awarded to enable her to present her work in progress, “Corporate Social Responsibility as Collaborative Governance? The PRC Approach in Comparative Perspective,” at Fudan University in June 2011. She accepted an invitation to serve on the board of the Hutton Honors College Alumni Association of Indiana University. Mike Kautsch, as chair of the Kansas Bar Association’s Media Bar Committee, was a principal in presenting an all-day continuing legal education seminar on Oct. 13 in Wichita titled “Media and the Law in Changing Times.” He also moderated a seminar panel discussion, “Whose Lips May Be Sealed? An Examination of the New Kansas Shield Law and Other Protections for the Journalist and the Anonymous Speaker.” In November, Kautsch accepted an invitation to join the State Legislative Committee of the Media Law Resource Center in New York. The committee monitors legislation across the U.S. that affects the media industry. Kautsch spoke at a “town hall” program titled “What is Your Government
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faculty news
Hiding?” on March 12 in Wichita. The program, sponsored by the League of Women Voters and others, was taped for broadcast on KAKE-TV and affiliated stations around the state as part of the national celebration of Sunshine Week (March 13-19, 2011). He published “Parody Online: ‘The Howling Pig’ in the Parlor” in the spring 2011 issue of the YLS Forum, a publication of the Young Lawyers Section of the Kansas Bar Association. Pamela Keller moderated the third annual “Women on the Bench” judicial panel, sponsored by KU Women in Law, on March 10 at the Dole Institute of Politics. Stacy Leeds was named dean of the University of Arkansas School of Law in May. She will be the first female American Indian law dean in the history of U.S. legal education. Leeds was the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Lecturer (keynote speaker) for the 10th Annual Women and the Law Conference on Feb. 18 at the Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego. The conference theme was “Gender Justice and Indian Sovereignty: Native American Women and the Law.” She made the following presentations: n Panel, “From the Classroom to the Courts: The Battlegrounds of Affirmative Action, Sex Discrimination, and Title IX,” conference on “Women in Higher Education: Power, Progress and the Promise of Equality,” sponsored by the University of Minnesota School of Law, Oct. 8. n “The Tribal Consideration on the Implementation of the Law and Order Act of 2010” (remotely via video), co-presentation with Professor Aliza Organick to the 41st Annual American Indian Court Judges Association, Green Bay, Wis., Oct. 27. n “Professional Responsibility in Indian Country,” ethics CLE at the 7th Annual American Indian Symposium, hosted by the American Indian Council, Kansas City, Mo., Nov 9. She was reappointed for another five-
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year term as chief justice of the supreme court for the Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma, a three-judge panel on which she has served since 2000. She was also appointed special district judge for the Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas. Elizabeth Weeks Leonard published two book chapters: “Tort Litigation for the Public’s Health” in “Reconsidering Law and Policy Debates: A Public Health Perspective” (John Culhane, ed. 2010) and “Medical-Legal Partnership: Three Voices from the Law School Clinic” in “Vulnerable Populations and Transformative Law Teaching: A Critical Reader” (Society of American Law Teachers and Golden Gate University School of Law, eds. 2011). She also published the following articles: n “State Constitutionalism and the Right to Health Care,” 12 University of Pennsylvania Journal of Constitutional Law (2010). n “Rhetorical Federalism: The Value of State-Based Dissent to Federal Health Reform,” 39 Hofstra Law Review 111 (2010). n “Rhetorical Federalism: The Role of State Resistance in Health Care DecisionMaking,” 39 Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics 73 (2011). She made the following presentations: n “Notes from the Tea Party: The Affirmative Case for the Health Care Reform Nullification Movement,” Midwestern Law & Economics Association Annual Meeting, hosted by the University of Colorado School of Law, Boulder, Colo., Oct. 9; University of Georgia School of Law, Nov. 3; and the Loyola Constitutional Law Colloquium, “How Democratic is the Constitution?” Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Chicago, Nov. 5. n “Health Care Federalism: The Role of States in Health Care Reform,” session on “Health Reform in the United States,” American Public Health Association Annual Meeting, Denver, Nov. 8. n “Can You Really Keep Your Health Plan? The Limitations of Grandfathering Under the Affordable Care Act,” panel on
“Health Care Reform,” Journal of Corporation Law Symposium on “Reregulation and the Business Firm,” University of Iowa College of Law, Iowa City, Iowa, Feb. 18. n “Death Panels and the Rhetoric of Rationing,” conference on “Health Care Rationing and Public Debate,” University of South Carolina School of Law, Columbia, S.C., March 18. n “Rhetorical Federalism: The Value of State-Based Dissent to Federal Health Reform,” Loyola University of Chicago School of Law, Beazley Institute for Health Law & Policy, March 24. Leonard served as faculty convener of the Kansas Journal of Law and Public Policy’s 2011 symposium, “The Role of States in Federal Health Care Reform,” KU School of Law, Feb. 11. She will join the faculty of her law school alma mater, the University of Georgia School of Law, in the fall. Rick Levy published: n Teachers Manual for Administrative Law: Agency Action in Legal Context (Foundation Press, 2011), with Robert L. Glicksman. n “Agency-Specific Precedents,” 89 Texas Law Review 499 (2011), with Robert L. Glicksman. n “Political Process and Individual Fairness Rationales in the U.S. Supreme Court’s Suspect Classification Jurisprudence,” 50 Washburn Law Review 33 (2010). n “Access to Courts and Preemption of State Remedies in Collective Action Perspective,” 59 Case Western Law Review 1 (2009), with Robert L. Glicksman. He testified before the Kansas Senate Judiciary Committee concerning SB 23 (implementing constitutional right to jury for juvenile offenders) in February 2011 and before the Kansas House Committee on Corrections and Juvenile Justice in March 2011. Levy also presented “Citizens United and the Future of Campaign Finance
Regulation” at a Judge Hugh Means Inn of Court CLE on March 16. He performed with the Moody Bluebooks, the law school band, at Women in Law’s Pub Night on April 1. Stephen Mazza was named dean of the law school on April 1. He published “Measuring Rates of Return on Lobbying Expenditures: An Empirical Case Study of Tax Breaks for Multinational Corporations” in 25 Journal of Law and Politics 401 (2010), co-authored with Raquel Alexander and Susan Scholz of the KU School of Business; and “Limitation by Regulation: Heads the Service Wins, Tails the Taxpayer Loses?”, 30 ABA Section of Taxation NewsQuarterly 7 (Fall 2010), co-authored with Leandra Lederman, Indiana. Mazza participated in a panel discussion on tax compliance at the 103rd annual National Tax Association meeting in Chicago in late November, and he gave a presentation on how law schools are responding to recent economic challenges to the Crawford County Bar Association on Oct. 20 in Pittsburg. Steve McAllister published “Would Other Countries Protect The Phelpses’ Funeral Picketing?” De Novo online symposium on “Funerals, Fire, and Brimstone,” Cardozo Law Review De Novo 408 (Fall 2010). He made the following presentations: n “Supreme Court Update: Recent And Pending Decisions,” with KU Law alumnus Toby Crouse, L’00, CLE program for federal judicial law clerks in the District of Kansas, Kansas City, Kan., Oct. 21. n “Potential Legal Challenges to the Affordable Care Act,” Kansas Health Consumer Coalition conference, Topeka, Dec. 9. McAllister served as the American Association of Law Schools summarian and an ABA team member for the site evaluation of the Indiana University Maurer School of Law, Bloomington, Ind.,
Oct. 24–27. He served as the faculty coordinator, panel convener, KU Law host and a participant in the 2010 Kansas Law Review symposium, “The Rise of State Constitutional Law,” Lawrence, Nov. 12. McAllister was appointed by the Supreme Court of the United States as amicus curiae to defend the judgment below in Bond v. United States, No. 09-1227, order dated Nov. 10, 2010. He filed a brief in the case on Jan. 10 and presented oral argument on Feb. 22. Lou Mulligan published “Clear Rules — Not Necessarily Simple or Accessible Ones,” 97 Virginia Law Review In Brief 13 (April 2011) and an essay from his article “Did the Madisonian Compromise Survive Detention at Guantanamo?” on the NYU Legal Workshop website. He authored an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court in Astra USA Inc. et al. v. Santa Clara County, No. 09-1273 (U.S. Jan. 2011), and served as editor for the Kansas Bar Association Appellate Section Newsletter (April 2011). Mulligan made these presentations: n “Jurisdiction By Cross-Reference,” University of Illinois’ Federal Courts Conference, Chicago, Oct. 21-23; and Case Western Reserve Law School, January 2011. n “An Agency Approach to the Supreme Court’s Interpretation of Rules,” University of Missouri Law School, March 2011 n “American Electric Power Company v. Connecticut (U.S. 10-174): Federal Common Law, Political Questions & Global Warming Litigation,” EPA - Region VII, Kansas City, Kan., February 2011. Mulligan served on the law school’s Hiring Committee and the Rice Scholars Committee and continued his work on the Kansas Bar Association Appellate Section Executive Committee. He remains an active member of the KU Honors Program Alumni Advisory Board. He is also the newest member of the Moody Bluebooks, the law school’s rock band, playing guitar.
John Peck served on a committee appointed by the Kansas Legislature on “water banking.” The committee completed its study and published a report on Jan. 11 titled “Central Kansas Water Bank Association Evaluation: Five-Year Review and Recommendations.” He made the following presentations: n “Can We Save the Western Kansas Groundwater Aquifers?” Lawrence Presbyterian Church group studying environmental issues, Jan. 30. n “Is it Time to Revisit and Re-evaluate the Kansas Water Appropriation Act?” winter meeting of the Kansas Water Congress, Topeka, Jan. 31. n “Legal Issues on Sustainability from the Law of Water Allocation,” interdisciplinary graduate school class on sustainability taught by Joane Nagel of the department of sociology, Spooner Hall, March 7. Peck also participated in an Oxfordstyle debate sponsored by the Kansas Water Office on Feb. 22 in Wichita and Feb. 23 in Hays at a conference called “Kansas in Transition: Forecasting our Future Water Needs.” The question was whether the current “prior appropriation doctrine” for water rights allocation is the best approach to meet the changing water needs in Kansas. Peck was asked to argue for the side upholding that approach. Elinor Schroeder was quoted in an article in the Feb. 26 Lawrence JournalWorld about the situation in Wisconsin and the Kansas Public Employee-Employer Bargaining Law. On March 8, she presented “A Discussion of the Tip of the Iceberg of Employment Law” to the Self Graduate Fellows at the University of Kansas. Betsy Six was selected to participate in the University of Kansas Center for Teaching Excellence Faculty Seminar for the fall semester of 2011. The seminar involved discussions with KU faculty from a variety of disciplines about cutting-edge works on the scholarship of teaching. She
KU LAW MAGAZINE 21
faculty news
also published a teaching portfolio titled “Enhancing Feedback on Student Learning” on the Center for Teaching Excellence website. Christopher Steadham was appointed associate director of the Wheat Law Library in January 2011. He co-presented “Working to Ensure Access to Electronic Legal Information in MAALL States: A Report from MAALL Members of the AALL Working Group” at the 2010 MAALL Annual Conference in Iowa City, Iowa. Andrew Torrance published “Family Law and the Genomic Revolution,” 79 University of Missouri-Kansas City Law Review 271 (Winter 2011). He also made the following presentations: n “Open Biological Innovation: From Patents to Commons to Copyright to Open Source,” Berkeley Open Innovation Forum, Berkeley Law School, Berkeley, Calif., September 2010; and Law Review Symposium on Bioethics, Law and Synthetic Biology,Valparaiso University School of Law, Valparaiso, Ind., March 2011. n “Anything Under the Sun Except Man,” Patenting in the Biotechnology Industry: 30 Years After Diamond v. Chakrabarty, University of Illinois College of Law, Urbana-Champaign, Ill., September 2010; Greater KC Society of Healthcare Attorneys, Kansas City, Mo., December 2010. n “Property Rules, Liability Rules, Patents, and Innovation: One Experimental View of the Cathedral,” Canadian Law and Economics Association Annual Conference, University of Toronto Faculty of Law, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, September 2010; DePaul University School of Law, Chicago, Ill., October 2010; Conference on Experimental Legal Studies,Yale Law School, New Haven, Conn., November 2010. n “The Evolution and Development of Biolaw” and “DNA Copyright,” Biolaw 4.0: Law at the Frontiers of Biology, KU Law, Lawrence, October 2010. n “The Patent Game,” University of
22 KU LAW MAGAZINE
Missouri-Kansas City School of Law, Kansas City, Mo., October 2010. n “Biodiversity and Patent Law,” NSF climate change IGERT Class, University of Kansas, Lawrence, November 2010. n “You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby! Genomics, Personalized Medicine, and Reproductive Law” and “Synthetic Biology Meets the Law,” American Association of Law Schools Annual Meeting, San Francisco, Calif., January 2011. n “Nothing Under the Sun that is Made of Man,” Law and Biosciences class, Stanford Law School, Palo Alto, Calif., February 2011. n “Beauty is in the Adaptations of the Judicial Beholder,” Society for the Evolutionary Analysis of Law (SEAL) Annual Conference, Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, February 2011. n “The Rise and Fall and Rise of Gene Patents,” conference on “The Emergence of Personalized Medicine: Legal, Social and Ethical Implications,” Cumberland School of Law, Samford University, Birmingham, Ala., February 2011. n “Innovation and Law: Regulation or Strangulation?”, MIT Innovation Lab, Ford Motor Company, Dearborn, Mich., March 2011. n “Synthetic Biology: Regulation as Food, Drug, Cosmetic or Device,” PhytoMetaSyn and Synthetic Biology GE3LS Workshop, University of Calgary Faculty of Law, Banff, Alberta, Canada, March 2011. Torrance’s promotion to full professor will take effect in August. Suzanne Valdez served as a panelist for a program sponsored by the League of Women Voters called “Who Will Judge You? Advancing Judicial Diversity,” hosted by Kansas State University, on Sept. 15. She was a panelist on a women in legal careers program for prospective students on Nov. 3 at KU Law. Valdez testified in favor of Senate Bill 24 (reorganization of the domestic relations statutes) on behalf of the Judicial
Council Family Law Advisory Committee on March 8. She conducted an ABA provisional site visit at Lincoln Memorial University, Duncan School of Law, on March 14-16 in Knoxville, Tenn. Her promotion to clinical professor will take effect in August. Stephen Ware published “Disorder in the Court,” Topeka Capital Journal, March 15; and “How Does your State Select its Judges?”, Inside ALEC, March 2011, with Brian Fitzpatrick,Vanderbilt University Law School. He also made these presentations: n Panel on AT&T Mobility v. Concepcion, American Constitution Society press briefing, National Press Club, Washington, D.C., Oct. 19. n Talk on arbitration, De Paul University College of Law, Nov. 8. n Talk on the Dodd-Frank law (reforming financial regulation), University of Pittsburgh School of Law, Sept. 14; and to the Creighton University School of Law Federalist Society chapter, Oct. 5. n Talk on arbitration and class actions, Law Professors Division, Federalist Society, San Francisco, Calif., Jan. 7. n Talk on the role of plaintiffs’ lawyers, University of Houston Law Center, Jan. 19. n CLE presentation, “The Future of Mandatory Arbitration: A Conversation about Dodd-Frank and the Arbitration Fairness Act,” ABA Section of Dispute Resolution, Feb. 8. n Testimony on judicial selection, Kansas House Judiciary Committee, Feb. 16. n Presentations on judicial selection, Iowa House Judiciary Committee and Iowa Lawyers’ Chapter of the Federalist Society, Feb. 22. On the topic of judicial selection, Ware was quoted in several newspapers in Kansas, Iowa and Rhode Island. He also appeared on radio in Wichita, Topeka and Des Moines, Iowa. Melanie Wilson published the results of her research on how district court judges
KU University Relations
in Kansas rule when criminal defendants allege police dishonesty. The article, “Improbable Cause: A Case for Judging Police by a More Majestic Standard,” was published by the Berkeley Journal of Criminal Law. She also presented at roundtables sponsored by the American Bar Association to discuss proposed changes to the Defense and Prosecution Function Standards that provide aspirational guidance to all criminal law practitioners. The discussions were in September and October at Stetson University College of Law, Roger Williams School of Law and Case Western Reserve School of Law. Wilson also presented a paper titled “Protecting Jurors with the Fourth Amendment” on Oct. 1 at Michigan State University School of Law. She presented a poster of her “Improbable Cause” paper in November at Yale Law School. Wilson’s promotion to full professor has been approved and will take effect in August.
The newest faculty members at the University of Kansas School of Law, Virginia Harper Ho, top, and Lou Mulligan, left, teach courses in the Snell Courtroom at Green Hall.
KU LAW MAGAZINE 23
alumni news
By the people, For the people
The cover of the first issue of the Kansas Journal of Law & Public Policy compared to its current design. Above: Jay Kramer and Kelly Cochran, left, the editor-in-chief and managing editor, respectively, for the 2010-11 academic year, and Paulette Manville and Scott Long, their counterparts for the publication’s inaugural volume.
24 KU LAW MAGAZINE
After 20 years, Law Journal still guided by founding principles
A
t the five-year anniversary banquet for the Kansas Journal of Law and Public Policy, several faculty members asked Paulette Manville, “Did you ever believe this would be here in five years?” They asked the same question at the 10-year anniversary. This year, they stopped asking. The Journal celebrated its 20th anniversary at a dinner on April 1, and the founding members reiterated then what they knew in 1991, the year the first issue went to press. “We all believed and assumed that this was going to happen,” says Manville, L’91. “We never once said, ‘What if we don’t get the money? What if we don’t have furniture? What if we can’t find someone to design the cover? What if we can’t get it printed?’ “It was always approached from ‘This is what we want to do, and here’s how we make it happen.’ I think that made all the difference. None of us doubted for a moment.” ‘Worth talking about’ The Journal was born when five law students who weren’t completely fulfilled by their experience on the Kansas Law Review started talking about an alternative writing opportunity. They envisioned a publication that addressed the intersection of the legislature, the judiciary and the public. “You have those who make the laws, those who review and endorse the laws, and those people who have to live with the laws,” Manville says.
“That’s what we were interested in exploring, and that’s the readership we were interested in reaching.” The founding five – Manville, Rita Bigras, Louis Cohn, Scott Long and David Summers – enlisted the support of faculty members Reggie Robinson and Sid Shapiro, who eagerly signed on as advisers. “The students showed up in my office and made two compelling arguments,” says Shapiro, now an associate dean and professor at Wake Forest University School of Law. “One, which was dear to my heart, was that it’s worth talking about law and public policy. And two, there were just a lot more good students at KU than the
By Mindie Paget
“I’m not going to be so bold as to say that we’re influencing policy anywhere. But there’s an opportunity there that didn’t exist before the Journal was around.” — Scott Long, L’91
Law Review could take, and we ought to make the Law Review experience – because it’s valuable – available to more students.” Several characteristics would set the new Journal apart from the longestablished Law Review, which had been the only student-edited scholarly publication at the school for nearly 40
KU LAW MAGAZINE 25
alumni news years. First, selection of staff was based almost entirely on writing ability, with minimal regard for grades or class rank. Second, the Journal would be interdisciplinary, striving to include not only viewpoints from academics but also from policymakers and professionals in relevant fields. One issue each year would arise from a symposium that brought these experts together. The founders also hoped the Journal would “nurture camaraderie and intellectual dialogue between majority and minority law students,” says Rita Bigras, L’91. To that end, they encouraged students of color to apply to the Journal and submit articles for publication. Finally, authors were encouraged to write articles in their own voice, and editors did not remove those personal touches. “I think something that was instrumental in perpetuating the life of the Journal was making it something that students wanted to do,” says Scott Long, L’91, managing editor of the first issue. “It’s interesting work, and it’s going to attract people. I’m sure it’s a resume builder – and maybe that’s why some people do it – but it’s so much more than that.” ‘What we were hoping for’ Just six weeks passed from their first meeting in the spring of 1990 to the day the founding five received faculty approval for the Journal. During that time, they crafted a five-year plan to sustain the publication. When the
Cover story The face of the Kansas Journal of Law and Public Policy has changed several times since its founding.
1
Volumes 1 and 2 Summer ’91 through Spring ’93
2
Volumes 3 - 5 Fall ’93 through Spring ’96
3
Volumes 6 - 16 Fall ’96 through Spring ’07
4
Starting with Volume 17 Fall ’07 through the present
a strong suggestion of matching funds from the law school – to launch the publication. They staked out space on the fifth floor of the library formerly dedicated to storing book dummies. And they secured a furniture donation from the Wichita law firm at which Long had interned. The first issue focused on environmental equity and the notion that pollution follows the path of least resistance. For example, polluting factories are often located in poverty pockets where people need the jobs created by the factories and therefore lack bargaining power to fight for their health. In keeping with their brief history of boldness, Jay Kramer, L’11 the Journal founders invited Donald Elliot, thengeneral counsel of the Environmental Protection Agency, to deliver the keynote address at the symposium in the spring of 1991. He accepted their offer. The resulting publication was used at a meeting of the International Monetary Fund to talk about employment issues, the cost of environmental cleanup and its
“Not only have I dramatically improved my research and writing ability, but I have also met friends and colleagues that I will certainly work with and stay in contact with after law school.” — question of funding arose, the founders walked to Strong Hall, met with a top administrator and walked out with the promise of $10,000 over two years – and
26 KU LAW MAGAZINE
How to help An endowed fund has been created to support scholarships for students on the Kansas Journal of Law and Public Policy. In the spirit of this publication championed by students, the founders and current editorial board members are encouraging all former staff members to contribute to the fund. “Ideally, we would like to have 100 percent contribution, even if somebody can only send $10,” Manville says. To make a contribution to the Kansas Journal of Law and Public Policy Scholarship Fund, visit kuendowment.org, hit the Give Now button, and indicate the Kansas Journal of Law and Public Policy as the purpose of your gift.
effects on poverty-stricken areas. The staff also received a request for 20 copies of the issue to be used at the UN’s Earth Summit in 1992. “That’s what we were hoping for,” says Manville, editor-in-chief of the inaugural issue. “We wanted people, not just legal academics, to be looking at it. In that issue, you saw the human impact, the legal consequences, all in one place.” Proud achievement A diverse and impressive list of contributors has filled the Journal’s pages through the years. Among their titles are secretary of health and human services, chair of the National Endowment for the Arts, legislators, artistic directors of dance companies, distinguished professors of law and other disciplines, president of the National Education Association, federal judges and more. Manville and Long are proud of the Journal’s continuing impact. “How many thousands of people have had an opportunity to read the
Journal?” Long says. “I’m not going to be so bold as to say that we’re influencing policy anywhere. But there’s an opportunity there that didn’t exist before the Journal was around.” Today, the Journal has close to 200 subscribers, including law libraries, law offices and government agencies. Shapiro, who has published a number of articles in the Journal and still looks at every issue, says the publication brought added attention to KU Law and provided an opportunity for the school to bring more scholars and public officials to campus. Those benefits trickle down to students. “My two years on the Journal have provided me with an invaluable experience,” says Jay Kramer, a May 2011 graduate and editor-in-chief of the 2010-11 Journal. “Not only have I dramatically improved my research and writing ability, but I have also met friends and colleagues that I will certainly work with and stay in contact with after law school.” He notes that the Journal, which publishes three issues a year, is currently ranked 28th among student-edited public policy journals in the Washington and Lee University School of Law rankings, putting KU ahead of prestigious schools such as New York University, Texas, Florida, Georgetown, Wake Forest and the University of Southern California. The 2010 symposium on employment law in recessionary times and the 2011 symposium on health care reform drew capacity crowds, which tells Manville that today’s editorial boards are upholding the founders’ goal of exploring timely topics that address the impact of legal rules on society. Long still gets a charge every time he reads the founding mission statement inside the cover of each issue. “The experience – in terms of having what appeared to be an insurmountable problem and tackling it one bite at a time and overcoming it – that certainly encouraged me and gave me some confidence to launch off into my career,” he says of founding the Journal. “It was something that I consider one of my proud achievements in life.” n
The first staff Volume 1, Issue 1 Summer 1991 Editor-in-Chief Paulette Manville, L’91 Managing Editor Scott Long, L’91 Business Manager Doc Netterville, L’91 Publications Editors Rita Bigras, L’91 Louis Cohn, L’91 Melanie Leary, L’91 Julianne Popper, L’91 Sharon Stephens, L’91 Symposium Directors David Summers, L’91 Genine Normore, L’91 Guest Editors Matthew Logan, School of Urban Planning George Puia, School of Business Staff Michael Blumenthal, L’92 Mary Cabrera, L’92 Angela Conway, L’92 John Dvorske, L’92 Karl Kuckelman, L’92 Michael Martinez, L’92 Michelle McNulty, L’92 Matthew Queen, L’92 Theodore Smith, L’92 Art Direction Lois Greene Douglas Sellers Academic Advisers Sidney Shapiro Reginald Robinson
KU LAW MAGAZINE 27
alumni news
Journey to J.D. student Chris Abraham, left, and Lana Knedlik, L’96, a member of the Diversity Advisory Council and a partner at Stinson Morrison Hecker, network with fellow students and alumni at a J2JD barbecue in June. Right: Judge Steve Leben, L’82, of the Kansas Court of Appeals, moves mulch during a Make a Difference Day service project at the Hidden Valley Camp in Lawrence.
28 KU LAW MAGAZINE
Volunteer honor roll This third annual edition of 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 contributions made from March 2010 to March 2011. We made our best efforts to ensure that the list is complete. If you are aware of any omissions or errors, please contact Mindie Paget at mpaget@ku.edu. Guest lecturers,
Harry Mallin, L’87
speakers and panelists
Jeff Mason, L’83
Chris Allman, L’89
Rob McCully, L’85
Josh Arce, L’05
Anne McDonald, L’82
Brian Bartalos, L’00
Laura McKnight, L’94
Brandon Bauer, L’06
Ben Miller-Coleman, L’10
Kristin Black, L’10
Doni Mooberry, L’96
Emily Reid Caron, L’02
Mike Nichols, L’07
Dan Crabtree, L’81
Holly Nielsen, L’82
Toby Crouse, L’00
Kevin Oakleaf, L’08
Michael Delaney, L’76
Sebastian Orosco, L’10
Brian Dietz, L’07
Chadron Patton, L’10
Shaye Downing, L’05
Leon Patton, L’83
Holly Dyer, L’94
Leena Phadke, L’07
Alphonso Eason, L’02
The Hon. G. Joseph Pierron, L’71
Maria Fogliasso, L’06
Christi Pribula, L’07
Shelly Freeman, L’88
Cathy Reinhardt, L’83
Heather Counts Garrett, L’00
George Rider, L’78
Lance Gillett, L’07
Deborah Riley, L’89
Jessica Glendening, L’04
Amy Risley, L’94
Kelly Green, L’98
Reggie Robinson, L’87
Cynthia Grimes, L’84
Jon Strongman, L’02
Cara Greve, L’06
Mike Seck, L’82
Joan Hawkins, L’99
William Tretbar, L’80
Rick Griffin, L’04
Chad Sublet, L’06
Lindsay Heinz, L’10
Barry Halpern, L’73
Holly Zane, L’86
The Hon. Janice Miller Karlin,
Dean Search
Stephen Harmon, L’74
Jay Witt, L’05
L’80
Eric Barton, L’93
Mark Hinderks, L’82
Molly Wood, L’91
Pamela Keller, L’93
Martin Bauer, L’75
The Hon. Steve Leben, L’82
The Hon. Carol Beier, L’85
Jeff Houston, L’95
Randy Edmonds
Judge Timothy Lahey, L’84, of the Sedgwick County District Court, speaks with students at Legal Career Options Day.
The Hon. Janice Miller Karlin,
Moot court judges
The Hon. John Lungstrum, L’70
Anne Burke, L’81
L’80
Jon Becker, L’89
Mark Parkinson, L’84
Kelly Campbell, L’92
Pamela Keller, L’93
The Hon. Mary Beck Briscoe,
The Hon. G. Joseph Pierron, L’71
Daniel Crabtree, L’92
Todd LaSala, L’96
L’73
Mark Samsel, L’10
Peter Curran, L’66
The Hon. Steve Leben, L’82
Terrence Campbell, L’97
Steve Six, L’96
Donald Giffin, L’53
Margaret Mahoney, L’10
Michael Crabb, L’09
Wes Smith, L’98
Jon Gilchrist, L’88
Jeremy Mai, L’08
Shannon Garrett, L’98
The Hon. Dale Somers, L’71
Jeanne Gorman, L’78
KU LAW MAGAZINE 29
alumni news Evan Ice, L’93
Issaku Yamaashi, L’00
Collin Altieri, L’01
Ambriel Renn-Scanlan, L’06
The Hon. Steve Leben, L’82
Holly Zane, L’86
Branden Bell, L’05
Peter Riggs, L’04
Cathy Reinhardt, L’83
Kara Bemboom-Grefrath, L’06
Shawn Rogers, L’98
Bill Sampson, L’71
Women’s Advisory
Jonathan Benevides, L’09
Jason Romero, L’09
The Hon. Fred Six, L’56
Council
Kyle Binns, L’07
Chandra Ruyle, L’04
Glee Smith, L’47
Katharina Babich, L’91
Dustin Bradley, L’08
Ashlea Schwarz, L’07
Byron Springer, L’60
Parthenia Evans, L’82
Clay Britton, L’09
Jamison Shipman, L’03
Wint Winter Jr., L’78
Amy Fowler, L’01
P. Daniel Calderon, L’07
Gregory Skoch, L’00
Cathy Havener Greer, L’76
Kelley Catlin, L’05
Cary Smalley, L’05
Miscellaneous
Carrie Josserand, L’98
Natalie Chalmers, L’07
Jennifer Stevenson, L’04
Charlie Hostetler, L’63
Madeleine McDonough, L’90
Kim Christiansen, L’94
Adrienne Strecker, L’07
Cullin Hughes, L’09
The Hon. Mary Murguia, L’85
Kevin Connor, L’88
Amy Tillery, L’06
Heather Jones, L’00
Cathy Reinhardt, L’83
Braxton Copley, L’92
Martha Titterington, L’05
Ricardo Kolster, L’01
Elizabeth Schartz, L’88
Danielle Davey, L’09
David Trevino, L’07
Christopher McHugh, L’00
Lisa Schultes, L’85
Anne Emert, L’05
Stephanie Tucker Muir, L’01
Issaku Yamaashi, L’00
Stacey Warren, L’93
Carly Farrell, L’06
James Ward, L’07
Holly Zane, L’86
Jeanne Verville, L’85
Lisa Fewins, L’06
Christine White, L’05
Michael Fischer, L’07
Edward Wilson, L’00
Katherine Zogleman, L’03 Guillermo Zorogastua, L’07
New Members of Board
Lauren Fletcher, L’05
of Governors
Leena Fry, L’07
Legal Career Fairs
Make a Difference
Shane Bangerter, L’91
Alexander Gard, L’08
Steve Allton, L’04
Day Volunteers
Martin Bauer, L’75
Adam Gasper, L’08
Eric Aufdengarten, L’03
Capt. Brandon Bean, L’09
Lydia Beebe, L’77
Julia Gaughan, L’08
Melanie Baker, L’98
The Hon. Karen Arnold-Berger,
John Hayes, L’91
Sarah Hanson, L’07
Betsy Blake, L’05
L’82
Kimberly Jones, L’94
Serena Hawkins-Schletzbaum,
Stacey Blakeman, L’09
Danielle Davey, L’09
Kevin Mitchelson, L’82
L’08
James Borelli, L’84
Jon Gilchrist, L’88
John Nettels Jr., L’85
Stefani Hepford, L’03
Dustin Bradley, L’08
C. Albert Herdoiza, L’80
Ryan Brunton, L’02
Sarah Hill, L’03
John Campbell, L’80
Lawrence Jenab, L’02
Kelley Catlin, L’05
Neal Johnson, L’09 Joanna Labastida, L’09
SEPT
18
The Hon. Steve Leben, L’82
Find a complete list of board members at www.law.ku.edu/alumni
Sara Pfeiffer, L’09
James Johnson, L’03
Karen Collier, L’09
Jessica Reyes, L’09
Mock interview
Heather Jones, L’00
Crissa Cook, L’07
Anne Gepford Smith, L’10
program
Andrew Jones, L’04
Braxton Copley, L’92
Josh Smith, L’10
Adam Davis, L’08
Allison Jones, L’07
Danielle Davey, L’09
Devon Doyle, L’08
Sara Ivarra Juarez, L’05
Matthew Donnelly, L’07
Diversity Advisory
Anne Emert, L’05
Ricardo Kolster, L’01
Lori Dougherty, L’06
Council
The Hon. Henry Green, L’75
Samuel Korte, L’05
Laura Fleming, L’03
Dan Cranshaw, L’03
Ricardo Kolster, L’01
Jennifer Lepentis, L’97
Anne Gusewelle, L’96
Laura Clark Fey, L’92
The Hon. Steve Leben, L’82
Maren Ludwig, L’08
Heather Hall, L’05
Albert Herdoiza, L’80
Rob McCully, L’85
Jessica Madrid, L’08
Marie Haynes, L’05
Lana Knedlik, L’96
Chris McHugh, L’00
Katie McClaflin VanWagner, L’05
Stefani Hepford, L’03
Ricardo Kolster, L’01
Jacy Moneymaker, L’07
Jack McInnes, L’04
Sarah Hill, L’03
Patricia Konopka, L’94
Mark Samsel, L’10
Stephanie Mendenhall, L’02
Martha Hodgesmith, L’78
Marcella Lee, L’94
Jennifer Stevenson, L’04
Martin Miller, L’81
Christina Holland, L’00
Janet Murguia, L’85
Holly Perkins, L’08
Neal Johnson, L’09
Kelley Sears, L’74
1L Mentors
The Hon. G. Joseph Pierron, L’71
Christopher Jones, L’02
Joe Serrano, L’93
Nicole Proulx Aiken, L’08
Julie Pine, L’07
James Jordan, L’09
Damon Williams, L’02
Katherine Allen, L’02
Robert Ramsdell, L’99
Brandon Kane, L’05
30 KU LAW MAGAZINE
Wiley Kannarr, L’95 Michele Kessler, L’87 The Hon. Peggy Kittel, L’83 The Hon. Timothy Lahey, L’84 Tamera Lawrence, L’10 Sarah Lepak, L’05 Janith Lewis, L’96 Jason Long, L’04 Stephanie Lovett-Bowman, L’10 Mary McDonald, L’88 Diane Minear, L’04 Jehan Kamil Moore, L’05 Andrew Nolan, L’98 James Nordstrom, L’69 The Hon. Lawton Nuss, L’82 Brian Nye, L’09 Timothy O’Brien, L’83 Heather O’Hara, L’07 Tyler Page, L’10
Randy Edmonds
Shon Qualseth, L’97 Ambriel Renn-Scanlan, L’06 Stephen Reynolds, L’71
The Hon. Robert Fairchild, L’73
Leah Robinson, L’86
Bethany Fields, L’97
Rachel Rolf, L’07
Jo Hardesty, L’86
Demetra Salisbury, L’06
Deb Hughes, L’89
Luke Sinclair, L’08
Brandon Jones, L’00
Gregory Skoch, L’00
Heather Jones, L’00
Rachel Smith, L’99
The Hon. Janice Miller Karlin,
Libby Snider, L’99
L’80
Stephanie Sowers, L’08
Jill Kenney, L’02
Jesse Tanksley, L’09
The Hon. Peggy Carr Kittel, L’83
David Trevino, L’07
Lana Knedlik, L’96
Katie VanWagner, L’05
Linda Koester-Vogelsang, L’91
Amanda Voth, L’07
Kristy Lambert, L’91
Catherine Walter, L’81
The Hon. Steve Leben, L’82
Michael Werner, L’00
The Hon. John Lungstrum, L’70
Eric Rosenblad, L’82
Stanley Williams, L’81
Jeremy Mai, L’08
The Hon. Jean Shepherd, L’77
Daniel Yoza, L’08
The Hon. Michael Malone, L’73
The Hon. Dale Somers, L’71
Holly Zane, L’86
The Hon. Paula Martin, L’81
Nancy Ulrich, L’84
Guillermo Zorogastua, L’07
Sam McHenry, L’72
Suzanne Valdez, L’96
David Melton, L’98
The Hon. Kathryn Vratil, L’75
Supervisors for
The Hon. Carlos Murguia, L’82
Ty Wheeler, L’92
clinical students
Brandelyn Nichols, L’02
Stanley Williams, L’81
Chris Allman, L’89
The Hon. Lawton Nuss, L’82
Rae Anderson, L’08
Lannie Ornburn, L’96
The Hon. Carol Beier, L’85
Leon Patton, L’83
John Derby, L’99
The Hon. G. Joseph Pierron, L’71
Lori Dougherty, L’06
The Hon. Julie Robinson, L’81
Top: Chief Justice Lawton Nuss, L’82, of the Kansas Supreme Court, left, and Brian Nye, L’10, Nuss’s clerk, visit with a student about careers in the judiciary during Legal Career Options Day in November. Guillermo Zorogastua, L’07, an associate at Polsinelli Shughart, networks with high school students during the Journey to J.D. summer law camp.
KU LAW MAGAZINE 31
alumni news
Coming Home KU Law alumni returned to campus in October for a fun weekend that combined Homecoming and Reunion activities. The classes of 1970, 1980, 1985, 1990 and 2000 gathered for cocktails and dinner on Friday evening at the Oread. They joined fellow Green Hall veterans for a Saturday tailgate on the Hill and the annual Homecoming Reception back at the hotel. Members of the Class of 2000 enjoy the tailgate party, right; and Jo Hardesty, L’86, catches up with Dennis Prater, Connell Teaching Professor of Law, below, at the Homecoming Reception.
Members of the Class of 1985, from left, Bernard Weinand, Janet Murguia, Ward Stauffer, Judge Mary Murguia and Jerry Brenneman, with KU alumna Christine Ladner, C’82, in front. Opposite: Dan O’Connell, Lisa Schultes, L’85, the Hon. Janice Miller Karlin, L’80, Calvin Karlin, L’77, and Linda Nugent.
32 KU LAW MAGAZINE
Left: Marvin Motley, left, and Trip Frizell, both L’80. Below: Cathy McLeod, L’10, Anna Cohen, L’10, Jade Freeman, L’11, Aaron Levine, L’10, and Adam Siebers, L’10.
Gary McEachen, B’60, and Mack Colt, L’64.
Save the date
KU Law Reunion September 30 & October 1, 2011 PHotos by Steve Puppe
Celebrating the classes of 1971, 1981, 1986, 1991 and 2001
KU LAW MAGAZINE 33
alumni news
Alumni Notes
Items were received or collected prior to April 1, 2011. Submit your news by e-mail to patti@ku.edu or online at www.law.ku.edu. Click on Alumni and look for Keeping in Touch. KU Law Magazine relies on alumni for the accuracy of information reported.
1960s Robert “Bob” Green, L’67, was elected to serve on the board of directors of Peoples Bank and on the board of Peoples Inc. He has been an attorney in Ottawa since 1968. Frederick K. Slicker, L’68, was awarded the 2010 Tulsa County Bar Association’s Neil E. Bogan Award for Professionalism in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the legal profession and his faithful adherence to the highest ideals of the profession. Slicker is with the Slicker Law Firm PC in Tulsa, Okla., where his principal areas of practice are mergers and acquisitions, business transactions, securities and franchise compliance.
1970s George Schlagel, L’74, has been named the 2011 chair of the Board of Park and Recreation Commissioners of the Johnson County Park and Recreation District. Schlagel is a senior member of the Olathe law firm of Schlagel & Kinzer LLC. He has served as the sixth district’s at-large representative to the JCPRD board since November 2006 and is currently board liaison to the Theatre in the Park Theatre Advisory Council. Georgia Staton, L’74, a partner with the Phoenix firm of Jones, Skelton & Hochuli PLC, has become a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, one of the premier legal associations in America. Staton has practiced law for more than 36 years, chiefly as a trial attorney defending governmental entities in catastrophic personal injury claims, civil rights and employment matters. Jennifer Gille Bacon, L’76, was selected to receive one of two Missouri Bar Foundation 2010 Purcell Professionalism Awards. Bacon is a shareholder
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at Polsinelli Shughart PC. This award acknowledges outstanding professionalism by a Missouri lawyer who has consistently demonstrated an exceptional degree of competency, integrity and civility in both professional and civic activities. She received this honor at the Missouri Bar/ Missouri Judicial Conference annual meeting Sept. 29-Oct. 1 in Columbia, Mo. Norene D. Jacobs, L’77, has been named the Best Lawyers’ 2011 Des Moines Health Care Lawyer of the Year. Only a single lawyer in each specialty is honored as Lawyer of the Year. Jacobs is a senior partner in the Des Moines office of Kutak Rock LLP, a national law firm headquartered in Omaha, Neb. She has been engaged in the practice of health care law in Iowa for more than 30 years and has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America in health care law for 20 consecutive years. Best Lawyers compiles its list of outstanding attorneys by conducting exhaustive peer review surveys in which thousands of leading lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers. Robert J. Schmisseur, L’77, district judge of the 30th Judicial District, sat with the Kansas Supreme Court in early December to hear appeals in four matters on the court’s docket. The Supreme Court appointed Schmisseur to join them in place of Chief Justice Robert E. Davis, who died in August. He heard oral arguments in appeals involving a criminal case, a Sedgwick County annexation proceeding, dismissal of a civil suit arising from a suicide in the Shawnee County jail, and an appeal from the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board. Schmisseur will also participate in the high court deliberations and opinion drafting. He has been a district judge since 1986 in the 30th Judicial District, which includes Barber, Harper, Kingman, Pratt and Sumner counties.
Sheila Bair, L’78, chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, was named Distinguished Kansan of the Year by the Native Sons and Daughters, a group that works to preserve Kansas history. She was honored at an awards banquet in January in Topeka. Bair is a native of Independence and was named one of Time magazine’s most influential women in 2009. Bair has announced that she will step down as FDIC chair in July. Phyllis Bock, L’78, represented KU Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little, wearing KU Law robes, as the KU delegate in the September inauguration of Waded Cruzado as Montana State University’s 12th president. Bock is attorney/adviser of Associated Students of Montana State University in Bozeman, Mont. The Hon. Trish Rose, L’78, took the bench in January for the Reno County District Court, Division 1. She was elected in November. Rose’s son, Nick Myers, is a first-year student at KU Law. Nancy Maydew Dixon, L’79, has been appointed as the new state judicial administrator by Chief Justice Lawton Nuss. She is the highest-ranking nonjudicial employee in the Kansas court system. As judicial administrator, Dixon implements the Supreme Court’s rules and policies concerning operation and administration of the Kansas courts. The Office of Judicial Administration’s duties include management of fiscal operations, personnel, education, statistical caseload information, public information, court services, and other matters involving the trial and appellate courts. The Kansas court system employs approximately 260 judges and 1,600 non-judge employees, and administers an annual budget of more than $100 million.
1980s The Hon. Bruce C. Mallonee, L’80, was sworn in Dec. 6 to a seven-year term as a judge on the Maine District Court. Mallonee was appointed by Gov. John Baldacci and unanimously confirmed by the Maine Senate. He will preside in Ellsworth, Maine. In doing so, Mallonee follows in the footsteps of a fellow Kansan, the late Jack O. Smith, who was born in Kingman. Smith was presiding on the district court bench in Ellsworth in 1981 when Mallonee began practicing law with the Bangor, Maine, firm of Rudman & Winchell, where he worked as an attorney for 30 years before ascending to the bench. The Hon. Mike Ward, L’80, has been appointed by the Kansas Supreme Court to be chief judge of the 13th Judicial District, which includes Butler, Elk and Greenwood counties. As chief judge, Ward will have general management responsibilities in the judicial district, including assigning caseloads and directing all clerical and administrative personnel. He has been on the bench since 1999. Steven Anderson, L’81, received his LL.M. in Elder Law from KU Law in 2010. Anderson has started his own firm, the Law Office of Steven R. Anderson PA, in Overland Park. His practice focuses on elder law, estate planning, and trust and estate administration. He has practiced law and was a trust administrator for nearly 30 years in the Kansas City area. The Hon. Karen Arnold-Burger, L’82, of Overland Park, has been appointed as a judge on the Kansas Court of Appeals by Gov. Mark Parkinson. Arnold-Burger previously served the City of Overland Park as a municipal judge and, since 1996, as a presiding judge. Michael Seck, L’82, has been appointed to serve on the Kansas Federal Bench Bar Committee and as chairman of the Johnson County Bar Association Fee Dispute Committee. He has also been named to Best Lawyers in
America in the areas of municipal law, civil rights law, labor and employment law as well as Super Lawyers for Kansas/Missouri. Seck co-authored the 2010 update to “Determining Economic Loss in Injury and Death Cases” (Thomson Reuters, 2010). He is a partner in the Overland Park office of Fisher, Patterson, Sayler & Smith LLP. Myron Frans, L’83, was selected as president of Leeds Precision Instruments Inc. and Leeds Forensic Systems Inc., headquartered in Minneapolis. Prior to joining the Leeds Companies, Frans was a senior partner at Faegre & Benson LLP, where he was a business litigator focusing on income and property tax disputes. He has been named to the Best Lawyers list every year since 1995. As president of Leeds Companies, he directs the production and worldwide distribution of Leeds’ forensic comparison microscopes used in crime labs and forensic training programs. He also oversees the distribution and service of Olympus microscopes in 14 states. Olympus microscopes are used by professionals in science and industry for research, clinical applications, measurement and inspections. Marie-Bernarde Miller, L’83, of Little Rock, Ark., president of the KU Law Alumni Board of Governors and of counsel with Williams & Anderson PLC, has joined the seven-member board of commissioners that governs Central Arkansas Water. CAW, the largest water supplier in the state of Arkansas, has a retail and wholesale service population of more than 400,000 in Little Rock, North Little Rock and 15 other cities and communities. The governing board has full authority to manage, operate, improve, extend and maintain the water works and distribution system. The board also has policy- and rate-making authority. Miller also currently serves as legal counsel for the Arkansas Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission. Missy Conboy, L’85, senior deputy director of athletics at Notre Dame, is on a 12-member panel of the NCAA Committee on Infractions that will meet in Indianapolis in June to ultimately settle on a punishment for the University of
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alumni news Tennessee’s football and basketball programs, which are accused of a combined 12 major violations in a recently acquired notice of allegations. The Hon. Mary Murguia, L’85, was confirmed in December by the U.S. Senate for a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit. She has served on the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona since 2000. President Obama nominated Murguia for the Ninth Circuit in March 2010. Kris Kuehn, L’89, is a founding partner of Warden Grier LLP in Kansas City, Mo. He currently specializes in insurance coverage and recovery matters. He was one of the lead lawyers representing Certain Underwriters at Lloyd’s of London in the World Trade Center litigation related to the property losses arising from 9/11. Kuehn and his partners developed the initial strategy for the recovery that was eventually joined by insurers from around the world. The case was litigated for more
than eight years in the Southern District of New York, and the federal court entered an order approving the $1.2 billion settlement in July.
1990s Doug McLeod, L’90, has been appointed energy commissioner for the county of Maui, Hawaii, where he will continue his work on solar, wind and other forms of renewable energy. The county has an annual budget of $520 million and includes the populated islands of Lanai, Molokai and Maui. Harry Herington Jr., L’93, is chief executive officer at NIC Inc., Olathe. NIC was recently named one of the best small companies in America by Forbes magazine. The company was ranked 92nd on the list and was the only Kansas company to be ranked. Founded in 1992, the company dubs itself the nation’s leading provider of official government websites and also provides other online services and payment systems.
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mater shows that you appreciate the high-caliber education you received. Gifts of all sizes matter, and 100 percent of your donation supports the area of your choice. By making a $1,000 annual gift to the KU School of Law, you will be recognized as a member of the Deans Club. Making a gift is just a click away—simply visit kugiving.org/givenow. Giving online is easy, fast and secure. What better way to show your passion for KU?
Steve Six, L’93, has been nominated by President Obama to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit. Six would fill a vacancy left open by the retirement of Lawrence resident and former KU Law faculty member Deanell Reece Tacha. Six awaits confirmation by the U.S. Senate. He served as Kansas attorney general from 2008 until January 2011, when he lost his bid for election. Prior to being appointed to fill the unexpired term as attorney general, Six was a Douglas County District Court judge from 2005 to 2008. Since January, he has worked as a partner at the Lawrence law firm of Stevens & Brand LLP. The Hon. LaDonna Lanning, L’94, Winfield, was elected a Cowley County District Court judge in the November general election. She was sworn into office in January. The Hon. Scott Miller, L’94, was appointed municipal court judge for Lawrence. He took office in March following the
retirement of longtime Judge Randy McGrath. As municipal court judge, Miller presides over criminal cases such as DUIs and other non-felony offenses, as well as traffic, zoning and other city code violations. Previously he was a City Hall staff attorney and a prosecutor. Gregory D. Ballew, L’95, has been elected a partner in the Kansas City, Mo., office of Fisher & Phillips LLP. His practice involves defending employers in discrimination cases before state and federal administrative agencies and courts, as well as advising employers regarding compliance with various employment laws. Cynthia Bryant, L’95, is senior legal adviser in the Office of Native Affairs and Policy at the Federal Communications Commission’s Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau. Bryant provides senior counsel on a wide variety of communications law and federal Indian law matters, and helps guide policy development as the office works to fulfill many recommendations of the National Broadband Plan and the FCC’s tribal policies and regulations. Alisa Nickel Ehrlich, L’95, has been elected a partner in the Wichita office of Stinson Morrison Hecker LLP. Ehrlich is a member of the firm’s business litigation division with a practice that focuses on business disputes, health care and employment law, including prosecuting and defending claims arising from restrictive covenants in employment and sale-of-business contracts. She also regularly litigates contract disputes and works with health care clients on a variety of issues. Andrew Hodges, L’96, was recently named South Carolina Prosecutor of the Year when U.S. Attorney Bill Nettles presented him with the 2010 Ernest F. Hollings Award for Excellence in State Prosecution. H. Kevin Fulk, L’98, teaches management information systems and management at Prairie View A&M University. His article titled “Team Management by Objectives: Enhancing Developing Teams’ Performance” was accepted for publication in the spring 2011 issue of the Journal of Management Policy and Practice. His co-authors are Reginald L. Bell of Prairie View A&M University and Nancy “Dusty” Bodie of
Boise State University. Fulk earned a Ph.D. in management information systems from the University of Houston in 2008.
law, business formation and litigation, estate planning, probate, bankruptcy and criminal law.
Blake H. Reeves, L’98, has been elected a shareholder in the Kansas City, Mo., office of Polsinelli Shughart PC. He is in the firm’s trial department with a focus on business and health care litigation.
Ricardo A. Kolster, L’01, has joined the Kansas City, Mo., office of Armstrong Teasdale LLP. Kolster is a partner and member of the corporate services practice group, where he counsels on all aspects of construction law, including industrial, commercial and residential projects with special emphasis on power generation, infrastructure and renewable fuels.
Trey Meyer, L’99, a Lawrence lawyer, has been named the new city attorney for Pomona, Kan. Jason P. Osteen, L’99, is a senior associate with the Kansas City, Mo., firm of Dempsey and Kingsland. He practices in the areas of trucking and motor vehicle collisions, medical malpractice, nursing home negligence and workers’ compensation.
2000s Michael Tubbs, L’00, opened the Tubbs Law Firm, a general law practice serving clients in the Kansas City, Lawrence and Topeka areas. Paul W. Bowen, L’01, has been named a partner in the Dallas office of K&L Gates. Bowen represents companies in all aspects of government contracting, including contract/subcontract formation, disputes, bud protests, protection of intellectual property (including technical data and subject inventions), and compliance with all procurement regulations. Brad Burke, L’01, and wife, Robin Burke, are proud to announce the birth of triplets – Lauren, Nicholas and Christopher – in October. Brad is an assistant district attorney in the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office. Carlton D. Callenbach, L’01, is litigation counsel at Lockton Companies Inc. in Kansas City, Mo. Brennan P. Fagan, L’01, and Mark T. Emert, L’05, formed Fagan Emert and Davis LLC, a Lawrence law firm serving clients in the areas of civil litigation, real estate, family
M. Tony Patton, L’01, has been elected a shareholder in the Kansas City, Mo., office of Polsinelli Shughart PC. Patton is in the firm’s trial department with an emphasis in business and health care litigation. Jacqueline A. Pueppke, L’01, a partner at Baird Holm LLP, was named a recipient of the Omaha Jaycee’s 78th Annual Ten Outstanding Young Omahans and was honored at a special event in January at the Qwest Center in Omaha, Neb. Since 1933, the Omaha Jaycees have honored 10 men and women between the ages of 21 and 40 each year who strive for excellence and have a strong commitment to both community service and personal and professional development. Jason Roth, L’01, left Sanders Warren & Russell LLP to open his own firm, Copley Roth & Wilson LLC, in Overland Park. Katherine B. Allen, L’02, accepted a position as the executive director of institutional advancement at the Johnson County Community College Foundation in Overland Park. Bradley C. Friesen, L’02, has been named a North Carolina Rising Star for 2011. The 2011 Super Lawyer listings appeared in North Carolina Super Lawyer Magazine and the North Carolina edition of The New York Times. Friesen is with the Winston-Salem law firm of Bell, Davis & Pitt PA and practices in the area of business litigation. Jason Christopher-Mason McClasky, L’02, is pleased to announce his engagement to
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alumni news Kristin Danielle Patton. They were to be married in May in Kansas City, Mo. McClasky is a partner in the law firm of Short, Borth and Thilges in Overland Park and is president-elect of the Johnson County Bar Association. Nicole R. Nies, L’02, Denver, has been elected a partner at Rothgerber Johnson & Lyons, where she is a real estate lawyer and represents developers and owners in real estate transactions. She regularly negotiates purchases and sales of commercial, industrial and high-end residential properties. Rachel Emig Simek, L’02, has been promoted to partner in the Washington, D.C., office of Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP. Simek and her husband, Thomas, reside in D.C. with their son, Luke, and daughter, Cecilia. A. Scott Waddell, L’02, has started his own firm, Waddell Law Firm LLC, in Kansas City, Mo. He is specializing in plaintiff’s consumer protection litigation, plaintiff’s personal injury cases and general business (to business) litigation. U.S. Rep. Kevin Yoder, L’02, has been appointed to the Congressional House Appropriations Committee.Yoder was elected in November to represent the 3rd Congressional District in Kansas, which includes east Lawrence. He chaired the state Appropriations Committee when he served in the Kansas Legislature. Molly A. Aspan, L’03, has been elected a shareholder at Hall Estill Attorneys at Law in Tulsa, Okla. She joined the firm in 2003 and practices in the labor and employment law area, including litigation, employment counseling and training, as well as drug testing and policy drafting. In 2006, Aspan was named the Tulsa County Bar Association Young Lawyer of the Year and in 2009 received the American Inns of Court James Sontag Award. Benjamin A. Halpert, L’03, is associate general counsel at Anheuser-Busch Companies Inc. in Saint Louis. Halpert
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and wife, Shaye, L’04, are also pleased to announce the birth of their first child, daughter Ellis Marie, in June 2010. Robert F. Johnson, L’03, of Overland Park has accepted a position as a contract specialist with the Kansas City district of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Judge Reuben Renstrom, L’03, has been appointed by the City of Harrisville, Utah, to fill a vacancy in its Justice Court. Renstrom was appointed to the South Ogden Justice Court in 2006 and the South Weber Justice Court in 2007. He is an attorney with the law firm of Helgesen, Waterfall & Jones. In addition, he is a trained mediator and commonly mediates domestic disputes. Daniel R. Zmijewski, L’03, has joined Miller Schirger LLC in Kansas City, Mo., where he practices in the area of complex commercial litigation. Zmijewski was formerly with the law firm of Polsinelli Shughart. Chad W. Lamer, L’04, is of counsel at Spencer Fane Britt & Browne LLP and practices with the firm’s construction group. Lamer also received his master’s in urban planning from KU in 2004. He is a LEED Accredited Professional and works primarily in the areas of construction law, land use and zoning, real estate development and municipal law. He is versed in the unique legal challenges and risks posed by the increasing prevalence of sustainable design in the building construction industry. Lamer is also recognized as a professional urban planner certified by the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP). Dan Gibb, L’05, joined the law firm of SNR Denton (formerly Sonnenschein, Nath & Rosenthal) in Kansas City, Mo. He will handle a variety of legal matters, including telecommunications and insurance law, as well as representing clients before state attorneys general nationwide. Gibbs formerly served four years as an assistant attorney general in the Kansas attorney general’s office.
Matthew Gough, L’05, has joined the Lawrence law firm of Barber Emerson LC. Sarah Lepak, L’05, is an associate in the Kansas City, Mo., office of Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart PC (Ogletree Deakins), one of the nation’s largest labor and employment law firms. Lepak focuses her practice on representing employers in all areas of employment law. Zach Marten, L’05, is co-owner of Coal Vines, a new restaurant and wine bar that opened in February on the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, Mo. Brandon Bauer, L’06, is a financial adviser at the Renaissance Financial Corporation in Leawood and is a registered representative for Securian Financial Services. Mark Dodd, L’06, a Topeka attorney, was named executive director of the Kansas State Gaming Agency by Gov. Sam Brownback in March. Dodd will direct the organization that oversees the state’s obligations under tribal-state gaming compacts. Such companies allow the operation of four tribal casinos operated by the Kickapoo, Sac and Fox, Iowa and Prairie Band Potawatomi tribes. Dodd was tribal attorney for the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation for two years before returning to private practice in January. Dodd’s appointment was confirmed by the Kansas Senate in early May. Shalini Shanker, L’06, has been named assistant athletic director for compliance at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colo. Yonne Tiger, L’06, was recognized as one of the 2010 Native American 40 Under 40 by the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development as a part of the 35th Annual Indians Progress in Business Awards event in October in Albuquerque, N.M. Tiger is in-house counsel for the
Muscogee Creek Nation National Council in Okmulgee, Okla. This recognition highlights 40 existing and emerging American Indian leaders under 40 years of age who have demonstrated leadership, initiative and dedication to achieve impressive and significant contributions to their businesses, communities and Indian country. Jabari B. Wamble, L’06, accepted a position with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas and began work in January after spending several years with the Kansas attorney general’s office. Wamble will prosecute white-collar fraud out of the Kansas City office. Zachary R. Dyer, L’07, is an associate in the Kansas City, Mo., office of Polsinelli Shughart PC. He is practicing in the firm’s business department with a focus on insurance business and regulatory law issues for clients. Aaron B. Oleen, L’07, is practicing with Arthur-Green LLP in Manhattan. Julie Bunn Pine, L’07, was elected shareholder in the Kansas City, Mo., law firm of McDowell, Rice, Smith & Buchanan PC in January. Pine’s practice focuses on commercial litigation.
July 2010 in Iola. Toland is a research associate with the Ohio Legislative Service Commission, and the couple resides in Columbus, Ohio. Marcela Blanco-Mendoza, L’09, has joined the Miami law firm of Diaz Reus LLP and is based in Bogota, Colombia. She practices in the area of international law. Neal Johnson, L’09, accepted a position as an associate at the Leverage Law Group LLC in Leawood. Ali Zayas, L’09, received an LL.M. in communications law from the Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law in May 2010. She is now an attorney adviser for the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Administrative Law Judges, in Washington, D.C. Kristin L. Ballobin, L’10, is with Stevens & Brand LLP in Lawrence, where her practice focuses on bankruptcy and banking law.
Owen Grieb, L’08, and Yoko Eto, both formerly of Lawrence, are pleased to announce their marriage in March on Aoshima Island, off of Miyazaki, Japan. Grieb is working for the firm of Deloitte-Touche Tohmatsu in Tokyo.
Surendra Bhandari, L’10 SJD, from Nepal, has been appointed associate professor of law at Ritsumeikan University, College of International Relations, in Kyoto, Japan. He will teach Introduction to Law (Legal Theory), International Law and Global Legal Studies. Ritsumeikan University recently launched a global studies program, and Bhandari is one of seven professors hired to teach in the program.
Robert Johnson, L’08, and Nicole Lafond, both of Seattle, are pleased to announce their engagement. They plan a September wedding in Lawrence. Johnson is an attorney at the Law Offices of Floyd, Pflueger and Ringer PS.
Amanda Biggs, L’10, has joined Marks Nelson Vohland Campbell Radetic LLC, the largest locally owned accounting firm in Kansas City. Biggs works with clients in both the insurance services and tax services departments.
Carol Toland, L’08, and Brian Napp are pleased to announce their marriage in
Danielle LeFever Crowder, L’10, married William Crowder in August. She is a judge
Amanda Voth, L’07, resigned from her position as an assistant district attorney in the Reno County District Attorney’s Office to accept a position with the Kansas attorney general’s office.
advocate general in the U.S. Air Force, currently stationed at Aviano Air Force Base in Italy.
Kansas City, Mo.
Christopher C. Grenz, L’10, has joined the commercial litigation client service group at the international law firm of Bryan Cave in
Hilary O’Leary Meckel, L’10, of Kansas City, Mo., has recently accepted a position with the Kansas City district of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as a contract specialist for the district’s civil works program. Juliann Morland, L’10, accepted the medicallegal partnership position at Kansas Legal Services in Garden City in November. Morland worked in the Medical-Legal Partnership Clinic and other public interest programs during law school. Alison P. Lungstrum, L’10, is an associate in the Kansas City, Mo., office of Polsinelli Shughart PC, where she practices in the firm’s trial department with a focus in labor and employment matters. David R. Schapker, L’10, is an associate at Evans & Mullinix in Shawnee. He practices business, corporate, real estate and commercial law. Kevin L. Sterk, L’10, is an associate at Querrey & Harrow Ltd. in Chicago. Sterk concentrates his practice in general litigation, public utilities and transactional work. Edward Tully, L’10, is an associate in the Lawrence law firm of Barber Emerson LC.
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after the funeral (including his birthday). Many of grandmother’s friends came up to me after the funeral. “You’re the one who’s going to be an attorney, right? She was so proud of you.” I’m glad I was able to make her proud in her final days. I’m sorry she wasn’t able to hang on two more years to actually attend my graduation ceremony, but I know she’s going to be there in her own way, because I know she’s here now.
Continued from Page 4 more and more to criminal law, prefer Westlaw over LexisNexis, and am most productive when I can write on a white board. Do they know, when assigning these papers, that we will find out so much about ourselves? Jan. 15, 2010 — I remember the day I was accepted to the KU School of Law. I could hardly wait to call my grandmother and tell her the news. There was silence on the other end. Then, with a slight hitch in her voice, “Law school? Really?” We talked about what law school meant for my career, and she asked how long it would be until I graduated. “I’ll just have to hang on three more years,” she said softly. At the time, I thought she was being maudlin. I assumed I had years left with her. She was only 81, and women in my family live into their 90s. Sadly, I was wrong. I had this great relaxing, yet productive winter break planned: full of summer internship searches, organizing my desk, shopping for textbooks online and visiting friends and family. Finals were rough. After the twoweek torture ended, my brain was a sloshy mess gyrating between my ears. I may have slept for three days straight, but I can’t remember. The first Tuesday of break found me in the car heading south with the geese. I made it to Dallas in record time and spent Christmas with friends and family. It was a fantastic holiday, and I couldn’t have asked for more. At first, I was disappointed that I would be missing the snow in Kansas City, but Dallas got an unheard-of 3 inches on Christmas Eve. It was the first white Christmas in Dallas in 25 years. My grandmother was in the hospital for an infection, but no one said it was life-threatening, so I didn’t worry. The following Monday found me headed back to Kansas City and planning my days off. I needed to write my resume and get it posted on the school’s career board. I also needed to take care of things I’d let slide during the tail-end
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of break. But that Wednesday I received an awful phone call: “We need to prepare ourselves.” My grandmother, who I had visited in the hospital twice while in Dallas, wasn’t conscious. Thursday dawned with me on a plane praying I could get back to Dallas in time. I landed in Dallas at 11 a.m. She had died at 10:30 a.m. I’m pretty sure she waited for me to get back over Texas soil. It was the weirdest five days of my life. As the family’s journalist, it was my job to write her obituary. Generally, the funeral home can do that, but I wouldn’t let anyone even suggest it. Why did I go to journalism school if I couldn’t write the final words about someone so close? When my grandfather talked about his wife’s obituary, he joked with his friends saying that it ought to be well-written since I had spent four years learning to write them. I’m glad he found something to make him smile during that time. Also in my role as family scribe, I wrote and delivered my grandmother’s eulogy. I talked about finding a strength I never knew I had and knowing it came from her. Truly, I meant it. I didn’t think I would be able to hold myself up during such an awful time, but with my grandmother’s guidance in my heart, I did — and I tried to take as much work off of my grandfather as possible, helping with food, thank-you cards and keeping him company a few days
Jan. 28, 2010 — As far as I understood it, being a summer starter meant that I was supposed to be better prepared for my first full semester of law school. Who are they kidding? There is no way to be fully prepared for your first semester of law school! Sure, I had a couple bouts of finals under my belt, but they were lightweight bouts compared to the heavyweight matchup exams brought before the holidays. But I will say there is something different about this semester. I’m not going to call it easier, because I can already tell that it won’t be. But I will say that I feel stronger. Break wasn’t long enough, and it was an emotional roller coaster for me that probably could never have been long enough anyway. But I am surprised to find myself easing into a working routine so quickly. I get to school between 8:15 and 9 each morning. I check emails and go over my readings from the day before, and then I go to class. Between classes, I review what was said in the lecture and prepare for my next class. I usually leave Green Hall between 3:30 and 4:30, go home, read, cook dinner, read and get to sleep by 10. It’s turning out to be quite a lovely system. Fridays are TCB days. I get out of class by 12:20, head home early and park myself at my desk. I pay bills, catch up on personal business and work on whatever needs to be done for the job search I’ve entered. I’m hoping to have an internship lined up before crunch time for my spring assignments so that
I can spend Friday afternoons getting a head start on weekends of research. I’m not exhausted everyday (probably has a lot to do with the fact that I no longer start the week with a class at 8:10), I find myself with free time in the evening and I’m staying on top of my readings in every class! Last semester felt like a bad snorkeling trip. I was treading water most of the time, just barely able to keep myself breathing. But it’s different this semester. To mix my metaphors, so far things are smooth sailing. Feb. 12, 2010 — On-campus interviews started a few weeks ago, and I’ve noticed an interesting occurrence in school. It seems having a reason to wear a suit is a point of pride in law school. It makes sense, I suppose, in such a competitive environment, but it also makes me smile. I guarantee, in three years, these same student will yearn for the days of jeans and sneakers. I happen to have an interview today and have my suit — hanging in the car. I feel a little funny, too. Should I have worn it to announce the fact that I, too, am in contention for that internship? Honestly, I’d rather make sure the suit stays clean and pressed for my interview than show off to fellow students. April 5, 2010 — What is it they say about the best-laid plans? I had everything worked out for the next year and a half, and it was all falling into place. I got the classes I need for the summer and fall and was looking forward to enjoying the rest of 2010 when I received a deflating email. Apparently, there is no money left for me to go to school this summer. Thanks to the fall and spring semesters, I have exhausted all of the financial aid and PLUS loans in my coffer. Even most private loans aren’t an option at this point. I have exactly $100 left until the August disbursements. Summer classes alone cost more than $6,000 for me since I am classified as out of state, and that doesn’t even cover living expenses. I knew law school would be a challenge, but I didn’t figure most of my stress would come from trying to pay for things.
April 8, 2010 — I needed a day like today. A good law school day has been a long time in coming, and today was a great one. That silly saying, “Today is the first day of the rest of your life” is ringing through my head and thrills me to no end! I have spent the entire semester researching and writing about the reasonableness of a non-competition agreement in a specific employment contract (an issue that bores me to tears and an argument I don’t really think my side can win). But today I was
new writing style was a tough adjustment. I noticed, however, while taking exams last winter, that the IRAC style was becoming second nature. Lesson two: budgeting. I went from an income to life in debt. Well, let’s just say I am amazed at how much I’ve been able to cut from my spending! I only spent $200 in December and January — total! Also, I am becoming a whiz at working the financial aid and student loan world. After weeks of research and millions of phone calls and emails, I have acquired the money I need for
given the chance to practice my oral argument in front of an opponent and a video camera. So. Much. Fun. While it’s pretty difficult to look at myself on the video — I see everything I did wrong and cringe at every “uh” and “um” — it’s not nearly as bad as I’d expected. In fact, it’s pretty safe to say I sound like I know what I’m talking about! And I get a little thrill every time the “judge” addresses me as “counselor.” I know I’m a nerd, but I sent the video to my parents and hope it makes them proud and reinforces the fact that law school is the place for me.
summer school. And I’ll even be able to buy groceries (with coupons, of course!). Lesson three: advocate without offending. Sandra Day O’Connor told us, face to face, that it is important to learn to disagree agreeably. I don’t think hearing those wise words from anyone else would have had the same impact. But they have bounced through my brain ever since. Law school is full of people from different backgrounds with varying experiences. We each have a different way of arguing, and it has been fascinating learning to express our differing opinions and still laugh and joke together at the end of the day. There is no class for this, but I know it is a skill that will carry each of us through life — whether we end up as attorneys or not. Lesson four: balancing life and school. I’m not the perfect law student. I don’t study into the wee hours of every night. I don’t lock myself up in my room and inhale case law. Honestly, I don’t even brief every case anymore. However, I am learning just as much as my classmates, and I am pleased with (most of) my grades. Plus, in the past year I have lost 30 pounds, gone to Alaska, hosted Thanksgiving for my boyfriend’s family, attended several professional sports events, moved into a new rental house and camped in two new states. I think I’m getting a pretty rounded education at KU’s School of Law. n
May 7, 2010 — Today is the final day of my first year of law school, and the year truly has been amazing. While law school is more difficult than I thought it would be, I am most grateful and excited about the extra lessons I’ve learned over the last 12 months. I thought my law school struggles would center on learning the law itself, but I was wrong. Lesson one: new writing style. I wrote as a journalist for more than 10 years. Even in high school, the journalistic style of writing was natural to me, while research papers and literary critiques might as well have been Spanish assignments (and I took French!). When I started law school, the
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Continued from Page 6 like it was the other day that we were all walking into our first classes of the summer session. I guess compared to the lifespan of a tortoise, or a rock, it was pretty recently, but it was nearly five months ago. ... I have found that, so far, while I am very busy most of the time, it hasn’t been anything I can’t handle. In that respect I think that being in the workforce for a few years is an advantage. If you don’t show up for work on time and do what you’re told, you don’t
have a job. I think if you’ve spent your entire life in an academic setting and haven’t really had to work, that might be a tough concept. Not that everyone’s like that – I only wish I had a fraction of the drive and ambition when I was 22 as some of my classmates. However, being out in the workforce I think helps me appreciate the opportunity I have right now. Especially given some of the apocalyptic reports of the job market we hear on a daily basis. I also find that if I make an effort to stay on top of my studies and outlines now, it doesn’t feel so overwhelming later. I’m sure finals will be stressful, but I can do some things now to make them not quite as stressful as they could be. Another thing that helps me keep law school in perspective: the military. As far as I can tell, there are three or four of us in law school right now. And yeah, compared to the Army, this is easy living. I haven’t had to camp in the freezing cold or slog through thighdeep mud and snow or endure 130-
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degree heat a single time since I started school. That’s all right with me. Winter break — Winter break was lovely. I slept and watched reruns of “Deadliest Catch” for three weeks. Actually, I did other things, too, but it was really nice to relax for a few weeks. It snowed on Christmas, and I took my 8-year-old cousin (who is from North Carolina and has never played in snow) sledding on Campanile Hill. He had a great time, and we were able to wear him out, so everybody wins. I also started working on job stuff.
Everything I’ve heard talks about the dire outlook for summer employment for 1Ls, so I’m trying to work on it early in hopes of grabbing something. There are fellowships and grants and things that can help with funding, so I’m exploring those options as well. I volunteered at Kansas Legal Services over the break. It was nice to be able to actually participate in a little bit of real-world law stuff, limited as it may be. I got to call clients and get background on their legal issues and then brief the attorneys. My reporting experience really came in handy because it was basically just like interviewing someone for an article. Actually it was a bit easier because when you’re calling someone because they are seeking legal representation they actually want to talk to you, and people don’t always want to talk or be forthcoming with reporters. I also enjoyed the variety of work there: everything from divorces, custody, landlord-tenant, and wills. It was eye-opening. Break was nice and relaxing — and over way too soon. But I’m not going
to complain because I sure as heck never got four weeks off at a time at the paper, nor do I plan to once I’m out in practice. March 7, 2010 — Wow spring semester sure is busy. Seems like I hit the ground running 90 mph and I haven’t stopped since. It’s been good, though. The things I’ve been active in have been things I want to be participating in, so I’m enjoying it. I’ve been active in the Public Interest Law Society (PILS), which I really enjoy. I went with another student to volunteer with the Kansas City Worker Justice Project, and then PILS sent me to RebLaw at Yale a couple of weeks ago. I’m also participating in this Guardianship Assistance Project they do in Wichita. RebLaw was really cool. First, it was at Yale, which was incredible. It’s an absolutely gorgeous campus, natch. RebLaw stands for Rebellious Lawyering, and it was all kinds of activist, sticking-upfor-the-little-guy type of stuff. It was really refreshing and inspiring. I came back thinking, “Yeah man, I can totally do something like that.” I’m in the middle of job-hunting, which is interesting. After a slow start, I’ve got a few nibbles. I’m not too worried. I figure I’ll end up where I’m supposed to be. It’s exciting to think about actually being out in the world and doing legal work (albeit unpaid.) I’m also submitting something for the Law Review/Journal competition, and it seems like I just have a lot of writing to do in general this semester. It’s funny because some of the attorneys I knew back when I was a reporter would say things like, “Oh yeah, with your writing background you’ll really have an edge and do well in law school.” Well, I may or may not end up doing well, but I certainly don’t feel like I have an edge. Legal writing is not like any other kind of writing ever, and certainly journalistic writing has absolutely nothing in common with law writing. I think they’re polar opposites, actually. One thing I liked about news writing was that I could come back to
the office, bang out a 15inch article in about 30 minutes and it was good. I just worked off the top of my head and by the seat of my pants for the most part; we didn’t have time for much else. You CAN NOT do that with legal writing. You absolutely must, must, must have an outline and a plan and a logical structure, and it totally goes against my entire comfort zone in the whole writing department. I’m not saying I can’t do it or that I shouldn’t have to do it, because obviously it’s a necessity. But it’s taking me a while to get over that hump. But I’m sure it’s like anything else: With practice and repetition, it will get easier. Knock on wood. So I’m doing a lot of cool stuff, and I’m excited about everything. Still, I’m glad spring break is in a week. May 2010 — End of the semester. End of my first full year of law school. I am now one-third of a lawyer. All I have done for the past two weeks is sleep and ride my bike. It’s been beautiful. I ended up getting through all of my writing assignments and projects – the Con Law case critique, the Law Review/Journal competition, and the motion for summary judgment. I would say that I got through them satisfactorily, but I haven’t seen grades yet. Actually, I felt pretty good about the Law Review competition. Not “I feel very confident that I will be selected” good, but “wow, that was a law writing project that I actually did and turned in a half-coherent product” good. Who knows if I’ll be selected; I have a lot of smart classmates. … I have been elected president of the Public Interest Law Society. I’m excited about that. The outgoing president did a fantastic job this year, and I just want to keep it going and look for other things that PILS can be involved in. It’s the group I like the most out of the student organizations, so I want to do anything I can to make sure it remains a strong presence at the law school. Speaking of PILS, I got a PILS
summer stipend this summer for my volunteer internship at Legal Aid of Western Missouri. … I’ll be working in the Public Benefits Unit, which helps people with their disability claims, medical benefits and things like that. I start soon, and I’m looking forward to it. The PILS stipend helps a great deal, of course, because money’s tight. I’m also very excited for next semester. First, I’ve been selected to be on the Paul E. Wilson Project for Innocence and Post-Conviction Remedies (née Defender Project). I’m well aware of the history and reputation of the clinic, and I’m very excited and grateful to get a chance to work on it. When I was a reporter, I wrote articles on appellate and Supreme Court decisions of local interest, and I remember reading and hearing about the Defender Project even back then. … Overall, I’ve had a great year. Law school is a lot of work, no mistake about it. If a person doesn’t really have a desire to be a lawyer, then it can be a miserable experience. However, I really want to do this, I’m excited about what I’m learning and I’m excited about the possibilities that are coming down the pike. I have absolutely no regrets about leaving my career and starting back
over in school. Let’s face it: Journalism and newspapers are in a tough spot right now. I really didn’t see the point in working the hours I was working for the pay I was getting and absolutely no job security. On the other hand, I was spending all of my time around these attorneys who were actually getting things done and making a difference in people’s lives. Of course, I want to be a part of that. I feel like I’m really on my way to doing that, and it’s a very exciting time for me. (In fact, I should go back and see how many times I’ve used the word “exciting” in these journal entries. What can I say? I’m excited.) … Anyway, it’s been a great year. Can’t wait to see what the next one is like. n
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Continued from Page 9 services, let me know.” Too bad my car didn’t come out of the situation as well. My little “love tap” somehow managed to crack my bumper, dent it beyond imagination, and scatter paint chips all over the parking lot. So there goes Christmas. If anyone wonders why they didn’t receive a gift during the holidays of 2009, now you know. I was paying for the $1,000 love tap. Jan. 28, 2010 — For the past month, most 1Ls have had one thing on their mind: grades. Whether good or bad, I think most students define law school success by that ominous little number that eventually appears on Enroll & Pay. I know I incessantly checked it, waiting for the moment when I could breath a sigh of relief. Thankfully, we finally received our grades and our ranking. I was worried that when grades arrived, everyone would be talking and discussing their grades and it would be all over the school. I’m happy to report that isn’t the case. Most people have kept it to themselves, albeit I’m sure a few tell close friends. I just wanted to avoid discussing grades at all costs. It’s a touchy subject, no matter how well or poorly you do. Someone always does better, and someone always does worse. No need for public admissions. Now everyone has moved on to OCI: on-campus interviews. I’m unsure how many firms came to KU last year to recruit for summer associate positions, but there isn’t an overwhelming number registered to interview this year. It seems the economic downturn affects law students as well. I’m lucky to have received four interviews the first week, but things aren’t looking promising. Most firms are taking one person, and there are many wellqualified students. In preparation for my interviews,
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I went shopping with my mother this past weekend. I always feel a bit awkward buying suits, like I’m trying to convince myself that, yes, I’m an adult. It’s not like I’ve never worn suits before. I had to wear them everyday to work for my brief stint as a television reporter. But each time I go shopping, I feel like a 12-year-old playing dress-up. However, this feeling quickly subsides when the salesperson rings up the total at checkout. Then I realize just how much nice suits really cost. That’s the real reason I need a summer associate position — so I can pay for my new suits and high heels. March 10, 2010 — The first few weeks of the semester always start so calmly. It’s like a gentle nudge to awaken your brain and stretch your mental muscles. You’re only accountable for daily readings and assignments. There’s even enough free time to go out to dinner with friends or kick back and watch reruns of poorly scripted television. Then reality hits like a cold glass of water tossed on you while you’re blissfully sleeping. It’s a cruel prank, and you hope it’s part of a dream. But it’s not. The work piles up, and you realize that finals are six weeks away, you have the Law Review competition paper, the motion for summary judgment paper, the Civil Procedure essays and your daily work. And then in your “free time,” you’re supposed to outline and prepare for finals. I had a mini panic attack. I canceled my spring break trip. I was supposed to go to Washington, D.C., with my family for just a week. But I’m overwhelmed with work, or at least the idea of finishing it. It’s not that I have been neglecting law school by any means, but for some reason this semester has been much busier with a much heavier workload. I’m starting to think that the professors were pretty easy on us the first semester. So instead of sightseeing and dining on my parents’ tab, I’ll be
seated at the dining room table, with supplements and books scattered around, hoping to make a dent in my workload. The more I do now, the less I do later. I’ll have two or three Diet Cokes an afternoon, and I probably won’t change out of my pajamas. But I’m all right with that. It’s my first productive and responsible spring break in years. May 24, 2010 — I completed my first year of law school. And when I say completed, I really mean survived. Or maybe even narrowly escaped like the gazelles you see on the Discovery Channel who dodge a seemingly imminent death from a pack of lions. Law school lived up to everything I imagined and feared. It was the most strenuous, stressing and emotionally draining nine of months of my life. But life has been pretty good to me so far, so I can’t complain. Summer has arrived, and I can breathe a sigh of relief. I was fortunate enough to land a position as an in-house summer associate at an international oil and gas firm in Tulsa, Okla. I know little about oil and less about Oklahoma, but today was my first day of work. It was just like the first time I boarded the bus to go to kindergarten: a little bit intimidating, but generally exciting. There was an intern initiation meeting for the majority of the morning, but after indulging in catered Mexican food, I received my first assignment. The other attorneys were friendly and more than willing to assist me in getting situated. I was surprised at the variety of law they practice. It’s not just property or contracts like I imagined, but they also do a lot of employment, environmental and real estate law. I’m really looking forward to seeing where this internship takes me. With only my limited first impression, I dare say this could be educational and even a bit fun. However, the amount of fun will probably be directly correlated to the amount of future free food. Law students live for free lunches. n
In Memoriam Stanley N. Adams, L’61 Gresham, Ore., October 15, 2010
Howard M. “Tony” Immel, L’38 Iola, Kan., October 27, 2010
Charles S. Arthur, L’47 Manhattan, Kan., February 16, 2011
Robert P. Kaufman, L’74 Phoenix, Ariz., July 22, 2010
Edward Lee Bailey, L’63 Topeka, Kan., March 17, 2011
Robert G. Lauck, L’54 Reston,Va., October 18, 2010
Dean C. Batt, L’49 Marion, Kan., February 25, 2011
Barbara Jean Emmett Maxwell, L’51 Salina, Kan., February 23, 2011
Patrick L. Baude, L’66 Bloomington, Ind., January 26, 2011
Ronald E. Molinari, L’68 Houston, Texas, December 21, 2010
Charles M. Benjamin, L’97 Reno, Nev., December 13, 2010
Stanley A. Morantz, L’48 Prairie Village, Kan., December 27, 2010
William S. Bowers, L’42 Ottawa, Kan., March 4, 2011
H. Thomas Payne, L’57 Stilwell, Kan., February 28, 2011
Thomas M. Burns, L’53 Clancy, Mont., June 20, 2010
John A. Pushor, L’57 Columbus, Ind., September 2, 2010
Kelly Don Chestnut, L’78 Independence, Mo., September 11, 2010
C. E. Russell Jr., L’48 Lawrence, Kan., March 1, 2011
Richard J. Croker, L’59 Nashville, Tenn., January 12, 2011
Robert V. Talkington, L’54 Iola, Kan., December 26, 2010
Howard “Rope” Engleman, L’48 Salina, Kan., January 12, 2011
William J. Turpin, L’50 Liberty, Mo., November 26, 2010
Delton M. Gilliland, L’70 Lyndon, Kan., September 29, 2010
Donald C. Widner, L’42 Pittsburg, Kan., July 1, 2010
Kenneth Hunter Hiebsch, L’48 Wichita, Kan., October 23, 2010
Harry G. Wiles II, L’70 Bethesda, Md., August 18, 2010
James L. Houghton, L’54 Tulsa, Okla., February 24, 2011
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