saint louis university school of law alumni magazine
Celebrating
175 years
‘BELIEVE THERE IS GOOD IN THE WORLD’ featuring the Hon. Jimmie Edwards (’81)
‘A PIONEERING SPIRIT’ featuring Doreen Dodson (’74)
‘IN MY VIEW’ featuring Marie Kenyon (’86)
ON THE COVER CELEBRATING 175 YEARS OF LEGAL EDUCATION DEAN WILLIAM P. JOHNSON DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS JESSICA CICCONE EDITOR MARIA TSIKAL AS GRAPHIC DESIGNER ADAM WESTRICH PHOTOGRAPHY AARON BANKS (’14) STEVE DOL AN ADAM WESTRICH CONTRIBUTING WRITER MARY MCHUGH SPECIAL THANKS HON. HENRY E. AUTREY (’77) DOREEN DODSON (’74) HON. MARGARET DONNELLY (’88) HON. JIMMIE EDWARDS (’81) ANITA ESSLINGER (’78) AMANDA GOLDSMITH (’07) MARTIN HUTCHINS ROBERT S. KENNEY (’98) MARIE KENYON (’86) DANA M. MALKUS (’04) TIMOTHY NOELKER (’78) PETER W. SALSICH JR. (’65) HANNAH SCHECKEL JESSICA SLEATER (’07) ANDERS WALKER HON. MICHAEL WOLFF VOLUME 19 ISSUE 2 COPYRIGHT ©2018 SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
SLU L AW BRIEF IS PUBLISHED TWICE ANNUALLY BY SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSIT Y SCHOOL OF L AW. OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS SCOTT HALL SUITE 872 100 N. TUCKER BLVD. ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI 63101-1930 EMAIL: BRIEF@LAW.SLU.EDU The paper used in this magazine was produced from timber sourced from responsibly managed forests.
Message from the Dean
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his past summer, I taught International Sale of Goods as part of our Summer Law Program in Madrid, an outstanding program that takes place on the beautiful SLU Madrid Campus each summer. It was the second time I’ve been back in the classroom since becoming dean in January 2017, and it was a nice reminder of how much I enjoy teaching. Helping to shape future lawyers, judges and community leaders is such a privilege, one that is made especially gratifying thanks to the consistently high quality of our students. While overseas, I traveled to Denmark for the ABA Section of International Law 2018 Life Sciences Conference in Copenhagen. It gave me great institutional pride to watch two of our faculty members give brilliant presentations before lawyers engaged in health law and life sciences practice all around the world, and to watch three SLU LAW students participate in the conversations in substantively meaningful ways. I also took advantage of being there to connect with some impressive alumni who practice in Europe. In all these interactions with our students, faculty and alumni, I was struck by excellence, a characteristic that I’ve seen again and again in my time with the School of Law. Excellence for SLU LAW is more than something that just happens; it is fundamental to who we are as an institution. This year, SLU LAW celebrates its 175th anniversary, our dodransbicentennial year. Pausing to ref lect on 175 years of history and a long tradition of excellence has been both rewarding and inspiring. From the School’s admission of women almost 50 years before SLU’s undergraduate programs followed suit, to Dean Richard J. Childress’ marching in Selma, Alabama, alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1965, to
the opening of one of the first and the top-ranked health law programs in the country in 1982, SLU LAW’s history is brimming with excellence. The combination of excellence and our social justice mission has also produced a rich tradition of community and public service, which has left an indelible mark on this city and indeed on the world. In this issue of The Brief, we showcase more distinguished alumni than any issue in recent memory, highlighting their perspectives as lawyers, judges and scholars pursuing “higher purpose, greater good” every day. From Judge Jimmie Edwards, who has transformed the lives of thousands of children here in St. Louis through his Innovative Concept Academy, to Professor Dana Malkus, whose work on vacant properties has led to a renewed focus on making St. Louis neighborhoods work for all persons; from Doreen Dodson, whose pioneering leadership as the first woman president of the Missouri Bar led to a crucial statewide policy for advanced directives, to Marie Kenyon, whose decades of service on behalf of the poor and vulnerable are unmatched, these alumni represent the best of SLU LAW. As we ref lect on our history in this issue, we also look ahead to the future; our tradition of excellence and your dedication make me very optimistic indeed. Thank you for all you do.
William P. Johnson Dean and Professor of Law
F E ATURES
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saint louis university school of law alumni magazine
Hooding 2018
12
Celebrating
175
Alumni Feature Doreen Dodson (’74)
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years
21
Faculty Scholarship
18 Alumni Feature
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Hon. Jimmie Edwards (’81)
21 Cover Story A 175-Year Legacy of Tradition, Public Service And Excellence
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Faculty Spotlight
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Dana M. Malkus (’04)
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In My View Marie Kenyon (’86)
28 Donor Honor Roll
DEPARTME N TS
2 For The Record 4 In Brief
32 Class Notes 36 Focus on Giving Back: A Student's Perspective
FOR THE RECORD “What an exhilarating and humbling experience we’ve all just been through together. And I’m really honored to say that I did it with each and every one of you.” MAUREEN HANLON (’18)
Valedictorian for the Class of 2018, speaking at Hooding Ceremony
“Fight for scientific facts. We must value truth over truthiness. Our greatest risk is that too few health workers will volunteer to fight the next epidemic abroad.” PROFESSOR ROBERT GATTER
Director of the Center for Health Law Studies, speaking at the annual Health Law Symposium on April 6, 2018
“I came into law school straight from undergrad and had this idea of saving the world, but I think law school gave me a better sense of reality when it comes to practicing as an attorney. You can change the world, but you do it in a different way, you do it a person at a time, utilizing your education to help those who don’t have it.” ALEXUS WILLIAMS (’18)
President, SLU LAW BLSA; Midwest Regional Vice-Chair, National BLSA
“It’s going to be a boom for tax lawyers. There’s never been a better time to be a tax lawyer, I’ll tell you that. … It was a win for corporations. A temporary win for families. And then a huge win for tax lawyers.” PROFESSOR KERRY RYAN on the effects of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, speaking in a SLU LAW Summations podcast
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‘FOR THE
RECORD’ “Vacancy is an issue that certainly has negatively impacted our city for many years, some would even say probably decades, so I’m glad that we’re all working together on it. So many people have come together on this, and that is the reason I think we’ll make some good progress here.” ST. LOUIS CITY MAYOR LYDA KREWSON at the Vacancy Collaborative press conference at SLU LAW on April 17, 2018
“I am grateful to be speaking here today as a law school graduate. To be honest, I am grateful to be speaking here at all. In August 2015 I entered the SLU School of Law without my voice. I had been diagnosed with cancer a few weeks before school started, and one of the complications from my treatment caused me to lose my ability to speak. It was an isolating experience that gave me an unbelievable perspective on what it means to not be heard. The Jesuit mission at SLU is about helping those without a voice to be heard.” SARAH TOMLINSON (’18)
Student Speaker at SLU’s Bicentennial Commencement Ceremony
“In St. Louis, a municipality has police, courts, fire, all these responsibilities. If you look at other regions, these things are done at a regional level because it’s cheaper and more efficient. We assembled a task force to take a fresh look and a deep dive into what other regions are doing, what we’re doing in St. Louis, and what recommendations we can follow to revamp or reenvision what St. Louis is. The truth is, this system only works if it begins to attract young professionals to stay here to build their careers and raise their families.” DAVE LEIPHOLTZ (’10)
Better Together Discussion, April 11, 2018
“The real reason to attend graduation is to show the med school who’s the boss around here. After all, in 1787, when we, lawyers, were drafting the Constitution, creating the greatest nation on earth, you know what doctors were doing? They were treating patients with leaches. … On that note, thank you for this award. Thank you for listening to me lecture for three years, and thank you for your hard work.” PROFESSOR ANDERS WALKER
Associate Dean and Lillie Myers Professor of Law, recipient of Faculty Member of the Year Award, speaking at Hooding Ceremony
“Tonight, the SLU Law Journal and the Journal of Health Law and Policy are hosting their first ever Journal Alumni Networking Event, which will give current Journal members the opportunity to meet and network with previous Journal members who are already working in the legal field. One of the many great things about SLU LAW is its strong alumni base both here in St. Louis and around the country.” JOE BENOIST (’18)
Editor-in-Chief, Law Journal, taking over SLU LAW’s Instagram account VO LU M E 1 9 I SS U E 2
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IN BRIEF
NEWS & NOTES Health Law Ranked No. 1 in the Country for 2019
The U.S. News and World Report again named the Center for Health Law Studies the best in the nation. The Center has ranked first for 14 out of 15 years since the magazine began ranking the category. The SLU LAW part-time program was also ranked at No. 28, and the law school ranked at No. 88. SLU LAW Ranked in Top 50 for Employment Outcomes
The School of Law was ranked No. 47 in Above the Law’s 2018 Top 50 Law Schools list, which incorporates the latest ABA employment data for last year’s graduating class. Its methodology prioritizes employment and also takes into account alumni ratings, cost and debt-per-job ratios, among others factors. School of Law Grads Make Up Nearly Half of All New Partners in the State
According to Missouri Lawyers Weekly’s 2018 New Partners list, Saint Louis University School of Law remains the most frequent alma mater of the state’s attorneys who were promoted to partner during the past year. Thirty-five new partners earned their law degrees from SLU LAW, nearly equal to the combined number of graduates (37) from the state’s other three law schools. Faculty Members of the Year
Students in the Class of 2018 selected Associate Dean for Research and Engagement Anders Walker, the Lillie Myers Professor of Law, as Faculty Member of the Year for the fifth time. The class chose Gary Rutledge (his third consecutive time) and Thomas S. Rea, the Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri, as Co-Adjunct Faculty Members of the Year. New Faculty Books Explore Modern America
Associate Dean Anders Walker penned his second book The Burning House: Jim Crow and the Making of Modern America, 4
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published in March by Yale University Press. It explores the history of black and white intellectuals in the second half of the 20th century as they sought to define and preserve a distinctly Southern culture, while contributing to the development of an American understanding of diversity and multiculturalism.
Adjunct professor Richard T. Middleton IV authored a new book Unequal Protection of the Law: The Rights of Citizens and Non-Citizens in Comparative Perspective, published in May by West Academic Publishing. It explores the disparate allocation of legal rights of persons from a comparative, global perspective, encompassing timely topics regarding the legal rights of migrants, refugees and immigrants. SLU LAW Leads the Way in Community Coalition
The law school joined forces with the City of St. Louis, the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis (BAMSL), Legal Services of Eastern Missouri (LSEM) and several other civic and nonprofit organizations to form a coalition that addresses the city’s vacant property issues, which cause neighborhood decline and decreased quality of life for residents. The Vacant Property Coalition was announced at a press conference with Mayor Lyda Krewson held at SLU LAW on April 17, followed by a workshop for community leaders to explore opportunities for further collaboration on the issue. With a grant from Rise Community Development awarded last year, Dana Malkus (’04), associate dean of experiential education and supervisor of the Entrepreneurship and Community Development Clinic, together with her students helped produce a “plain-language” resource guide for stakeholders to tackle the complexity of vacant property issues, which was also presented at the workshop.
State Rep. Cora Faith Walker, D-Ferguson (’09)
The Hon. Kevin F. O'Malley (’73), former U.S. Ambassador to Ireland
EVENTS DEAN’S OFFICE, ALUMNI & DEVELOPMENT SYMPOSIUM Exploring Careers in Public Service
On March 21, SLU LAW welcomed several distinguished alumni who work in public service for its first Symposium on Elected Public Service (pictured above). The event sought to provide information, advice and connections for students and alumni about how to get started in pursuing a career in public service. Keynote speakers were former U.S. Ambassador to Ireland Kevin F. O’Malley (’73) and former St. Louis Mayor Francis G. Slay (’80). Panelists included state representatives, aldermen, lobbyists and campaign strategists of all political stripes. One thing the speakers all agreed on, though, was a sentiment summarized by Missouri State Treasurer Eric Schmitt (’00) — “More than anything, if there’s any pearl of wisdom to come from this, it’s that we need good people in public life, now more than ever.” The symposium and an accompanying stipend for current SLU LAW students who obtain a position with an elected official or political party was the result of a generous donation.
The Hon. Francis G. Slay (’80) former St. Louis mayor
WEFEL CENTER & LAW JOURNAL SYMPOSIUM Law, Technology and the Organization of Work
On March 2, the William C. Wefel Center for Employment Law and the Law Journal hosted a symposium exploring how new technologies and modalities for work, such as data collection, crowdwork and work through on-demand platforms, are outpacing current regulatory structures for labor. National and international scholars discussed the increasingly global dimension to these issues and how firms and employees could endeavor to structure their working relationships in light of these changes. HEALTH LAW SYMPOSIUM Public Health Law in the ‘Era of Alternative Facts’
On April 6, the Center for Health Law Studies hosted its 30th annual symposium, “Public Health Law in the Era of Alternative Facts, Isolationism, and the One Percent.” Experts from across the country discussed policies affecting international infectious disease epidemics, domestic welfare programs, the opioid crisis, education, health disparities and more. Professor Rob Gatter, director of the Center, explores some of these topics in more depth in the SLU LAW Summations podcast: slu.edu/law/podcast. VO LU M E 1 9 I SS U E 2
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IN BRIEF PILG AUCTION Betting Big on Social Justice for 35 Years
On April 6, students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends came together to support the Public Interest Law Group (PILG)’s annual auction. The derby-themed event raised more than $47,000 for the Irvin and Maggie Dagen Fellowship Fund, which provided summer stipends to 54 students working in unpaid public interest and public service positions over the summer. Three awards were given to distinguished attorneys and nonprofit organizations committed to serving in the public interest. The Clarence Darrow Award went to Roger Goldman, SLU LAW Callis Family Professor of Law Emeritus, while the Excellence in Pro Bono and Excellence in Public Service Awards went to St. Louis nonprofits Voices for Children and the Center for Women in Transition, respectively. Alumni are always invited to participate in this fun and fruitful event; stay tuned for details about next year’s auction in the coming months. ALUMNI RECEPTIONS Alumni, Alumni Everywhere
With the support of alumni around the country, SLU LAW and Dean Johnson hosted alumni receptions in Kansas City, New York, Washington, D.C., and Copenhagen in recent months. The newly launched Young Alumni Society (YAS) had a successful first year with a kick-off reception, a beer tasting CLE, a Blues game, a yoga session and a summer happy hour. If you would like to see an alumni reception in your city or to get involved with YAS, contact Amanda Goldsmith (’07), director of development and alumni relations, at amanda.goldsmith@slu.edu.
HONORS AND DISTINCTIONS Women’s Justice Awards
The 20th annual Women’s Justice Awards, presented by Missouri Lawyers Weekly on May 3, honored 12 women of the SLU LAW community. Susan W. McGraugh, professor and supervisor of the Criminal Defense Clinic, was honored with the Public Service Award. Prof. McGraugh founded the clinic with a special focus on aiding clients who have mental illnesses or intellectual disabilities. Third-year student Maureen Hanlon (’18), who worked in Professor McGraugh’s clinic, was selected for the Leaders of Tomorrow Award for her extensive public service and academic achievements. Ten alumnae were also honored.
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Dunsford Achievement Award
Professor of Practice Gary Rutledge (’83) was selected by the William C. Wefel Center for Employment Law as the recipient of the John E. Dunsford Achievement Award. Prof. Rutledge, who is former vice president and general counsel for Anheuser-Busch InBev, North American Zone, was recognized for his exceptional achievement and service in the field of employment and labor law at a special ceremony on March 1. Prof. Rutledge retired at the conclusion of the spring semester and will be much missed by his students and colleagues. ICON Award
Dean and Professor Emeritus Michael Wolff was a recipient of Missouri Lawyers Weekly’s inaugural ICON Award, given at a ceremony on June 1. The award recognizes distinguished attorneys age 60 and older for “their exemplary careers and longstanding commitment to the Missouri legal community.” WLSA and BLSA Honorees
At its annual judicial reception, the Women Law Students’ Association (WLSA) recognized the Hon. Nancy Rahmeyer, the Hon. Ellen Dunne (’91) and the Hon. Katherine Fowler (’00). Amy Collignon Gunn (’96) received the Eileen Searls Service Award. The Black Law Students’ Association (BLSA) at its judicial reception recognized the contributions of the Hon. Nicole Colbert-Botchway (’96), who received the Judge Theodore McMillian Award, while two recipients were honored with the Ronda F. Williams Service Award: Professor Patricia H. Lee of the SLU LAW Legal Clinics and the late civil rights attorney Frankie Muse Freeman, whose family accepted on her behalf.
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT National Excellence in Writing
Third-year student Stefanie Brody (’18) was the first-place winner of the 2018 Louis Jackson Memorial National Student Writing Competition in Employment and Labor Law for her article “Treating
Employees Like Widgets: The Legal Impact of Workforce Management Systems on Contingent Workers.” The national competition is organized by Chicago-Kent Institute for Law and the Workplace and sponsored by Jackson Lewis LLP. MWBLSA Regional Convention at SLU LAW
The School of Law hosted the annual convention of the Midwest Black Law Students Association (MWBLSA) as part of Black History Month in February. The event included oral advocacy competitions, community service, programs and CLEs for alumni about current events, a pre-law symposium and a Black Excellence Awards Gala. SLU's BLSA president Alexus Williams served as the national BLSA's midwest regional vice chair and helped organize the convention.
Judge Robert G. Dowd Sr. Appellate Advocacy Award
Sarah Jones and David Wasserman were the first-place winners of the 2018 competition, and Jones was named best oralist. Bridget Boyle and Jackson Hedges placed second. Thank you to the judges who generously donated their time. SLU LAW Excellence Awards
The Excellence Awards Ceremony on April 24 honored student achievements during the past year. Among those recognized for their work beyond the classroom: Shannon Orbe, SBA Student of the Year Award; Andrea Fietsam, Award for Leadership; Kathryn Redmond, Award for Diversity and Cultural Competency; Charles Rosebrough, Award for Pro Bono Legal Service; and Desiree AustinHolliday, Award for Community Service. Legal Clinics’ David Grant and CLEA Awards
Maureen Hanlon was named the 2018 David Grant Award winner and Kristen Doerhoff was named the CLEA Award winner for their exceptional work and commitment in the Legal Clinics. At a ceremony on May 17, David Grant Award finalists Lizzie Kurowski, Paul Ozbun and Laura Stringfellow were also honored for their work on behalf of the poor and vulnerable in the St. Louis region (pictured below).
Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition
Five SLU LAW students, Marie Claire Dwyer, Caitlin Fagan, Brian Sableman, Edward Theobald and Clayton Weems, participated and placed second out of 19 for their memorial in the U.S. Midwest regional rounds of the Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, the world’s largest moot court competition. Hosted by Loyola University Chicago in February, the competition simulates a fictional dispute between countries before the International Court of Justice, the principal judicial organ of the U.N. The team was coached by Prof. Paige Canfield (’86) and Prof. Ira Trako (’11). SLB
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@SLU L AW
Social Scene: INSTAGRAM & TWITTER chalkriot • Follow St. Louis
chalkriot Our artist @taylorleighton gettin’ in those amazing details of the Dred and Harriet Scott statue that stands outside the old St. Louis courthouse. This is part of a mural recently completed at @slulaw St Louis University Law School honoring stories of social justice legal pursuits in Missouri, specifically of black leaders. 53 likes
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ored to kick off Black slulaw SLU LAW is hon ing the Midwest History Month by host ociation (MWBLSA) Black Law Students Ass this weekend! Regional Convention ion, alums and area As part of the convent attend 3 CLEs attorneys are invited to ge. tomorrow free of char LSA-schedule Schedule: bit.ly/MWB #midwest #stlouis #slulaw #lawschool #stl er #prelaw #lsat #missouri #futurelawy #convention #gala #college #blsa #mwblsa ducated #law yer #student #life #jesuite e #blackhistor ymonth #alumni #lawschoollif 336 likes Isacdiscoverlaw • Follow Slu Law School
lsacdiscoverlaw The future is bright for @slulawplus students! These #futureattorneys are suited up and prepared for their #mocktrial competition. #lsac #diversitymatters #DiscoverLaw
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slulaw It’s (finally) a beautiful day for a Cardinals game! The Legal Clinics took an afternoon off to root for the Redbirds.
#slulaw #lawschoollife #stlouis #stl #missouri #cardinals #baseball #cardinalnation #gocards #playball #lawschool #slu #student #life
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, Josh, Laura and slulaw Clinic students Mike ing the USP TO. Cash are in D.C . today visit ughout the day in Follow along with Cash thro our stories!
ollife #uspto #student #myslulaw #slulaw #lawscho wyer #law #travel #dc #life #slu #lsat #futurela ol eer #stl #stlouis #lawscho #patent #trademark #car
@STLonAir We're talking with Michael Wolff, former @SLULAW dean, and @stlpublicradio reporters @jrosenbaum and @rlippmann about the latest developments in the saga surrounding Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens. Listen live: http://stlpublicradio.org/listen @mcinnismp Another great start of the Law and Advocacy Camp with a tour at Lewis Rice! Thanks, Taylor Matthews! @lewisrice @slulaw @SLU_Official #summeratslu @Eric_Schmitt A few weeks ago I addressed the 2018 @SLULAW graduates - my message: We still have the ability to double down on the American Idea and use it as a launching pad to renew our shared creed. @SLUPresident This is living our mission. Thank you, John and all those at the @SLULAW legal clinic for your dedication. Retweeting SLU LAW @SLULAW Thank you very much to the readers of @MoLawyersMedia, who voted Saint Louis University School of Law the best law school in the state! @taylerofftherec I am happy to finally announce I will be starting law school at @SLULAW this fall. I could not have chosen a better school! @DiscoverLaw Thank you, @SLULAW for hosting another amazing #LSAC #PLUS program and helping build the #pipeline to #justice! @a_rutschman And it's official. First day as part of @SLULAW, @SLU_HealthLaw and @SLU_Official! @itenstl What a wealth of legal information was given at the @SLULAW E-Workshop Series we hosted. Fabulous panel speakers @SLULegalLee, @HealthLawNerd, and Morris Turek participated in sharing what they know about what tech startups need to be aware of!
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@SLULAW
? SLU LAW SUMMATIONS
SLU L AW
The SLU LAW Summations podcast is a 15- to 20-minute dive into a diverse mix of legal topics. Each episode explores a timely legal subject with a member of the Saint Louis University School of Law faculty. The podcast showcases the depth of faculty expertise at SLU LAW. Recent episodes feature Professors Ana Santos Rutschman, Greg Willard and Ruqaiijah Yearby who have offered their unique perspectives on health care technology innovation, the U.S. Supreme Court and racial and gender equity. The episodes are available on the SLU LAW website slu.edu/law/podcast, Soundcloud and iTunes.They are also announced on SLU LAW social media pages. Listen, enjoy and share!
SLU.EDU/LAW
EPISODE 20
ALCOHOL REGUL ATION IN A TIME OF TRANSFORMATION
PROF. GARY RUTLEDGE (’83)
EPISODE 21
REGUL ATING BIG PHARMA: L AWSUITS AND REFORMS
PROF. LIZ MCCUSKEY
EPISODE 22
TODAY 'S TA X L AW: CHANGES, CHALLENGES AND CONSEQUENCES
PROF. KERRY RYAN
EPISODE 23
PUBLIC HEALTH IN THE ERA OF ALTERNATIVE FACTS
EPISODE 26
THE SUPREME COURT NOMINATION PROCESS LESSONS LEARNED
PROF. GREG WILLARD
PROF. ROB GATTER
EPISODE 24
A DEEP DIVE INTO THE TRIAL OF GOVERNOR GREITENS
EPISODE 27
PROF. ANDERS WALKER
RACIAL AND GENDER EQUIT Y IN TODAY ’S CLIMATE
PROF. RUQAIIJAH YEARBY
EPISODE 25
NAVIGATING THE BREAKTHROUGHS IN HEALTH CARE INNOVATION
PROF. ANA SANTOS RUTSCHMAN VO LU M E 1 9 I SS U E 2
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HOODING MAY 17, 2018
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STEVE DOLAN
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SLU L AW Photo by Steve B R IE FDolan
By Mary McHugh
Doreen Dodson (’74) was leaving footprints for others to follow in long before she realized it. It was the late 1960s, and the former special education teacher from Scranton, Pennsylvania, was raising three young children under age 4 when she started to think more seriously about realizing her lifelong dream of becoming a lawyer. When she expressed her desire about law school to a former professor, he urged her to apply sooner rather than later, when the kids would start getting into their own activities. Do it while they’re still napping, he suggested.
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ALUMNI FEATURE At the time, Dodson was in the process of moving to St. Louis with her then-husband who was in a medical residency program, and they expected to be in the area three years at the most. So she started the application process.
key laws and services that continue to benefit the indigent, the elderly and the very ill, and she worked tirelessly through the years in multiple capacities to maintain fair and impartial state courts in Missouri and nationwide.
Her rejection letter from one of the two law schools where she’d applied began with “Dear Madam” and went downhill from there, explaining that since she was a mother, it would not be a good fit.
When she first became active in the Missouri Bar Association in the early 1980s, for example, Dodson helped develop a Senior Citizens Handbook, which explained relevant legal topics concerning Missouri seniors in plain language. The handbook, published by Legal Services of Eastern Missouri and updated every two years, remains a staple
“In those days, young women were not particularly encouraged to pursue careers in law,” she said.
“It’s important to keep forging ahead because the practice of law itself is changing. ” Her second letter, signed by assistant dean Peter Salsich Jr. at Saint Louis University, applauded her determination and encouraged her to attend with the other 24 bright young women, many of them moms, as well, who had enrolled for the upcoming fall semester. As Dodson said with a smile, “I went to law school because I wanted to change the world.” And that she has – many times over.
Leading the Way After graduating, Dodson pursued what became an illustrious career in the fields of employment, immigration and elderly law. She helped instigate the passage of 14
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handout and is available in senior living communities throughout the state. As managing attorney of the elderly law unit at Legal Services from 1976 to 1983, Dodson worked to reform Missouri’s antiquated guardianship and conservatorship laws for the incapacitated by working closely with legislators to create a more modern law, including striking such egregious words as “imbecile” from the previous one. And in 1990, Dodson was elected president of the Missouri Bar – a first for a woman in the organization’s 100-year history. “It was a great achievement, because you have lawyers from all over the state and
you elect somebody who is respected by the Bar generally, as Doreen is,” said Michael Wolff, School of Law dean and professor emeritus and former chief justice of the Missouri Supreme Court. “I think it was important to have somebody as well-known, well-liked and well-esteemed as Doreen as the first. “If you put it in context, it was shortly after the first woman was appointed to the United States Supreme Court, so it was the same kind of symbolic and substantive message that yes, the legal profession includes women; women can be presidents of the Bar,” Wolff continued. “That was really important. I don’t think that was necessarily in the consciousness of a lot of members of the Bar, and it was terrific to have somebody with her character and her abilities to serve in that position as the first woman – it really broke all the ice, shattered the glass ceiling.” “For better or worse, being the ‘first’ of anything provides you with an opportunity to address policy issues,” Dodson said. “As president I had the opportunity to discuss and work on diversity challenges in the profession as well as on issues like end-of-life decision-making, and many of the awards I have been lucky enough to have received come out of that role.” Most notably, as president she successfully lobbied for the landmark Missouri Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care Act, one of her proudest accomplishments, which gave citizens the right to establish advance directives regarding future health care decisions. “There was no way in which to indicate your wishes that was legally binding,” Dodson said. “There were so many other states with more updated laws than ours that provided far more say on the patient’s end.” So Dodson helped bring people from medical, legislative, legal and religious
communities together to facilitate education on end-of-life issues: legislators were given the opportunity to visit hospitals and see firsthand the need for advance directives, and she organized forums and panel discussions on the topic for anyone interested. In just one year’s time, the state legislature passed the new law in 1991. “People are now able to exert a great deal more independence regarding end-of-life decision-making, and what someone wants done and not done to them,” Dodson said. “This affects nearly every family at one time or another during their lives.” Another enduring contribution: while serving as chair on the ABA’s Standing Committee on Judicial Independence in the early 2000s, in response to intense criticism and threats received by judges for making unpopular decisions, Dodson worked with state courts across the country to support and maintain a fair and impartial court system. “We helped them to develop policies that enabled them to evaluate how ordinary folks perceived the courts, and to work with legislators to explain the value of an independent court system,” Dodson said.
A History of Success Dodson’s foray into employment law began while working her first two years out of law school with prominent attorney Lou Gilden, who had represented Percy Green in the landmark Supreme Court case McDonnell Douglas Corp v. Green, focusing on civil rights. After that, in addition to her aforementioned role at Legal Services, she tapped into her former life as a teacher by becoming an assistant professor in the SLU LAW Legal Clinics, advocating on behalf of the poor and vulnerable, and then built her reputation as an employment lawyer and partner at the Stolar Partnership (1986-2013). In January of 2018, Dodson retired as a
senior partner at Polsinelli, where she worked for the past 3 1/2 years representing employers in employment and immigration issues. Throughout the years, she continued to make her mark both within her profession and the community, serving in numerous leadership positions and amassing countless local and national accolades. Most recently, she won Best Lawyers’ 2017 St. Louis “Lawyer of the Year” for her immigration work; was honored as an inaugural member of the SLU LAW Order of the Fleur de Lis Hall of Fame in 2015; and was named “Woman of the Year” by Missouri Lawyers Weekly in 2012. Her contribution has been significant and her reputation impeccable. “She’s always been involved in a law practice that is very important and has a big impact on our social structure,” Wolff said. She is currently a board member for the American Bar Foundation, the Missouri Bar Foundation and the ABA Immigration Advisory Committee. She also serves as a disciplinary hearing officer for the Missouri Supreme Court’s lawyer disciplinary system and is a master in the SLU Theodore McMillian Inns of Court, a mentoring group for current students.
A Vibrant Legacy For future lawyers, Dodson believes there is much work to be done. “It’s important to keep forging ahead because the practice of law itself is changing in that there are new areas of law that need to be developed. We need to catch up,” she said. “This includes things such as lawyers advertising on social media, new crimes related to technology and data, as well as addressing developments in bioethics. In addition, jury trials have decreased significantly, so there is a problem for younger lawyers being able to get courtroom practice.
Affordability is another issue; a large number of people have legal issues but can’t afford a lawyer.” The list is long, and Dodson encourages up-and-coming students to take ownership of some of these issues. She has no doubt they will. “Today’s young lawyers are increasingly enthusiastic in their willingness to try new things and are looking to the future in a vibrant way,” Dodson said. “I’ve encountered so many young attorneys, many of them women with young families and all of them with very active lives, still willing to take on a pro bono case or do service work. They embrace it with a great deal of energy.” Outside of law, Dodson has supported and volunteered for numerous other organizations including Girls on the Run, St. Louis Public Radio and the Friends of the Sheldon Board. And, yes, despite her initial three-year prediction to leave, Dodson fell in love with St. Louis. “I found St. Louis to be a wonderful place to raise my children, a place filled with incredible civic amenities, and a legal community that continues to fully embrace a culture of supporting and providing legal services to those who can least afford it,” she said. Two of Dodson’s children, in fact, followed in their mother’s footsteps and became lawyers themselves. Her daughter, Anna, is currently practicing in Boston, and her son Jason is an associate circuit judge in St. Louis County. Dodson’s other son Will is a chef and owns his own restaurant in Vermont. Dodson additionally has three stepchildren. And for her 17 grandchildren and six greatgrandchildren, she’s confident their future holds a place of equal pay and fair employment for each – and maybe even another pioneering female attorney. SLB
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FACULTY SCHOLARSHIP
SLU LAW faculty continue to produce excellent scholarship, read and recognized at the national and international levels. The following is a sampling of our faculty’s scholarship successes in 2017. MATTHEW T. BODIE
CHAD FLANDERS
Callis Family Professor of Law
Professor
Employment as Fiduciary Relationship, 105 Geo. L.J. 819 (2017).
Insubstantial Burdens, in Religious E xemptions (Kevin Vallier, ed., 2017).
The Law and Policy of People Analytics (with Miriam A. Cherry, Marcia L. McCormick & Jintong Tang), 88 u. Colo. L. Rev. 961 (2017).
Interpreting the New “Stand Your Ground” Rule, J. Missouri B ar (January-February 2017).
The Best Way Out Is Always Through: Changing the Employment At-Will Default Rule to Protect Personal Autonomy, 2017 U. Ill. L. Rev. 223 (2017).
Is Having Too Many Aggravating Factors the Same as Having None at All? A Comment on the Hidalgo Cert. Petition, Uc Davis L. Rev. Online (October 17, 2017).
Lessons from the Dramatists Guild for the Platform Economy, 2017 U. Chi. Legal F. 17 (2017) (Symposium on Law and the Disruptive Workplace).
The Stockley Verdict: An Explainer, St. Louis U. L aw Rev. Online (September 15, 2017).
The Next Iteration of Progressive Corporate Law, 74 Wash. & Lee L. Rev. 739 (2017) (Lara D. Gass Annual Symposium on Corporate Law, Governance, and Purpose: A Tribute to the Scholarship of Lyman Johnson and David Millon). Law and Norms in Sustainability Developments in the Major American Sports Leagues (with Lucas Jackson), in Routledge Handbook Of Sport A nd The Environment 418 (Brian P. McCullough & Timothy B. Kellison eds., 2017).
MIRIAM A. CHERRY
Professor
Are Uber and Transportation Network Companies the Future of Transportation (Law) and Employment (Law)?, 4 Texas a&m L. Rev. 174 (2017).
Punishment, Liberalism, and Public Reason, 36 Crim. J. Ethics 61 (2017). Book review, Rik Sils., ed, Perspectives on Ignorance from Moral and Social Philosophy Notre Dame Phil. Rev. (April 2, 2017).
ROBERT GATTER
Professor
Communicating Loyalty: Advocacy and Disclosure of Conflicts in Treatment and Research Relationships in The Oxford Handbook Of U.S. Healthcare L aw At 240 (I. Glenn Cohen, Allison K. Hoffman & William M. Sage, eds, Oxford University Press, 2017). A Population Health Framework for Teaching Health Law, 61 St. Louis U. L. J. 371 (2017).
Dependent Contractors in the Gig Economy: A Comparative Approach 66 Amer. Univ. L. Rev. 635 (2017) (with Antonio Aloisi). People Analytics and Invisible Labor, 59 St. Louis Univ. L. J. 1 (2017). The Law and Policy of People Analytics (with Matthew Bodie, Marcia L. McCormick & Jintong Tang), 88 U. Colo. L. Rev. 961 (2017).
MONICA EPPINGER
Professor
Ukraine and the Disappearing Hyphen of Market-Democracy, Cultural A nthropology (Sept. 2017)
JOEL K. GOLDSTEIN
Vincent C. Immel Professor of Law
Justice Brandeis and Civic Duty in a Pluralistic Society, 33 Touro Law Review 105-130 (2017). Resolved the Vice Presidency Should Be Abolished? Con in Richard J. Ellis and Michael Nelson eds. Debating The Presi dency : C onflicting P erspectives O n The A merican E xecutive 4th ed. 283-291, 293-294 (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2017). Book Review. Louis D. Brandeis: American Prophet. By Jeffrey Rosen. 35 L aw A nd History Review 833-835 (2017). Book Review. The Heir Apparent Presidency. By Donald Zinman. 15 Perspectives On Politics 258-260 (2017).
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SANDRA H. JOHNSON
KAREN PETROSKI
Professor Emerita
Professor
Nazi Experiments, the Nuremberg Code, and the United States in Michalczyk, J., (ed.) Nazi L aw: From Nuremberg To Nuremberg (Bloomsbury Academic, 2017).
The Strange Fate of Holmes’s Normal Speaker of English, in The Nature of Legal Interpretation: What Jurists Can Learn from Linguistics and Philosophy (Brian Slocum ed., University of Chicago Press, 2017). What a State Wants: The Language of Another Legal Fiction, 3 Savannah L aw Review (2017) (symposium essay).
PATRICIA H. LEE
Associate Professor
Access to Capital or Just More Blues? Issuer Decision-Making (Saarbrücken: LAP Lambert Academic Publishing, 2017) (Ger.). Shattering ‘Blight’ and the Hidden Narratives That Condemn, 42 Seton Hall Legis. J. 29 (2017).
YVETTE JOY LIEBESMAN
AARON TAYLOR
Professor Diversity Within Diversity: The Varied Experiences of Asian and Asian American Law Students (with F. Mustafaa and C. Christensen) L aw School Survey Of Student Engagement (2017). Law School Scholarship Policies: Engines of Inequity (with C. Christensen) L aw School Survey Of Student Engagement A nnual Results 2016 (2017).
CONSTANCE Z. WAGNER
Professor
Professor
Ex Parte Seizures Under the DTSA & the Shift of Enforcement of IP Rights, 1 Bus. Entrepreneurship & Tax L. Rev. 390 (2017).
Bar Journal Article: Corporate Social Responsibility (coauthor and editor), Year in Review, 51 The International L awyer (2017) (Official Publication of American Bar Association, Section of International Law).
Redefining the Intended Copyright Infringer, 50 Akron L. Rev. 765 (2017).
MARCIA L. MCCORMICK
SIDNEY WATSON
Professor
Jane and Bruce Robert Professor of Law
Religious Privilege to Discriminate as Religious Freedom: From Charitable Choice to Faith Based Initiatives to RFRA and FADA, 56 Washburn L.J. 229 (2017).
Health Law, Public Law and Social Justice, 61 Saint Louis U. L. J. 391 (2017).
The Law and Policy of Big Data and People Analytics, 88 Colo. L. Rev. 961 (2017) (with Matthew Bodie, Miriam A. Cherry & Jintong Tang).
Lessons From Ferguson and Beyond: Bias, Health and Justice, 18 Minn. J.L. Sci. & Tech. 111 (2017).
Workplace Freakonomics, 14 I/S: J. L. & Pol’y For Info. Soc’y (2017). Stereotypes as Channels and the Social Model of Discrimination, 36 St. Louis Univ. Pub. L. Rev. 19 (2017).
ALAN WEINBERGER
Professor
HENRY M. ORDOWER
Professor
Forever Young: Texas Gulf Sulphur Rules at Fifty, 45 Securities Regulation Law Journal 23 (Spring 2017).
Taxing Others in the Age of Trump: Foreigners (and the Politically Weak) as Tax Subjects, 62 Saint Louis University L.J. 157 (2017). The Expatriation Tax, Deferrals, Mark to Market, the Macomber Conundrum and Doubtful Constitutionality, 15 Pitt Tax Rev. 1 (2017). Out of Ferguson: Misdemeanors, Municipal Courts, Tax Distribution and Constitutional Limitations (with J.S. Sandoval and Kenneth Warren), 61 Howard L.J. 113 (2017). Perspectives on the tax avoidance culture: legislative, administrative, and judicial ambiguity in Yuliya Epifantseva (Boston, USA) and Nigar Hashimzade (Durham, UK) editors, The Routledge Companion To Tax Avoidance Research 26 (2017). VO LU M E 1 9 I SS U E 2
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ALUMNI FEATURE
“BELIEVE THERE IS GOOD IN THE WORLD”
A SPOTLIGHT ON THE HON. JIMMIE EDWARDS (’81)
A
decorative glass plaque with this boldfaced message “Believe there is good in the world” sits atop the Hon. Jimmie Edwards’ credenza inside his office at St. Louis City Hall. Inches away is a framed photo of him, his wife, three children and two grandchildren standing with U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. Edwards, director of public safety for the city of St. Louis, points to each of his two sons and daughter and like any proud, beaming father, recounts their life successes. He laughs as he tells the story of how after the picture was taken, his young grandsons were invited to play a quick game of basketball on the Supreme Court justices’ basketball court, known as “the highest court in the land.” No mention is made of why he is standing next to Justice Roberts. Nor of the sculpture of the William H. Rehnquist Award for Judicial Excellence that sits on top of a filing cabinet. Or any of the other awards and degrees scattered around his office, or stowed away at his former office across the street, home to the 22nd Judicial Circuit Court of Missouri. Edwards, appointed to his position by Mayor Lyda Krewson in November 2017, is as humble as he is gracious. While he served as a circuit judge for the past 25 years, it was the five-year span from 2007 to 2012 as the administrative judge of the family court and chief juvenile court judge that allowed him to make an indelible mark on the futures of underserved children in
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St. Louis. From that work, the accolades continue to pile up. And the Roberts photo? Taken in 2013, the chief justice had just presented him with the Rehnquist Award, one of the nation’s highest judicial awards. The other awards? Ebony magazine selected him to its 2013 Power 100 Most Influential in America List; People magazine named Edwards its “Editor’s Choice National Hero” recipient in 2011. Edwards is featured in several national documentaries, including “Blood Brothers” and “Education Under Arrest,” Tavis Smiley’s film on common sense alternatives to “zero tolerance” discipline policies. His work was highlighted in a short vignette titled “Extraordinary Educator Jimmie Edwards,” which received a Mid-America Emmy Award, and he’s been featured by TEDx, giving a talk titled “Encouraging the Incorrigible – Smart on Crime.” Edwards has delivered keynote speeches at the United States Supreme Court, the U.S. Chief Justice Association’s National Conference, the American Bar Association’s Thurgood Marshall Section Conference, the Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative Case Foundation Conference, and the International Society for Reform of Criminal Law in Vancouver, BC, among others. More recently, he was inducted into Saint Louis University School of Law’s Order of the Fleur de Lis Hall of Fame. There’s more, but again, you won’t hear about it from Edwards.
FORGING A PATH
As both a SLU undergrad (’78) and law school alumnus (’81), Edwards has long recognized the importance of a quality education. Raised along with his four siblings by a single mom in the now demolished Pruitt-Igoe housing complex, the family, as Edwards says, “had nothing.” Public housing and food stamps were a daily reality. But it was the love and drive of a mother who knew the importance of family, generosity, humility and education that ignited the fire that still burns within Edwards. It allowed him to look beyond the brick walls of the housing project and see what could be. “I realized early on that you are either lucky enough to be born into a great life, or blessed enough to stumble upon one,” Edwards said. “Through the kindness of strangers, I fell into the latter category. SLU provided me a glimpse of a whole new world, an opportunity to learn about a different type of life. I always tell people that you can’t dream if somebody doesn’t teach you what to dream about. SLU gave me that hope.” Edwards took that hope, ingrained into SLU’s Jesuit mission of being a “man for others,” and began passing it along to his siblings. From his professors, including SLU LAW dean emeritus Mike Wolff, Edwards learned the impact an education can have on an individual and his or her community, and how their success can result in a better community.
Photo by Steve Dolan
ALUMNI FEATURE “During college and law school, I began to understand it was never really about me, or my condition, where I had come from, or even about feeling sorry for myself,” he said. “What was crystalized for me by my amazing teachers was that what you do for others is what really matters.”
COMPELLED TO ACT
After rising through the ranks of private and public legal positions at Southwestern Bell Telephone Company, he was appointed to the St. Louis City Circuit Court in 1992. Four years later, the state passed the Missouri Safe Schools Act, which mandated a policy of zero tolerance for violent behavior in school. Taken aback by the discriminatory practices that resulted from passage of this act on the young, underserved offenders who were appearing before him, as well as by the negative effects of their incarceration, Edwards felt he had to act. “In my mind it was all about equalizing life’s chances for these kids,” Edwards said. “Children learn behavior no matter where they are. So is it better to have a nine-year-old locked in a detention center where he can learn more in one hour about
they can learn positive behavior. The ICA was created in partnership with the St. Louis Public Schools and Mers Goodwill. Sixty students were enrolled that first year. Located at 19th and Cass in Old North St. Louis, the school today is home to more than 150 eighth- through 12th-graders. It is here where hope blossoms. To qualify, students are recommended by administrators at the St. Louis Public Schools and by Edwards’ former colleagues at the Family Court-Juvenile Division. Retention is high, and the graduation rate tops 93 percent. Edwards visits the school every day, serving as the ultimate role model and mentor for these young students. In fact, when he accepted the job as director of public safety, it was with the stipulation that he still be allowed to visit the school daily. Whether it’s for morning roll call, a visit to the cafeteria during the lunch hour, or an after-school event, Edwards interacts with the students every day, encouraging them to work hard, reminding them he faced the same struggles they are experiencing. He also continues to work to bridge the chasm between the students and the police.
“EDUCATION ALLOWS ONE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DREAM, TO HOPE AND TO HAVE SOME SUCCESS. IT’S THE BEST PRESCRIPTION FOR A GROUP OF PEOPLE LOST IN VIOLENCE AND POVERTY.” drugs and crime, than it is to put that kid in a school and teach him what it means to be generous and kind and how to lead a productive life in his own community? “Education allows one the opportunity to dream, to hope and to have some success,” he continued. “It’s the best prescription for a group of people lost in violence and poverty.” So he sent them back to school. His school. In 2009, Edwards created the Innovative Concept Academy (ICA), an alternative school for at-risk youth that addresses factors in the community that negatively impact the students and is a place where
A 2017 documentary titled “For Ahkeem” features Edwards and his ICA work. It chronicles the struggles of a former ICA student at age 17, beginning one year before the 2014 events of Ferguson. The film illuminates the challenges that many black teenagers face in America today and witnesses the strength, resilience and determination it takes to survive.
RISING TO THE CHALLENGE
While he doesn’t miss his judge robes, Edwards is the first to admit he turned down the mayor’s offer for the public safety job several times before eventually accepting. It was the Jason Stockley verdict and
the resulting protests that followed that changed his mind. At the time of the job offer, Edwards had assembled a group of protestors to meet with him and Judge Jason Sengheiser (’03) at the St. Louis City Courthouse to discuss their concerns. It was during these discussions that he realized the impact he could have on trying to bridge the relationship gap between the community and law enforcement officials. He called Krewson to accept the offer. “The officers knew me from years of working with them in the court system. The community members and offenders knew me, too, from that same work,” Edwards said. “I realized if I could continue to engage both sides that maybe, together, we could accept and conquer the challenge. It takes everybody to engage in public safety. I knew then it was something I needed to do.” Edwards is still involved in the legal world. Since 2015, Edwards has been a member of the National Advisory Board on Community Engagement in the State Courts. The 16-member board is part of the National Center for State Courts’ Conference of Chief Justices and National Consortium for Racial and Ethnic Fairness. He is a board member for the National Center for State Courts. Having presided over more than 500 jury trials, Edwards is also still a member of the Missouri Supreme Court Civil Rules Committee and chairman of the State Judicial Records Committee. In spite of all of his work in the community and beyond, and the long list of accolades that has since followed, it is that which has transpired within the walls of his own home that makes him most proud – his role as a father. Edwards points again to the photo of his smiling children. “I’d have to say being a dad has been the best thing I‘ve ever experienced in my life,” he said. “I didn’t have anyone to teach me how to be a dad. I had to learn on my own how to break the cycle that I had lived… and it was a day to day struggle to figure out how to do that.” SLB By Mary McHugh
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COVER STORY
Celebrating
175 years
A Rich Legacy Since our founding in 1843, Saint Louis University School of Law continues a proud tradition of opening its doors to promising law students with a passion for effectively representing and advocating for people from all backgrounds and making a difference in the lives of others. Putting purpose into practice is the cornerstone principle of a SLU LAW education that reflects our students’ and faculty’s focus on community, academic excellence and public service embodying the Jesuit mission. The SLU LAW story is one of tradition, of innovation and of excellence. Central to that story are the generations of students, alumni, faculty and staff who believe in the power of a SLU LAW education to transform lives, and who give heart and voice to our mission: to advance the understanding and development of law through leadership and service to others.
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COVER STORY For this special issue, we reached out to some of our notable alumni in different areas of practice with a question:
“What do you hope the future holds role in the legal landscape?”
THE HON. HENRY E. AUTREY (’77) Federal Judge, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
The practice of law is a noble profession rather than a job, a 9 to 5, or a business. Its purpose is to cater to the needs of those who seek justice and fairness in the world around them; who seek equality despite oppressors; who seek relief against bold and overbearing practices. The Law is the medicine and tool we use to treat and heal. Saint Louis University School of Law, now standing among the two great Halls of Justice in St. Louis, the Thomas F. Eagleton Federal Courthouse and the Civil Courts Building/Carnahan Courthouse, has provided the knowledge, skill set and commitment to law and community since 1843. That is its future. I believe its focus on integrating the technology of now and of the future into the legacy and personality of the practice of law places SLU LAW on the launch pad of the new age of Law; an age of continued awareness of the need for justice for all, equality for all, access to courts for all, fundamental fairness for all, and a continued tradition, in the Ignatian /Jesuit tradition of ‘men/women/lawyers for others.’ 22
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ANITA ESSLINGER (’78)
Former Partner and Co-Leader of the Global AntiCorruption Team, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP; Former World Bank Monitor of Integrity Compliance
My wish for the future of SLU LAW is that it will continue to provide the excellence in legal education that I and so many others have experienced. It prepared me so well for an interesting and rewarding career. I am confident that SLU LAW will continue to attract well-qualified professors and students in a variety of fields of importance for and dedicated to the wellbeing of the society in which we live, both at home and internationally. I anticipate that the ethical grounding of the SLU LAW community and the strong and open interaction between faculty and students will play an important role in promoting the rule of law and the independence of lawyers and the judicial system, as well as a respect for others so necessary for a truly civil society.
TIMOTHY NOELKER (’78)
General Counsel and White House Liaison, Corporation for National and Community Service
SLU LAW has a historic tradition of producing quality lawyers in both mainstream, nonprofit and government practices, all in the Jesuit tradition. We have produced leaders in the St. Louis and national legal communities, including corporate, litigation, legal services, prosecutor & public defender, and judicial roles. And more recently, we lead the nation in health care legal education. As general counsel and White House Liaison at the Corporation for National and Community Service in Washington, D.C., I interact with countless attorneys every day, but I am particularly proud to be an alumnus of SLU LAW.
for SLU LAW, its graduates and its
THE HON. MARGARET T. DONNELLY (’88)
Family Court Administrative Judge, Circuit Judge for the 21st Judicial Circuit; Former Director, Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services
Several years ago, I had the honor of being the Health Care Scholar in Residence and adjunct professor at Saint Louis University School of Law. This gave me the opportunity to work closely with many bright and energetic students interested in using their legal education to help others. Today, as a St. Louis County circuit judge, I frequently interact with SLU LAW students at professional events and have recent graduates appear in front of me. I am continually struck by the fact that SLU LAW graduates not only are conscientious and committed to being good lawyers, but also desire to provide service to the community. SLU LAW is preparing strong professionals who are also active citizens. In the future, I am confident the law school will remain true to the mission of this great university by continuing to educate and graduate individuals dedicated to serving the public.
ROBERT S. KENNEY (’98)
Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, California; Former Chairman, Missouri Public Service Commission
SLU LAW’s influence on my life and career has been profound. I believe that our profession is more than that; it is a calling. This calling comes with an accompanying obligation to serve. SLU instills in its students an understanding of this obligation; that our training places us in a unique position to use our gifts and talents in service of others. I am confident that SLU LAW will continue to influence lawyers to be men and women for others, and, to paraphrase Charles Hamilton Houston, to use their training to be engineers for positive social good.
JESSICA SLEATER (’07)
Class Action Attorney, Andersen Sleater Sianni LLC, New York
I am a fourth generation SLU LAW graduate. My great-grandfather graduated in 1918 and my grandfather in 1951. SLU LAW’s mission of instilling the use of advocacy to help others resonated with me from my first day of law school and is now what drives my work as a class action attorney standing up for people who would not otherwise be able to vindicate their rights. That same theme I predict and hope will continue for the next 175 years and beyond with the role of lawyers as champions for justice through the judicial branch, even when other aspects of our society and government may feel out of our control. Attorneys will consistently serve on the front lines and as the vessel through which people can tell their stories to a court of law. This important role for us brings with it the hope that the truth and legal rights will prevail under the law and can never be replaced. As lawyers, it will continue to be our greatest honor and burden to carry out this SLU LAW mission for our clients. CONTINUED ON PAGE 28 VO LU M E 1 9 I SS U E 2
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BECOMING PART OF THE SOLUTION A SPOTLIGHT ON PROFESSOR DANA M. MALKUS (’04)
W
hen Dana Malkus (née Miller) entered SLU LAW as a 1L in 2001, following a one-year stint with Americorps, like many law students, her conception of what lawyers did was limited to litigation. She knew she wanted to continue to do public interest work and naturally assumed that would be through litigation. After her first year, though, despite enjoying law school, she realized she did not want to be a litigator. “That’s when I met Professor [Pete] Salsich,” she said. “We talked about community development and affordable housing, and that helped me see that I could take my public interest inclination and use it in a transactional setting, which really felt much more like a fit for me. “I remember writing in high school that I wanted to be a social worker, a teacher or a lawyer,” she continued. “Those three things have always remained part of what I have been able to see myself doing.” After law school, Malkus clerked for a judge and then went into private practice for a few years, but she found herself missing those other components. When the opportunity arose to lead a clinic at SLU LAW, she knew she wanted to take it. Today, Malkus is the associate dean for experiential education, an associate professor and the director of the Entrepreneurship and Community Development (ECD) Clinic. “This is a dream job for me,” she said. “I have the ability to be in academia and therefore work closely with students, learn from them and hopefully help shape them as lawyers. And I have the ability to continue practicing and representing clients that I am passionate about. There’s a little bit of social work thrown in there, too, especially in trying to understand things from the perspective of people living in a particular place. How could I not want to do this?”
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ENDLESSLY INTERESTING WORK
After being a professor for nearly 10 years, Malkus has honed a clear vision for the ECD Clinic by thinking about where she and her students can have the greatest degree of impact and where the resources of the law school can best match up with the city’s needs. One area in which she has become an expert is on the issue of vacancy. This year Malkus and her clinic joined nearly a dozen nonprofit and community organizations along with Mayor Lyda Krewson in forming a coalition – the St. Louis Vacancy Collaborative – mobilized to address vacancy. She and her students developed a guide to help empower neighborhood leaders, government agencies and other stakeholders to tackle the problem in a grassroots way and contributed to the development of a new tool, the Vacant Properties Portal, which offers the public groundbreaking access to vital data on the city’s vacant properties. Given Malkus’ interests, it’s easy to see the appeal: it’s the perfect blend of individual connection while working toward systemic change. On a given day this past summer, for example, she began her morning with an 8:30 a.m. meeting at Gelataria to discuss zoning laws, affordable housing and regional government reform. She followed that by zipping over to Starbucks for a 10:15 a.m. meeting to discuss recommendations for one small neighborhood trying to redevelop a handful of vacant lots and dedicate a local park. “That’s kind of how my days are – zooming in and out a lot,” Malkus said. “The work is endlessly interesting and challenging because you are working on multiple levels. “A lot of the work we do is around physical rebuilding, but then a lot is also around people, like having a quality daycare or having a small business in the community,” she continued.
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT Dana puts her heart and soul into her work,” said Pete Salsich Jr., the McDonnell Professor of Justice in American Society Emeritus and Malkus’ mentor-turned-colleague. “She is a classic example of the Jesuit model of ‘men and women for others.’ The kind of work she does is so meaningful, and in part because she puts so much into it and is so good at it. Over the years she’s just come to embody that concept of service for others.” One of the clinic projects of which she is most proud was helping address a decades-long struggle to repair roads and sidewalks in the Lewis Place neighborhood last year. The problems had left residents feeling unsafe, neglected by the city and unable to effectively get around. She and her students worked to negotiate contracts with the city and work out the details of the repairs. The successful result, she believes, left the community with more than filled potholes and new curbs – it left them with a message of hope, that after all these years of worsening conditions, their voices had been heard. “Part of our role and the privilege that we have is to be part of the restoration of broken things,” Malkus said. “I think that aligns with the larger University Jesuit mission, so those are things that motivate my work. And I think for a fair number of students, that also helps motivate them.”
ELEVATING EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
Last year when Dean William P. Johnson appointed Malkus to the new role of associate dean for experiential education, she tackled the position with the same tenacity. One of the first tasks she set out to do was to take inventory of all the existing opportunities for students in experiential programs, i.e., clinics, field placements (“externships”) and simulation courses (moot court, trial advocacy, etc.), and see them as part of a bigger picture. “A lot of our opportunities here, like a lot of other law schools, have grown organically, but there hasn’t been anyone to unite them, to drive communication to students about where all these opportunities are and to make it easy to understand how to take advantage of them,” Malkus said. “I want to create more of a system where the entire faculty and staff understand them and can help connect students with the opportunities as we come into contact with them.” The other part of her role, she says, is evaluating the school’s effectiveness in providing these opportunities, assessing what students need and what potential employers value, and ensuring compliance with ABA requirements. “I also would like to spend more time finding ways of continuing to support all faculty who are interested in any kind of experiential components in their classrooms, whether they teach ‘experiential’ courses or not, just being that resource for the faculty who are interested.”
TYING IT ALL TOGETHER
Malkus is not a St. Louis native; in fact, she is from a rural county in southwestern Indiana near Evansville. She grew up on a farm where her family still lives and works, and appreciates how she grew up and now having both a rural and urban perspective. Perhaps this makes her dedication to improve the city of St. Louis and to effect positive change alongside its residents all the more impressive, but Malkus sees it as simply offering what she can where she is. “Oftentimes we do think of public service as working at a public interest law firm or sitting on the board of a nonprofit or volunteering, and those things are important,” Malkus said. “But maybe the most radical form of public service is to fully engage in where you are. So wherever we are placed – I mean really, wherever I am spending my days – there are people who could use my investment of time, and there are physical places where I live (my neighborhood, my workplace) – just being willing to commit to those people around us I think is actually really important.” Malkus believes it is increasingly hard in our culture to contribute to the public good, but she thinks we can always adjust our orientation to become more community-oriented. “When you see someone stepping up and trying to be part of a solution, that often helps you want to do the same thing, right?” Malkus said. “In the end, we are all part of this community. And it’s a self-interest, too – my good or my flourishing is tied up in yours and it’s tied up in the city, and my children’s flourishing is tied up in all of this, too. “This goes deeper and starts getting into the theological realm, but I think we are designed for community,” she continued. “We are designed to live in community, and when we don’t live that way there are serious consequences. We can help each other shift our orientation. It can be hard in America, where we have such an individualized culture. You’re kind of going against the grain. But to be willing to work collectively to be part of a solution – that is really key.” SLB VO LU M E 1 9 I SS U E 2
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IN MY VIEW
In my
VIEW
By Marie Kenyon (’86) W hen I look back on my career, to paraphrase Abraham Lincoln, everything I am or hope to be I owe in significant measure to SLU LAW. There wasn’t a specific moment that convinced me to go to law school. I knew I wanted adventure and I knew I wanted to serve people who needed help. The question was how I could do both in a job that would be fulfilling to me. After I graduated from college, I applied to law school and the Peace Corps, and had to make the decision as to which opportunity would be best to start my post-graduate life. The choice was hard, but I ultimately realized I may not have the opportunity to live in a different part of the world and serve a developing community after beginning a legal career. I asked the SLU LAW administration if I could defer my enrollment for two years. True to their goal of "preparing students to make the world a better place,” they gave me their blessing to go to my posting in Niger and saved a seat for me in the Class of 1986. After two of the toughest years of my life, in less than a month I went from my village that had no running water or electricity, to sitting in Professor Immel’s 1L Contracts class. After those two years working with malnourished children in the African bush,
26
SLU L AW B R IE F
I can remember sitting in my 1L classes wondering what on earth I was doing there when there was so much work to be done to alleviate suffering around the world. But the incredible professors I encountered, like Pete Salsich and Mike Wolff, spent considerable time reminding us that the practice of law was a powerful tool to help make the world a better place. I was placed on academic probation both semesters of my first year, but despite that, they helped me realize why I wanted to become a lawyer. I look back on my years at SLU LAW with so much gratitude for all the support I received from the faculty in my quest to become a public interest lawyer. I was never ranked at the top of the class. I didn't have any interest in clerking or working for a firm. The faculty knew if I ended up fulfilling my goal I would never be able to be a large donor to the school or work for a prestigious firm, but they still treated me as if I was ranked first in my class and advocated for me every step of the way in my less-than-amazing performance as a law student. After graduation, my connection to SLU remained strong and assisted me in continuing my goal of serving the poor and disenfranchised. I was hired as the found-
ing attorney for the Catholic Legal Assistance Ministry (CLAM), a pro-bono law practice that provides free legal services to low income people throughout the 11 counties of the Archdiocese of St Louis as a project of Catholic Charities of St Louis. One of the professors whose class I had struggled through in years prior, Pete Salsich, was on the committee that hired me. When CLAM first began, the offices were housed at Legal Services of Eastern Missouri. In 1999, we had to relocate and once again, SLU LAW was there for me and my work. Thanks to Professor John Ammann, Dean Jeff Lewis and Father Biondi, CLAM moved to a permanent home within the School of Law. For the past 19 years, the law school has provided free office space, legal research services and most importantly, the support of the faculty, staff and law students to the Ministry. According to Amy Diemer (SLU A&S ’84, Law ’88), the current managing attorney for CLAM, the Ministry opened more than 2,000 cases in 2017 with only five paid staff attorneys and a BIA accredited rep. All of those clients could not have been represented without the support of SLU LAW, especially through the hard work of enthusiastic students who are taught daily how important it is to be men
and women for others and who are still being told by the professors at SLU that the practice of law is a powerful tool to make the world a better place. Now in my current position as the director of the Peace and Justice Commission for the Archdiocese of St. Louis, I continue to be supported by my SLU family. Prof. Pete Salsich was the first chairman of the newly established Commission, and thanks to Commissioner Fr. Chris Collins S.J., assistant to President Pestello for mission and identity, the Archdiocese constantly has the opportunity to partner with SLU on projects affecting the poor and disenfranchised in our region. Thirty-two years after graduating, I can honestly say, everything I am or hope to be I owe in significant measure to SLU LAW. SLB
Photo courtesy of the Archdiocese of St. Louis
“There wasn’t a specific moment that convinced me to go law school. I knew I wanted adventure and I knew I wanted to serve people who needed help. The question was how I could do both in a job that would be fulfilling to me.”
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A History and Tradition of Excellence 1818
SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY FOUNDED. SLU’S FIRST CLASSES WERE HELD NOV. 16, 1818, IN A BUILDING MUCH LIKE THE DRAWING SEEN HERE, RENTED FROM MADAME EUGENE ALVAREZ.
1908
SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE OF LAW ESTABLISHED. FIVE PIONEERING WOMEN ENTER THE PROGRAM THAT YEAR, GRADUATING IN 1911. IT WOULD BE 12 MORE YEARS BEFORE A WOMAN WOULD RECEIVE A GRADUATE DEGREE IN ANOTHER AREA OF STUDY AT SLU, AND NEARLY HALF A CENTURY BEFORE WOMEN WOULD BE ADMITTED TO THE UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM.
1949
FIRST ISSUE OF SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY INTRAMURAL LAW REVIEW (NOW KNOWN AS THE SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY LAW JOURNAL) PUBLISHED.
1843
SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW OPENS: FIRST LAW SCHOOL WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.
1943-1946
SCHOOL CLOSES (AUG. 20, 1943) DUE TO WORLD WAR II AND REOPENS (JAN. 7, 1946) WITH 23 STUDENTS, ALL BUT TWO OF WHOM WERE VETERANS. THE EVENING PROGRAM IS ALSO ESTABLISHED.
1982-1987
CENTER FOR HEALTH LAW STUDIES ESTABLISHED. CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL AND COMPARATIVE LAW ESTABLISHED. CENTER FOR EMPLOYMENT LAW ESTABLISHED.
1998
VINCENT C. IMMEL ATRIUM ADDED TO THE SCHOOL OF LAW; QUEEN’S DAUGHTERS HALL RENOVATED AND DEDICATED.
2001
FIRST SUMMER ABROAD PROGRAM OFFERED IN MADRID.
2009
SERVICE DAY BECOMES A COMPONENT OF FIRST-YEARS’ ORIENTATION WEEK AND CONTINUES YET TODAY.
2014
LEGAL CLINICS CELEBRATE 40+ YEARS OF SERVICE.
2000
1843 SCHOLARS PROGRAM AWARDS FIRST FULL TUITION SCHOLARSHIP TO INCOMING STUDENTS. FIRST ISSUE OF SAINT LOUIS BRIEF ALUMNI MAGAZINE PUBLISHED. ANNUAL RICHARD J. CHILDRESS MEMORIAL LECTURE FORMALLY INSTITUTED.
2007
FIRST ISSUE OF SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY JOURNAL OF HEALTH LAW & POLICY PUBLISHED.
2013
SCOTT HALL OPENS DOWNTOWN.
2015
SLU LAW ORDER OF THE FLEUR DE LIS HALL OF FAME ESTABLISHED.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23 28
SLU L AW B R IE F
DEVELOPMENT
HONOR
ROLL
ALUMNI RELATIONS
Your generous support funds events at SLU LAW such as the annual Alternative Career Fair.
ON THE FOLLOWING PAGES, we acknowledge with sincerest gratitude our annual leadership donors who have generously supported SLU LAW during the past fiscal year. These reflect gifts received from July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018. THE IMMEL SOCIETY The Vincent C. Immel Society honors donors who support SLU LAW through annual leadership giving of $1,000 or more to any law school fund. Contributions made by our Immel Society donors provide support to meet the most immediate challenges facing SLU LAW. Through their generosity, this select group of leaders sets the pace for graduating practice-ready attorneys and advancing SLU LAW’s mission to pursue excellence in teaching, research and service to the community. * indicates deceased
VO LU M E 1 9 I SS U E 2
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DEVELOPMENT ALUMNI RELATIONS
> Madison County Bar Association > Mark (Law ’87) & Mildred McLaughlin
FOUNDER $100,000+
PARTNER $5,000 – $9,999
> Gori Julian & Associates, P.C.
> Bauer Family Trust
> Larry (Law ’86) & Therese Miller
> Beth (Law ’99) & Randy (A&S ’95, Law ’98) Gori
> Gerard (Law ’75) & Suzanne Carmody
> Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority > Jean Bante (Law ’80) & Stephen Moore
> Barry (Law ’95) & Gaye Julian
> Barbara (A&S ’71) & Thomas (Law ’79) Feiner
> Korein Tillery Attorneys at Law
> Chad Flanders (Faculty)
> James McLaughlin (A&S ’40)*
> Robert Haar
> Emil (Chaifetz ’48, Law ’52) & Neola* Poertner
> Stephen Tillery (Law ’76)
> Nancy Hawes (Law ’04)
> Joseph (Law ’79) & Florine Porter
> William Wefel (Law ’68)
> John (A&S ’67, Law ’71) & Susan Kilo
> Terry (Law ’80) & Sally Schnuck
> The Hon. Michael (Law ’75) & Brenda McCuskey
> Robert (Parks ’64, Law ’68) & Donna Scoular
FELLOW $50,000 – $99,999 > A nonymous > A rthur (A&S ’69, Law ’72) & Maria Del Pilar de Graffenried > William Leising (Law ’76)*
> George Nostrand (Law ’73)* > Bonnie (E&PS ’62)* & Michael O’Keefe (A&S ’59 & Law ’61) > Mary Beth Ortbals (A&S ’64, Law ’68) > Rose Perotti (Law ’57) > Vernon (A&S ’82, Law ’85) & Sue Singer
PATRON $25,000 – $49,999 > Alvin Gold, M.D. (Med ’65)*
> St Louis Community Foundation > Stephen (Law ’88) & Angela Strum
> Bruce (Law ’73) & Jane Robert
> Jon (Law ’70) & Lea Theobald
> The Jane M. & Bruce P. Robert Charitable Foundation
> Mary (Law ’81) & Simon Tonkin
> Thompson Coburn LLP
> The Hon. Richard Teitelman*
BARRISTER $10,000 – $24,999
> Melvin (Law ’52)* & Sue Bahle
> Anonymous
> Vincent (Law ’67) & Junko Bick
> John (A&S ’60, Law ’62) & Joan Bray
> T. Michael (Law ’74) & Joan Carpenter
> Conatnce M. Cooper Charitable Foundation
> T. Jack (Law ’72) & Victoria Challis
> Daniel (Law ’76) & Susan Conway
> Thomas (Law ’73) & Nancy Connelly
> Dennis Donnelly (A&S ’63, Law ’66) & Rebecca McDermott
> The Hon. Kathianne (Law ’71) & David (Law
> Anita (Law ’78) & Stephen Esslinger
> Estate of Margaret Dagen
> Michael & Nancy Georgen > David (A&S ’65 & Law ’67) & Margaret Hensler > Mark Schulte (A&S ’75, Law ’78) & Mary Holcomb > Eileen Searls (Faculty Emerita) 30
SLU L AW B R IE F
> The Michael Calvin Memorial Golf Tournament Foundation > Darlene Warnick (Law ’97)
MEMBER $1,000 – $2,499 > A .J. Bitker Charitable Foundation > Craig (Law ’86) & Marianne Adoor > Alberici Constructors > John & Natalie Alberici > J ohn (Law ’84, Faculty) & Elizabeth Ammann > Jon (Faculty) & Melissa Baris > T. Ellis Barnes, III (A&S ’70, Law ’73)
ASSOCIATE $2,500 – $4,999
> Mary (A&S ’73) & Steven (Chaifetz ’70, Law ’73) Frank
> John (Faculty Emeritus) & Barbara O’Brien
’78) Crane > Steven (Law ’74) & Barbara Davis
> Ann E. Bauer > J ulie Pecha Beattie (Grad A&S ’86) & Kevin Beattie > J ohn (Law ’70) & Suzanne (A&S ’68) Bernardi > The Hon. Susan E. Block (Law ’75) > S uzanne (Law ’73) & Michael (Grad A&S ’75) Bocchini > Grant Boyd (Law ’14) > K athryn (A&S ’68) & Richard (Law ’72) Brandt
> Virginia (A&S ’54) & Richard (A&S ’53, Law ’55) Fister
> Ann Buckley (A&S ’75, Law ’78)
> Patrick (Law ’85) & Marianne Hagerty
> Judson (Law ’75) & Pilar Calkins
> Joanne (A&S ’59) & Raymond (Law ’59) Hirsch
> John Carver (Law ’75)
> Mark Keaney (A&S ’69, Law ’72)
> Katherine (Law ’87) & David Butler
> Betran (Law ’75)* & Rosemary Cooper > Thomas (Law ’83) & Margaret Deline
> E ugene (Grad PH ’79, Law ’79) & Mary Diamond
> The Hon. Jay (Law ’86) & Laurie Hoffman
> Micheal Diehl & Alice Benga
> Peter Jarosewycz (Law ’76)
> Richard (Law ’60) & Patricia Hughes
> T he Hon. Margaret Donnelly (SW ’75, Grad > SW ’77, Law ’88) & David Riedel, M.D. > > Dowd Bennett LLP > > Frederick (Law ’75) & Mary (NR ’75) > Drakesmith > > Patricia (A&S ’80, Law ’87) & James Duft
Lori (Law ’83) & David Jones Samuel Jordan (Faculty) Kathleen Knepper (Law ’95)
> R oger (Law ’93) & Dianne Pecha > The Hon. Clifford (A&S ’67, Law ’72) & Miriam Proud > Renaissance Charitable Foundation, Inc. > M aureen Riffle, M.D. (Med ’82) & John (Chaifetz ’78, Law ’82) Riffle
Mimi (Law ’79) & Kevin (PH ’78) Leahy
> C atherine (Law ’83) & Gary (Law ’83) (Faculty) Rutledge
Patricia (Faculty) & Darryl Lee
> Robin Rutlin
> Joseph (Law ’52) & Francine Leritz
> Emerson
> Leslie & Jeffrey (Faculty) Lewis
> P eter (Law ’65, Faculty Emeritus) & Barbara Salsich
> M onica Eppinger (Faculty) & David Menninger
> Thomas (Law ’87) & Ann Lewis
> Sandberg, Phoenix & Von Gontard, P.C.
> Lewis Rice LLC
> John (Law ’82) & Natalie Schaefer
> Ernst and Young Foundation
> Yvette Liebesman (Faculty)
> Lars Etzkorn (Law ’90) & Gregory Hoss
> Joseph Longo (Law ’83)
> S tanley Schechter (Law ’61) & Elizabeth Van Uum
> Adam (Law ’66) & Joyce Fischer
> J oyce (Law ’77) & Theodore (Law ’77) MacDonald
> Marion (Law ’74) & Seth Eisen, M.D.
> Fischer, Bauer, Knirps Foundation
> Susan FitzGibbon (Law ’84, Faculty Emertia) > J ames (Law ’73) & Kathleen Malone > Patrick (Chaifetz ’66, Law ’69) & Thiem Flynn > Douglass (Grad PH ’80, Law ’82) & Carol Marshall > Bradley (Faculty) & Bella Fogel > Joseph (Law ’82) & Patricia Martineau > Janice (Grad PH ’79, Law ’79) & William > Maynard & Harris Forsyth > Marie Elaine Shean (AS ’70)* & Thomas (AS > Joseph (Chaifetz ’61, Law ’64) & Nancy ’67) McDonough Giljum > Willis & Kathleen (AH ’69) Gillett > R oger (Faculty Emeritus) & Stephanie Goldman
> W illiam (Law ’62) & Rosalie (AS ’62)* McDowell > Joseph McGlynn (Law ’58) & Helen McGlynn, Ph.D. (LP ’74, Ph.D. ’98)
> C hristopher Schmidt (Law ’02) & Silvia Ledesma-Ortiz (A&S ’14) > Thomas (Law ’75) & Jane Schmidt > T he Hon. Karen Schreier (A&S ’78, Law ’81) & Timothy Dougherty > M ary Anne (Law ’75) & Joseph (A&S ’91) Sedey > Sedey Harper Westhoff PC > Shaw Place Association > Alan Siegel (Law ’75) > Miriam (Law ’80) & Stephen Singer > Jonathan (Law ’09) & Allison Slabaugh > J oseph (Law ’77) & Cynthia (Grad SW ’76) Thornton
> J esse Goldner (Faculty Emeritus) & Judy Cromwell (Law ’74)
> The Hon. Mary Ann Medler (Law ’83)
> T he Hon. Terry (Law ’81) & Mary Ellen Gould
> T he Hon. James (Law ’65) & Conception (AS ’61) Michel
> Greensfelder Hemker & Gale PC
> Kevin Mickelsen & Elena Andresen
> Sidney Watson (Faculty)
> James (Law ’72) & Dudley Grove
> Monaghan Foundation
> Robert (Law ’55) & Rosalee Welling
> M alcolm (Law ’76) & Maura McDonnell Harkins
> Mary (Law ’84) & James Moog
> T he Hon. Michael (Dean and Professor Emeritus) & Patricia Wolff, M.D.
> Celeste (Law ’91) & Bruce Harris
> J ames (AS ’68, Chaifetz ’72) & Christine Mudd
> Mark (Law ’76) & Janet Hassakis
> Shannon (SS ’02, Law ’05) & Devin Morse
> M argot (Law ’01) & Rhonnie (Law ’97) Hemphill
> Joseph (Law ’59) & Nancy Mueller
> John (Law ’70) & Victoria Hennelly
> Dennis (Law ’69) & Sheryl O’Connell
> HeplerBroom LLC
> Kevin (Law ’71) & Joanne O’Keefe
> Hoffman Law Firm, P.C.
> Pecha Family Foundation
* indicates deceased
> Sean Murphy (Law ’08)
> The Hon. Lisa Van Amburg (Law ’75) > Nathaniel (Law ’86) & Stacy (A&S ’92) Walsh
If you would like to learn more about how you can support our efforts in educating the next generation of SLU LAW attorneys, contact:
AMANDA GOLDSMITH Director of Development 314-977-3303 amanda.goldsmith@slu.edu
VO LU M E 1 9 I SS U E 2
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CLASS NOTES Through Aug. 1, 2018
1968
Robert F. Ritter of Gray, Ritter & Graham, P.C. was named 2019 St. Louis Lawyer of the Year in product liability litigation-plaintiffs by Best Lawyers in America. He also was named in the areas of commercial litigation, legal malpractice law-plaintiffs, medical malpractice law-plaintiffs, mass tort litigation/class action-plaintiffs, personal injury litigation-plaintiffs and product liability litigation-plaintiffs.
1971
Henry J. Handzel, Jr. of DeWitt Ross & Stevens S.C. in Madison, Wisconsin, was named to the 2019 Best Lawyers in America list for environmental law.
1975
Hon. Susan E. Block of Paule Camazine & Blumenthal P.C. was an inaugural recipient of Missouri Lawyers Weekly’s ICON Award, which recognizes distinguished attorneys for their exemplary careers and longstanding commitment to the Missouri legal community.
1976
Lawrence “Larry” Altman, retired lead compliance attorney for Kansas City Public Schools, authored a piece about whether schools have an obligation to assist students who suffer from the bystander effect. It was published in Inquiry & Analysis, a membership service of the National School Boards Association Council of School Attorneys. Cary Sandman of Tucson, Arizona, received an award from the National Association of Federal Defenders in recognition of outstanding representation of death-sentenced indigent prisoners.
1979
Robert Brooks Ramsey was the 2018 recipient of the Sean O'Brien Freedom Award from the Midwest Innocence Project, presented to individuals for exemplary advocacy and work on behalf of the innocent. Ramsey is known for his work helping the wrongfully convicted, including Mark Woodworth, Cornell McKay and Brad Jennings. John Rekowski was profiled in the Belleville NewsDemocrat about his career as a Madison County public defender.
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SLU L AW B R IE F
1978
To celebrate their 40-year reunion, and in recognition of the significance of their law school admission and successful completion, the African American members of the SLU LAW Class of 1978 journeyed to Washington, D.C., to tour the African American Museum of History and Culture, in appreciation of its founding and in honor of the courageous and historical figures upon whose shoulders they stand, from enslavement to modern-day activism. After the tour, the participants discussed their own experiences and vowed to maintain efforts in their respective communities for the survival, support and social change within the African American community. Photo and caption submitted by Ruby Bonner (’78).
1980
Timothy F. Casey of Collins Einhorn Farrell PC was named to the 2019 Best Lawyers in America list for insurance law. Michael McKenna celebrated 27 years working at the State of Connecticut Attorney General’s Office. He lives in Wethersfield, Connecticut, with his wife Patricia (A&S ’77) and their two children.
1982
Michael Caton joined Crain Caton & James, a law firm in Houston, Texas, as of counsel in the real estate practice area. Caton has more than 30 years of real estate experience in the shopping center industry, having served as in-house counsel to a national and regional mall shopping center developer and general counsel to national and regional strip shopping center developers. He advises landlord clients on a variety of real estate matters focusing primarily on commercial leasing with national and regional retail tenants, ground leases and office leases.
1983
Susan Denigan, chief legal officer of Nestlé Purina Petcare, was selected to a national list of notable attorneys, the “Business Journals’ Influencers: Law,” which spotlights lawyers who are having an impact on business and legal matters in communities across the country. Denigan oversees all legal matters concerning Purina's pet food products in North America.
Joanne Wagner, a career member of the U.S. Foreign Service, was appointed U.S. Consul General in Karachi, Pakistan. Wagner most recently served in Washington, D.C., with the Board of Examiners in helping to select the next generation of U.S. diplomats, and prior to that, she was the U.S. Assistance Coordinator in Kiev, Ukraine, coordinating U.S. government support activities with the Ukrainian government and other donors. In her spare time, Wagner is an amateur composer whose first piece debuted at the Palais des Beaux Arts (Brussels, Belgium) with a 100-voice choir and full symphony orchestra. Thomas T. Moga was appointed to the Industry Trade Advisory Committee on Intellectual Property Rights of the U.S. Department of Commerce. The Committee provides advice on international trade issues as they relate to intellectual property to the Department of Commerce and to the White House by way of the U.S. Trade Representative.
1985
Patrick J. Hagerty of Gray, Ritter & Graham, P.C. was named to the 2019 Best Lawyers in America list in the areas of personal injury litigation-plaintiffs and railroad law. Hon. David A. Hylla, chief circuit judge of the Third Judicial Circuit for the State of Illinois, was elected
CLASS NOTES and is serving as chair of the State of Illinois Chief Circuit Judges Conference for 2018 and 2019.
1986
Stephen R. Woodley of Gray, Ritter & Graham, P.C. was named to the 2019 Best Lawyers in America list in the areas of personal injury litigation-plaintiffs and medical malpractice law-plaintiffs.
1987
Michael Becker was listed by Small Business Monthly as one of the “20 Best in the Business,” as an attorney advising growing businesses. Becker also was honored by the Missouri Bar Association for Outstanding Pro Bono Activities through his work in the SLU LAW Legal Clinics. Becker recently was certified for Rule 17 Mediation in state and federal court.
1990
Hon. Joseph P. Whyte was appointed circuit court judge for the 22nd Judicial Circuit, which covers the City of St. Louis, by Gov. Greitens.
1991
Simone Haberstock McCartney was elected president of the Missouri chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) for 2018-19. The Missouri chapter of the AFCC is the largest interdisciplinary family law professional organization in the state. McCartney presented on a high-conflict parenting court model at the Annual AFCC International Conference in Washington, D.C. in June 2018.
1993
Joan M. Lockwood, principal at Gray, Ritter & Graham, P.C., was named to the 2019 Best Lawyers in America list in the areas of medical malpractice law-plaintiffs, product liability litigation-plaintiffs and personal injury litigation-plaintiffs. Lockwood also was a 2018 Missouri Lawyers Weekly Women's Justice Awards honoree and received a Litigation Practitioner Award.
1994
Carolyn Buschjost of Williams, Robinson, Rigler & Buschjost P.C. was a 2018 Missouri Lawyers Weekly Women's Justice Awards honoree and received a Litigation Practitioner Award. Karen C. Nelson Warren, associate director of administration for Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, was a 2018 Missouri Lawyers Weekly Women's Justice Awards honoree and received a Public Service Award.
1995
Mike Basil joined NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California, as an advisor in acquisition planning and compliance.
1998
Randy Gori, founding partner of Gori Julian & Associates, P.C., was awarded the 2018 Friend of Labor Award for his community achievements by the Central Labor Council, which represents more than 30,000 members of more than 80 unions, lodges and affiliated organizations throughout Madison
County and southern Illinois. This is the highest award given to a person who is not a member of a labor organization. Scott Gray joined Sandberg Phoenix & Von Gontard P.C. as a shareholder. Gray concentrates his practice on preparing and prosecuting patent applications in the mechanical, electro-mechanical, electrical and communications systems arts. Matthew J. Reh, partner and Litigation Practice Group leader at Armstrong Teasdale LLP, was voted presidentelect for the St. Louis County Bar Association.
1999
Jessica L. Liss, the office managing principal at the St. Louis office of Jackson Lewis, was a 2018 Missouri Lawyers Weekly Women's Justice Awards honoree and received a Litigation Practitioner Award. Michelle Martin Bonner joined Lathrop Gage as the firm’s director of diversity and inclusion. Martin Bonner has more than 10 years of experience in leading a law firm’s diversity efforts and training; she is past chair of the Association of Legal Administrators (ALA) National Diversity Committee and a member of several other diversity organizations. She is also the chair of Missouri’s Foster and Adoption Board and a minister and director at Faith Miracle Temple. Caroline Tinsley joined Tucker Ellis LLP as a partner in the firm’s Medical and Pharmaceutical Liability Group. Tinsley defends leading product manufacturers in mass tort and product liability
SAVE THE DATE: OCTOBER 16-19, 2019 SLU LAW ALUMNI EVENT IN DUBLIN, IRELAND
Please mark your calendars to join Dean William P. Johnson and fellow alumni next October to explore legal and cultural institutions in Dublin, Ireland. Participants will be hosted by the Hon. Mr. Justice John MacMenamin of the Supreme Court of Ireland. The Hon. Kevin F. O’Malley (’73), former U.S. Ambassador to Ireland, also will participate. For more information, contact: AMANDA GOLDSMITH Director of Development T :: (314) 977-3303 E :: amanda.goldsmith@slu.edu
IRA H. TRAKO Assistant Director, Center for International and Comparative Law T :: (314) 977-2791 E :: ira.trako@slu.edu
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CLASS NOTES matters, with particular expertise in medical device and pharmaceutical liability.
2000
Matt Casey, a partner at Casey & Devoti, concluded his two terms (six years) of service on the Richmond Heights City Council. Through his service, he helped approve new retail and residential projects including the Crossing at Richmond Heights and worked toward fiscal responsibility by increasing economies of scale. M. Graham Dobbs of Gray, Ritter & Graham, P.C. was named to the 2019 Best Lawyers in America list for medical malpractice law-plaintiffs. Tanja Engelhardt joined Gori Julian & Associates, P.C. as an attorney in the Edwardsville office, after serving 17 years as a prosecutor in the St. Louis Attorney’s office. Her practice areas are in personal injury and asbestos litigation. Jo Anna Pollock, a shareholder at Simmons Hanly Conroy, was a 2018 Missouri Lawyers Weekly Women's Justice Awards honoree and received a Litigation Practitioner Award.
2001
Leslie N. Collins joined Gori Julian & Associates, P.C. as an attorney. Collins works at the Edwardsville office in the practice area of asbestos litigation. Tara A. Nealey, shareholder and vice chair of the science and technology practice group at Polsinelli, was a 2018 Missouri Lawyers Weekly Women's Justice Awards honoree and received a Pro Bono Award. She focuses her practice on clients with intellectual property questions related to life-science technologies. She is president of the board of Prison Performing Arts, which works with the Missouri Department of Corrections to provide a literary and performing-arts program for incarcerated adults.
2004
Mindi Johnson, shareholder at of Foster Swift Collins & Smith, PC, was selected to the “Women in the Law” Class of 2018 by Michigan Lawyers Weekly. The honorees are considered inspiring leaders and mentors who show commitment to excellence in the practice of law while consistently giving back to their communities. Johnson is the current leader of the firm’s employee benefits practice group and also practices in corporate and health care law in the Grand Rapids office. Hon. Thomas A. McCarthy of TuckerAllen was appointed as associate circuit court judge for the 22nd Judicial Circuit, covering the City of St. Louis, by Gov. Greitens. Meredith Murphy joined SmithAmundsen in St. Louis as a partner. As a member of the firm’s Estate and Business Planning Practice Group, she represents clients in matters related to taxation law and real estate and helps clients develop estate plans, navigate probate court and litigate fiduciary matters.
2006
Joshua S. Davis joined the St. Louis office of Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice LLC as a member. He focuses his practice on insurance litigation, including third party defense, first party litigation and insurance coverage. Donald McBride of Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale P.C. was named to Benchmark Litigation's 2018 40 and Under Hot List, which honors the top young talent in their respective litigation communities in the U.S. and Canada.
2007
2002
Richard “Rich” B. Maltby joined Folds and Walker, LLC, a law firm in Gainesville, Florida, as partner. He represents clients in areas including business law, complex commercial litigation, taxation, real estate and construction, and business succession and wealth planning.
2003
Monique D. Abby, assistant circuit attorney for St. Louis City in the child-support unit and past president of the Mound City Bar Association, was 34
a 2018 Missouri Lawyers Weekly Women's Justice Awards honoree and received a Public Service Award. Abby served in Normandy as a presiding municipal court judge in 2015, then as a provisional municipal judge until 2017. Between 2015 and 2017 she served as a municipal prosecuting attorney in Riverview and Northwoods and as a provisional municipal judge in Pine Lawn.
SLU L AW B R IE F
Bryant M. Godfrey, former senior regulatory counsel in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Centers for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) and Tobacco Products (CTP), and former senior counsel/ special assistant to the deputy commissioner for medical products and tobacco, joined Arnold & Porter LLP as counsel. Godfrey is part of the firm's leading Life Sciences and Healthcare Regulatory practice in the firm's Washington, D.C. office. Amanda Goldsmith, development director at SLU LAW, was appointed secretary of the Illinois State
Bar Association Standing Committee on Legal Education Admission & Competence for 2018-19. Jessica Sleater of Andersen Sleater Sianni LLC was named to the 2018 Super Lawyers — New York Metro list as a top-rated class action and mass torts attorney. She also recently was appointed by a federal court in Florida to the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee (Leadership) for a national class action involving hair products causing consumers’ hair to fall out. David Wilkins was elected as the national secretary of the State Plan OSHA Lawyers Organization (SOLO). Wilkins is an assistant attorney general for the state of Utah and serves as the litigation counsel for the Utah Labor Commission.
2008
Daniel Garner of Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale P.C. was named to Benchmark Litigation's 2018 40 and Under Hot List, which honors the top young talent in their respective litigation communities in the U.S. and Canada. Sara Salger, a partner at Gori Julian & Associates, P.C., was named to the 2018 National Trial Lawyers “Top 40 Under 40” for the fourth consecutive year.
2009
Karen Johnson was promoted to officer at Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale P.C. Johnson counsels clients on the acquisition, protection, maintenance and enforcement of intellectual property rights on both a domestic and international scale. Jason Murray joined Edward Jones as compliance counsel in 2017. Brian Sabin was elected a shareholder of Capes Sokol. In his practice, he navigates clients through high-stakes business divorces, advises employees and businesses with respect to non-compete agreements and represents for-profit and nonprofit organizations. He represents borrowers and lenders and is a frequent author and presenter on legal and policy developments in the short-term property rental industry.
2010
Amy Rebecca Johnson, a partner at Paule, Camazine & Blumenthal P.C. in St. Louis, was a 2018 Missouri Lawyers Weekly Women's Justice Awards honoree and received a Pro Bono Award. Mara J. Lahnar, a partner in the law firm of Mickes O’Toole, LLC, was elected to the Midwest BankCentre WomenConnect Advisory Board. Lahnar leads the firm’s banking and finance group, providing legal and
John P. Torbitzky was named partner at Behr, McCarter & Potter, P.C. He focuses his practice in the areas of commercial, employment, insurance and professional liability litigation.
business counsel to banks, credit unions and other financial institutions.
2011
Miles D. Bardell joined the chambers of the Hon. Colin S. Bruce, U.S. district court judge in the Central District of Illinois-Urbana, as a term law clerk. Bardell practiced for the last six years as a staff attorney at Prairie State Legal Services, serving indigent clients in central Illinois. Hayley B. Collins, a GoransonBain Ausley family law attorney in the Plano office, was named to the Super Lawyers 2018 Texas Rising Stars, her fourth consecutive year being named. She also was recognized in the Up-and-Coming 100: Texas Rising Stars and Up-and-Coming 50: 2018 Women Texas Rising Stars. Collins’ practice encompasses the range of family law, including contested custody and complex property cases.
2012
Jerina D. Phillips, an associate at Lewis Rice, was a 2018 Missouri Lawyers Weekly Women's Justice Awards honoree and received a Litigation Practitioner Award. Michael C. Ross joined the firm Barrett McNagny LLP in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he will concentrate his practice in the area of litigation, including handling insurance defense claims.
IN
2013
Victoria A. Alvarez, who joined Womble Bond Dickinson’s Winston-Salem, North Carolina, office in August, was accepted into the ABA Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section (TIPS) 2018-19 Leadership Academy. The academy seeks to equip participants with the skills to develop a vision to lead the legal profession and improve leadership service in the community.
Rebecca (Anglo) Guntli joined the St. Louis office of Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice LLC, where she focuses her practice on litigation with an emphasis in insurance defense in product liability, premises liability, personal injury claims and coverage cases.
2017
Madison Johnston joined Fox Galvin, LLC. She practices in the areas of employment law, medical malpractice and environmental law. Johnston currently serves on the board of directors for the Missouri Prairie Foundation, a nonprofit prairie conservation organization.
2014
Ashley Vaughan an associate at Brown & Crouppen, was a 2018 Missouri Lawyers Weekly Women's Justice Awards honoree and received a Litigation Practitioner Award.
2015
Alixandra Hallen Cossette joined Stinson Leonard Street LLP as associate. She previously served as minority counsel to the House Democratic Caucus in the Missouri House of Representatives.
MEMORIAM
MR. J. PATRICK WHEELER 1951
MR. MICHAEL D. BATES 1980
MR. WAYNE PATTON 1961
MR. CHRIS G. ECHSNER 1983
MR. JOHN EDWARD BELL 1971
MR. ROBERT C. HARRISON 1988
MR. STEPHEN A. ORTHWEIN 1972
MR. ROGER SYLVESTER LAHR 1988
MR. LEONARD “LENNY” P. CERVANTES 1973
MR. RONALD LABOE 1989
MR. RICHARD JAMES OLSON 1975
MS. SAUNDRA T. MCDAVID 1994
MR. GARY SANGUINET 1978
MS. ELIZABETH “BETTY” GARA 2001
VO LU M E 1 9 I SS U E 2
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K C A B G N I V I G FOCUS ON MARTIN HUTCHINS HAS HAD A LONG JOURNEY TO GET TO WHERE HE IS – A SLU LAW PART-TIME 4L SET TO GRADUATE IN MAY 2019. He describes his decision to pursue law school as two-fold. When Hutchins was nine years old, his mother was murdered. Through that tragedy, Hutchins remembers the kindness of the prosecuting attorney, how she helped him and his older sister understand what was going on and involved them in the conversations and decisions. “Just the fact that she was so kind to me and went above and beyond her duties made me want to pursue being a prosecutor,” he said. “If I can be a liaison and help someone feel comfortable in using their rights to the courts, that’s what I want to do.” On the other end of that, Hutchins says, growing up in north St. Louis County, he has witnessed firsthand the racism and brokenness within the criminal justice system. “With all the sobriety checkpoints, all the tickets they were giving out, I experienced a lot of that,” he said. “So that gave me my push to want to help people get justice, and that gave me my love for the defense in our criminal justice system. Ultimately, I want to have some sort of hand in prosecution and defense. They’re two important sides of a very important coin. “So many people go through our criminal justice system, especially in St. Louis,” Hutchins continued. “I want somebody who can see something of themselves in me, whether it’s a person of color, a young person, a person who lost a parent early, a person who doesn’t come from the most well-off socio-economic status – however a person can see themselves in me as an attorney really is a big goal, because representation is a lot. People do wrong things, they need to be punished, but it’s just good to know that the prosecution is coming from a fair party and someone who has some sort of in-depth opportunity and ability to be empathetic.” Hutchins graduated from the University of Missouri–Kansas City in 2012. He started 36
SLU L AW B R IE F
out on a pre-med chemistry track but quickly realized he wasn’t interested in it. Instead, he discovered in a pre-med course “Arts & Sciences 100” that he enjoyed debating and could see his passion coming through. He switched his major to criminal justice with a pre-law track, but he took a few years off before starting law school. “Although I consider myself to be a pretty intelligent guy, my undergraduate GPA didn’t really reflect that. Had I started law school immediately after, I probably would’ve failed some of the classes; I just wasn’t academically focused,” he said. “All that is to say, SLU has a really great program called the Summer Institute. It gave me the opportunity to go to two classes — and pass — to show that I could handle law school, so here I am. SLU was just the best fit for me and just positioned me to be more able to afford the education.”
doing 40 hours with my internship, so in lieu of additional work I was able to take advantage of the various bar association programs down there and network, and I’ve actually been able to establish a pretty good network in Miami Dade. I just really wanted to work toward positioning myself for as many post-graduation opportunities as possible. “It was such an unexpected blessing,” he continued. “Tears actually come into my eyes [talking about it] because I’m a strong believer in ‘Where there’s a will there’s a way, and everything will eventually just fall into place.’ The Lord just really made a way for me to pursue various goals I went after. I’m not sure exactly who passed my name along, but whoever that person is I really appreciate them because they helped me out tremendously.”
DAGEN AND CALVIN FELLOWSHIP RECIPIENT
Hutchins says his favorite aspect of law school is any opportunity in which he gets practical experience. After his 1L year, he worked in the Civil Courts Building as a judicial assistant, and last year he began working for a solo practitioner, where his work focuses primarily on immigration and personal injury law, with occasional criminal and family law assignments. He also has taken on three semesters in the SLU LAW Legal Clinics. “Last year I was in Professor Ammann’s Civil Litigation Clinic, and this upcoming year I’ll be in Professor McGraugh’s Criminal Defense Clinic,” he said. “I definitely learn better by hands-on experience.” He feels so strongly about the benefits of Clinic that he wishes it were mandatory. “The students here, we can’t help the circumstances that we’re born into, whether that’s coming from a poor family or a well-off family, but Clinic deals with the people who qualify as indigent, so it forces you to gain exposure that
The summer after his 2L year, Hutchins got an internship with the Miami Dade State Attorney’s Office. He received an Irvin and Maggie Dagen Public Interest Fellowship from SLU LAW, which was enough to pay for his room and board and flight to Florida, but he knew he would have to find a part-time job on the evenings and weekends to make ends meet. “After I got off work one day I went to a coffee shop to do a little work and start looking for jobs,” he said. “As soon as I sit down and open my computer I see this email saying, ‘You’ve been selected for the Hon. Michael B. Calvin Memorial Fellowship,’ and I was like ‘This can’t be.’ The first thing I did was to say, ‘I need to find the judge, I need to call him and thank him because I really appreciate this.’ Trying to reach him, I discovered he had passed away. But I just really appreciated that because I no longer needed to work a part-time job — I was already
LAW SCHOOL EXPERIENCE
“And even though I have been around poor people, I’ve stood there with people [through Clinic] who I probably otherwise would have never dealt with. So I just appreciate that exposure. “Clinic helps you round out your perspective and learn how to listen and just understand people, and that’s something law school has really helped me with,” he continued. “Our perspectives are ever-changing, so it’s great to embrace that and welcome opportunities to better your perspective, whatever that bettering looks like.”
FAVORITE LAW PROFESSORS
“Professor Chad Flanders: he has so much energy, he is such a bright guy, such a caring guy. His teaching style really works for me. Every time I go into his office I always leave with some sort of novel. We’ll have a conversation about a slew of topics and he always has a book that correlates with whatever conversation we have, saying, ‘Hey, Mr. Hutchins, take this book.’ I biked a lot during my first year and one day I left my lock – he had an extra lock! ‘Hey, Mr. Hutchins, take this lock.’ I really appreciate Prof. Flanders for that. “ Professor John Ammann: He’s a great man, I’ve seen him interact with so many clients. My favorite part about working with Prof. Ammann is, he actually values the opinions of his students. For example, I had to research a law called the Missouri Incarceration Reimbursement Act, and Prof. Ammann had the understanding that it meant something else [than my understanding]. Long story short, we had a 15-minute conversation, and he said, ‘You know what, Martin, I see your point and I agree with you, so I’m going to call the opposing counsel and we’re going to draft a letter using your mechanism.’ Although the opposing counsel didn’t agree to it, I just appreciate the fact that he actually heard me out, he saw my point of view and he took a shot using my idea. You are part of a team with Prof. Ammann.”
To support students like Martin and help educate the next generation of SLU LAW attorneys, contact:
AMANDA GOLDSMITH Director of Development 314-977-3303 amanda.goldsmith@slu.edu
AFTER LAW SCHOOL?
“I don’t have a plan immediately following,” he said. “As of right now, it’s starting to look like maybe I will be a Missouri lawyer because I’m thinking about working for someone for a few years and then trying to branch off and do my own practice. That could change. “Immediately after, I plan to pass the bar!” he continued. “Pass the bar and find some sort of position in which I’m involved with public interest, whether it’s a flat-out public interest position or an employer who allows me to dedicate some of my time to public interest. I’m definitely all about ‘the little guy,’ in the public interest, so that’s what I plan to dedicate my career to.” SLB
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JAN
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APRIL
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