Saint Louis University School of Law
Fall 2006
willkommen in
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The Lifesaver Serving Her Country A Journey Toward Justice Reunion 2006
S AINT LOUIS
dean’s message
BRIE F
inside Willkommen in Berlin
On the Cover: Remains of the Berlin Wall Photo courtesy of Emily Barbara, 3L, and Kent Bartholomew, 3L Assistant Dean for Communications Kathleen Carroll Parvis
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The ice and snowstorm of early December in St. Louis ushered in winter, and presided over the end of fall classes. As I write this note, our students are taking examinations and our faculty is beginning the laborious task of reading hundreds of examinations and papers. As you will see in the pages that follow, the fall semester provided a rich, textured and diverse menu of extracurricular offerings for our students. Take, for example, Health Law Moot Court. Students from our very own Health Law Moot Court team won this year’s National Health Law Moot Court Competition! This was a fitting victory for a team fielded by the nation’s best Health Law program! This victory is just one of the many that illustrate the ways in which the central activity at the School is the academic work of our 950 students and their 51 full-time and 25 adjunct faculty. This is the heart of the School of Law and it has never been more vibrant. Visiting professors are also included in this list, and fall saw the arrival of Hauwa Ibrahim, our colleague from Nigeria, who
ii Saint Louis Brief Fall 2006
Editor Stefanie Ellis
photo by Kevin Lowder
Graphic Designer E. Brook Haley
taught our students about West African Legal Systems. A remarkable woman, Ms. Ibrahim’s story is profiled on page 12. Scholars and visiting practitioners also aid our students’ understanding of the law. We were pleased to host one of our D.C. alums, Mal Harkins, as this year’s Center for Health Law Studies Practitioner-inResidence. Judge Raymond W. Gruender of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit served as Jurist-in-Residence, visiting classes and meeting with students and faculty, and our students benefited from countless speakers in the legal field, most of whom are listed on page 2. We also had moments, like the one on October 19, where legal issues weren’t the focus. Instead, a sizable crowd gathered in the William H. Kniep Courtroom to share stories about Judge Theodore McMillian, ’49, in a portrait ceremony held in his memory. It was truly a touching occasion. You may notice that this issue has an international theme. The School has a connection to so much — both here and abroad — and we wanted to keep you up to date. We introduce you, on page 8, to
our newly launched Summer Law Program in Berlin, which is already generating quite a bit of buzz. You’ll find profiles of two international alums, Khavan Sok, a researcher in the Office of Co-Investigating Judges, Cambodian Genocide Tribunal, and Don Anton, a professor at the University of Melbourne Law School. Also featured are profiles of Stephen J. Murphy, ’87, and Jacqueline Albus, ’99, who are doing some great things in Michigan and Chicago, respectively. I think you’ll find this issue to be filled with all sorts of interesting stories. As a final note, I send my greetings to all for a wonderful holiday season. We appreciate your support of the School of Law. You make a difference! Sincerely Yours,
Jeffrey E. Lewis Dean and Professor of Law
Contributors Donna Gerson, Jesse Goldner, T.J. Greaney, Michael Korybut, John Steffy Photography Emily Barbara, Kent Bartholomew, Dolan & Associates Photography, Katie Fink, Jay Fram Photography, Kevin Lowder, Nathan Mandell Special Thanks Jacqueline Albus, Dina Althardt, Don Anton, Karen Budde, Danielle Caruso, Roger Goldman, Hauwa Ibrahim, Mary Pat McInnis, Colleen Murphy, Stephen J. Murphy, Mohammed Omer, Henry Ordower, Khavan Sok, Lisa Thompson-Gibson Copyright © 2006 by Saint Louis University School of Law All rights reserved. Saint Louis Brief is published two times a year by Saint Louis University School of Law. The Publications Office is located in Queen’s Daughters Hall, Rm. 320 3700 Lindell Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63108 E-mail address is brief@law.slu.edu
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The Lifesaver
In July, the School will inaugurate its second summer study abroad program. The Summer Law Program in Berlin will teach students about international and comparative law with an emphasis on business and economics.
more features 7 Naturalization Ceremony
You may not know Hauwa Ibrahim, but she’s been busy shaking up her little corner of the world by saving people’s lives. She seems pretty confident that the rest of us can, in our own ways, do the same.
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16 Coming to America
Being in the FBI isn’t a cakewalk, but alumna Jacqueline Albus, ’99, was willing to put in the time. “Serving my country appealed to me,” she admits.
17 Judge McMillian Portrait Ceremony
in every issue 2 Law Briefs
Serving Her Country
Reunion 2006
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Good food, good times...sounds like the recipe for the perfect reunion. Judging by the pictures, it sure looks that way.
20 Faculty View 22 Faculty Profile 23 Alumni Profile 27 Alumni Q&A 28 Class Notes
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A Journey Toward Justice It took a trip across the world to help Khavan Sok, ’06, realize he wanted to return to his home country of Cambodia to help right the wrongs inflicted upon his people during the reign of the Khmer Rouge.
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Law briefs First-Year Orientation Students met professors and attended lectures on case briefing and Legal Research and Writing and were grouped with several of the School’s 120 mentors during the School’s orientation program this August. There was a pre-orientation KickOff Party on August 16, which allowed students to mingle with their future peers, as well as faculty, staff and mentors. Food and drink was served, and the live band, Serapis, provided the evening’s entertainment. Orientation was followed by a Street Fair, where incoming students had opportunities to learn about School of Law organizations and area businesses, by way of the booths set up outside the School’s Vincent C. Immel Atrium entrance.
The 2003 Thompson Coburn Award Ceremony for Faculty Writing was held on November 8, 2006. Professor Eric Claeys was given the award for his articles, “The Limits of Empirical Political Science and the Possibilities of Living-Constitution Theory for a Retrospective on the Rehnquist Court,” “The Living Commerce Clause: Federalism in Progressive Political Theory and Commerce Clause after Lopez and Morrison” and “Takings, Regulations, and Natural Property Rights.” Professor Henry Ordower was awarded for his article, “Towards a Multiple Party Representation Model: Moderating Power Disparity”
photo courtesy of SBA
SBA CARE-aoke Fundraiser The School of Law Student Bar Association’s CARE-aoke Charitable Event was held on Saturday, September 16 at Humphrey’s. Proceeds from the event benefited Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri. Select student organizations performed karaoke acts before a panel of judges, with the winner and first runnerup earning money for the law school student organization of his or her choice. Open mic karaoke for all students followed.
Saint Louis Brief Fall 2006
Recent School of Law Grad Spoke on Practicing Health Law in D.C. Tuesday, September 5 — The Saint Louis University Health Law Association presented, “Practicing Health Law in D.C.” Featured Speakers were Anna Spencer, partner at Sidley Austin, LLP and Trevor Wear, ’05, associate at Sidley Austin, LLP.
Molly J. Walker Wilson Assistant Professor of Law Wesleyan University, B.A.; University of Virginia School of Arts and Sciences, M.A. in Psychology, Ph.D. in Psychology; University of Virginia School of Law, J.D.
School of Law Family Day On Friday, October 13, parents, family, spouses and significant others were invited to Family Day at the School of Law, which featured a panel discussion and a mock law school class led by School of Law Dean Jeffrey E. Lewis.
Childress Memorial Lecture The annual Richard J. Childress Memorial Lecture was held on Friday, October 13. Richard H. Fallon Jr., the Ralph J. Tyler Jr. Professor of Constitutional Law at Harvard University, delivered the keynote lecture, “If Roe Were Overruled: Abortion and the Constitution in a Post-Roe World.” Professor Fallon’s lecture described some of the issues our legal system may face in the areas of constitutional law, federal courts, choice of law and criminal law if Roe is overturned.
School of Law Teams Win National Health Law Moot Court Competition Saint Louis University students posted a comprehensive victory at the 15th annual National Health Law Moot Court Competition. Thirty-one teams from 21 law schools from around the country competed at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, November 10-11. This year’s fictitious case involved the constitutionality of staterequired HIV testing and the imposition of criminal penalties for unsafe sex practices. The students were responsible for writing briefs on the issue and then presenting oral arguments through several rounds of competition. School of Law students Heather McCollum and Brent Sumner were the overall winners, with victories over the University of Minnesota in the semifinal round and Michigan State in the
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Anders Walker Assistant Professor of Law Wesleyan University, B.A.; Duke University, M.A., J.D.; Yale University, Ph.D.
Professors Claeys and Ordower Received Thompson Coburn Award
Judge Raymond W. Gruender (second right) of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit was the School’s Fall 2006 Jurist-in-Residence. Judge Gruender was at the School on Wednesday, October 25 to visit classes and meet with students and faculty.
School of Law
School of Law Welcomes Two New Full-Time Faculty Members
Judge Raymond W. Gruender, U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit, Served as Jurist-in-Residence
General Counsel of St. Louis Rams Spoke at School photo courtesy of Katie Fink
final round. The other SLU team, Katie Fink and Catriona Nally, reached the quarterfinals. The SLU teams swept the best brief awards, McCollum and Sumner taking first place, with Fink and Nally taking second. Dean Jeffrey Lewis praised the students’ victories, saying that “the teams’ skills and work ethic were outstanding” and their victory “a fitting celebration of SLU’s excellent student body and dedicated teachers.”
Bob Wallace, general counsel and executive vice president of the St. Louis Rams, spoke at the School on Wednesday, November 15, sharing advice and his experience in strategies for searching for conventional and non-conventional career paths. This past year, Wallace was named one of the most influential minority business leaders by the St. Louis Business Journal. His leadership within the sports world has translated to the community where he is active in many civic and charitable organizations, including serving as president of the board of Giant
Steps of St. Louis, a school for autistic children. He is also the chairman of the board of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, Inc., whose mission is to improve the social and economic conditions and opportunities for African-Americans and other minority groups in St. Louis City, St. Louis County and St. Clair County, Illinois. Wallace has shared his legal expertise as an instructor in sports law at the School of Law and received a certificate of recognition for law and education projects from the St. Louis Public Schools.
Talk on The Lost Promise of Immigration Wednesday, September 6 — The Federalist Society welcomed Dr. Matt Spalding from the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C., who spoke on “The Lost Promise of Immigration.” Organ Retention In Pediatric Autopsies: Parental Consent or Authorization? Monday, September 11 — The Centers for Health Law Studies and International and Comparative Law hosted Professor Deirdre Madden, University College Cork, who gave the presentation, “Organ Retention In Pediatric Autopsies: Parental Consent or Authorization?” A response was given by James M. DuBois, chair of the Department of Health Care Ethics at Saint Louis University. Alternatives to Practicing at a Large Firm Wednesday, September 13 — Charles Elbert, ’76, of Kohn, Shands, Elbert, Gianoulakis & Giljum, LLP discussed the alternatives to practicing at a large firm. Constitution Day 2006 Tuesday, September 19 — The School of Law observed Constitution Day and hosted a panel discussion featuring a retrospective on the 2005–2006 Supreme Court term. Panelists included Professors Fred Bloom, Isaak Dore, Roger Goldman, Joel Goldstein, Alan Howard, Sue McGraugh, Anders Walker and Doug Williams. Professor Eric Claeys moderated. Roundtable on Clinical Research Wednesday, September 20 — The Health Law Association held a brown bag roundtable on clinical research to help students understand the various aspects of clinical research and the diverse roles available to attorneys interested in the area of clinical research. Speakers included Professor Jesse Goldner, who has vast experience in the area of research ethics and protection of human subjects; Eve Holzemer, an Advanced Nurse Practitioner and research nurse; Yi Zhang, RN, J.D., who is responsible for regulatory compliance and clinical research contract negotiations for a major academic research center; and Sarah Morabito, a current law student who spent seven years working for the pharmaceutical industry in the area of research protocol compliance.
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Former CIA Intelligence Officer Spoke on “The Law and Politics of Warrantless Eavesdropping” Monday, October 2 — The American Constitution Society hosted former CIA Intelligence Officer, Ray McGovern, who discussed the legal and political implications of the Bush Administration’s “warrantless eavesdropping” program. PILG First Monday Monday, October 2 — PILG’s First Monday annually marks the beginning of the U.S. Supreme Court term. In honor of this day, PILG presented a lecture and discussion exploring the issue of immigration on a local level, by hearing from local author and immigration expert, Angie O’Gorman. Sports and Entertainment Law Association Welcomed Local Entertainment Lawyers Tuesday, October 3 — The Sports and Entertainment Law Association hosted Danica Mathes, an associate with Blackwell Sanders Peper Martin, who specializes in Entertainment Law and is an adjunct professor of Entertainment Law at Washington University School of Law, and Jay Kanzler, lawyer and filmmaker. President of Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys Spoke on Litigation Tuesday, October 3 — The American Trial Lawyers Association presented Tom Stewart, president of the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys and head of the School’s Trial Advocacy program, who spoke on his experiences as a litigator as well as provided advice to students interested in pursuing a career in litigation. Guantanamo Roundtable Thursday, October 5 — Over 250 universities and law schools nationwide listened to a simulcast of experts discuss and explain issues surrounding Guantanamo. As part of that broadcast, the School had a panel discussion, “Guantanamo and Physicians,” on the medical treatment of detainees. Following the panel, there was a discussion with School Professors Sloss, Bloom, Kaufman, Goldstein and Greaney. A Q & A session followed. Missouri Stem Cell Initiative: Bad Law, Bad Medicine, and Bad Ethics? Tuesday, October 10 — The Christian Legal Society and St. Thomas More Society hosted the talk, “Missouri Stem Cell Initiative: Bad Law, Bad Medicine, and Bad Ethics?” Speakers included Jim Cole, an attorney who specializes in bankruptcy and commercial litigation and is a volunteer general counselor for Missouri Right to Life and Dick Schamp, a family physician and associate
Saint Louis Brief Fall 2006
Center for Health Law Studies Distinguished Speakers Fall 2006 Talk, “Is the Independent Director Necessary in the Non-Profit Sector?” Kathleen Boozang, associate dean for Academic Affairs at Seton Hall Law School, gave the talk, “Is the Independent Director Necessary in the Non-Profit Sector?” on Tuesday, September 19. She came to academic administration after co-founding Seton Hall Law School’s nationally ranked Health Law & Policy Program and Health Law, Science and Technology Graduate Programs. Dean Boozang practiced for several years, primarily representing a multistate Catholic health care system. In recent years, she has served on several hospital ethics committees and chaired the Bioethics Committee for the Association of the Bar of the City of New York. She currently teaches Health Law, The Law of Death & Dying, Alternative Medicine and Non-Profit Organizations and writes and speaks extensively on non-profit and corporate issues, alternative medicine, medical futility, end-of-life care and sectarian providers. Talk, “Theoretical Foundations of Medical Cost Effectiveness” On Wednesday, October 25, David O. Meltzer, associate professor in the Department of Medicine and associated faculty member in the Harris School and the Department of Economics at the University of Chicago, gave the talk, “Theoretical Foundations of Medical Cost Effectiveness.” Meltzer’s research explores problems in health economics and public policy, with a focus on the theoretical foundations of medical costeffectiveness analysis, as well as the effects of managed care and medical specialization on the cost and quality of care, especially in teaching hospitals. Meltzer is currently completing a randomized trial comparing the use of doctors who specialize in inpatient care (“hospitalists”) with traditional physicians in six academic medical centers.
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Wefel Center for Employment Law Speakers Talk on Recent Developments at the National Labor Relations Board — On Wednesday, September 27, Ralph R. Tremain, regional director of the National Labor Relations Board, discussed recent developments. Issues in Employment Law: Representing the Individual Employee — On Wednesday, October 18, the Wefel Center for Employment Law Speaker Mary Anne Sedey, partner at Sedey & Harper, discussed, “Issues in Employment Law: Representing the Individual Employee.”
Millstone Lecture: Leaving Stones Unthrown: Justice in Nigeria Visiting Professor Hauwa Ibrahim spoke about her experiences at the James C. Millstone Memorial Lecture on Sunday, November 19. Millstone, a long-time reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, covered the civil rights movement and, as an editor, conceived and supervised reporting on subjects such as police brutality and the bicentennial of the United States Constitution. The Millstone lecture series was designed to continue his passion for civil rights and freedom of speech. For more information about Ibrahim, see story on page 12.
Talk, “Just Care: Rationing in a Public Health Crisis” The Center for Health Law Studies’ Distinguished Speaker, James F. Childress, Ph.D., presented, “Just Care: Rationing in a Public Health Crisis” on Friday, November 10. Dr. Childress is the Hollingsworth Professor of Ethics and Professor of Medical Education at the University of Virginia, where he directs the Institute for Practical Ethics. Jay Fram Photography
Saint Louis University Law Journal Ranked Among Top Law Reviews of 2006 Congratulations to the Saint Louis University Law Journal, which was ranked one of the top 100 general student law reviews in the ExpressO Law Review rankings for 2006.
Food for Thought Program The Office of Development and Alumni Relations has started a new program that allows students to discuss legal topics with practicing attorneys. Charles Elbert, ’76, of Kohn, Shands, Elbert, Gianoulakis & Giljum, LLP was at the School on September 13 discussing the alternatives to practicing at a large firm. John Halpern, ’79, of Goldstein and Price, L.C., spoke on October 18 concerning trial and appellate matters involving maritime law. Bill Bolsterm, ’98, of Lewis Rice & Fingersh, L.C. spoke on November 15 about Real Estate Law.
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professor for Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Department of Community and Family Medicine, and Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Geriatrics. International Law Students’ Association Hosted Talk on International Trade Practice Wednesday, October 11 — The International Law Students’ Association was pleased to host John Sperino, senior counsel with Emerson Electric, who gave a talk on International Trade Practice. Federalist Society Hosted Talk, “The Legacy of Buckley v. Valeo: The Court’s Incoherent Campaign” Monday, October 16 — Professor Allison Hayward, former chief of staff to the chairman of the Federal Election Commission, gave the presentation, “The Legacy of Buckley v. Valeo: The Court’s Incoherent Campaign Finance Decisions.” Professor Alan Howard gave a response following the lecture. School of Law Professor Spoke on Global Warming Case Tuesday, October 17 — Professor Douglas Williams spoke to the Environmental Law Society about the global warming case on this year’s U.S. Supreme Court docket, Massachusetts v. Environmental Protection Agency, in which a coalition of environmental activists, states, cities and other groups are arguing that the EPA should regulate greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. Attorney to Discuss Tobacco Initiative Wednesday, October 18 — The Health Law Association welcomed Scott Sifton, Esq., who discussed the Tobacco Initiative on the November ballot. Local Attorney Discussed Trial and Appellate Matters Involving Maritime Law Wednesday, October 18 — John Halpern, ’79, of Goldstein and Price, L.C., discussed trial and appellate matters involving maritime law. Professor David Sloss Spoke on International Human Rights Topics Wednesday, October 25 — The School’s Professor David Sloss, former Foreign Affairs Analyst with the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, spoke on International Human Rights topics of interest, such as U.S. Foreign Policy and Proliferations of Weapons of Mass Destruction. Talk On Institutional Review Board Tuesday, October 31 — The Federalist Society hosted Richard Epstein, who gave the talk, “Over the Top: Your Institutional Review Board Today.”
Fall 2006 Saint Louis Brief
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Client Counseling Competition Winners
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Congratulations to this year’s Client Counseling Competition winners. This year’s competition was held on October 14 and 21 and there was a tie between two teams: Team 1 — Kristopher McKay, 2L and Gwen Delarm, 2L and Team 2 — Henry Vogelman, 3L and Melanie Ohmes, 2L.
Mal Harkins Served as Center for Health Law Studies’ Practitioner-in-Residence Week of November 6 — Mal Harkins, ’76, of Proskauer Rose LLP, was this year’s Practitionerin-Residence. Mr. Harkins represents numerous institutional health care providers, including hospitals, nursing homes and pharmacies, as well as several state and national associations of health care providers. American Constitution Society Welcomed Senator-Elect Jeff Smith Wednesday, November 8 — The American Constitution Society hosted Senator-Elect Jeff Smith, who recently won his race for the Missouri State Senate. He discussed the relationship between policy makers and the practice of law. Environmental Lawyers Speaker Panel Tuesday, November 14 — The Environmental Law Society and the Career Services Office co-sponsored a speaker panel composed of legal professionals in various sectors of environmental law. Speakers included: Bruce Morrison, general counsel at Great River Environmental Law Center, a non-profit environmental law firm based in St. Louis; Uyless Dewberry, an associate attorney in the Environmental & Regulatory Practice Group in the St. Louis office of Husch & Eppenberger, LLC; Cathleen Bumb, assistant general counsel - Environmental for Solutia Inc.; and School of Law Professor Douglas Williams, who teaches Environmental Law, International Environmental Law, Natural Resources, Land Use Control and seminars on environmental law topics. The Family & Medical Leave Act of 1993: Making the Law Work For You Wednesday, November 15 — Wefel Center for Employment Law speaker Kristen L. Maly of McCarthy, Leonard, Kaemmerer, Owen, McGovern & Striler, discussed, “The Family & Medical Leave Act of 1993: Making the Law Work For You.” Real Estate Law Discussion Wednesday, November 15 — Bill Bolsterm, ’98, of Lewis Rice & Fingersh, L.C., discussed Real Estate Law. Federalist Society Hosted Judge Duane Benton Wednesday, November 16 — The Federalist Society hosted 8th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Duane Benton.
Saint Louis Brief Fall 2006
Professor Tuchler Retires Professor Dennis J. Tuchler, who has been with the School of Law since 1965, retired in August of 2006. During his academic career, he taught courses in commercial transactions, administrative law, federal courts, municipal corporations, remedies, civil procedure, legislation and conflict of laws.
Professor Watson, Legal Clinics Key in Court’s Reconsideration of Medicaid Violation
SLU Law Student Wins National Writing Competition Monica Devens, 3L, recently won the 13th Annual Feminist Jurisprudence Writing Competition. She will be recognized in a ceremony at Washington College of Law at American University. Congratulations Monica!
Trivia Night 2006
School of Law Hosts
Congratulations to Professor Sidney Watson for her work on a case involving medical equipment for Medicaid recipients. The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Watson’s clients that the state violated federal law by eliminating coverage for things like wheelchair batteries and feeding tubes for the poor. Watson did much of the legal work on the case, and the legal team included Watson, the School’s Legal Clinics, Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, the AARP and several other national organizations.
Center for International and Comparative Law: Talk on Sharia Law and the Rights of Women Professor Hauwa Ibrahim, a visiting professor at the School of Law, gave the talk, “Sharia Law and the Rights of Women,” on Wednesday, September 27.
Naturalization Ceremony
The School of Law welcomed 75 new American citizens on Friday, October 6, when it hosted a naturalization ceremony in the Anheuser-Busch auditorium in the School of Business’ John and Lucy Cook Hall. Members of the School of Law’s Public Interest Law Group served as hosts and ushers for the new citizens. photos by Dolan & Associates Photography
The School of Law Trivia Night, sponsored by the School of Law and the Student Bar Association, was held on Friday, October 13. Forty-five tables with teams of eight competed for a variety of prizes.
United States District Court Judge for the Eastern District of Missouri, Henry E. Autrey, ’77, along with officials from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, conducted the ceremony. Dean Jeffrey E. Lewis gave the keynote address, and a group of musically inclined law students sang the national anthem.
photos by Dolan & Associates Photography
Fall 2006 Saint Louis Brief
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The Center for International and Comparative Law is pleased to announce the addition of the Summer Law Program in Berlin. Students will be able to experience, firsthand, the German legal system by direct exposure to international and comparative law courses, site visits to legal institutions and interaction with professors and legal scholars. Saint Louis Brief sat down with Professor Henry Ordower, co-director of the Center for International and Comparative Law and director of the Summer Law Program in Berlin, who provided an overview of the Program, set to debut in July of 2007. >>
Saint Louis Brief Fall 2006
Fall 2006 Saint Louis Brief
willkommen in
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The Study Abroad Program in Madrid is now in its 7th year. How long have you been thinking about creating an additional summer program like the one in Berlin? Many possibilities have been discussed throughout the years, including the creation of a summer program in Cork, Ireland, since we have an existing relationship with University College Cork. The more we began to explore the idea, the less we thought Cork the right choice for us right now. Maybe Cork will be our next location. For us, the relatively small number of summer programs in Germany was attractive. I knew that if we were ever going to do a program in Germany, the city would have to be Berlin. It’s truly a vibrant metropolis that blends the structural characteristics of Berlin’s 45 years of repressive, communist rule in its east with the thoroughly free market west. Though modernizing and repairing deteriorated infrastructure proved a costly challenge to unified Germany, it resulted in a livable, safe city with outstanding public transportation. Berlin has become not only the revitalized capital of Germany, but also the center of German arts. English is widely spoken — an added benefit. You could say the idea really took form about a year and a half ago and came to fruition in the spring of 2006. The School of Law has a longstanding relationship with Ruhr University in Bochum, Germany, and we asked our Ruhr colleagues if they’d like to take part in this program with us. They thought it was a great idea. It surprised me that the professors from Ruhr University were able to come to Berlin to teach. What a great opportunity this has been for us to build on an existing relationship. How is the Program set up? The Summer Law Program in Berlin offers five weeks of coursework, and students may earn up to six credit hours in course offerings that are international and comparative in nature with a strong emphasis on business and economic law. Why the focus on international and comparative business law? We already have a program that is more general in Madrid. Our principal contact at Ruhr is Professor Dr. Roman Seer, who is the chair in taxation and a former visiting professor at the School of Law. My specialty areas include U.S. Taxation, Investment and Business Law and International Transactions and we now have concentration
programs in Business Transactional Law and Tax, so I thought it would make sense to place emphasis on this aspect of legal study. The ABA requires that any study abroad program be international and comparative in nature, and with an emphasis on business, students benefit from a more specific focus. Who are some of the faculty chosen to teach courses in Berlin? Why were they selected? Ruhr University Professor Dr. Andrea Lohse and Professor Dr. Adelheid Puttler will offer European Economic Law, and Ruhr University Professor Dr. Rolf Wank, who was a visiting professor at the School of Law in the fall of 2005, will teach Comparative Employment Law in the European Union and the United States. Saint Louis University School of Law Professors Jesse Goldner and Alan Weinberger will offer Comparative Health Law and Comparative Property Law, respectively. Classroom instruction is in English and the Program includes site visits to various legal institutions based in Berlin. Our German professors were chosen for their interest in teaching American students, their willingness to teach in English and the areas of law in which they specialize. What is the benefit of studying in a city like Berlin as opposed to other international locations? Berlin is an exciting world city in transition. It’s a city that keeps remaking its personality. It offers superb cultural benefits and wonderful museums. What is known as “Museum Island” is within walking distance of the Guesthouse, where the Program is held, and students have access to four major specialized museums, all of which have just been renovated. The Guesthouse is located in the majestic, historical heart of Berlin. We’ve chosen our location for this reason, as well as its proximity to restaurants, nightclubs, shops and galleries. Can students attend the Berlin and Madrid Programs during the same summer? We arranged the dates of both programs with the idea that students could choose which program they wanted to attend — we don’t encourage dual enrollment. The varying dates allow for flexibility in students’ schedules. If they aren’t able to attend the Madrid Program in May due to scheduling conflicts, for example, the Berlin Program is offered in July, which may serve as a better option.
additional study abroad opportunities There are several programs of study, in four other countries, available to students throughout the year. They include: Madrid Program The Summer Law Program in Madrid is held on Saint Louis University’s Madrid campus, located in the northwest area of Madrid. Students spend five weeks earning up to six credit hours of comparative law with foreign and American professors who have extensive experience in the fields of foreign and American criminal law, civil law, health care law and global human rights. Classroom instruction is in English and the program includes site visits to various Spanish courts.
The Brussels seminar Offered through the University of Georgia, The Brussels Seminar provides students with intensive exposure to the law and institutions of the European Community (EC) within the European Union (EU) through lectures and briefings at the European Parliament and the meeting of EU officials, professors from universities of EU countries and members of the practicing Bar.
Study in Orléans, France Students at the School of Law have the opportunity to study law for one semester with the Faculte de Droit d’Economie et de Gestion at Orléans in France. Classes are taught entirely in French; therefore, students wishing to study there must speak, read and write French fluently. Recent graduates of the School
may also have the chance to study in Orléans. Those who complete a prescribed program of thirty credit hours at the Université d’Orléans may become eligible to sit for the French bar examination upon completion of an apprenticeship in France. This is an unusual and highly rewarding opportunity to become qualified to practice law in a second country.
Study in Paris, France The School of Law has a cooperative agreement with the Université de Paris-Dauphine, which makes it possible for students to study for one semester in France. Like the Université d’Orléans, this program is open only to students and recent graduates of the School. The Université de Paris-Dauphine specializes exclusively in the areas of business and commercial law. Classes are taught entirely in French. Recent graduates of the School may also have the opportunity to study at Paris-Dauphine. After receiving the J.D. degree, graduates will be entitled to apply again during the following year to complete the Master’s degree, which makes one eligible to sit for the French Bar examination upon completion of an apprenticeship in France.
Study in Bochum, Germany In cooperation with the School of Law, the Ruhr University in Bochum, Germany, offers research fellowships to School of Law students and new law faculty. Each fellowship covers a period of up to three months at the Ruhr University. To take advantage of the fellowship, prospective fellows must have sufficient command of the German language.
Study in Cork, Ireland School of Law students may arrange to study for one semester at University College Cork in Ireland through a cooperative agreement between the School of Law and the Faculty of Law of University College Cork. Founded in 1845, Cork’s Faculty of Law includes full-time faculty members who have expertise in the traditional substantive subjects in Irish and European Union law, as well as several specialty areas including health law. Lisa Thompson-Gibson, assistant director of the Center for International and Comparative Law, contributed to this story.
photos courtesy of Emily Barbara, Kent Bartholomew and Ruhr University
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Hauwa Ibrahim
believes one person can make a difference. Here’s why you should believe her.
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lifesaver You’ve never met Amina Lawal. She isn’t your neighbor and you didn’t pass her in the grocery store. A poor woman from the state of Katsina in northern Nigeria, she isn’t anyone you’d have any reason to know. Yet because of one woman, the world became wrapped up in Amina Lawal’s life, watching her fate unfold like a foreign soap opera. Because of one woman, this otherwise faceless individual became an instant poster child for injustice, bringing to light the suffering of countless others just like her. Because of one woman, Amina Lawal did not die. by S tefanie Ellis
She could have, though. She was, after all, sentenced to be buried up to her neck and stoned to death for having a child out of wedlock. Because she lives in a part of Nigeria where Islamic Sharia law was adopted for criminal cases in 2000, that’s what the Sharia Penal Code of her state, Katsina, says should happen. One woman, however, had other ideas. That woman is Hauwa Ibrahim, a human rights attorney from Nigeria, and she had plans to try and save Lawal’s life by finding provisions in the law that would overturn the existing sentence. The plan was easier said than done, though. Ibrahim would not only have to stretch the scope of her research to determine what those provisions might be, but she would also have to stretch the minds of those in charge of upholding the laws by finding acceptance as a woman attorney in a Muslim court. Many people might cave under such pressure, but Ibrahim approached the
photo by Jay Fram
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challenges before her with an uncanny resolve. She isn’t easily intimidated, though when you first meet her, it’s difficult to imagine she could have within her the strength to stand up to thousands of years of tradition. Perhaps it’s her unassuming demeanor, her soft-spoken voice or the fact that she never volunteers an opinion unless asked. Nothing about her screams “listen to me.” If anything, she is more interested in helping others find their voice. She has found some success in that endeavor, devoting most of her professional career to bettering the lives of those who, like Lawal, have been sentenced to unimaginable forms of punishment (and often death) under Sharia law. Ibrahim has served as defense counsel in over 90 pro bono Sharia-related cases since 2000. Lawal’s case is, perhaps, her most famous, as it was the severity of the punishment that caught the attention of human rights organizations across the world.
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My people fear they’ll lose their values and culture like many people have in western society. I’m showing them you can have a western education and still be a part of your culture.
Soon, everyone from Texas to Tunisia learned about the woman lawyer from Nigeria who wanted to save the lives of people who had no voice. Opposition for Lawal’s sentencing was so strong, that several campaigns were launched in an effort to convince the Nigerian courts to overturn their ruling. Even the Miss World beauty contest, which was to have been held in Nigeria in 2002, was cancelled as a form of protest. Despite having been interviewed hundreds of times in national media, Ibrahim has never kept a single clip. She doesn’t hang her hat on past successes. She concerns herself, instead, with today rather than yesterday. Still, yesterday, for Ibrahim, is both far away and uncomfortably close. Her upbringing in Hinnah, a village in the northern Nigerian state of Gombe, and ultimate rebellion from her prescribed way of life, follows her everywhere she goes. The memory of her father kicking her out at the age of 13, when she refused to marry in exchange for a 50-pound bag of salt, is, at times, as vivid as if it had just happened. So too is the day she realized, with aching certainty, that she didn’t want to sell vegetables for the rest of her life. Instead, she wanted an education — an elusive concept for someone who was never even given a glimpse into what a better life might look like. When her father kicked her out, Ibrahim was sent to live with an uncle who allowed her to attend elementary school and later, a teachers college. Perhaps most vivid in her chronological memory, however, is the day she went to live with her sister in a town that had electricity — and a television. One evening, while watching television, she saw a woman (the state’s information commissioner) who mentioned an interest in helping girls from Nigeria receive an education. Armed early on with the knowledge that nothing worth having would be easy, Ibrahim would end up visiting the commissioner’s office more than 30 times. She was never allowed inside. One day, though, after declaring her a “nuisance,” the security guard granted her access if she promised never to return. Once inside, Ibrahim’s doggedness eventually convinced the commissioner to send her, with a business card, bus money and no promises, to the registrar at the University of Jos. Though her grades in English were poor, she was relentless in her ability to persuade university officials, just as she persuaded
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the commissioner, to give her a chance. She was accepted into a remedial program, then the university, then law school. The credentials just kept coming after that. So too have the accolades. Already she’s become the first non-American woman lawyer to receive the Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award from the American Bar Association’s Commission on Women in the Profession, the Eleanor Roosevelt Global Women’s Rights Award from the Feminist Majority Foundation, the Italian Government Human Rights Award and the European Parliament’s Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. Still, a little persistence with information commissioners and university officials proved no match for those responsible for upholding northern Nigeria’s strict Sharia penal code. Despite post-law school jobs as a police detective, a prosecutor at the Ministry of Justice and, later, as a solo practitioner serving the poor, Ibrahim was still miles away from being accepted for her work — particularly in Sharia court, where women are not recognized as equals. When she began work on her first case in 2000, she wasn’t allowed to speak in court, so her defense was based on notes she passed back and forth to a man who read her words aloud. After several weeks of frustration, Ibrahim did something unheard of — she decided to speak. The judge was dumbfounded, yet allowed her a moment to make her point. Not wanting to push the envelope, Ibrahim said something innocuous and then sat back down, happy enough to know she was the first woman lawyer ever to be recognized in a Nigerian court under Sharia rule. With time, and unprecedented acceptance addressing the court, she was able to defend Lawal herself, arguing that some of the charges against her were not fully proven under the Sharia Penal Code. She made a case for the fact that Lawal had not understood the charges since they were not given in her dialect, had not been caught in the act of adultery and was not represented by an attorney during her trial. On September 25, 2003, the highest Sharia court in the state of Katsina discharged and acquitted Lawal, and she was a free woman.
photo by Jay Fram
Victories like this are what Hauwa Ibrahim lives for, but even after all the lives she’s saved, her own must surely be shadowed by a tiny black cloud. No one in her family has ever acknowledged her efforts. “I know I’m operating in an environment that doesn’t accept what I’m doing,” says Ibrahim. “I’m quite used to it. My family thinks what I’m doing is wrong. I rebelled to go to school, to get something done in my community. I rebelled and married a white man, an act that has never been mentioned in my community (it’s taboo because of the color of his skin). I have done everything on the negative of what I was brought up to do. If they don’t accept me, I perfectly understand.” Despite her lack of acceptance, she refuses to turn her back on her culture. “I don’t spite my people,” she says. “When I go back, I behave like a typical villager. I drink the water, eat the food and dress like my people. I want them to know I came from this place and have not changed. I want to send a message to the girls there that they can become something. My people fear they’ll lose their values and culture like many people have in western society. I’m showing them you can have a western education and still be a part of your culture.” Ibrahim’s message has not fallen on deaf ears. “When I was growing up, when a woman gave birth, the men would say, ‘Your wife has put to bed. Does she have a prostitute or a soldier?’ A soldier is a symbol of strength and that’s how people classified a male child. Now you don’t hear that, which I think is a huge change. I’ve
even known a few people who have named their daughters after me. Some have even been insulted by the fact that they have boys. ‘Look at Hauwa,’ they say, ‘I wish I had a girl like her.’ These are all slight, but powerful changes. I hope that will help more of my people come to accept that women are not bad as they were once thought to be.” If just one thing can be learned from Ibrahim’s tortuous path through life, it’s that anything is possible with hard work and a lot of faith. And while everything we know about the world seems contrary to her belief that all of us are armed with the power to make the world a better place, when you hear the words escape her mouth, the idea seems perfectly possible. “We, as individuals in any country, really do have what it takes to change the world for the better,” she asserts. “I believe I’m one of the billions of people across the globe that can play my part. One part I’ve played is to speak out. I act. I do. I don’t live for past glory. I always ask myself, ‘What can I do today that is different?’ All of us play different roles in our little corners of the world by either making the world a good place or a bad place.” You don’t need ten or two or three people to make that difference, Ibrahim says. All you need is just one person to change their perspective. “If you just smile at a person, even if he doesn’t smile at you, you can be responsible for giving someone a good beginning to their day,” she notes. “We need to know the power we have and we need to use it. We all have it. When we keep on doing that, the world will get better.”
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coming to
Ju dge T heo dore M. M cMillian
Portrait Ceremony
America by T. J . G reaney
For one wiry, quick-to-smile Saint Louis University School of Law LL.M. student, a trip across the ocean has spanned much more than just the miles in between. Mohammed Saleh Omer of Eritrea, a small country on Africa’s eastern horn, arrived in August eager to earn a degree that will help him practice law in his homeland. “It’s a big opportunity for me as well as for my family,” he admits. “I hope I can serve as a role model for my younger brothers and sisters. I want to show them that if they work hard, they can have similar opportunities.” Mohammed is the second of eleven children. For most of his life he and his family have shared dreams — and everything else — in a four-room apartment in Asmara, Eritrea’s capital city. His home is a good place to go for plentiful smiles and enough food on the table to feed the thirteen in his immediate family, in addition to any aunts, uncles or neighbors who happen to stop by at meal time. The only item in short supply is space. Mohammed has grown up sharing everything he owns — including the bed he and an older brother have always partitioned. As a child, Mohammed was forced to be aware of politics. Male relatives and family friends would disappear for years at a time to toil as guerrilla fighters in Eritrea’s struggle for independence. In 1993, after years of combat in the mountains and hundreds of thousands dead, Eritrea gained its independence from Ethiopia. Today, the country is still Africa’s youngest.
“Other firsts have included brownies, baseball and a 70 mph drive on a four-lane highway.” 16 Saint Louis Brief Fall 2006
Hope was on the rise then as Mohammed and those of his generation went to school. Even after a bloody three-year resumption of war with Ethiopia shattered some dreams, things were looking up. Mohammed entered law school at Asmara University in 1999, one of the few lucky enough to bypass extended military conscription for education. There were thirty prospective lawyers in his class and Mohammed, once again, found himself dividing things. He partitioned books because there were so few to go around, and he split time between his studies and work as a translator for his father, Saleh, who runs a business translating legal documents into English, Arabic and Eritrea’s dominant language, Tigrinya. Mohammed is fluent in all three languages. After graduating near the top of his class, Mohammed was chosen to work as an attorney for the Office of the Legal Advisor to the Office of the President. He worked with a legal team made up of Eritrean and American attorneys whose job it was to compile information for a case to be heard at the permanent court of arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands. The case aimed to settle disputes over liability, war crimes and redraw the disputed border between Eritrea and Ethiopia. It is still ongoing. Mohammed led trips into the field to locate and interview witnesses for his legal colleagues. He also did extensive work translating war-era documents into English, the lingua franca of the International Court. The work was a good distraction. Over the last five years Eritrea has regressed seriously in its avowed journey to democracy. It now ranks second to last among nations for freedom of the press, its constitution has never been implemented, dissenters are jailed without due process and elections are virtually non-existent. Mohammed applied to the School of Law in December of 2005 after he learned that my father, Tim Greaney, is a professor here. At that time, I was working as a legal aid for the Eritrean Legal Advisor’s office.
For Mohammed, applying to law school was a long process. After overcoming some significant hurdles from Homeland Security, he arrived this August — two days after classes began. Since coming to the United States, Mohammed has experienced some memorable “firsts,” such as his first time riding an escalator in Atlanta’s Hartsfield Airport. Unfortunately he rode it a bit too far, going outdoors only to return back through security just in time to catch his flight to St. Louis. Other firsts have included brownies, baseball and a 70 mph drive on a four-lane highway. Through it all, Mohammed keeps dipping into an endless reservoir of composure. He is also starting to believe his presence is something of a good luck charm. Since he has arrived, the Cardinals won the World Series, Metro Link expanded to Clayton, where he hops on every morning for school, and an unseasonably warm start to the winter season allowed the young man from a scorched land a bit of reprieve from Jack Frost. Surprisingly, the idea of snow wasn’t nearly as shocking to Mohammed as was the idea of interaction between professors and students at the School of Law. “At Asmara University there is not only a line between professors and students, there is also a river and maybe some mountains,” he says. For this reason, he was surprised to be casually invited for lunch and taken along on field trips to Illinois Amish country and Busch Stadium by professors. He was also stunned that so much class time here is devoted to student participation. Eritrean culture generally discourages teachers from calling on students at university. “It’s nice,” he says with a signature smile. “Here you learn a lot from each other and you learn to speak in front of others. It’s an important skill to have.”
photos by Kevin Lowder
On Thursday, October 19, family, friends, colleagues and former law clerks gathered in the William H. Kniep Courtroom to share stories and view, for the first time, a portrait of the late Judge Theodore McMillian. Speakers included the Honorable Pasco M. Bowman of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, Christopher J. Petrini, Petrini & Associates, the Honorable Jimmie E. Edwards, ’81, of the 22nd Judicial Circuit, City of St. Louis, Harry B. Wilson Jr., ’74, of Husch & Eppenberger and the Honorable Joseph J. Simeone, Professor Emeritus, Saint Louis University School of Law. The portrait will grace the walls of the law library reading room.
Fall 2006 Saint Louis Brief 17
Jacqueline Albus is a special agent with the FBI, where she started working last year. Student Lawyer ’s Donna Gerson learned how she got a job with the agency and how she uses her law degree to investigate public corruption Jacqueline Albus, ’99 photo by Nathan Mandell
“Serving Her Country” by Donna Gerson, published in Student Lawyer, Volume 35, No. 2, October 2006. © 2006 by the American Bar Association. Reproduced with permission. All rights reserved. This information or any portion thereof may not be copied or disseminated in any form or by any means or stored in an electronic database or retrieval system without the express written consent of the American Bar Association.
You need to be flexible and a bit adventurous? Right, and that is articulated to you from the first day. Tell me about your training at Quantico. It was 17 weeks long. The curriculum is 50 percent academic and 50 percent practical. The practical component includes physical fitness, defensive tactics, and firearms training. [All special agents get firearms training and carry guns as part of the job.] A large amount of the academic training is legal training, with a focus on criminal law, criminal procedure, and constitutional law. How would you describe your overall training experience? It was great. Every recruit has a different background—whether it’s legal, law enforcement, or military—and brings a different set of skills to the table. Everybody is learning something new. For instance, I had never held a weapon or done defensive tactics training before. It’s challenging because you’re learning new things at a fairly rapid pace. Most of us are perfectionists, but the training is difficult. I learned a lot from my classmates as well as my instructors.
Jacqueline Albus Resumé Highlights Education Saint Louis University School of Law, J.D. (1999) Saint Louis University, B.A. in accounting (1996) Work experience Federal Bureau of Investigation, special agent, Chicago Division, White Collar Crime Program, Public Corruption Squad (2005–present) Husch & Eppenberger, LLC, St. Louis (1999–2004)
Jacqueline, you graduated from college with an accounting degree and passed the CPA exam. After law school you worked for five years as an associate with a large firm in St. Louis. What spurred you to become an FBI special agent? I came to realize that my practice area— estate and gift tax—is a very complicated one. I had not come close to learning all there is to know about the practice, but I felt I had learned as much as I wanted to know about it at the time. I wanted to do something more meaningful. Serving my country appealed to me. And as a physically active person, I wanted to do something that combined both physical and intellectual challenges. Was your family supportive of your decision to become an FBI agent? Absolutely. I think they are more proud of this than anything else I’ve accomplished.
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Tell me about the FBI application process. How did you begin? I applied online [at www.fbi.gov]. How long did the process take from start to finish? It was about a year from the day I sent in the online application until I arrived for training at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Va. Can you describe the application process step by step? After I applied online, I received a letter inviting me to take the first test, which is called Phase I. Phase I is a standardized multiple-choice test that measures cognitive reasoning. I took Phase I in St. Louis, which is where I’m from. After I passed that, I had a screening interview and moved on to Phase II, which involved a writing test and an interview with a board of three agents. After passing both phases, I received a conditional offer of employment.
What happened next? I had to take a polygraph test, submit to a background check, and pass a physical fitness test, which included push-ups, sit-ups, a mile-and-a-half run, and a 300-meter sprint. Did you have to relocate when you accepted your job with the FBI? Yes. I was processed through my hometown St. Louis office, and my first assignment is in Chicago. New agents cannot immediately work in the city from which they were recruited, but they can request their hometown for future assignments. So once you become an FBI agent, you really don’t have much say regarding where you’ll be posted? Technically that’s true, but they do allow trainees at Quantico to rank all the field offices in order of preference. There are 56 offices to choose from. Most people get the region they want, but assignments are ultimately up to the bureau’s needs.
Professional affiliations American Bar Association CPA certificate, Missouri State Board of Accountancy (1996)
What were your classmates at Quantico like? Probably more than half of them were married, and many had young children. Everybody talks about how the bureau is one big family. I have some friends who are agents who have parents who are agents, and that’s something that everybody feels. I think that agents who have spouses and children would agree that the bureau is conducive to family life. You won the Director’s Leadership Award. What was that for? That was when I was at Quantico. Each class votes for a member who best demonstrates
leadership skills and the qualities that make a good agent. It was incredibly flattering to receive that award from my classmates. I think it was only the second time that a female received the Director’s Leadership Award.
Is lateral movement possible between divisions? Yes. Each division has a preference list. You can put your name on a list to get transferred back home, for example. There are also transfers for agents with backgrounds in specialty areas.
You’re currently assigned to the White Collar Crime Program Public Corruption Squad in Chicago. What types of cases do you work on? We handle investigations of bribery, fraud, money laundering, extortion, and law enforcement corruption.
Do you find yourself using your accounting background as an FBI special agent? Yes, quite a bit. With public corruption investigations, you are dealing with people who are paying bribes, receiving bribes, and getting kickbacks. We get subpoenas to look at financial documents to try and figure out where these people are putting the money that you know they’re getting.
How much desk work versus field work do you do? We do a lot of paperwork, and I enjoy that because I like to write. That’s part of the reason I enjoyed law school so much. It’s hard to assign a percentage to how much time I spend doing interviews or how much time I spend out on arrests, performing searches, or doing covert operations. It comes and goes in waves depending on what stage of a case I’m in. It sounds like you have lots of variety in your dayto-day work. Absolutely. In private practice, I sat at my desk and talked on the phone all day. As a special agent, I’m using my educational background and legal skills to do things I never could have done in practice. It’s definitely something that challenges you and forces you to be creative. What’s the work environment like? There’s definitely a team approach. You can always ask the agents on your squad for help or bounce ideas off them. Do you work with assistant U.S. attorneys? Yes, I deal with them daily. So much of what we do has legal implications. Each case is assigned to at least one assistant U.S. attorney. Special agents keep in touch with them to make sure all the legal issues are ironed out. Do you find your legal education is vital to your work as a special agent? Absolutely. A great deal of the job involves working with the U.S. attorney’s office and understanding law. How many open cases do you handle at once? Personally, I now have five open cases. I think the agents on my squad typically carry five to eight cases. Because our cases tend to be very complex and very long term, we usually have only a small number of cases compared with the other squads. Have you handled any terrorism cases? No, I haven’t. At this time, the FBI’s counter-terrorism division is separate from its criminal division.
What tips do you have for law students who are considering careers in the FBI? I think it’s important to gain good experience after law school, whether it’s in private practice or government work such as prosecution. The bureau doesn’t accept people for full-time positions straight out of law school. Are there summer internships for law students? Yes. The FBI offers summer internships. Many law students get their start that way. Beyond the stated hiring criteria, what is the FBI seeking in special agent applicants? They are looking for people who are wellrounded and adept at establishing and building relationships. The FBI is about working with people and building relationships, and we want people to come to the table who can do that. We want creative thinkers to come to us. Get some life experience. Do something that you think might expand your horizon. Being able to interact with people is huge for our job. Special agents are always interviewing people, whether they are witnesses, subjects, sources, or whoever. Where do you see yourself five years from now? It’s hard to say. Eventually, I can start pursuing other specialties and interests within the bureau. I want to do some things that are completely different from my background. That’s part of the reason why I came to this job—to do something different and be out of my comfort zone. At some point it would be interesting to do more covert work. I also think it would be interesting to get more training in defensive tactics. I don’t see myself working in public corruption for the next 10 years. I would like to try and move around within the criminal division. It’s hard to say because I am so new. I just know that there are so many options. That’s one of the reasons the FBI appealed to me—you can become as specialized and active as you want to be.
Fall 2006 Saint Louis Brief 19
faculty view
Reducing the Perils of Participating in Research on Human Subjects
by Jesse A. Goldner John D. Valentine Professor of Law Jesse A. Goldner holds secondary appointments in the Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at the University’s School of Medicine as well as in both its School of Public Health and the Center for Health Care Ethics. Together with three co-authors, in 2005 he published Ethics and Regulation of Research with Human Subjects (Lexis). In addition to his work with AAHRPP, in the fall of 2005 he was appointed to the 19 person Accreditation Committee of the American Bar Association’s Section on Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar, which is responsible for the accreditation of law schools in the United States.
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Nicole Wan was a 19-year-old freshman at the University of Rochester in 1996. Ellen Roche was a 24-year-old laboratory technician at Johns Hopkins University’s Asthma and Allergy Center in 2001. Jesse Gelsinger was an 18-year-old who lived in Arizona in 1999. What the three had in common was that each participated in a clinical research study. Each died as a result. Wan and Roche were “healthy volunteers.” Gelsinger suffered from Ornithine Transcarbamylase Deficiency, a genetic disorder that causes excessive amounts of ammonia to appear in the blood. While without treatment the disorder can lead to behavioral disorders, mental retardation, coma or even death, Gelsinger had been doing well on his then current medication regime. The study was a “leading edge” gene transfer investigation, conducted at the University of Pennsylvania, that the researchers thought might ameliorate the condition. Though some federal regulations mandate review of many proposed studies such as these, little monitoring occurs regarding how those reviews are conducted. Investigations after the deaths in each situation concluded that appropriate guidelines for the conduct of the research had not been followed at the institutions. In 1965 leading veterinarians and researchers organized what is now known as the American Association for Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International, as a private, nonprofit organization. Over the last 41 years it has accredited more than 670 operations worldwide (including organizations such as Saint Louis University, Stanford University, the National Institutes of Health and GlaxoSmithKline pharmaceuticals), elevating the standard for research laboratory animal care to new levels. Rather strangely (and cynically, some might observe), it was only a mere five years ago that a similar organization, the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs, Inc. (AAHRPP) was created to offer a
comparable program to institutions that conduct or review biomedical, social and behavioral science research in which human beings serve as research subjects. AAHRPP was established by seven founding organizations, including groups such as the Association of American Medical Colleges, the American Association of Universities and the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges. A national organization based in Washington, D.C., it developed in the wake of a series of disciplinary measures against research institutions taken by various federal agencies, such as the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which are responsible for overseeing the manner in which such research occurs. Those actions involved stopping or severely limiting the conduct of research at some of the country’s leading medical centers including, among others, Duke, Johns Hopkins and the University of Pennsylvania after the deaths of Wan, Roche and Gelsinger. As one small example of the effects of the federal agencies’ actions, the annual budget for human subject participant protection programs at Duke increased from approximately $100,000 to over $1 million in the course of a few months as it attempted to meet requisite federal standards. In response to the resulting public concern for protecting research participants, AAHRPP was established “not only to ensure compliance with federal regulations, but to raise the bar in human research protection by helping institutions reach performance standards that surpass the threshold of state and federal requirements.” The organization also aims to “promote scientifically meritorious and ethically sound research by fostering and advancing the ethical and professional conduct of persons and organizations that engage in research with human participants.” AAHRPP achieves its mission by using an accreditation process based on selfassessment, peer review and education.
In 2002 I was invited to join AAHRPP’s initial Council on Accreditation, which determines the status of applicant organizations. In 2005 I served as the Council’s first chairperson and continue to participate by serving as a member of the group and by conducting site evaluation visits on its behalf. The invitation to join the Council came about for three reasons, each related to my work at SLU: (1) For some eighteen years I had been a member of (and, from 1998 through 2003, had chaired) SLU’s Institutional Review Board (IRB). This is an interdisciplinary group, including both scientists and nonscientists, primarily comprised of faculty from throughout the University, but also including non-University-affiliated individuals. The IRB, through a peer review process, evaluates individual proposals to conduct research
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accreditation process, albeit of a very different type. How does AAHRPP work? AAHRPP is not affiliated with the government. It is institutions, including universities, hospitals and free-standing research facilities, that voluntarily apply to AAHRPP for accreditation. Applicants must complete a wide-ranging questionnaire and submit extensive supporting materials, including their policies and procedures, all relating to how their institution goes about protecting the rights of those who serve as research participants. This is in an effort to evaluate that they meet some twenty different standards that include seventyfive separate elements. Among the issues explored are the involvement of organizational leaders and the adequacy of resources they provide to the process. In reviewing the competency and sophistication of the institution’s research
The purpose is to insure that ethical principles are followed, primarily by seeing to it that investigators are minimizing risks to research participants.
involving human subjects by faculty, staff and graduate students at the University. The purpose is to ensure that ethical principles are followed, primarily by seeing to it that investigators are minimizing risks to research participants and obtaining appropriate informed consent from these subjects. (2) Much of my academic writing in the last decade has focused on the regulation of research. Most recently, I co-authored a law school casebook on the subject. (3) Since 1988 I had regularly conducted site evaluations of other American law schools for purposes of their accreditation on behalf of the Accreditation Committee of the American Bar Association’s Section on Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar. This familiarized me with the
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review units (typically the IRBs), we examine their abilities to (a) assess risks and benefits; (b) oversee the appropriate recruitment and selection of subjects; (c) protect participants’ privacy and the confidentiality of the data obtained; and (d) monitor the process of obtaining informed consent from participants and the content of the information provided to them. Another focus is that of the investigators themselves: their familiarity with research ethics, their abilities to follow applicable laws and regulations and their understanding that the protections of the rights and welfare of research participants is their primary concern. Attention also is paid to the nature of the contractual relationship between the organization itself and
outside agencies such as pharmaceutical and medical device companies that sponsor research. This involves ensuring that there is appropriate communication of information that might affect the ongoing oversight of research protocols by IRBs as well as maximizing the likelihood that the benefits of the knowledge obtained through research are realized and the interests of current and future participants are protected. Finally, the standards address how the organization responds to concerns of research participants and engages in outreach efforts by offering educational opportunities to participants to enable them to better understand research. After the submitted materials are reviewed, AAHRPP appoints a site evaluation team, typically comprised of two to five members who have training and experience in conducting evaluations and who have no affiliations with the applicant institution. They will spend between two and five days at the institution, depending on its size and number of research projects at the institution. They then draft a lengthy and highly detailed report describing what they encountered at the institution, including an examination of protocols and other records and interviews with investigators, staff and members of the IRB. Ultimately, these reports are reviewed by the Council on Accreditation which determines if the standards have been met so as to merit accreditation. Not infrequently, institutions are placed in an “accreditation pending” category when the Council determines that additional efforts need to be made by the institution. At the present time some thirty-nine institutions have met accreditation standards, though nearly four hundred are “in the pipeline” and will be site visited within the next year or two. The process, both for institutions and for those who conduct site evaluations and participate in Council reviews, is an arduous one. As critical as the development of ongoing scholarship in this area may be, it is equally important that those of us who spend much of our time in the proverbial ivory tower, recognize the need to “descend” and expend some of our efforts in the hands-on work that may more directly affect the ability of researchers and their institutions to protect research participants like Nicole Wan, Ellen Roche and Jesse Gelsinger. As AAHRPP accreditation becomes more prevalent, it is quite likely that the safety of research subjects will increase and the lives and health of countless others will benefit as well.
Fall 2006 Saint Louis Brief 21
faculty profile
Resumé • Associate Professor of Law
Michael Korybut
• Claremont McKenna College, B.A., 1985, Magna Cum Laude; Stanford Law School, J.D., 1990, Executive Editor, Stanford Law Review • Lecturer, Stanford Law School, Fall 1997, Fall 1998, Spring 1999 • Lecturer, Santa Clara University School of Law, Spring 1998, Spring 1999 • Associate Attorney, Gray Cary Ware & Friedenrich, Palo Alto, CA, January 1995-July 1996 • Associate Attorney, Heller, Ehrman, White & McAuliffe, San Francisco, CA, November 1990-May 1992
How do I get good grades in law school? How do I get a job in a good law firm? Throughout the years, I’ve heard many students ask these questions, and rightly so. What I have heard far less often, however, are students asking how they can be happy, fulfilled and contented lawyers; and that is a shame. I have come to believe that one of my most important roles is to encourage students to ask and answer this question. I tell students that to be a happy, fulfilled and contented law student or lawyer, an essential ingredient is to know and be true to yourself. What makes you passionate, what puts a spring in your step? Pursue that thing in a legal career and you will be successful in the sense that you will enjoy what you do.
• Recipient, Student Bar Association Faculty Member of the Year Award 2001 and 2002
Secured Enthusiasm Personal Reflections We have a great law school. After ten years of teaching, the last seven of which have been at the School of Law, I cherish our collegial faculty and earnest students. I regularly say to my wife how lucky I am to be able to teach here, and I think my genuine enthusiasm for our law school makes me a better teacher and colleague.
To be a happy, “ fulfilled and contented law student or lawyer, an essential ingredient is to know and be true to yourself.
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Traditionally, law schools have not done a very good job at preparing students for corporate and commercial transactional work. I practiced for four years as a transactional, commercial lawyer, and I remember during my first year thinking how little I had been taught in law school about the structure of commercial transactions, the content of commercial contracts and the drafting and negotiating of these contracts. Dean Jeff Lewis, who arrived with me and four other professors at the law school in 1999, asked me to develop a course that would prepare our students in these ways. For the last five years, I have taught Advanced Secured Transactions with the aspiration of giving our graduates the knowledge and skills a new commercial or corporate transactional lawyer would need during his or her first year of legal practice. I think Dean Lewis’ attention to this aspect of legal education distinguishes our law school from many others.
Michael Korybut’s ability to teach and his enthusiasm for it are well recognized at the School of Law. Since joining the faculty in 1999, he has received the Faculty of the Year award twice. “I’ve tried to create a methodology that recognizes each student learns differently,” he says. “I also tend to ground my teaching in problem solving. It’s important students understand law in action. And, it’s more fun to teach that way because it engages students. I absolutely love being in the classroom.” Professor Korybut is equally enthusiastic about his scholarship. Intellectual stimulation was one of the main reasons he was attracted to academia. His principal research interest is secured transactions — foreclosure sales in particular. “What fascinates me most is what creditors do when they repossess and sell collateral,” he says. “What is their methodology for identifying efficient markets and reasonable sale practices? Do they consult lawyers? Do they look at legal precedent? Do they go to the business community and ask, ‘How do you guys normally sell these goods?’ We don’t know because very little empirical investigation and writing has been done in this area. If we try to implement a law or policy about the most commercially reasonable way to sell repossessed goods, these would be good things to know.”
Right on Track Each of us can appreciate how good it feels to be recognized for a job well done, particularly when we’ve dedicated a good part of our lives to a profession that, at times, may be less than forgiving. For Stephen J. Murphy III, on February 17, 2005, such recognition manifested itself in the form of a presidential nomination to the position of U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, and again during his June 8, 2005 confirmation by unanimous consent of the Senate. Murphy speaks of his current post with candor. “Nobody can plan for a presidential appointment,” he makes clear, “but if you conduct yourself academically, as well as in life, in a certain way, things tend to work out.” He credits his Jesuit education of ethics, honesty and the legal tradition at Saint Louis University as the enabling factors of his eligibility for appointment as U.S. Attorney. It was that Jesuit tradition that played a role in Murphy’s selection of law school — both his high school and college education were steeped in the tradition. Yet another influence was Murphy’s father. A 1972 graduate of Saint Louis University School of Law, Murphy’s father ran a sole proprietorship firm in south St. Louis. “I grew up mirroring my father’s role as an attorney,” Murphy reflects. Given his father’s legacy, and his desire to continue his education under the Jesuit framework, Saint Louis University was the natural choice for his legal education. Murphy proved to be an active law student, and identified his interest in public service early. As a member of the moot court team, Murphy asked the team’s adviser, Professor Dennis Tuchler, “What do you think about the prospects of working for the Department of Justice as a public servant?” to which Tuchler responded, “If you think you’re good enough for it, it’s a terrific career path.” Determined, Murphy accepted this implied challenge to do better and get into the Department. In realization of a personal goal, Murphy found himself in Washington, D.C., shortly after graduation, accepting a position with the Department of Justice’s Civil and Tax Division. Although having achieved his goal of joining
alumni PROFILE by john steffy, 3 L
the DOJ, Murphy had no illusions about his position as a new lawyer. “It’s the most precarious time of our career,” he says. “I was thrust into the D.C. market with some of the best minds in the business where I was able to hold my own with a SLU law degree.” Far beyond “holding his own,” Murphy remained a litigator with the Tax Division until 1992, when he became an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) for the Eastern District of Michigan, in which capacity he prosecuted a wide range of cases including white collar crime. After eight years as an AUSA, Murphy shifted gears and accepted a position as counsel in the legal department of General Motors, where he remained from 2000 until 2005. In 2005, Murphy was nominated and confirmed as the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, where he manages an office of approximately 200 people, communicates directly with the Attorney General, works closely with the FBI and works to protect over 6.5 million people and a border with Canada, all while trying to remain sensitive to the needs of the people he serves. “The best thing I’ve done since becoming a U.S. Attorney is develop relationships with local and civil society,” he says. Indeed he has, and in a novel way. Murphy, in conjunction with the National Security Chief and their coordinator, made the Eastern District of Michigan the first federal district to bring in private sector security managers to the Anti-Terrorism Advisory Council, a division of their National Security Unit (chaired by Murphy). By doing so, he has extended his partnerships beyond law enforcement to include the private citizens under their protection who are often the first true responders in an emergency. With little over a year since his confirmation, Stephen J. Murphy has already proven himself to be an innovative leader and public servant on the federal level who has successfully maintained and strengthened his ties to the community he serves. He never forgot the challenge he made to himself as a student and, today, continues to challenge himself, working to make visible differences in the lives of others.
Stephen J. Murphy, ’87 U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan
Fall 2006 Saint Louis Brief 23
alumni snapshots
LAW reunion SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY
October 13
2006
October 14
2006
Trivia Night
Class Dinners
photos by Dolan & Associates Photography
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Fall 2006 Saint Louis Brief 25
alumni Q&A
A Journey Toward Justice Khavan Sok came to the U.S. when he was just a freshman in high school. He lived in Seattle with family acquaintances, attending a bilingual high school, then moved to Richmond, Virginia, to live with an uncle and complete his senior year of high school. He attended the University of Virginia, graduating in 2002, and took a year off to pursue work as a freelance writer. It was during this time that he discovered a true connection to work dealing with reparations from the Cambodian genocides of 1975–1979. Today, he acts as a researcher for the Office of Co-Investigating Judges on the Cambodian Genocide Tribunal in his home country. Saint Louis Brief spoke with Sok about his journey. When was the first time you knew you were interested in doing work relating to the Khmer Rouge? I took a course in Southeast Asia in the tenth grade and wrote a paper on the Khmer Rouge. It piqued my interest in the subject and eventually grew into a passion. After college, I decided to extend my research on the topic and focused my work on it for a full year. What did you do during your year as a freelancer? I worked for a small NGO established by Sody Lay, a Cambodian American from Columbia Law School. He started a Web site designed to help other Khmer Cambodian scholars, and everyone who contributed wrote about Cambodian issues.
Khavan Sok, ’06 Researcher, Office of Co-Investigating Judges, Cambodian Genocide Tribunal
How did you meet Sody Lay? I met him through a mutual friend at a conference for a Cambodian filmmaker. He quickly became my mentor. He had a real passion for this work, and was devoted to getting the word out about Cambodian issues. When did people begin to understand what happened during the Cambodian Genocide? No one knew exactly what happened until decades later. When the movie “The Killing Fields” came out in 1984, many of the atrocities were illustrated and people began to realize just how serious it was. Had you done work on Cambodian issues prior to graduating from college? Yes. I interned with researchers in the Cambodian Genocide Program at Yale the summer of my junior year in college. The last year of the grant (2001), I worked with the Program’s director, Susan Cook. From 1997-2003, the UN was negotiating with the Cambodian government to form a tribunal to prosecute the Khmer Rouge, which received a lot of national attention. I wrote a research paper that kept track of the negotiation process. That’s how I was discovered. Helen Jarvis, the adviser to the Cambodian government and a crucial person in the negotiation process, knew Susan Cook. Through her, Helen got to know my work. In January of 2003, when the negotiation team from Cambodia came to the UN in New York, I got to work with the team for a week.
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They knew I was going to law school, but I still continued working with the Cambodian government. After the first summer of law school I went back to Cambodia and interned for those who worked on the task force in charge of negotiations with the UN. I worked for the secretariat to the task force, helping them draft the code of procedure for the tribunal. This tribunal is a Cambodian court set up within the Cambodian system with UN support. They have to draft a compromise between Cambodian civil procedure and the international civil procedure. The UN wanted a minimum standard in the tribunal or they wouldn’t participate – so the Cambodian government had to pass a new set of legislation to create an extraordinary chamber (the Khmer Rouge court) and come up with a new set of laws and procedures, separate from the current Cambodian procedure. I also went back the summer of my second year, doing similar work. I’m fortunate to have been in the right place at the right time, getting to know the right people. Why did you choose to go to law school? I always try to challenge myself. After my freelance work, I thought of law school as another challenge. I’ve thought about the law since my sophomore year in college. While in school, I loved studying at the law school on campus. I loved being in an intellectual community and talking with law students. They had a career night and everyone talked about the work they did over the summer. A student there went to Cambodia and worked with a family trying to get their land back in a dispute. She worked with a NGO trying to help them. I was amazed at what she’d done and wanted to go back to Cambodia and be a lawyer and help others. That’s when I decided to apply to law school. I was offered a scholarship to Saint Louis University School of Law and was glad to have a chance to live here the last three years. I wanted to live in a bigger city than Richmond, and St. Louis is one of the biggest cities in the Midwest. I spent a lot of time on the east and west coasts, so living here was a nice change for me. What are some of your best memories in this country? I’ve practically grown up here and have thoroughly enjoyed experiencing a different way of life and meeting so many new people. I never saw anyone chew tobacco before coming to this country. And I never saw a Cardinals game before. What’s your advice to people who wish to pursue a passion, even if it’s one that requires a great deal of sacrifice? I would say that as long as you’re doing what you like, though the short-term payment may seem minimal, you will often find that even with sacrifice, it’s the right decision. It’s almost never a bad choice to follow your passion. — As told to Stefanie Ellis
Q&A Don Anton’s life has taken him far — literally. A St. Louis native, he spent the first 26 years of his life in his hometown, pledging allegiance to the sports teams he still, to this day, follows with rapt attention. Though his career has taken him to another continent, he still remains connected in ways that would make his city proud. He took some time to chat with Saint Louis Brief about his journey from the Show-Me-State to the land of kangaroos and didgeridoo, his passion for international environmental law and his contributions to shaping future generations of lawyers. You’ve lived abroad a while. Do you still think of St. Louis? St. Louis is still in my bones. I have pictures of all the sporting venues of my childhood (Sportsman’s Park, the Arena, the old Busch Stadium) on the walls of my office. I still consider the city my first home and continue to religiously follow the Cardinals (naturally delighted with the World Series win), Billikens and Blues via video and audio streaming broadcasts.
alumni profile alumni q&A
Donald K. Anton, ’86 Professor, University of Melbourne Law School I did not take either subject while in law school. Even when I graduated, these fields (and especially their intersection) were not on my radar. Instead, after several years of a scenic, but not very “heroic” practice of law in Boise, Idaho — mostly defending the interests of mining companies, polluters and insurance companies — I made the decision to try to become an international environmental lawyer. My decision was largely motivated by prominent transboundary environmental incidents that took place in the 1980s, like Chernobyl, Exxon Valdez, Rainbow Warrior. It seemed to me that there was very little applicable law and that there was an opportunity to develop not only expertise, but the law itself, in an area that the international community would increasingly need and call on. I was also personally restless at that time (1989-1990) and decided to look at postgraduate legal education outside of the United States. The government of Australia offered a full scholarship to study International Environmental Law in Sydney and I arrived in Australia in March of 1991. Within months I met my future wife in Canberra (where we now live and teach together). A year and a half after coming to Australia, my still future wife and I traveled to Columbia University School of Law in New York so she could pursue her S.J.D. degree. I was eventually hired as a Research Associate at Columbia University, working with two of the world’s most influential international lawyers, Professors Lou Henkin and Oscar Schacter. When we returned to Australia in 1994, both of us were hired by the University of Melbourne Law School. I created the first course in International Environmental Law at Melbourne Law School in 1995 and have been teaching and practicing it ever since.
What made you want to get into law? I was born in 1960 and grew up watching Americans make melioristic legal claims for equality, civil rights, greater economic participation, environmental protection, etc. I frequently watched and read news about lawyers helping Americans make these progressive and socially beneficial claims through law. As a result, like many, I came to develop a view of the lawyer as “hero,” a champion for the oppressed, a fighter for the public interest. I went to law school because I wanted to be like that — to advocate worthy causes on behalf of others.
Describe your work. I teach law to aspiring lawyers in Australia. International Environmental Law (IEL) is still my passion, but I have taught across the curriculum, including Property Law and Torts. The courses I regularly teach include: IEL, International Law, Marine and Coastal Law, Human Rights and the Environment, International Trade and the Environment, and Federalism and the Environment. I also continue to teach in the United States. In 2003, I was a visiting professor at the University of Michigan Law School, where I taught a course on International Environmental Law. In 2007, I will be a visiting professor at the University of Alabama School of Law, where I will be teaching courses on International Human Rights and Environmental Justice and Rights.
Why did you choose to get into international/ environmental law? I did not contemplate practicing either International Law or Environmental Law when I entered law school.
What other work do you do in your field? In addition to teaching, I continue to practice public interest environmental law in Australia and around the world through participation in the Environmental Law
photo courtesy of Donald K. Anton, ’86
Alliance Worldwide (E-LAW). E-LAW is a group of public interest environmental lawyers, scientists and academics from 58 countries around the world that assist each other in protecting the environment across borders. In my teaching, I regularly have students assist my E-LAW colleagues with real cases around the world. I used to travel regularly to Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands to assist in environmental litigation and training and I have served as a course instructor for the United Nations Environment Program in a course designed to train high-level administrators from developing countries in environmental law and policy. My research continues to focus on International Law and Environmental Law. What are the differences between legal education as well as the practice of law between the U.S. and Australia? The two most significant differences in legal education here are: 1. Most students come to law school directly from high school. No first degree is required. As a result, students are much more immature and uncertain about the future direction they want their lives to take. 2. “Lecturing” without a great deal of student participation is still widely used as the primary means of instruction as opposed to the use of Socratic or, more contemporarily, modified Socratic techniques. The three most significant differences in practice here are: 1. Instead of a bar exam, most would-be lawyers get qualified to practice by doing a six-month “practitioners” course following graduation from law school. 2. The profession is still, by custom, very much a split profession with barristers doing the appearance work and solicitors doing pretty much everything else. 3. Once admitted to practice in any jurisdiction in Australia, you are automatically entitled to be admitted in every other jurisdiction under the Mutual Recognition Act 1992 (Cth). Fall 2006 Saint Louis Brief 27
CL ASS notes
1966
class notes
Gerry Ortbals of Stinson Morrison Hecker LLP in St. Louis, was selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2007. He was recognized for his first amendment law practice.
1974 James A. Coles, co-chair of Bose McKinney & Evans Intellectual Property Group in Indianapolis, has been named one of the best lawyers in the United States by “The Best of the U.S.,” an online referral guide to service professionals in the United States. He is currently an adjunct professor at Indiana University School of Law. Chip Misko of Stinson Morrison Hecker LLP in St. Louis, was recently selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2007. He was recognized in real estate law.
from the archives some things never change... Do you have a photo you want to share? Send us photos of your time at law school and it might be in the next issue of Saint Louis Brief. E-mail brief@law.slu.edu or mail to: Saint Louis Brief 3700 Lindell Blvd, QDH 320 St. Louis, MO 63108 Photos will be returned in a timely manner.
28 Saint Louis Brief Fall 2006
Edwin L. Noel, senior trial partner at Armstrong Teasdale in St. Louis, will assume the position of the new chairman of the board of the Attorneys’ Liability Assurance Society. He will serve a two-year term commencing with the 2006 annual general meeting in Toronto, Canada, on June 23.
1975 George T. Byrnes received the Silver Beaver award from the Greater St. Louis Area Council of the Boy Scouts. This is the organization’s highest adult volunteer award presented locally, and requires approval by the National Council. Gerard T. Carmody, principal partner at Carmody
MacDonald P.C. in St. Louis, has been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2007.
1978 Mark A. Schuering, a circuit judge of the Eighth Judicial Circuit and adjunct professor at Quincy University, has been elected first vice president of the Illinois Judges Association headquartered in Chicago.
1980 Carol Chazen Friedman, a solo practitioner in St. Louis, is a 2006 recipient of the Michael R. Roser Excellence in Bankruptcy Practice Award from the Missouri Bar’s Commercial Law Committee.
1981 Erwin O. Switzer, principal at Carmody MacDonald P.C. in St. Louis, has been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2007.
1992 James R. Cantalin has been named the president of the Lawyers Association of St. Louis for 2006-2007. He has been with Carmody Maconald P.C. since November 2004, where he practices medical professional defense litigation.
1993 Thomas E. Fagan has received the 2006 Missouri Lawyers Weekly Up & Coming Lawyers Award. He has been with Wuestling & James, L.C. in St. Louis since 2001, where he handles workers’ compensation claims and civil liability cases.
1998 Ed Martin, chairman of the St. Louis Board of Election Commissioners, has been appointed chief of staff to Governor Matt Blunt. Martin, a founding partner of the Saint Louis general practice firm Martin & Simmonds, relocated with his family to the Jefferson City area after beginning work in his official capacity on September 1, 2006.
2000 Sheryl L. Butler has been promoted to manager of Labor and Employee Relations for Saint Louis Public Schools.
2001 Felicia Maynard earned her master’s degree in library science from Catholic University in 2005, and performed her library practicum at the U.S. Supreme Court. She recently left her position at the law library of Covington & Burlington to work as a Research Information Specialist at the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) Headquarters. Kelly A. Struhs of Stoll, Stoll, Berne, Lokting & Schlachter in Portland, Oregon, has been elected new director for the Multnomah Bar Association Young Lawyers Section (YLS). She has also served as chair of the YLS Pro Bono Committee.
2003 Abdul-Hakim Shabazz was featured on the Glenn Beck Show on CNN headline news on June 19, 2006, where he addressed Indiana’s deals leasing toll-roads to
overseas conglomerates, and its nationwide implications.
2004 Daniel T. Simpson Jr. has joined the civil practice group of Evans & Dixon, LLC in St. Louis. He is also a member of the American Intellectual Property Law Association and the American Chemical Society.
2005 Katherin M. Cuneo, a St. Louis native, has joined the St. Louis office of Evans & Dixon, LLC. Sarah Pelud has opened her own practice, Pelud Law Firm, LLC. in Cheshire, Connecticut, and focuses on U.S. immigration law.
2006 April S. Haag has become an associate at the firm of Sandberg, Phoenix & von Gontard P.C. in St. Louis. Adrienne Price has joined Sandberg, Phoenix & von Gontard P.C. in St. Louis as an associate. Keli N. Robertson has taken her extensive experience in the mortgage industry to the St. Louis office of Sandberg, Phoenix & von Gontard P.C. in her new position, “of counsel”.
Annual Fund The School of Law Annual Fund supports student activities, academic programs and alumni services. To make a gift, go online at law.slu.edu/alumni/giftform. Thank you.
in memoriam John J. Flanagan Jr., 1939 Charles N. Welsch Jr., 1939 Thomas J. Krauska Sr., 1942 Hoyte C. Evans, 1950 John A. Travers, 1950 Harold Gruenberg, 1951 James L. Sullivan Jr., 1954 Phillip P. Doherty, 1956 Kenneth V. Byrne, 1964 Stephen F. Meyer, 1964 Helton Reed, 1974 Donald J. Gramke, 1985 Frances M. Weir (Messmer), 1996
send us an update Moved lately? Changed your e-mail address? Have a new job? The Office of Development and Alumni Relations wants to hear your latest news and get updated information so we can keep you informed about School of Law events and news. Go to law.slu.edu/alumni and click “update my information.” You can also e-mail your class notes to brief@law.slu.edu or send a letter to: Saint Louis University School of Law Office of Development and Alumni Relations 3700 Lindell Blvd. Queen’s Daughters Hall St. Louis, MO 63108
Fall 2006 Saint Louis Brief 29
calendar of
events ’07
January 5 6 26 February 7 21 27 28 March
2 5 11 19 23 23 27 30
Fall Degree Conferral Admissions Open House Barrister’s Ball Sponsored by SBA Springfield, Illinois, Alumni Reception Metro East (Madison County) Alumni Reception Health Law Speaker: Pamela H. Bucy Metro East (St. Clair County) Alumni Reception Death Penalty Conference Speaker Frank Wu Sponsored by Multicultural Affairs Kansas City Alumni Reception Speaker Charles Ogletree Sponsored by Multicultural Affairs Moot Court Competition PILG Auction at Randall Gallery Health Law Speaker: Peter D. Jacobson Health Law Symposium
April 13 16
Academic Excellence Awards Health Law Speaker: Troyen A. Brennan
May 17 19
Hooding Saint Louis University Commencement
June 6
Washington, D.C., Alumni Reception
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