UK LAW NOTES ONLINE SUMMER 2016
ANOTEFROM THEDEAN Another academic year has ended, and students have started returning to the building for bar review classes. In May, we awarded 146 graduates with Juris Doctor degrees at a commencement ceremony at the Singletary Center for the Arts. We hosted our sixth annual golf tournament at the world class Keene Trace Golf Club. This year’s tournament, a four-person team best ball scramble, resulted in $10,000 in profit to benefit students at the law school. Since its inception in 2011, the golf tournament has netted over $67,000 to support student scholarships and place students in public interest positions. The UK College of Law also continued one of its signature pro bono efforts – the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program. This year, a total of 28 volunteers, including 14 law students and one law alumna, prepared and filed 593 tax returns, saving clients an estimated $88,950 in preparation fees. Clients received $707,821 in federal refunds and $93,898 in state refunds. I am pleased to announce that several faculty members will enter the new academic year in promoted roles: Beau Steenken to Librarian II with tenure in the Library Title Series; Brian Frye to Associate Professor with tenure in the Regular Title series; and Scott Bauries to Professor in the Regular Title series. I hope you will save the date for our reunion and homecoming weekend, taking place October 7-8. As always, I hope this newsletter finds you and your loved ones well. David A. Brennen Dean and Professor of Law
UK LAW STUDENTS MAKE A PROFOUND IMPACT, TEACH PRACTICAL LAW LESSONS AT LOCAL HIGH SCHOOLS Over the last few months, UK Law students have lived and breathed StreetLaw – a brand-new student organization at the University of Kentucky College of Law dedicated to teaching high school students and members of the Lexington community about law and the legal system. Working under the supervision of faculty advisor Cortney Lollar, Assistant Professor of Law at UK College of Law, and local attorneys Carmen Ross and Lindsay Perdue, UK Law students utilized their legal education to teach real-life lessons in law and government to high school students. Goals include empowering the students to go forward and make positive changes in the community, while also inspiring them to consider a future legal career. Lessons taught include criminal and civil law, employment law, housing law and family law. UK Law students successfully taught 20 lessons this semester, 10 at each of the two participating high schools, with 10 to 12 students at each lesson. At the end of the 10-week period, each participating high school student was presented with a certificate at an awards celebration in recognition of their accomplishment. “It is very humbling to see the volunteer time committed by the law students, and especially Professor Lollar, and the attorneys Ms. Ross and Ms. Perdue,” said Ismaila Ceesay, president of StreetLaw and second-year law student. “The best part of this program was engaging with these talented and intelligent high school students. Amazing. I feel confident that our country’s future is bright when I envision these young people in future leadership roles.”