Discovery Winter 2020 % Volume 6, No. 1
the newsletter from washington and lee university school of law
Experiential Education Today at W&L Law More than a decade ago, W&L Law announced a major curriculum reform, greatly expanding the School’s practice-based offerings — making national headlines in the process. Today, experiential education remains a key feature of the curriculum, and while W&L is hardly alone in offering such course work, the School remains a national leader in this area. Students take 18 experiential credits while in law school, far outpacing the amount now required by the bar associations in many jurisdictions. Of course, W&L’s practice-focused curriculum has evolved over the years in important ways. For
example, students can now begin taking experiential credits in their second year. In addition to permitting students access to these exciting offerings earlier in their law school careers, this change creates more flexibility in their schedules to take classes that complement their career objectives in their third year. Consistent with the introduction of greater flexibility, students now choose between the litigation and transactional immersion classes, two-week
intensive courses that are held at the beginning of the third year before other classes start. Clinics, externships and practice-based classes known as practicums remain at the heart of the experiential curriculum, and those opportunities have developed in unique ways in recent years. Below is a quick look at three such classes, where students are able to enhance their legal practice experience before starting their careers.
TIME SERVED: VIRGINIA CAPITAL CASE CLEARINGHOUSE The Virginia Capital Case Clearinghouse, or VC3, has been a fixture of W&L’s clinical offerings for decades. While the VC3 remains a locus of research and support for capital defense attorneys, clinic director David Bruck and his students have in recent years spearheaded a new focus for the clinic — helping elderly and long-serving Virginia prison inmates petition for parole.
of effectively applying the 1995 abolition of parole retroactively. This did not succeed as a class action lawsuit. Nearly 2,000 parole-eligible inmates, all middle-aged to elderly and having spent more than 25 years in prison, remain incarcerated. Daniel Carlisle ’19L worked on a parole case during his third year, helping to free a 71-year-old individual who had served more than 31 years in
“It’s a truly unique experience. It’s not like anything else that I’ve experienced interacting with other people, even people who are desperate in their own lives. There’s just nothing quite like being forgotten by society like that — just being locked away.” –Daniel Carlisle ’19L In the 1990s, the state of Virginia eliminated parole for all felony offenders whose crimes were committed after Jan. 1, 1995. While those convicted prior to that date could still be considered for parole, the Virginia parole board released almost no one for decades, prompting a lawsuit that accused the board
prison. Carlisle says the parole process for eligible inmates can be frustrating because the reasoning behind the rejection is often sparse. “They never say, show growth in these areas and come back next year. It just says ‘nature of the crime.’ And [the inmates] don’t know what to do with that.”
Most parole-eligible inmates are serving long sentences for serious crimes, such as kidnapping, rape and armed robbery. But after decades in prison and the process of aging, “the person that committed the crime has often changed completely,” Bruck said. The governor of Virginia recently appointed a new parole board, with instructions to try to do something about the large number of aging inmates who are still lingering. Since then, the rate of release went up somewhat. The clinic has represented around 20 clients since the program’s inception. Cases are assigned to student teams of two. These teams gather documentation about the case, the crime and the prison record before going to see the inmate. After that, the students prepare a written parole packet, including a release plan, which identifies family members and people from the community who will pledge to support the inmate and help them readjust to society once they are released. Once a board hearing is secured, students make a half-hour oral presentation. “It’s a truly unique experience,” Carlisle said. “It’s not like anything else that I’ve experienced interacting with other people, even people who are desperate in their own lives. There’s just nothing quite like being forgotten by society like that — just being locked away.”
DAY (AND NIGHT) AT THE MUSEUM W&L Law students have long worked outside of the School in externships with prosecutors’ offices, judges’ chambers, government agencies and law firms. A newer development is the ability of a select number of students to spend the fall semester of their 3L year in a residential externship outside of Lexington. Most of these students live and work in Washington, D.C., although the School has also secured unique placements with the Delaware Court of the Chancery in Wilmington and the Kraft Group in Boston. The residential program in Washington, D.C., in particular, is valuable for students who wish to work in government or on regulatory matters for a law firm,
but those placements just scratch the surface of the kinds of realpractice experience W&L students can get. Just this semester, students are working at the Department of Justice, the Department of Education, the U.S. EEOC, the National Nuclear Security Administration and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Hannah Cloh ’20L secured a position with the Office of the General Counsel at the Smithsonian Institution. Within her first week on the job, she had seven assignments focusing on issues ranging from torts to intellectual property, and she toured the Phillips Collection with a group of attorneys from her (continued on page 2)
Hannah Cloh ’20L secured a position with the Office of the General Counsel at the Smithsonian Institution.
office. This was just the start of a busy semester. Her experience included a site visit to the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center near Annapolis, attending a conference with museum attorneys from all over the country, participating in a strategy meeting regarding a project she worked on and attending all-staff
meetings, various client meetings, the annual staff picnic, exhibit openings and Secretary Lonnie Bunch’s official installation ceremony. “Before, I primarily wrote all of my projects with a litigation mindset, but the Smithsonian does everything,” said Cloh. “Sometimes my research would be as simple as searching for
a statute online to make sure it says what the attorney thinks it says, and sometimes it would be forwardlooking to parse out a difficult area of law that a Smithsonian client wants to understand. The wide variety of legal topics allowed me to experience substantive areas of law that I would never encounter,
and the attorneys in the office always made sure to find a teaching moment or to include me in their next task.” She added “My confidence in my research and writing abilities significantly increased, and I now know that I can turn out high-quality work regardless of my background in the subject.”
ANYPLACE CAN BE SOMEPLACE ROANOKE DEVELOPER ED WALKER ’96L has received wide acclaim for his work on revitalizing the downtown area of the Star City, just an hour south of Lexington. More recently, he has brought his unique brand of community-focused real estate development to nearby Buena Vista through the work of W&L Law students in his Social Entrepreneurship and Real Estate Development practicum. W&L offers roughly 30 practicums each year, many of which are delivered as simulations of actual practice areas, such as fiduciary litigation, labor and employment and patent litigation. However, a growing number of these offerings go far beyond mere simulation. Walker’s class is a prime example of students getting a full dose of actual legal practice. Three years ago, Walker purchased more than a dozen buildings in downtown Buena Vista, a town that has been hard hit by a devastating flood in 1986 and the
“It’s what it’s like in the real world. You’ve got this real estate development, and you’ve got to figure out how you’re going to get financing, where your tenant is going to come from, what your local government is doing, and whether or not the local people are going to support it.” –Austin Scieszinski ’20L decline of the manufacturing industry. W&L law students helped him acquire the properties and create marketing plans. This year’s students are helping Walker identify and apply for funding by writing grants and looking for tax credits, among other things. “It is the most practical class I’ve ever had,” said Austin Scieszinski ’20L. “It’s what it’s like in the real world. You’ve got this real estate development, and you’ve
OTHER CHANGES IN THE CLASSROOM THE EXPERIENTIAL CURRICULUM is not the only area of instruction that has evolved over the years. In fact, the most recent area of focus has been on the first year. One area that received attention was the way W&L teaches legal writing. In order to standardize the educational experience for firstyear students, the School hired three legal writing professionals, each of whom teach two year long sections of legal writing with classes of about 20 students. The writing instructors are paired with a law librarian to teach research methods, and together they produce a uniform bedrock of critical
skills that serve students throughout their three years of law school. Beyond that, the faculty has also made changes to the required courses in the first-year curriculum. In the first semester, students take Civil Procedure, Contracts, and Torts. The second semester comprises Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, Property, and Transnational Law. Evidence and Professional Responsibility are required second-year courses, and Administrative Law, previously a required first-year course, is now an upper-level elective.
The class outside one of the buildings Ed Walker ’96L purchased in Buena Vista. The team hopes to transition such spaces into venues that contribute to the cultural vibrancy of the city.
got to figure out how you’re going to get financing, where your tenant is going to come from, what your local government is doing, and whether or not the local people are going to support it.” The student team is currently focused on getting a larger space for the local library in Buena Vista, as the current location receives a lot of foot traffic and is a hub for the community. With more space and increased programming, the team believes the library will be a catalyst for downtown revitalization. As of Nov. 1, Walker told the city council that he had six prospective owners or lessees for his properties. Earlier in the year, Walker and his team held a community open house so locals and developers alike could tour the properties. The attendance was terrific. “It was cool to see so many people on the street,” Scieszinski said. “You got the sense that ‘OK, this can happen.’ ”
CLINICS ◗
Black Lung: representing physically disabled coal miners and their widows under the federal Black Lung benefits program.
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Community Legal Practice Center: representing lower income Rockbridge area residents in a general range of civil legal matters, including family law and elder law.
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Criminal Justice Clinic: representing indigent people facing misdemeanor criminal charges in local trial courts.
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Immigrant Rights Clinic: representing non-citizen clients in immigration matters, providing legal services to persons in removal proceedings, both detained and non-detained.
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Tax Clinic: representing income-eligible taxpayers who have post-filing controversies with the Internal Revenue Service and/or the Virginia Department of Taxation.
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Virginia Capital Case Clearinghouse: serving as Virginia’s litigation resource center for lawyers representing defendants facing the death penalty at trial in both state and federal courts.
A TRADITION OF INNOVATION THE PERSISTENT NOTION that law schools just keep doing the same thing year after year is one that doesn’t resonate with W&L Law Dean Brant Hellwig. He notes there is hardly an area of the School’s operation, from admissions to teaching to career outcomes, that hasn’t changed significantly from the way it was 10 or 20 years ago. “A central part of our mission is to produce ‘broad-minded, highly skilled and honorable practitioners of law.’ Pursing that mission requires that we evaluate and periodically refine our curriculum to ensure we 2
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are putting our students in the best possible position to succeed in their practice or broader professional careers,” said Hellwig. “We also continually evaluate aspects of our operations that effect the experience of our students. Placing the student experience first, and being open to change to better serve that end, are hallmarks of our school. This central vision, coupled with receptiveness to change, has been a defining aspect of our school for decades. It helps produce extremely satisfied students and an alumni base that remains invested in our success.”
EXTERNSHIPS ◗
State and Federal Judges
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Commonwealth, City, and County Attorney’s Offices
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United States Attorney’s Offices
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Offices of the Public Defender
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Corporate and University Counsel
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Legal Services
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Bankruptcy Trustees
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Private law firms, organizations and governmental agencies in Washington, D.C.
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Delaware Court of the Chancery
Law Student Helps Change Virginia Marriage License intrigued by the client-attorney relationship that we developed. I took a Professional Responsibility class last year in which we discussed, among other things, how an attorney is supposed to interact with her client. It was very interesting to be on the other side of that relationship, and I think it really informed my future role as counsel.
Were there points in the process where you were able to connect the dots between this matter and your legal education?
Sophie Rogers ’21L
SOPHIE ROGERS ’21L and her now-husband BRANDYN CHURCHILL ’14 made national news earlier this year when they joined a lawsuit challenging Virginia’s practice of asking those applying for marriage licenses to disclose their race. They were one of three couples who sued Virginia in federal court to end the practice. They learned about the suit from law professor Jon Shapiro, a colleague of Victor Glasberg, the attorney who brought the case. Shortly after the suit was filed, Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring issued a statewide directive saying that no one applying for a marriage license in the state should be forced to declare his or her race. Then, in October, U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston Jr. ruled the practice unconstitutional and barred Virginia from enforcing the requirement. Originally denied their marriage license at the Rockbridge County Courthouse, Rogers and Churchill were able to make it official before their Oct. 19 wedding in Fincastle, Virginia. Below, Rogers discusses what it was like to go through this process as a current law student.
Did the fact that you are a law student have any impact on your desire to address this issue? I would have been passionate about this issue regardless of my status as a law student, but I think that being a law student gave me a sense of duty and the necessary confidence to actually participate in the suit. Joining a law suit can be nerve-racking if you don’t know what litigation actually looks like, and I certainly had the confidence to move forward with this because of W&L Law.
What was most interesting to you about the litigation process? What I found to be the most interesting about this process was watching our attorney in action and getting to read what he wrote on our behalf. On one hand, it was very inspiring to see that he felt just as strongly about the suit as we did. On the other hand, I got to learn a little bit in a real-life setting about what it means to be a litigator. I spent last summer working in a judge’s chambers, and so it was very interesting for me to watch the process of everything that happens behind the scenes, before a judge ever even receives a document.
What was most surprising to you about the litigation process? As an individual, what surprised me the most was the Commonwealth’s resistance to the suit. I truly was not expecting the attorney to defend the old law as strongly as he did. As a law student, I was
There were two very clear parallels between this suit and my legal education. First, and most interesting, I am currently take Constitutional Law. As most of our legal argument in the suit was anchored in the Constitution, it was interesting to see what I was learning in class applied in real life. Our attorney made arguments that I hadn’t seen made in my readings, and so it was very illuminating for me to see the variety of ways in which the material I am learning can be applied in real life. The other strong connection came from reading our attorney’s filings. Writing motions and responses is something we all are taught in our first-year legal writing class, so I very much enjoyed reading his pleadings and comparing them to what we were taught. Mr. Glasberg has an excellent writing style, which made reading his pleadings even more interesting.
How do you think this process will impact your approach to practice? I think that this suit will impact my confidence as an attorney more than anything. Lawyering is a profession that requires constant and lifelong learning, and although W&L is preparing us very well to get our careers started, being a part of a real lawsuit is an unmatchable learning experience. At this point, I do intend to pursue litigation, and being able to say that I was part of a real case has been invaluable for my confidence in myself going forward.
“I think that this suit will impact my confidence as an attorney more than anything. Lawyering is a profession that requires constant and lifelong learning, and although W&L is preparing us very well to get our careers started, being a part of a real lawsuit is an unmatchable learning experience.” –Sophie Rogers ’21L
MOOT COURT RESULTS
The team of NORIYA SHAHADAT ’21L and JUNIOR NDLOVU ’20L won the Robert J. Grey Jr. Negotiations competition. EDUARDO GARZA ’21L and BRADEN ROSE ’21L were the runners-up.
NORIYA SHAHADAT ’21L also took first place in the John W. Davis Appellate Advocacy competition. LEE BRETT ’13, ’21L was the runner-up. Best brief went to WARREN BUFF ’21L and MATT WYATT ’21L.
LEE BRETT was the winner of the Mock Trial competition, edging out NORIYA SHAHADAT ’21L, who finished second.
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FACULTY APPOINTMENTS
W&L Law’s Fraley Receives Fulbright U.S. Scholar Grant to Turkey JILL FRALEY, associate professor of law, received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Grant to conduct research at Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkey, during the 2019–20 academic year. During her Fulbright, Fraley is researching the development of international manufacturing trade by expat Americans living in Turkey during the first part of the 20th century. “This is a point in time when American trade was switching from raw natural resources to manufactured goods and was also a point of extraordinary growth of the international market,”
said Fraley. “My current research project focuses on documenting and exploring how the trade boom did or did not change how Americans understood property and natural resources.” A legal historian who focuses her research on property and environmental issues, Fraley was previously awarded a Fulbright to Ireland, where she researched England’s colonization of Scotland and Ireland to explore how Great Britain transported its own property law system as it expanded to other territories, including North America.
Sam Calhoun Named Robert O. Bentley Professor of Law Brant Hellwig, dean of W&L Law, announced the appointment of SAM CALHOUN to the Robert O. Bentley Chair in Law. “This appointment is a fitting recognition of the significant contributions Sam has made to W&L Law in all facets of faculty responsibility since joining our School over 40 years ago,” said Hellwig. “His tenure has helped shape the character of our institution.” Calhoun joined the W&L Law faculty in 1978, following teaching stints at the University of Wyoming and the University of Puget Sound. A highly regarded teacher, Calhoun has
twice been awarded with fellowships recognizing excellence in the classroom. His main subjects have been contracts, commercial law, legal writing and the abortion controversy. Calhoun has long written about various aspects of the abortion debate. In 2016, he spearheaded the 2016 W&L Law Review Symposium commemorating the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. He also writes about law and religion. Recent topics have included the role religion played in the beliefs and actions of Abraham Lincoln and whether the separation of church and state doctrine bars faith-based values from informing public policy questions.
Sam Calhoun delivers a lecture in honor of his chair appointment. Watch a video of the lecture at go.wlu.edu/ calhounlecture
David Baluarte Appointed W&L Law Associate Dean for Academic Affairs DAVID BALUARTE, associate clinical professor of law, has been appointed associate dean for academic affairs by Dean Brant Hellwig. “David is the consummate educator. He has taken on significant administrative responsibilities since joining W&L Law in 2013, and he is a remarkably collegial colleague,” said Hellwig. “Those qualities make him ideally suited to serve the Law School in this critical capacity, and I look forward to working with him in the years ahead.” Baluarte teaches and writes about topics ranging from immigration, refugees and stateless persons, and
transnational law, with a specific focus on international human rights law and practice. He is a frequent commenter in the media on immigration issues and has provided commentary recently on birthright nationality in the U.S. and the denationalization of former members of ISIS. Since 2013, Baluarte has directed the Immigrant Rights Clinic, a practical lawyering experience for upperlevel students. In 2015, Baluarte and his students won asylum for Mikhail Sebastian, sometimes referred to as the ‘most famous stateless person in the U.S.,’ who was granted asylum
after 15 years in legal limbo. Baluarte received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Grant in 2016 to study the stateless population in Argentina. He is a member of the advisory council of the Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion, an independent non-profit organization dedicated to promoting an integrated, human rights-based response to the injustice of statelessness and exclusion. He is also a member of the steering committee of the Americas Network on Nationality and Statelessness, a network of civil society organizations and individual experts committed to address statelessness in the Americas.
IN THE NEWS “Together, [these cases] will force the court to take up the question of whether sex stereotypes are a reason for men to be protected when they transition genders, or when they deviate from heterosexual norms.” —Carliss Chatman in Slate on several LGBTQ cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.
“Facebook pushes ‘authenticity’ as a feel-good speech value, but authenticity provides significant business value to Facebook.” —Sarah Haan in Slate on Facebook’s approach to regulating speech.
“Trump does not have a right to confront the whistleblower right now. If this case were in court, his threats would give the judge reason to put restrictions on his access to the witness.”
“The limits of international and national courts in terms of reach and jurisdiction are also a consideration, as is the reality the victors of conflict are often in control of questions over post-war justice.”
—Nora Demleitner in The Hill on witness protection policy in criminal trials.
—Mark Drumbl on Aljazeera on the definition of a war crime.
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FACULTY ACTIVITIES NORA DEMLEITNER published her speech on felon disenfranchisement in the Memphis Law Review. Her article on excessive fines and forfeitures in the wake of a recent Supreme Court decision appeared in the Federal Sentencing Reporter. A book chapter on comparative legal education is included in “The Oxford Handbook on Comparative Law.” Recently, she had a widely distributed opinion piece in The Hill, titled “President Trump’s Mythical Justice System and the Whistleblower’s Disguise.” The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights cited her work in its report on collateral consequences. Demleitner participated in the Memphis Law Review Symposium, a roundtable on non-conviction records at the University of Michigan Law School, the WLSO’s Lara Gass Symposium, and the 42nd Annual Health Law Professors Conference in Chicago. She has been a frequent media commentator and was quoted in Vice Magazine, ProPublica, Lawyer Monthly, Black Press USA, Los Angeles Sentinel, Washington Informer and The Crime Report. She tweets at @NDemleitner.
MARK DRUMBL participated in book launch events in Washington, D.C., and Amsterdam for the “Research Handbook on Child Soldiers,” which he co-edited. He completed a project on men in forced marriage relationships in wartorn Uganda, and on charging extremely aged individuals with war crimes. He travelled to Sofia, Bulgaria, to speak on prosecutions of women for genocide. He began research on a collaboration in communist Czechoslovakia that is slated to be presented at a number of workshops, including in Mexico City and Prague. He delivered the honorific Timlin Lecture at the University of Saskatchewan on youth and violence and was invited to speak at the American Association of Law and Psychiatry. He chaired a panel and served as discussant at the American Society of International Law Research Forum in New York in November.
JILL FRALEY gave a public lecture at Cooper Union in NYC in April on property and environmentalism and also spoke at Northwestern on modern nuisance law. She spoke at the Modern Studies in Property Law conference in the U.K. and at the annual environmental law conference at ASU. DOUG RENDLEMAN has an article forthcoming in the Cardozo Law Review and published “The Defamation Injunction Meets the Prior Restraint Doctrine” in the San Diego Law Review. He spoke in Brazil on nationwide national government injunctions against the executive branch and about litigation dealing with the Emoluments Clause of the U.S. Constitution. He presented his scholarship on nationwide national government injunctions against the executive branch at the Remedies Discussion Forum in Paris.
MICHELLE DRUMBL published “Tax Credits for the Working Poor: A Call for Reform,” with Cambridge University Press, and also “Tax Attorneys as Defenders of Taxpayer Rights” in the Temple Law Review. She gave a lecture at the University of San Diego School of Law as part of its Tax Law speaker series.
…Upwards!
Trending… If a gift to the Law Annual Fund is a vote of confidence, then alumni pride is on the rise! Last year, our amazing alumni community came together to meet our fundraising goal and decisively raise participation. Every year, alumni giving helps every student in Lewis Hall through financial aid, student organizations, travel expenses and more. Help continue this upward trend — make your gift to the Law Annual Fund today! Your gift supports an exceptional and intentional academic experience.
Our strength is our community. Support W&L Law law.wlu.edu/give
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CLASS UPDATES AND SUCCESS STORIES
MARIO URIZAR ’11L
And May It Please the Court Mario Urizar ’11L argued an immigration case before the U.S. Supreme Court. BY LINDA EVANS
WHEN A LAWYER HAS A CASE accepted for review by the U.S. Supreme Court, the clerk sends out a booklet about how lawyers should conduct themselves before the court. “It has some funny things in it, such as ‘Don’t correct the justices and always answer questions first before saying anything else,’” said Mario Urizar ’11L, who argued his first case before the nation’s highest court Dec. 9. Urizar, who co-founded Prada Urizar P.L.L.C., was counsel of record for Pedro Pablo GuerreroLasprilla, who was deported to Colombia in 1998 after receiving a felony drug conviction. GuerreroLasprilla wanted to return to the U.S. to be with his brother and sister, both U.S. citizens. A 2014 decision by the Board of Immigration Appeals allowed him to request that his case be reopened; however, he didn’t file within 90 days, as required. In fact, he didn’t file until 2016. The case began in the lowest court, the Immigration Court. That court and the Board of Immigration Appeals each denied the request, ruling that “equitable tolling” – a legal doctrine that interrupts the running of a statute of limitations if the person can show the delay was not his fault and that he has been diligent in his efforts – did not apply. The immigration courts held that GuerreroLasprilla could have applied for equitable tolling earlier than he had, but Urizar argued otherwise, that legal precedent prevented earlier action. Urizar then took the case to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which ruled they were without jurisdiction to review the claim because they are only able to review legal or constitutional questions and review of equitable tolling is always a factual question – not a legal one. Urizar argued the federal court was within its jurisdiction given that “the facts were not in dispute.” Urizar said they were asking the court “to look at the law as applied to undisputed facts, a legal question.”
60s 1968L Joseph W. Brown was appointed to City National’s Southern Nevada Advisory Board. He lives in Las Vegas.
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Stephen D. Rosenthal was recognized by the Virginia Bar Association with the VBA’s Health Law Section’s Alan Goldberg Award. He 6
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Urizar then filed for a certiorari with the Supreme Court in December 2018, asking the Court to review the Fifth Circuit’s decision. This petition was granted in June 2019. “We requested certiorari stating that Guerrero-Lasprilla was asking the federal court to review a legal question, and, at worst, he presented mixed questions,” Urizar said. “Mixed questions involve the application of law to undisputed facts, essentially a reviewable legal question.” One of Urizar’s law partners had a similar case, and the Supreme Court combined the two cases in its review. The second client was deported under a different law, but “both bring up different views of the argument. Regardless, both are purely legal questions. This is the only way back for our clients.” Life for Urizar changed quickly once his case was accepted by the high court. “We started getting lots of phone calls and emails from firms all over the country. They wanted the honor of providing their expertise on the case.” They decided to work with Paul Hughes, cochair of the Supreme Court and Appellate Practice Group at McDermott Will & Emery in Washington, D.C. “He has argued before the Supreme Court many times,” said Urizar. The original petition was entirely the work of Urizar and his partner; however, from this point on, Hughes “is helping with everything. He has assembled an impressive team to help us on this case.” The entire process has been a learning experience, Urizar noted. “Less than one percent of cases go forward after the distribution stage.” His proceeded to a second conference and was accepted from there. For him, immigration law is all about changing peoples’ lives. “It gives you a purpose — helping someone keep a family member in the United States,” said Urizar. “It’s horrible to see someone deported.”
is a partner with Troutman Sanders in Richmond.
1978L John D. Klinedinst (’71) was named a 2019 Most Admired CEO by the San Diego Business Journal. The award, recognized Klinedinst’s stewardship in the medium-sized private company category. He is the founder and CEO of Klinedinst PC. He lives in San Diego.
Peter G. Strasser published “A Marine’s Murder Trial and the Drug War: The Delicate Balance of Criminal Justice in the Philippines” in the University of Pennsylvania Asian Law Review. He is the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana in New Orleans.
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1979L John T. Jessee joined Lewis Brisbois as the managing partner of its Roanoke office. He is a member of the medical malpractice department.
James L. Chapman was named to the 2020 Best Lawyers List for admiralty and maritime law and commercial litigation. He is a partner with Crenshaw, Ware & Martin in Norfolk.
Mario Urizar ’11L
William D. Johnston was installed as president of the American Counsel Association. Johnston is a corporate litigation and counseling partner with Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor in Wilmington, Delaware.
1983L Howard T. Wall III was honored by the Tennessee Bar Association for his contributions to the bar and the profession. He lives in Franklin, Tennessee.
1985L Kevin J. Buckley was elected president of the University of Notre Dame’s Alumni Association board of directors and
also appointed to a two-year term on Notre Dame’s board of trustees. Buckley is co-head of Hunton Andrews Kurth’s structured finance and securitization practice group. He lives in Richmond. Bradford F. Englander, of Whiteford, Taylor & Preston in Falls Church, Virginia, was named a 2019 SuperLawyer in both D.C. and Virginia. He is a partner in the business reorganization and bankruptcy group.
1986L The Hon. Anita D. Filson retired after three years as the presiding judge in the Rockbridge County Circuit Court. Prior to that, she served for 15 years as a judge
BLAIRE POSTMAN ’92, ’95L
How to Make ’Em Laugh Blaire Postman ’92, ’95L delivers lines under pressure. BY LOUISE UFFELMAN
A COMEDIAN WALKS INTO A BAR EXAM…. Blaire Postman ’92, ’95L has been a stand-up comedian for the past six years, constantly perfecting, adding and subtracting material from her routine. She will do upwards of 10 sets a week and is constantly pushing her work out to book new gigs. No mean feat, particularly while holding down a full-time day job. What does she talk about? Everything from training for a 10K, living with recovering alcoholics and the history of Super Bowl half-time shows. “I carry a notebook with me and write down anything that might be funny,” she said. “I look at it those notes a couple of weeks later, and see what’s still funny, and what now seems awful.” From there, she’ll jot down a broad outline of what she wants to hit during her 5 minutes at the mic or 45-minute headlining gig. “Some people write out every word of a new joke, but I like to put down some main points and then do it in front of an audience to see where it goes. There’s something galvanizing about being in front of a crowd of strangers. I’m often funnier under pressure.” Postman was set to major in politics at W&L when she found religion. Specifically, in a class with
in the juvenile and domestic relations court. She lives in Raphine, Virgina.
1987L Paul C. Kuhnel joined Lewis Brisbois as a partner in its Roanoke office. He is a member of the medical malpractice department. Powell M. Leitch III (’87) was voted into the American Board of Trial Advocates, a national association of experienced trial lawyers and judges dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the civil jury trial right. He is a partner with Gentry Locke in Roanoke, where his practice focuses on medical malpractice. Rodney Lee Moore was recognized by Best Lawyers in the corporate law and mergers and acquisitions law categories. He is the co-managing partner of Weil, Gotshal & Manges’ Dallas office and a partner in the firm’s private equity practice.
1989L Donald C. Schultz was named to the 2020 Best Lawyers List for bankruptcy and creditor debtor rights/insolvency and reorganization law, eminent domain and condemnation law, and litigation-bankruptcy. He is a partner with Crenshaw, Ware & Martin in Norfolk, where he chairs the firm’s commercial bankruptcy and creditors’ rights group.
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William E. Callahan Jr. joined Gentry Locke’s business litiga-
Harlan Beckley, professor emeritus of religion and former director of the Shepherd Program. “I ditched the politics major and started all over with religion,” she said. “Religion covers so many areas — ancient history, sociology, philosophy. It asked all these big questions about life, and I liked how the combination of disciplines worked my brain.” She walked straight across campus to W&L Law, with the goal of practicing entertainment law. After a fellowship with The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, she joined The William Morris Agency as a talent agent trainee and also began performing improv on the side. She was an agent with Washington Speakers Bureau, an account director for Second City, in Chicago, then a TV and digital advertising account executive in D.C. “I was slowly spiraling closer to my goal of being a standup, which is what I’ve really wanted to do for a long time,” she said. Postman believes that living enough life made taking the leap “less scary.” She’s opened for headliners as wide-ranging as Arsenio Hall, Aparna Nancherla and Moshe Kasher, performed in select festivals, including SF Sketchfest, Limestone and Asheville comedy festivals, and at premiere clubs from Goodnight’s in Raleigh, to the Velveeta Room in Austin, New York Comedy Club
tion group as a partner in its Roanoke office. Michael E. Hastings, of Whiteford, Taylor & Preston in Roanoke, was named a 2019 SuperLawyer in Virginia. He is a partner in the business reorganization and bankruptcy group. Indrajit B B. Majumder is a co-office managing partner and the co-head of the India practice for Reed Smith. His practice focuses on corporate and securities transactions primarily in the energy, mining, health care and information technology industries. He lives and practices in Dallas. William L. Waudby joined Wilson Elser as a partner in its Birmingham, Alabama, office. He has more than 25 years of civil jury trial and appellate experience, with an emphasis on transportation, products liability, chemical and toxic tort, unfair competition and commercial litigation.
as a partner in the Richmond office.
1997L Tracy Taylor Hague is of counsel at Vandeventer Black L.L.P. in Richmond. Her practice focuses on complex medical malpractice and other personal injury cases.
1998L John W. Bateman’s début novel, “Who Killed Buster Sparkle?,” was published in June by Unsolicited Press and distributed through Ingram. Learn more at johnwbateman. com. He lives in Starkville, Mississippi. Eugene N. Butler was inducted as president of the Lynchburg Bar Association. In April, he won the election for the bar council for the 24th Judicial Circuit. Butler is an assistant attorney general, working in the Child Support Enforcement Division in Lynchburg.
1995L Kelly A. Cameron joined Wall Babcock L.L.P., in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, as a partner. He represents clients involved in employment and business tort litigation.
1996L Curtis R. Joseph Jr. (’93) received the NAACP’s Dr. Jesse N. Stone Pioneer Award in recognition and appreciation for his dedicated service, determination and efforts given to creating equality and justice for the citizens of Shreveport. He is a partner with Winchell & Joseph in Shreveport, Louisiana. David M. Lay joined Williams Mullen’s corporate section
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Elizabeth Curtis Horowicz is the senior director, communications, at PayPal where she has worked in various positions for the past 11 years. She lives in Bethesda, Maryland.
and dozens of places in between. In D.C., you can find her at the DC Improv, Drafthouse Comedy, and countless other clubs, one-nighters and bar basement showcases. She acknowledges that being a woman in a male-dominated business has been tough. “It’s easy to be overlooked until I get on stage and open my mouth. After that, I’m pretty hard to ignore,” she said. “Not all jokes work, and I would have felt that rejection more keenly if I had started at a much younger age.” But she’ll make note of it, and maybe turn that moment into another joke. She isn’t afraid to laugh at herself.
at Dominion Energy. She lives in Richmond.
2001L Ross S. Goldstein was promoted to senior litigation counsel at the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C.
Y. Titilola Talabi was promoted to company secretary and group legal counsel at GZ Industries Ltd. She lives in Agbara, Ogun State, Nigeria.
W. Ryan Snow was named to the 2020 Best Lawyers List for admiralty and maritime law, construction law and commercial litigation. He is the managing partner of Crenshaw, Ware & Martin in Norfolk.
Carter L. Williams was promoted to chief litigation counsel at Equinor, a global energy company. He lives in Houston.
2002L Sarah M. R. Cravens is Missouri Western’s vice president of strategic initiatives and chief of staff. She lives in Saint Joseph, Missouri. Audrey Marcello Persiani joined Ford Richardson as a partner in their Norfolk office. She specializes in matters involving worker’s compensation. She lives in Virginia Beach.
1999L Jennifer F. Shugars joined Dentsply Sirona in its global supply chain department as associate general counsel. She lives in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Videos, tour schedules and more at bpcomedy.com. Follow Postman on social media @bpostmancomedy.
2003L Damien P. DeLaney joined Akerman L.L.P. as a partner in the labor and employment practice. He lives in Los Angeles. Ryan J. Preston joined Reed Smith L.L.P.’s global corporate practice as a partner. He lives in Dallas. Emily Belcher Reynolds (’00) joined Alexander Ricks P.L.L.C. as a member, handling commercial real estate matters. She lives in Charlotte.
2004L Charlotte McAfee Garrett was promoted to director of electric distribution services
Winter
Daniel S. Wolf joined Virginia Information Technologies Agency as chief administrative officer in Chester, Virginia. Philip H. Yoon began a three-year term as a minority governor on the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s board of governors. He serves as the chief staff attorney for the Superior Court of Pennsylvania. He lives in Philadelphia.
2005L Brian A. Berkley, a partner in the litigation department of Fox Rothschild L.L.P., was named a professional excellence honoree in the Lawyers on the Fast Track category by The Legal Intelligencer. He practices in Philadelphia. Ryan A. Glasgow, of Hunton Andrews Kurth in Richmond, was named to the 2019 40 and Under Hot List by Benchmark Litigation. He represents employers and executives in labor matters and complex employment litigation. Patricia A. Jones is the new managing attorney for the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands’ Columbia office. She lives in Columbia, Tennessee. Christopher D. Van Blarcum was promoted to senior manager at PwC. He lives in Alexandria. 2020
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ALEX FLACHSBART ’15L
Opportunity Alabama Alex Flachsbart ’15L traded corporate law for the opportunity to revitalize impoverished areas of Alabama. BY LINDA EVANS
Alex Flachsbart ’15L always intended to be a traditional corporate attorney, but when he accidentally “stumbled” upon information while doing research for a client, the course of his career took a dramatic change. Flachsbart was looking for new grant programs or tax packages for a client of his firm, Balch & Bingham L.L.P., in Birmingham, Alabama, when he discovered a section of the 2017 tax reform legislation that created Opportunity Zones in each state. Alabama has 158 such Opportunity Zones, designated by the governor and based on a defined area’s poverty rate. “I began thinking about how this new incentive could transform how economic development works in rural communities,” said Flachsbart, who specialized in tax credit and economic development-related work with real estate developers, major utilities to local governments and nonprofit hospital systems. Eventually, with the financial assistance of his largest client and the firm’s blessing, he founded Opportunity Alabama (OPAL) in 2018 and went to work as its CEO. The nonprofit organization is “dedicated to driving capital into our distressed communities,” he said. Opportunity Zones exist in both rural areas and major cities, and OPAL works in each. He noted that the zones have an average poverty rate of 34% and a median family income of $30,043.
“Task one was figuring out how different stakeholder groups would use the incentive,” he said. “There is no instruction manual, so we had to build it ourselves.” Since OPAL’s inception, Flachsbart has had a busy first year. OPAL focuses on four primary groups: community, investors, projects and partners. “We have a comprehensive strategy to turn Alabama into a national epicenter for Opportunity Zone-driven investment, and, in the process, lay the groundwork to ignite place-based economic development revolution across the state,” he said. To do that, OPAL has set as its goals to educate stakeholders on what Opportunity Zones are and how investments can be structured to work for projects and communities; source project and capital pipelines; promote communities (and the projects that could make the biggest difference for those communities) to potential investors; connect projects to capital, capital to projects, and key institutional supporters to both groups to ensure that deals get done; and track performance of projects within communities to determine whether the program is having its intended effects. So far, he has held 70 listening and educational sessions throughout the state’s Opportunity Zones and already completed several high-impact projects. In the small town of Heflin, for
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mercial real estate partner in its Richmond office.
Gus M. Centrone joined Kynes, Markman & Felman P.A. as a partner in Tampa. His practice focuses on criminal defense and consumer protection.
Andrew M. Howard formed a new firm, Howard and Spaniol P.L.L.C. in Dallas, focusing on business litigation, intellectual property and financial transactions.
Jillian DiLaura McGuire has been named a 2019 40 Under Forty award recipient. McGuire is a family law attorney at Mackenzie Hughes L.L.P. in Syracuse, New York. Kelly J. Repair was promoted to major and is a judge advocate in the Marine Corps. She currently serves as a congressional liaison with the House of Representatives in Washington, D.C. Patrick Riley III is the head chef at Heliotrope Brewery in Lexington. He lives near Roanoke with his wife who is an emergency room physician with Carilion.
2007L Rebecca A. Beers was selected for B-Metro Magazine’s Top Women Attorneys in Birmingham for the second consecutive year. She is a securities and commercial litigator at Rumberger, Kirk & Caldwell in Birmingham, Alabama. R. Robert Benaicha has joined Hirschler Fleischer as a com8
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Robert V. Spake Jr. (’03) is included in the 2019 Benchmark Litigation’s Under 40 Hot List. He is a business litigation shareholder with Polsinelli in Kansas City, Missouri. Mayuri Reddy Wynn was appointed as a federal administrative law judge with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals. She and Chris ‘05L live in Albuquerque with their 5-year-old son.
2008L Mary Godwin Menge is co-founder and operations officer at Tom Beckbe, a Birmingham, Alabama-based, purveyor of fine sporting apparel and accessories.
2009L Nicole C. Bright is an associate in the finance practice at Paul Hastings. She works in New York City.
Alex Flachsbart ’15L is co-founder and CEO of Opportunity Alabama. instance, OPAL facilitated the opening of a $12 million senior-care facility in a former high school building. The town was changed “in one swoop,” said Flachsbart. “It was immediate, visceral, momentum-building.” In Opelika, OPAL helped upgrade commercial and industrial space that then could be marketed to businesses, and, in a project that brought in Stillman College as a partner, OPAL connected a national Opportunity Fund to an HBCU to construct a new teaching hotel adjacent to Stillman’s campus. “From agriculture to broadband to mixed-use to operating companies,” OPAL is creating jobs for Alabamians
Virginia Bell Flynn was featured in Law360 for receiving a 2019 Rising Star Award in Consumer Protection. She was one of five consumer protection practitioners under age 40 honored by Law360. She is a partner with Troutman Sanders in Richmond.
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2010L Marti J. McCaleb joined Middlebury College as the civil rights and Title IX coordinator. Elizabeth C. Roache joined Selendy and Gay P.L.L.C. in New York City as an attorney training and knowledge manager. Elizabeth Mielke Tatum is the executive office staff assistant at the U.S. Embassy in London.
2011L A. A. Moore Capito joined Babst Calland in Charleston, West Virginia, as a shareholder in the corporate and commercial, emerging technologies and energy and natural resources groups. J. Robertson Clarke (’06) joined Bonds Ellis Eppich Jones Schafer L.L.P. in Fort Worth, Texas. His practice
and bringing investment to distressed areas of the state,” said Flachsbart. The organization has identified more than 200 projects across the state and is actively marketing “more than $1 billion in potentially shovelready projects” to local and national investors. With a hectic schedule of phone calls, meetings and educating communities and stakeholders about OPAL, Flachsbart said the only day-to-day consistency is managing existing projects and looking ahead to what’s next. “I have one eye always looking to what’s ahead, and I’m thinking of creative ways to revitalize communities.”
focuses on bankruptcy and commercial litigation. Jesse M. Eshkol has joined the Department of Justice in the Eastern District of Louisiana as an assistant US. attorney. He will be in the criminal division, handling Project Safe Neighborhood drug and gun cases. He lives in New Orleans. Stacey Valentine Fielding joined Avelino and Hartlaub L.L.P. as a partner in the trust and estates practice group. She lives in Flemington, New Jersey. Sheila-Marie Finkelstein launched her own firm, AHAVA Law P.C., in September 2018 and received the inaugural Excellence in Service Award from the California Lawyers Association.
2012L Nick S. Brooks joined The Beck Group in Dallas as senior counsel. Donald C. Duncan III was promoted to associate general counsel for the Texas Hospital Association. He lives in Austin, Texas. A. J. Frey has joined Greenspring Associates as general counsel. Greenspring Associates, based in Owings Mills, Maryland, is a venture capital firm that invests primarily in
the information technology, biotechnology, health care and telecommunications sectors. A.J. lives in Washington, D.C. Edward S. Hillenbrand was promoted to partner at Kirkland & Ellis. He focuses on commercial litigation and securities litigation. He lives and works in Los Angeles. Andrew P. Larsen received the 2019 Pro Bono Legal Service Awards from the John Carroll Society. Larsen is an attorney-advisor with the U.S. Department of Commerce in the Office of the General Counsel, General Law Division, practicing fiscal and appropriations law, in Washington, D.C. Rae D. Mueller joined Baker Botts as an associate in the global projects practice group in Washington, D.C.
2013L Michael P. Bombace joined Wyre Inc., a longtime player in the global payments and the cryptocurrency industry. He moved to San Francisco in July to lead the legal and compliance departments. Cristina Becker Ellis joined the ACLU in Raleigh, North Carolina, as a capital mitigation specialist. Amy Conant Hoang (’10) was recognized by the ABA’s
MARK SNIDER ’04L
Acing an Interview Mark Snider ’04L wants to see your authentic self. BY LOUISE UFFELMAN
WHEN MARK SNIDER ’04L WAS ON CAMPUS to interview students for a summer internship at Porter Wright, he proudly wore his W&L tie. “I bought it when I was a law student, because I knew I would need to dress up for some of the social events I would be attending at the president’s house or the Alumni House,” he said. “I also knew I’d need one when I started interviewing for internships.” Like many W&L students, he ended up at the Alvin-Dennis store — which is still going strong — and purchased a blue-and-white striped tie with a small trident at the bottom. “It’s subtle,” he noted, “but I like the connection to W&L.” He pulls it out for reunion weekends and even wears it to work sometimes. It’s survived several spills and trips to the dry cleaners. “It’s obviously well made.” What’s held up just as well is
On The Rise program for her contributions to the bar and the profession. She is an associate in K&L Gates’ Washington, D.C. office. Audrey N. Karman is an associate in the litigation practice of Paul Hastings in its Washington, D.C., office. Matthew J. Moynihan joined Ford Richardson as an associate in its Norfolk, Virginia, office. His practice focuses on civil litigation and workers’ compensation defense. J. Scott Thomas joined McGuire Woods in its Richmond office as an associate. His practice focuses on toxic tort, products liability and environmental litigation. Monica K. Tulchinsky joined New York Legal Assistance Group in New York City as a staff attorney.
2014L Emily A. Feenstra has joined the Alaska Department of Law as assistant attorney general, Oil and Gas Section. She lives in Juneau. David A. Hurst joined Carvana in Phoenix, Arizona, as associate corporate counsel in finance. Gina R. Lauterio is an attorney-advisor for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in Cleveland, Ohio.
2015L Jessica Chi joined Berry Appleman & Leiden L.L.P. in Dallas as an associate, handling all aspects of employment-based immigration.
his W&L education. Now a partner focusing on tax law, Snider recruits W&L students because he knows they are getting the same strong academic preparation that he did. “I know they’ve already met certain criteria or they wouldn’t be at W&L Law,” he said. “When I’m interviewing candidates for an internship or a job, I’m looking for those intangibles that seem to set W&L students apart — they are relaxed, conversational, resilient, dynamic and personable. They possess soft skills that will help them be great lawyers.” His advice for those on the market? “Practice. Have a good friend ask you all the obvious questions and a few off-the-wall ones,” he advised. “It will feel a little awkward, but you’ll learn to be less self-conscious. Be prepared and learn to relax. Most of all, be your authentic self.”
Stephen R. Halpin III received the Charles Evans Hughes Excellence Award. He is a litigation associate in Hughes Hubbard & Reed’s Washington, D.C., office. Ellen C. Johnston joined the Office of the State’s Attorney, Baltimore City, as an assistant state’s attorney in the special victims unit. Alison Mygas Keefe joined Capital One as senior bankruptcy counsel in Richmond. Carolyn Brodbeck Lachman joined Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation in Washington, D.C. Austin L. Lomax joined Amazon as associate corporate counsel. He lives in Seattle, Washington. Bret C. Marfut joined Seyfarth Shaw L.L.P as an associate in the construction group in the Washington, D.C. office. Briyanna Q. Scott joined Allstate as a trial attorney in Chantilly, Virginia. Hernandez D. Stroud is the Robert F. Drinan Visiting Assistant Professor of Law at Boston College Law School. He lives in Providence, Rhode Island. Zach Wilkes (’12) joined CenturyLink as a senior attorney in the litigation department. He lives in Shreveport, Louisiana.
2016L Margaret Long Hayes joined Perkins Coie L.L.P. in Seattle, Washington, as an employee benefits associate.
Mark Snider ’04L sports his beloved W&L tie.
Jacob J. Ventura joined John P. Kristensen ’02L at Kristensen Weisberg L.L.C. as a personal injury associate in Los Angeles. Ariel S. Wossene joined Reed Smith L.L.P. in Richmond as an associate in the financial industry group.
2017L Anne M. Anderson joined Wheeler Trigg O’Donnell L.L.P.’s Denver office as an associate civil litigation attorney. Rossana Baeza joined Boies Schiller Flexner L.L.P. in Miami as an attorney. Mitchell D. Diles joined McGuire Woods L.L.P. in Richmond as an associate. His practice focuses on defending clients in product liability, environmental and mass tort litigation. Valerie E. Fulton joined Fulton & Barr P.A. in Greenville, South Carolina, as an associate. Max C. Gottlieb joined Hissam Forman Donovan Ritchie in Charleston, West Virginia, as a litigation associate. Stacey J. LaRiviere is a judicial law clerk to the Hon. Rossie D. Alston Jr. at the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Virginia. She lives in Alexandria, Virginia. Rennie E. Laryea joined the State Charter Schools Commission of Georgia in Atlanta as associate general counsel. She lives in Atlanta.
Adrianne D. Williams joined the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as assistant chief counsel. She lives in Baltimore, Maryland.
Devin C. White joined Rockingham County as an assistant commonwealth attorney. He lives in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
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2018L Shaun M. Bennett joined Conti Fenn L.L.C. in Baltimore as a litigation associate. W. Watts Burks IV joined Glenn, Feldmann, Darby & Goodlatte as an associate in Roanoke. Matthew C. Donahue joined the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office as an assistant district attorney. Anthony C. Gunst IV joined Nissenbaum Law Group L.L.C. in Union, New Jersey, as an associate. Jacquelin N. Hacker joined New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault as a staff attorney. J. Sills O’Keefe joined Tucker Griffin Barnes P.C. as an attorney in Staunton, Virginia. Maria V. Rossi joined Avolio Law Group L.L.C. in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, as an associate. Tyler J. Sanderson joined the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services in Washington, D.C., as an assistant deputy general counsel in the Office of the General Counsel. Jacob E. Thayer is a judge advocate with the U.S. Coast Guard in Norfolk, Virginia.
Maxwell S. Piller joined the Queens District Attorney’s Office in New York City as an assistant district attorney.
Winter
Matthew J. Bass joined Jackson Lewis P.C. in White Plains, New York, as an associate. Catherine F. Beaver is a business tax associate at RSM US L.L.P. in Washington, D.C. Lauren N. Bond joined Alston & Bird in Charlotte, North Carolina, as an intellectual property litigation associate. Frank N. Bozzi joined Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft L.L.P. in New York City. Tiffany E. Feller joined Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts as a tax analyst in Austin. Sally Harper Griffin is clerking for Chief Judge Kristi DuBose with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Alabama. She lives in Mobile. Christina Hubbard joined Gentry Locke in Roanoke as an associate. Michael W. Lehr joined Dunlap Bennett & Ludwig in Richmond as an associate. Kristen L. Mynes joined the Supreme Court of Virginia as a law clerk to the Hon. Chief Justice Donald W. Lemons. She lives in Staunton. Alexis T. Narducci joined Moore and Van Allen P.L.L.C. in Charlotte as a financial services associate.
2020
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WEDDINGS
Homewood, Alabama. Back row, l. to r.: John McBride ’16, Roy Abernathy ’20L, Morgan Richter ’20L, Joe Oschrin ’20L, Michael Gerbo ’16, Jennifer Geeker (bride), Miller Merchant ’16, Thomas Geeker (groom), Luke Myer ’16, Robert Eckstein ’16, Sean Moran ’20L, Brian Krouskos ’16 and Lee Buchanan ’16. Front row, l. to r.: Ben Bayles ’16, Chris Flight ’16, Van Geeker ’76, Trey Tickner ’16 and Zach De Leon ’20L.
Gregory N. Stillman ’74L to Cynthia Thomas on Oct. 5, 2019, in Virginia Beach. Alumni in attendance included Neal Barkus ‘74L. The couple reside in Virginia Beach. The Hon. Charles N. Dorsey ’79L to Heidi H. Stone on Aug. 3, 2019, in Giles County, Virginia. The ceremony was officiated by Jeffrey L. Dorsey ’82, brother of the groom. Other alumni in attendance included Douglas R. Dorsey ’78, also brother of the groom, William D. Broadhurst ’79L, James R. Swanson ’78L, David B. Carson ’88L and William P. Wallace ’74, ’7L. The couple reside in Salem, Virginia.
BIRTHS AND ADOPTIONS Kelly J. Repair ‘06L and her husband, Quentin Miller, a daughter, Ellison Quinn, on Oct. 15, 2019. She joins older brother Luke, 4, and sister Loren, 2. The family resides in Alexandria, Virginia. Travis B. Cushman ‘09L and Brittani Nichols Cushman ‘10L, a son, Daxton Reed, on July 2, 2019. The family reside in Washington, D.C. Sheila-Marie Finkelstein ’11L and her husband, Paul, a son, Stuart-Leo, on Feb. 10, 2019. He joins sister AhavaRaizel, 2. She launched her own firm, AHAVA Law P.C., in September 2018 and received the inaugural Excellence in Service Award from the California Lawyers Association.
OBITS
Kerriann Laubach ’13, ’16L to Jamison Shabanowitz ’15L on April 6, 2019, in Pittsburgh. Alumni in the wedding party included Sara Hardman ’13 and Maggie Holland ’13. Alumni in attendance included Emily Shu ’13, Aubri Charnigo ’13, Crystal Fain ’11, Jina Park ’13, Tamar Oostrom ’13, Haley Smith ’14, Nicole Gunawansa ’14, Emily Streeper ’16, Christian Martine ’14, Emily Tichenor ’16L, Julianne Gregory ’16L, Adam Gregory ’16L, R. Chandler Wilson ’15L, Richard Marmorstein ’14, Tal Jacobs ’12 and Morgan Luttig ’14. Also in attendance was professor Shane Lynch, associate professor of music and director of Choral Activities. Also pictured is flower girl and niece Colette Shabanowitz, prospective class of 2039. The couple reside in Alexandria, Virginia.
Sally E. Harper ’19L to Thomas W Griffin III ’18L on August 24, 2019 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Alumni in attendance included Quentin Becker ’19L, Claire Flowers ’19L , Maya Ginga ’19L, Danielle Novelly ’19L, Katie Beaver ’19L, Dory Ille ’19L, Caroline Diemer ’19L, Elizabeth Nugent ’19L, Darnell Morrow ’17L, Pierce Rigney ’19L, Spence Howden ’19L, Matt Bass ’19L, James Clark ’19L, Michael Lehr ’19L, Michael Brown ’19L, Michael DiBiagio ’19L, Chris Losito ’18L, Roland Hartung ’18L, Spencer Wiles ’18L, Kendall Manning ’18L, Maria Rossi ’18L, Mark Zhuang ‘18L, Alan Carillo ’18L, Ben Nye ’18L, Madison Peace ’20L, Michael Cruz ’19L and Jonathan Murphy ’18L.
Jack B. Porterfield Jr. ’49L, of Birmingham, Alabama, died on June 5, 2019. He was a World War II veteran. He established his own law practice of Porterfield, Harper, Mills, Motlow & Ireland. He served as president of the Birmingham Bar Association and the Sons of the Revolution of Alabama. James T. Graybeal ’49, ’51L, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, died on May 24, 2019. He served in the Navy during World War II. He had a career of over 37 years with State Farm Insurance Company in the claims management of injuries and lawsuits in Roanoke, Charlottesville, Richmond and Virginia Beach. Donald L. Jackson ’53, ’55L, of Knoxville, Tennessee, died on June 16, 2019. He served in the Army. He belonged to Phi Delta Theta. The Hon. Laurier T. Raymond Jr. ’54, ’56L, of Auburn, Maine, and Ft. Myers, Florida, died on May 25, 2019. He practiced law for 61 years and served as a probate judge for Androscoggin County, Florida. He was father to Tom Raymond III ’81 and belonged to Sigma Chi. Dirken T. Voelker ’54, ’56L, of Columbus, Ohio, died on Sept. 22, 2019. He served in the Army. He was a real estate and title attorney in central Ohio for over 60 years. He belonged to Phi Kappa Sigma and was father to Dow Voelker ’84. The Hon. James V. Loughran Jr. ’61L, of Waynesboro, Virginia, died on May 11, 2019. He worked for the federal government in Washington, D.C. William C. Miller ’58, ’61L, of San Marino, California, died on March 24, 2019. He was vice president and general counsel of Roche USA, Max Factor and GenProbe. He was father to Monica Miller Walsh ’88L and belonged to Kappa Sigma. W. Leigh Ansell ’59, ’62L, of Virginia Beach, died on Nov. 8, 2018. He practiced law for 54 years in Norfolk and Virginia Beach. He belonged to Pi Kappa Alpha. Henry L. Carter ’62L, of Orange, Virginia, died on May 31, 2019. He practiced law for over 56 years. He belonged to Phi Delta Theta.
Thomas S. P. Geeker ’16, ’20L to Jennifer Rudder on May 4, 2019, in
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Roy B. Thorpe Jr. ’72L, of Culpeper, Virginia, died on Aug. 11, 2019. He
GROVER C. OUTLAND JR. ’51L Grover C. Outland Jr. ’51L, of Onancock, Virginia, died on May 23, 2019. With George Gray ’50L, he formed the law firm of Outland, Gray, O’Keefe and Hubbard. The firm handled a variety of transactional and litigation matters including successful appeals to the Virginia Supreme Court. Outland retired from law practice in 2005. Outland’s law practice was interrupted by his service in the Army during the Korean War, when he volunteered to deploy to the combat zone as the executive officer of C Battery, 235th Field Artillery Observation Battalion. He always said his NCO’s stated faith in his ability to minimize the loss of soldiers’ lives was the highest honor he ever received during his life. For service in the Korean War, Outland was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, the Korean Defense Medal (with two service stars), the United Nations Korean Medal and the Republic of Korea (ROK) Korean War Medal. Shortly after his discharge, Outland met the love of his life, Norfolk native Margaret M. “Teancy” Matthews, and their happy union lasted for more than 61 years until Teancy’s unexpected passing. They shared so much in common with each other and with their children and grandchildren, including a love of the outdoors, especially the Eastern Shore and Chesapeake Bay, as well as boating, crabbing, fishing and hunting. A graduate of VMI, Outland served on its board of visitors and on the alumni asociation’s board of directors. He received the VMI Foundation’s Distinguished Service Award. He was father to Elizabeth Outland Branner, assistant dean for Law School Advancement, and father-in-law to Jodi Ringland Outland ’87.
was city attorney and assistant commonwealth’s attorney in Bedford, county attorney in Montgomery and Culpeper counties and city attorney of Falls Church. He was father to George Thorpe ’96 and Jennifer Thorpe ’92; brother-in-law to John Alford ’57, ’59L; and uncle to John Alford Jr. ’88L. Daniel T. Stacey ’75L, of Columbia, South Carolina, died on May 10, 2019. After several years in private law practice, he joined the South Carolina Office of Appellate Defense. Paul B. Rodgers III ’78L, of Columbia, South Carolina, died on Aug. 28, 2019. He served in the National Guard and
was a civil defense attorney. He was father to Miriam Rodgers McClure ’04. Richard L. Burger ’82L, of Glen Allen, Virginia, died on Sept. 14, 2019. He worked for Fox, Wooten and Hart Law firm in Roanoke and Sands Anderson in Richmond. Patricia A. Calore ’83L, of East Lansing, Michigan, died on May 17, 2019. She worked for Foster Swift Collins & Smith, where she was an equity partner, and then in the Tax Policy Division of the Michigan Department of Treasury. She was wife to Mike Bommarito ’83L and sister to Bill Calore ’82L.
THE HON. JOHN A. PARKINS JR. ’72L The Hon. John A. Parkins Jr. ’72L, of Wilmington, Delaware, died on May 24, 2019. A graduate of the University of Delaware, Parkins served in the Army after college and when his service concluded, he enrolled at W&L Law and embarked on a storied legal career. After a clerkship with the Delaware Supreme Court, Parkins became deputy attorney general with the Delaware Department of Justice and then joined the state’s largest firm Richards, Layton & Finger. He excelled in the courtroom, becoming the firm’s top trial attorney, and was known as one of the best trial attorneys in Delaware. In his 60s, rather than looking toward retirement, Parkins returned to service when Gov. Ruth Ann Minner appointed him a superior court judge in 2008. A dedicated alumnus, he returned to Lexington often and devoted many hours to mentoring law students, many of whom went to work in his chambers. In a rememberance from Delaware Online, Bill Larson ’08, ’11L, who clerked for Parkins, wrote “Judge Parkins was loved by his colleagues, his law clerks and court staff. He treated all with respect and civility. Most criminal hearings ended with him addressing the defendant with ‘good luck to you sir’ or ‘good luck to you ma’am.’ And he meant it.” Judge Parkins was father to Rebecca Parkins Anderson ’94 and Elizabeth Parkins ’89.
Law Firm Giving Competition Alumni (undergraduate and law) continue to support Washington and Lee at impressive rates. Below is the list of firms that reached 75 percent or greater participation in the Annual Fund (undergraduate or law). We thank the law firm liaisons who solicited gifts from their colleagues and thank all alumni for their generous support. Firm
%
Bressler Amery & Ross
100%
Lightfoot, Franklin & White LLC
100%
Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick LLP
100%
Law Firm Liaison Lee M. Hollis ’86
Firm
%
Law Firm Liaison
Squire Patton Boggs LLP
85%
Vinson & Elkins LLP
85%
Moore & Van Allen PLLC
80%
Amanda Fisher ’16L Timothy A. Hodge ’90L
McGuireWoods LLP
95%
William C. Mayberry ’91L
Nelson Mullin Riley & Scarborough
80%
Burr & Forman LLP
90%
John C. Morrow ’85L
Pryor Cashman LLP
80%
Jackson Walker LLP
90%
Jeffrey M. Sone ’78
Maynard, Cooper & Gale PC
75%
Kathryn R. Eldridge ’03L
Holland & Knight
90%
Peter A. Baumgaertner ’83, ’86L
Reed Smith LLP
75%
Robert M. Dilling ’76L
Robert K. Tompkins ’90, ’94L
Klinedinst PC
85%
John D. Klinedinst ’71, ’78L
Jackson Kelly
75%
CowanPerry PC
85%
Spilman, Thomas & Battle
75%
Dechert LLP
85%
wa s h i n g t o n a n d l e e u n i v e r s i t y s c h o o l o f l aw
ALUMNI WEEKEND a p r i l 3 – 5 • # w l l aw 2 0 2 0
There are many reasons…
to make the trip to Lexington for our next Alumni Weekend, April 3-5, 2020. You can see spectacular renovations to Lewis Hall and many new campus buildings that position the law school as a focal point of university life. Downtown Lexington has never been more vibrant, with many new restaurants, as well as classics like the Southern Inn, ready to welcome you. Meander along the Chessie Trail or tackle the rigorous ascent of House Mountain for unmatched views of the majestic Shenandoah Valley.
But perhaps the best reason to visit is to enjoy once again this wonderful community, to renew the friendships with classmates and professors that made W&L Law your second home. You will find our community as welcoming and supportive as when you first chose it for your legal education.
Please join us in April and let us remind you what makes this place so special. Now is a great time to return to W&L Law. Hope to see you soon.
—brant hellwig, Dean and Professor of Law
Registration is now open
Visit go.wlu.edu/lawalumni20 for the full schedule. Questions? Please contact Suzanne Wade at swade@wlu.edu or 540-458-8996.
Indrajit B. B. Majumder ’93L
Hannah Cloh ’20L, pg. 1
Sophie Rogers ’21L, pg. 3
Sam Calhoun, pg. 4
Mario Urizar ’11L, p. 6
Discovery
Alex Flachsbart ’15L, p. 8
THE NEWSLETTER FROM WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW LAW.WLU.EDU Non-Profit Org
Washington and Lee University School of Law 204 W. Washington Street Lexington, VA 24450-2116
U. S. P o s t a g e
a nd
Fees
P
a
i
Washington
d a nd
Lee University
Last Class Clap Out Congratulations to professors Sam Calhoun and Mary Natkin ’85L who will retire at the end of the academic year. Combined, they have served W&L Law for more than 70 years! We’ll share stories about their careers in the Summer issue of Discovery.