College of Law News Stories
Former Detroit Mayor Speaks at College Of Law. Full story.
Satirist, Journalist & Author P.J. O'Rourke Returns Home To Speak at College of Law. Full story.
Toledo Law alumnus Bill Cunningham ('74) wins prestigious award from the National Association of Broadcasters. Full story.
Transition in the Registrar's Office. Full story.
College of Law Holds 2009 Commencement Ceremony on May 9. Full story.
Two University of Toledo College of Law Professors Named Top Legal Bloggers. Full story.
Professor Bruce Kennedy Receives Fulbright Grant to Teach in China. Full story.
Former Detroit Mayor Speaks at College Of Law
Former Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court, President of the American Bar Association, and Mayor of Detroit Dennis W. Archer spoke at The University of Toledo College of Law on Wednesday, September 30 at noon in the Law Center Auditorium. The speech was titled "The Emerging Practice of Law: 2009 into the Future." It was free and open to the public.
Mr. Archer is Chairman of Dickinson Wright, a Detroit-based law firm with more than 250 attorneys. He served two four-year terms as mayor of the city of Detroit (1994-2001) and earned national and international respect for his success in changing Detroit's image and direction.
He was the first person of color elected president of the American Bar Association (2003-2004) as well as of the State Bar of Michigan. In 1985, Governor James Blanchard appointed Archer an Associate Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court. He was elected to an eight-year term the following year.
“Dennis Archer is one of the most prominent attorneys in America. His wide range of experience – in politics, on the bench, as a leader of the bar, and in small and large firm practice – gives him an unparalleled perspective on the future of the legal profession. This was a great opportunity for law students and lawyers to see what lies ahead,” says Daniel J. Steinbock, the College of Law’s Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.
The UT Law Speakers Series is dedicated to providing the College of Law and the general public with timely discussion of legal and policy issues.Satirist, Journalist & Author P.J. O'Rourke Returns Home To Speak at College of Law
Best-selling humorist P.J. O'Rourke spoke at The University of Toledo College of Law on Tuesday, September 29 at 11:45am in the Law Center Auditorium. The speech, entitled "The Invisible Hand of the Market vs. the Government's Visible Fist", was presented as part of the Stranahan National Issues Forum. It was free and open to the public.
“In troubled times like these, it's refreshing to hear a discussion of important issues of public policy that is laced with humor. We were proud to present to an informative and entertaining presentation from one of Toledo’s stellar native sons,” said Daniel Steinbock, associate dean of the College of Law.
The visit was just the latest in a string of nationally high-profile speakers who have visited the College of Law in recent years.
Mr. O'Rourke has written fourteen books, including Parliament of Whores, Give War a Chance, Eat the Rich, The CEO of the Sofa, Peace Kills and On the Wealth of Nations. His most recent book, Driving Like Crazy, was published in June 2009. Both Time and The Wall Street Journal have called him “the funniest writer in America.” He was born in Toledo and is a graduate of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.
The Stranahan National Issues Forum is a joint program of The University of Toledo College of Law and its chapter of The Federalist Society. It is made possible by an endowment from the Stranahan Foundation
Toledo Law alumnus Bill Cunningham ('74) wins prestigious award from the National Association of Broadcasters
Bill Cunningham ('74), Toledo Law alumnus and Cincinnati radio host, was awarded "Large Market Personality of the Year" for 2009 by the the National Association of Broadcasters. The Marconi award, Cunningham's second, was presented during a ceremony in Philadelphia on September 24. He took home the same honor in 2001.
The Marconi Awards were established in 1989 and named after inventor and Nobel Prize Winner Guglielmo Marconi.
Transition in the Registrar's Office
Valerie Parra retired after seven years as Law Registrar at the end of August. Earlier, Debbie Parish had retired from her position as Records Management Officer in that Office. We are grateful to both for their many years of outstanding service.
Kathy Skaff moved over from the Athletic Department to replace Ms. Parish in June. On October 1 Dan Kall will assume the position of Law Registrar. Mr. Kall has been with The University of Toledo since 1996 and has worked as Assistant Registrar for Information Systems, on the Banner Implementation Team, and as a Systems Analyst in Academic Computing. We welcome both to the College of Law.
College of Law Holds 2009 Commencement Ceremony on May 9
The University of Toledo College of Law welcomed 160 graduates into the legal profession at the 2009 Commencement ceremony on May 9 at the Student Union Auditorium.
Professor James M. Klein, who retired at the end of the school year after 38 years on the law faculty, gave the faculty welcome. James Thomas '87, a College of Law alumnus, addressed the graduates as Commencement Speaker. Mr. Thomas is a former U.S. Magistrate Judge who now chairs the Litigation Practice Group of over 200 trial lawyers for Squire, Sanders & Dempsey, an international law firm.
Valedictorian Jacob Cohen also spoke, as did Immediate Past SBA President Ryan Engle. The Dean's Outstanding Student Award was given to Joshua Boggioni, the outgoing Editor in Chief of the Law Review. Michael Wehrkamp was honored with the ALI-ABA Scholarship and Leadership Award. Professor Beth Eisler received the Outstanding Professor Award from the graduating class.
The degrees were conferred by Daniel Brennan, Trustee Emeritus and father of graduate Joseph Brennan. In another family moment, Professor Robin Kennedy had the honor of hooding his daughter, graduate Erin Kennedy.
The processional and recessional were performed by the Toledo Symphony Brass Quintet.
Two University of Toledo College of Law Professors Named Top Legal Bloggers
Blogs written by University of Toledo College of Law Professor Geoffrey Rapp and Emeritus Distinguished University Professor Howard Friedman have been named two of America’s best legal blogs by the ABA Journal in its recently released list of the top 100 legal blogs.
Professor Rapp is one of the editors of Sports Law Blog, which the ABA Journal describes as “where posts from law profs and others tackle all things from the nexus of law and sports.” His blogging activities have triggered interviews of Professor Rapp by national media, including the New York Times and National Public Radio’s Morning Edition.
Professor Friedman’s Religion Clause Blog was named for the second year. The ABA Journal notes Professor Friedman’s “daily flurry of posts devoted to news, issues and commentary relating to the free exercise of religion and church-state separation. His posts often involve the fascinating intersection of religious law and secular law.”
Fulbright Grant Awarded to Professor Bruce Kennedy
UT Law Associate Professor Bruce Kennedy has been chosen to receive a Fulbright grant to teach in China and is the second UT Law faculty member in two years to receive that honor.
 Professor Bruce Kennedy |
Kennedy will teach from February through mid-July 2009 at Xiamen University School of Law, which is located in a port town between Shanghai and Hong Kong situated across from Taiwan. During his time at the School of Law, he’ll teach a graduate class in American Property Law and an undergraduate course in legal research, and will also be assisting the School of Law in developing its law library.
Kennedy looks forward to the experience. “I’m honored to join the growing number of UT law professors to teach in the Fulbright program,” he said. “I am very grateful for this opportunity to explore China’s legal culture and to collect ideas and insights that will enrich my teaching at home.”
Kennedy, a faculty member since 1993, joins three other College of Law faculty members who have received Fulbrights – Professor Llewellyn Gibbons, who taught in China in 2007-2008, Associate Dean Daniel Steinbock, and Charles W. Fornoff Professor of Law and Values Rebecca Zietlow.
Professor Kennedy is a graduate of the University of Michigan (AB), the University of Minnesota (JD) and the University of Michigan (AMLS). Prior to joining the UT Law faculty, Professor Kennedy held positions at the Cornell and Georgetown law libraries. While in Washington, he testified before Congress and federal agencies on a wide range of information policy matters.
Professor Kennedy has been active in a number of professional organizations including the American Association of Law Libraries. He previously served as Director of the LaValley Law Library at the College of Law.
In addition, Professor Kennedy has published in the fields of privacy law and information policy. For six years, Professor Kennedy was a member of and principal draftsman for the AALL Citation Formats Committee which is designing uniform citation standards for citing legal materials in printed and digital formats.
About 800 U.S. faculty and professionals are chosen every year to participate in the Fulbright program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. The program was established in 1946 by the U.S. Congress to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.
