 |  |
Weekly Calendar
Speakers & Events
Toledo Transcript
Special Programs
E-Newsletters
Reinberger fellowships allow UT Law students to work side-by-side with prosecutors. Full story. U.S. District Judge Joseph J. Farnan, Jr., ’70 addresses Law Graduates. Full story. UT Law administrators play leadership roles in national conferences. Full story. Students honored for service to the community. Full story. SBA 5K Walk/Run Benefits Local Charity. Full story. Ohio Supreme Court Justice Lanzinger '77 helps to honor UT Law students. Full story. Alumni Spotlight: FBI Special Agent Erin Marciniak '00. Full story. Student Spotlight: Ian Kierpaul ’08 receives Next Generation Leader Award. Full story. UT Student Bar Association to Hold 5K Event to Benefit Charity. Full story. Conference on April 4 will Examine Clinical and Legal Challenges of Treating Sex Offenders Full story. College of Law Faculty Member Authors Report on Domestic Violence Fatalities. Full story. International Law Prof at UT to Participate in Talks with UN. Full story. Student Spotlight: UT Law Students Hike the Grand Canyon. Full story. Adjunct Professor for 20 years passes away. Full story. Professor illustrates how slavery shaped the Constitution. Full story. Gift to Benefit UT College of Law Legal Clinic. Full story. UT Law Prof’s Blog Chosen as Top 100 by ABA Journal. Full story. Student Spotlight: UT Law Student Balances Studies with Politics. Full story. Faculty Spotlight: Clinical Faculty Member Rob Salem helps to battle bullying in schools. Full story. Alumni Spotlight: Diane Mitchum '92 in the Justice Department helps build better communities. Full story. Fall 2007 Speaker Series Events include Attorneys, Journalists and Judges. Full story. Supreme Court of Ohio Justice addressed new law students. Full story. Law students pitch in to help home for battered women. Full story. Stoepler Professor of Law and Values appointed to ABA ethics committee. Full story. UT Law students haven’t forgotten Hurricane Katrina victims. Full story. Hungarian law graduates sample law and life in Toledo through visit coordinated by UT College of Law. Full story. General Counsel for Fortune 500 Company addressed May graduates. Full story. Student Bar Association to Hold Third Annual Ambulance Chase on April 7. Full story. College of Law welcomed U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia on March 13, 2007. Full story. Black History Month Speaker to discuss the “Un-Civil Rights Movement” in America. Full story. Attorney for last remaining "enemy combatant" on U.S. soil to speak Feb. 7. Full story. UT College of Law welcomes authors, academics, scientists, environmentalists and attorneys to the Sixth Annual Great Lakes Water Conference. Full story. UT Law will host debate presented by the Council for America's First Freedom, the American Constitution Society and the Federalist Society: "Religious Exemptions: An Unfair Advantage?" Full story. The University of Toledo College of Law comes in first in the state in bar passage for first-time test takers. Full story. MIT lawyer to talk about what academic researchers need to know to avoid violating federal laws meant to prevent nuclear proliferation and terrorism. Full story. UT Law hosts ABA arbitration competition where students from across the region will test their “out of courtroom” skills. Full story. UT Law grad to talk about challenges as general counsel for largest federal employee union. Law Auditorium; Noon. Full story. UT Law Speaker Series to kick off with “The Role of Religion in American Politics: A Panel Discussion”. September 11, noon. Full story. A theatrical performance, “Impeach Justice Douglas!” A Celebration of Civil Liberties in Memory of 9/11, will illustrate timeless civil rights issues. September 11, noon. Full story. The College of Law welcomes Douglas E. Ray as its 16th dean. Full story. Professor Susan Martyn’s latest book was written with clients in mind. Full story. Fulbright Grant Awarded to Professor to Study Intellectual Property Law in China. Full story College of Law students take the gold for on-line negotiation skills. Full story. May graduates celebrate with friends and family. Full story. UT Law hosts international conference on the role of information technology in resolving disputes. Full story. UT Law honored to host Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on March 13. Full story. Student Spotlight: Loyola student heads back to New Orleans after a memorable semester at UT Law. Full story Legal Clinic students help improve health care for HIV-positive inmates in Ohio prisons. Full story Hard work pays off for UT Trial Advocacy Team at Cleveland competition. Full story UT Provost Alan Goodridge announced March 31 that Douglas Ray has accepted offer to become Dean of the College of Law effective July 1, 2006. Full story UT Law student helps meet legal needs created by Hurricane Katrina and says other students can help without leaving home. Full story Toledo Law Students to Work in Prosecutors’ Offices Across the Country Ten College of Law students will soon head to federal and state prosecutors’ offices all across the country to learn first-hand what it takes to effectively prosecute crime. With the support of the Reinberger Honors Program in Prosecution, they’ll work side by side with prosecuting attorneys on actual criminal cases. But first, the ten law students selected to receive this year’s Reinberger fellowships will undergo a week-long orientation and training program at the College of Law beginning today. Under the tutelage of experienced prosecutors and judges, the students will have a chance to learn and practice some of the skills they’ll need this summer.
The Reinberger Honors Program in Prosecution was established in 1997 to attract highly qualified law students to careers in prosecution and to enhance prosecution placement opportunities. Through the program, past participants have had opportunities to interview witnesses, negotiate pleas and participate in trials. The program, supported by a generous grant from the Reinberger Foundation, often affects career aspirations. “The Reinberger experience was my first introduction to the concept that prosecutors dedicate their lives to protecting the victims of crime, those members of our society who have no other advocate,” wrote one student who went on serve as a Judge Advocate in the United States Marine Corps. “Without the Reinberger experience, I would never have been able to contribute as much as I have.” This year’s fellowship recipients were selected based on academic performance, commitment to public service and advocacy skills. They will be working in federal and state prosecutors’ offices in Texas, South Carolina, Illinois, Michigan and Ohio. For more information, contact the Law Communications Office at 419.530.2712. U.S. District Judge Joseph J. Farnan, Jr., ’70 addresses Law Graduates
Approximately 132 College of Law students took one giant step closer to entering the legal profession during the Law Commencement Ceremony on May 4, 2008, at 1 p.m. in the Student Union Auditorium. Joseph J. Farnan, Jr., United States District Judge, served as keynote speaker at the ceremony. In the audience was the Judge’s son, Michael, who is a member of the class of 2008. Other speakers included Jeanne M. Whalen, valedictorian of the class of 2008, outgoing Student Bar Association President Michael Riesen, and Professor Douglas Chapman. Dean Douglas Ray had this to say about the graduating class: “The class of 2008 is a special class. Its members have helped make this a better law school through their leadership in public service, moot court and trial advocacy, law review, student government and other student organizations. They are caring, committed people whose service and leadership will enrich their communities and serve their clients well.” Judge Farnan received his Juris Doctor degree from The University of Toledo College of Law in June 1970. While at Toledo, Judge Farnan served as an editor of The University of Toledo Law Review and was awarded the Alumni Scholarship in recognition of academic achievement.
From September 1970 until June 1973, Judge Farnan was Dean of Students and Director of the Criminal Justice Program at Wilmington University. After leaving the university as an administrator and faculty member, he continued as an adjunct faculty member until 1981. From December 1972 until December 1976, Judge Farnan was in the private practice of law while serving as a part-time assistant public defender. He was appointed County Attorney for New Castle County, Delaware in 1976 and Chief Deputy Attorney General for the State of Delaware in 1979. In August 1981, he was appointed U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware by President Ronald Reagan. In July 1985, Judge Farnan was appointed to the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware by President Reagan. Judge Farnan served as Chief Judge of the District Court from July 1997 until July 2000. During his tenure with the District Court, Judge Farnan has presided over and decided numerous high profile corporate disputes and patent infringement actions. Included among his many cases have been the Pantry Pride/Revlon securities case, the Diet Coke pricing case, the DaimlerChrysler merger case and the Lipitor patent case. Judge Farnan is currently presiding over the Intel antitrust cases. Judge Farnan is a member of both the New Jersey Bar (1970) and the Delaware Bar (1972).
UT Law administrators play leadership roles in national conferences
Two members of the College of Law administration recently played leadership roles in national conferences. Dean Douglas Ray served as Conference Chair for the 46th Annual Labor Law and Labor Arbitration Course sponsored by the Center for American and International Law in Plano, Texas, April 21-25, 2008. This program, the most extensive of its kind, attracts attorneys from all over the country to hear some of the nation’s top labor lawyers, law professors and National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) officials. Ray taught sessions on recognition picketing, secondary boycott law, enforcement of labor agreements and labor arbitration. He has chaired the program for the past ten years.
Heather Karns, assistant dean for law career services and alumni affairs, chaired a panel at the National Association for Law Placement annual conference in Toronto. The panel focused on how best to serve evening law students. “We’re always interested in finding better ways to connect with evening students and it’s especially helpful to hear what other law schools do to support and serve their evening divisions,” Karns said. Karns heads the Office of Professional Development at the College of Law, committed to providing career services to all students and assisting students in the transition from law student to employed professional.
Students honored for service to the community
The College of Law recently recognized students who have volunteered at least 30 hours of law-related community service over the course of a semester. Students received a Public Service Commendation from Dean Douglas E. Ray at a special reception in March. Also at the program, the first Patrick M. Burns Memorial Award was given to a student who demonstrated excellent client advocacy skills through work in the College of Law Legal Clinic, which represents clients who would not otherwise be able to afford to hire an attorney. Since the introduction of the Public Service Commendation program in January 2007, UT Law students have volunteered more than 4000 hours in law related public service positions, according to Jessica Mehl, assistant director of law career services and pro bono coordinator. Through partnerships with public interest agencies, law students have worked on a variety of public interest initiatives – including providing support to displaced victims of Hurricane Katrina; participation in pro se clinics sponsored by the Toledo Bar Association where law students assist members of the community who cannot afford to hire an attorney; and helping to negotiate repayment plans on behalf of families who are at risk of losing their homes to foreclosure.
“This program gives us a way to recognize the many law students who provide volunteer service to our community and a way to encourage them to learn what a difference a lawyer can make in a person’s life,” said Dean Ray. During the program, the College of Law also acknowledged the assistance that members of the Toledo legal community have given to students who are seeking pro bono opportunities. Jim Irmen, president of the Toledo Bar Association, spoke about the importance of exposing law students early on to the many opportunities they will have as lawyers to improve others’ lives. UT President Lloyd Jacobs and Lawrence Burns, vice president for enrollment, marketing, communications at UT, helped to congratulate the recipient of the Patrick M. Burns Memorial Award. The award was presented to Kristina Schultz ’08 for the excellent client advocacy she displayed in her work in the College of Law Legal Clinic. For more than three decades, faculty and students from the College of Law Legal Clinic have helped thousands of underserved people to protect their legal interests. SBA 5K Walk/Run Benefits Local Charity The Student Bar Association at the UT College of Law raised $3,500 for charity through its Fourth Annual 5K Ambulance Chase. Proceeds from the 5K walk/run benefitted Rusty’s House, a locally founded teen and young adult treatment and support facility for alcohol and substance abuse
On Saturday, April 5, area attorneys, UT Law students, and other members of the University and greater Toledo community, grateful for the beautiful weather, gathered in front of the law school to participate in the race. The event was co-sponsored by BarBri Bar Review; Corpus Christi University Parish; Gallon Takacs Boissoneault & Schaffer Co. L.P.A.; J. Alexander’s; Schindler, Neff, Holmes Schlageter & Mohler L.L.P.; Roetzel & Andress, L.P.A.; the Toledo Bar Association; Vito’s Pizza; Westlaw; and The Wilson Foundation. "The SBA 5k is always an exciting event. Even though it’s only weeks before exams, we always have a good showing of law students who take time out to help the community,” said the Student Bar Association outgoing President Mike Riesen. “Each year, the SBA strives to improve the event and with the generous donations of local vendors and running groups, we’re able to continue what has become a fun tradition." Ohio Supreme Court Justice Lanzinger '77 helps to honor UT Law students
Ohio Supreme Court Justice Judith Lanzinger ’77 served as the keynote speaker at the Toledo Women’s Bar Association Annual Scholarship Luncheon where UT Law students were recognized for promoting women’s issues. Jennifer Less ’09 and Tracy Andrews ’09 were the recipients of the Toledo Women’s Bar Association scholarships at the banquet on April 6. Andrews is the incoming vice-president and past secretary of UT’s chapter of the Women’s Law Student Association. Less is currently president of UT Law’s chapter of the American Bar Association-Law Student Division. Also recognized during the banquet were the outgoing and incoming presidents of the Women’s Law Student Association, Stephanie Hanna ’08 and Rebecca McCarty ’09. Justice Lanzinger has served as a role model for women in the law. She was elected to the Supreme Court of Ohio in 2004 after having served 20 years on the bench at varying levels of the judiciary, from the Toledo Municipal Court to the Lucas County Court of Common Pleas to the Sixth District Court of Appeals and then on to the Supreme Court of Ohio. She was valedictorian of the Class of 1977 at The University of Toledo College of Law and has been active throughout her career in organizations and programs designed to mentor law students and young lawyers. Student Spotlight: Ian Kierpaul ’08 receives Next Generation Leader Award
At least he and the organization he worked for has something to show for it. As president of the UT Law chapter of the American Constitution Society during his second year, Kierpaul received a trophy for the chapter. He was also awarded the ACS Next Generation Leader designation. Among other accomplishments, Kierpaul was able to recruit an impressive number of speakers. The chapter also sponsored or co-sponsored charity events and movie screenings with a constitutional flavor. The effort paid off as the Toledo chapter was honored with a programming award at its annual conference. “We were one of the more active chapters. It definitely kept me busy,” Kierpaul said. He persuaded several nationally known speakers to travel to Toledo and give lectures on a wide array of topics. Topics ranged from issues raised by the war on terrorism to prison reform. “More than anything else, I was very happy that Toledo was recognized,” Kierpaul said. During his third year in law school, Kierpaul continued his service to UT Law as Managing Editor of The University of Toledo Law Review. He looks forward to graduating in May. Students At The University Of Toledo College Of Law Will Hold 5k Charity Run/Walk To Benefit Rusty’s House The siren from an ambulance will be the signal for area lawyers and law students to begin racing one another for charity in the fourth annual 5K Ambulance Chase at The University of Toledo College of Law. On Saturday, April 5, area attorneys, UT Law students, and other members of the University and greater Toledo community will gather in front of The University of Toledo College of Law to participate in the race. Proceeds from the 5K walk/run will benefit Rusty’s House, a locally founded teen and young adult treatment and support facility for alcohol and substance abuse. " The SBA 5k is always an exciting event. Even though it’s only weeks before exams, we always have a good showing of law students who take time out to help the community,” said the Student Bar Association outgoing President Mike Riesen. “Each year, the SBA strives to improve the event and with the generous donations of local vendors and running groups, we are able to continue what has become a fun tradition at the University of Toledo College of Law." Proceeds from last year’s 5K run/walk went to the Make A Wish Foundation. Proceeds from this year’s event will benefit directly benefit the Toledo community through the efforts of Rusty’s House. Rusty’s House currently serves approximately 50 teens and young adults (ranging in age from 15 to 25) in substance abuse treatment and support. Rusty’s House also provides support to approximately 45 parents through weekly support meetings A representative from Rusty’s House will be on hand after the race to explain how the money raised will help. In addition to the 5K proceeds, Rusty’s House will also be the recipients of the proceeds collected from the Ambulance Chase Raffle drawing. Tickets for the Raffle Drawing are $2 each or 6 tickets for $10 and are on sale the day of the race. The Raffle Drawing will take place following the race and awards ceremony where refreshments will be provided. The 5K course (3.1 miles) spans The University of Toledo’s Bancroft campus and starts and finishes at the College of Law. An awards ceremony for the top finishers will be held at the conclusion of the event, acknowledging the top three male and top three female finishers. Runners and walkers can obtain a registration form for the event at www.toledoroadrunners.org, and can register on the day of the event at The University of Toledo College of Law. Registration begins at 8 a.m. and the Ambulance Chase begins at 9 a.m. The cost is $15 for those who register in advance, and $25 for those who register on the day of the event. Included in the registration price is a complementary long-sleeved t-shirt to all registered runners and a water bottle to the first 100 registrants. The Ambulance Chase is co-sponsored this year by BarBri Bar Review, Corpus Christi University Parish, Gallon Tackas Boissoneault & Schaffer Co. L.P.A attorneys at law., J.Alexander’s, the law offices of Schindler Neff Holmes Schlageter & Mohler L.L.P., Roetzel & Andress law offices, the Toledo Bar Association, Vito’s Pizza, Westlaw, and The Wilson Foundation. For more information, contact Cece Lamoreau, 5K event coordinator, at 419.302.5141. Conference on April 4 will Examine Clinical and Legal Challenges of Treating Sex Offenders The University of Toledo, Northcoast Behavioral Healthcare, and Toledo Bar Association will host a conference that examines clinical and legal issues relating to the treatment of sex offenders. The Eighth Annual Henry L. Hartman Forensic Psychiatry Conference, titled “Sex Offenders: Legal and Clinical Challenges,” will be held on Friday, April 4, from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., in the Law Center Auditorium on The University of Toledo Main Campus. The topic of the conference is especially timely due to recent legislation that has targeted the sex offender population, calling for longer minimum mandatory sentences for certain crimes, expanded registration requirements without regard to treatment or likelihood of recidivism, restricted residency zones, reporting of employment, and travel within prescribed areas. This conference will bring together legal and medical experts to bring a deeper understanding of the issue to the community. Thomas O. Osinowo, M.D., Chief Clinical Officer of Northcoast Behavioral Healthcare, serves as conference chairman. Speakers will include Lucia Hinojosa, R.N., Ph.D.; Paul Accettola, Esq.; Timothy Wynkoop, Ph.D, ABPP (CN); Hon. Judge Denise Navarre Cubbon; Fabian Saleh, M.D.; Jeffrey M. Gamso, Esq.; and S. Scott Schwab, Esq. The panelists will discuss the history of sex offender laws, sex offender risk assessment, ethics issues, juvenile issues, treatment for sex offenders, and legal challenges to sex offender laws. This symposium is presented in memory of Henry L. Hartman, M.D. (1910-1980), whose many interests included facilitating communication and understanding between mental health and legal practitioners. Dr. Hartman, a psychiatrist in private practice in Toledo from 1946 until 1975, was the consulting psychiatrist at the Family Court Center (now Juvenile Court) (1953-1980), Medical Director, Court Diagnostic and Treatment Center (1972-1980), and clinical professor of psychiatry at the Medical College of Ohio (now University of Toledo, Health Science Campus) from May 1967 until his death in August 1980. He testified frequently in criminal and civil cases and was a panel member of psychiatric examiners for the Court of Common Pleas of Lucas County (1956-1972). For more information about the conference, contact Becky Gwozdz with the Continuing Medical Education Office at 419. 383.4237 or Cher Carrothers with the Toledo Bar Association at 419. 242.5031. For the conference brochure and registration information, click here. For directions to The University of Toledo College of Law, click here. College of Law Faculty Member Documents Trends and Risk Factors for Domestic Violence Fatalities
Deaths from domestic violence tripled in Northwest Ohio from 2003 to 2006, and domestic violence was the number one cause of local murders in 2007. The study, led by College of Law Clinical Professor Gabrielle Davis and funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, examined all domestic violence related deaths in Lucas County between 2003 and 2006. The study aimed to identify trends, pinpoint characteristics of people most at risk, and make recommendations to local officials and policy makers on how to stem the tide of these preventable deaths. “This study points to a need for a comprehensive, community-wide domestic violence prevention plan that focuses on stopping violence before it starts,” says Davis, who served as principal investigator in the year-long study.
Age and gender factors were also significant. Male victims tended to be much younger than female homicide victims. Deaths of female victims occurred across the entire life span. Furthermore, while male victims represented 74 percent of all homicides over the study period, including non-domestic violence-related murders, only about 10 percent of those homicides were related to domestic violence. Conversely, domestic violence was attributed to up to 90 percent of the female homicide victims. This indicates that men are significantly more vulnerable to murder overall, but are still far less likely to be killed in the context of domestic violence. For the full text of the report’s Executive Summary, which outlines the study’s main findings, go to http://www.utlaw.edu/students/faculty/GDavis/DVReport.pdf. International Law Professor to Participate in Talks with UN
Davis, associate professor of law, will attend the meetings as a representative of the Society of American Law Teachers (SALT) to discuss the issue of diversity in legal education. He will join a group of about 50 representatives of other non-governmental organizations that will raise a variety of concerns to members of the UN Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, which is the body charged with monitoring treaty progress. "We are proud to have Professor Davis make this presentation," said Daniel J. Steinbock, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. "It is just one of many instances in which Professor Davis and other University of Toledo College of Law faculty are influencing global legal developments." The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination has been ratified by more than 170 countries. It calls for signatories to take a number of measures to eliminate racial discrimination, including ceasing any acts or practices of racial discrimination, reviewing governmental, national and local policies and amending those that create or perpetuate racial discrimination, and supporting organizations that aim to eliminate barriers between races. Davis, a faculty member since 2003, is a graduate of Harvard College (BA), Harvard Law School and Harvard Business School (JD-MBA). Professor Davis teaches in the areas of Contracts, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Arbitration, Public International Law, and International Business Transactions. Prior to joining the faculty, Davis was an associate professor at Texas Wesleyan University School of Law. He has also been an independent consultant for Alternative Dispute Resolution, manager of the International Chamber of Commerce, and legal counsel for the International Court of Arbitration, all in Paris, France. He is the creator of fast-track international commercial arbitration, and the creator of the International Competitions for Online Dispute Resolution (ICODR). Davis has also given numerous presentations and speeches around the world. UT Law Students Hike the Grand Canyon Over Winter Break
Cristen Bartus ’09 wasted no time in starting her winter vacation. At 12:30 p.m., she submitted her Secured Transactions exam. Five hours later, she and fellow UT law student Greg Pawlowski ’09 were on their way to the Grand Canyon, where they would spend 16 days hiking and camping. “The average person spends an hour and 15 minutes at the Grand Canyon. We spent 16 days in the Grand Canyon,” Bartus said. The two 2L students flew to Phoenix Dec. 13 and returned to Toledo Jan. 3, just in time for the spring semester. Bartus went purely for the adventure and because of the unique opportunity that a December trip afforded. Canyon staff usually have a backlog of permit applications to process in the summer. In December, however, permits are distributed quickly and easily. And, what better way to celebrate being half way through law school then to get away from it all in one of the biggest crevices on earth?
“It’s always fun to throw yourself into a situation in which you have no experience and to see what the outcome will be,” Bartus said. Bartus prepared for the trip by hiking across campus with 25 lbs. of case books in her backpack to the Student Recreation Center, where she walked, ran and stair-stepped her way into hiking shape. Bartus and Pawlowski hiked 81 miles altogether, from the canyon’s southern rim to its northern rim, then back to the southern rim, in what Canyon junkies call “the corridor.” Equipped with backpacks that held three weeks worth of food, walking sticks and I-pods with solar chargers, the hike went without a hitch. “You get a different perspective of what the canyon looks like and you also become familiar with the four different layers of rock,” Bartus said. “You understand it more when you’re right next to it, as opposed to looking down on it from an observation point.” Bartus and Pawlowski enjoyed the adventure enough to want to hike another challenging trail. Until then, however, they take comfort in knowing that the longest hike they’ll have to take will be from the parking lot to the Law Center. Adjunct Professor for 20 years passes away Dear Alumni of The University of Toledo College of Law: With sadness, we write to share news of Father Robert Kirtland's passing. Bob Kirtland was an important and dynamic member of our community for more than 20 years, teaching Law and Religion and English Legal History as an adjunct professor. He continued his research at the College of Law even after retirement. We are grateful for his contributions to the education of our students and to the intellectual life of our community. His obituary appeared in the Toledo Blade earlier this week. Friends will be received from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday (Feb. 6) at the Ansberg-West Funeral Home, 3000 Sylvania Avenue, as well as at Blessed Sacrament Church after 8:45 a.m. on Thursday (Feb. 7). Professor illustrates how slavery shaped the Constitution The talk was co-sponsored by the UT Law Chapter of the American Constitution Society. A specialist in American legal history, race and the law, Finkelman is the author of more than 100 scholarly articles and more than twenty books. He was a Fellow in Law and the Humanities at Harvard Law School and received his Ph.D. and M.A. from the University of Chicago. His work on legal history and constitutional law has been cited by numerous courts and in many appellate briefs. For information on upcoming College of Law speakers this semester, visit our Speakers & Events page. UT College of Law Receives $250,000 Gift to Benefit Legal Clinic
The College of Law recently had a chance to thank Jeff Bixler ’72 and his wife, Kathy, for their generous gift in support of the College of Law’s Legal Clinic and Discretionary Fund. Jeff Bixler is a 1972 graduate of The University of Toledo College of Law and retired General Counsel of Manor Care, Inc. Dean Douglas E. Ray, several College of Law faculty members and students joined the Bixlers for a reception on Dec. 13 in the recently renovated Legal Clinic on the ground floor of the law school. College of Law students who have had the opportunity to represent clients through the Legal Clinic took time out from exam
The Legal Clinic provides opportunities for students to represent clients who would not otherwise be able to afford a lawyer. Under the supervision of clinical faculty members, students have worked in a wide swath of legal areas, including immigration law, disability law, family law, health care law, housing issues, and others. Students in the Dispute Resolution Clinic have conducted mediations in juvenile and municipal courts, in public schools, and on The University of Toledo campus. Students in the Domestic Violence Clinic have contributed to the study of how to prevent domestic violence fatalities in the area. Blog authored by UT Law Emeritus Professor Picked as one of the ABA Journal’s Top 100
A blog authored by a professor at UT Law has been selected by the ABA Journal as one of the top 100 best websites by lawyers, for lawyers. The ABA Journal is the flagship magazine of the American Bar Association, covering trends, people and finances of the legal profession. Through Religion Clause, Howard Friedman, Distinguished University Professor of Law Emeritus at UT, provides almost daily commentary on developments in church-state and religious liberty issues. “I saw the need for an objective, non-ideological source of news on developments in church-state and religious liberty issues, and have developed a loyal group of daily readers from all sides of the religious and political spectrum,” said Friedman. “Maintaining the focus and objectivity of Religion Clause, and furnishing extensive links to primary materials, remain my goals.”
Friedman isn’t the only UT Law faculty member whose blog has been recognized as providing a valuable forum for discussion of legal issues. Associate Professor Geoffrey Rapp is one of four authors of Sports Law Blog, which was recognized last year by Fast Company Magazine as one of the top three sports business blogs. The blog is also regularly in the top 15 in terms of traffic among law professors. In addition, Rapp and Professor Joseph Slater have served as Guest Contributors on Prawfsblawg and Associate Professor Ben Davis regularly contributes Guest Commentary to Jurist. These two blogs – Prawfsblawg and Jurist – appeared along with Religion Clause on the ABA Journal’s Top 100 list. Student Spotlight: UT Law Student Balances Studies with Politics. During one particularly busy week in November, UT Law student Clint Wasserman’s schedule looked like this: Nov. 3: Take MPRE Exam He hasn’t yet received his grades on the MPRE Exam or on the Criminal Justice and Homeland Security Appellate Brief, but in at least two of his endeavors, he’s had good returns. He won the City Council election, receiving the most votes out of all candidates for seven at-large seats on the Oregon City Council. ( Oregon is the second largest city in Lucas County, with a population of about 20,000). He also received the Best Team Oralist Award at the Trial Advocacy Cross-Town Competition. “This is a chance to serve the public and gain experience, to meet and work with the people who are in charge of day to day operations in the city,” he explained. “I tried during the campaign to connect in some way with as many voters as possible and I’d like to continue to do that. In order to be an effective councilman, you have to be a good listener.” Wasserman knows these are skills he’ll also need to be an effective attorney. Clinical Faculty Member Rob Salem helps to battle bullying in schools
Clinical Faculty Member Rob Salem was a presenter at the 2007 Buckeye Association of School Administrators (BASA) conference on October 2. BASA is Ohio’s leading professional organization of school superintendents, principals and other administrators. Salem’s presentation addressed recent legislation mandating anti-bullying policies in all public school districts across the state. The presentation included sample policies that comport with the new law and provide meaningful protection to school children. Later this month, Salem and Professor Susan Telljohann of The University of Toledo’s Department of Health Education will host a seminar entitled Bullying Prevention: Effective Compliance with the New School Anti-Bullying Law. The seminar will be held on October 24 at The University of Toledo College of Law auditorium from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Salem and Telljohann will give a presentation on the severe legal and health consequences of bullying and how to effectively prevent and address bullying incidents in schools. The keynote speaker will be Tina Owen, founder of The Alliance School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a school dedicated to providing a safe learning environment for youth who are bullied. For more details about the conference, click here. Fall 2007 Speaker Series Events include Attorneys, Journalists and Judges The Fall Speaker Series at The University of Toledo College of Law kicked off on September 12 with Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas A. Karol speaking on "The Prosecution of Saddam Hussein's Regime." The remainder of the Fall 2007 series will cover a range of topics, including corporate law, rhetoric, economics, journalistic freedom and life after law school. “By providing easy access to lawyers, judges, and other experts involved with current legal and policy issues, the Speaker Series is an integral part of the College of Law’s educational program as well as our outreach to the community,” says Daniel J. Steinbock, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. Karol's speech drew from his experiences in Iraq from September 2006 to March 2007, during which time Saddam Hussein was on trial for the Kurdish genocide and was executed for his role in the Dujayl killings. Karol participated in the investigation of the former regime's response to the 1991 Shi'a uprising. On September 20, Professor Doug Branson of Pitt Law School will discuss the issues covered in his book, No Seat at the Table: How Corporate Governance and the Law Keep Women Out of the Boardroom . Following that, Jay Heinrichs, author of Thank you for Arguing: What Aristotle, Lincoln and Homer Simpson Can Teach Us about the Art of Persuasion will speak on September 27. The UT Law Federalist Society will co-sponsor a talk on October 1 by John Lott, author of Freedomnomics: Why the Free Market Works and the Other Half-Baked Theories Don’t, and More Guns, Less Crime. Lott, who earned his Ph.D. in economics from the University of California- Los Angeles, once served as chief economist at the United States Sentencing Commission. Then, on October 3, Matthew Cooper, a former reporter for Time, will talk about his experience as a journalist who was forced to testify in the Valerie Plame CIA leak case. Cooper's speech is co-sponsored by the Ohio Humanities Council, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, with funding from the "We the People Program.” Cooper’s talk will raise important issues relating to freedom of the press and the First Amendment. The featured speaker in the Distinguished Alumni Speakers Series will be former U.S. Attorney Daniel Bogden, a 1981 UT Law alumnus. He will speak about life after UT Law and offer insights about his recent experience as one of the eight U.S. Attorneys fired by former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez. Bogden will speak on November 19. In early November, Justice Jack Jacobs of the Delaware Supreme Court will speak about corporate law, an area of law in which the state of Delaware plays a critical role. In addition, the Seventh Annual Great Lakes Water Conference, which will also be a CLE opportunity for attorneys, is scheduled for November 16. 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. For more information, contact Kathleen Amerkhanian, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, Administration & Communications at 419-530-2937 or kathleen.amerkhanian@utoledo.edu. Further details can also be found here. All Speaker Series events are free and open to the public and take place at noon in the College of Law auditorium, with the exception of the Seventh Annual Great Lakes Water Conference. Registration details for the Water Conference will be available soon. Supreme Court of Ohio Justice addressed new law students
The College of Law welcomed about 200 incoming law students for Orientation to kick off the 2007-2008 academic year. Law classes began August 20. Activities began with a welcome from Dean Douglas Ray and ended with a class picnic. One of the highlights of every Orientation year is a presentation from a distinguished jurist who talks to students about professionalism and ethics. This year, Supreme Court of Ohio Justice Terrence O’Donnell addressed students, and more than 25 volunteer Toledo Bar Association attorneys and judges led small group discussions with students. In previous years, U.S. District Court Judge Jack Zouhary ’76 and Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer of the Supreme Court of Ohio have participated in the program, which aims to educate students on the importance of thinking about and upholding standards of ethics and professionalism while still in law school. Justice O'Donnell has served on the Supreme Court of Ohio Commission on Professionalism and has lectured on topics of professionalism and ethics at continuing legal education programs throughout Ohio. O’Donnell has been part of the state judiciary for 25 years, having served on the Court of Appeals and the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court. He was recently re-elected to the Supreme Court of Ohio for a term that expires in 2012. O’Donnell began his career as a clerk for Supreme Court of Ohio Justice J.J.P Corrigan and Judge John M. Manos on the Eighth District Court of Appeals. O’Donnell graduated from Kent State University and received his J.D. from Cleveland State University. Law students pitch in to help home for battered women
College of Law students Lindsay Suckow, Cristey Bartus and Sarah Vidal recently teamed up with volunteers from Legal Aid of Western Ohio, FOCUS and Bethany House to help secure continued block grant funding for Bethany House, Toledo’s only long-term transitional housing facility for battered women. The City of Toledo recently instituted a requirement that all Community Development Block Grant recipients participate in city-wide clean-up programs, a requirement that would have been particularly risky for Bethany House residents to satisfy. “The residents of Bethany House essentially ‘live underground’ and can not safely be seen on the street without the potential of having their whereabouts found out by their abuser,” says Gabrielle Davis, director of the Domestic Violence Clinic at the College of Law. So, UT Law students, serving as proxies for Bethany House residents, headed for a nearby neighborhood to help clean up and also to help Bethany House comply with the city requirement. Stoepler Professor of Law and Values appointed to ABA ethics committee The American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility is charged to interpret the Model Rules of Professional Conduct, which has been widely adopted in most states . The appointment builds upon Martyn’s previous experience as a member of the Ethics 2000 committee that extensively revised the Model Rules. “I’m honored to be a part of this committee,” said Martyn. “I value the opportunity to learn more about cutting edge issues, and to work with others who are dedicated to the proposition that legal ethics is not an oxymoron.” Martyn is the author of four books on legal ethics and professionalism, co-written with Philadelphia attorney Lawrence J. Fox. Her most recent book, Your Lawyer: A User’s Guide, has been marketed in bookstores nationwide as a guide for clients to better understand their lawyers’ ethical and professional responsibilities. Martyn and Fox have also collaborated on an ethics casebook, a handbook for lawyers, and a professional standards volume. The authors’ overall goal is to “make legal ethics understandable, interesting and fun,” says Martyn. In addition to participating in national bodies that help shape and inform the laws governing lawyers, Martyn has also had an impact on the state level. She served as a member of the Ohio Task Force on the Rules of Professional Conduct, an 18-member group appointed by Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer of the Supreme Court of Ohio to conduct a comprehensive review and make recommendations for a new ethics code for Ohio lawyers. The Supreme Court followed the task force’s recommendation when the Court adopted the new Ohio Rules of Professional Conduct, effective February 1, 2007. Martyn has recently returned to Toledo after a year as Visiting Professor at the George Washington University School of Law in Washington, D.C. UT Law students haven’t forgotten Hurricane Katrina victims UT Law students created their own chapter of the nationwide Student Hurricane Network in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in the fall of 2005, when the staggering nature of unmet legal needs first began to surface in the national consciousness.
Although the front pages of newspapers have since been filled with other matters, UT Law students have not forgotten and continued this year to do what they could to help. A team of students from UT Law was, in fact, chosen from a large pool of applicants to work on behalf of residents of New Orleans who needed help. About 100 law students applied in just a two-week window to participate in a program called Matchmakers for Justice, which pairs up law students with residents still struggling with the legal, economic and social effects of the hurricane. The UT Law team was one of 43 teams or individuals selected from the application pool, selected in part because of the team’s mature approach to their mission and the depth of the team’s experience in addressing social needs. They were paired with an elderly woman with housing issues. “Our criteria had to do with people who were committed to public interest work and demonstrated a spirit of volunteerism in their application,” said Colette Pichon Battle, a former D.C. attorney who returned to her native Louisiana after the hurricane hit and now coordinates the Matchmakers for Justice program. “We were looking for people with social work and case management backgrounds, folks who had done any kind of disaster training. They had to understand that this was a very large problem and that they weren’t going to be able to solve the entire legal issue in 8 weeks’ time.” The UT Law students include Melissa LeBlanc ‘08, who grew up in a Louisiana town about 60 miles southwest of New Orleans, Michael Bryant ‘08, Stacy Adkins ’08 and Kyle Verrett ‘08. All four students either had some experience in social work or an extensive volunteer record prior to attending and during law school.
The project helps students not only to develop skills in research but also in client relations, as well as in working with a team for the benefit of a client, Pichon Battle said. The 8-week program began with the students undergoing training on ethical issues and on some of the aspects where Louisiana law, the country’s only civil law state, differs from the rest of the U.S. The students were expected to contact their client at least once per week and had to develop the skills to identify when they needed to contact community agencies to help their client. Their faculty adviser, Professor Rebecca Zietlow, also stood by to help them identify when the client faced a legal problem that the students were not qualified to handle. Overall, the students were motivated to participate in the project by their desire to help Louisiana residents know that the rest of the country had not forgotten about them. “A lot of the residents feel like they’ve been abandoned,” LeBlanc said. “One purpose of this program is to let people know that they haven’t been forgotten.” “I saw a need,” echoed Bryant. “I saw something I could help with and decided that I would do what I could.” Licensed attorneys who would like to help by taking on pro bono cases or by simply lending their expertise to law student volunteers can find more information at the New Orleans Legal Assistance Corporation web site (www.nolac.org). Hungarian law graduates sample law and life in Toledo through visit coordinated by UT College of Law
As part of The University of Toledo College of Law’s partnership with the University of Szeged Law Department in Hungary, seven Szeged law graduates came to Toledo in July to sample law and life in the U.S. The graduates stayed on The University of Toledo campus at the International House and completed internships in four legal settings, shadowing attorneys in both the government sector and private practice. Their first week was spent at the United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio; the second week was at the Lucas County Court of Common Pleas; the third week was at the Lucas County Prosecutor’s Office; and the fourth week was spent in local law offices. Some activities the College of Law helped facilitate for after work hours include visits to a Mud Hens game, the Toledo Museum of Art, and other area attractions. The College of Law also helped facilitate visits with area politicians, including State Representative Peter Ujvagi, who is of Hungarian heritage. “Hungary has the same population and number of law schools as Ohio,” said Associate Dean and Professor Daniel Steinbock. “To operate in an integrated Europe and a newly globalized world, by necessity, Hungarian lawyers need to understand foreign law.” The graduates are fluent in English and financed their travels, Steinbock said. They hoped to supplement the knowledge about American law that they’ve gained in the classroom with observations about practicing law in the U.S. UT Law launched this program in conjunction with the University of Szeged in 2005. Over the course of the first two years of the program, eight College of Law professors have traveled to Hungary to teach short courses in American law, giving Szeged students a taste of the more interactive American style of legal education. The professors each taught in their respective areas of expertise – constitutional law, evidence, intellectual property law, contracts, property law, civil procedure, and criminal law – and came back with warm memories of the welcome they experienced in Szeged and of the classroom interaction with Szeged students. The program was designed to expose Szeged students to typical U.S. law classes, complete with case analysis and the Socratic Method, but the Szeged students aren’t the only ones who benefit. The program offers UT Law professors an opportunity to gain international teaching experience and gather different perspectives on their particular areas of expertise. The UT Law professors who have taught in Hungary include Professors Daniel Steinbock (now Associate Dean for Academic Affairs), Beth Eisler, Bruce Kennedy, David Harris, James Tierney, Llew Gibbons, Jim Klein and former Professor and Dean Phil Closius.
General Counsel for Fortune 500 Company addressed May graduates Lawyers are part healers, correcting harm and damage; part teachers, called on to explain the law; part clergyman, honoring the secrets of clients; part soldier, standing as protector of client rights; but most of all, he said, lawyers are craftsmen. “And sometimes, when we’re deeply inspired,” he said, “we’re almost artists.” The lawyer’s materials are ideas, concepts, comparisons, statutes and facts; the lawyer’s tools are the spoken and written word, persuasion, analogy and even common sense. Mr. Bauer is Vice President and General Counsel of The Lubrizol Corporation, a Fortune 500 company headquartered near Cleveland, Ohio. Bauer received his bachelor of arts and law degrees from UT in 1975 and 1981, respectively. He then practiced with Jones, Day in Cleveland prior to joining Lubrizol in 1985 to manage the company’s litigation matters. He was named general counsel of the corporation in 1991, and elected an officer in 1992.
Professor and Former Dean Phillip J. Closius, who will be leaving Toledo this summer to assume the deanship at the University of Baltimore School of Law, also left the graduates with advice, challenging them to take some time to figure out what their values are and to adhere to those values even when times are tough. Professor Closius also reminded graduates to appreciate the people who help them achieve.
Kelly Kszywienski, valedictorian of the Class of 2007, also addressed the graduates, saying that the diversity, accomplishments and friendships of her class members have made a lasting impact. She congratulated them on their achievements and wished them well for the future. “Everyone here today is an incredibly intelligent capable person,” she said. “I hope you never let anyone convince you otherwise.” Student Bar Association to Hold Third Annual Ambulance Chase on April 7 The Student Bar Association is continuing its springtime tradition of taking a break from studies to raise money for the community. The third annual 5K Ambulance Chase on Saturday, April 7, will not only give participants a chance to poke fun at an old stereotype, but will also benefit the Make A Wish Foundation of Northwest Ohio. Open to all, the walk/run begins at the law school with an ambulance leading the way. The course will take runners and walkers through campus. Student organizers encourage those who are interested in participating to register early by filling out the registration form and following the instructions listed on the form for payment. If you register in advance, the fee is $20. Registration on the day of the race costs $30. Registration on the day of the race, April 7, will begin at 10 a.m. and the race will begin promptly at 11 a.m. Organizers of the event are UT Law students Trey Pauley and Jessica Bargmann, chairs of the Pro Bono Committee of the Student Bar Association, as well as Tim Effler, Pro Bono Committee member. Last year’s event netted more than $2,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. “We’re excited about continuing this tradition,” said Pauley. “It’s one of the signature SBA events of the year and we’re hoping for another successful ambulance chase.” For more information, contact Trey Pauley at treypauley@yahoo.com. In order to get an accurate count, organizers are asking that people register ahead of time. Lunch will be served after the race ends. There will be prizes for the winners, as well as raffle prizes to give away. Also, all runners will receive a free long sleeved t-shirt. College of Law welcomed U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia on March 13, 2007 The University of Toledo College of Law was honored to welcome United States Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia as part of its Centennial Speaker Series. He gave a public talk on March 13, 2007, at 2 p.m. in Doermann Theater on The University of Toledo campus. During his visit to the UT College of Law, Justice Scalia also met with College of Law students and faculty, and attended a College of Law judges’ reception, co-sponsored by the Federal Bar Association. Justice Scalia was appointed by Ronald Reagan to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in 1982, and took his seat as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court on September 26, 1986. He was born in Trenton, New Jersey, in 1936 and received his undergraduate education at Georgetown University and the University of Fribourg, Switzerland. After receiving his LL.B. from Harvard Law School, he practiced with Jones, Day, Cockley and Reavis in Cleveland, Ohio, from 1961 to 1967. In 1967, he accepted a position as Professor of Law at the University of Virginia. After leaving the University of Virginia in 1971 and prior to joining the University of Chicago’s law faculty in 1977, Justice Scalia served the federal government in various capacities – as General Counsel of the Office of Telecommunications Policy, Chairman of the Administrative Conference of the United States, and as Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel. Justice Scalia’s visit coincided with The University of Toledo College of Law’s centennial academic year (2006-2007). Founded in 1906, UT Law has demonstrated a commitment to offering students an atmosphere of freedom to discover and explore the vast landscape of the law. Top legal scholars, jurists, practitioners and lawmakers regularly visit the College of Law as part of its Speaker Series, giving students and community members the opportunity to learn from and interact with the people whose thoughts and actions shape or interpret the law. The College of Law has welcomed three United States Supreme Court Justices over the last five years, including a previous visit from Justice Scalia in 2003. Justice Sandra Day O’Connor (now retired) spoke at the College of Law in 2004, and, most recently, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg addressed the College of Law community in 2006. For more information, contact the Law Communications Office at 419.530.2712. Black History Month Speaker at UT College of Law will speak about the “Un-Civil Rights Movement” on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2007 The University of Toledo College of Law will welcome Professor Carol Anderson of the University of Missouri-Columbia to give a Black History Month address titled, "When the Levees Broke: Un-Civil Rights in America." The talk, free and open to the public, will begin at noon in the UT College of Law auditorium on Tuesday, Feb. 13. Professor Anderson argues that the results of Hurricane Katrina cannot simply be blamed on natural catastrophic forces or even on an isolated instance of governmental incompetence. “Hurricane Katrina’s devastation was no accident, no mere blip of governmental incompetence, no confluence of the perfect storm and a sinking city,” she explains. “Instead, the human catastrophe in New Orleans was the result of decades of deliberate public policy decisions – made and not made in the international realm.” Professor Anderson is the author of the book, Eyes Off the Prize: The United Nations and the African American Struggle for Human Rights (published by Cambridge University Press). The book was awarded the Gustavus Myers and Myrna Bernath Book Awards and was a finalist for the W.E.B. Du Bois and Truman Book Awards. In Eyes Off the Prize, she explores how the Cold War, anti-communism, Southern Democrats, the development of the UN, and international human rights affected the struggle for black equality in the United States. In Professor Anderson's forthcoming book – "Bourgeois Radicals: The NAACP and the Struggle for Colonial Liberation, 1941-1960" – she uncovers the long-hidden role of the nation's most powerful civil rights organization in fighting for the liberation of peoples of color in Africa and Asia. A recent address given by Professor Anderson at the Truman Presidential Museum and Library in Independence, Mo., was broadcast on C-SPAN. For more information on the College of Law Centennial Speaker Series, click here. To locate The University of Toledo College of Law on a campus map, go to utoledo.edu. Attorney for the only individual still held as an “enemy combatant” in the U.S. to speak at UT College of Law on Wed., Feb. 7, at noon in the Law auditorium Ali al-Marri is the only person on the American mainland still held as an enemy combatant. Jonathan Hafetz is his lawyer. Less than a week after the case is scheduled to be argued in the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, Hafetz will discuss the case at the UT College of Law on Wednesday, Feb. 7. The talk, “Unchecked Executive Detention in the United States: The Case of Ali al-Marri,” will begin at noon in the Law auditorium and is free and open to the public. The case involves Ali al-Marri’s challenge of the U.S. government’s authority to indefinitely detain him. Al-Marri is a foreigner living legally in the U.S. and has been detained since 2001 without charges and without access to the courts. The U.S. has argued that the courts cannot second-guess the president when he makes a determination that someone is an enemy combatant, especially when the “somebody” is a non-citizen, but his lawyers have argued he has the right to require the government to prove its case against him in a court of law. The case’s significance was recently discussed in a New York Times article. This is the first in a series of talks this spring that will feature nationally-known attorneys and scholars who will discuss the role the courts should or shouldn’t have in determining who should be detained in the War on Terror. Upcoming speakers include, on March 1, John Yoo, who worked as an assistant attorney general in the Office of Legal Counsel of the U.S. Department of Justice on rules to govern the interrogation of high-level al Qaeda leaders in the war on terrorism; on March 21, Mark Tushnet of Harvard Law; and on March 30, Neil Katyal, the attorney who successfully argued and won the U.S. Supreme Court case, Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, which challenged the policy of military trials at Guantanamo Bay Naval Station. Hafetz is a litigator for the Liberty and National Security Project at NYU Law School’s Brennan Center for Justice. He focuses on a range of post-September 11 detention issues, government secrecy, and immigrants’ rights. He received his J.D. from Yale Law School, where he received honors for his advocacy and scholarship, and holds a masters degree in history with high honors from Oxford University. The author of numerous articles in scholarly and popular publications, he frequently serves as an expert commentator for television and radio on liberty and national security issues. The talk is co-sponsored by the UT College of Law student chapter of the American Constitution Society. For directions to campus and a campus map, go to www.utoledo.edu and follow prompts at left. For more information on College of Law speakers, call 419.530.2712. UT College of Law welcomes authors, academics, scientists, environmentalists and attorneys to the Sixth Annual Great Lakes Water Conference The University of Toledo College of Law hosted its annual Great Lakes Water Conference on Dec. 1, bringing together experts from across the country and from Canada to examine some of the issues most compelling to the Great Lakes region. The sixth annual Great Lakes Water Conference featured speakers from a broad range of backgrounds to talk about climate change, wetlands regulation and the most recent developments in the effort to unite the Great Lakes region on a common water policy. Speakers included representatives from the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the National Wildlife Federation, Climate Action Network Canada, and more. “Leaders in law, policy and science tackled some of the toughest issues threatening the Great Lakes,” said Kenneth Kilbert, environmental law professor at The University of Toledo College of Law. “For persons interested in the future of our region, this annual conference is a must-attend event.” The conference also featured two keynote speakers. Peter Annin, former Newsweek journalist and environmental reporter who has recently authored the book The Great Lakes Water Wars, kicked off the morning session of the conference. Vicki Thomas of the U.S. EPA’s Great Lakes National Program Office in Chicago began the afternoon session with a talk about the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy to Restore and Protect the Great Lakes. The three panels explored three diverse topics, beginning with climate change, one of the most hotly debated and crucial issues in our nation and the world. Panelists discussed the impacts of global warming upon the Great Lakes region, the dispute over the United States’ regulation of greenhouse gas emissions soon to be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court, and Canada’s contrasting approach. The second panel addressed the legal landscape of wetlands regulation following a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision in Rapanos v. United States, in which a Michigan land developer successfully challenged the federal government’s authority to prevent development of his land under the auspices of the Clean Water Act. Panelists discussed what the government and developers are doing in the wake of Rapanos. The third panel continued the Great Lakes Water Conference tradition of updating the community on developments in the effort to unite the Great Lakes states and two Canadian provinces in a common water policy, including a strategy to prevent large-scale diversions of Great Lakes water to other parts of the nation and the world. The conference offered 4.5 Continuing Legal Education credits to attorneys for $45 and was free to the public. More than 100 people attended the conference. For more information, contact Kathleen Amerkhanian, Director of Law Communications, at 419.530.2712. UT Law will host debate presented by the Council for America's First Freedom, the American Constitution Society and the Federalist Society: "Religious Exemptions: An Unfair Advantage?" Two notable legal minds will make a stop at UT Law on Monday, Nov. 6, as part of a series of debates across the country on key topics related to religious liberty. The debate, free and open to the public, will begin at noon in the Law auditorium. Jeremy Gunn, Director of the ACLU’s Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief, and Kevin Hasson, President of The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, will exchange views on the constitutionality of religious exemptions to laws of general applicability. Possible topics of discussion will be answers to questions, such as: Can my pharmacist refuse to fill my prescription for contraceptive? Can a Christian student group refuse to admit gays and lesbians? What if my government says “yes,” but my church says “no”? Debaters will give position statements and will open the program up for Q & A from the audience. The debate will be moderated by Distinguished University Professor of Law Emeritus Howard Friedman. Dr. T. Jeremy Gunn joined the ACLU as Director of the ACLU’s Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief in 2005. He received his Ph.D. in the Study of Religion from Harvard University, a J.D. from Boston University, and an A.M. in Humanities from the University of Chicago. He has served as a law clerk for the Honorable Douglas P. Woodlock in the Federal District of Massachusetts and worked as an attorney in the law firm Covington & Burling in Washington, D.C. He has held several positions in the U.S. government, including at the U.S. Department of State and as the Executive Director and General Counsel of a federal agency of the U.S. government that declassified records related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Kevin J. “Seamus” Hasson is Founder and President of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a bipartisan, interfaith, public-interest law firm that represents people from multiple religious traditions in free expression claims. He has been quoted in a wide variety of national publications, including Newsweek, US News and World Report, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Christian Science Monitor and USA Today. He has appeared on national television programs as well and has even made two appearances on Al-Jazeera, debating Saudi clerics. Hasson is the author of the book, The Right to Be Wrong: Ending the Culture War Over Religion in America. For more information, call the Law Communications Office at 419.530.2712, or visit our Speakers and Events page. The University of Toledo College of Law comes in first in the state in bar passage for first-time test takers Students who graduated from The University of Toledo College of Law and took the Ohio Bar Exam for the first time in July 2006 came in first in the state with a 94 percent passage rate, according to results released by the Supreme Court of Ohio. “The class of 2006 is to be congratulated,” said UT College of Law Dean Douglas E. Ray. “The passage rate is a tribute to the quality of our students, the quality of our faculty and curriculum, and the many hours our graduates devoted to their studies.” This isn’t the first year in recent history in which UT Law graduates have achieved impressive scores. In 2004, UT Law grads achieved a 90 percent passage rate for first-time July test-takers and a 93 percent passage rate for first-time February test-takers, tying for second in the state. Graduates who just heard the news of their passage on the Bar exam were happy and relieved that their hard work paid off, as well as grateful for the years of law exams that exposed them to Bar-style essays. The Ohio Bar Examination includes one and a half test days of essays and one full test day of multiple choice questions, for a total of two and half days of testing. The recommended study schedule for a law graduate preparing for a state bar exam is anywhere between six to eight weeks of full-time study. “One thing that was extremely important was the preparation I received at UT Law and my professors’ insistence on modeling law exams after Bar-style essays,” said Jim Duggan ’06, who works at the Toledo law firm McMillan Sobanski & Todd, and found out on Friday of his passing score by checking the Supreme Court of Ohio’s web site at 7:30 a.m. Christopher Timmermans ‘06, who also found out about his bar passage by checking the Supreme Court of Ohio’s web site, was busy at work on Friday at the Toledo law firm Cooper & Walinski. He said he was relieved to have the Bar Exam safely behind him: “Now I can concentrate on being a lawyer.” MIT lawyer to talk about what academic researchers need to know to avoid violating federal laws meant to prevent nuclear proliferation and terrorism As counsel for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a university that currently boasts seven Nobel Prize winners, Carol Carr advises the Institute on to how to make sure the dissemination of the research constantly being undertaken by students and faculty doesn’t violate federal export control laws. In a talk in the UT Law auditorium on Friday, Oct. 27, at noon, Carr will share her expertise with the University of Toledo community. The talk, "Negotiating the Mine Field: The Impact of Export Controls on Academic Research and Technology Transfer," is free and open to the public. Export control laws are federal regulations that govern how certain information, technologies, and commodities can be transmitted overseas to anyone, including U.S. citizens, or to a foreign national on U.S. soil. Export controls have multiple goals, including restricting the exports of goods and technology that could contribute to the military strength of U.S. adversaries, preventing terrorism and preventing proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Export controls are pervasive, yet there are a number of exclusions that leave academic research largely unfettered. This area of law has become one of the hottest topics at universities in recent years and continues to grow in complexity as the federal government attempts to understand the impact of export controls on higher education, especially in light of post-9/11 security considerations reflected in the purpose of the controls. Knowing when export controls apply to academic research is critical because the penalties for violation of export control laws are very severe, both for the institution and the individual researcher. Carr is the Counsel for the Office of Sponsored Programs at MIT, providing legal counsel on issues related to academic research, in particular those related to intellectual property and export controls. Prior to her association with MIT, Ms. Carr was the Director of the Office of Technology Transfer at Georgetown University, was engaged in the practice of patent law, and was a Patent Examiner in the USPTO. UT Law hosts ABA arbitration competition where students from across the region will test their “out of courtroom” skills Law students from across the region visited The University of Toledo College of Law to test their “out of courtroom” skills in an American Bar Association regional arbitration competition. Arbitration is one of the most commonly used methods of resolving conflict outside of the courtroom and the ABA arbitration competition gave students the chance to develop their skills in this arena, said College of Law Professor Ben Davis, who worked for 14 years in Paris, France as legal counsel of the International Court of Arbitration and Director of the International Chamber of Commerce. “The reality of law practice now is that a great deal of civil dispute resolution is done outside of the courts in arbitration,” Professor Davis said. Many people don’t realize that in many of their day-to-day transactions, they are binding themselves to resolve any potential conflicts through arbitration. “If you have a cell phone, you most likely have a contract with an arbitration clause,” Davis said. Other contracts that often include arbitration clauses include agreements to open accounts with securities brokers, employment contracts, commercial contracts, construction contracts, international business contracts and on-line commerce. “It’s essential that law students be prepared for this environment by learning about arbitration,” Davis said. Many people hail arbitration as a less expensive alternative to traditional litigation, while others question whether the arbitration process has the same safeguards for fairness as traditional litigation. The ABA Law Student Division National Arbitration Forum Arbitration Regional Competition was created in 2005 to give law students experience in one of the many alternative routes available to clients who want to avoid litigation. Toledo area judges and attorneys volunteered their time to act as volunteer judges in the competition. The competition, which took place on Oct. 21 and Oct. 22, included teams of students from Duquesne University, Loyola University New Orleans, Michigan State University, the University of Texas, the University of Cincinnati, the University of Houston and the University of Toledo (coached by Professors Robert Hopperton and Robin Kennedy). UT Law grad to talk about challenges as general counsel for largest federal employee union Mark Roth, UT Law graduate '75, will return to his alma mater to talk Monday, Oct. 23, about challenges he's faced as general counsel for the American Federation of Government Employees in Washington, D.C. The talk, “Life after UT Law: Fighting Politicians’ Attacks on the Federal Civil Service, Federal Employees, Their Unions, and Competent Government” is free and open to the public and will begin at noon in the College of Law auditorium. The American Federation of Government Employees is a labor union representing more than 600,000 federal government workers. It is a member of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO). Mr. Roth served as counsel in the first whistleblower protection case brought under the Civil Service Reform Act and has recently led litigation efforts to challenge employment regulations developed by the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense for federal security personnel. As a member of the Board of Directors of the AFL-CIO's Lawyer's Coordinating Committee, he continues to shape labor law initiatives that affect the entire labor movement. He was recently named one of Washington's "Legal Elite" by Smart CEO Magazine. For more information, contact the Law Communications Office at 419.530.2712. UT Law Speaker Series to kick off with panel discussion on “The Role of Religion in American Politics” A law professor, a theologian and pastor, and a political science professor will lead a dialogue on the role religion should play in political campaigns and in shaping public policy and laws. The panel discussion, free and open to the public, will begin at noon in the College of Law auditorium on Monday, Sept. 11. Howard M. Friedman, Distinguished University Professor of Law Emeritus at UT Law, will serve as moderator and panelist. Professor Friedman has published in the areas of First Amendment law, securities and corporate law, and white collar crime. He created a blog in 2005 called Religion Clause, devoted to legal and political developments in free exercise of religion and separation of church and state. Rev. James J. Bacik will also sit on the panel. Rev. Bacik, a theologian and pastor of Corpus Christ University Parish, also serves as campus minister and adjunct professor of humanities at The University of Toledo. Father Bacik holds a doctorate in theology from the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. He is the author of several books, including Apologetics and the Eclipse of Mystery, Contemporary Theologians, and most recently with Dr. Kevin Anderson, A Light Unto My Path, published by Paulist Press in 2006. The third panelist will be Dr. James W. Lindeen, professor in the UT’s Department of Political Science and Public Administration. Dr. Lindeen teaches courses on Congress, state legislatures, American politics, and government and the economy. He has published in such journals as Public Choice, Public Opinion Quarterly, the Midwest Journal of Political Science, Ohio Cities and Villages, and Western Political Quarterly. He is the author of Governing America’s Economy (Prentice Hall 1994). The panel discussion is co-sponsored by UT Law’s student chapter of the American Constitution Society. For more information, contact the Law Communications Office at 419.530.2712 College of Law to host theatrical performance, “Impeach Justice Douglas! A Celebration of Civil Liberties in Memory of 9/11,” on Sept. 11 The College of Law will host a theatrical performance that will explore some of the most explosive issues handled by the U.S. Supreme Court in the 20th century, issues that continue to resound in the aftermath of Sept. 11, 2001, as Americans struggle with the question of how to combat terrorism while protecting civil liberties. The performance, free and open to the public, will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Law Center auditorium. When Justice William O. Douglas retired from the U.S. Supreme Court in 1975, he had served for 36 years, longer than any other justice in history, and had helped to decide some of the most important cases in the nation’s history. He was an inveterate traveler, prolific writer and popular speaker who used his position to espouse his ideas on environmentalism and the Bill of Rights. His public visibility and open criticism won him friends in some places and more than a few enemies in the Congress and the White House, some of whom actively, though unsuccessfully, sought his impeachment. Douglas’ tenure on the Court, from 1944 to 1975, spanned important developments in freedom of speech, environmentalism and civil rights. He was one of the justices who heard major cases such as Brown v. Bd. of Education, as well as issues arising from the “McCarthy Era” and the Vietnam War. The performance is co-sponsored by the UT College of Law, Ohio Humanities Council, The University of Toledo Program in Law and Social Thought and The University of Toledo’s Humanities Institute. The performance is produced by Periaktos Productions, which was formed in 1994 with the goal of providing innovative Continuing Legal Education (CLE), public education and school classroom programs that facilitate learning about the law through dramatic interpretation. The company currently has four plays in its repertoire. Impeach Justice Douglas! features Graham Thatcher. For more information on the free public event, contact the Law Communications Office at 419.530.2712 Professor Susan Martyn’s latest book was written with clients in mind. You may have a stash of manuals describing what kind of behavior to expect from computers, from home appliances, or even a few book-length guesses on what to expect from your kids, but users of legal services are hard-pressed to find an easy-to-read manual on what to expect from their lawyers.
This is Martyn’s fourth book co-authored with Fox, who is a partner at Drinker Biddle & Reath in Philadelphia. They have collaborated on an ethics casebook, a handbook for lawyers, and a professional standards volume. The authors’ overall goal is to “make legal ethics understandable, interesting and fun,” Martyn has said. Your Lawyer: A User’s Guide, published by LexisNexis, clues clients in to what it is that lawyers can and can’t do because of ethical considerations, and why. It also touches on issues surrounding finding and paying a lawyer, special characteristics of the attorney-client relationship, what to keep in mind when dealing with other people’s lawyers, and how to define “victory.” In the preface, the authors explain that they don’t intend their book to substitute for communication between counsel and client, but the book provides information that can help make encounters with lawyers and the leasgal system more rewarding. "We recommend this book for all clients," said Martyn, "and we recommend that lawyers give copies to clients as a goodwill gesture." For more information on the book, go to http://www.lexisnexis.com/yourlawyer. Fulbright Grant Awarded to Professor to Study Intellectual Property Law in China UT Law Professor Llewellyn Gibbons recently received word that he has been chosen as a recipient of a Fulbright, one of the most prestigious awards bestowed upon academics.
“The People’s Republic of China has one of the most interesting, exciting, and dynamic economies,” Gibbons said of his destination. “Right now, China is a laboratory experimenting with many possibilities. It’s rethinking property law and other social and legal issues that are largely regarded as settled in the United States and other developed Western nations.” Gibbons, who has taught at UT Law since 1998, expects that a look at China’s approach to these issues, and listening to the thoughts of his Chinese students, will cause him to carefully rethink the underlying assumptions of U.S. intellectual property law. He will teach at Zhongnan University of Economics and Law. Comprised of 16 schools, including its School of Intellectual Property Right, the University enrolls approximately 19,000 full-time undergraduates, 4,200 postgraduate students, doctoral students, post-doctoral students, and 11,900 adult and part-time students. Gibbons joins three other College of Law faculty members who are Fulbright alumni – Professors Rebecca Zietlow, Daniel Steinbock, and Courtney Cahill. 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. Gibbons coordinates the Intellectual Property Certificate program at UT Law. He teaches in the areas of Antitrust, Copyright, Cyberlaw, Ecommerce, Intellectual Property Licensing & Management, Intellectual Property Survey, Online Dispute Resolution (ODR), Torts and Trademark. College of Law students take the gold for on-line negotiation skills Competing against teams from 24 schools on five continents, a University of Toledo College of Law team has taken the gold medal for its on-line negotiation skills in the 5th annual International Competitions for Online Dispute Resolution.
“These competitions give students a chance to test and expand their skills on the international plane,” said Associate Professor Ben Davis, the College of Law professor who helped to create the competitions in 2002. “Many of the students who have participated have had their eyes opened to global career opportunities and the growing role of information technology in resolving international disputes.” Online Dispute Resolution is the marriage of information technology with traditional techniques routinely employed by lawyers and executives, such as negotiation, mediation, arbitration, and even litigation. As one of the latest innovations to come out of the intersection of the Internet and the law, it has gained international momentum over the last five years as businesses have begun to explore its potential for cost-cutting and efficiency, and as lawyers and law students have become increasingly technologically savvy. The competitions have also broadened educational experiences by giving law students the chance to interact with others of varied backgrounds and cultures, something that might otherwise be cost prohibitive. All submissions and participants remain anonymous throughout the competition, ensuring that evaluations of student performances are based solely on the quality of interaction during the on-line negotiation, mediation, arbitration and litigation scenarios. “All of the College of Law students who competed performed extremely well,” said Davis, who joined the faculty in 2003 and spent much of his pre-academic career working in international commercial arbitration with the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris, France. Other students who placed in the competitions include Steven Dashiak and Beth Springsteen, who won the Bronze medal as advocates in the Litigation competition; Christopher Sallah, who was deemed fourth most effective arbitral tribunal in the Arbitration competition; and Tim van Tuinen, who along with participating on the gold-medal winning negotiation team, also was deemed as the seventh most effective mediator in the Mediation competition. In the 2005 competition, UT Law students competed against teams from 20 law schools on five continents and came out of the competition with two gold medals. The competitions were sponsored by The University of Toledo College of Law, Hamline University School of Law, and the Center for Information Technology and Dispute Resolution of the University of Massachusetts with the assistance of the Harvard Program on Negotiation, the International Chamber of Commerce Institute of World Business Law, and West Workspace/Erooms.
Justice Judith Lanzinger ’77 of the Supreme Court of Ohio encouraged the 114 May graduates from The University of Toledo College of Law to adhere to the highest standards of professionalism and to foster a sense within themselves and in the community that the profession they’ve chosen is a noble one. Justice Lanzinger, who graduated from the College of Law as valedictorian of her class in 1977, was the keynote speaker during the May 2006 graduation ceremony. She described to graduates some of the key markers of a happy and fulfilling career in law, as well as some of the responsibilities that come with a law degree. She urged the graduates to work hard, but not shut out their families, to contribute time and talents to their surrounding communities, and to listen carefully to and respect the confidences of clients. “One of the truest measures of excellence is not just mastery of law and facts, but how you treat your clients,” she said. Friends and family members packed the Student Union auditorium on May 7 to commemorate and celebrate the moment the May graduates became one step closer to becoming attorneys.
Marc Mallone, outgoing president of the Student Bar Association and recipient of the Dean’s Award for service to the College of Law community, spoke of the many friendships that have been formed and of the way that the College of Law community fosters a collegial atmosphere among students. “Some law schools will tell incoming students, ‘Look around. Some of these students sitting here won’t make it to graduation,’” Mallone said. “We were told by former dean Closius at Orientation, ‘Look around. Someone sitting there is going to be your friend for the rest of your life.’ That is one of the greatest gifts this experience has given us.” Tyler Pensyl addressed the class as valedictorian, encouraging his fellow classmates that they have gained the tools over the last three years that will enable them to succeed in their chosen profession. Professor Frank Merritt assumed emeritus status during the ceremony and also had words of wisdom for the graduates. “You’re going to win some you ought to have lost and lose some you ought to have won,” he said. “I would encourage each of you when the dust is settled not to look back but to look forward and to fight the next war, not the last one.” Each year the graduating class chooses an Outstanding Professor. This year, Professor Joseph Slater, who teaches torts and labor and employment law, was chosen. He expressed his gratitude and characterized all of the graduates as future teachers – they will spend their careers educating their clients, their colleagues and the courts about the law. “I hope you have as much enjoyment teaching the law as I’ve had teaching you,” he said.
UT Law hosts international conference on the role of information technology in resolving disputes
Scholars and practitioners from Hong Kong, Paris, Malaysia, Australia, Poland, Greece, Indonesia, and the United States gathered at The University of Toledo College of Law in April to talk about the emergence of on-line dispute resolution on the l |
The second year of law school, as the saying goes, “they work you to death.” UT Law student Ian Kierpaul found that to be true, but admits that he brought a lot of the work on himself. 
The University of Toledo College of Law and the Lucas County Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team released a study this month that reveals trends and risk factors for domestic violence fatalities at a time when the community continues to see an increase in deaths due to domestic violence.
UT Law Professor Ben Davis will head to Geneva this week to participate in discussions with United Nations officials about the United States’ progress in meeting the goals of a treaty aimed to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination. The U.S. ratified the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) in 1994.
January 1, 2008 was the 200th anniversary of the prohibition of the importation of slaves into the United States. In observance of that anniversary, Paul Finkelman, noted legal historian and professor at Albany Law School, kicked off the Spring Speaker Series at the College of Law with a talk titled "Affirmative Action for the Master Class: Slavery and the Creation of the American Constitution." Although the word "slavery" was purposely left out of the U.S. Constitution by the framers, slavery has shaped our country’s constitutional law; Finkelman argued that its detrimental effects continue today. From the Electoral College to sentences that differ according to the race of the perpetrator, "we’re still saddled in our Constitution by the legacy of slavery." Finkelman urged the current generation of law students to "improve upon the record of the struggle for equality." 
Wasserman grew up in a family of public servants and says it was only a matter of time before he also began to think about entering that arena. While he has many family members and mentors to encourage him, including his boss and mentor Oregon Municipal Court Judge Jeffery Keller, Wasserman’s busy life as a law student, member of the Trial Advocacy Team and now, politician, doesn’t leave much free time. While attending poll locations on the day of the election, for example, he would often pull out his laptop and put the finishing touches on his appellate brief due the next day. However, to Wasserman, the hard work is beginning to pay off.
The College of Law’s Susan R. Martyn, Stoepler Professor of Law and Values, has been appointed to a national body that interprets rules of ethics and professionalism for all lawyers in the United States. 
Joseph W. Bauer, vice president and general counsel of the Lubrizol Corp., spoke to UT College of Law graduates about the many roles they will play during their future careers as lawyers.
His enthusiasm for his chosen profession has not waned over the course of his 26-year career. The work is not always glamorous, he said, but lawyers have the potential to give suggestions, guidance, and even hope and comfort, to a broad spectrum of clients. “It’s a pretty important job,” he said, and although a negative perception often shrouds the profession, Bauer told the graduates, “it is within your power and your power alone to prove that you do not deserve that negative impression.”
“Always remember that nobody really achieves anything alone,” he said, thanking the staff, faculty and students for the part they played in his success as Dean of the College of Law from 1999 to 2005. 
Professor Susan Martyn, Stoepler Professor of Law and Values at The University of Toledo College of Law, has co-authored a book that will help to fill that gap. Now appearing in major bookstores nationwide, Your Lawyer: A User’s Guide, was written by Martyn and Lawrence J. Fox as a guide to help clients better understand their lawyers’ professional and ethical responsibilities. Following a Q & A format, the book takes on an accessible tone aimed at non-lawyers. 
In January 2007, the IP law professor will take off for Wuhan, China, to live, teach and study in a country that is currently wrestling with critical issues of how to regulate the Internet, govern e-commerce, and enforce intellectual property rights. The way China resolves these issues is expected to have an impact on the rest of the world.
The team of Patrick Fitzgerald, Timothy van Tuinen and Frank Bryant earned the Gold Medal as announced on May 24 by the Center for Information Technology and Dispute Resolution of the University of Massachusetts.
Judith Ann Lanzinger ‘77, associate justice of the Supreme Court of Ohio, gives a speech filled with advice and good wishes: “I wish you all great personal success.”
