STUDENTS
BLSA Teams Advance to Nationals
Siannah Collado, Breyon James, Marie Maurice and Michelle Holmes
The BLSA Mock Trial team - Breyon James, Siannah Collado, Michelle Holmes
and Marie Maurice - won First Place in the region during the Thurgood Marshall
Mock Trial Competition, qualifying them for the national competition in Atlanta.
Professor Isabelle Gunning and Professor Karen Smith served as advisors to
the team, which defeated UCLA, Pepperdine and Oregon University arguing a
case that involved tactical prosecution and defense of three counts involving
drug possession, assault and providing material support to terrorism.
"I think it is important to note that, while Southwestern's BLSA has
sent moot court teams to the BLSA competitions and been successful, this
was the first year that we sent a mock trial team," Professor Gunning
said. Read
more.
National Telecommunications Team Returns with Honors
Southwestern's team of Lindsay Harrell, Julia Romano and Sarah Wolk returned
from the 2007 National Telecommunications Moot Court Competition in early
February with the awards for Best Brief and Third Place overall. The competition,
held
at the Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law in Washington
D.C., involved the issue of whether or not sponsorship identification rules
apply to video news releases (VNR) - "news" packages put together
by people outside of a news station to advocate a certain point of view.
"Dealing with the wonkish topic of the application of FCC sponsor identification
regulations to a video news release depicting violent video games, the team's
oralists were in outstanding form throughout the competition, particularly
when arguing 'For the Government,'" said Professor Robert Lind, who
along with Professor Michael Epstein served as the team's advisors.
ITAP Teams Reaches Semi-finals
Southwestern's Interscholastic Trial Advocacy Program (ITAP) sent two teams to the 2007 National Trial Competition in early February. Aylin Algin, Yan Gershfeld, and Chris Young
defeated teams from BYU and Chapman law schools in the preliminaries to advance
to the semi-final round. The other Southwestern team of Jennifer Turner,
Britton Light and Georgia Chudoba performed well too. Team managers were
Kiernan Curley and Chris Harmon.
Adjunct Professor Joseph Esposito, an ITAP advisor, said that both teams
did an amazing job and were excellent ambassadors for Southwestern. The Texas Young Lawyers sponsored the competition held in Salt Lake
City, Utah in early February.
Greg Mohrman Elected Governor of the ABA 9th Circuit
For the second year in a row, a Southwestern student has been chosen to
lead his peers while representing law schools in the American Bar Association.
Second-year day student Greg Mohrman, who is currently the SBA President,
has been elected as ABA Governor of the 9th Circuit. He received this honor
when the SBA attended the ABA Law Student Spring Meeting and Election, which
was held at Southwestern in late February. Every year the ABA Law Student Division
selects 15 regional circuit governors to serve on the Division's Board of
Governors - the 9th Circuit Governor represents all ABA approved law schools
in Southern California and Hawaii. Greg will be succeeding current ABA 9th
Circuit Governor and Southwestern evening student Alex Raminfar.
Morhman's
responsibilities will include overseeing ABA Law Student Division activities
at every ABA-approved law school within the circuit; representing
the interests and communicating the needs of law students attending the law
schools in the 9th circuit; communicating information about the national
concerns, interests and activities of the Division's Board of Governors,
Division programs, activities, and leadership positions to circuit members,
and encouraging participation in the same; developing a plan of action for
the circuit to include public interest initiatives, programming, membership
outreach, etc.; planning and developing programming, training, and social
activities for the fall and spring circuit meetings; among other tasks. For
more information on the position, click
here;
for more information on the 9th Circuit, click
here.
Mexican Attorneys at Southwestern Train in Trial Advocacy
As
part of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) program, three
Mexican students arrived at Southwestern in January for a full year in
the United States, in which they will spend two semesters at the law
school learning to train their peers back home in trial advocacy.
The
three Mexican students are: Manuel Caloca, 30, a professor at the
Universidad de Guadalajara who is a graduate of that law school and
also holds an LL.M. degree from the University of Arizona in
International Trade Law; Ariadna Camacho, 22, a graduate of Tec of
Monterrey (State of Mexico Campus), who has worked at one of Mexico's
leading anti-trust law firms; and Diana "Cristal" Obregon, 28, a
graduate of Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), who spent
several years working at Proderecho, the non-governmental organization
that has spearheaded USAID's oral advocacy training efforts in Mexico. Read More.
Southwestern Student Selected a 'Matchmaker for Justice'
Claudia E. Candelas, a fourth-year evening student, was selected to participate
in Matchmakers for Justice (M4J), a program set up to provide advocacy for
displaced Katrina residents in New Orleans. She is one of 50 law students
from across the country to participate in the program. Professor Parrish
has agreed to serve as her advisor on ethical issues or other non-Louisiana
law questions. The M4J program, which involves pairing law students with
displaced residents on a one-on-one, long-term basis, is a part of the Student
Hurricane Network, which was set up by the American Bar Association’s
Law Student Division.
Candelas recently traveled to New Orleans to meet with those affected by
the storm. "We toured the areas that were hit and still mostly uninhabitable," she
said. "We spoke to, and met many of the residents that will be benefiting
from the program. They couldn't stress enough how important our advocacy
is to them and how they feel as though we are their only 'link to the outside
world.' Stated simply, it is very sad, and I am very much looking forward
to participation in this program and the work that is still very much needed
in the Gulf Coast." For more information on the program, click
here.
ExamSoft News
The new ExamSoft program has recently been upgraded to ExamSoft Flexsite in order to give the May graduates hands-on experience with the process prior to taking the California Bar this summer, as well as eliminate the use of floppy discs and CDs. Instead of submitting discs or CDs with the exam answers, students will now be responsible for uploading answers to a secure server at the conclusion of the exam, in order to improve the prior delayed release of completed exams for grading. For students who do not have a wireless service, answers may be uploaded using a wire port in the library prior to leaving campus. The exam is encrypted and once completed, the student will not be able to reopen it.
If students plan to type their spring exams using ExamSoft Flexsite, several necessary steps must be completed, including internet connectivity and registering laptops with Southwestern. Please contact Computer Services in the Computer Lab of the Law Library for assistance. Information sessions concerning ExamSoft Flexsite will be held in the coming weeks. In these sessions, the Computer Services staff will conduct a demo and students will be able to download a practice exam that will function identically to an actual exam.
ExamSoft Flexsite Information Sessions
Tuesday March 20, 12:15 p.m. & 5 p.m., W329
Thursday, March 22, 12:15 p.m. & 5 p.m., W329
Monday, March 26 12:15 pm & 5 p.m., W411
Wednesday, March 28 5 p.m., W229
Help Foster Creativity with Craft Drive
APALSA is sponsoring an art supply drive now through Friday, March 9. These
craft materials will be donated to New Village Charter High School, a school
for at-risk girls that just opened last year. Any new or used art supplies,
such as magazines, markers, yarn, construction paper, pens, felt, fabric,
glue, scissors, etc. will be greatly appreciated! Please drop off items in
the boxes located at the Westmoreland Alcove and BW Central Hall by the elevators.
Auto-forward Your Southwestern Email!
Now you can get your Southwestern email at the address of your choice. Find
out how to forward email addressed to your Southwestern account to your personal
email here: Southwestern Email Accounts or Forwarding Messages (PDF).
EXTERNSHIP FALL APPLICATION DEADLINE
THURSDAY, MARCH 1
GETTING TO KNOW YOU
A Dozen Questions for Professor Alan Calnan
Q: What is your favorite law school memory?
A: I have two favorite memories of law school, though neither is of a
specific moment. Rather, they are more general feelings - specifically,
feelings of camaraderie and accomplishment. I had a great group of friends
in law school. We ate, played, talked, studied and laughed together every
day. Through constant support and encouragement, each member learned more
- about life as well as law - than we ever could have learned alone. Sappy,
yes, but true.
Q: How did your work as Notes and Comments Editor of Syracuse Law
Review influence your decision to become a law professor?
A: It
really didn't, at least not directly. When I was in law school, I had
no idea what I wanted to do with my degree. I joined law review because
I liked to write and knew it might improve my job opportunities. Although
my stint on law review reinforced my love of writing, and confirmed my
interest in legal theory and policy, I never imagined it might lead to
a teaching career. It did convince me, however, that I definitely did not
want to be a magazine or book editor!
Q: What did you enjoy most about being a litigator?
A: Actually litigating. I worked in a medium- to large-sized insurance
defense firm. As a young associate, I spent much of my time doing discovery
- taking depositions, drafting interrogatories and such. This was and is
important and necessary work, but like most litigators, I preferred being
in court. In my first year of practice, I was fortunate enough to try several
of my own cases and argue before the United States Court of Appeals for
the Third Circuit and the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. Knowing that my
ideas would have a profound and immediate impact on both my clients and
the law made these experiences especially fulfilling (and, as you might
guess, nerve-wracking).
Q: What made you leave litigation to return to academic life?
A: In a way, I never really left academic life. After law school, I did
an appellate clerkship which kept me cloistered in a library or judge's
chambers researching law and thinking about the policy effects of the opinions
I helped to draft. Even in practice, I often volunteered or was asked to
write appellate briefs on cutting edge issues. When I received an offer
from Villanova University School of Law to teach legal writing, I decided
to take the next step in what by that time seemed to be a pretty natural,
if financially challenging, transition to legal education.
Q: What sparked your research and passion for tort law?
A: This is a toughie. Torts was my favorite subject in law school, but
at the time I didn't know why. Upon reflection, I'd say it's the human
drama, moral dilemmas, social policy-making and political machinations
that make Torts so interesting. One person damages, degrades, deceives
or defames another. The victim wants to retaliate, but must channel her
anger, frustration and ultimately her response through the civil justice
system. The basic question of tort law is: When shall the state permit
such a counterattack? One cannot answer this question without considering
the justice of the encounter, the interests of the parties, the purposes
and limits of the judicial system, the sovereignties of competing branches
of government, the other social systems available to deal with the problem
and the general public welfare. Now that's good stuff!
Q: How did you come to work with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms?
A: Fortunately, it was not because I had extensive experience with each
item in their title. Following the Oklahoma City bombing, Congress commissioned
the National Research Council (NRC) to study ways of avoiding or responding
to future bomb attacks and charged the NRC with the responsibility of drafting
a report which it was to deliver to the BATF. The NRC, in turn, assembled
the Committee on Marketing, Rendering Inert, and Licensing of Explosive
Materials. Based on a recommendation from a former colleague, I was invited
to give a presentation reviewing the civil liability issues arising from
some of the alternatives. Apparently, they couldn't get enough of torts
(but really, who can?), so they asked me to join the group. I wound up
writing several sections of legal analysis in the report and co-authored
its legal addendum.
Q: What are some of your favorite legal themed TV shows or movies?
A:
To be honest, I can't watch most legal-themed dramas. Because they're supposed
to be realistic, I find myself being distracted by the inaccuracies,
stereotypes and hyperboles. This forces me to make verbal critiques, which
in turn leads to my annoying every nonlawyer in the room. The Verdict with
Paul Newman is one exception. You can't beat the pathos of a broken-down
and desperate tort lawyer doing battle in a grievous med mal case against
the Leviathan law firm that ruins his case by scaring off his star witness
on the eve of trial and breaking his heart by planting a comely mole in
his litigation team. Comedies are a different story. Who can resist My
Cousin Vinny, with its saga of two innocent "Yutes" wrongly accused
of committing a crime and their passed-the-bar-on-the-sixth-try Brooklyn
attorney and his mechanic girlfriend who succeed in getting them off the
hook. Certainly not me!
Q: If your students could only take away one piece of knowledge from your
classes, what would you want it to be?
A: Be passionate, creative and ethical in whatever you choose to do, and
you'll always feel like a success (Caveat: Friedrich Nietzsche, who first
popularized this view, eventually went insane, so you might want to keep
tabs on that imagination!)
Q: What are some of your hobbies outside of teaching and writing about
the law?
A: I've been running (almost Gump-like) for nearly thirty
years and hope to go for thirty more. When the Lakers are playing, I usually
can be found
near a TV yelling potentially tortious phrases at the refs, the players
and the Zen Master. According to police reports, someone who looks like
me has been spotted walking around area golf courses excavating large chunks
of earth with his three iron. I plead the fifth. During drives to and from
school, I like to listen to various Great Lectures (usually on philosophy)
from the Teaching Company, proving that I'm not willing to perplex my students
with cosmic quandaries that I wouldn't endure myself. Mostly though, I
enjoy hanging out and vacationing with my wife and watching my Italian
Mastiff "puppies," Rocco and Sophie, slowly devour our home.
Q: What is the biggest misconception students have about law professors?
A: Okay, here comes some tough love. Students seem to believe that journeying
through cyberspace or getting lost in a computer game during class magically
makes them invisible. Based on this assumption, they further believe that
their professors cannot see them, cannot tell what they are doing or do
not care where they go (mentally, that is). This just in...we do see you,
we know exactly what you're doing and we really do care.
Q: If you knew you could not fail, what would you do?
A: I'd either stalk a Tiger in the Woods at Pinehurst or school the Big
Aristotle at the Forum (or perhaps be schooled by the Great Philosopher
at the Lyceum).
Q: Coming from the East Coast, what's your favorite thing about living
in LA?
A: Not just drinking wine, but actually taking a short trip to see where
it's made. Not just admiring picture postcards of eye-popping sunsets and
jaw-dropping vistas, but actually witnessing them every day as I walk out
my door. Not just waiting for an Indian Summer, but actually walking around
in shorts and shirtsleeves in the dead of winter.
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FACULTY ACTIVITIES
PROFESSOR RONALD ARONOVSKY
- Back from the Margins: An Environmental Nuisance Paradigm for Private
Cleanup Cost Disputes, 84 DENVER UNIVERSITY LAW REVIEW 395 (2006)
ASSOCIATE DEAN CHRISTOPHER CAMERON
- Quoted in "Wal-Mart loses job bias appeal: The retailer must face
a class-action suit on behalf of 1.5 million women, a panel rules," Los Angeles Times
PROFESSOR MARK CAMMACK
- Panelist, "Selected Adversarial Issues Concerning Relevance, Competence
and Witness Statements," Rules of Evidence: FRE V. CEC, Southwestern
FACULTY
Professor Cohen named Street Law "Educator of the Year"
Professor
Laura Dym Cohen has been named 2007 Street Law Educator of the Year.
She will be honored at the Third Annual Street Law Awards Dinner in
Washington D.C. on April 25, sharing the accolades with other award
recipients, including former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno.
"Professor
Cohen has a remarkable and infectious enthusiasm that makes the program
thrive," Dean Bryant Garth said. "She also takes the themes of the
Street Law program into new arenas. For example, she took the
initiative to get students involved in pro bono activities connected to
the Teen Court project here in Los Angeles. She arranged meetings and
secured the involvement of the Student Bar Association." Read More.
EVENTS
Upcoming Biederman Institute Events
The Biederman Institute is working with leading organizations in the media
industry and the legal profession to present an array of outstanding programs
for practitioners, students and faculty this semester. For more information
on these events, contact Tamara Moore in the Institute Office.
Save the Dates for the Next Two "Conversations"
On Tuesday, March 6 at 7:30 p.m., the Institute's "Conversations With..." series
will feature Pat Mitchell, President and CEO, The Museum of Television and
Radio (and former president of PBS) in a discussion titled "Broadcasting
in the Twenty First Century." Then, on Tuesday, March 27, the series
will feature David Nimmer, Of Counsel, Irell & Manella LLP, Los Angeles
and Distinguished Scholar, Berkeley Center for Law and Technology in "Patently
Misguided: A Direct Analysis of Copyright's Indirect Liability." Each
event offers one unit of MCLE credit and is followed by a reception.
Entertainment Without Borders: Practicing in the Emerging Global Marketplace
The Biederman Institute and the Beverly Hills Bar Association are co-sponsoring
their second annual Entertainment Without Borders event on Thursday, April
12. The conference will focus on three aspects of the international entertainment
market: the talent market, examining cross border challenges to recruiting
and hiring actors, directors and other key production personnel; the product
market, exploring the legal and business implications of the technological
revolution in the delivery of entertainment products; and the geographic
market, discussing the challenge of doing entertainment deals in emerging
markets, particularly in China and India. For more information, visit the
Institute Events section of the website.
CAREER CORNER
Career Services has three upcoming presentations that you won't want
to miss. The following events will be at 12:30 p.m. in W311, with the exception
of the 12th Annual Entertainment Law Career Day.
March 7 - Alumni Talking about the Bar Examination: Hear four alumni talk
about the Bar Examination. This is your chance to ask all your questions
about preparation classes, the best ways to get ready, when to start studying,
etc. Panelists include: Tom Beindorf, Cecilia Amo, Emma Brackett, and
Mark Khalaf, with Professor Bateman acting as Panel Moderator.
Saturday, March 10 - 12th Annual Entertainment Law Career Day: Learn
about all the different practice options within the entertainment industry!
Topics
to be covered include: Entertainment Law in the Law Firm Setting; Intellectual
Property in the Entertainment Law Realm; Sports Law; Lawyers in the Music
Industry; Lawyers in the Television & Cable Industries; Lawyers in
the Motion Picture Industry. Panelists will discuss what they do
and how they obtained their positions in the entertainment industry. They
will also offer practical advice for obtaining a career in entertainment
law. Representatives from MGM, Universal Pictures, TNT, ABC/Touchstone
Television, Foley & Lardner, Sheppard Mullin, Eisner & Frank, AT&T,
Blitz Distribution, Mandate Pictures, Hyde Park Entertainment, Sanchez & Amador,
Fox Broadcasting, and many more will attend. The event will be held
at Southwestern with check-in starting at 8:00 a.m. For a complete
schedule of events and to sign-up to attend, please visit the Career Services
Office.
March 14 - Legal Tales from a Headhunter: Noted author and Los Angeles headhunter, Valerie Fontaine, will be on campus to talk to students about
career development, the Los Angeles legal market, how to stand out in
the job market, and what practice areas are "hot" and which are
not. This will be an informative and entertaining presentation!
Early Planning Encouraged for 2008 Post-Graduate Judicial Clerkship Applications
Applications for 2008 federal court clerkships will be due early
September 2007, but students are encouraged to begin their planning now.
Those interested
in State Court clerkships need to check deadline dates, as they vary from
state to state.
For more information, please see the Career Services Office
and plan on attending the Career Services Seminar on Post-Graduate
Judicial Clerkships,
scheduled for April 12 at 12:30 and 5 p.m.
LACBA Symposium Discusses Cutting-edge Labor and Employment Law Issues
On Thursday, March 8, the Los Angeles County Bar Association Labor & Employment
Law Section invites students to attend the 27th Annual Labor and
Employment Law Symposium, which will be held at the Biltmore Hotel (506 S.
Grand Ave., Los Angeles). This event is free to law students and offers a
day of panel discussions on cutting-edge issues in labor and employment law,
complete with extensive written reference materials. In addition to updates
of significant developments in the field, the 2007 Symposium will offer a
humorous account of what it feels like to be fired and host a panel of preeminent
speakers on how opposing sides of a dispute can be zealous advocates and
still get along. The program begins with breakfast and registration starting
at 7:45 a.m. and ends with a cocktail reception at 5:30 p.m. For more info
or to register, please visit the labor and employment section of www.lacba.org or call (213) 896-6560.
More Student Groups Host Alumni-Student Networking Events
Southwestern's student organizations know the value of networking and continue planning events to do just that. Both OUTlaw and the Media Law
Forum, along with Entertainment and Sports Law Society, invite students to
join members for special cocktail receptions intended to help build
a bridge between the students and alumni. The OUTlaw event will take place on Tuesday, March 13 and the media, entertainment and sports law event will take place on Wednesday, March 14. Both events begin at 5:30 pm. on the Second Floor of the Bullocks Wilshire Building.
For more information or to RSVP, contact
the Development and Alumni Affairs Office.
Don't miss "Table Days" in April
"Table Days" are intended to provide students with the opportunity to receive advice from faculty, deans and staff on planning their schedule for the upcoming academic year and preparing for their legal career. Tables will be grouped by areas of interests, including entertainment law, business law, criminal law, international law, skills courses (Interviewing, Counseling, and Negotiation, etc.), bar preparation, public interest, student honor groups and much more. The event will take place on the Promenade during the following dates/times:
- Monday, April 9, 5 - 6 p.m.
- Tuesday, April 10, 12 - 2 p.m.
- Wednesday, April 11, 12 - 2 p.m.
- Wednesday, April 11, 5 - 6 p.m.
Intramural Moot Court Schedule
First Round Oral Arguments
Saturday & Sunday, March 17 & 18
Appellate Brief Due
Monday, March 19
Second Round Oral Arguments
Saturday & Sunday, March 24 & 25
Third Round Oral Arguments
Saturday, March 31
Octa & Quarter Final Rounds
Thursday, April 12
Semifinal & Final Rounds
Saturday, April 14
AROUND CAMPUS
Southwestern welcomes its newest staff members
- Sandra Tamayo, Student Services Assistant
Before joining Southwestern, Sandra worked at Vista Del Mar Child & Family
Services, a non-profit organization in Culver City where she was a
Development Associate and worked with the Vice President of Development
and the marketing
team in the planning and execution of charity events. Sandra earned
her bachelor's degree from Humboldt State University.
- Maxine Sawoya, Circulation Specialist/Stacks Supervisor, Library
Maxine is a graduate of Mount St. Mary's College with a B.A. in French
and minor in Spanish. She previously worked for a greeting card company
and
in retail. Her daughter - Alexandria Sawoya - is a third-year day student.
- Hannah Sward, Dean's Office Assistant
Hannah graduated from Antioch University of Southern California where
she majored in Creative Writing and worked as a Campus Services Assistant. Hannah's
previous experience included working at an art gallery and as a reporter
for a local neighborhood newspaper.
- Katrina Walker, Assistant Director of Career Services
Katrina earned her J.D. degree from California Western School of Law
in San Diego. Before coming to Southwestern, Katrina worked for
Robert Half in
Los Angeles, where she helped staff legal firms, advising and preparing
lawyers and legal personnel for the job search process. She is
a member of the California Bar.
Also note that
Linda Bush, Martha Fink, Gregg Hinton and Sandra Montgomery's titles are now Faculty Services Assistants.
GETTING TO KNOW YOU
"W.A.Y." - Who Are You & Why Are You here?
This month - Hildy Aguinaldo, Second-Year Day Program
Hildy Aguinaldo says that the beauty of law school is that it gives you
options. As president of the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association
(APALSA), member of the Moot Court Honors Program, and editor of the student
newspaper, The Commentator, the second-year student approaches each day
with ingenuity.
Even though she loved her undergraduate experience at UCLA,
Aguinaldo said that Southwestern presents students with the chance to be
creative
and shine in their own ways. "If you go to a Harvard or Stanford you're
made to fit into their mold," she said. "At Southwestern, you
can make your own mold, do your own stuff. There's so much you can do here."
She works with APALSA's seven board members and has cultivated a multi-pronged
venture that includes: social, professional, and academic development as
well as community involvement. In October, the organization held an outline
and exam writing workshop, open to anyone interested, in which top scoring
students from the previous year came and talked about how they prepared
for the tests so successfully. Aguinaldo also enjoys mentoring students
and credits her own family with giving her terrific support. "My little
sister is my mentor. And so is my boyfriend... I make him listen to all
of my moot court arguments."
During her last year at UCLA, her father had some health problems, which
Aguinaldo says were caused by tobacco. That influenced her to make the decision
to go to law school. Her first thought was to explore health care law,
but she admits that there are so many things that interest her, she's not
sure what area she wants to hone in on just yet. And as if she isn't busy
enough, Aguinaldo has also been a paid intern with the Airport Division
of the City Attorney's Office since last May - writing up complaints and
memos and doing research on ordinances. "I'm sane because I enjoy
every single one of the things I'm doing, which are all intense but flexible," she
said.
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