Cardozo’s Paul Verkuil to head Administrative Conference of the United States
Paul Verkuil, professor at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, was confirmed by the United States Senate in March after being nominated by President Barack Obama as Chairman of the newly reconstituted Administrative Conference of the United States (ACUS). He is the first ACUS Chairman since 1995.
The Administrative Conference is a body of experts charged with making recommendations to Congress and federal agencies concerning the efficiency, soundness and fairness of agency procedures.
“This is a tremendous honor and a great recognition of Paul’s contributions to administrative law. I cannot think of a person better able to construct and lead the ACUS,” said Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law Dean Matthew Diller. “We will all miss seeing Paul every day at Cardozo, where he has been a major presence on our faculty and in the life of the School for more than a decade.”
ACUS was established in 1968 and has made important contributions to administrative government in this country, producing influential recommendations on topics ranging from agency alternative dispute resolution and regulatory negotiation, through venue rules for judicial review, to rulemaking procedures. Beginning in fiscal year 2009, Congress has reestablished ACUS after a 14-year hiatus.
Professor Verkuil will have the critically important task of rebuilding ACUS at a point when the regulatory process is in tremendous flux. The financial crisis, renewed attention to environmental regulation, particularly with regard to the problem of climate change, and the prospect of major revisions to the health care system in this country will all have major repercussions for federal agencies.
“Paul’s entire career – his influential administrative law scholarship, his managerial experience, his high-level legal practice, and his status, and sweeping connections, in the world of administrative law – has equipped him to be a stellar Chair of the Administrative Conference,” said Professor Michael Herz of Cardozo, friend and colleague of Professor Verkuil. “I know that under Paul’s leadership, ACUS will flourish. We can look forward to seeing it make important contributions to the sound, effective, and responsive functioning of the federal government. I can’t imagine a more ideal match between appointee and position.”
Professor Verkuil served as dean of Cardozo from 1997 to 2001 and is a life fellow of the American Bar Foundation and of the American Law Institute.
SIU assistant professor travels to Israel
Lucian E. Dervan, assistant professor for Southern Illinois University School of Law, will travel to Israel in late May after being awarded a Foundation for Defense of Democracies Academic Fellowship. While in Israel, he will participate in an intense 10-day program that will focus on terrorism and its threat to democratic nations.
The first five days of the program take place in classroom settings at Tel Aviv University, where participants will meet with counter-terrorism scholars, military officers, intelligence officials, diplomats and personnel from Israel, Jordan, India, Turkey and the United States, according to the organization’s Web site. Participants will spend the next five days traveling around the country visiting military bases, border zones and security installations.
“As has become evident since Sept. 11, 2001, counter-terrorism and national security will continue to become ever more important issues to the United States,” Dervan said. “Learning from countries, such as Israel, who have grappled with those national security issues for decades, offers a unique and valuable learning experience.”
Dervan teaches in the area of criminal law, including international criminal law. As part of his research, Dervan writes about counter-terrorism in the United States, including the prevalence of plea bargaining in terrorism prosecutions. In addition to aiding with his research, Dervan believes the insights and experiences the fellowship offers will be invaluable to students in his international criminal law course and will assist him as he develops a course regarding national security and counter-terrorism laws.
“This fellowship offers an intense and hands-on experience,” Dervan said. “It provides incredible access to the people and places where counter-terrorism policy is both developed and implemented. For that reason it’s a very competitive program, and I’m excited to be selected.”
Morrison returns to teaching at Columbia Law
Trevor Morrison returns to his position as professor and vice dean of Columbia Law School after serving as Associate Counsel to President Barack Obama.
No stranger to Washington, Morrison clerked for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Ginsburg and worked two years in high-profile offices within the Justice Department. Still, Morrison admitted that his most recent adventure was a “whole other thing.”
“When Trevor joined the office everyone knew we were getting a brilliant lawyer and scholar,” said Daniel Meltzer, the President’s Principal Deputy Counsel. “His work so impressed everyone there was no doubt that if we could get him to join the White House counsel’s staff that would be a great benefit for the administration.”
Morrison helped to draft executive orders that Obama would issue two days into his presidency while serving on the president’s transition team.
“On the first day and the last day and every day in between it was both a great honor and very exciting to be working at the White House,” said Morrison. “When I began there, I hoped I would not take it for granted. And over the course of a year I don’t think I did.”
Brenda Simon joins Thomas Jefferson law faculty
Thomas Jefferson School of Law here is proud to announce that Brenda Simon, a highly respected scholar in the fields of Patent and Biotechnology Law, has accepted the school’s offer to join the Thomas Jefferson faculty as of the Fall 2010 semester. Simon joins an extraordinarily strong group of intellectual property faculty at Thomas Jefferson that provides relevant professional experience as well as substantial scholarly and curricular focus in this hot legal area.
“We are very excited that Brenda will be joining the faculty,” said Eric Mitnick, associate dean for Academics at Thomas Jefferson. “Her research in the patent law and policy area is very impressive, which led to competition among law schools to recruit her.”
Currently a Fellow in the Center for Law and the Biosciences at Stanford Law School and a graduate of the University of California Berkeley School of Law, Simon has published path-breaking studies on the intersection of law, science and technology. Her scholarship examines the implications of patent protection in the areas of genetic testing, human identification chips, agricultural biotechnology and the establishment of biobanks, relating the implications of protecting patents in these areas to issues as diverse as individual privacy, public health and national security.
Gilreath receives three-year appointment to WFU’s Women and Gender Studies Department
Shannon Gilreath, Wake Forest Fellow for the Interdisciplinary Study of Law, has received a cross-appointment to the core faculty of the university’s Women’s and Gender Studies Department as professor of Women’s and Gender Studies.
The college’s curriculum committee for Women’s and Gender Studies selected Gilreath and the voting faculty unanimously approved him to a three-year appointment.
As part of the appointment, Gilreath will develop and teach three courses, over the course of three years, as part of the Women’s and Gender Studies curriculum. One of those courses is “Introduction to Women’s and Gender Studies,” a once-per-week course for undergraduate students. This is a course traditionally team-taught with another professor in freshman seminar style. The graduate classes, which will focus on gender and sexuality, will be cross-listed between the law school and the graduate school.
Gilreath will begin teaching the courses during the 2010-2011 academic year.
“This is a wonderful interdisciplinary opportunity,” Gilreath said. “This collaboration will, I think, fulfill a component of our strategic plan to offer courses in the broader college curriculum.”
Renowned global climate change expert to lead ASU law and sustainability initiative
Daniel M. Bodansky, a preeminent authority in international climate change law, has been appointed the Lincoln Professor of Law, Ethics and Sustainability at Arizona State University.
Bodansky also has been named an Affiliated Faculty member in both the College of Law’s Center for Law and Global Affairs, and in the Global Institute of Sustainability’s School of Sustainability at ASU. His appointment is effective Aug. 1, 2010.
“The hiring of Dan Bodansky is a tremendously positive step for advancing ASU,” said ASU President Michael Crow. “On the law and sustainability front, Dan will bring us global thinking at the highest level. This is a great day for ASU.”
Bodansky, the Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Emily and Ernest Woodruff Chair in International Law at the University of Georgia School of Law, will be a key player in the development and operation of a new Program in Law and Sustainability at the College of Law. The program, which will be housed in the College’s Center for the Study of Law, Science, & Technology, is expected to be launched next fall. He will teach courses in international law and in law and sustainability.
“Dan Bodansky is the leading figure in international law and climate change,” Berman said. “He is a highly respected international law scholar, and his experience, both in government and policy circles with respect to climate change, is unsurpassed. When I became Dean, and we decided to launch both the new Program on Law and Global Affairs and our ambitious transdisciplinary Law and Sustainability Program, Dan was the first person I thought of. I could not be more thrilled that he will be joining us.”
Bodansky said Berman’s enthusiasm about establishing the College of Law as an innovative force in solving global challenges and Crow’s visionary leadership in sustainability convinced him to make the move.
W&L Robin Wilson named chair professor
Robin F. Wilson, professor of law at Washington and Lee University School of Law, has been named Class of 1958 Law Alumni Professor of Law.
Wilson’s experience lies in family law and health law, where she has lobbied for the protection of children and the enactment of same-sex marriage laws. She was named Teacher of the Year by the Women Law Students organization in 2008 and was elected to the American Law Institute in 2009.
“Professor Wilson is an extraordinary example of a scholar in action, bringing her expertise to bear on legal and social policy issues of national and international importance,” said Washington and Lee Dean Rodney Smolla.
Wilson said she feels “honored” to receive the chair position and believes that it is a privilege to follow in the footsteps of her colleagues as a teacher and scholar.
New trustees elected to Thomas Jefferson’s Board
Thomas Jefferson School of Law has elected four new members to its Board of Trustees. The new trustees are Patricia Benke, Renee Comeau, Richard Morgan, and Randy Grossman.
“We are thrilled at the caliber of individuals that we have been able to bring to the active leadership of the Board,” said Dean Rudy Hasl.
Patricia Benke is an Associate Justice on the State of California Fourth District Court of Appeal; Renee Comeau is Senior Vice President of California Bank and Trust; Richard Morgan was the founding Dean at University of Nevada Las Vegas Boyd School of Law; and Randy Grossman is a practicing lawyer and adjunct faculty member.
Dean Hasl mentioned that especially as the school plans to relocate to the downtown area in 2011, the four new members can “provide connections to the San Diego and to the broader legal education communities.”
Charlotte Law welcomes seven new professors
Charlotte School of Law has announced the addition of seven new full-time faculty members: Suzannah Hicks, Jason Huber, Thomas Patrick, Carlos Pauling, Kama Pierce, Victoria Taylor, and Melissa Woods.
The new staff members have a broad range of experience, from Pierce’s service as judicial clerk in the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals to Taylor’s position as associate dean for admissions and financial aid at Charlotte Law.
“At Charlotte School of Law, we pride ourselves in the caliber of faculty members that choose to share their expertise and experiences.” Said Dennis Stone, Interim Dean. “The new faculty this year will continue to enrich our faculty base and the success of our students.”
University of Florida School of Law
Rob Birrenkott, assistant director for career development, oversees career education programs and administers the 1L initiatives including, the 1L resume tutorial and shadow program. He serves as one of the primary career counselors to first-year students. Birrenkott, who earned his B.A. in government and world affairs from the University of Tampa and his J.D. from the University of Florida Levin College of Law, is a member of the Florida Bar. He practiced law in Tampa with a focus on environmental (water resource), government and business law and has taught as an adjunct professor.
Michael Davis, online communications coordinator/ webmaster, is a graduate of the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications with a concentration in Online Journalism and minor in Business Administration. A former Gainesville Sun reporter, Davis was most recently a web manager in the UF Web Administration Office. Davis is passionate about designing Web sites with Web standards and is interested in usability testing to optimize user experience and interaction.
Shalini Ray, visiting legal skills professor, is currently teaching legal research and writing and will be teaching appellate advocacy in the spring. Ray graduated from Harvard Law School in 2004. After law school, she worked as a litigation associate at Morrison & Foerster LLP in San Francisco. In 2006, Ray moved to Philadelphia to clerk for the Hon. Anita B. Brody (E.D. Pa.) in Philadelphia. After her clerkship, she joined the staff attorneys office for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, where she worked primarily on immigration, habeas corpus and civil rights matters.
Barry University School of Law
Carrie Lee has been named the new director of the Juvenile Justice Center at the Barry University Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law. Lee, whose previous position at the Center was staff attorney, is a long-time child advocate. As director, Lee will continue the work of the Center creating systemic change in the quality of representation of children in the delinquency court. She will also be spearheading the implementation of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Models for Change pilot projects in Florida.
Prior to joining the Juvenile Justice Center, Lee’s commitment to children’s representation developed while working for four years with children in delinquency court as a lead attorney with the Juvenile Division of the Orange and Osceola County Public Defender’s office. She was also employed as an attorney for the Department of Children and Families.
Albany Law School
Albany Law School announced the addition of Susan Feathers as the assistant dean for student affairs. In her new position, Feathers will provide oversight of student affairs activities, including student development and programming issues, student access and accommodations issues, and Student Bar Association and member organizations. She will also develop a more robust pro bono program and teach in the academic support program.
Before joining Albany Law School, Feathers was the executive director of the Levin Center for Public Service & Public Interest Law at Stanford University Law School, and she also served as assistant dean at the University of Pennsylvania Law School for nine years. While at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, Feathers developed one of the country’s first mandatory pro bono programs, which subsequently won a pro bono award from the American Bar Association. She has also been a public interest advisor at Yale Law School and held positions at Brooklyn Law School and Hofstra Law School.
Elon University School of Law
Elon University School of Law, located in Greensboro, N.C., appointed three new faculty members. Sonya Garza and David Levine will serve as assistant professors of law, specializing in family law and intellectual property law respectively. Roland Smith, a member of the faculty at the Center for Creative Leadership, will serve as professor of leadership, a visiting faculty position for the 2009-10 academic year.
Garza joins the Elon law faculty after serving on the faculty of the New England School of Law since 2005, where she taught Constitutional Law, Family Law and Children and the Law. She has also served as assistant professor of law at Texas Tech University School of Law.
Levine, a non-resident fellow at the Center for Internet and Society at Stanford Law School (CIS), focuses his scholarship on the operation of intellectual property law at the intersection of technology and public life and intellectual property law’s impact on public transparency. Levine founded and hosts Hearsay Culture on KZSU-FM (Stanford University), a technology and intellectual property law interview radio show/podcast that was chosen as one of the top five podcasts in the American Bar Association’s Blawg 100 of 2008. Prior to becoming a law professor, Levine gained extensive intellectual property, entertainment and commercial litigation experience as an associate in the Manhattan offices of Pryor Cashman LLP and Windels Marx Lane & Mittendorf LLP and as an assistant corporation counsel for the City of New York.
Smith is a senior faculty member at the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL), leading the Center’s legal sector practice group. He is one of the lead designers and trainers for CCL and is the lead researcher relative to legal sector initiatives. He is experienced in working with in-house counsel, executive committees, practice groups and regional law offices. Smith leads CCL’s current research focused on senior lawyer-leaders, having published “The Changing Nature of Leadership in Law Firms” in 2009. In addition to his work with attorneys, Smith has provided leadership training for doctors, scientists, engineers, accountants and corporate executives. He has taught entrepreneurship, organizational behavior and human resource management at Albertson College of Idaho. Smith received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Boise State University and his doctorate in Organizational Learning from the University of Idaho.
Vermont Law School
Vermont Law School appointed Gil Kujovich as vice dean for Academic Affairs. Kujovich replaced Vice Dean Stephanie Willbanks, who returned to full-time teaching and scholarship at VLS. The vice dean focuses on developing faculty potential in scholarship and teaching, while catalyzing the continuing evolution of legal education for students.
Since his arrival at VLS in the 1980s, Kujovich has taught Constitutional Law, Federal Courts, and Civil Rights. Prior to joining the VLS faculty, Professor Kujovich clerked for Supreme Court Justices Potter Stewart and Byron White, served as assistant to the first Secretary of Education Shirley Hufstedler, and was counsel to the Intelligence Oversight Board in President Jimmy Carter’s White House.
University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law
Yolanda Ingram has been named a Fellow of the Memphis Bar Foundation. Ingram serves as the school’s assistant dean for student affairs, director of the Academic Support Program and director of the Tennessee Institute for Pre-Law — the state’s only access and diversity summer law program. Additionally, she is an adjunct faculty member in the paralegal studies program and freshman orientation program.
The Foundation is the charitable wing of the Memphis Bar Association and supports law-related activities and projects through its grant program. Its mission is to promote social justice and legal education and recognize professionalism among the members of the Bar. Attorneys and judges are nominated as Fellows in recognition of their distinguished service to the legal profession.
Ingram serves on the Memphis Bar Association’s diversity committee, which runs a summer program that places high school juniors and seniors in paid internships with local law firms. Last year she received the MBA President’s Award for outstanding service to the local Bar and the legal community. Ingram serves on the board of directors of Women in Higher Education in Tennessee and the Tennessee Alliance for Black Lawyers. She also is a member of the Ben F. Jones branch of the National Bar Association and the Association of Women Attorneys.
Touro Law Center
Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center announced the hiring of two new full-time faculty members this year: Tamara Relis, assistant professor of law and Joan Foley, assistant professor of legal process.
Relis joins Touro from the Department of Law of the London School of Economics (LSE). She holds a Ph.D. in law from the LSE, where she will continue as a post-doctoral research fellow. Dr. Relis also earned an LL.M. degree with Merit from the LSE, specializing in procedural law, and an LL.B. degree from the University of London.
Prior to joining the Touro Law faculty in 2009, Foley taught at the University of Washington School of Law from 2007 to 2009. From 2000 through 2006, she was a partner at the law firm of Gordon Thomas Honeywell in Seattle, Washington. Her practice focused on complex litigation, appellate litigation, and environmental litigation. Professor Foley graduated from the New York University School of Law. She interned at the Natural Resources Defense Council, Corporation Counsel of the City of New York, New York County District Attorney’s Office, and Evergreen Legal Services.
