University of Colorado Law School News

January Legend of the Month Bill McClearn (51)

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

December Legend of the Month - Fred G. Folsom Jr. ('38)

Mon, 26 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

This year the Colorado Law community said goodbye to a true friend and legendary public servant, Fred G. Folsom, Jr. Folsom was born in 1914 in Boulder, Colorado, where his father was a law professor and coach of the football team at the University of Colorado. Folsom graduated from the University of Colorado in 1936, and earned his law degree from Colorado Law in 1938. Shortly after finishing law school, Folsom moved to Washington, D.C. to work as an attorney for the Department of Justice. He also served in the U.S. Armys Judge Advocate Generals Corps during World War II. One of Folsoms greatest legacies from his career in the Department of Justice was the creation of a civil rights section, which grew out of a memo from Folsom to the Attorney General. Folsom argued that since the Attorney General served all people, the Department needed a section to focus on protecting civil rights. Folsom worked as the assistant chief of the civil rights section during the early 1940s, and served as the sections acting chief from 1947 to 1961. From 1961 until his retirement in 1972, Folsom was chief of the tax divisions criminal section. As a trusted and loyal public servant, Folsom was frequently called upon to work in number of special capacities. He served as one of the staff attorneys on the Special Inquiry Group for the accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear plant. He was an advisor for the House Judiciary Committees 1974 inquiry into President Richard Nixons tax returns. Most notably, Folsom was the leader of the 1976 task force formed by the Attorney General to review the FBIs handling of the Martin Luther King, Jr. assassination investigation. Folsom travelled to the White House in 2010 to be honored by President Barack Obama for his early work in civil rights. Folsoms life and career were a testament to the importance of public service. Colorado Law is honored to call him one of its own, and carry his legacy forward.

Professor Schlag Named Distinguished Professor

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The University of Colorado has named Pierre Schlag, one of six faculty members, as distinguished professor, the most prestigious honor for faculty at the university. Each year, the recognition goes to faculty members who demonstrate exemplary performance in research or creative work, a record of excellence in classroom teaching, and supervision of individual learning, and outstanding service to the profession, university and its affiliates. Pierre Schlag, Byron R. White Professor of Law, University of Colorado Law School, has worked at CU since 1989. His legal scholarship is known internationally, having been translated into French, Italian, Polish, Russian, Spanish and Ukrainian. His work inspired a 2003 University of Miami Law School symposium, Beyond Right and Reason: Pierre Schlag, the Critique of Normativity and the Enchantment of Reason. Schlag has published four books, more than 35 law review articles and numerous review essays, book reviews and shorter publications. While serving as associate dean for research, he created the Colorado Law summer workshop series and other initiatives. CU President Bruce D. Benson reviewed nominations from CUs campuses; with the recommendation of a committee of Distinguished Professors, he forwarded the candidates names to the Board of Regents, which will vote on the nominations at the boards Nov. 14-15 meeting.

Mon, 12 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Laws annual Alumni Awards Banquet will be held March 13, 2013 in the Seawell Grand Ballroom at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. The awardees for this years banquet include: The Honorable Michael L. Bender (67) for the William Lee Knous Award, Colorado Laws highest honor; Regina M. Rodriguez (88) for Distinguished Achievement in Private Practice; The Honorable Timothy M. Tymkovich (82) for Distinguished Achievement in the Judiciary; and Carole J. Yaley (80) for Distinguished Achievement in Industry. In addition, Dean Phil Weiser will present two Deans Choice awards, which recognize individuals who have made exceptional contributions to Colorado Law during the past year. John H. Schultz will receive the Dean Edward C. King Pay It Forward Award, and Jason Mendelson will receive the Richard Schaden Adopted Alumnus Award. As Colorado Laws marquee alumni event, the Alumni Awards Banquet provides an opportunity to network and reconnect with classmates and alumni, honor distinguished alumni, and help Colorado Law raise funds for important scholarships and programs. Thanks to the generosity of firms, vendors, nonprofits, and individuals, last years banquet raised nearly $54,000a record amount; all of this money supported the David Getches Scholarship fund. Proceeds from this years banquet will support the Deans Fund for Excellence. To learn about sponsorship opportunities, visit http://www.colorado.edu/law/alumdev/banquet.htm.

November Legend of the Month Moses Lasky (28)

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Of the many tremendously successful attorneys to graduate from Colorado Law over the decades, Moses Lasky, was one of the most successful. During his 66 years in practice, Lasky became nationally renowned as a brilliant trial and appellate lawyer, arguing numerous cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. A Denver native and the son of Polish immigrants, Lasky entered the University of Colorado as an undergraduate student in 1922 at the age of 14. He was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Society during his junior year and graduated magna cum laude and first in his class in 1926. He paid for much of his education during the depression by walking through Texas, Idaho, the Dakotas, and Colorado selling veterinary manuals to farmers. He earned his law degree from Colorado Law by the time he was 20. Lasky was too young to sit for the bar exam after graduation, so he enrolled at Harvard Law School where he completed a master of laws degree with high honors in 1929. Following Harvard, Lasky headed west to San Francisco and landed a job at the firm of Brobeck, Phleger, & Harrison where he eventually became a senior partner. Lasky founded his own firmLasky, Haas, Cohler, & Munterin 1979, where he practiced until his retirement in the late 1990s. Over the course of his career, Lasky represented many notable clients, including Howard Hughes, the Oakland Raiders, J. Paul Getty, Westinghouse, and Union Oil Company. He first came into national attention in 1946 with the Dollar v. Land case involving the Dollar Steamship Line that had been appropriated by the government during World War II. The case went to the U.S. Supreme Court, following which the Court of Appeals held the Solicitor General of the U.S. and the Secretary of Commerce in contempt. He appeared before the U.S. Supreme Court 47 times and presented oral arguments in six of those cases. In a 1971 appearance before the Supreme Court, Laskys oral argument succeeded in changing several justices view of the case and relevant constitutional issue, an accomplishment so rare that it prompted a commentary piece in the Washington Post called, The Impact of a Skillful Lawyer. In 1979, Lasky made headlines again when the New York Times and other national papers reported on a federal appeals court ruling upholding payment of a $1 million attorney fee to Lasky in a case that settled out of court. A San Francisco judge and former partner of Laskys once remarked that Lasky was the best lawyer I will ever see in my lifetime. Civic involvement was a high priority for Lasky. He served as a trustee of the San Francisco War Memorial, which operated the San Francisco Opera House, and he was president and a longtime board member of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. In addition, Lasky served on the board of San Franciscos Temple Emanuel, home to one of the two oldest Jewish congregations in California, and was a member of the board of overseers for Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles. In the 1960s, he co-chaired San Franciscos blue ribbon crime commission and served on the board of San Franciscos Exploratorium. He chaired the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Senior Advisory Board and was a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. In 1990, he received the American Bar Foundations Outstanding Service Award for adhering to fifty years of the highest principles and traditions of the legal profession and to the service of the public. Lasky also remained deeply involved with the University of Colorado and the law school until his passing in 2002. Colorado Law bestowed an Honorary Order of the Coif on Lasky in 1963, and he received University of Colorados University Medal in 1983. In 1996, he received an honorary doctorate from CU. Lasky established the Moses Lasky Scholarship at Colorado Law, which provides support for students who make outstanding contributions to the legal profession. The Moses Lasky Professorship at Colorado Law, named in his honor, is one of the schools highest faculty distinctions.

Inaugural Professionalism Orientation for All First Year Law Students in Colorado

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

More than 400 first year law students gathered last month at the inaugural For This We Stand professionalism orientation, an initiative of Chief Justice Commission on the Legal Professions Working Group A, which focuses on opportunities for Colorados two law schools to engage with the larger legal community. Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael Bender (67) urged students to be mindful of the difficult circumstances that bring people to lawyers, saying memorably that no one wants to need a lawyer, but that being a great lawyer can make a difference in peoples lives. Leaders in the legal community spoke at a general session that began the event. Chief Justice Bender, Judge Russell Carparelli, Colorado Bar Association President Mark Fogg (79), University of Denver Sturm College of Law Dean Martin Katz, Judge Marcia Krieger (79), former University of Colorado Assistant Dean and Chair of Working Group A Lorenzo Trujillo (93), and University of Colorado Law School Dean Phil Weiser each presented a unique perspective on the meaning and importance of professionalism, and challenged students to maintain the highest standards of conduct as they enter the legal profession. Following the general session, judges, attorneys, and clients joined students in discussion groups at the Denver City and County Building. Each group featured a judge, two attorneys, and a client who shared a personal story of the impact that interaction with the legal profession had on his or her life. Judges and attorneys shared their perspectives and students had the opportunity to ask questions. More than 100 judges, attorneys, and clients participated in the discussion groups, and many commented afterward on how much they enjoyed the opportunity to interact with the students. Chief Justice Bender commented after the event, It was inspiring and encouraging to see new law students engaging with and learning directly from clients, judges, and lawyers. Also, it was exciting to see the deans of both law schools delivering a shared message about the importance of building professional identity. We are grateful to the members of our community who helped make this event so inspiring. To participate in future events, email law.studentaffairs@colorado.edu.

U.S. Senator Headlines Energy Innovation Speaker Series

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The University of Colorado Law School and the Silicon Flatirons Center for Law, Technology, and Entrepreneurship are extremely pleased to announce that U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman (New Mexico) will be the featured speaker for the 5th Annual Schultz Lecture, which begins the Energy Innovation speaker series, on Monday, October 8 at the law school at 5:30 pm. Bingaman is Chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee and a senior member of the Joint Economic Committee. Prior to his election to the Senate in 1982, Bingaman spent four years as New Mexicos Attorney General after a number of years in private practice. He holds a BA in government from Harvard University and a JD from Stanford Law School. The Colorado Law Energy Innovation Initiative is a joint initiative between Colorado Law and Silicon Flatirons. Transitioning to a sustainable low-carbon energy system poses one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century. The Energy Innovation speaker series brings leaders from government, law, finance, industry, and academia to discuss key aspects of this challenge and some of the innovative approaches and solutions being fashioned across a range of sectors. The fall speaker series, which is co-sponsored by the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute (RASEI), continues on Tuesday, October 23 at Colorado Law, where Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Commissioner Tony Clark will keynote a conference on The Changing Energy Mix, and concludes with a conference on Friday, November 9 on Financing Energy Innovation. The Schultz Lectureship Series on oil and gas, energy, and natural resources provides valuable information to policymakers, practitioners, business executives, and the academic community on emerging issues in the field. The lectureship fund was made possible by the generosity of John H. (53) and Cynthia H. Schultz. For further information about the Schultz Lectureship Series, visit http://www.colorado.edu/law/faculty/lecturers/. For more information about the Schultz Lecture on October 8, visit http://lawweb.colorado.edu/events/details.jsp?id=4063.

Colorado Law Raises Record $6 Million, Funds Three New Professorships

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Dean Phil Weiser led Colorado Law in a banner year of fundraising, helping the law school raise $6 million in outside donations, exceeding the $3.4 million mark of the previous year and raising over $1 million in the law schools campaign to honor Dean David Getches. Notably, the fundraising efforts included support for three endowed professorships: the Dale Hatfield Professorship in Technology and Law, the Entrepreneurial Law Clinic Professorship, and the Getches-Green Natural Resources and Environmental Law Clinic Professorship. All three professorships continue to benefit from additional contributions, but after the first year of Weisers deanship, each surpassed the $1 million mark in gifts and pledges. Two of the professorships were part of the Chancellors Challenge Match Campaign and are available immediately to the law school. The Dale Hatfield Professorship was made possible by Dale Hatfields generous contribution, which will support a professor in the area of law and technology. In particular, the professorship will support a faculty member affiliated with the Silicon Flatirons Center for Law, Technology and Entrepreneurship, which Hatfield ran while Weiser was on leave working in the Justice Department and the White House. Taken together, Hatfields support and that of 137 donors have raised over $1.3 million in gifts and pledges. Once the professorship is funded with $1.5 million in actual donations, it will be available to a Colorado Law faculty member. The Entrepreneurial Law Clinic Professorship campaign was led by Jason Mendelson, the co-founder and managing director of Foundry Group, and an adjunct professor at Colorado Law. Mendelson seized the opportunity to secure a permanent position by securing $1 million in gifts and pledges. With that target met, Chancellor Phil DiStefano provided the law school with a permanent position, which Weiser is using to keep Brad Bernthal, an associate professor, on the roster. "I am truly amazed by the community's support of the entrepreneurial professorship. It proves that the work being done at Colorado Law is relevant to professors, students, and the community in general by raising the transactional intelligence and collaboration between them all," said Mendelson. The Getches-Green Natural Resources and Environmental Law Clinic Professorship was made possible by generous gifts from the Green Fund, David Bonderman, and an anonymous donor. The Green Fund took advantage of this opportunity to honor Kelly Green and David Getches, who worked together to establish the original Natural Resources Law Clinic at Colorado Law. The Getches-Green Professorship, which became a permanent position to support the salary of the professor of the Natural Resources and Environmental Law Clinic on account of the Chancellors March Challenge, is now held by Michael Soules, an associate professor teaching the clinic. The fundraising campaigns for three professorships reflect the law schools focus on human capital investments, explained Dean Phil Weiser. With a state-of-the-art building, our most pressing needs are to support the people in the buildingscholarships and loan repayment as well as professorships and programs. I am most grateful that a number of individuals led the way and set such an inspiring example for our community.

Frederic Bloom and Jennifer Hendricks Join Colorado Law Faculty

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Jackson, Spivey Pursuing New Opportunities

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Legend of the Month: Vine Deloria, Jr. (70)

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

This month, Colorado Law pays tribute to another truly legendary alum, Vine Deloria, Jr., a lawyer and theologian, known to many as the leading American Indian intellectual of the 20th century. Deloria, a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, was born in 1933 in Martin, South Dakota, near the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. After graduating in 1951 from Kent School, a private college-preparatory school in Connecticut, Deloria served in the Marines for several years. In 1958, Deloria graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in general science. Later, he earned a masters degree in theology from Lutheran School of Theology in 1963 and a JD from Colorado Law in 1970. After law school, Deloria accepted a teaching position at the Western Washington University College of Ethnic Studies. As a tenured professor of political science at the University of Arizona from 1978 to 1990, Deloria established the first masters degree program in American Indian Studies. He joined the University of Colorado faculty in 1990, where he taught until his retirement in 2000. During his tenure at CU-Boulder, Deloria was affiliated with Colorado Law and the departments of history, ethnic studies, religious studies, and political science. Deloria was a giant in the realm of American Indian policy. From 1964 to 1967, Deloria served as the executive director for the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), reviving the organization and laying the foundation for its contemporary prominence. Under his leadership, NCAIs membership grew from 19 to 156 tribes, became financially stable, and brought its platform of tribal sovereignty to the attention of Congress and the Executive Branch. In 1969, Deloria published Custer Died for Your Sins: An Indian Manifesto, the first of more than 20 books he would write during his career. The book is considered one of the most prominent works ever written on American Indian affairs. Custer asserted a vibrant Indian presence, drove the tribal struggle into the national spotlight, and became a centerpiece of the movement for tribal self-determination, a principle now recognized in tribal, federal, and international law. Delorias publications spanned several fields including law, education, anthropology, philosophy, and religion. In addition to his own studies in theology, Deloria was the grandson of a medicine man and son of an Episcopalian minister, a heritage that he wrote about in Singing for a Spirit: A Portrait of the Dakota Sioux. In 1974, following the publication of his book, God is Red: A Native View of Religion, Time Magazine named Deloria one of the primary movers and shapers of Christian faith and theology. Deloria received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Native Writers Circle of the Americas in 1996 and the Wallace Stegner Award from the University of Colorados Center for the American West in 2002. Colorado Law Professor Charles Wilkinson, a nationally renowned Native American affairs scholar and Delorias personal friend, once wrote, the modern tribal sovereignty movement has had no single great inspirational leader, no Martin Luther King, Jr., no Cesar Chavez.... Yet if one person may be singled out, it is Vine Deloria, Jr." Delorias influence in Washington, DC, in Indian Country, and in academia can be felt to this day. At Colorado Law, the American Indian Law Program honors Deloria through a spirited tradition of research, service, and engagement with Indian tribes. Even though Deloria is gone, his legacy continues.

Welcome Class of 2015

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Dean Weiser's Class of 2015 Orientation Speech Welcome, Class of 2015. My name is Phil Weiser and I have the honor and privilege of being the dean at Colorado Law. You are 153 strong and a great group of individuals, coming from a set of diverse backgrounds and life experiences. Collectively, Colorado Law is a collaborative, diverse, and inclusive community of outstanding students, faculty, staff, and alums. You are now part of this great tradition. I am not going to spend much time talking about how amazing you all are. But let me start by emphasizing that you are all amazing. Please dont ever forget that and what got you here is going to be a big part of what enables you to succeed going forward. In my role as dean, theres nothing better than getting to know you all and support you all as you develop your careers. Over our time together this week at orientation, we are going to start that process that will continue throughout your time here at Colorado and, after graduation, once you are an alum. One great benefit of your legal training will be that it is a platform for lifelong learning, professional growth, and continuing career development. To facilitate your thinking about how your careers can and will develop over time, we are bringing a wonderful series of guests into the conversation over the weeks ahead, as part of our Career Perspectives series. I will host many of these discussions myself, giving you all a chance to get to know me better and vice versa. For some of you, I will have the pleasure to get to know you quite well in your first year, as I am teaching two optional one credit classes this spring, one on Framing and Legal Narrative, and another on The Philosophy of Entrepreneurship. For the orientation week, you are going to have lots to think about. I would suggest three frames of reference that can help you make sense of most of what we will be discussing: service; entrepreneurship; and having fun. Let me say a bit about each and we can visit more on all of these topics as part of the next panel on Adjusting to Law School. The concept of service has multiple meanings. For lawyers, one core concept is serving your clients. How many of you worked in restaurants or other service businesses while in high school or college? For you all, the concept of serving someone elsebeing, client-centric in other wordsis not a new one. For lawyers, listening to and understanding their clients objectives, challenges, and problems is one of those important skills that comes from having an understanding of what it means to serve someone else. The concept of service has a broader meaning, too. It implies a lawyers obligation toward public service. The empowerment of a law degree, and the inculcation into a great profession, comes with obligations as well as opportunities. At Colorado Law, you will all be given the opportunity to perform pro bono work while in law school. I strongly encourage you to take advantage of that opportunity. The concept of being an entrepreneur is not one that traditionally was associated with law school. But we now live in an era where all lawyers must be entrepreneurs, to a greater or lesser extent depending on how our careers develop. In the sense that Reid Hoffman and Ben Casnocha wrote about in The Startup of You, and I hope that you all had a chance to read that book, you all need to recognize that you are entrepreneurs in yourselves. For me, I learned the lesson of thinking of myself as a franchise after I clerked for federal judges and looked for my first job. I choose to turn down more lucrative offers to accept and take a lower paying job in the Justice Departments Antitrust Division, enabling me to develop an expertise in telecommunications and technology law. That experience, which a friend called investing in the franchise, has paid great dividends. Thinking about yourself as a franchise means being purposeful about how ones choices can pay great rewards, even if it means passing up what you are supposed to do. As we watch and discuss the movie Moneyball later today, this lesson should come through loud and clear. Another lesson, which I cannot emphasize enough, is the importance of having fun while you are here. Law school is a time to learn and enjoy the pursuit of ideasas well as develop your career. And Colorado is a place to enjoy the outdoors, as well as our terrific law school building. Finally, and core to having fun, please dont forget your friends, family, and priorities. Your studies, your professional network, and your internships will all be important over the next three years. But your friends and family, both as a source of support to you and as your top priority, should not be ignored. On behalf of our collaborative, diverse, and inclusive community of outstanding students, faculty, staff, and alums, we are all delighted you have decided to join us and look forward to getting to know you over the years ahead. In my case, and on behalf of the entire Colorado Law community, please know that we are here for you and dont hesitate to ask for help in whatever you are doingchoosing classes, writing a paper, applying for judicial clerkships for after graduation, or looking for a summer job.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to Keynote Bench and Bar Conference

Thu, 16 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg will give the keynote address at the University of Colorado Law Schools upcoming Gathering of the Bench and Bar Conference, which will take place September 19-21 in Boulder. Ginsburg will deliver the Byron R. White Center for the Study of American Constitutional Laws second annual Stevens Lecture on Wednesday, September 19 at 5:00 p.m. in the UMC Ballroom at CU-Boulder. The Stevens Lecture is open to the public. Last year, the Stevens Lecture was delivered by Justice John Paul Stevens; next years Stevens Lecture will be presented by Justice Sandra Day OConnor. The conference will feature a substantial lineup of distinguished speakers, and enable attendees to earn a large number of Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits. The conference will kick off on Wednesday, September 19, in Colorado Laws Wittemyer Courtroom with opening remarks from Judges Neil M. Gorsuch and Timothy M. Tymkovich of the U.S. Tenth Circuit, Chief Judge Wiley Daniel of the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, and Chief Justice Michael Bender (67) of the Colorado Supreme Court. On Thursday and Friday, the conference will move to Boulders St. Julien Hotel, where attendees will participate in a combination of general sessions and breakout sessions. General session topics will include challenges to the legal profession, the rule of law, and declining trust in institutions. Dr. Ezekiel J. Emanuel, former special advisor for health care to the Office of Management and Budget, and Dr. Robert Kocher, former special assistant to the president on health care, will join a panel considering the impact of the Supreme Courts health care reform decision. Both Emanuel and Kocher helped draft the Affordable Care Act. The panel will also include the perspective of Paul Clement, former solicitor general of the United States, who argued before the Supreme Court against the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act. In another session, members of the press will provide a rare perspective on judicial affairs. Speakers include Dahlia Lithwick of Slate.com and Newsweek, and Eugene Volokh of The Volokh Conspiracy, who will address questions posed by Denvers own Rebecca Askew, owner and publisher of Law Week Colorado. The breakout sessions will cover topics such as: privacy and electronic commerce, e-discovery, generational dynamics, the future of energy law and policy, effective advocacy from both practitioner and judicial perspectives, and a Tenth Circuit review for 2012. This conference is part of Colorado Laws commitment to engaging with the bench and bar, providing our alums and students unique educational opportunities, and bringing national leaders to Colorado, said Colorado Law Dean Phil Weiser. To register for the conference: http://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?EventID=1052196 To RSVP for Justice Ginsburgs lecture ONLY: http://lawweb.colorado.edu/apps/eventRegistration/ginsburg/ VIDEO: http://lawweb.colorado.edu/events/mediaDetails.jsp?id=4226

August Legend of the Month Stephanie Lynch (07)

Fri, 27 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

This past year, the Colorado Law community marked the passing of our dear friend and dedicated community servant, Stephanie D. Lynch. Lynch was born in St. Paul, MN, and married her husband Jeffrey in Eldorado Springs, CO in June of 1984. In the course of her life and career, Lynch contributed in numerous and meaningful ways to the community. When her younger son was diagnosed with autism in 1996, Lynch found her lifes passion and made a life-long commitment to children and parents with special education needs. She fought zealously for their rights and concerns. Her legacy of community service included volunteer positions on a number of committees for the Boulder Valley School District, including the Special Education Advisory Committee, the Budget Advisory Committee, the District Accountability Committee, and the Boulder County Spokespeople Organization. In addition, she volunteered regularly in her own childrens classrooms. Her commitment to service didnt stop with the school system; Lynch also pursued policy matters with the City of Boulders Childrens Services and Early Care and Education programs. With her characteristic resolve, Lynch ultimately took her involvement in education policy to the state level, serving as a committee co-chair for the Colorado Special Education Advisory Committee. She also served on the Board of Directors of the Parenting Place in Boulder. Lynch graduated summa cum laude in 2004 from the University of Denver with a degree in communication. To maximize her impact on educational policy, she continued her education and earned her JD from the University of Colorado Law School in 2007. During her time at Colorado Law, Lynch was a member of the University of Colorado Law Review, both on the Board of Editors and as the Resource Editor. She was also active in the Black Law Students Association. While many people consider law school to be a full-time occupation, Lynch maximized her educational experience by being involved in a variety of extracurricular activities. She completed an externship for the Truancy Reduction Project at the Colorado Center on Law and Policy, worked as a research assistant for Professor Laura Spitz, and held a law clerk position for a firm specializing in labor and contract law. In addition, Lynch was a Guardian ad Litem student attorney in the Juvenile Law Clinic at Colorado Law and served as an intern at the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, Division of Civil Rights. She was admitted to the Colorado Bar in October of 2007. Subsequently, Lynch worked at the Colorado Department of Education as a senior consultant from 2007 to 2010. Lynchs commitment to fighting for the rights of others is an example to all in the Colorado Law community, and her legacy of dedicated service will continue for many years to come.

Colorado Law Faculty Summer Conferences and Workshops

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

For students, summer means a break from classes and a chance to pursue internships; for faculty, it means a chance to be productive in ways other than teaching. Colorado Law faculty members are sponsoring a number of conferences hosted on campus this summer. Conferences like these represent one of the many ways Colorado Law faculty engage in scholarship and research, and provide the opportunity to collaborate with law scholars from other top law schools. Below are highlights of the Colorado Law faculty conferences and workshops for this summer: In June, Professor William Boyd hosted a workshop on The Role of Public Utility Commissions in Climate and Energy Policy at the law school. The workshop was jointly sponsored by the University of Colorado Law School Energy Innovation Initiative, UCLA Law School, the University of Minnesota Law School, and the University of Texas McCombs School of Business, and drew a wide range of participants from around the country. Participants included a large number of scholars from national law schools, a former state public utilities commissioner, and members of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Professors Peter Huang and Erik Gerding will host a two-day workshop on July 10 and 11 on Cognitive Sciences and Financial Decision-Making, which will include a number of business law scholars writing about financial law and the financial crisis, along with two senior marketing scholars. The goal of this workshop is to advance the scholarship of business law by bringing together two of the leading researchers in behavioral economics and judgment/decision making from marketing departments to interact with mostly junior law professors and provide for the cross-fertilization of diverse ideas and multiple perspectives. On July 12 and 13, Professor Lakshman Guruswamy and the Colorado Journal of Environmental Law and Policy are sponsoring a workshop on Drafting Model Laws on Indoor Pollution for Developing and Developed Nations at the law school. The primary purpose of the workshop is to demonstrate the extent to which model law, as a societal instrument, can help address the global problem of indoor pollution resulting from cook stoves that burn dirty fuel and cause health problems. The two-day conference will begin with several general sessions, and then move into breakout sessions in which participants will work together on drafting model laws and commentaries. Professor Andrew Schwartz will host the Junior Business Law Conference at Colorado Law on July 12 and 13. The Junior Business Law Conference brings together some of the most promising and prominent business and commercial law scholars in their first seven years of teaching to comment upon and improve each others works-in-progress. Each participant will bring a current work-in-progress, and the papers will be reviewed and critiqued in a series of focused workshop sessions. This years attendees include business law scholars from Columbia University, the University of Chicago, the University of Virginia, and several other law schools. Later this summer, Colorado Law will host the fourth annual Work-in-Progress Workshop on Natural Resources, Energy, and Environment in a Climate Changed World. For the last two years the workshop has been co-sponsored by Duke Law School. Organizers William Boyd (Colorado Law), Sarah Krakoff (Colorado Law), Jed Purdy (Duke) and Jim Salzman (Duke) will convene a high level group of scholars for an intensive two-day seminar on the most pressing issues in natural resources and environmental law and policy in order to sharpen ideas and stimulate creative and meaningful scholarship. A number of junior and senior scholars from around the nation are invited each year, and a highlight of this years workshop is the Saturday hike in the high country of the Rockies. To close out the summer conference schedule, Professors Anna Spain and David Zaring (Wharton) are co-sponsoring a conference on international law at Colorado Law on Friday, September 28. The conference intends to provide a forum for scholarly exchange and debate on some of the most pressing issues in international law. The conference will feature two noted international law scholarsKal Raustiala (UCLA) and Ed Swaine (George Washington University)as well as nine junior international law scholars from the nation's top law schools who will present their current works-in-progress.

Class of 2011 Employment Numbers Improved

Fri, 29 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Showing an improved placement percentage over recent years, 160 of the 176 graduates in the Colorado Law class of 2011 (91%) reported employment nine months after graduation. By contrast, 82.5 percent of the class of 2010, and 80 percent of the class of 2009, reported employment nine months after graduation. Supporting graduates in finding meaningful and valuable employment is a central mission at Colorado Law, said Dean Phil Weiser. We have a lot of work left to do, but this increase confirms that our efforts to expand employment programs and career development outreach are making progress. The distribution of the 160 employed graduates is as follows (including 13 graduates working for judges or in other public service roles that received funding from Colorado Laws post-graduate public service fellowship program): Law firm employment: 41% of the employed members of the 2011 class Federal judicial clerks: 4% State judicial clerks: 14% Business: 14% Government: 10% Public interest: 5% Academic: 3% Post-graduate fellows: 8% Seventy percent, or 124 graduates, reported jobs requiring bar passage, compared to 65 percent of graduates nationwide. Sixty percent, or 106 graduates, reported full time work in bar passage required positions. Excluding the short term positions, 56 percent of the 2011 graduates obtained full-time, long-term employment in bar passage required positions, which is slightly better than national average. The Colorado Law classes of 2013 and 2014 have also made significant advancements in preparing for successful post-graduate employment. We are pleased to report that over 90% of students in these classes have substantive employment in the summer of 2012. A majority of these positions are paid and/or full time, said Todd Rogers, Assistant Dean for Career Development.

Legend of the Month Penfield Wallace Tate II

Fri, 29 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

This month the Colorado Law community takes a moment to honor the life and accomplishments of another one of our most distinguished alums, Penfield Pen Wallace Tate II. Born and raised in New Philadelphia, Ohio, Tate was the second eldest of ten children. He attended Kent State University on an academic scholarship and played tackle on the varsity football team earning honors as the schools first All-American football player. In 1952 he graduated with a degree in pre-law and political science, and a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Following his graduation from Kent State, Tate served as an artillery officer for 14 years, holding both staff and command positions. He began his legal studies while he was still in the Army, and attended a number of law schools around the country as his assignment locations changed. He ended up at the University of Colorado Law School, where he received his law degree in 1968. Following law school, Tate worked for Mountain Bell as a labor relations specialist, and soon joined the administration at Colorado State University as Human Relations Director. At CSU, Tate served as an affirmative action and equal employment problem-solving resource, and reported directly to the president of the university at the time, Ray Chamberlain. Then in 1972, Tate established the firm of Tate, Olin & Tate, a general practice firm, and remained there as a partner until 1977, when he found the firm of Trimble and Tate, which became Trimble, Tate and Nulan, and finally Tate & Tate, with his son, Penfield III. In his career as a private practitioner, Tate focused on labor and employment law, and in particular civil rights discrimination claims in the federal courts. In addition, Tate spent a good deal of time representing and advising businesses on personnel employment issues, government law issues, family law, and litigation matters. He was a member of the National Bar Association, the Sam Cary Bar Association, the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association, and the Legal Relations Section of the American Bar Association. Beyond his law practice, Tate was political activist, and in 1971 became the first African-American elected to the Boulder City Council. Tate served on the council from 1972 to 1976, and in 1974 his fellow Council members elected him Mayor of Boulder, a position he held for the duration of his term on the Council. During that time, Pen was a leading advocate on behalf of the LGBT community culminating in his support for a human right ordinance for Boulder. The ordinance was controversial for its time and led to Pens failure to win reelection. Civic involvement was always a priority for Tate, and he was a member of both the City Housing Authority and the Human Relations Committee in Boulder for a number of years. Tate also served on the Board of Directors of the Colorado Housing and Finance authority for 15 years, including several years as Chairman of the Board, and on the Board of Directors for the Denver Metropolitan Major League Baseball Stadium District from 1991 until his passing in 1993. The District honored Tate by placing a plaque in his memory on the concourse behind center field at Coors Field. Colorado Law honored Tate at the Law Alumni Awards Banquet in 1991 with the Small Practitioner Award, and again in 1993 with the Centennial Award.

Conference Explores Low-Carbon Energy Future

Wed, 06 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Natural Resources Law Centers summer conference examines a low-carbon energy blueprint for the American West On June 6-8, the University of Colorado Law School will host the Natural Resources Law Centers 2012 Martz Summer Conference, A Low-Carbon Energy Blueprint for the American West in the Wolf Law Building. Former Governor Bill Ritter, currently the executive director of the Center for the New Energy Economy (CNEE), will be the keynote speaker. Ritters keynote address will provide an overview of the trends and future of energy in the upcoming decades. The conference will explore a wide range of issues relating to low-carbon strategies, including sustainability, the future of conventional fuels, renewable energy options, energy conservation, and climate policy. Some of the nations most influential and innovative thinkers in the field will lead discussions on the important topics, including: Maureen Hand - Senior Engineer, Technology Systems and Sustainability Analysis Group, Strategic Energy Analysis Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL); Jim Martin - Regional Administrator, Region 8, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Robin Newmark Director, Strategic Energy Analysis Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL); Dag Nummedal Director, Colorado Energy Research Institute and Scientific Director, Carbon Management Center, Colorado School of Mines; Vicki Patton - General Counsel, Environmental Defense Fund; Jonathan Silver - Distinguished Senior Fellow, Third Way (Former Executive Director of DOEs Loan Programs Office). Online conference registration and a conference program are available on the Natural Resources Law Centers website at http://www.colorado.edu/law/nrlc/. Attorneys and legal professionals can earn 19 general Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits and 1.8 ethics credits. Full or partial scholarships to attend the conference are available for students and others with demonstrated need and interest in the subject. Contact Tyler Gerk at tyler.gerk@colorado.edu to request a scholarship or with questions.

Colorado Law Legend of the Month: Gilbert Goldstein (42)

Mon, 04 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

By Nathan Miller, JD Candidate, 2014 This past April, the Colorado Law community marked the passing of a longtime friend and a dedicated supporter, Gilbert Goldstein. Gil Goldstein graduated from Colorado Law in 1942, and went on to have a tremendously successful legal career. One of the schools most distinguished alums, Goldstein epitomized success in the practice of law, in service, and in generosity. Goldstein was a dedicated member of the Denver legal community for more than 60 years, specializing in real estate law. After serving four years in the U.S. Army Air Corps, he worked for the City and County of Denver in various capacities relating to planning, housing, and land use. In private practice, Goldstein provided legal services to a variety of companies, and served for a number of years on the Board of Directors at MDC Holdings, Inc., one of the largest national homebuilders. Goldsteins commitment to Colorado Law was both exemplary and inspiring. In 2006, fueled by a desire to ensure that Colorado Law would remain a prestigious and affordable academic institution in the future, he established the Gilbert Goldstein Foundation, which provides scholarships for Colorado Law students and fellowships for faculty members. That same year, the school named the front plaza of the new Wolf Law Building the Gilbert Goldstein Plaza in recognition of Goldsteins dedication to Colorado Law. At the 2010 Law Alumni Awards Banquet, Goldstein was honored with the Distinguished Achievement Award for Executive in Industry. Gil Goldstein will be missed, but the legacy of service and generosity he left behind will go on, and his presence will continue to be felt at Colorado Law for many years to come.

Professor Paul Ohm Named Advisor to Federal Trade Commission

Mon, 21 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

University of Colorado Law School Associate Professor Paul Ohm will serve in the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) as a senior policy advisor for consumer protection and competition issues affecting the Internet and mobile markets. Professor Ohm will take a leave of absence to serve at the FTC and begin his new position on August 27 in the agencys Office of Policy Planning, which focuses on the development and implementation of long-range competition and consumer protection policy initiatives, and advises staff on cases raising new or complex policy and legal issues. Pauls keen insights on how the law applies to technology and privacy issues will be invaluable to the FTCs work in these areas, said FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz. We have been fortunate in bringing in a series top-notch experts to advise us on cutting-edge issues and enhance our in-house expertise. We look forward to having Paul on board. Professor Ohm specializes in information privacy, computer crime law, intellectual property, and criminal procedure, with a particular focus on building new connections between law and computer science. Much of his work has examined how evolving technology disrupts individual privacy. His 2010 article, Broken Promises of Privacy: Responding to the Surprising Failure of Anonymization, has sparked an international debate about the impact on privacy of significant recent advances in data analytics. I am honored to have received this appointment, Professor Ohm said. The FTC is the focal point for so many of the important information privacy debates taking place today. I hope to help the Commissioners and staff of this great agency continue the important work they have done to protect consumers online. His appointment to the FTC will mark the second time Professor Ohm will serve the government focusing on privacy, as he previously worked on similar issues as a trial attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice's Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section. Paul Ohm is at the forefront of privacy scholarship and already a leader of his generation in the field, said Phil Weiser, dean of the University of Colorado Law School. At the Silicon Flatirons Center, Paul is the leader on Information Technology and Intellectual Property issues and has established the center a formidable presence on privacy and Internet policy issues. We will miss him dearly at Colorado Law, but we respect his commitment to public service and will look forward to his return.

Colorado Law's Class of 2012 LLM Graduates

Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The University of Colorado Law School is proud to announce eight graduates of the LLM program. Colorado Law offers Master of Laws (LLM) degrees in three areas of study: Entrepreneurial Law, Information Technology and Intellectual Property Law, and Natural Resources Law. The strength of our faculty, curriculum, and programs are recognized nationally and internationally. Each student has a unique background and different story on how the Colorado Law LLM program has enhanced his or her career path. Amelia Chizwala Peterson has an international academic background, first receiving an undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering at the University of Zimbabwe, and later her JD at Valparaiso University in Indiana. She graduated from Colorado Law with an LLM in Natural Resources Law. I will be working with the Governors Climate and Forests Task Force as a legal advisor, the perfect culmination of my technical and legal background, LLM focus and my love for international law and policy, said Peterson of her post-graduation plans. Fellow LLM graduate, Bryan Berman, pursued further studies to learn more about Technology and Intellectual Property Law. Before coming to Colorado Law, Berman graduated at the top of his class from Whittier Law School in California, following a BA in Biology Sciences from the University of California Santa Barbara. If I had to pick just one standout feature of Colorado Law, it would be the faculty, Berman said. Ive never been at a law school that had such a truly amazing faculty, filled with so many experts in their respective fields. The University of Colorado Law School celebrated the graduating class of 2012 on Friday, May 11 in Macky Auditorium.

Colorado Law Mourns Alum Bill McClearn

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The Colorado Law community is deeply saddened by the passing of Bill McClearn. A 1951 graduate of Colorado Law, McClearn was class president, member of the Law Review, and worked part-time as a law clerk at Holland & Hart during law school. After working in the Air Force JAG during the Korean War, he was hired by Holland & Hart as an associate in 1954, later becoming partner in 1957. Holland & Hart has had many of the best lawyers in the country practice law here, but Bill was the best of the best, said John Husband, chairman of Holland & Hart. He set the standard for ethics, integrity, professional courtesy, and all the highest qualities we most admire in people and lawyers. Bill was a true legend, said Phil Weiser, dean of Colorado Law. His contributions to the legal community set the standard for professionalism and integrity. I regret I never had the opportunity to meet him personally. McClearn specialized in antitrust litigation, representing many high-profile cases, arguing some in the United States Supreme Court. We have lost a giant in our profession, said Robert F. Hill (70), co-founder of Hill & Robbins, P.C. Bill truly set the standard across the board and was a role model for many of us. Because Bill taught me so much, I have often said I should have received CLE credits for the antitrust cases I worked on with him. McClearn complemented his law career with civic engagement, serving as president of the Denver and Colorado Bar Associations and a delegate to the American Bar Association Board of Governors. He received every award for distinguished service given by the bar, and was a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, the American Bar Foundation, and the Colorado Bar Foundation. Colorado Law honored McClearn with the William Lee Knous Award in 1990. Bill was always available to help out younger lawyers, and his judgment was impeccable, said Husband, who was mentored by McClearn. As a young lawyer, I often sought out Bills advice. Judge R. Brooke Jackson of the United States District Court for the District of Colorado spoke of McClearns integrity: Bill set the standard for professionalism, civility, courtesy, ethics, and all the qualities we should most admire about a lawyer. McClearn is remembered as a leader at Holland & Hart and of the Colorado legal profession, even after his retirement in 1988. A room in Colorado Laws Wolf Law Building is named after him. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to be made to the Colorado Bar Foundation.

Judge Christine Arguello's 2012 Commencement Remarks

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Good afternoon and thank you very much, Dean Weiser, Professor Loewenstein, and other members of the law faculty for this recognition which means all the more to me because it has been conferred upon me by my peers, whom I respect very much. To members of the graduating class of 2012. It seems like just the other day that I was speaking to you at orientation on your first day of law school. That was a very special day for me because my son, Ron, was following in my footsteps. Since that day, I have crossed paths with many of you by judging, coaching, or advising you in mock trial or moot court competitions, hiring you as interns in my chambers, and mentoring you formally or informally. But now we have come full circle and instead of addressing you as students, I am addressing you as my soon to be colleagues! Welcome to the profession of law and congratulations! While you are being zealous, but professional, in your advocacy on behalf of your clients, please keep in mind that you have a special responsibility to help restore the rule of law as a living, breathing, working value in American society and to restore confidence in the judicial branch of our government. As you advocate for your clients and as you counsel your clients - please draw upon your life experience, your deepest humanity and the understanding of human nature you have cultivated and will continue to cultivate in your lives outside the practice of law Infuse your work in the law with passion and humanity and decency. I will close this speech the same way I close all my presentations, including the one I gave you at orientation three years ago, with a brief statement on the meaning of success. I wish you every success in your new career and success will have different meanings for each of you. I remember when my view of success was limited to winning a jury trial or making partner in my law firm. And those are not bad things to strive for. But as Ive gotten older and gained wisdom, the meaning of success has changed, so if you will indulge me and allow me recite poetry to you, I would like to leave you with these last words of advice taken from my favorite poem entitled Success: To laugh often and much; To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.

2012 Clifford Calhoun Service Award Honors Professor Helen Norton

Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Law will honor Associate Professor and Associate Dean Helen Norton with the 2012 Clifford Calhoun Service Award in recognition of her dedication to public service and to the Colorado Law community. Helen Norton has lived a life of service and is a natural for the Calhoun Award, said Phil Weiser, dean of the law school. After working with Helen as an Associate Dean over the last year, I am very impressed with her commitment to helping our students, supporting the faculty and staff here at Colorado Law, and serving the public. She is a wonderful asset to the law school and our community. Nortons scholarly pursuits include constitutional law, civil rights, and employment discrimination. She is the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, a member of the Law Schools public service committee, and involved in numerous campus committees. Before joining the Colorado Law faculty, Norton taught at the University of Maryland and University of Wyoming, served as the Deputy Assistant Attorney General at the United States Department of Justices Civil Rights Division, and was Director of the National Partnership for Women and Families. Since joining Colorado Law, Norton has demonstrated her commitment to public service in several ways, leading President Obamas transition team charged with reviewing the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, regularly testifying before and consulting with Congress and federal agencies on civil rights law and policy issues, and serving as a volunteer firefighter. Nortons contributions to the Colorado Law community, along with a number of other awardees, will be recognized with faculty and staff on Tuesday, May 15. Calhoun, the inspiration for this award, served Colorado Law for 29 years as a faculty member, associate dean, and acting dean. The award is presented to a faculty or staff member who epitomizes the giving spirit of Calhoun. An anonymous donor established the Clifford Calhoun Service Award in 1998 and designated it for persons who contribute to the public service of the law school in the spirit and tradition of the contributions Professor Calhoun made in his career at the law school.

Dean Weiser's 2012 Commencement Address

Sat, 12 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Welcome. My name is Phil Weiser and I am the Dean of the University of Colorado Law School. It is my great honor to welcome you all to the commencement ceremony honoring the class of 2012, all of whom have worked very hard to get to this day. As you may know, this is my first commencement as Dean so it is an exceptionally special moment for me and I will always have a special bond with the class of 2012. When I started as Dean last July 1st, I was focused on the opportunities and challenges of leading Colorado Law. But days later, after David Getches passed away following a short battle with pancreatic cancer, my most significant responsibility became leading our community in mourning Davids passing and honoring his memory. At the memorial service last summer, Anne Mariah Tapp, of the class of 2012, spoke so beautifully about David as a teacher, mentor, and person. And the whole class came together to make a class gift of a gorgeous set of photographs taken by John Fielder in honor of Davids life work in protecting our environment and natural resources; those photographs are now hanging in the law school outside the courtroom. We will continue to miss David and honor his memory, with the aid and wonderful reminder provided by your gift to the law school. Thank you for your hard work and generosity in making this possible. I will now, in what was a tradition that David Getches relished at both orientation and graduation, begin with a few shout outs, acknowledging a few special groups here today. I will ask everyone in these groups to stand and continue standing, and I ask the audience to please hold your applause until I am done. This coming Sunday is Mothers Day. I now ask all of the mothers of our graduating students to please stand. You have provided continuous support for these amazing graduates, and I thank you for that. I know that a few of you have special connections to Colorado Law, including Beth Crane, who is Class President Beale Tejadas mom, and Judge Christy Arguello, who is our Honorary Order of the Coif recipient, an adopted alum, and Ron Arguellos mom. These moms, and all of the moms in the audience, have helped our graduates get where they are today and we thank you for that. Next, I ask the moms and dads in the class of 2012 to please rise. You handled two tremendously challenging jobsparenting and law schoolat the same time. I admire you all and sincerely congratulate your efforts. I also want to give a special thanks to Jess Lowrey, who organized the group of student parents to support one another during your time at Colorado Law. Another group I want to specially acknowledge is our student veterans. Those who served on active duty, in the reserves, or are planning to join JAG, please stand. We thank you all for your service. Finally, I would like to acknowledge all of our alums who are with us today. Many of you are parents of our graduating 3Ls and others are here to support our new alums! Thank you all for being a part of this engaged, diverse, and inclusive community. Lets give everyone standing a round of applause! As you think back on your journey here at Colorado Law, you might reflect on what Albert Einstein once said: education is what remains after one has forgotten what one learned in school. During your time here, you learned and honed how to research, write, think critically, and persuade expertly. Most notably, you learned how to think like a lawyer. For those who have yet to hear this phrase, it implies a commitment to careful analysis, attention to detail, and the parsing of fine distinctions. Yet this definition undersells what it means to be a lawyer because thinking like a lawyer also means embracing lifelong learning. The best lawyersthe most happy and successful ones, that isare those who are lifelong learners not just of law, but of how organizations operate, how most effectively to solve problems, and how to be a good person. To make that point, let me begin by telling you about two friends of mine. John Schultz, who is here with us today to support the class of 2012, graduated from Colorado Law in 1953 and did not have a job at graduation. After working as a caddy, he heard about and got a non-legal job at Texaco in its title division. He made the most of that opportunity, demonstrating his intelligence, legal skills, and drive and earning respect and additional responsibilities in the process. John then transitioned to a second job that taught him more about the oil and gas industry, before taking a risk by opening up his own law practice. In practice, John won over clients with his practical orientation and his understanding of the problems they were trying to solve. John was able to do that because he was interested in the real world problems his clients faced and how he could help them solve them. After his very successful career, John, with his late wife Cynthia, paid it forward by establishing the Schultz Scholarship, the Schultz Lectureship, and the Wildcatters Lecture Room at Wolf Law. Moreover, Johns generosity is inspiring generosity among our recent graduates. John agreed to match the class of 2012s contributions toward our Loan Repayment Assistance Program. This effort, all told, will raise $40,000 for Loan Repayment. Lets give John and the class of 2012 a round of applause for their generosity. Stanton Dodge offers a more recent example. Stanton graduated from Suffolk Law School and moved to Colorado after graduation for a judicial clerkship in the mid-1990s. After deciding he wanted to work in a corporate legal department, he rejected the conventional wisdom that one must have five years of law firm experience in order to work in-house, researched companies that he saw as doing interesting work, and reached out to a company now known as DISH Network. Through his persistence and offer to work for free, he convinced the companys General Counsel to hire him. Today, over 15 years later, he is the General Counsel of the company. John and Stanton took the legal foundation they built in school and kept learning about the things they loved. Whether you are passionate about business, technology, environmental law, public service, family law, or any other area, I would like to send you into the world with three pieces of advice. First off, be curious, seek out opportunities to learn, and define success on your own terms. Some people may tell you that success means getting the most prestigious job. But this is a narrow conception of success and, indeed, often turns out to be a misguided route to unhappinessunless that job and the work that you do there really interests you. If there is work that inspires youlike opening up your own law practice or working in-housego for it, like John and Stanton did. Second, use your imagination to be a creative problem solver and add value. For starters, you can look at issues and ask what is the objective, or goal, at the root of the problem you are addressing. Lawyers too often will assume that the goal is winning the case or getting the best deal in the negotiation when, in fact, the client has personal, business, or other objectives that elude such ready classifications. Creative problem-solvers can conceptualize and understand the less obvious personal or business objectives underlying the problem and develop win-win solutions. In short, imaginative thinking about your clients problems will add value, earn your clients trust, and serve you well. Finally, and most importantly, be a good person. When John Schultz spoke to a group of students this year, his principal advice was to be nice and respectful. Treating people well is not only the right thing to do, but it will help you succeed in ways you may not readily imagine. This is particularly true of how you treat those in supporting roles, who are all too often taken for granted or not treated well. Moreover, being a mentorpaying it forward, in other wordswill not only be satisfying, but will enable you to forge valuable relationships. The same is true of doing pro bono work and giving back to your community. And making time for your friends and family will always be time well spent. Heres the bottom line: when you all leave us today, you will face a series of challenges and uncertainty. No matter what your situation is, finding your way to success is not going to be obvious or easy. But you have the fundamental building blocks and training you need to excel. You all earned your education inside and outside the classroom by spending countless hours studying, working on law journals, and preparing for mock trials, moot courts, and other competitions. You worked hard in clinics and externships on behalf of the indigent, to address important policy issues and protect our environment, and to help entrepreneurs start new businesses. You also devoted more than 11,500 hours to public service work during your time here at Colorado Law. Finally, you had fun, exhibiting creativity and imagination, on stage at the law school musical, in the stairwell and today at the reception during the flash mob performances, and in keeping each other laughing with a good sense of humor. As we welcome you into the world of Colorado Law alums, I have a final message for you: well be with you all the way. We are here as a bridge as you develop your career, with our Career Development team committed to helping you all find your way, our alumni engagement efforts starting right after the bar with a recent alumni happy hour in early August, free CLE opportunities during your first year out of law school, and a great community of alums willing and eager to pay it forward by serving as mentors to you all. Please be in touch, ask us for help when you need it, and tell us about your successes. Best of luck to you all and please take this opportunity to congratulate one another on a terrific accomplishment!

Colorado Laws 117th Annual Commencement Ceremony

Fri, 11 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The University of Colorado Law School celebrates the graduating class of 2012 on Friday, May 11 at 6:00 p.m. in Macky Auditorium. The ceremony will begin with a processional of the deans, faculty, and class of 2012, followed by remarks by Dean Phil Weiser in his inaugural year as dean of Colorado Law. This years keynote speaker is Judge Neil M. Gorsuch, who joined the 10th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in 2006 following a unanimous voice vote from the U.S. Senate. At the time, he was the youngest serving circuit judge nationwide. Judge Gorsuch holds a doctorate in legal philosophy from Oxford, where he studied as a Marshall scholar; a law degree from Harvard, where he studied as a Truman scholar; and an undergraduate degree from Columbia, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa. Judge Gorsuch is an adjunct professor at Colorado Law and taught Federal Courts and Legal Ethics this past year. The class of 2012 selects and introduces the commencement speaker and was thrilled Judge Gorsuch accepted the invitation. Judge Christine M. Arguello will receive the 2012 Honorary Order of the Coif. The faculty voted to bestow this honorary designation to Judge Arguello based on her exemplary service to the legal community, efforts on inclusiveness, and being a mentor and a role model in the legal profession. Dean Weiser said, Judge Arguello was a natural choice for this honor with her contributions to the Colorado legal community through mentoring, inclusiveness, and the example she sets. Judge Arguello was sworn in as a judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado in 2008. Her remarkable career has spanned leadership roles in private practice, government, and academia before joining the bench. Her accomplishments began as a first-generation undergraduate college student at the University of Colorado Boulder, where she graduated at the top of her class in the School of Education. Judge Arguello later went on to be the first Latina from Colorado to be admitted to Harvard University School of Law. One of her four children, Ronald Bryan Arguello, is among the 2012 Colorado Law graduates. The class of 2012 voted to select the professors who will place the JD hood on the graduates: Alan Canner, Sarah Krakoff, and Scott Peppet. Fifty-three students completed the Public Service Pledge by volunteering 50 hours or more of law-related public service work, not for credit or other compensation, during their time at law school. The generosity of class of 2012 was shown with donation of nearly $40,000 to the Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP), including a generous matching gift from alum John Schultz (53). The class of 2012 sponsored the installation of a beautiful collection of water themed photographs taken and donated by John Fielder as the class gift to the school. Student award recipients are: Austin W. Scott, Jr. Award: Gregory Steve Hearing II Courtland H. Peterson Leadership Award: Mark Douglas Gibson Courtland H. Peterson Writing Award: Justin Michael Plaskov Don W. Sears Award: Beth Ann Lennon Excellence in Clinical Education Award: Melissa Champagne Boucher, Matt Patrick Burns, Angela Marie Cifor, John Cannon Taufer Gary C. Bryner Distinguished Service Award: Allison Nicole Melton Irving P. Andrews Award: Nefertari Aisha Kirkman-Bey Journal of Telecommunications and High Technology Law Stephen Williams Leadership Award: Madelaine Ann Maior Meritorious Student Award: Shandea Jo Williams Natural Resources Law Outstanding Student Award: Johanna Hamburger Outstanding Asian Pacific American Law Graduate Award: Naree Chan Outstanding Latina/o Law Graduate: Chester Eduardo Fernández Outstanding Student Mentor Award: Meghan Rose Scully Silicon Flatirons Writing Competition Award Sponsored by Faegre Baker Daniels: Mark Ian Wiranowski Student Bar Association Sutcliffe Distinguished Service Award: Shandea Jo Williams Womens Law Caucus Award: Anne Dulany Bensard

Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Melissa Hart, an associate professor at the University of Colorado Law School, is the 2011- 2012 recipient of the Chase Faculty Community Service Award. The $10,000 endowment by Chase is granted to a full-time CU faculty member who provides exceptional service to the community. A system-wide advisory council recommends an award-winner to CU President Bruce D. Benson, who bestows the honor. Hart will be recognized by the CU Board of Regents at an upcoming meeting. Hart has taught at the University of Colorado Law School since 2000. In 2010, she became the director of the Byron R. White Center for the Study of American Constitutional Law. She also conceived and has served as coordinator of the law schools Public Service Pledge Program, which encourages law students to provide pro bono legal work to needy populations and underfunded entities. "Professor Hart has worked extensively with numerous organizations to find volunteer opportunities for students to fulfill their pledges," wrote professor Helen Norton in her nomination. More than a quarter of all law students take the pledge. Many of them work well over the minimum of 50 volunteer hours, with more than 11,500 hours volunteered by students this academic year. "Thus the Pledge Program not only has made a huge difference in many Coloradans lives, but also has let students participate in important civic and humanitarian work, and has substantially strengthened campus-community ties." Said Phil Weiser, dean of the University of Colorado Law School, "Through Melissa's dedication to public service, hard work, and leadership, she is supporting and inspiring the next generation of the legal community to pay it forward by serving Colorado and the nation. We are most fortunate to have her as part of our team here at Colorado Law." Hart is active in the legal community, serving on the Colorado Supreme Courts Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee and Board of Continuing Judicial and Legal Education. She has authored amicus briefs in employment discrimination cases and constitutional cases before the U.S. Supreme Court and in other courts across the country. "I am deeply honored by this award and grateful for the opportunities I have had to work with CU students and colleagues on projects that increase access to justice in Colorado and serve communities beyond the university walls," Hart said. The Chase Faculty Community Service Award is funded annually by an endowment from the JPMorgan Chase Foundation through the CU Foundation, established in 1991 with a $100,000 donation. The endowment provides an annual award of $10,000 to a full-time faculty member at the University of Colorado who has rendered exceptional service in his or her community. "Professor Harts leadership is exactly what the Chase grant was designed to celebrate," said Todd Munson, president of JPMorgan Chase in Colorado. "Her efforts to inspire future lawyers to begin giving back while theyre still in school will create lifelong habits that make communities stronger."

Legend of the Month: Brooke Wunnicke ('45)

Tue, 01 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Brooke Wunnicke is a true legal pioneer. Throughout her illustrious career, she broke gender barriers at numerous levels, and with hard work, intelligence, and determination, she helped pave the way for future generations of female attorneys. Wunnicke got an early start on refining her legal skills: in high school she was the California state oratorical champion and the state debate champion. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Stanford University in 1939. At a time with only three other women in her class, she graduated Order of the Coif from Colorado Law in 1945. While finishing law school and studying for the bar, she raised her infant daughter as her husband fought in World War II. Following the war, Wunnicke started her legal career in Wyoming where she became the first woman trial lawyer in the state's history. She represented clients in front of12-person juries during an era when Wyoming did not allow women to sit on juries. In 1969, Wunnicke and her husband moved to Colorado, where she served as the Chief Deputy of Appeals in the Denver District Attorney's office for 12 years. From 1978 to 1997, she served as an adjunct professor at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law (DU), where she taught Oil & Gas Law and the Law of Future Interests. She was the first adjunct professor at DU to be awarded a DU Law Star for Excellence in Teaching. In 1981, she gave the commencement speech to Colorado Law's graduating class, marking the first time a woman delivered the commencement speech at Colorado Law. In 1986, Wunnicke joined the Denver law firm of Hall & Evans LLC as of counsel. Her legal career has included a passion for improving the legal system. For years, she served as a consultant, expert witness, and frequent lecturer about legal ethics at national and state seminars. As a pioneering female lawyer, Wunnicke experienced countless growing pains. At the time she started practicing, no other attorneys wanted to be associated with a female attorney, putting her in the position of coaching herself through the realities and challenges of practicing law. In the 1970s, she mentored many young lawyers to help them overcome the obstacles she faced firsthand when she began her career. And while working for the DA's office, she mentored law students who worked there on a part-time basis. Her "graduates" included one former Colorado governor, six district attorneys, and four recipients of Colorado Law distinguished alumnus awards. Wunnicke is co-author of the annually supplemented Legal Opinion Letters Formbook, Standby and Commercial Letters of Credit (both in 3d. ed., Wolters Kluwer), and Corporate Financial Risk Management (John Wiley & Sons, 1992). She is author of Ethics Compliance for Business Lawyers (Wiley Law, 1987) and she has published many articles for business and professional organizations. Over the course of her career, Wunnicke has received countless awards including the Award of Merit from both the Colorado Bar and Denver Bar Associations, each given annually to one lawyer. She has been recognized as a Colorado Law Distinguished Alumna, and Colorado Law bestowed upon her its highest award given to an alumnus or alumna, the William Lee Knous Award. Not only is she a shining example of a Colorado Law alum who has overcome countless gender-based boundaries, but she has also been instrumental in mentoring attorneys, paving the way for female attorneys, andimproving the legal field for all of society.

Colorado Law Hosts Getches Symposium

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

A Life of Contributions for All Time David H. Getches led a luminous life of public service as Founding Director of the Native American Rights Fund, historic litigator for Indian tribes, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, valued board member and chair of leading non-profit organizations, revered teacher, and Dean of the University of Colorado Law School for eight years. At the heart of his contributions lies a prodigious body of widely respected scholarship extending from the 1970s through a posthumously-published book chapter to be released this year. The symposium, organized by Professor Sarah Krakoff, celebrated Davids life especially his trailblazing scholarship. The keynote address was delivered by David's close friend and constant collaborator, Professor Charles Wilkinson, along with presentations by leaders in the fields of American Indian law, natural resources, and water law.

CU-Boulder Wins International Venture Capital Investment Competition

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

A graduate team from the University of Colorado Boulder won the 15th International Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC), the premiere graduate competition for venture capital and entrepreneurship. Colorado Law student Mark Wiranowski, with MBA candidates Lindsey Jensen, Dane McDonald, Jeff Schreier, and Nick Wyman from CU-Boulders Leeds School of Business, advanced to the finals at the University of North Carolina campus after winning the West Regional in an international competition that included 50 regional events on four continents with more than 1,000 students competing. Mark Wiranowski, a third-year JD candidate at Colorado Law, said the judges liked the teams precision with legal aspects of the business term sheet. One of the things that differentiated us was that while this is a business competition with investors and companies, the terms of the deal are very much informed by law, Wiranowski said. Four of the five team members took the Venture Capital and Private Equity Law class co-taught by Professor Brad Bernthal and Jason Mendelson, managing director at Foundry Group. I can confidently say that the Venture Capital Law class gave our team a huge competitive advantage over other teams, Wiranowski said. A training ground for future venture capitalists, VCIC puts graduate students in the role of investors who review plans submitted by actual entrepreneurial companies seeking funding. Experienced venture capitalists judge the teams. The program culminates every April in Chapel Hill, North Carolina where the International Finals take place. The winning teams take home $10,000 in prize money. This year, the CU-Boulder team beat Instituto de Estudios Superiores de la Empresa from Spain and Georgetown, second and third place winners, respectively. Other finalists included teams from Berkeley, Cornell, Michigan, National University of Singapore, Oxford, Wake Forest, and Wharton. The title reflects how advanced the students are at CU-Boulder. The students have tremendous passion for entrepreneurship. The title is well deserved, Mendelson said. Wiranowski said CU-Boulders emphasis on interdisciplinary engagement was beneficial in a business competition that also requires a legal lens. You really have to understand how the legal perspective fits into the business deal, and I think that is where we excel as a university, said Wiranowski. With the cross over, there are many business students in the venture capital law class and, likewise, law students take classes at the business school. Coming out on top in a competition against prestigious universities is the result of diligence and the support of phenomenal faculty at CU-Boulder. This victory builds on the amazing support of the VC/entrepreneurial community and the support of the Deming Center over many years of competition, said Wiranowski. Our team learned a tremendous amount from our mentors who have experienced VCIC as competitors, judges, coaches, and presenting entrepreneurs.

American Indian Law Clinic 20th Anniversary

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The American Indian Law Clinic (AILC) at Colorado Law was established 20 years ago as one of the first legal clinics devoted to American Indian advocacy and education. Organized by Professor and AILC Clinic Director Jill Tompkins, the 20th anniversary will welcome alumni and will remember the AILC's transformative work in Indian child welfare, religious freedoms, legislation, probate, and many other important matters for American Indian individuals and tribes. In 2008, the AILC received the University of Colorado Diversity Service Recognition Award presented by the Chancellors Advisory Committee on Minority Affairs. American Indian Law Program at Colorado Law The American Indian Law Program at Colorado Law was founded in 1973 and is led by a world class faculty and students. Please read the program's newsletter for information on recent activities and accomplishments.

Symposium in Honor of David H. Getches, April 26-27

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

A Life of Contributions for All Time David H. Getches led a luminous life of public service as Founding Director of the Native American Rights Fund, historic litigator for Indian tribes, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, valued board member and chair of leading non-profit organizations, revered teacher, and Dean of the University of Colorado Law School for eight years. At the heart of his contributions lies a prodigious body of widely respected scholarship extending from the 1970s through a posthumously-published book chapter to be released this year. This symposium, organized by Professor Sarah Krakoff, will celebrate Davids life, especially his trailblazing scholarship. The keynote address will be delivered by David's close friend and constant collaborator, Professor Charles Wilkinson, on Thursday evening, April 26, 2012 at 5:45 and Friday, April 27, 2012 will feature a full day presentations by leaders in the fields of American Indian law, natural resources, and water law. The public is welcome to register at the door: Thursday, April 26 | 5:30 - 6:45 p.m. Friday, April 27 | 5:30 - 6:45 p.m. Wolf Law Building, Wittemyer Courtroom

Advanced Natural Resources Law Seminar Students Explore Colorado Plateau

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Students in Professor Sarah Krakoffs Advanced Natural Resources Law seminar hit the road over spring break to travel the Colorado Plateau for an interactive learning experience that included everything from gaining a first-hand understanding of water rights and building a teepee on the Navajo nation to hiking through Utah and exploring ancient Puebloan sites and even changing a car tire. The seminar focuses on the legal conflicts that characterize the Colorado Plateau, a unique geological formation rich in natural resources and an area that many native tribes call their home. Exploring the intersections among environmental, resource, and Native concerns presented once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for students to learn about the human cost of development in the Colorado Plateau region. The same geological forces that created this interesting formation also provide rich natural resource deposits including coal, oil and gas, uranium, and at the same time, beautiful places people like to go visit and recreate in, such as the Canyonlands and Arches National Park in Moab, Krakoff said. The trip began in Durango, Colorado where students learned about the Animas-La Plata Project, which diverts water from the Animas River to off-stream storage in the Ridges Basin. Settlement of the water rights of Colorados Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute tribes with municipal interests in water diversion brought the students to this location. This is classic bureau of reclamation and western water law logic, Krakoff said. If you have a right to water, you better get your project built, and you better sock it away and save it, or else someday your legal right will mean nothing because someone else will have diverted your water. Water rights remain a concern for the Navajo Nations Hard Rock chapter, where the class learned about the communitys efforts to bring basic resources like infrastructure and water to the area. While staying near Pinon, part of the Navajos territory in a remote part of Arizona, the students helped their host Marshall Johnson construct a 13-sleeper teepee, their shelter for the evening. It was a real sign of respect to the students that Marshall was willing to host them, put the teepee up, and that he also lit a fire for them and told a traditional Navajo prayer, Krakoff said. I lived on the Navajo nation for three years and it is not every group of outsiders who are treated this way. In addition, the class traveled to Marble Canyon and stayed at a ranch owned by the Grand Canyon Trust, a nonprofit dedicated to restoring the land to something resembling its natural ecological state. The students observed the proposed dam site on the Colorado River that would have flooded what is now Grand Canyon National Park if it had been erected. It is fun for students to see that this is where there would have been a gigantic reservoir if it werent for the activism of the environmental groups in the 1960s, Krakoff said. Early in the trip, the group hiked the ridges and canyons in Bluff, Utah to examine the significance of the 1979 Archeological Resources Protection Act. With the help of a seasoned archeologist, the students were able to see ancient Puebloan sites and learn how to recognize the different phases of pottery. Colorado Law has fantastic students, and the ones who sign up for this are extremely knowledgeable and motivated. They know what this class will entail, Krakoff said. Outdoor enthusiasts reveled in the opportunities for exploration along the Colorado Plateau and worked collectively to ensure an enriching learning experience was complemented with the ability to navigate the practicalities of a long road trip. Everyone stepped up in different ways to get food and do cooking and cleaning, Krakoff said. We had one flat tire and one of my students had to spend about 40 minutes underneath another students vehicle trying to pry the spare off. The trip expanded the students knowledge in natural resources law through tangible interactions with the people and places affected by the resolution of legal conflict. The places and communities we visited form the foundations and backdrop for the legal questions, which are how much should we extract versus how much should we protect, and why? Krakoff said.

Colorado Law Mourns Alum and Friend Gilbert Goldstein

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Law is deeply saddened by the passing of Gilbert Goldstein. Goldstein graduated from Colorado Law in 1942, and went on to have a tremendously successful legal career. One of the schools most distinguished alums, Goldstein epitomized success in practice of law, service, and generosity. Goldstein specialized in real estate law, and was a dedicated member of the Denver legal community for over 60 years. After serving four years in the U.S. Army Air Corps, he worked for the City and County of Denver in various capacities relating to planning, housing, and land use. In private practice, he provided legal services to numerous companies, and served on the Board of Directors of MDC Holdings, Inc., one of the largest national homebuilders. Goldsteins commitment to Colorado Law was inspiring. In 2006, with his desire for Colorado Law to continue to be a prestigious and affordable academic institution, he established the Gilbert Goldstein Foundation, which provides scholarships for Colorado Law students and fellowships for faculty members. That same year, the school named the front plaza of the Wolf Law Building the Gilbert Goldstein Plaza in recognition of Goldsteins dedication to Colorado Law. In 2010, he was honored with the Executive in Industry award at the annual Law Alumni Banquet. He is survived by his wife Miriam, his two children, Cindy and Donna, and his two grandchildren Jared (04) and Tali. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be made to the Gilbert Goldstein Scholarship fund at the University of Colorado Law School.

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Fifteen Colorado Law students in the Comparative Family Law seminar spent eight days traveling across Ecuador and researching criminal justice and child protection law from the perspective of another culture. Led by Professors Colene Robinson and Ann England, students met with judges and the heads of government agencies in Quito, infusing their seminar papers with primary source research. The group also conducted in-person interviews with staff attorneys, local lawyers, law students, law professors, prisoners, juveniles, children, staff at NGOs, and indigenous community members, learning about how the legal process works on a practical level. Students co-taught Universidad de San Francisco law school classes on criminal justice and family law, and were greeted by Ecuadorian law school students who shared their ideas about juvenile justice. With the assistance of the American Bar Association Role of Law initiative, Colorado Law students had unparalleled access to the people, lawyers, and staff who compose the legal community of Quito. The interviews and observation opportunities helped students experience the legal system in action. Visits to the womens prison in Quito and an orphanage for street children, and seeing the children of incarcerated parents, revealed the need for attorneys devoted to defending the rights of children. The trip concluded with a visit to an indigenous communityChibuleo of San Franciscowhere students experienced a fierce soccer game and enjoyed traditional cuisine, including guinea pig. This research trip allowed the class to examine the criminalization of behavior in the United States as compared to Ecuador, and called into question some of the practices and norms enforced domestically. These contrasts exposed for students and faculty the assumptions we make about how and why our laws, and our legal processes, are just, Robinson said.

Professor Takes High School Students to Washington for Moot Court Competition, Make it to Semifinals

Sun, 08 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Ten high school students from Denver, Thornton and Lyons had the experience of a lifetime when a University of Colorado law professor brought them to Washington, D.C., for a national moot court competition March 29-April 1, where one student advanced to the semifinals. While in Washington, D.C., they met with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and toured the Supreme Court, met with U.S. Representative Diana DeGette of Colorado and toured the Capitol, and visited several national monuments and museums. Associate Professor Melissa Hart, director of the Byron R. White Center for the Study of American Constitutional Law at the Colorado Law School, led the students on the trip to participate in the National Marshall-Brennan Moot Court Competition. Eighteen of Harts law students have worked with 250 students at seven high schools since last September as part of the Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project. Isabella Solman, a senior at Lyons High School, was one of 24 students selected to advance to the semifinals in the moot court competition. Jessica Smith, a second-year student at Colorado Law, explained that this is Colorado Laws first year participating in the program. She became involved in the constitutional literacy project through her Education and the Constitution class. This is a great first year to get our students first to nationals and then to the semifinal round, said Smith. I think the best part of this experience was being able to establish a relationship with the students. In addition to Solman, the group that went to Washington consisted of two other students from Lyons High School (Sean Flynn and Marcos Rodriguez); three from Bruce Randolph High School in Denver (Cierra Conner, Alfonso Espino, and Rene Garcia); two from Mapleton Early College in Thornton (Loren Tenorio and Cipriano Marrujo); and two from York International in Thornton (Navil Perez and Viviana Andazola). They were selected after a regional competition at Colorado Law. Of the 10 students, six competed in the national competition and the other four were alternates. Solman said she has met with Colorado Law students every Friday since September as part of her AP government class. They went through the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and different court cases that apply to students, that apply to our lives, she said. Support for the trip came from private fundraising. Including Smith, six Colorado Law students went to Washington D.C. for the competition, some of whom paid their own way because they wanted to be there to support the students. Part of a national program, the literacy project leads high school students through highlights of important Supreme Court cases affecting the rights and responsibilities of students. The second- and third-year law students also coached the students for the moot court competition. I thought all of the students did a great job, said Joseph Cash, a second-year law student at Colorado Law. Its really rewarding to see students gain literacy in the Constitution more so than they are getting from the general curriculum. The moot court considered the question of whether the sentence of life without the possibility of parole for juveniles who commit felony murder violates the Eighth Amendments ban on cruel and unusual punishment. Felony murder refers to unintentional murder committed during the course of an inherently dangerous felony situation. It is a really interesting question, very similar to two cases the Supreme Court actually heard arguments on the week before the competition, Hart said. Coaches and high school participants say they mutually benefited from the Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy project. It has helped me with skills such as communicating with people who may not have knowledge of the legal language and communicating information with them so they understand the law, Cash said. It gives high school students skills that are transferable to anything they want to do: public speaking skills, critical thinking skills, analysis, and reading and writing skills. Solmon said the competition has improved her public speaking and that she also has visited with law students on the CU-Boulder campus in order to practice. And while she has long been interested in going to graduate school, Id definitely consider going to law school now, she added. Next years Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project and moot court program will expand into additional Colorado high schools, Hart said. For more information on the National Marshall-Brennan Moot Court Competition visit http://www.wcl.american.edu/marshallbrennan/nat_competition.cfm. For more information on the Byron R. White Center for the Study of American Constitutional Law visit http://www.colorado.edu/law/centers/byronwhite/marshall-brennan.htm.

Colorado Law Mourns Jerie Torbeck

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Law mourns the loss of Jerie Torbeck, an alumna and former employee, who passed away in her home on March 23, 2012 at the age of 69. She had been battling bulbar onset of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) since May 2011. Torbeck received her JD from Colorado Law in 1989. She began her career at the University of Denver Law School, but eventually returned to Colorado Law to become the schools Director of Admissions. She held the position until 1995 when she moved to Louisville, KY to become the Associate Dean for Admissions and Career Services at the Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville. Many of Colorado Laws current employees had the pleasure of knowing and working with Torbeck and she will be truly missed. She will always be remembered for her unfailingly upbeat attitude and tremendous work ethic. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made in Torbeck's name to the ALS Association Kentucky Chapter at 2807 Amsterdam Road, Villa Hills, KY 41017.

Amicus Spring 2012 Issue Released

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Amicus, Colorado Law's biannual alumni magazine, is now available. Dean Phil Weiser highlights Colorado Laws approach to the changing legal environment, which includes: interdisciplinary engagement, community engagement, experiential learning, alumni networking, and career development. Interdisciplinary engagement is brought to light in a discussion among law and aerospace engineering students on United States v. Jones, a Supreme Court case that explores the use of GPS technology by law enforcement. Experiential learning gives students tangible career experience, making them a valuable asset to future employers, as featured in Raising the Transactional IQ at Colorado Law. A unique opportunity for students to apply their interest in corporate law emerges in classes including Deals, Legal Negotiation, and Venture Capital. These advanced courses provide students with firsthand knowledge of how lawyers negotiate contracts and execute business transactions on behalf of clients. Students have the opportunity to learn with clinical legal education, as highlighted in the article Clinical Education: Preparing Students for Wise Legal Practice. Under the supervision of clinical faculty, students represent clients in courtrooms and other settings in nine different clinics. Students translate theory into practice in clinics focusing on everything from tribal to criminal law, representing clients in the discipline of their choice. Community engagement is a key value for Colorado Law. As highlighted in one of the community-focused articles in this issue, Mark Fogg (79), President of the Colorado Bar Association, and members of the Colorado Bar Association started a number of pro bono legal clinics to assist discharged veterans. The student veterans who founded the Colorado Law Military Law Society student group enthusiastically organized student volunteers. The Career Development Office works with students to develop their professional ambitions and articulate their goals. The article Why and How to Be Intentional in Your Career offers advice to students and alumni on career development. Consider heeding the advice of the article and ask a colleague to join you at an upcoming event at Colorado Law. We hope the timely and relevant content in the spring 2012 issue of Amicus inspires you to stay engaged or become reengaged with Colorado Law. If you did not receive your copy, or would like additional copies, please contact Katy Brown, director of alumni relations, at katy.brown@colorado.edu.

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Alumna Kara Veitch Named CBA's Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Law would like to congratulate Kara Veitch ('00) on being awarded the Gary L. McPherson Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year award by the Colorado Bar Association. An engaged alumna, Veitch has long been an asset to both the Colorado Law community and the broader Colorado legal community. She currently serves on the Law Alumni Board, has been a Homecoming reunion organizer, and is the co-chair of Colorado Law's Recent Alumni Network. In addition, she is the current president of the Colorado Women's Bar Association, the past president of the Asian American Bar Association, and the current assistant director of the public policy organization Colorado Forum. This most recent award is just one of a litany of accomplishments that makes Colorado Law proud to call Kara Veitch one of its own. To read more, please visit Law Week Colorado.

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Law Launches Startup Colorado

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

On November 9, 2011 entrepreneurs and enthusiasts packed into the courtroom and classrooms at the University of Colorado Law School for the public launch of Startup Colorado. If the events energy is any indication of what is to come, Startup Colorado promises to ignite and empower entrepreneurship across the Front Range. Startup Colorado, an initiative to increase the breadth and depth of the Front Ranges entrepreneurial ecosystem, will provide mentorship, guidance, and experiential opportunities to entrepreneurs and students across Colorado. As evidenced by the tremendous turnout and the launchs speakers, including Scott Case, co-founder of Priceline.com and CEO of Startup Colorados parent organization, Startup America, and Aneesh Chopra, Chief Technology Officer at the White House, this local branch of Startup America has a great foundation on which to expand. Welcoming the crowd, Dave Mangum, Startup Colorados Executive Director, set the tone for the nightcelebrating Colorados entrepreneurial success and spurring it forward. Next, Scott Case laid out the reasons entrepreneurs should be celebrated and why entrepreneurship should be spurred forwardcompanies less than five-years-old have created all of the net new jobs in the last thirty years. Case outlined five key elements of startup success: Serial Entrepreneurial Leadership, Connectedness, Corporate Assistance, Talent, and Government Support (Not Leadership). Of these elements, Case said unlocking serial entrepreneurial leadership was especially important. When Case began his address he asked audience members who were in the middle of starting a business to rise three-fifths of the room stood. In his closing, he conceded that starting a company is not easy, but the entrepreneurs in the audience should remain energetic, kick ass and takes names! Next was a short overview of Startup Colorado by the initiatives chairs: Brad Feld, Managing Director of Foundry Group; Jan Horsfall, President and CEO of Gelazzi, Inc.; and Phil Weiser, Dean of the University of Colorado Law School and Executive Director of Silicon Flatirons Center. Feld reiterated the importance of entrepreneurs leading entrepreneurs, and the need to engage across the full range of activities, from mentorship to working together. In growing the startup ecosystem of Colorado, Feld suggested stakeholders adopt a twenty-year view that resets every day. Dean Weiser laid out the ambitious goals for Startup Colorados First Year: (1) Expand new tech meetups, open coffee clubs, and community office hours in Fort Collins, Denver, and Colorado Springs; (2) Create an entrepreneurial summer camp in Boulder for college students throughout Colorado; (3) Support entrepreneurial education along the Front Range; (4) Evaluate current barriers and best practices in the entrepreneurial communities in the US and around the world; (5) Engage larger companies to help entrepreneurs; and (6) Build a database for information and connections on the Startup Colorado website. Reemphasizing the importance of serial entrepreneurial leadership, Dean Weiser called for a community spirit of giving and a pay-it-forward mentality. Horsfall wrapped up the discussion by again pleading for entrepreneurs to reach out and help each other, because they all have one thing in commonthey want to get things done. Four young entrepreneurs then took the stage for a panel discussion on why they chose Boulder to start their companies. Alexander White, Co-Founder and CEO of Next Big Sound, Inc., explained that Boulder was the place to be because of its existing mentorship community, specifically the incubator TechStars. Dave Wright, Founder and CEO of Solidfire, thought that Boulder was especially appealing because it offered a great lifestyle with lots of startup energy. This sentiment was echoed by Yoav Lurie, Founder and CEO of Simple Energy, who also added that Boulder is not shrouded in noise, the un-helpful clamor of the rat race which exists in other entrepreneurial ecosystems like Silicon Valley and Boston. Despite Boulders attractive aspects, some of the entrepreneurs felt there were constraints that came along with area too. Justin Segall, Founder and EVP of Simple Energy, questioned how big Simple Energy could get and how to develop even more talent. Yet both Wright and White disagreed, saying the engineering and science talent is here, and that fundraising from other areas of the country is not inhibited by locating to Colorado. The one area of improvement Wright noted was in the executive and management talent pool. Overall, the entrepreneurs overwhelmingly agreed that Boulder presented productive territory for startups. The second and final panel of the night allowed two successful entrepreneurs to offer their thoughts on mentorship and entrepreneurship in general. Both Libby Cook, Founder, President, and Director of Philanthropiece, and Nancy Phillips, Co-Founder, Director, and COO of ViaWest, were thrilled with the leadership that has developed in Boulders startup community. Now in a mentorship position, Cook said she tries to inspire confidence in her mentees, keep them on track, and provide networking opportunities and contacts. Cook identified the passion entrepreneurs share as key to successful mentorship because entrepreneurs like entrepreneurs. Phillips said a good mentor has to deliver hard-to-hear feedback and tell it like it is, but conceded that sometimes a little sympathy is in order. Cook agreed and stressed the importance of really engaging and working through problems. As an example of how established companies foster growth Phillips pointed to efforts by ViaWest to give startups access to their cloud computing software and establish an incubator. Building off of the earlier comments about Boulders strengths and weakness, about which Cook and Phillips mostly agreed, Phillips said it would be important to develop a strategy to not only grow companies but keep them in Colorado when they become large and successful. To close, Aneesh Chopra stepped to the podium to deliver a rousing address about how the government can serve entrepreneurs with energy and excitement. Chopra said entrepreneurs have the guts and perseverance to solve the vital issues in healthcare, energy, and education. Offering innovation as the way best way out of the current economic downturn, Chopra laid out a few examples of how the government is trying to help. One example that got a warm welcome from the crowd was the overhaul of fedbiz.gov, the federal website listing business opportunities with the federal government, making it more accessible. Another favorite of the entrepreneurial crowd was an executive order making StartUp Visas more easily available. At the core of the Governments efforts, Chopra said, is the liberation of data. The government is confident that releasing data on home energy use, text book pricing, and healthcare will lead to innovation by entrepreneurs, who are in the best position to make use of it in meaningful ways. Representing the government position as a humble servant of entrepreneurs, Chopra closed with a bow and a promise to remain At your service. By Nick Ventez, University of Colorado Law, Class of 2014

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Law Students Prevail In Regionals Of National Moot Court Competition, Win Best Brief, Best Oralist; Advance to Nationals

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Boulder, CO -- November 8, 2011 -- Over the November 4, 2011 weekend, the two Colorado Law Rothgerber National Moot Court Teams competed in Salt Lake City, Utah, for the 11th Region of the National Moot Court Competition held by the American College of Trial Lawyers and the New York Bar Association. The Colorado Law Respondents Team consisted of Carol Liang arguing as the switch oralist, Michael Lutz, and Ben Wilson. The Petitioner Team comprised Jessica Ross as switch oralist, CiCi Cheng, and Greg Hearing. The Colorado Law Petitioner Team (Ross, Cheng and Hearing) advanced to finals against University of Utah and defeated that team decisively to win Regionals. The Petitioner team also took home the Best Brief award for their appellate brief to the "Supreme Court," and Hearing also was awarded the Best Oralist award for both the preliminary rounds as well as the finals. Ross, Cheng and Hearing will be competing in the National Competition at the end of January in New York City against 29 other teams from across the nation. Both teams performed extremely well and actually faced off in Semi-Finals. The Colorado Law Respondents Team (Liang, Lutz and Wilson) ranked extremely well going into Semi-Finals, having a decisively undefeated record. Congratulations to both Colorado Law Rothgerber teams for sweeping the Regional competition and representing Colorado Law so well.

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Carolyn Ramsey to give 2011 Scott Lecture

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Professor Carolyn Ramsey will deliver the 2011 Austin Scott Lecture, Intimate-Partner Violence and State Intervention: A New Historical Perspective, at 4 p.m. on Thursday, November 10. She will discuss research from her published articles and her book-in-progress that sheds new light on public attitudes toward intimate partner violence, the role of police and prosecutors in seeking to prevent and punish such violence, and the way courts and juries viewed defense claims by men and women charged with murdering their partners. Her work calls into question common assumptions about sex bias in the criminal law and public tolerance of wife-beating. It also suggests that changing gender roles and the medicalization of the law made it more difficult for abused women to obtain justice in criminal courts in the second half of the 20th century. Although Ramseys lecture will focus on historical examples, it may spark discussion about modern domestic violence laws and policies.

Daniel Yergin will give 2011 Schultz Lecture

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Boulder Daniel Yergin, Pulitzer Prize-winning author, will give the 2011 Annual Schultz Lecture, speaking from his new book The Quest: Energy, Security, and the Remaking of the Modern World. WHO: Dan Yergin WHAT: Yergin will give a lecture on energy, international politics and economics, pulling from his new book, The Quest. WHEN: Wednesday, October 19 5 p.m. 6 p.m. WHERE: University of Colorado Law School Wittemyer Courtroom WHY: Dr. Yergin is a highly respected authority on energy, international politics and economics -- and a Pulitzer Prize winner of The Prize, the Epic Quest for Oil Money and Power. He is a world-recognized author and business leader. Yergin one of the worlds leading energy consultants and a recipient of the United States Energy Award for lifelong achievements in energy and the promotion of international understanding.His new book is titled The Quest: Energy, Security, and the Remaking of the Modern World, which has been hailed as a fascinating saga about the quest for sustainable resources of energy. The book will be available for purchase at the event. The Schultz Lectureship Fund was created in 2007 by the generosity of John H. ('53) and Cynthia H. Schultz to support a lecture each year by scholars in the fields of oil and gas, energy or natural resources law. About University of Colorado Law School Established in 1892, the University of Colorado Law School (www.colorado.edu/law) is a top 25 public law school located at the base of the inspiring Rocky Mountains. Colorado Laws 500 students, selected from among the statistically best applicants in the nation, represent 100 undergraduate institutions and diverse backgrounds. The school has dual degree programs in business, environmental studies, telecommunications, and public affairs. With a low faculty-to-student ratio, its highly published faculty is dedicated to interacting with students inside and outside the classroom. The schools 8 clinics and 4 centers focus on areas of strength, including natural resources and environmental, American Indian, juvenile and family, telecommunications policy, and sustainable energy law. Colorado Laws graduates are leaders in their profession and committed to public interest work. - # # # -

Boulder Chamber Names Brad Bernthal as 2011 Robert Planchard Award recipient

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

BOULDER The Boulder Chamber recently announced that Colorado Law Clinical Professor Brad Bernthal will receive the 2011 Robert Planchard Award at the 27th Annual Esprit Entrepreneur Awards event on Thursday, November 3 at the Omni Interlocken Resort in Broomfield. This award reflects that, above all, people matter, said Bernthal. No one goes it alone. I am lucky to work with many of the Front Ranges most creative, effective, and generous individuals. There is no way that the Silicon Flatirons Entrepreneurship Initiative would succeed without the commitment and belief of the amazing people who are the soul of the startup community. Im delighted to receive the Robert Planchard award. It reinforces my conviction that a world-class start up scene should be backed by a top research university, and that CU-Boulder and Silicon Flatirons are taking important steps in the right direction, said Bernthal. Bernthal teaches the Entrepreneurial Law Clinic and the Samuelson-Glushko Technology Law & Policy Clinic, and serves as the Director of the Silicon Flatirons Centers Entrepreneurship Initiative at CU-Boulder. He also teaches doctrinal courses in the areas of venture capital, telecom policy and spectrum management. He has a B.A. from the University of Kansas and a J.D. from the University of Colorado. Over the past three years, Silicon Flatirons Entrepreneurship Initiative (E.I.) has grown to be a vital link between Colorado Law and the startup community. It serves as host to several important events such as the New Tech Meetup, the Crash Course Series for Entrepreneurs, Entrepreneurs Unplugged and Roundtable discussions concerning innovation policy. In the last year, E.I. sponsored over 40 entrepreneurial events with more than 6,000 total attendees, launched an on-line Startup Resource Center, co-hosted the White House's Startup America event and provided legal guidance to 15 start-up companies at Colorado Law's Entrepreneurial Law Clinic. The Robert Planchard Award, now in its seventh year, is given each year to someone who demonstrates the characteristics and spirit of Robert W. Planchard, a transactional attorney widely known in Boulders entrepreneurial community who died in 2004 at the age of 44. These characteristics include high levels of integrity, ethics, enthusiasm, intensity, energy, drive, heart and enjoyment of work and people. The award is voted on by chamber peers and reflects how they feel about the recipient. Other awardees of the Esprit Entrepreneur event are: Tim Enwall and Adrian Tuck (Entrepreneurs of the Year); Phil Anson, Julian Farrior and Dale Thomas (Entrepreneurs of Distinction); and, Gnip and Next Big Sound (Big Ideas Awards). About University of Colorado Law School Established in 1892, the University of Colorado Law School (www.colorado.edu/law) is a top 25 public law school located at the base of the inspiring Rocky Mountains. Colorado Laws 500 students, selected from among the statistically best applicants in the nation, represent 100 undergraduate institutions and diverse backgrounds. The school has dual degree programs in business, environmental studies, telecommunications, and public affairs. With a low faculty-to-student ratio, its highly published faculty is dedicated to interacting with students inside and outside the classroom. The schools 8 clinics and 4 centers focus on areas of strength, including natural resources and environmental, American Indian, juvenile and family, telecommunications policy, and sustainable energy law. Colorado Laws graduates are leaders in their profession and committed to public interest work. - CU -

Tim Masters and his attorney to speak at Colorado Law

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Boulder Tim Masters and his post-conviction attorney Maria Liu will speak at Colorado Law sponsored by the Colorado Innocence Project. This event is free and open to the public. WHO: Tim Masters and his attorney Maria Liu WHAT: Exoneration: A Discussion with Timothy Masters followed by a Q & A WHEN: Thursday, October 13 Noon WHERE: University of Colorado Law School Wittemyer Courtroom WHY: Timothy Masters' case represents what those who seek justice fear most: an innocent person sitting behind bars. Masters was exonerated and released after spending nearly a decade in prison for a crime he did not commit. The Colorado Innocence Project, housed at Colorado Law, hosts this discussion that will focus on Masters' wrongful conviction, his protestations of innocence, his court battles and how he ultimately regained his freedom. Masters also won a multi-million dollar civil suit against the City of Fort Collins and Larimer County, which won the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association's Case of the Year award. The law clinics at Colorado Law have earned the school a reputation for excellence in preparing students for wise practice, innovative services and high-quality representation for less-privileged members of the community. Other clinics at Colorado Law include Family Law, American Indian, Juvenile Law, civil practice, criminal defense and entrepreneurial law among others. About University of Colorado Law School Established in 1892, the University of Colorado Law School (www.colorado.edu/law) is a top 25 public law school located at the base of the inspiring Rocky Mountains. Colorado Laws 500 students, selected from among the statistically best applicants in the nation, represent 100 undergraduate institutions and diverse backgrounds. The school has dual degree programs in business, environmental studies, telecommunications, and public affairs. With a low faculty-to-student ratio, its highly published faculty is dedicated to interacting with students inside and outside the classroom. The schools 8 clinics and 4 centers focus on areas of strength, including natural resources and environmental, American Indian, juvenile and family, telecommunications policy, and sustainable energy law. Colorado Laws graduates are leaders in their profession and committed to public interest work. - # # # -

Former Secretary of Economy and of Foreign Affairs for Mexico to speak at Colorado Law

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Boulder September 26, 2011 Dr. Luis Ernesto Derbez, Mexicos former Secretary of Economy and of Foreign Affairs, will be giving two distinguished lectures that are free and open to the public at Colorado Law, one on immigration issues and the other on the advantages and disadvantages of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). WHO: Former Secretary of Economy and of Foreign Affairs for Mexico, Dr. Luis Ernesto Derbez WHAT &: Two presentations on issues which affect both Mexico and the United States WHEN: The New Realities, Challenges and Opportunities of Immigration from Mexico to the United States Wednesday, October 5 9 a.m. 11 a.m. 2 CLE credits The Advantages, Disadvantages & Future of NAFTA Thursday, October 6 9 a.m. 11 a.m. WHERE: Both events will take place at the University of Colorado Law School Wittemyer Courtroom WHY: The Deans Committee on Diversity, in conjunction with CU Cultural Events Board, Latino Law Student Association, Doman International Law Student Association have organized this event in light of the fact that millions of undocumented immigrants from Mexico are currently living in the United States. Dr. Derbez, by discussing Mexicos view as to what should be done bilaterally in order to address this issue, will ultimately present a point of view on the immigration debate that is seldom represented in American mainstream media. The hope is that the presentation will facilitate both understanding and a diverse perspective on the pressing contemporary political issue and debate on illegal immigration. ABOUT DR. DERBEZ Dr. Derbez, in addition to being a former Secretary of Economy and of Foreign Affairs for Mexico , has worked on numerous World Trade Organization committee meetings and was in charge of leading Mexico's negotiations with China for a free trade agreement, which ultimately led to China's accession to the WTO. He headed the Latin American Development Projects Branch of the World Bank and was on the Board of Directors of PEMEX (Mexico's state oil company and the second largest non-publicly listed company in the world by total market value). He has been a guest speaker at Harvard, NYU, Columbia, Notre Dame and other prestigious U.S. universities. About University of Colorado Law School Established in 1892, the University of Colorado Law School (www.colorado.edu/law) is a top 25 public law school located at the base of the inspiring Rocky Mountains. Colorado Laws 500 students, selected from among the statistically best applicants in the nation, represent 100 undergraduate institutions and diverse backgrounds. The school has dual degree programs in business, environmental studies, telecommunications, and public affairs. With a low faculty-to-student ratio, its highly published faculty is dedicated to interacting with students inside and outside the classroom. The schools 8 clinics and 4 centers focus on areas of strength, including natural resources and environmental, American Indian, juvenile and family, telecommunications policy, and sustainable energy law. Colorado Laws graduates are leaders in their profession and committed to public interest work. - # # # -

John Paul Stevens to speak at University of Colorado Law School

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Former U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens will present the inaugural Stevens Lecture, a new series of talks named for him, at the University of Colorado Law School at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 22. The free and public event, presented by the schools Byron White Center for the Study of American Constitutional Law, will focus on constitutional law and the Supreme Court. The lecture will be held in the Wittemyer Courtroom of the Wolf Law Building with a reception to follow in the buildings Boettcher Hall. Each year, the Stevens Lecture will bring a distinguished jurist to Colorado Law to deliver a public lecture on judging and the state of the judiciary. The 2012 Stevens Lecture will be given by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The Byron White Center seeks to enhance the study and teaching of constitutional law and to stimulate public debate and understanding of our constitutional system. The center sponsors public lectures and symposia, encourages Colorado faculty and student scholarship in constitutional law and offers an opportunity for collaboration with other organizations, schools and scholars around the country who are participating in the national conversation about constitutional interpretation and application. -CU-

CU to celebrate Constitution Day with law student teaching project and campus events

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Contact: Jill McGranahan, University of Colorado Law School, 303-492-3124 Beth Gaeddert, Journalism and Mass Communication, 303-492-0460 Greg Swenson, CU media relations, 303-492-3113 Editors: Media planning to attend the University of Colorado Law School teaching events should contact Jill McGranahan at 303-492-3124 for locations and dates. To attend the Journalism and Mass Communication event contact Beth Gaeddert at 303-492-0460. The University of Colorado Boulder will celebrate Constitution Day with campus events including a student journalism panel and the launch of a new program at the University of Colorado Law School that will send CU law students to high school classrooms throughout the state to discuss the First Amendment. Constitution Day is a national event that annually commemorates the Sept. 17, 1787, signing of the United States Constitution. It is being observed on Sept. 16 this year. Throughout the week leading up to Constitution Day, the law schools Byron White Center for the Study of American Constitutional Law will launch its Constitution Day Project by sending 60 law students to teach in 50 high school classrooms around the state. Each student will lead a one-period discussion about the First Amendment in classrooms in Boulder, Longmont, Adams County, Denver, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, Kremmling, Glenwood Springs and Carbondale. Each lesson includes a discussion of the First Amendment and the principles behind it, and an exploration of cases that apply the First Amendment in disputes between students and schools. The lesson concludes with a student debate involving a hypothetical situation that applies the First Amendment to a student Facebook posting. Melissa Hart, director of the Byron White Center, and student fellows Laura McNabb and Gavin Wolny developed the new lesson. On campus, CU-Boulders Journalism and Mass Communication program and the Colorado High School Press Association are co-sponsoring a Constitution Day event that is expected to bring more than 100 high school students and their advisers to campus. The event, which will be held Saturday, Sept. 17, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Eaton Humanities Building, will include a student editorial-writing contest in which students from the participating schools will write editorials on topics involving the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The event includes a panel discussion with the co-editors of the Overland High School student newspaper who made national news last spring over a publishing dispute with their principal. Steve Zansberg, one of Colorados leading media attorneys, will give the events keynote address. CU-Boulders Center for Western Civilization also will host a free, public talk by best-selling author Thomas Woods of the Ludwig von Mises Institute on Thursday, Sept. 15. Woods talk, Small is Beautiful: The Neglected Case for Human Scale in a World of Megastates, will be held at 6 p.m. in the Hellems Arts and Sciences Building, room 252. -CU-

University of Colorado Law School launches a new teaching and learning partnership with public schools in Boulder, Denver and Adams Counties.

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Boulder -- Starting this week, 19 University of Colorado Law School students will begin teaching the U.S. Constitution to high school students in schools across the metro area. The Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project is designed to give law students a valuable opportunity to deepen their knowledge of constitutional law and education while they assist professional teachers in engaging high school students in analysis and understanding of the Constitution. Participating in this Project is a step toward fulfilling the core mission of the Byron White Center at Colorado Law to expand conversations about and understanding of the Constitution, said White Center Director Melissa Hart. It is also a wonderful opportunity for the University of Colorado Law School to teach in and learn from other communities in Colorado, which is an essential role of our university. The class will run throughout the academic year. In addition to learning about constitutional law, some high school students will compete in a local moot court competition, coached by the law students. The winning Colorado team will travel to Washington, D.C., to compete in the National Marshall-Brennan High School Moot Court Competition. The Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project began in the fall of 1999 at the American University Washington College of Law in honor of the late United States Supreme Court Justices Thurgood Marshall and William J. Brennan, Jr. The project mobilizes talented second and third-year law students to teach courses on Constitutional law and juvenile justice in public high schools and has licensed chapters in law schools across the country. In this inaugural year, the University of Colorado Law School has partnered with public schools in Denver, Mapleton and St. Vrain School Districts. Colorado Law will expand to partner with other school districts in subsequent years. Colorado Laws Byron R. White Center for the Study of American Constitutional Law coordinates this effort, interviews each law student applicant, and requires each law student to commit to teaching throughout the entire school year. Contact: Melissa Hart Associate Professor of Law Director, Byron R. White Center for the Study of American Constitutional Law University of Colorado Law School 425 Wolf Law Building 401 UCB Boulder, CO 80309-0401 Phone: (303) 735-6344 E-mail: melissa.hart@colorado.edu About University of Colorado Law School Established in 1892, the University of Colorado Law School (www.colorado.edu/law) is a top 25 public law school located at the base of the inspiring Rocky Mountains. Colorado Laws 500 students, selected from among the statistically best applicants in the nation, represent 100 undergraduate institutions with a variety of diverse backgrounds. The school has dual degree programs in business, environmental studies, telecommunications, and public affairs. With a low faculty-to-student ratio, its highly published faculty is dedicated to interacting with students inside and outside the classroom. The schools 8 clinics and 4 centers focus on areas of strength, including natural resources and environmental, American Indian, juvenile and family, telecommunications policy, and sustainable energy law. Colorado Laws graduates are leaders in their profession and committed to public interest work. - ColoLaw -

Homecoming scheduled October 21 -23, 2011

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The reunion weekend kicks off on Friday, October 21st. The schedule of events is as follows: Friday afternoon/evening, October 21st 2:30 pm Guided tour of the spectacular Wolf Law Building 3:30 pm Welcome and Address by Dean Phil Weiser 4:00 pm Presentation by Professor Scott Peppet, Freedom of contract in an Augmented Reality 5:00 pm Jazz and Cocktail Reception for Reunion Classes (No charge, but be sure to sign up on the Registration Form to be sent to you in late August from the Law School) Friday night, October 21st (most classes are holding their individual class reunions this evening) Saturday, October 22nd 10:00 a.m. - Ethics CLE - Happiness and Professional Satisfaction for Lawyers Schaden Chair Marianne Wesson will moderate a panel discussion by Peter Huang, Heather Ryan, Manuel Ramos and Alice Madden as they discuss happiness (and its opposite) in the legal profession. the panel will reflect on what makes for a satisfying career and share their personal experiences. 12:00 p.m. - Barbeque Picnic 1:30 p.m. - CU vs. Oregon kick-off

Colorado Law focuses on student and alumni careers with new hires

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Upholding one of his promises as incoming Dean, Phil Weiser has filled a pivotal position and added another full-time leadership position to the University of Colorado Law Schools career resources. Starting September 19, Todd Rogers returns to Colorado Law to assume the position of Assistant Dean of Career Development and on August 11, Michael Spivey will fill the newly created position of Assistant Dean of Outreach and Engagement. I made a promise to the faculty and students when I was interviewing for this position that I would make career development a top priority," said Dean Weiser. I am thrilled that we were able to attract such highly respected professionals and give our students and alumni the career support they deserve. Now, the real work begins and Im glad that Todd and Mike are here to help me implement my vision for Colorado Law. As Assistant Dean of Career Development, Rogers will lead the Career Development Office (CDO). Rogers joins Colorado Law from the University of Kansas School of Law, where he has been the Assistant Dean of Career Services since July 2007. Prior to that, he served as a Director of Career Services from 2003 to June 2007. His leadership resulted in top student satisfaction ratings for the school's career services office, where he served as the primary career counselor for more than 500 law students. Rogers received his J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law, where he graduated with honors. He also has a B.A. in Business Administration from Trinity University. Before working at the University of Kansas School of Law, Rogers worked for one year in the Colorado Law CDO. Prior to that, he worked as a briefing attorney in the Texas Court of Appeals and as an associate attorney at Lathrop & Gage LLP in Kansas City, Missouri. Spivey, as Assistant Dean for Outreach and Engagement, will focus his efforts on cultivating external relationships with employers, alumni, and others who support the law school. Working closely with Dean Weiser, Spivey will focus on increasing employer awareness of Colorado Law students and alumni. Spivey has been the Assistant Dean for Career Services, Strategy and Marketing at Washington University School of Law in St. Louis since June 2008. In this capacity, he oversaw the career service operations of Washington Law, which included placing more than 1,000 students each year. Prior to working at Washington Law, Spivey worked at Vanderbilt University Law School for more than eight years. He was the Associate Director of Admissions from 2005 to 2008 before being recruited by renowned Law Dean Kent Syverud to lead the Career Services Office at Washington University Law School. Spivey comes to Colorado Law with a B.A. in Philosophy from Vanderbilt and a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Alabama. He is currently a candidate for his Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership and Policy at Vanderbilt University. This exciting team structure reflects the deep commitment and intensive efforts of Dean Weiser to build on the foundation laid by David Getches and to devote additional resources to supporting students in intentionally and proactively designing their careers, said Whiting Dimock Leary, Senior Assistant Dean for Students, who will support and work closely with the CDO team. We are committed to helping all students find a path to fulfilling employment, and Todd and Mike will be key leaders in pursuing that strategy. University of Colorado Law School Established in 1892, the University of Colorado Law School (www.colorado.edu/law) is a top 25 public law school located at the base of the inspiring Rocky Mountains. Colorado Laws 500 students, selected from among the statistically best applicants in the nation, represent 100 undergraduate institutions with a variety of diverse backgrounds. The school has dual degree programs in business, environmental studies, telecommunications, and public affairs. With a low faculty-to-student ratio, its highly published faculty is dedicated to interacting with students inside and outside the classroom. The schools 8 clinics and 4 centers focus on areas of strength, including natural resources and environmental, American Indian, juvenile and family, telecommunications policy, and sustainable energy law. Colorado Laws graduates are leaders in their profession and committed to public interest work. # # #

Professor Victor Fleischer to testify before historic joint hearing

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Testimony will focus on tax reform and the taxation of debt and equity Boulder University of Colorado Law Professor Victor Fleischer has been invited to testify before a historic joint hearing of the House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means and the Senate Committee on Finance. His testimony will address tax reform and the tax treatment of debt and equity. It is the first joint hearing of the two Congressional committees on tax reform since 1940. Fleischer is scheduled to testify on Wednesday, July 13 at 7:00 a.m. (MST) in Room HVC-210 of the Capitol Visitor Center in Washington, D.C. Fleischer gained national prominence in 2007 when he wrote a paper on the tax treatment of carried interest. He testified before the Senate Committee on Finance in June 2007 on that topic, as well as the House Committee on Ways and Means in September 2007. More recently, Fleischer was quoted in New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristofs July 6 Op-Ed on tax loopholes on carried interest. Professor Fleischers testimony will be feed live on the Colorado Law web site at www.colorado.edu/law About University of Colorado Law School Established in 1892, the University of Colorado Law School (www.colorado.edu/law) is a top 25 public law school located at the base of the inspiring Rocky Mountains. Colorado Laws 500 students, selected from among the statistically best applicants in the nation, represent 100 undergraduate institutions with a variety of diverse backgrounds. The school has dual degree programs in business, environmental studies, telecommunications, and public affairs. With a low faculty-to-student ratio, its highly published faculty is dedicated to interacting with students inside and outside the classroom. The schools 8 clinics and 4 centers focus on areas of strength, including natural resources and environmental, American Indian, juvenile and family, telecommunications policy, and sustainable energy law. Colorado Laws graduates are leaders in their profession and committed to public interest work. # # #

Read the latest edition of our monthly newsletter, Lawpoints

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

CU-Boulder mourns loss of former CU Law dean

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Longtime University of Colorado Law School Dean David Getches, who had stepped down on June 30 in order to return to the schools faculty, died July 5. He was 68. Getches joined the faculty of Colorado Law in 1979 as a nationally renowned expert in natural resources and Indian law issues. He wrote several books on water law, natural resources law and Indian rights issues and his work has appeared in numerous publications. On behalf of the entire University of Colorado community, I wish to express my deepest and heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of David Getches, said Chancellor Phil DiStefano. David provided exceptional leadership as dean of the Law School for close to a decade and had an outstanding career as a scholar and teacher. He will be greatly missed as a friend, colleague and member of the CU community, as well as by members of the legal profession throughout the United States. Getches served as dean of Colorado Law from 2003 to 2011. Under his leadership the university financed and constructed the $46 million Wolf Law Building and expanded the academic offerings at the law school, which include an endowed Experiential Learning Program, three Master of Laws degrees, three legal clinics, three certificates and eight dual-degrees. David Getches came along at exactly the right time for the American West, which has undergone such sweeping changes over the past half century, said Charles Wilkinson, Moses Lasky Professor of Law and longtime friend. As a wise advocate and leading public intellectual, David brought vision, common sense and passion to pressing issues of water, land and Indian rights. Now Indian tribes, universities, government offices, conservationists and the rivers themselves will grieve aloud. We will not see his kind again. Phil Weiser, who took over as dean of Colorado Law on July 1, said, David leaves a remarkable legacy of integrity and commitment to excellence. All of us in the Colorado Law community will miss him greatly and I will miss him dearly as a mentor and a friend. His memory and spirit will remain a blessing to us all. From 1983 to 1987, Getches was executive director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources under Governor Richard D. Lamm. Getches earned his undergraduate degree from Occidental College in California and his law degree from the University of Southern California School of Law. He began his legal career in 1967 with the law firm of Luce, Forward, Hamilton and Scripps in San Diego, Calif. In 1968, he was co-directing attorney for California Indian Legal Services and in 1970, he moved to Colorado to become the founding executive director for the Boulder-based Native American Rights Fund, a national, nonprofit Indian-interest law firm. A memorial service for Getches is being planned and will be announced at a later date. Contributions can be sent to the David H. Getches Scholarship Fund. Additional information is available at http://www.cufund.org/GetchesScholarship. -CU-

Professor Hart to testify before United States Senate

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Testimony will focus on how the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Wal-Mart v. Dukes will affect future corporate behavior Boulder University of Colorado Professor Melissa Hart will testify before the United States Senate, Committee on the Judiciary as an expert on how recent decision by the United States Supreme Court in Wal-Mart v. Dukes and AT&T v. Concepcion restrict access to the judicial system and diminish corporate accountability. Hart is scheduled to testify on Wednesday, June 29 at 8:30 a.m. (MST) in the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C. Colorado Law will tweet live during the testimony. Hart, who filed an amicus brief in Wal-Mart v. Dukes on behalf of 31 Civil Procedure and Class Action Law Professors supporting the suit, was invited to testify because of her work as a scholar and teacher of civil procedure, Supreme Court decision-making and employment discrimination. Hart will testify that the majority opinions in both Dukes and Concepcion reflect hostility to class action resolution of disputes and ignore the important fairness and efficiency gains that collective resolution offers. By limiting the ability of consumers and employees to join their small individual claims in a larger action, these decisions will make it harder to hold companies accountable for misconduct. These narrow majority decisions make it harder to enforce civil rights and consumer protection laws, said Hart. It is clear that in the future, every employment discrimination class action will be evaluated in light of the current Courts hostility to class litigation. The decision will thus have a significant chilling effect on the collective adjudication that has been an essential aspect of full enforcement of the law. Wal-Mart v. Dukes, begun in 2000, was the largest civil rights class action lawsuit in U.S. history. The entire Senate committee meeting will stream live at http://ow.ly/5rjst. Harts full testimony will be made available after the meeting. About University of Colorado Law School Established in 1892, the University of Colorado Law School (www.colorado.edu/law) is a top 25 public law school located at the base of the inspiring Rocky Mountains. Colorado Laws 500 students, selected from among the statistically best applicants in the nation, represent 100 undergraduate institutions with a variety of diverse backgrounds. The school has dual degree programs in business, environmental studies, telecommunications, and public affairs. With a low faculty-to-student ratio, its highly published faculty is dedicated to interacting with students inside and outside the classroom. The schools 8 clinics and 4 centers focus on areas of strength, including natural resources and environmental, American Indian, juvenile and family, telecommunications policy, and sustainable energy law. Colorado Laws graduates are leaders in their profession and committed to public interest work. # # #

Colorado Law helps to establish networks for junior law professors

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Boulder, Colo. On July 14-15, 2011, twelve junior law professors will converge at the University of Colorado Law School in order to provide input and support for each others scholarship in what is hoped to become an annual event. The first Junior Business Law Conference is the brainchild of business law professor Andrew Schwartz, who wanted to create a forum to encourage a free and diverse exchange of ideas for non-tenured, up-and-coming law professors. While we have much to learn from senior business law professors, junior professors are sometimes hesitant to explore new or radical solutions to old problems in a joint forum, said Schwartz. The impetus for this conference was to give other junior law professors like myself the opportunity to express their ideas openly and explore them vigorously. Schwartz researched law journals and other trade publications in an effort to find other junior law professors who were being noticed by their colleagues. Twelve of the original 15 contacted, representing universities from across the United States, accepted Schwartzs invitation. The participants will each submit a draft law journal article of approximately 20,000 30,000 words. Each participant will then read all of the submitted articles, which will be reviewed in a series of workshops. In addition, one primary reader will be established for each article, who will help to take notes and work with the writer to ensure all feedback is captured. My sincere hope is that this conference will take on a life of its own and as we obtain tenure, the new members will carry the conference forward, said Schwartz. Schwartz got the idea from fellow Colorado Law professors Victor and Miranda Fleischer, who six years ago were part of a group of junior tax law professors invited to a conference at UC-Berkeley. To continue the intellectual exchange and networking from that conference, Miranda suggested that they start an annual meeting of junior tax law professors. The "Junior Tax" conference has now been hosted by numerous schools across the country, including Boston University, NYU, and this year, UC-Irvine. "Hosting Junior Tax helped Miranda and I meet top young tax scholars from the nation's best law schools, and those bonds continue to help us in our research and teaching. I think it's terrific that Professor Schwartz is building his own network in business law. The investment will pay dividends for years to come." About University of Colorado Law School Established in 1892, the University of Colorado Law School (www.colorado.edu/law) is a top 25 public law school located at the base of the inspiring Rocky Mountains. Colorado Laws 500 students, selected from among the statistically best applicants in the nation, represent 100 undergraduate institutions and diverse backgrounds. The school has dual degree programs in business, environmental studies, telecommunications, and public affairs. With a low faculty-to-student ratio, its highly published faculty is dedicated to interacting with students inside and outside the classroom. The schools 8 clinics and 4 centers focus on areas of strength, including natural resources and environmental, American Indian, juvenile and family, telecommunications policy, and sustainable energy law. Colorado Laws graduates are leaders in their profession and committed to public interest work. -CU -

Susan Nevelow Mart named director of Wise Law Library

Mon, 06 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Boulder, Colo. Susan Nevelow Mart has been named director of the William A. Wise Law Library at the University of Colorado Law School. Mart will begin her new role on July 15, 2011. Mart comes to Colorado Law with more than ten years of library experience and 16 years as a practicing attorney. Most recently, she was the Faculty Services Librarian at the University of California Hastings College of Law, where she was also an adjunct professor teaching advanced legal research. Mart began her career at Hastings College of the Law as a reference librarian and adjunct professor. Susan brings not only an extensive background in library sciences, but also an extensive background in the practice of law, said Dean David Getches. She is a wonderful complement to our outstanding library faculty. Mart was an associate attorney at Bell, Rosenberg & Hughes in Oakland, Calif. from 1984 to 1991, a law firm specializing in business, real estate, construction and insurance litigation. She then opened her own practice, where she worked from 1992 to 2000, focusing on real estate, business and construction disputes. Mart obtained a Masters in Library Science from San Jose State University in 2003. She received her Juris Doctor in 1983 from the University of California, Berkeley Berkeley Law and a B.A. in Anthropology from University of California, Santa Cruz in 1979. She replaces Barbara Bintliff,who was director of the William A. Wise law library and a member of the faculty at Colorado Law for 25 years. She retired from the law school in fall 2010 to become the director of the Tarlton Law Library and Jamail Center for Legal Research at the University of Texas at Austin School of Law, where she is also Joseph C. Hutcheson Professor of Law. In 2010, The National Jurist magazine ranked Colorado Laws Wise Law Library 21st out of 198 academic law libraries nationwide. About University of Colorado Law School Established in 1892, the University of Colorado Law School (www.colorado.edu/law) is a top 25 public law school located at the base of the inspiring Rocky Mountains. Colorado Laws 500 students, selected from among the statistically best applicants in the nation, represent 100 undergraduate institutions with a variety of diverse backgrounds. The school has dual degree programs in business, environmental studies, telecommunications, and public affairs. With a low faculty-to-student ratio, its highly published faculty is dedicated to interacting with students inside and outside the classroom. The schools 8 clinics and 4 centers focus on areas of strength, including natural resources and environmental, American Indian, juvenile and family, telecommunications policy, and sustainable energy law. Colorado Laws graduates are leaders in their profession and committed to public interest work. - # # # -

Susani Harris named Senior Director for Diversity and Inclusive Excellence

Thu, 02 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Boulder, Colo. University of Colorado Law School Dean David Getches announced today that Susani Harris has been named Senior Director for Diversity and Inclusive Excellence, effective June 1, 2011. This new position, housed in the Office of Career Development, is designed to help to further embed the principles of inclusiveness, facilitate pipeline activities, and connect students and alumni with the professions efforts to increase diversity. I have long been committed to diversity and inclusiveness in the law community and with this new position, I hope to take that commitment to the next level, said Harris. Colorado Law and Dean Getches have entrusted me to assist and support our diverse student population and I am delighted to accept that challenge. Previously, Harris was the Assistant Dean for Career Development, helping to counsel, assist, and encourage students and alumni in their efforts to focus on and explore their career options, develop useful networking skills, prepare effective cover letters and resumes, and develop successful interviewing techniques. She was legal counsel for a settlement consulting firm in Houston, Texas, from 2003 to 2007. Prior to that, Harris was an attorney at Holland & Hart for 20 years, practicing Oil & Gas and Mining Law and was Of Counsel, Director of Attorney Recruitment and Professional Development, and Director of Diversity and Professional Development (one of the first such positions among law firms in the nation). While at Holland & Hart, she was responsible for the recruitment, hiring, counseling, development, and retention of attorneys, and for guiding and assisting the firm in carrying out its commitment to recruit, hire, retain and promote, a diverse attorney workforce. She also provided diversity consulting to numerous clients, other law firms, and corporations. Harris was the primary drafter of the original Colorado Pledge to Diversity, which was signed by 23 Denver law firms. She also served twice as co-chair of the Steering Committee for the original Colorado Pledge to Diversity Law Firm Group. This new position at Colorado Law is part of Colorado Laws continuing efforts to place its students. Colorado Law recently hired a national career expert, Whiting Dimock Leary, to serve as Senior Assistant Dean for Students and coordinate student affairs, including the Career Development Office. We continue to broaden the career development office efforts and will look to expand our staff, said Leary. We are taking steps to enhance our local and national outreach efforts and helping to place our students in a broad range of careers that truly reflect the enhanced analytical skills with which they graduate. We will continue to be proactive in our approach of matching students with prospective employers. A search is underway for a new Assistant Dean for Career Development. Interested candidates can apply through www.jobsatcu.com (posting #813069), or contact Whiting.Leary@colorado.edu with questions. About University of Colorado Law School Established in 1892, the University of Colorado Law School (www.colorado.edu/law) is a top 25 public law school located at the base of the inspiring Rocky Mountains. Colorado Laws 500 students, selected from among the statistically best applicants in the nation, represent 100 undergraduate institutions and diverse backgrounds. The school has dual degree programs in business, environmental studies, telecommunications, and public affairs. With a low faculty-to-student ratio, its highly published faculty is dedicated to interacting with students inside and outside the classroom. The schools 8 clinics and 4 centers focus on areas of strength, including natural resources and environmental, American Indian, juvenile and family, telecommunications policy, and sustainable energy law. Colorado Laws graduates are leaders in their profession and committed to public interest work. - # # # -

Phil Weiser Named Dean of Colorado Law

Tue, 31 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The University of Colorado Boulder today announced the appointment of Philip J. Weiser, senior advisor for technology and innovation to the National Economic Council at the White House, as dean of the University of Colorado Law School. CU-Boulder Provost Russell L. Moore said Weiser will begin his duties as dean on July 1, 2011. I am delighted today to name as the next dean of CUs esteemed law school a legal scholar, a public servant and a great thinker and innovator: Phil Weiser, said CU-Boulder Provost Russell L. Moore. Phil has amassed a critical body of legal scholarship and has distinguished himself as a researcher, a teacher, and a leader. His work in technology law has made him a seminal figure in that discipline, his leadership in building the Silicon Flatirons Center represents a very significant accomplishment, and I look forward to the energy, imagination and vision he will bring in leading Colorado Law. Weiser joined the CU-Boulder faculty as a professor of law and telecommunications in 1999. Prior to joining the White House, Weiser served as the deputy assistant attorney general at the Justice Departments Antitrust Division. Weiser took that post in July 2009, taking a leave of absence from the University of Colorado Law School where he served as a professor of law, associate dean for research, and the executive director and founder of the Silicon Flatirons Center for Law, Technology, and Entrepreneurship, a nationally recognized telecommunications powerhouse that elevates the debate around technology issues, facilitates networking and the development of human capital in the Colorado technology community, as well as across the country. I am honored by this appointment, said Weiser. Over the years I have enjoyed the opportunity to work with and learn from the Colorado Law familyits faculty, staff, students, alumni, and supporters. I am both humbled and excited by the opportunity to lead this community in the years ahead. Before joining the CU-Boulder law faculty, Weiser served as senior counsel to the assistant attorney general at the Justice Departments Antitrust Division from 1996 to 1998, law clerk to Justices Byron R. White and Ruth Bader Ginsburg at the U.S. Supreme Court from September 1995 to August 1996, and law clerk to Judge David Ebel at the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver from September 1994 to August 1995. He received his law degree from New York University School of Law and his bachelor's from Swarthmore College. Weiser replaces David Getches, who is returning to teaching after eight years as head of the law school. Under Dean Getches leadership, financing and construction of the $46 million Wolf Law Building was completed and the academic offerings at the law school have been greatly expanded. New programs include an endowed Experiential Learning Program, three Master of Laws degrees, three legal clinics, three certificates and eight dual-degrees. I want to thank David Getches for his strong leadership over the last eight years, said Moore. Today, CUs law school is academically sound, a national leader in a variety of legal disciplines, and positioned as one of the nations great law schools. It is a great resource for the people of Colorado, and David is one of the key reasons why. -CU- About University of Colorado Law School Established in 1892, the University of Colorado Law School (www.colorado.edu/law) is a top 25 public law school located at the base of the inspiring Rocky Mountains. Colorado Laws 500 students, selected from among the statistically best applicants in the nation, represent 100 undergraduate institutions and diverse backgrounds. The school has dual degree programs in business, environmental studies, telecommunications, and public affairs. With a low faculty-to-student ratio, its highly published faculty is dedicated to interacting with students inside and outside the classroom. The schools 8 clinics and 4 centers focus on areas of strength, including natural resources and environmental, American Indian, juvenile and family, telecommunications policy, and sustainable energy law. Colorado Laws graduates are leaders in their profession and committed to public interest work. - # # # -

Patricia Mulroy to speak at 2011 Natural Resources Law Center Conference

Mon, 23 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Keynote by renowned water authority and other events open to the public Denver Patricia Mulroy, general manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority and renowned speaker on national water issues, will be the keynote speaker at the University of Colorado Law Schools Natural Resources Law Center 2011 Martz Summer Conference. This keynote address begins the Centers three-day conference, June 8-10, which will focus on current and future issues surrounding Colorado River management. Mulroys keynote, titled And then there was little to fight about. Can we get through the worst of times? will be on June 8 at 5:30 p.m. in the Wolf Law Building at the University of Colorado. This keynote address is open to the public and admission is free. As general manager of one of the countrys most progressive water agencies, Mulroy is exceptionally active in regional and national water issues. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies and the National Water Resources Association, and on the Board of Trustees of the Water Research Foundation. Additionally, she was the original chairperson of the Western Urban Water Coalition and served on the Colorado River Water Users Associations board of directors. In addition to the keynote address by Mulroy, there are two other events on June 8 which will be open to the public: 8:30 a.m. 1 p.m.: 261st Meeting of the Upper Colorado River Commission that will include reports from the Colorado River Salinity Control Forum, the Bureau of Reclamation, Western Area Power Administration, Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and the National Climate Center 2:00 p.m. 4 p.m.: Colorado River Basin-Wide Federal Studies An Update Multiple Federal agencies are conducting basin-wide studies that address potential climate variability and change in the Colorado River Basin. During this session, a select group of Federal program managers and technical specialists including the Bureau of Land Management, US Geologic Survey, US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Reclamation, will provide an overview of their activities and participate in an open panel/audience discussion on the commonalities, differences, and opportunities for collaboration among these studies. Registration and additional information about the conference including the program agenda is available on the Natural Resources Law Centers website at http://www.colorado.edu/law/centers/nrlc. University of Colorado Law School The University of Colorado Law School (www.colorado.edu/law) was established in 1892 and is a charter member of the Association of American Law Schools, organized in 1901. The school has been on the American Bar Association's list of approved law schools since its first publication in 1923. Colorado Law advances the mission of the University and the greater legal community: through teaching, to employ robust theoretical inquiry, doctrinal and policy analysis, and professional skills and to integrate interdisciplinary study opportunities; through scholarship, to develop and test new ideas and approaches, to challenge the status quo, and to convey our research and ideas; and through public service, to contribute our time and talents in pursuit of our mission and to instill in our students an awareness of a lawyers civic responsibilities and opportunities to serve and lead. With its favorable faculty-to-student ratio, stellar bar-passage rate, outstanding student- and faculty profile, and low tuition cost, the University of Colorado Law School is one of the top law schools in the nation and the only public law school in Colorado. # # #

Historical Boarding School Healing Symposium provides framework for moving forward

Fri, 20 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Boulder, Colo. More than 30 representatives from the Boarding School Healing Project, Native American Rights Fund, American Indian Law Clinic at the University of Colorado Law School, and Human Rights Clinic at the University of Wyoming and other organizations came together on May 14-15, 2011 to create a framework for healing from the abuses suffered by American Indian children as a result of the U.S. boarding school policy. This is a historical event, one that gives optimism that something is really going to happen, said Don Coyhis of White Bison, Inc. The goal of the two-day conference was to discuss and craft a national strategy to achieve both national recognition of and an apology for the wrongs visited upon individuals and communities of Indian Country by the U.S. boarding school policy. The strategy would also seek reparations to provide the framework for healing the wounds from these historic and enduring wrongs. Intergenerational trauma was a huge theme of the conference, said Jill Tompkins, director of the American Indian Law Clinic at Colorado Law. American Indian children forced into the boarding school system later on unintentionally imposed onto their children and their childrens children the scars of growing up without knowledge of their language and their culture, without affection and without a loving family support network. When they finally returned to their tribal communities, they did not know who they were or where they fit anymore. Many point to the proliferation of alcoholism, drug abuse and suicide among Indians as evidence of the on-going effects of this period. Although early in the planning stages, three key themes were expressed at the conference: acknowledgement, justice and healing. Some of the ways expressed to achieve these themes included: The desire and need for a meaningful apology Support for language and cultural revitalization The implementation of healing programs in each tribe, controlled locally so as to be significant and effective within each community All school children graduate knowing about slavery in the United States and its devastating effects on black people and the human toll of the Civil War, said Coyhis. No student should graduate high school without knowing about this period of American history and its devastating effects as well. The symposium participants agreed to formally establish the Boarding School Healing Coalition which will move forward with a plan for gathering support and implementing the results of the symposium. This may include, but is not limited to: public education efforts, litigation, remedial legislation, and international policy advocacy. Beginning about 1880 and continuing for nearly the next century, the U.S. government began to promote boarding schools for American Indian children, modeled on Colonel Richard Henry Pratts militaristic Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania, as a primary means to assimilate Indian children. By 1902, 154 boarding schools housed 21,500 American Indian children. In some instances the U.S. government subcontracted the operation of these schools to churches. Some of these children were held at the boarding schools from age 5 to 18, many never being allowed to return home to their parents or tribal communities. They were generally forbidden to speak their native languages, taught Christianity instead of their native religions, and in numerous other ways forced to abandon their Indian identity and adopt European-American culture. They were taught to be ashamed of being Indian, of their culture and religions. Tragically, many cases of mental and sexual abuse have been documented. Important participants at the Symposium were Chief Wilton (Willie) Littlechild and Marie Wilson, Commissioners of Canadas Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). Canada modeled its Indian Residential School system on the U.S. model. Thousands of individual and community lawsuits were brought against the Canadian government for abuses, particularly sexual abuse, inflicted on Aboriginal people. The cases were eventually resolved in the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement, the largest class action in Canadian history, in 2007. The settlement provided for a payment to all former students who were held in federally supported residential schools, additional compensation for those that suffered sexual or serious physical abuse or other abuses. The Canadian government also made a contribution to the Aboriginal Healing Foundation to support commemoration projects and to establish the TRC. The TRCs three-prong mission is: to inform Canadians of what happened in the schools; to honor the lives of former students and their families; and, to create a permanent record of the Indian Residential School legacy. Although the Settlement has made some progress in bringing healing to residential school survivors, Chief Littlechild told the U.S. Symposium attendees, You have a chance to do things better. To date, no U.S. Presidential apology or plan to provide redress for American Indian boarding school survivors has been proposed by the federal government. The time to seek justice and healing for our ancestors and families who suffered the boarding school experience is long overdue, The establishment of the Boarding School Coalition and the development of a mutual shared vision for future action are critical steps forward, said Tompkins. About University of Colorado Law School Established in 1892, the University of Colorado Law School (www.colorado.edu/law) is a top 25 public law school located at the base of the inspiring Rocky Mountains. Colorado Laws 500 students, selected from among the statistically best applicants in the nation, represent 100 undergraduate institutions and diverse backgrounds. The school has dual degree programs in business, environmental studies, telecommunications, and public affairs. With a low faculty-to-student ratio, its highly published faculty is dedicated to interacting with students inside and outside the classroom. The schools 8 clinics and 4 centers focus on areas of strength, including natural resources and environmental, American Indian, juvenile and family, telecommunications policy, and sustainable energy law. Colorado Laws graduates are leaders in their profession and committed to public interest work. - # # # -

Thu, 19 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Thu, 12 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Tue, 03 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Law Combatting Poverty and Global Warming in Peru

Mon, 02 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

BOULDER In an ongoing effort to combat poverty and global warming, the Center for Energy & Environmental Security (CEES) at the University of Colorado Law School will travel to Ayaviri, Peru on May 12 to install 15 cookstoves. Because a full third of the worlds population (approximately 3 billion people) have no access to modern energy resources, a large majority of them rely on burning biomass (cow manure, crop residues or wood) for cooking, heating and lighting. Unfortunately, burning biomass within the home generates indoor air pollution, consisting of black carbon and other particulates, which results in 2 million premature deaths annually, primarily among women and children. Additionally, black carbon is the second largest cause of global warming, according to Nature Geoscience. The cookstoves, designed by German cookstove developer GIZ, will be assessed to determine whether they adequately meet the community needs. CEES will be educating residents on how the cookstoves work as well as illuminating their potential health benefits. Universal access to electricity will take a great deal of time and money, but interim energy needs can be immediately met with simple and inexpensive technologies such as cookstoves, solar-charged illumination and clean mechanical power, said Lakshman Guruswamy, Ph.D, Director of CEES and law professor. These items, called Appropriate Sustainable Energy Technologies, or ASETs, can bridge the gap between capital intensive electricity and the traditional subsistence technologies of the energy poor, while also reducing global warming. CEES first began working with the Ayaviri region in May 2010, when a team of students from Colorado Law joined engineering students from the Universidad Catolica de San Pablo to conduct a needs assessment in five communities surrounding Ayaviri, Peru. The assessment, supported by Caritas (an international, non-governmental nonprofit dedicated to the eradication of poverty and social inequities), was based on approximately 200 interviews with community members who indicated that the most pressing concern was indoor air pollution and related negative health consequences. The 15 cookstoves being installed will be monitored for air pollution output with a simple and inexpensive air pollution monitor designed by Dr. Russell Schnell, deputy director at NOAA. Based on this data and the demonstrations, CEES will conduct a Targeted Needs Assessment to determine the amount (if any) that community members are willing to pay. Payment by community members is an important aspect of the project success, as it instills a feeling of ownership and pride, Guruswamy said. It also increases the likelihood that the new technology will actually be adopted into community lifestyles. Based on the 2011 demonstration and price assessment, CEES will begin work on Stage Three, scheduled for summer 2012, which will focus on providing cookstoves to any community member who wants one. This could be anywhere from one to 250 units. CEES will work with Caritas to offer a sweat equity option, whereby residents can contribute a certain amount towards their cookstoves by working on other community development projects such as irrigation improvements, community gardens and animal husbandry. Caritas and the University of San Pablo will also conduct ongoing auditing to ensure that the cookstoves are being used and maintained properly. The Ayaviri Project as a whole offers a replicable, integrated response to the technological and behavioral challenges of increasing energy access, said Guruswamy. It also gives students the opportunity to understand the global impacts of issues such as International environmental law, climate change and sustainable energy that we discuss in the classroom. University of Colorado Law School The University of Colorado Law School (www.colorado.edu/law) was established in 1892 and is a charter member of the Association of American Law Schools, organized in 1901. The school has been on the American Bar Association's list of approved law schools since its first publication in 1923. Colorado Law advances the mission of the University and the greater legal community: through teaching, to employ robust theoretical inquiry, doctrinal and policy analysis, and professional skills and to integrate interdisciplinary study opportunities; through scholarship, to develop and test new ideas and approaches, to challenge the status quo, and to convey our research and ideas; and through public service, to contribute our time and talents in pursuit of our mission and to instill in our students an awareness of a lawyers civic responsibilities and opportunities to serve and lead. With its favorable faculty-to-student ratio, stellar bar-passage rate, outstanding student- and faculty profile, and low tuition cost, the University of Colorado Law School is one of the top law schools in the nation and the only public law school in Colorado.

Mon, 25 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Consumer Tips in a Tough Economy

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

As part of its service-learning project, the University of Colorado Law Schools Consumer Empowerment class offered an April 2, 2011 seminar on pressing consumer issues through a joint project with the Boulder County Housing Authority. The seminar was open to the public and presented at the Boulder County Housing Authority facility in north Boulder. Lunch and printed program materials were provided with the help of funding from Boulder County and the University of Colorados Institute for Ethical and Civic Engagement. The program materials also will be available online for the benefit of all consumers. Led by Professor Amy Schmitz, the student presenters sought to inform attendees of current economic issues and offer tips to protect themselves from potential problems. Topics presented were: - The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. This presentation informed consumers about what debt collectors are legally allowed and not allowed to do to collect a debt. It gave examples of coercive and abusive practices that debt collectors engage in regularly and provided information for consumers to report these practices. - Debt Consolidation and Credit Repair. This presentation discussed the problems and scams common in debt consolidation and provided consumers some alternatives to debt consolidation. The presentation also discussed common scams surrounding credit repair. - Foreclosure Scams. This presentation outlined the types of scams that victimize people facing foreclosure. The presentation offered tools for spotting a company engaging in fraudulent foreclosure practices. - Payday Lending Laws. This presentation explained how payday lenders operate and described the interest rates that consumers pay when they use payday loans. The presentation offered alternatives to payday lending for consumers. - The Credit Card Act of 2009. This presentation covered the new legislation governing credit card companies and the new restrictions on fees that companies can charge consumers. - The Dodd Frank Act. The presentation focused on the upcoming creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and how this will impact consumers. It outlined the goals of the Dodd-Frank Act which aims to promote financial stability in the United States and protect consumers from abusive financial services, online privacy and safety. The presentation explained various types of Internet scams, such as e-mail scams, Web site scams and Facebook scams. The presentation also provided consumers with resources to protect themselves from becoming victims of these types of fraud. The University of Colorado Law School has a long-history of public service, including its service-learning program, said Schmitz. These types of presentations are useful to the students, who are able to hone their skills, the consumers who benefit from the information and the organizations with which Colorado Law partners, who are able to offer a more robust educational program at no cost.

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Boulder, Colo. April 5, 2011 With trends suggesting that international aspects of entrepreneurship are growing more significant for Internet and software-based startups, the Silicon Flatirons Center at the University of Colorado Law School will make this the focus of its 2011 Mile High Tech Conference. Set for Friday, April 22 from 1 p.m 6 p.m. in the Wolf Law Building, the conference, titled Going International, will address why Front Range entrepreneurs should consider both the local and global dimensions of their startup business. The conference is open to the public. General registration for the day-long event is $20. JP Morgans Private Bank Chief Economist, Anthony Chan, will deliver one of the Conferences keynote addresses, focusing on macroeconomic trends relevant to entrepreneurship. Other leading experts on international entrepreneurship, including Professor Anna Lee Saxenian, Dean of the Information School at the University of California-Berkeley, and Juliano Tubino of Microsoft, will also provide keynote addresses. Saxenian and Tobino will explore how Internet adoption worldwide, and especially in developing countries, is spawning a start-up generation where innovation, market opportunities, and copycat threats span the globe. It is an important time to focus on the international implications of software and Internet entrepreneurship, said Professor Brad Bernthal, Director of the Entrepreneurship Initiative at the Silicon Flatirons Center. Bringing experts like Anthony Chan, Anno Saxenian and Juliano Tubino together with our local leaders in the Front Range is a great opportunity to address important global considerations that entrepreneurs need to understand so they can take their companies to the next level. Keynote speaker Anthony Chan is also a member of several forecasting panels including the Blue Chip Monthly Forecasting panel, the National Association of Business Economists Quarterly Macro Panel and The Reuters, Bloomberg and Dow Jones Weekly Economic Indicator panels. Saxenian, in addition to being a Dean at the University of California Berkeley, is the author of The New Argonauts: Regional Advantage in the Global Economy, which explores how the "brain circulation" by immigrant engineers from Silicon Valley has transferred technology entrepreneurship to emerging regions in China, India, Taiwan, and Israel. Tubino oversees the Microsoft Innovation Center program, which partners with local industry, government and academia to help develop the local software industry, creating jobs, companies and solutions in over 100 locations around the globe. General registration for the day-long event is $20. The cost is $10 for CU Alumni/New Tech members and free to CU faculty, staff and students. To learn more or to register, visit www.silicon-flatirons.org. About University of Colorado Law School Established in 1892, the University of Colorado Law School (www.colorado.edu/law) is a top 25 public law school located at the base of the inspiring Rocky Mountains. Colorado Laws 500 students, selected from among the statistically best applicants in the nation, represent 100 undergraduate institutions and diverse backgrounds. The school has dual degree programs in business, environmental studies, telecommunications, and public affairs. With a low faculty-to-student ratio, its highly published faculty is dedicated to interacting with students inside and outside the classroom. The schools 8 clinics and 4 centers focus on areas of strength, including natural resources and environmental, American Indian, juvenile and family, telecommunications policy, and sustainable energy law. Colorado Laws graduates are leaders in their profession and committed to public interest work. - # # # -

Colorado Law sees largest number of applicants in its history

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Boulder, Colo. While other law schools are seeing drops in applications, some as high as double digits, Colorado Law is bucking the trend and enjoying the highest number of applicants in its history. As of March 15, 2011 Colorado Law had 3160 applications for its three-year, full-time program. The incoming fall class of approximately 180 students will be comprised from these applicants. This is up 12.7 percent over last year. According to an online story in the April 1 ABA Journal, the average drop in law school applicants nationwide is about 11.5 percent. At Yale Law School, the nations No. 1 ranked law school, applications were down 16.5 percent at its March 1 deadline, according to the Yale Daily News. Our faculty continues to focus on a quality educational experience that combines theory and practice, said Dean David Getches. When you combine that type of education with our student teacher ratio and our relatively low costs, there is a great value in our education. We believe that is what prospective students are seeing when they choose to apply here. According to the ABA article, two other law schools reporting drops in applicants are Duke, down 20 percent, and the University of Chicago, down 12 percent. Colorado Law has an excellent reputation among lawyers, judges and our academic peers, said Kristine Jackson, Assistant Dean for Admissions and Financial Aid. In the February 14 issue of The New Yorker, Malcolm Gladwell ranked Colorado Law School in the top ten when cost was factored into the equation, along with student-faculty ratio, LSAT scores at the seventy-fifth percentile and faculty publishing. For us, we couldnt be more thrilled because with a larger pool of applicants, we see our median LSAT rise, as well as our median GPA, and our ability to attract visiting professors, etc. These things all combine to make further resources available to our students, which is our ultimate goal: providing a top notch education. About University of Colorado Law School Established in 1892, the University of Colorado Law School (www.colorado.edu/law) is a top 25 public law school located at the base of the inspiring Rocky Mountains. Colorado Laws 500 students, selected from among the statistically best applicants in the nation, represent 100 undergraduate institutions and diverse backgrounds. The school has dual degree programs in business, environmental studies, telecommunications, and public affairs. With a low faculty-to-student ratio, its highly published faculty is dedicated to interacting with students inside and outside the classroom. The schools 8 clinics and 4 centers focus on areas of strength, including natural resources and environmental, American Indian, juvenile and family, telecommunications policy, and sustainable energy law. Colorado Laws graduates are leaders in their profession and committed to public interest work. - # # # -

The Six Minute Marathon, a new book by Andrew Hartman

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Marianne Wesson named Schaden Chair in Experiential Learning

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

BOULDER - March 21, 2011University of Colorado Law School Dean David Getches today announced Marianne Mimi Wesson as the first Schaden Chair in Experiential Learning, a newly endowed position at Colorado Law. Wesson has been a member of the Colorado Law School faculty for over two decades, teaching and researching in the areas of criminal law, evidence and trial advocacy. She practiced criminal law as an assistant attorney general for the state of Texas and as an assistant U.S. attorney for the district of Colorado. Mimi brings the right balance of traditional classroom teaching and hands-on law practice as the inaugural Schaden Chair, said Getches. We are delighted to have her as a member of our faculty and that she has accepted this new position. Colorado Law has long been a leader in hands-on legal education. The school was one of the nation's first to establish a legal aid and defender clinic more than 60 years ago. Students can acquire academic credit working on cases in one of Colorado Laws nine clinics, in areas ranging from civil and criminal cases to entrepreneurial law to American Indian law. In addition to helping students connect theory with practice, Colorado Law's clinics provide free legal services for underserved clients who could otherwise not afford legal assistance. "I've always thought that in law teaching, theory and practice are not antagonistic, as they are sometimes portrayed, but mutually reinforcing, said Wesson. Nothing makes theory more vivid and useful than example, and nothing makes practice more virtuosic and flexible than an understanding of the theory that it serves. Linking the two in legal education can be immensely powerful. We've accomplished this link in many ways in the recent past, but this Schaden gift will allow us to pursue this enterprise in a more sustained, thoughtful, and productive way. I'm very honored to have been chosen to lead it." Wesson has been a member of the Criminal Law Test Development Committee of the National Conference of Bar Examiners for more than 30 years, including several years as its chair. Her expertise has made her an often-sought commentator for several media outlets, including NBC, ABC, CBS, MSNBC, the Washington Post, the Dallas Morning News and The Denver Post. She has also been a legal correspondent for National Public Radio. Wesson is also an accomplished novelist with three works of fiction published: A Suggestion of Death, Render Up the Body (for which she was named a finalist for the Colorado Book Award) and Chilling Effect. Her most recent book A Death at Crooked Creek: The Hillmon Case and the Supreme Court is scheduled to be published in 2012. The Schaden Chair in Experiential Learning is funded by an endowment from Richard F. and Rick E. Schaden. The endowment was designed to enhance Colorado Law's clinical programs, externships, appellate and moot-court competitions, and fund additional voluntary pro bono work. The $5 million endowment is the largest of several recent Colorado Law gifts by the Schadens, who were also instrumental in helping to fund the Wolf Law Building. Richard F. Schaden, of Boulder County, is an aeronautical engineer, businessman, restaurateur, highly recognized trial lawyer and founding partner of the aviation and public-interest law firm Schaden, Katzman, Lampert and McClune. His son Rick E. Schaden of Denver, graduated magna cum laude from the University of Colorado at Denver in 1987, and is founder, chairman, and (with his father) majority shareholder of Quiznos, building the company since 1991 to more than 5,000 franchises worldwide.

Colorado Law Holds 30th Annual Alumni Awards Banquet

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The 30th Annual University of Colorado Law School Alumni Awards Banquet, held last week at the Hyatt Regency in Denver, was attended by almost 500 of the law schools alumni and friends, who all came together to celebrate the accomplishments of some of their most distinguished colleagues. Four alumni were honoredAssistant Secretary of the Interior for Water and Science Anne Castle 81, private practitioner Mark Fogg 79, former Chief Justice of the Colorado Supreme Court Larry Naves 74 and 2011 William Lee Knous Award recipient Dick Bratton 57. Tribute was also paid to retiring Colorado Law professor Bill Pizzi and former professor Judge Jim Carrigan for their contributions to Colorado Law over the years. Dean Getches was also honored by those in attendance, as he will be stepping down from his post as Dean this summer. The greatest honor of this Banquet is to all of us associated with Colorado Law, said Dean David Getches. We get to bask in the reflected glory of the people receiving awards tonight. This years banquet raised over $44,000 for student scholarships, thanks to generous contributions from law firms, businesses, nonprofits, alumni and friends. Law Alumni Board Chair Jan Steiert 78 opened the banquet, greeting the guests and recognizing the current and past Law Alumni Board members. Then Banquet Chair and Master-of-Ceremonies Kristin Rozansky 78 recognized the previous alumni award winners and thanked the sponsors and advertisers for their generosity. Dean Getches updated the alumni and guests about the last year at Colorado Law. He highlighted accomplishments such as 90 percent of the 1L class signing a public service pledge, thereby committing themselves to 50 hours of community service. Dean Getches also lauded the success of the recently established Loan Repayment Assistance Program, which assists former students who have taken low paying jobs in the public sector to repay their student loans through funds collected from grants and generous donations. Former Colorado Secretary of State Bernie Buescher 74 presented the Distinguished Achievement Award for Public Sector to Anne Castle. Hugh Gottschalk 79 of Wheeler Trigg and ODonnell presented the Distinguished Achievement Award for Private Practice to Mark Fogg. Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael Bender 67 presented the Distinguished Achievement Award for Judiciary to Judge Larry Naves. University of Colorado Regent Michael Carrigan 94 and his sister Sheila Carrigan 82 presented their father Jim Carrigan with a Special Recognition award. Professor Bill Pizzi was honored and presented with an award by one of his former students, Judge Morris Hoffman 77. The chair of the Law Alumni Board, Jan Steiert 78, spoke about Dean Getches tremendous contributions to the law school before presenting him with his award. Finally, following a video of testimonials from Dick Brattons friends and family, Marvin Woolf 57 presented the William Lee Knous Award -- the highest Colorado Law alumni award -- to Bratton, a pioneer in the field of water and natural resources law in the state of Colorado. He has practiced law in Gunnison, Colorado for 50 years and has been an active community member on a variety of boards and commissions throughout Colorados western slope. Colorado Law thanks the Banquets sponsors: Capstone Sponsor: Holland & Hart Keystone Sponsors: Exxon Mobil and Wheeler Trigg ODonnell Flagstone Sponsors: Arnold & Porter; Colorado & Denver Bar Associations; BarBri; Denver Water; Gibson Dunn; Kennedy Childs and Fogg; Miller & Steiert PC; NITA; Colorado State Bank & Trust; Davis Graham & Stubbs; Faegre & Benson; Hoskin, Farina & Kampf; Husch Blackwell Sanders; Moses Wittemyer Harrison & Woodruff; Otten Johnson Robinson Neff & Ragonetti; Qwest Communications; Robinson Waters & ODorisio; and Snell & Wilmer; Jan and Bob Steiert; Perkins Coie; Senter Goldfarb & Rice.

Fri, 11 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

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Thu, 03 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Boulder University of Colorado Law School professor Melissa Hart filed an amicus or friend of the court -- brief this week in the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit on behalf of the National Women's Law Center (NWLC) and 25 other national organizations in Liberty University v. Geithner. The case is one of the first to reach an Appellate court in a challenge to the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Professor Hart worked on the brief pro bono.

NWLC et al. support affirmance of the District court's decision that the ACA is constitutional. Professor Harts brief focuses particularly on the ways in which the health care reform was part of a tradition of civil rights legislation. In addition to general regulation of the health insurance and health care markets, the ACA specifically targeted a number of discriminatory policies that had affected many classes, women particularly. As a comprehensive regulation of a national market, the health care bill was also an important statement by Congress about the national commitment to nondiscrimination in the provision of such fundamental services as basic health care.

The nationwide consequences of the insurance markets failure to meet underserved constituencies -- including womens needs -- are significant, said Professor Hart. The Affordable Care Act is a comprehensive system of regulation designed to lower health care costs, to provide minimum standards of coverage for health insurance and to end some of the most significant barriers to broadly inclusive health care access.

The Affordable Care Act was a federal statute that was signed into U.S. Law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010 as part of his health care reform. The laws focus on reform of the private health insurance market and provide for better coverage for those with pre-existing conditions, as well as improving prescription drug coverage in Medicare and extending the life of the Medicare Trust fund.

Liberty University v. Geithner is one of five federal legal challenges to the ACA and one of three to uphold its constitutionality. Six other challenges were dismissed because of lack of sufficient standing; whether the litigant is entitled to have the court decide the merits of a particular issue. The Supreme Court could review this law as early as the end of 2011.

Professor Hart volunteered her time to prepare the amicus brief in keeping with the schools spirit of public service. As a public institution, many of the professors and faculty members volunteer their time in their areas of expertise. The University of Colorado Law School Public Service Pledge Program asks students to volunteer at least 50 hours of law-related public service work, not for credit or other compensation, during their college career. IN 2011, more than 90 percent of the student body took the pledge.

About University of Colorado Law School

Established in 1892, the University of Colorado Law School (www.colorado.edu/law) is a top 25 public law school located at the base of the inspiring Rocky Mountains. Colorado Laws 500 students, selected from among the statistically best applicants in the nation, represent 100 undergraduate institutions and diverse backgrounds. The school has dual degree programs in business, environmental studies, telecommunications, and public affairs. With a low faculty-to-student ratio, its highly published faculty is dedicated to interacting with students inside and outside the classroom. The schools 8 clinics and 4 centers focus on areas of strength, including natural resources and environmental, American Indian, juvenile and family, telecommunications policy, and sustainable energy law. Colorado Laws graduates are leaders in their profession and committed to public interest work.

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Colorado Law Students Place 2nd at Moot Court Competition

Thu, 03 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Three teams representing the University of Colorado Law School competed in the National Native American Law Students (NALSA) Moot Court Competition at Columbia University in New York on Feb. 25-26, 2011. The competition's complex problem addressed whether an Indian tribe had civil legislative and adjudicatory authority to impose civil citations and contempt orders against a non-member Indian found to have brought drugs, a large quantity of money, and a loaded unregistered gun onto the Tribe's casino property located on federal trust reservation land. Colorado Law's teams of Anna Dronzek and Matt Samuelson, Daniel Cordalis and Gregory Narvaez, and Beth Baldwin and Anne Mariah Tapp competed in a field of more than 67 teams from across the U.S. Although the Colorado Law teams did not reach the final round of sixteen, 2Ls Beth Baldwin and Anne Mariah Tapp received the Second Place award for Best Brief, missing First Place by less than one point. Their success is testimony both to their hard work and skill, and to the depth of the American Indian Law program at Colorado Law. The teams benefitted from the coaching of Clinical Professor Jill E. Tompkins, Colorado Law alumni Carrie Covington Doyle '09 and Alison Flint '09 as well as from the assistance of Professors Richard Collins and Charles Wilkinson. Congratulations to Beth and Anne Mariah!

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Law to do Clinical Study in India

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

BOULDER February 14, 2011 For the first time, the University of Colorado Law Schools Juvenile and Family Law Program will take a group of 15 students to India for a hands-on clinical application of the family law curriculum. The trip, scheduled March 17 24, will culminate with a capstone research paper comparing one of four specific areas of family and juvenile law: sex trafficking, child abuse, womens rights and domestic violence. These are issues that affect countries all over the world, said Colene Robinson, clinical professor at Colorado Law. However, it brings new meaning to an issue when students can see how global issues such as sex trafficking affects us locally. Robinson, along with Associate Professor Clare Huntington, designed the class to provide students with an in-depth opportunity to tie the materials they have studied in various courses and further develop their understanding in a global context. Students have been coordinating with the National Law School in Bangalore, which has a similar curriculum. Students have been involved in all aspects of the course not only through the development of classroom materials, but also by participating on one of fundraising and logistics committees. After studying about womens rights, child abuse, sex trafficking and domestic violence in the United States and India, students will spend five working days in India applying what they have learned in a real-world context. Students will visit several non-governmental offices (similar to nonprofit service providers in the United States) including the Human Rights Law Network (HRLN) and the Alternative Law Forum (ALF). In addition, students will travel to the city of Mysore, South India, to visit Odanadi Seva Trust, one of the oldest social organizations working for the rescue, rehabilitation and reintegration of trafficked women and children. Upon their return, students will prepare a substantial research paper comparing an aspect of U.S. and Indian law within the four areas of focus. Additionally, students will do in-country research on their individual topics, writing papers that they could not have written from within the four walls of the Law School. It is both fascinating and gratifying to observe the students using the tools they have learned in law school, and the specific knowledge they have gained through the Juvenile and Family Law curriculum, in this entirely new context, said Professor Huntington. I am confident the comparative experience will make the students better lawyers because they will have a more nuanced understanding of different legal approaches to similar problems. Juvenile and Family Law are just one of the many clinical study areas of the University of Colorado Law School. Colorado Law was one of the first law schools in the nation to offer clinical education to its students in hopes that by handling actual cases, students can more easily make the transition from legal theory to legal practice. Other clinical study areas include American Indian Law, Appellate Advocacy, Civil Practice, Criminal Defense, Entrepreneurial Law, Juvenile Law, Natural Resources, Technology Law and Policy and Wrongful Convictions.

Colorado Law Hosts Rothgerber Conference

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

For two days last month, legal scholars from around the country met in Colorado to discuss Popular Constitutionalism and the Uses of History in Constitutional Argument. The occasion was the 18th annual Ira C. Rothgerber Jr. Conference, organized by the Byron R. White Center for the Study of American Constitutional Law. In the middle of the all-day conference on Friday, January 28th, participants were pleasantly surprised by a visit from Colorados Governor John Hickenlooper, CU President Bruce Benson, several CU Regents (including Michael Carrigan XX and Kyle Hybl XX) and dozens of University supporters. The Rothgerber Conference kicked off on Thursday evening at the Law School with a Keynote Address given by Jill Lepore, the David Woods Kemper 41 Professor of American History at Harvard University. Professor Lepores speech, titled The People and the Parchment: Or, What Happens When the Constitution Shakes Her Fist, skillfully combined photographic images and stories from modern political movements and the political debates of our nations founding. On the morning of January 28th, the Conference continued with a series of panel discussions held in the Old Supreme Court Chambers at the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. More than 100 students, lawyers, law professors and judges joined the event. The first panel, titled Is the Tea Party a Constitutional Movement? included presentations by Jared Goldstein from Roger Williams University and Christopher Schmidt from Chicago-Kent College of Law. The panel was moderated by CU Professor Ahmed White and University of Denver Professor Alan Chen. After the first two panelists had spoken, the participants were joined by dozens of CU representatives and supporters who were at the Capitol for CU Advocacy day, as Governor Hickenlooper made an appearance to exhort the crowd about the importance of CU and higher education for Colorado. The conference continued with two additional panels. Discussing popular constitutionalism and civil rights, Columbia Law Professor Jamal Greene and White Center Director Melissa Hart were joined by moderators Dean Marty Katz and Professor Tom Romero, both from DUs Sturm College of Law. In the afternoon, Professor Jed Purdy of Duke Law School and Rick Collins, of CU Law School, spoke about different aspects of experiencing constitutional interpretation on a panel moderated by CU Law Professor Helen Norton. The conference was sponsored by the White Center together with the Denver University Law Review, and the Keller Center for the Study of the First Amendment.

Colorado Law Team Wins National Telecom Moot Court Title

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Law claimed first place in the National Telecommunications Moot Court competition in Washington, DC, hosted by the Federal Communications Bar Association (FCBA) and Catholic University, Columbus School of Law on February 4-5, 2011. The winning student team is Janna Fischer, Christopher Stanton and Emily Hanna, all 2Ls. Associate Clinical Professor Brad Bernthal coached the team. The team also benefitted from the assistance of Preston Padden, a Senior Fellow at Silicon Flatirons and Adjunct Professor. Colorado Law bested eleven other teams and beat out representatives from George Washington University in the final round. We are thrilled to have represented Colorado Law to victory, said Fischer. Thanks go out to Professors Bernthal, Padden, past competitors and the entire Colorado Law community. The competitions problem involved a difficult multi-level intersection of copyright law, FCC regulations, indecency and other issues. Judges included leading members of the FCBA. This is Colorado Laws first telecom national title win, after reaching the finals last year and finishing runner-up.

Boulder Community Hospital Dedicates Labyrinth in Honor of Lane Earnest ('63)

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Boulder Community Hospital dedicated a new classical labyrinth constructed at its Foothills Hospital in Boulder in honor of Lane Earnest (A.S. 60; Law 63), recognizing Earnests 22-plus years as the hospitals general counsel. More than 100 donors, hospital personnel, family members and friends, including C.U. Boulder Chancellor Phil Di Stephano, attended the dedication and reception recognizing the leadership and community service of Earnie the attorney and his wife, Barbara ([Kelly], A.S. 73). According to the Earnests, the labyrinth is one of Boulders finest assets. And the site at Foothills provides an extraordinarily beautiful setting, with spectacular views of the mountains and the Flatirons. The community in and around Boulder is invested in seeing that BCH serves everybody, says Barb, who is a volunteer at Foothills. The hospital provides services to a broad spectrum of people. The nursing staff is such a wonderfully committed group of professionals. And the administration respects the dignity of the patients, as well as the employees and volunteers. Throughout their 50-year marriage, Earnie and Barb have had the joy of being involved with BCH in many ways. Earnie and his law firm served as the hospitals general counsel for more than 22 years. During those years, the hospital expanded its campuses and clinics throughout Boulder County. In 2005, as Earnie prepared to retire from the Boulder law firm of Caplan and Earnest, where he practiced law for 40 years, his colleagues secretly devised a plan to honor him and his professional commitment to and personal love for BCH. The plan was to construct a classical labyrinth, like the world-famous one at Chartres Cathedral in France. The Foothills Hospital was an ideal site for an inspiring structure that encourages meditation, prayer and reflection. According to Earnie, For many decades, the labyrinth will be a special place for families, friends, caregivers and children to welcome Gods presence, seek his encouragement, celebrate joy during happy times, experience tranquility, rekindle hope in the midst of rough times, or just delight in watching youngsters romp and play in the sunshine as they await the birth of a brother or sister in the third-floor delivery rooms.

Colorado Law Represented at International Climate Change Conference

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

On December 5, 2010 in Cancun, Mexico, CEES Senior Research Fellow Julie Teel and Colorado Law students Jessica Anderson, Elise Aiken, and Katie Patterson met with official delegates and civil society organizations at the Governors Climate & Forests Task Force (GCF) Forest Day 4. Forest Day, held in conjunction with the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change as well as the 16th Conference of the Parties, (COP-16) is dedicated to exploring ways to protect forests and the climate through the reduction of emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. Colorado Law Professor William Boyd and Teel are attending COP-16 as the GCFs Senior Advisor and Project Manager. On Thursday, December 9, 2010, the GCF will host an official side event GCF: Cooperation among Subnational Governments and NGOs on REDD. The event will feature the attendance of Governors, state Secretaries of Environment, Ministers, and other high-level officials from the U.S., Brazil, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Mexico. More information about the GCF and the importance of REDD in international climate policy is available at www.gcftaskforce.org.

CU Mock Trial Team Reaches Finals

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The University of Colorado at Boulder Law School would like to congratulate this years mock trial team on their impressive showing at the National Employment Law Mock Trial Competition. Colorado Law was represented in the competition by third year students Danielle Felder, Jake Friedberg, Melissa Segers, and Kate Knowles. The team was victorious in each of the preliminary rounds as well as the semi-final round. They went on to give a very strong performance in the competitions final round, where they were eventually defeated by a very small margin as the judges submitted a split ballot. Colorado Law thanks these students for representing their school so admirably throughout the competition and wishes them luck in all of their future endeavors.

Law Alum Offers New Fellowship

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Bussian Fellowship for International Dispute Resolution The Bussian Fellowship for International Dispute Resolution is awarded annually to up to three CU Law students to pursue summer opportunities in the field of international dispute resolution. Fellowships range from $1000 - $1500 per student and are awarded through a competitive selection process based on academic achievement, demonstrated interest in the field and financial need. Students may use the funding for program costs, travel and living expenses to pursue summer opportunities (including internships, externships, academic study abroad programs and employment opportunities) in dispute resolution (including arbitration, negotiation, mediation and peace studies) with a global, international or foreign focus. Graduating law students are eligible to apply. Application Process Please submit the following application materials in one packet to Barb Cooper in the Faculty Assistants Office: 1-2 page Statement of Interest explaining your eligibility, qualifications and the reason for your interest in the Fellowship CV or resume Current CU Law transcript Two letters of recommendation (from professors and/or former employers) in sealed and signed envelopes Proof of summer opportunity (typically a copy of your application to a program or letter confirming your summer position) A complete list of other sources of summer funding applied for, pending and/or received Applications are due by 5 p.m. on March 15. Selections will be made after review by a faculty committee and candidates will be notified by April 15. Fellows are required to submit a report detailing their summer experience by September 15, which will be kept on file for review by future candidates and Fellows. The Bussian Fellowship is made possible by a generous gift from CU Law alum Robert Bussian.

Professor Bernthal on Fox News

Wed, 13 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Brad Bernthal of the University of Colorado discusses why entrepreneurs are flocking to Boulder and how it is benefiting the state and school.

Associate Director Linz Publishes Colorado Legal Research

Tue, 21 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Associate Library Director Robert Linzs Colorado Legal Research is the latest installment in Carolina Academic Presss state legal research series texts and is the first book focused exclusively on how to Colorado law. Colorado Legal Research: examines resources and research methods for all types of Colorado primary law, secondary law, and practice materials; includes chapters on researching Colorado statutory law, regulatory law, case law, court rules, and even local government law; discusses how to do historical statutory and regulatory research and how to uncover Colorado legislative history; covers resources and methods in both print and online formats, with visuals included to assist the researcher; and can be used as either a guide for the individual researching the law or as a classroom text. Colorado Legal Research goes beyond resources and methods to present an overall framework through which to carry out legal research assignments. The framework provides suggestions on how to analyze and conceptualize legal research problems, and offers pointers on how to understand legal research concepts and publishing techniques so to identify and navigate the underlying legal research system. This information will make Colorado Legal Research useful for attorneys, librarians, paralegals and others researching the law in Colorado or jurisdiction.

Natural Resources Clinic Briefs Influences Ninth Circuit Decision

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Law students in the University of Colorados Natural Resources Clinic contributed to a recent environmental victory in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. On September 1, the Ninth Circuit affirmed a 2008 decision by the U.S. District Court in Idaho that had overturned environmentally unfriendly regulations issued by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in 2006. Read Western Watersheds Project v. Kraayenbrink, No. 08-35359. The BLM, which administers almost 200 million acres of federal land in the far west, had rewritten its regulations so as to loosen environmental controls on public lands livestock grazing, reduce the role of the non-ranching public in land management, and allow private ranchers to establish ownership of water rights and range improvements on public land. Two internal BLM studies had predicted that the revised regulations would cause long-term harm to wildlife, vegetation, and water resources on public lands, yet the BLM forged ahead with the changes at the behest of the livestock industry. Briefs prepared by Colorado Law clinic students in 2006 and 2007 helped convince the Idaho district court that the BLM had violated the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act when it issued the new regulations. These students were supervised by National Wildlife Federation attorneys and Colorado Law Adjunct Professors Tom Lustig (who passed away in 2008) and Michael Saul. Under the supervision of Visiting Professor Joe Feller and Professor Saul, in the spring of 2009, clinic students Risa Borowick, Shannon Fritts-Penniman, Michele Mulhausen, and Wendy Sullivan drafted the briefs that convinced the Ninth Circuit to affirm the district courts decision.

Colorado Law Welcomes Whiting Dimock Leary '96 as the New Dean of Students

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Dean David Getches and Colorado Law welcome Whiting Dimock Leary as the new Senior Assistant Dean of Students. We are delighted that Whiting has decided to return to Colorado Law and will be joining our leadership team, said Dean David Getches. She will be an exceptionally qualified asset to our students and our entire community. Dean Leary recently served as a Career Manager at Nixon Peabody and as a Senior Career Advisor at Shannon & Manch, advising lawyers and law students on career transitions and career management skills, and participating in firm management. Dean Leary is a 1996 graduate of the University of Colorado Law School and a 1992 graduate of Williams College. She has done graduate work in counseling at Johns Hopkins. Whiting began her legal practice as a transactional lawyer at Sutherland Asbill & Brennan and then at Dow Lohnes in Washington, DC. Her work experience also includes being Vice President of Trammell Crow Company (real estate brokerage and development). The redesigned Dean of Students position is responsible for supporting the schools 550 students, including student counseling, student organization assistance, academic support, student fee allocation, and oversight of the Loan Repayment Assistance Program. In addition, the position will oversee the Assistant Deans for Admissions & Financial Aid and Career Development. The Dean of Students exists to support Colorado Law students and maximize their experience -- to advocate for students, provide access to academic support, assist with personal matters, develop enrichment programs, and support and coordinate activities, said Dean Leary. Colorado Law is an amazing and supportive community. I look forward to working with the students and helping them cultivate and foster a positive community.

Colorado Law Welcomes Aya Gruber to the Faculty

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Law School welcomes Professor Aya Gruber to the faculty to teach Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, and International Criminal Law. She was a professor at the University of Iowa College of Law, and an associate professor and founding faculty member at Florida International University College of Law, South Florida's first public law school. Professor Gruber's research interests are substantive criminal law; critical race and feminism; and foreign relations and comparative law. Her articles have been published in prominent law reviews and she has presented scholarship at many academic conferences and colloquia. A frequent public speaker on criminal justice, Professor Gruber has appeared on Fox News International, ABC, and PBS, and is quoted in various news outlets, including Wired Magazine, the Miami Herald and the Ft. Lauderdale Sun Sentinel. After law school, Professor Gruber clerked on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida and then served as a felony trial attorney with the Public Defender Service in Washington, DC, securing a nearly 80% acquittal rate, and Federal Public Defender in Miami, FL. Professor Gruber earned her undergraduate degree in Philosophy at the University of California at Berkeley, graduating summa cum laude, with departmental honors, and Phi Beta Kappa. She then attended Harvard Law School, from which she graduated magna cum laude, and served as an editor on the Women's Law Journal and International Law Journal.

Inaugural LLM Class Embarks on Intensive Program

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Law School has become a leading institution in the teaching and research of technology and entrepreneurial law and policy. In continuing to provide innovative legal programs, Colorado Law is proud to welcome its inaugural classes of the newly launched LLM in Entrepreneurial Law and LLM in Information Technology & Intellectual Property Law. On Monday morning, following orientation and a reception and welcome dinner, the six students of the inaugural class began their one-year, 26-credit hours of intense study and research. Colorado Laws LLM in Entrepreneurial Law is one of the only LLM programs of its kind nationwide and provides the expertise needed to serve emerging companies as both outside and in-house counsel. It has already received national media attention (Want to Become an Entrepreneur? Get a Degree in it, at Law School! January 22 | The Wall Street Journal Law Blog; LLMs in entrepreneurial law reflect shifting view of profession's role January 21 | The National Law Journal). Graduates will have a competitive advantage in how they understand the needs of a growing business from both a legal and business perspective, says Professor J. Brad Bernthal, director of the LLM in Entrepreneurial Law Program. They will be able to move a clients business forward in todays complicated and fast-changing environment. The program focuses on critical aspects of transactional practice such as intellectual property, securities, deals and general corporate law. Rigorous academics are combined with experiential learning opportunities through the Entrepreneurial Law Clinic and substantial legal research and scholarship. I look forward to the diverse, challenging and practical components of this forward-thinking program, says Michelle Coen, who holds a JD and a Master of Environmental Law and Policy from Vermont Law School. I joined this LLM program to gain a greater understanding and broader perspective into Entrepreneurial Law. The new LLM program in Entrepreneurial Law shows why the Colorado Law School remains on the leading edge of both public and private law schools in the country, says James Martin, LLM student and Colorado Law JD Class of 1988. Martin served as CU Regent and a member of the CU Foundation Board, amongst many other boards. Kent J. Lund says, This LLM program has great faculty, strong academic components and real world, relevant opportunities that will fill substantive gaps in my formal education and give me the experience and skills to achieve my targeted professional goals." Kent, who was an Executive Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer for a regional securities broker dealer, holds an MBA from CU and a JD from Drake University Law School. Colorado Laws LLM in Information Technology & Intellectual Property Law provides graduates a competitive advantage as technology and intellectual property attorneys who both are legitimate scholars in their fields and have a superior understanding of their clients needs. With the rapid advances in the fields of technology, science and health care, it is the perfect time to focus on technology and intellectual property law and policy, says Professor Paul Ohm, director of the LLM in IT & IP Program. Technology and intellectual property lawyers focus on cutting-edge issues, work with exciting and energetic clients, and rank among the most satisfied in the legal profession. The program provides the full range of transactional practice areas such as copyright, patent, trademark, telecommunications, information privacy and computer law. LLM students will produce a significant work of scholarship and connect with future clients through the Technology Law & Policy Clinic. As IT and IP law rapidly changes due to technological progress, these areas are highly relevant and constantly fascinating to study, says Nicole Friess, a 2010 graduate of Colorado Law. I discovered my passion for these areas relatively late in law school, so I am pursuing the LLM to gain the experience and knowledge needed to pursue a career in these areas. I want to continue my studies in IT and IP law and Colorado Laws combination of renowned faculty and unique interdisciplinary approach of legal study created the perfect environment for me to pursue an LLM," says Keith E. Clayton II, who is a 2010 graduate of Boston College Law School. "The LLM program will equip me with advanced, specialized legal training in the field of intellectual property law, says Katie Sullivan, a registered patent agent and 2010 graduate of the University of Montana School of Law.

Welcominge the Class of 2013

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Dean David Getches made his traditional Welcome Speech to the Class of 2013 and told the first-year law students, You now take on the mantle of a professional. You make a cultural transformation. He added, There is one value we do want you to cultivate while here. And that is a belief in the importance of the rule of law. A belief that is strong enough to stand up for the rule of law. The Class of 2013s 180 students ranging in age from 21 to 49 and 22% is from a diverse racial or ethnic background. Students hail from 39 states and Canada and from 109 colleges and universities. More than half ranked in the top 90th percentile of all LSAT takers in the nation. And a quarter had an undergraduate GPA of 3.75 or above. See Facts & Figures for to see the class by the numbers. The first-year students attend a week of orientation this year, with the theme of Professionalism, Civility, and Inclusiveness. In addition to the presentations from department heads, faculty, and student associations, the students had the honor of hearing a presentation from U.S. District Court Judge Marcia S. Krieger (79) and Colorado Court of Appeals Judge Russell Carparelli on Civility, Professionalism and Rule of Law. Judge Krieger also administer the lawyers oath to all the students. This years required reading for group discussion with faculty was The Lost Children of Wilder: The Epic Struggle to Change Foster Care by NY Times reporter Nina Bernstein who explored the genesis and aftermath of the landmark 1973 legal case filed by young ACLU attorney Marcia Lowry against the New York State foster-care system. The students also saw the Thin Blue Line, a 1988 documentary film about Randall Dale Adams, a man convicted and sentenced to die for a murder he did not commit. Adams' case was reviewed and he was released from prison approximately a year after the film's release. Students heard from commentators Lino Lipinski, ACLU Board Chair, and Howie Movshovitz, Film Critic and University of Colorado at Denver Professor. In addition, the students heard from Mark Fogg (79) and the CBA/DBA Professionalism Committee on Legal Professionalism.

Colorado Law Ranks as Top Green Law School

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Law School is ranked as a Top Green Law School by the preLaw magazine, one of only four school ranked in the top tier. Rankings were based on curriculum, campus environment and building trends with additional weight on schools with a strong green focus in their classes, faculty and other academic offerings. Dean David Getches explained, "The Law School and the University of Colorado campus 'walk the talk'. The area is full of non-profit organizations, governmental agencies and private companies working to solve the nation's and the world's environmental and natural resources problems through innovation, education, advocacy, collaboration and better policies." Colorado Law's Environmental, Energy, and Natural Resources Law program includes: Comprehensive Curriculum JD Dual Degrees & Certificates LLM in Natural Resources Law Natural Resources Clinic Center for Energy & Environmental Security (CEES) Natural Resources Law Center (NRLC) Colorado Journal of International Environmental Law and Policy Environmental Law Society Moot Court Competitions In addition, the Wolf Law Building and the CU-Boulder campus back the school's academic teachings: Wolf Law Building is Gold LEED Certification Wolf Law Building Add Solar Panels and Electric Car Charging Station "Building on an Environmental Tradition" brochure

Tech Law & Policy Clinic Wins Relief for Computer Security Researchers

Wed, 11 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Professors Paul Ohm, Harry Surden, and Brad Bernthal and Colorado Law graduate Blake Reid '10, a former student in the Glushko-Samuelson Technology Law and Policy Clinic, recently represented University of Michigan electrical engineering and computer science professor Alex Halderman before the U.S. Copyright Office, lobbying for a security research exemption from the anti-circumvention measures of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Professor Surden, Professor Halderman, and Reid testified in support of the exemption at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC, in the spring of 2009. At the end of July, the Librarian of Congress, based on recommendations from the Copyright Office and Assistant Secretary of Commerce Larry Strickling, ruled in favor of Professor Halderman and the Colorado Law team, announcing a new exemption for security research on video game digital rights management (DRM) systems. The exemption will provide much needed relief for academic and professional researchers studying security flaws in video game DRM systems, some of whom have been threatened in the past by lawsuits from DRM manufacturers. The team received helpful support from the Electronic Frontier Foundation and a coalition of preeminent security researchers from top universities and leading technology companies from all over the world. The exemption will stay in effect until the Copyright Office conducts its next anti-circumvention rulemaking. Read the story on the details on the exemptions.

Professor Spain Appointed to CDR Associates

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Professor Anna Spain has been appointed to the Board of Directors of CDR Associates, a Boulder-based organization specializing in conflict resolution on issues concerning sustainable development, peacebuilding, natural resource management, transportation, water, energy or the performance of organizations. Natural Resources Law Center Research Fellow Kathyrn Mutz also serves on the Board.

Colorado Law Implements Governors' Climate and Forests Task Force

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

With the generous 2009 and 2010 support of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and ClimateWorks Foundation, Professor William Boyd and Colorado Laws Center for Energy & Environmental Securitys Research Fellow Julie Teel are implementing the Governors Climate and Forests Task Force (GCF) as its Senior Advisor/Project Lead and Project Manager. GCF member states singled out Professor Boyd for this effort because of his experience and track record working on the integration of forests and land use into climate policy at multiple scales. The GCF is a unique subnational collaboration between 14 states and provinces from the United States, Brazil, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Mexico that seeks to integrate Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) and other forest carbon activities into emerging greenhouse gas (GHG) compliance regimes in the United States and elsewhere and into climate policy and action more broadly. The GCF grew out of 2008 Memoranda of Understanding signed at the first Governors Global Climate Summit in Los Angeles, California, between Governor Schwarzenegger and governors from four Brazilian Amazon states and two Indonesian provinces that encompass a substantial amount of the worlds remaining tropical forests. The GCF premise is that any successful effort to bring REDD into climate policy requires multiple efforts at multiple levels of governance. Certain key states and provinces around the world are in a position to be early movers on the effort to bring REDD into climate policy, thereby bolstering overall momentum for the issue and enhancing national and international efforts to demonstrate how REDD can work in practice. Put another way, summarizes Professor Boyd, the GCF represents an effort to move into what might be called the proof-of-concept stage for REDD. The GCF is creating a common understanding of the key substantive and procedural elements of robust REDD programs, facilitating the development of interoperable REDD programs in the GCF states and provinces, and attracting financing and other support for capacity-building and REDD activities in the GCF states and provinces. In 2010, Professor Boyd and Teel (with the GCF members states, stakeholders, and other partners), continue to implement the GCFs Joint Action Plan. They convened a Technical Workshop on REDD Regulatory Design to develop REDD regulatory design recommendations for Californias Cap-and-Trade Program. They also organized, facilitated, and developed substantive materials for the GCFs meeting in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. They are now further developing recommendations for subnational REDD frameworks, which will be on the agenda of the next GCF meeting in Santarém, Brazil (September 13-17, 2010) and a focal point of the GCFs activities at the 16th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Cancun, Mexico (December 2010).

Clinton Global Initiative University Recognizes Energy Justice Program

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) recognized the Energy Justice Program of Colorado Laws Center for Energy and Environmental Security (CEES) and appointed 2L Jacquelyn Jampolsky, a volunteer CEES Policy Analyst, as its campus representatives for the CU-Boulder during 201011. CGI U Campus Representatives have the opportunity to: Conduct outreach to engage students with CGI U Help develop and support CGI U commitments Work with students, university administrators, faculty, and youth organizations Organize speaker events on and off campus which address global issues Assist in fundraising for CGI U commitments CGI Established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, CGI convenes global leaders to devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the worlds most pressing challenges. Since 2005, CGI Annual Meetings have brought together more than 125 current and former heads of state, 15 Nobel Peace Prize winners, hundreds of leading global CEOs, heads of foundations and major philanthropists, directors of the most effective non-governmental organizations, and prominent members of the media. CGI members have made more than 1,700 commitments valued at $57 billion, which have already improved the lives of 200 million people in more than 170 countries. Commitments made at the 2009 Annual Meeting are expected to affect almost 200 million people. In 2007, President Clinton expanded CGIs unique model membership and action to include college and university campuses by launching CGI U. Energy Justice Program The World Energy Justice Program of CEES focuses on the ignored third of the world amounting to nearly two billion people, who rely on cow dung and other injurious forms of biomass for cooking, illumination and heating. Their lack of clean energy leads to millions of deaths every year. November 2010 Conference CEES organized the first major international conference on Energy Justice at the University of Colorado in Boulder in the fall of 2009. A follow up conference co-sponsored by the CGI U will be held on November 5-6, 2010, on how to globalize appropriate sustainable energy technologies (ASETs) such as cook stoves, solar lanterns, treadle pumps, bio-digestors, mini hydro, small windmills and solar applications. The 2010 conference will canvas ways of attracting the necessary financing for ASETs from entrepreneurs, as well as how to reform international funding mechanisms such as the clean development mechanism (CDM) under the Kyoto Protocol.

New Projects Support Energy Needs in Peruvian and Navajo Communities

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The CU-Boulder Outreach Committee awarded Colorado Law faculty two grants for 2010-11 projects that extend faculty expertise to external audiences, linking their teaching and scholarship to outreach activities. Energy Justice: Combating Poverty and Global Warming in Ayaviri Peru Professor Laksham Guruswamy The Energy Justice project is designed to provide appropriate and sustainable energy solutions for the energy needs of the poor living in the town of Ayaviri, Peru. This component of the interdisciplinary project (World Energy Justice Partnership (WJEP) of the Center for Energy and Environmental Security) will evaluate and prioritize the energy needs and restrictions in a community of 250 households and match the needs with available resources to disseminate sustainable energy technologies. Appropriate sustainable energy technologies can lay the foundation for a new socio-political development path that not only avoids the mistakes of centralized fossil power generations, but also creates indigenous development opportunities that enable burdened societies, and especially the women within them, to make genuine economic and social progress. Navajo Solar Light Project Professor Sarah Krakoff This project will work to address the energy needs of rural Navajo families who lack access to electricity and are forced to rely on wood and kerosene for energy. This project will search for a solution to the Navajos forgotten energy crisis by demonstrating the feasibility of utilizing appropriate sustainable energy technologies, such as solar-powered lights, to begin to meet the energy needs of rural Indian communities.

Tech Law & Policy Clinic Helps Convince Court to Restore Email Privacy

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Professor Paul Ohm and a group of students in the Samuelson-Glushko Technology Law & Policy Clinic wrote and filed a brief on behalf of leading information privacy and criminal procedure scholars asking the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit to reconsider its earlier decision removing Fourth Amendment privacy protection from e-mail. This morning, the panel of the Court that made the original ruling replaced its opinion with a more nuanced, detailed, multi-page discussion. Read the Rehberg v. Paulk opinion. The opinion seems to draw heavily from, although it does not cite, the amici brief. The Eleventh Circuit no longer holds that "A person also loses a reasonable expectation of privacy in emails, at least after the email is sent to and received by a third party," nor that "Rehberg's voluntary delivery of emails to third parties constituted a voluntary relinquishment of the right to privacy in that information." The signatories of the brief were worried that these holdings would undermine the privacy enjoyed by millions online, and they applauded the Court's decision to reverse them. The brief was signed by Professor Ohm, Professor Deirdre K. Mulligan, UC Berkeley School of Information; Professor Susan Freiwald, University of San Francisco School of Law; Professor Daniel J. Solove, George Washington University Law School; and Professor Joel Reidenberg, Fordham University School of Law, along with other scholars. Technology Law and Policy Clinic students Nicole Freiss and Devin Looijen each spent dozens of hours helping to file the brief, and Professor Brad Bernthal helped advise the project.

Law Alumni Board Welcomes 2010-11 New Members

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The University of Colorado Law Schools Alumni Board announces the election of four new members to serve four-year terms. The 2010-11 Board Chair is Jan Steiert and the Chair-Elect is Kristin Rozansky. W. Harold Sonny Flowers, Jr. 71 has been in private practice since 1978, and joined Hurth, Yeager, Sisk & Blakemore in 1997. He is past president of the University of Colorado at Boulder Alumni Association and is a former member of the University of Colorado Foundations Board of Directors. Mr. Flowers has been active in numerous professional associations and was president of the Boulder County Bar Association, the Sam Cary Bar Association, and the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association and was vice-president of the Colorado Bar Association and of the National Bar Association. He is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates and of the American Association for Justice. Robert (Bob) N. Miller 65 is the Denver Managing Partner at Perkins Coie, with more than 40 years of experience in complex litigation and white-collar crime. He was the former U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado. He has served in many professional leadership positions including the Faculty of Federal Advocates, Colorado Judicial Institute, Colorado Bar Association, Colorado Bar Foundation, Governors Columbine Commission, Committee on Corporate Sentencing Guidelines, Supreme Court Nominating Commission, Federal Bar Association, Federal District Court Committee on Conduct, and the Colorado District Attorney Council. Ben M. Ochoa 87 has been at Rothgerber Johnson & Lyons since 1987, focused in the areas of construction, real estate, and commercial litigation. His professional leadership positions include USLAW Network, Colorado and Denver Bar Associations, First Judicial District Bar Association, Colorado and National Hispanic Bar Associations, and Governor's Task Force on Civil Justice Reform. Ann M. Roan 89 has practiced as a lawyer with the Colorado State Public Defender and in 2005 became the State Training Director , responsible for designing, teaching and supervising training programs for nearly 500 lawyers, investigators, paralegals and administrative assistants. She has volunteered for local organizations dedicated to helping the poor. She served on the Board of Directors of Colorado Rural Legal Services and the Colorado Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. She donates her time to teach trial skills to lawyers from underfunded public defender agencies throughout the Deep South, including Georgia, Alabama, and Kentucky. She is an active member of the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar and of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Four current board members were re-elected to a second four-year terms: the Honorable David Archuleta 89 from the 20th Judicial District Court of Colorado, Vance O. Knapp 94 of Sherman & Howard, Robert W. Lawrence 83 of Davis Graham & Stubbs, and John Wittemyer 65 of Moses, Wittemyer, Harrison & Woodruff. The Law Alumni Board is made up of 28 University of Colorado Law School graduates. The members promote the best interests of the Law School by stimulating interest in, building loyalty for, and increasing support for the Law School among its alumni and students; assisting the Law School in serving the needs of its alumni, students, and faculty, the legal profession, and the public at large. The board also selects the Law School's Distinguished Achievement and Knous Award recipients.

Colorado Law Announces New First-year Curriculum Reform

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Law School announces that after two years of study and discussion, the faculty has enacted an exciting new first-year curriculum reform, including a new required course in legislation and regulation and an elective course option during the second semester. A new course, Legislation and Regulation, will introduce students to the principles of statutory interpretation, the architecture of the administrative state, and the analytical tools for the interpretation and review of regulation. With the addition of this new course, Colorado Law first-year students (1Ls) will obtain a well-rounded foundation in all the major law disciplines, preparing them for advanced study in their second and third years, said Dayna Matthew, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs. The law faculty recognized that not only has the practice of law changed radically since the adoption of the Socratic method and Langdellian [focusing on case law] teaching, but the rise of the administrative state has made introducing students to statutes and regulations essential. Professor Harold Bruff will teach the new course in the fall 2010 semester. Professor Bruff is a recognized expert in administrative and Constitutional law and has authored two textbooks on administrative law and the separation of powers. Another exciting development is the Telos Project, designed by a group of law faculty to facilitate critical reflection by 1Ls concerning the moral and ethical dimensions of law study, said Dean Matthew. The Project will involve 25 law students discussing selected readings to explore the self-transformation that occurs during the law school experience. In order to accommodate these changes, the 1L schedule has been redesigned. Although no classes were omitted, Civil Procedure and Property are now only one semester each. Along with the new Legislation and Regulation course and Civil Procedure, 1Ls will take Contracts, Torts, and Legal Writing in the fall semester. Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, and Appellate Court Advocacy will be taken with Property in the spring semester. The new curriculum also now allows 1Ls to take an elective course during their second semester, said Dean Matthew. Students will be able to choose a course in which they have specific interest, helping them plan their upper-level courses more carefully and deliberately, and begin pursuing special interest areas. 1Ls can select an elective course that does not have a prerequisite requirement, and must receive approval from the Deans office. These reforms will provide the foundation for a three-year curriculum that organizes the study of law in a deliberatively progressive and developmentally appropriate manner, said Dean Matthew. Colorado Law plans to introduce other curriculum changes in the future as part of this curriculum reform project, including a new and creative capstone experience for third-year students.

Professor Norton Testifies to Protect Older Workers

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Professor Helen Norton was invited by the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions to testify at a May 6 hearing to examine S.1756 (watch video), to amend the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 to clarify the appropriate standard of proof. At the hearing, Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act, Professor Norton stated in her testimony: The Supreme Courts 2009 decision in Gross v. FBL Financial Services, Inc. significantly undermines older workers ability to enforce their rights under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), and threatens to do the same for workers seeking to enforce their rights to be free from discrimination and retaliation under a wide range of other federal employment laws. S.1756 would replace the causation rule articulated by the Gross Court with the causation standard long in place under Title VII that more effectively furthers Congress key interest in removing and deterring barriers to equal employment opportunity. Professor Norton was then invited on June 10 to testimonry before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee at a hearing on H.R. 3721 on "the "Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act" by the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties. Read her testomony.

Professor Aaronson Receives Award of Merit

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The Boulder County Bar Association awarded Professor Norm Aaronson the Ron Porter Award of Merit at a ceremony on June 9, 2010. I am very appreciative of this recognition by my colleagues in the Boulder Bar Association, said Professor Aaronson. I have been blessed over these many years with a wonderful job that has given me the opportunity to train law students to hopefully be better lawyers and to represent indigent clients in our community. Professor Aaronson is the clinical professor for Colorado Laws Civil Defense Clinic, which represents indigent clients involved in family law, social security disability, and immigration cases. The Ron Porter Award of Merit is an annual award given to a lawyer who exemplifies dedication to the legal practice and community service and sets a high standard of professionalism for lawyers.

Solar Panels and Electric Car Charging Station Green Up the Law School

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Law, in partnership with the University of Colorado at Boulder, installed new rooftop solar panels and an electrical car charging station in the Wolf Law Building, enhancing its reputation as a LEEDs certified building. The solar panels were installed and functioning in January 2010, while the charging station has been installed and will be functioning by July 2010. Colorado Law is believed to be the first law school in the United States to have both the solar panels and an electric car charging station. Its appropriate that Colorado Law pursue alternative energy systems and support systems, said Colorado Law Dean David Getches. This is an institution known for its natural resources and energy programs, such as the Natural Resources Law Center and the Center for Energy and Environmental Security. We should, and do, walk our talk. The 52 new solar panels will provide Colorado Law with up to 11.96 kilowatts of energy per hour. One kilowatt hour is enough to power the average household for one hour. In addition, Colorado Laws use of solar energy encouraged the rest of the CU-Boulder campus to install 420 solar panels on four other campus buildings. The solar panels were installed as a part of the XCEL smart grid project. A combination of tax credits and other funding options allowed the school to install the panels at little up front cost. The system is equipped with online monitoring, allowing students, faculty, and community members to view the amount of energy the solar panels manufacture at any given time. The charging station is in the law schools West parking lot, Lot 470. It can handle both 110 and 220-volt plug-ins. Each car will take 1-2 hours to fully charge. "As the number one green university in the country, it makes sense for CU-Boulder to develop this charging station at the Law School as well as others in the future, said Chancellor Phil DiStefano. As the number of electric cars increase, the campus will have to provide charging stations for our faculty, staff, students, and visitors. The station is a smart system, meaning that electric car drivers can see when it is available and will receive a text message when their car is finished charging. In addition, the system will allow the CU-Boulder parking office to monitor the station, ensuring that the station is available to other users once a car finishes charging. Colorado Law and CU-Boulder purchased the car charging station from Coulomb Technologies, who will also service the station. CU-Boulder will receive a percentage of the cost to charge each car, allowing the school to recoup its investment within eight years. In addition to these new forms of energy efficiency, Wolf Law Building, which was completed in 2006, has a LEEDs gold certification. LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is the certification service for the U.S. Green Building Council.

Clyde Martz Passes

Mon, 24 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

On May 18, Clyde Martz, a father of natural resource law in this country, passed away in New Mexico at the age of 89. He was an exemplary and memorable teacher, mentor, counselor and advocate for clients, attorneys and students throughout his long career. Clyde was retired senior of counsel in Davis Graham & Stubbs natural resources department. He joined the firm in 1962 after serving 15 years as a Colorado Law School professor of natural resources law and was one of the founders of the Natural Resources Law Center, for whom the center named its Martz Annual Summer Conference. He became a founder of the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation and was a guest professor at several other law schools. His legacy at DGS continues through the attorneys he taught while a professor and worked with while a partner in our firm. The roots of our natural resources practice reach down to Clyde and the many DGS professionals and alumni who were influenced by his teaching. Clyde had an extraordinarily distinguished career that included many years of public service. He served as Assistant Attorney General of the Lands and Natural Resources Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (1967-69), Solicitor of the Department of the Interior (1980-81), mining law consultant to the President's Materials Policy Commission (1951), consultant to the Public Land Law Review Commission (1968-69), and Colorado Special Assistant Attorney General (1971-75). In 1951, he published the first natural resources law casebook, Cases and Materials on the Law of Natural Resources, combining the previously discrete subjects of water law, mining law, and oil and gas law. Clyde had moved to New Mexico in the last several years to be closer to his children, who were with him when he died. The memorial service will be held on Friday, June 4, at 10:30 at the First Presbyterian Church in Boulder. DGS will be making a memorial contribution in Clydes honor to the institution he loved: The University of Colorado Law School Clyde Martz Endowment for the Natural Resources Law Center.

Professor Robinson Receives Award for Legal Work with Children

Thu, 20 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Clinical Professor Colene Robinson received the 2010 Excellence in Guardian-ad-Litem (GAL) Practice award from the Colorado Judicial Branch. It is an honor to be recognized as a child's attorney, said Professor Robinson. I have the best job in the worldI work with incredibly smart, interesting law students who are excited and committed to learning this area of law, lawyers in the field who teach me everything I need to know about great practice, and child clients desperately needing someone in their corner. It doesn't get better than this. Professor Robinson, who teaches the Juvenile Law Clinic and is an advisor for the Juvenile and Family Law Program, works tirelessly as a GAL representing Colorado children involved in Dependency & Neglect and Delinquency cases. In addition, she oversees law students in the Juvenile Law Clinic who serve as student-GALs. Weve known all along that Colene is an excellent GAL, said Professor Deborah Cantrell, director of Colorado Laws Clinical Education Program. Were thrilled the Judicial Branch is spreading the word.

Professor Schlag's Dedifferentiation Problem Article Ains Milstein Award

Tue, 18 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Professor Pierre Schlag is the winner of Colorado Laws 2010 Jules Milstein Scholarship Award for his award-winning article is The Dedifferentiation Problem, 42 Continental Philosophy 35 (2009). The article demonstrates that our more sophisticated theories of law lead us to a point where we are no longer able to distinguish law from culture, or society, or the market, or politics or anything of the sort. Not only are the various terms inextricably intertwined (something that other thinkers have observed) but we are no longer in a position to articulate any relations between these various terms at all. It is with this latter realization that the dedifferentiation problem kicks in. Because the various terms cannot be disentangled, we find ourselves in the odd position where there is nothing of any positive character to be said about their relations. Each is already the other and, thus, they can have no relation. This is rather bad news for the ways in which we have traditionally conceived theories of lawindeed any theory that gets off the ground by distinguishing law from a discrete something else (which, on first glance, would seem to include all legal theory). Jules Milstein Scholarship Award is given to Colorado Law faculty for a substantial published work that best demonstrates excellence in legal scholarship. Congratulations to Pierre! And thanks to the many others whose excellent works were nominated for this award.

Mon, 10 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Congratulations to the Class of 2010, the largest class, with 176 members, to graduate in Colorado Law history. After the traditional procession across the Boulder campus to Macky Auditorium, led by bagpipes, the faculty and administrators applauded the class as it entered the auditorium. The 115th annual Spring Commencement Ceremony started on May 7 at 6:00 pm with a welcome speech by Dean David Getches, followed by Professor Paul Campos recognition of the Order of the Coif members and introduction the Honorary Order of the Coif Recipient, Lorenzo Trujillo 93. Class President Jon Fee made a short speech recounting the past year and wishing his classmates well. Class Vice President Jenna Seigel recognized this year’s student and faculty awards, Class Treasurer Erik Schuessler presented the class gift--a large standing clock in the Goldstein Courtyard, and Class Secretary Katie Kramer presented the class gift--a large standing clock in the Goldstein Courtyard, and Class Secretary Michele Kramer introduced Keynote Speaker Mayor John Hickenlooper. Mayor Hickenlooper gave the graduates three main points: be nice, work hard, and be lucky. He spoke about the importance of relationships and that consensus comes from building relations, which has helped him be effective. Then, Registrar Cindy Gibbons read the names of each graduate, who received their diploma from Associate Dean Dayna Matthew and congratulations from Dean Getches. And, as tradition, Dean Getches read the Charge by Don Sears (Dean, 1968-1973). The Sears Charge You have now received the Juris Doctor degree. Please do not take undue pride in this title, for in the final analysis the test of your professional fitness will lie not in your title, but rather in your service to society and in the extent to which you combine professional skills with humane concern, legal learning with intense integrity, great energy with high ideals. What kind of lawyer you will be depends in large part on the kind of person you are. I hope you may continue to grow and that, in the years to come, you will live the most challenging life of all: the life of the mind, the life of service. To you all, we wish great success in your chosen profession. Congratulations Class of 2010 and good luck!

Professor Schlag Named Gilbert Goldstein Faculty Fellow

Thu, 06 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The 2010-11 Gilbert Goldstein Faculty Fellowship was awarded to Professor Pierre Schlag. Topping the list of applicants, he will be using the fellowship to spend the 2011 spring semester completing his book on Legal Reasoning. He has written The Enchantment of Reason (1998), Laying Down the Law: Mysticism, Fetishism, and the American Legal Mind (1996), and Tactics of Legal Reasoning (1986).

Clinic Students Help to Bring Tribal Children Home

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Recognizing that there is "no resource more vital to the continued existence and integrity of Indian tribes," the U.S. Congress enacted the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) of 1978 to stem the alarmingly high percentage of Indian children being placed in non-Indian foster and adoptive homes. For several years, student attorneys in Colorado Laws American Indian Law Clinic have represented the Northern Cheyenne Tribe in child welfare cases in Colorado's juvenile courts and the Colorado Court of Appeals. Stopping the trend of adoptions by non-Indians became the mutual focus of the Tribe and Clinic. "Although these non-Indian adoptive parents love these children and will no doubt care for them well, there is nothing more heartbreaking than to realize that these tribal children will never experience what is to be a Northern Cheyenne in the fullest sense," says Professor Jill Tompkins. Utilizing a wraparound approach for providing legal services to the Tribe, the student attorneys took on number of legal service projects for the Tribe in addition to continuing to litigate Colorado ICWA cases. Through a generous grant from the CU-Boulder Outreach Committee, the students conducted a community-wide training in February at the Chief Dull Knife Tribal College on the Northern Cheyenne reservation in Lame Deer, Montana. It focused on improving tribal response times to notice of Colorado ICWA cases and improving the rate of children placed in tribal, instead of non-Indian, homes. Through the training workshop, it became clear that more tribal foster and adoptive homes could be available if the tribe developed its own foster home licensing standards and streamlined its foster and adoptive parent application form. Student Attorney Megan Bentley '10 got to work immediately. Co-directed by Associate Professor Doreen Martinez, of CU's Ethnic Studies department, Professor Tompkins is producing a tribal foster home recruitment video, "Family is Cheyenne. It also became apparent that the form used by some Colorado counties to gather information about a child's tribal ancestry and provide notice to tribes of potential ICWA cases was inadequate. Student attorneys Kathryn Urbanowicz '10 and Zachary Wagner '11 developed a new JDF form 567 "American Indian/Alaska Native Indian Child Welfare Assessment Form" that became ready for statewide implementation in April. Although Northern Cheyenne children continue to be the subject of child welfare cases in Colorado courts, the student attorneys' efforts have been paying off in recent cases. The clinic has been able to intervene on behalf of the tribe sooner, and in one instance helped to ensure that an Indian baby was returned to her mother and the two were able to return home to the welcoming arms of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe.

Dean Getches and Professor Hart Participate in Colorado Access to Justice Conference

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Dean David Getches and Professor Melissa Hart will speak at the Colorado Access to Justice Conference, Moving Forward to Equal Justice, on April 23-24. The Colorado Access to Justice Conference brings together lawyers, professors, and students from around the state who recognize the need to provide greater access to those who face barriers to the legal system. Dean Getches will open the conference alongside Colorado Access to Justice Commission Chair Frederick J. Baumann and Denver University Sturm School of Law Dean Marty Katz. Professor Hart, who helped launch Colorado Laws Public Service Pledge Program, will participate in a panel discussion of Law School as a Point of Access. It is important that law school culture and curriculum change to provide students with a greater sense of purpose, commitment and responsibility and allow students to participate in collaborative efforts to improve the accessibility and quality of legal services, said Professor Hart.

Clifford Calhoun Public Interest Award

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Yesterday, for the first time, Colorado Law School presented the Clifford Calhoun Public Interest Award to a student; not just one student, but two deserving students Erica Chavez 10 and Abbie Johnson 10. The award is presented to "persons who contribute to the public service of the law school in the spirit and tradition of the contributions Professor Clifford Calhoun made in his 29-year Colorado Law School career." Professor Calhoun was a member of the Colorado Law faculty, Associate Dean, and Acting Dean. Following a welcoming from Dean David Getches at the Award Luncheon, Professor Melissa Hart, Public Interest Students Association Co-President Heather Strack 11, and alumni Dan Pabon 05 and Laura Sturges 05 spoke to the audience about the importance of public service. Those students who had completed their Public Service Pledge hours were recognized: 500 or More Hours Mathew Munch Erica Baasten Elaina Shively 400 or More Hours Ashley Campbell Jeff Rezmovic 300 or More Hours Jon Fee Tiffany Gengelback Stephanie Kanan Patrick Sherry 200 or More Hours Christopher Achatz Christopher Coble Kristina Glawe Nathan Ojanen Natalie Pusey Jonathan White 100 or More Hours Andrea Aseff Risa Borowick Abbie John Kevin McAdam Kimberly Roy Olena Ruth Veronique Van Ghenn 50 or More Hours Stuart Gillespie Sarah Lamborne Sarah Novotny Jeffrey OHolleran Blake Reid Jonathan Rivinus Kathryn Urbanowicz

New Animal Law Student Group

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Law recognized the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund (SALDF) as an official student group in March. The group hopes to educate law students and the local community about animal law issues. I dont know very much about what animal law is, but I know Im interested in working with animals after I graduate and go into practice, said 1L Jamesy Owen, the SALDF president. I wanted to give myself and the rest of the student body a chance to learn about this area. SALDF is a chapter of the Animal Legal Defense Fund, which provides the students with resources and information about community opportunities involving animal law. There are SALDF student groups in 143 law schools nationwide. According to Owen, the group has approximately 15 active members. Despite its status as a new student group, SALDF already has brought two speakers: Professor Karin Sheldon, who teaches a Wildlife and the Law course at Colorado Law, and Jill Buckley, who lobbies state legislatures in 16 western states on behalf of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). Both Professor Sheldon and Buckley talked to law students and local attorneys about what the area of animal law is and what it takes to practice in that area. According to Buckley, animal law covers a wide variety of other types of law, ranging from contracts involving animals to pet trusts to the hotly debated area of animal rights. SALDF hopes to encourage Colorado Law to offer a course on Animal Law in order to give law students additional chances to learn about this area of law. In addition, SALDF hopes to organize Doggy Dates, chances for law students to take their dogs to play in animal parks or other local animal-friendly locations. I would like people to see the group as a forum for education, and I would like SALDF to become a liaison to the community and the law school about animal law issues, said Owen.

Professor Bernthal Helps Boulder Attract Google

Fri, 09 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Clinical Professor Brad Bernthal and Research Fellow Kaleb Sieh worked with the city of Boulder to attract Googles proposed experimental, affordable, ultra high-speed broadband network. Googles network will provide a municipality with 1Gb/second internet service, which is roughly 100 times faster than current internet speeds. Professor Bernthal convened a public/private ad hoc committee in February comprised of CU-Boulder representatives, Boulder city government officials, and local entrepreneurs and business people to spur Boulders efforts. The committee supported the work of Don Ingle, Boulders Director of IT, and Liz Hansen, Boulders Economic Vitality Coordinator. The committee created the Boulder Fiber Forever website, which attracted more than 20,000 hits and 3,000 community submissions in the four weeks between being started and the end of Googles submission time on March 26. Professor Bernthal and Sieh also helped draft and edit portions of the Citys formal response to Google. Boulder hopes that the Google network will provide jobs, economic vitality, and enhanced communication services to all sectors of the local community. Boulder would be a natural location given the terrific entrepreneurship scene and CU, said Professor Bernthal. And the Silicon Flatirons Center would be an ideal laboratory to study the network and identify policy implications for broadband in the future. Google plans to announce the cities that will receive the new network later in 2010.

Alumna Brodsky '97 Receives BCBA Pro Bono Award

Tue, 06 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Elizabeth Brodsky, Class of 97, is the 2010 recipient of the Boulder County Bar Associations John Marshall Award, presented annually at the Boulder County Legal Services Pro Bono Awards Luncheon. The award was first presented in 1991 to annually recognize a local attorney for his or her dedication, energy, and enthusiasm in undertaking volunteer legal service to the less fortunate of Boulder County. The award recognizes an attorney who demonstrates an outstanding commitment to Apro bono publico service, to honor the memory of John Robert Marshall, an attorney who served the poor with competence and compassion. Congratulations to Liz for being recognized for her dedication to serving those in need!

Professor Carpenter Chairs FBA's Annual Indian Law Conference

Fri, 02 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Professor Kristen Carpenter is the lead chair for the Federal Bar Associations (FBA) 35th Annual Indian Law Conference, Reflecting Back, Looking Forward, on April 7-9. The conference will address several important legal areas and their impact on Indian law, including health care reform, the Cobell settlement, sovereign immunity litigation, cultural property protection, and tribal court authority in domestic violence cases. The event brings together the perspectives of federal appointees, academic scholars, and Indian law visionaries. Larry Echo Hawk, Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs in the U.S. Department of the Interior, and Hilary Tompkins, Solicitor of the Interior, will deliver the keynote addresses. Chairing the conference is a wonderful opportunity to give back to the educational mission of the FBA's Indian Law Section and facilitate the important relationship-building that allows attorneys to serve Indian tribes on critical legal issues, said Professor Carpenter. Two Colorado Law professors will be panelists at the event. Professor Richard Collins will participate in a panel on The Role of Legal Aid in Federal Indian Law, and Professor Charles Wilkinson will participate in a panel on Perspectives on the Future of Federal Indian Law. In addition, students from Colorado Laws Native American Law Student Association (NALSA) plan to attend. I am particularly excited that so many members of Colorado Laws Indian law program, both students and faculty members, will participate in the 35th Anniversary Conference, said Professor Carpenter. I have attended the Annual FBA Indian Law Conference since my own 1L year in 1995 and have always found it to be a uniquely important gathering of tribal leaders, law students, attorneys, and scholars. The conference is at the Pueblo of Pojoaques Buffalo Thunder Resort, near Santa Fe. This is the second time in the programs 35-year history that the conference will meet in Indian Country. Between 800 and 1,000 people are expected to attend.

Congratulations to DBA Awardees: Fogg '79, Naves '74, and Veitch '00

Wed, 31 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Of the four 2010 Denver Bar Association annual award recipients, three are Colorado Law alumni. Congratulations to these outstanding alumni: President of Kennedy Childs & Fogg, will receive the DBAs Award of Merit. The DBA Award of Merit recognizes outstanding contributions made by a DBA member to the DBA and the profession. Larry Naves 74, Chief Judge, 2nd Judicial District Court, will receive the DBAs Judicial Excellence. Judicial Excellence honors a DBA member of the judiciary for extraordinary service or exceptional contributions to the improvement of the judicial system. Kara Veitch 00, Shareholder at Isaacson Rosenbaum, will receive the DBAs Young Lawyer of the Year. Young Lawyer of the Year honors a member of the DBA who is under 37 or has been practicing law less than three years, and has made outstanding contributions to the community and the interests of young lawyers in the Denver metro area. Winners will receive their awards at the DBAs annual party on June 8 at the Curtis Hotel.

Law Library Ranked 21 in the United States

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The National Jurist ranked Colorado Laws William A. Wise Law Library 21 out of 198 law libraries nationwide. This is a 14 spot jump since the last time law libraries were ranked in 2005. This continued high, and improving, ranking is a reflection of the splendid Law Library faculty and staff, whose ensemble work keeps the Law Library running in a time of ever-constant change and challenge, said Barbara Bintliff, director of the law library The rankings are based the number of volumes and titles, student accessibility to study seating and library staff, and the number of hours the library is open each week. Wise Law Library has 741,500 volumes in its collection, and the library is open to students for more than 100 hours each week. The library also ranked 15th for the number of seats per enrolled students, with enough seats for 85% of the student body to be in the library at the same time. Along with Colorado Law students, staff, and faculty, Wise Law Library is open to members of the general public.

Student Team Takes 2nd at National Telecommunications Moot Court Competition

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Laws Telecommunications Moot Court team finished second in the 16th Annual National Telecommunications Moot Court Competition hosted by Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, on March 27. The team, which included Eric Schmidt 11, Devin Looijen 10, and Angela Wade 11, was narrowly beaten by the team from the University of Wisconsin Law School in a split 2-1 decision. "We were thrilled to represent Colorado Law on a national scale and demonstrate the quality of our program in telecommunications and technology law, said Schmidt. The team argued on behalf of the Federal Communications Commission that federal law preempts a state regulation that bans multiple tiers of broadband service in order to prevent consumer confusion. Looijen and Wade argued that federal statutes on broadband deployment expressly preempted the state regulation, and Schmidt argued that federal child protection statutes, among others, implicitly preempt the state regulations. Professor Brad Bernthal coached the team to the second place finish, which ties for the best result in Colorado Laws history.

Project Works with American Indian Tribes to Develop Climate Change Plans

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

CU-Boulders Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute (RASEI) recently awarded Professor Sarah Krakoff and CEES Research Fellow Julie Teel seed funding for a new project, American Indian Tribes, Climate Change, and Energy: Law and Policy Analysis and Solutions. During this first phase of the project, Teel, Krakoff, and their team are working alongside three American Indian tribes in the Colorado Plateau regionthe Navajo, Southern Ute, and Jicarilla Apacheto develop culturally appropriate Tribal Energy Action and Climate Change Adaptation Plans. We hope the plans will serve as information sources and starting points for decision-makers at the tribal, state, and federal levels, and will be models for the development of similar plans for other interested American Indian tribes, said Professor Krakoff. Project goals include assessing ecological, cultural, and legal impacts of climate change; recommending legal and policy measures to facilitate tribally appropriate responses to climate change; and analyzing renewable energy and energy efficiency options, barriers, and solutions for the three tribes. Despite the growing interest in these issues, there remains a need for targeted legal and policy analysis and institutional support for interested tribes related to sustainable energy development, natural resource planning, and preparedness for climate change. said Teel. The team has gathered much of the relevant background research on climate change, adaptation approaches, renewable energy and energy efficiency options, and the needs and capacities of tribes in the region. In March, the research team met with tribal members and government staff throughout the Colorado Plateau region for input and guidance. This initial development stage of the project will continue through July 2010, and the team is pursuing additional funding options to develop a continuous program addressing these issues.

2nd Annual Entrepreneurship Week Highlights Innovation and Location

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The University of Colorados second annual Entrepreneurship Week culminated March 18 with the Silicon Flatirons' Annual Mile High Tech Entrepreneurship Conference, The Role of Place: Entrepreneurial Immigration, Iteration and Innovation, and the announcement of the CU New Venture Challenge Winners. Entrepreneurship Week highlights CUs emerging role in developing the next generation of entrepreneurs and technologists. It additionally helps connect CU students to the areas top entrepreneurs, VCs, and technologists. The Silicon Flatirons Center is active in providing local entrepreneurs with connections to technological, financial, and legal resources. The 2010 Entrepreneurship Conference focused on the relationship between place and innovation. Some believe that broadband and the Internet makes location less important for a start-up company, said organizer and Clinical Professor Brad Bernthal. Economic geographers counter with research suggesting that place is actually more important than ever. Our conference focused on exploring this tension. The conference kicked off with a panel moderated by Colorado Law Professor Clare Huntington, which focused on the issue of immigration and entrepreneurship. This panel sparked a conference-long debate about the concept of a start up visa which would make it easier for international entrepreneurs to come to the United States to start a business. Other discussions highlighted the rich history of Front Range entrepreneurship around storage technology. Discussants identified lessons to be learned from the cluster of activity which produced storage-oriented success stories such as StorageTek and LeftHand Networks. In addition to the conference, the New Venture Challenge Competition highlighted innovative start-up companies associated with CU. Throughout the year, local start-up companies submit business plans. On March 12, eight semifinalists competed for a spot in the afternoon finals. First prize was awarded to Streat Chefs, a start-up company serving gourmet foods from trailers that can move around the Metro area. Top Chef winner Hosea Rosenberg came up with the concept to serve the growing fast casual food market. Second place was awarded to JobSite Visitor, which created an online platform for managing construction site photos. Colorado Law Carson Saporta 11 was part of the JobSite Visitor team and presented the business plan on behalf of the company. Dymotions received third place for their Glidecart, a shopping-cart attachment that aids those with limited mobility to walk longer distances. Entrepreneurship Week is a campus-wide initiative sponsored by Silicon Flatirons Center, Deming Center for Entrepreneurship, ATLAS Institute, Interdisciplinary Telecommunications Program, E-Ship Program, and University of Colorado Technology Transfer Office.

Professor Spain to Present at International Law Conference in Japan

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Professor Anna Spain has been invited to present her paper The Emerging Architecture of International Dispute Resolution in an Era of Climate Change at the Third International Four Societies Conference in Hyogo, Japan, in August 2010. The theme of the conference is International Law in the New Era of Globalization. I am honored to represent the American Society of International Law and Colorado Law at the Four Societies conference in Japan this August, said Spain. Professor Spains paper addresses the current limitations of the international legal system in resolving international disputes over natural resources. Spain recommends institutionalizing inter-disciplinary approaches to international dispute resolution (IDR) that utilize mixed-methods of adjudication and mediation to solve the complex problems surrounding natural resource disputes. She believes that such an approach would provide long-term solutions and prevent the re-emergence of such conflicts in the future. I submitted this article because I believe that the peaceful resolution of conflict is one of the primary and most important functions of international law, said Spain. I hope to encourage thinking about how international law can promote global peace and security while upholding the highest values of our collective humanity in an era of climate change. The Four Societies Conference is an annual conference at which members from the Japanese Society of International Law, the Australian and New Zealand Society of International Law, the American Society of International Law, and the Canadian Council on International Law meet to discuss and debate international law. Each society selects four finalists from their society to present papers at the conference. Professor Spains paper was one of the four selected by the American Society of International Law.

Army JAG Major General Tate Visits Colorado Law

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Major General Butch Tate, Deputy Judge Advocate General of the U.S. Army and Commander of the U.S. Army Legal Services Agency, visited Colorado Law on March 15 to talk with students about the Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps. Maj. Gen. Tate spoke to a group of 1Ls and 2Ls about the JAG Corps program in general and the internship opportunities the program offers to law students. In addition, Maj. Gen. Tate gave advice to two Colorado Law students in the process of applying to JAG. One things he said that made an impression on me was that both military officers and lawyers swear to defend and uphold the Constitution, said Capt. David Pigott, a 2L participating in the Armys Funded Legal Education Program (FLEP). While they employ different methods, they share the goal of preserving our nations most fundamental values. During his talk, Maj. Gen. Tate complimented Colorado Law on its commitment to service, commenting that the school is one of the most public-interest conscious schools he has visited. He also stated that Colorado Law has 27 alumni actively serving in the JAG program. Maj. Gen. Tate is a graduate of the University of Kansas School of Law and holds an LLM in Military Law and a masters degree in National Security Strategy. Major General Tate has held a variety of positions, including: Senior Trial Counsel, 82nd Airborne Division; Professor of Criminal Law, The Judge Advocate Generals School, Army; Commanding General and Commandant, The Judge Advocate Generals Legal Center and School (TJAGLCS), Charlottesville, Virginia; and Chief Judge, U.S. Army Court of Criminal Appeals (ACCA). Maj. Gen. Tates decorations include the Legion of Merit with four Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with one Silver Oak Leaf Cluster, Army Commendation Medal, and Army Achievement Medal. He is also entitled to wear the U.S. Army Parachutist Badge, numerous foreign airborne badges, and the Army Staff Identification Badge.

Record Support for 2010 Colorado Law Alumni Banquet

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The 29th Annual University of Colorado Law School Alumni Awards Banquet, held last night at the Hyatt Regency in Denver, had the highest attendance of the law schools alumni, friends, faculty, and students and the most funds raised of any previous banquet. Four alumni were honoredPresident of the Colorado Senate Brandon C. Shaffer01; Gilbert Goldstein 42 of MDC Holdings, Inc.; private practitioner Melissa D. Hubbard 83; and Gary Jackson 70 of DiManna & Jackson LLP in Boulder. The alumni we honor tonight exemplify the best of Colorado Law, said Dean David Getches. It is a tribute to them that this banquet has attracted so many friends and alumni of Colorado Law. This years banquet brought together almost 500 Colorado Law alumni and guests and raised $44,000 for student scholarships, thanks to generous contributions from law firms, businesses, nonprofits, alumni, and friends. Law Alumni Board Chair Eric Rothaus 01 opened the banquet, greeting the guests and recognizing the current and past Law Alumni Board members. Then Banquet Chair and Master of Ceremonies Jan Steiert 78 recognized the previous alumni award winners and thanked the sponsors and advertisers for their generosity. Following a delicious three-course dinner, Dean Getches updated the alumni and guests about the last year at Colorado Law. He highlighted accomplishments such as law students volunteering more than 10,000 hours in the legal community in the past two years, and the fact that despite the economy, the amount of donations and the number of alumni donating have increased this year. Former Colorado General Assembly Majority Leader Alice Madden 80 presented the Distinguished Achievement Award for Recent Alumnus to Senator Schaffer. She spoke of his integrity and the high level of respect that is held for him around the capitol. Larry Mizel, CEO and Board Chairman of real estate company MDC Holdings spoke of Gilbert Goldsteins contributions to the success of MDC Holdings and Colorado real estate law. Following Mizel, Goldsteins grandson Jared Seidenberg 04 highlighted the impact his grandfather has had on his life and legal career. Seidenberg presented the Distinguished Achievement Award for Executive in Industry to Goldstein. Todd Fredrickson91 of Fisher & Phillips presented the Distinguished Achievement Award for Private Practice to Melissa Hubbard. He highlighted Hubbards accomplishments in law, volunteering, commitment to Colorado Law, and family. Following a Video of Testimonials from Jacksons friends and family, Judge Larry Naves74 presented the William Lee Knous Award, the highest Colorado Law alumni award to Jackson, who opened doors to African-Americans in the Colorado legal community. Not only was he one of the earliest African-American lawyers in Colorado, but he encouraged and counseled countless others, working with them to find opportunities to further their careers. Colorado Law thanks the Banquets sponsors: Capstone Sponsor: MDC/Richmond American Homes Foundation Keystone Sponsors: BAR/BRI of Colorado; Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher; and Wheeler Trigg ODonnell Flagstone Sponsors: Arnold & Porter; Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck; Colorado & Denver Bar Associations; Colorado Bar Association: CLE; Colorado State Bank & Trust; Davis Graham & Stubbs; DiManna & Jackson; Dufford & Brown; Faegre & Benson; Fisher & Phillips; Holland & Hart; Holme, Roberts & Owen; Hoskin, Farina & Kampf; Husch Blackwell Sanders; Isaacson Rosenbaum; Morrison & Foerster; Moses Wittemyer Harrison & Woodruff; Ogle Enterprises; Otten Johnson Robinson Neff & Ragonetti; Quest Communications; Reilly Pozner; Robinson Waters & ODorisio; and Snell & Wilmer

Silicon Flatirons Director Spurs Online Closed Captioning for the Deaf

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Dale Hatfield, executive director of Colorado Laws Silicon Flatirons Center, informed Disney of a need to include closed captioning of sign language conversations on all of its long form programs on ABC.com. During the FCCs broadband inclusiveness field hearing at Gallaudet University in November 2009, deaf actress Marlee Matlin told the FCC that closed captions were being taken out of broadcast content being shown on the Internet, including her own performance on Dancing with the Stars. Upon hearing of this, Hatfield informed Disney of Matlins statements. In response, Disney expanded to include closed captions in all its long-form programs online at ABC.com, including its reality and live shows. Previously, the closed captioning only appeared on scripted comedies and dramas. Disney was the first television network to caption all of its online long programming. Colorado Law's Silicon Flatirons Program and its Executive Director Dale Hatfield were instrumental in bringing about the online captioning of all ABC long-form programs nationwide, said Preston R. Padden, Executive Vice President of Worldwide Governmental Relations at The Walt Disney Company. This is just one example of the prominent and constructive role that Silicon Flatirons plays in national telecommunications and media policy."

Research Fellow Doran to Study Smart Grids

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Laws Center for Energy and Environmental Security (CEES) Senior Research Fellow Kevin Doran received a grant to study and make recommendations on developing a smart grid for Colorado. Smart grids combine information technology with traditional grid infrastructure in order to increase connectivity, automation, and coordination between electricity suppliers and consumers in an effort to reduce energy waste. Smart grid represents a major technological shift, says Doran. But like most technological advances, it presents both opportunities and challenges. This report will help ensure the State is forward-looking with respect to both the pitfalls and rewards of Smart Grid deployment. Dorans paper, which will be completed and sent to Colorado Governor Bill Ritter by June 2010, will look at issues such as consumer privacy, workforce development, energy efficiency, rate recovery, and retail pricing structures. The paper will help the state of Colorado proactively address the key issues and concerns with Smart Grid development. Professor Frank Barnes from CU-Boulders Department of Electrical, Computer, and Energy Engineering is co-researching the paper with Doran. Additional research assistance comes from CU-Boulder faculty in Leeds School of Business, Department of Sociology, Telecommunications Program, and Computer Science Program will be involved in developing the report.

LRAP Donation Will Help More Graduates Working in Public Sector

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Law received a $250,000 donation from the Donnell Initiative Fund to create the Cathlin Donnell Fellowship as a part of the Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP), which provides partial loan repayment to selected graduates, for up to three years, who choose qualifying public interest work. The funds will be available immediately for grants through the LRAP program. As a result, Colorado Law will be able to provide 46 additional graduates with LRAP awards and significantly increase the amount of each LRAP award to cover one year of their loan repayment. This donation will allow more Colorado Law graduates to work in jobs they otherwise wouldnt be able to work in, jobs where they can work for the benefit of society, said Assistant Dean Lorenzo Trujillo, the administrator of the LRAP program. The Cathlin Donnell Fellowship will provide loan repayment assistance to graduates who are committed to systemic chance through their public interest work to improve the lives of those who have been historically disadvantaged, to improve the justice system, or to preserve environmental integrity. The fund honors Cathlin Donnell, a Colorado lawyer who dedicated her career to solving systemic social problems, particularly as they involved the lives of women and improvements to our system of justice. For example, Donnell was a founder of the Colorado Womens Bar Association, served on the Colorado Supreme Courts Gender Bias Task Force, and worked on several publications about jury reform.

Low Cost LSAT Prep Course Makes Law School Possible

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Law and the CU-Boulder campus are providing a low-cost LSAT prep course for low-income students. The prep course which usually costs $1,600 is available for only $120. This is one of the lowest costing LSAT prep courses offered in the nation. More than 70 students took advantage of the class. The course is open to CU-Boulder students and alumni who meet the prerequisites for admission, which includes qualifying for CU financial aid. Each course includes study materials and 36 hours of instruction time from Michael Meresman, a CU-alum who scored in the 99th percentile of the LSAT. The first 8-week class began yesterday. We hope to encourage under-represented groups, such as students from families with low incomes, to see law school as a possibility and to work and plan for that future, said W. Douglas Costain, CU-Boulders prelaw advisor. Costain was instrumental in getting the program started. Providing the course meets one of Colorado Laws strategic goals of attracting an increasingly stronger and more diverse student body by increasing applications from diverse students and increasing scholarship resources to enable these students to attend Colorado Law. Our goal is that they score better on the LSAT and end up going to law school, said Kristine Jackson, Colorado Laws Dean of Admissions. According to the Princeton Review, students who take a course to prepare for the LSAT improve their scores by an average of 12.8 points. LSAT scores range between 120 and 180, and Colorado Law Class of 2010 had a median score of 163. The low cost of the prep course is due to Colorado Laws donation of a class room, the Law School Admissions Counsel (LSAC)s donation of material, and donations of testing resources from Colorado Law and the main CU-Boulder campus.

"Still Chained? The Overrepresentation of African Americans in the Criminal Justice System"

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Laws Black Law Students Association (BLSA) hosted a one-day conference, Still Chained? The Overrepresentation of African Americans in the Criminal Justice System, in which professors, students, judges, law enforcement specialists, and lawyers addressed not only the problem of the disproportionate representation of Blacks in the criminal justice system, but also sought potential solutions to this tragedy of American society. African Americans make up 13% of the general U.S. population, yet they constitute 28% of all arrests, 40% of all inmates held in prisons and jails, and 42% of the population on death row, said Dr. Barry Krisberg, former president of the National Council on Crime and Delinquency, during his testimony before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime on October 29, 2009. In contrast, whites make up 67% of the total U.S. population and 70% of all arrests, yet only 40% of all inmates held in state prisons or local jails and 56% of the population on death row. Professor Ann England, Associate Dean Dayna Matthew, and 3L Jennifer Ford worked together to plan the conference because they felt there was a need to educate the legal community about the issue of overrepresentation and begin looking at solutions. We want to make sure everyone is firmly educated on who is incarcerated and why, said Ford, emphasizing the program planners goal to get good statistics. Then, we want to start people thinking about solutions. Professor Kevin Reitz of the University of Minnesota Law School began the program by delving into these statistics He explained that while 1 in 100 young American males is incarcerated, 1 in 9 young African American males is incarcerated. Following this discussion of the numbers, Professor Jennifer L. Eberhardt, a psychology professor at Stanford University, discussed one of the reasons for this disparity: the implicit social bias that results in stereotypes identifying and associating all African Americans as a criminals, animals, and entities unable to change or improve Professor Paul Butler of George Washington University Law School rounded out the discussion with a multi-media production The Hip-Hop Theory of Justice. Butler said, Think of Martin Luther King. If he were alive today, the law he would be rebelling against is the criminal justice system. But we dont have Martin Luther Kingwe have hip-hop artists, and we need to listen to them. Using a mixture of music videos, speeches by President Obama, and hip-hop lyrics, Butler explored the idea of hip-hop as a message board for overrepresentation, causing the criminal justice system to lose its deterrent ability. The program concluded with a dynamic panel of legal professionalsThe Honorable Judge Wiley Daniel, Denver Police Departments Division Chief of Research, Training and Technology Dr. Tracie Keesee, State Training Director Ann Roan, Denvers Chief Deputy District Attorney Lamar Sims, and trial attorney Lisa Waynediscussed their views on the overrepresentation problem. This discussion was a highlight of the program where possible solutions were discussed from multiple vantage points and audience participation was enthusiastic! Many of the suggestions focused on police accountability. You have to start taking the research people have to the police departments, said panelist Dr. Tracie L. Keesee. Therere not a lot of racial boogeymen out there, added Butler. Therere a lot of people with goodwill who are just looking for direction. The event was also sponsored by the Colorado Law Student Fee Committee, the Sam Cary Bar Association, and the University of Denver Sturm College of Law BLSA.

Professor Carol Rose Addresses Race and Housing at Coen Lecture

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

At Colorado Laws 53rd Annual John R. Coen Lecture on Thursday evening, University of Arizona College of Law Professor Carol M. Rose spoke about the historical practice of racially restrictive covenants and its continued impact today. About 85 law students, professors, and legal professionals attended Professor Roses speech, titled Racing Property Racially: Restrictive Covenants from the City Beautiful to Shelley v. Kraemerand Beyond. Professor Rose explained that the housing covenant, a form of contract that enforces neighborhood rules on homeowners and homebuyers, was a product of the new urbanism of the 20th Century. As segregation became socially acceptable, some covenants included clauses that the homes could not be sold to non-whites. Shelley v. Kraemer, decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1948, made the distinction between private action and state action, saying that the private actionmaking private, voluntary racial covenantswas not unconstitutional, but that the state actiona court enforcing the covenantwas unconstitutional. While racially restrictive covenants are no longer used, voluntary social segregation is still common, she argued. The courts have been wary of expanding Shelley beyond its narrow application to housing covenants. This has been a very slow process. It definitely is not over, but I think there has been some progress, concluded Professor Rose. Carol M. Rose is one of the nation's preeminent scholars of environmental law, property, and natural resources law. She joined the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law in 2006 as the Ashby Lohse Professor of Water and Natural Resources Law. In addition, she is the Gordon Bradford Tweedy Professor Emerita of Law and Organization, and Professorial Lecturer in Law at Yale Law School, having joined the faculty in 1989. Her publications include Perspectives on Property Law (3rd edition), with Robert Ellickson and Bruce Ackerman (2002); and Property and Persuasion: Essays on the History, Theory and Rhetoric of Ownership (1994). The Coen Lecture was established in 1955 to bring a prominent and distinguished lawyer, jurist, or scholar of law to lecture Colorado Laws students and faculty on a legal subject of interest, preferably with some public or political aspect.

Silicon Flatiron Conference Encourages Internet Innovation

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The Silicon Flatiron Centers conference The Digital Broadband Migration: Examining the Internets Ecosystem was held on January 31- February 1. The 10th Annual event focused on three topics: 1. the Internets market structure and the need for innovation 2. the governance challenges for the interconnected Internet service and content providers 3. the various structures for content providers trying to keep their businesses afloat. Phil Weiser, Colorado Law professor and U.S. Deputy Assistant Attorney General, kicked off the event with a speech emphasizing and explaining the conferences three foci. There are a number of critical factors that explain and continue to fuel the U.S. entrepreneurial engines, said Professor Weiser. One of those critical factors, he said, is our strength in three industries that are facilitating innovation at a greater pace than ever before: the computer, the mobile phone, and the Internet. Professor Weiser emphasized that a major challenge facing the continuing innovations in these industries is continuing discussion between start-ups and entrenched companies. He believes this continued discussion will be important to prevent the established firms from interfering with new technologies. Elaborating on these themes, the conference attendees heard from noteworthy speakers and panelists, including Former Federal Communication Commission chairman Michael Powell, Disney Executive Preston Padden, and D.C. Court of Appeals Senior Judge Stephen Williams. Panelists and keynote speakers discussed a range of topics, including Industry Structure and Opportunities for Innovation, Evolving Business Models, and The Governance Challenges of Cooperation in the Internet Ecosystem. For video feeds from the conference, see the live-streamed footage of the conference.

Colorado Law Offers New Master of Laws Program

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Beginning in the Fall 2010 semester, Colorado Law will offer Master of Laws (LL.M.) degrees in the schools areas of academic strength: Entrepreneurial Law, Natural Resources Law, and Information Technology and Intellectual Property Law. LL.M. degrees offer local and international legal professionals the opportunity to enhance their legal acumen and to receive recognition for their expertise in particular areas of law. International legal professionals also have the opportunity to take special courses in the American legal system. The Entrepreneurial Law LL.M. is unique, one of only two LL.M. programs in entrepreneurial law nationwide. A great counselor for entrepreneurs has to know how to help the client prioritize his legal needs, said Professor Brad Bernthal, director of the LL.M. in Entrepreneurial Law program. Most start-up entrepreneurs have multiple legal needs, but can only afford counsel for a few. Our program and courses should help candidates learn how to best meet their clients needs. Along with taking a variety of advanced legal classes, degree candidates will intern alongside cutting-edge entrepreneurs in the Mile High Tech Center, the area between Boulder and Denver, and have the opportunity to work with start-up companies in Colorado Laws Entrepreneurial Legal Clinic. Candidates for the Natural Resources Law LL.M. degree have a distinct opportunity to study natural resources law with nationally recognized experts in natural resources law such as Professors Charles Wilkinson and Mark Squillace. We are situated in a geographic region that lends itself to people who really want to engage in this field, said Professor Squillace, director of the LL.M. in Natural Resources Law program. This program will allow students to engage in thoughtful research in Natural Resources Law. In the Information Technology and Intellectual Property program, candidates will establish themselves within the local and national technology and intellectual property industries. The culmination of the degree is the masters thesis, which gives candidates the opportunity to gain recognition by answering groundbreaking legal questions. Theyll graduate with a very significant piece of academic scholarship, said Professor Paul Ohm, director of the LL.M. in Information Technology and Intellectual Property program. Theyll be able to hit the ground running. Professor Ohm also emphasized that candidates will have the opportunity to meet high-ranking government officials and current industry leaders at events like the annual Silicon Flatirons Digital Broadband Conference. Past speakers at this event have included former FTC Chairman William Kovacic and Qualcomm Founder and Director Irwin Jacobs.

Professor Boyd and Fellow Doran Named RASEI Fellows

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The newly formed Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute (RASEI) announced that Colorado Law Professor William Boyd and Senior Research Fellow Kevin Doran would be two of its 18 inaugural fellows. RASEI is a joint institution between the University of Colorado at Boulder and the U.S. Department of Energys National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado. The institutions goal is the development and commercialization of renewable energy technologies. "RASEI continues the successful model that CU has used to partner with other national laboratories in areas such as environmental science, and holds tremendous potential for advancing multi-disciplinary solutions to the world's energy problems, said Professor Boyd. In addition to being an inaugural fellow, Professor Boyd was active in recruiting the Boulder Campus to partner with NREL to form RASEI. I am very excited to be a part of it, Professor Boyd said, particularly the prospect of developing a platform through RASEI that brings together law, business, science, and technology."

Oil Shale Symposium Draws Fields Top Names

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

On Friday, Colorado Laws Natural Resources Law Center (NRLC) hosted The Promise and Peril of Oil Shale symposium to debate the issues involving oil shale development. Oil shale is a type of sedimentary rock that contains kerogen, which can be processed to make crude oil. Currently, companies are leasing land in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming for the research and development of technology to tap into shale oil deposits. Although kerogen is an alternative to traditional U.S. oil sources, it is expensive to manufacture and has a higher environmental impact than the traditional sources. One of the symposiums highlights was a discussion by Alan Gilbert, senior adviser to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. Along with the Obama administrations deliberate approach to oil shale development, Gilbert discussed a second-wave of requests from three companies: ExxonMobile, Natural Soda, and AuraSource, requesting more land for research and development. Gilbert explained that the Department of the Interior currently is researching these issues to determine whether oil shale mining is feasible in the United States. Other notable speakers included Patty Limerick, from the University of Colorados Center of the American West, who discussed the history of oil shale development and what that history indicates for the future. In panel discussion, Randy Udall, co-founder of the Association for the Study of Peak Oil and Gas-USA, commented that the century-long attempt to extract shale oil has been the Colorado oil shale follies, a long-running play.

Professor Krakoff's Brief Argues the Definition of "Indian Land"

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Professor Sarah Krakoff, an expert in natural resources and Indian law, recently filed an amicus brief in the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, en banc, arguing in favor of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Navajo nation. Other Colorado Law Indian law professors also signed the brief. The case, Hydro Resources, Inc. v. Environmental Protection Agency, addresses whether a proposed uranium mine is within Indian country. The Navajo Nation intervened in the suit, as the area in question is populated entirely by Navajo and their spouses and much of the surrounding land is held in trust for the Navajo Nation. Professor Krakoff became familiar with the area in question when she worked as a lawyer on a Navajo reservation before coming to Colorado Law. She says the area looks just like the rest of the reservation. I thought it was important to weigh in on this case as an academic, said Professor Krakoff, if this community isnt considered a dependent Indian community, its hard to imagine any community outside a reservation would be. Hydro Resources, Inc. argues that dependent Indian community, part of the federal statutory definition of Indian land, refers to the individual piece of land in question. Professor Krakoffs brief argues that the definition proposed by Hydro Resources, Inc. does not conform to any commonly accepted meaning of the term community. Instead, she proposes that the Tenth Circuit consider the area surrounding the proposed uranium mine, and determine that the demographics of this area qualify it as a dependent Indian community. As long as the judges exercise their normal amount of judicial restraint, this should be considered a dependent Indian community, said Krakoff. The case, originally argued before a panel of the Tenth Circuit in January 2010, is currently pending before the Tenth Circuit en banc.

Silicon Flatirons Center Celebrates 10 Years with Video

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

On January 31 and February 1, 2010, Silicon Flatirons Center for Law, Technology, and Entrepreneurship held its Tenth Annual Digital Broadband Migration Conference. In honor of this anniversary, Kendall Media Group produced this video commemorating the 10th Anniversary of Silicon Flatirons. The video features interview sound bites from: Dean David Getches, Colorado Law School Professor Brad Bernthal, Director of Silicon Flatirons Entrepreneurship Professor Paul Ohm, Silicon Flatirons IP/IT Director Brad Feld and Jason Mendelson, Foundry Group Professor Phil Weiser, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justices Antitrust Division Professor Dale Hatfield, Silicon Flatirons Executive Director Preston Padden, Executive Vice President, Walt Disney Company Blake Reid, Class of 2010 Bryan Tramont, Wilkinson Baker Knauer Sue Wyman, Jivaro Group and JivaeroCXO Robert Reich, OneRiot & Boulder/Denver New Tech Meetup Joe Waz, Comcast Mike Gallagher, Entertainment Software Association Andrew Crain, Qwest Ari Fitzgerald, Hogan & Hartson Jonathan Saullet, The Glover Park Group Watch the video.

Tribal Legal Protection Focus of Indian Law Conference

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Law co-sponsored a series of events highlighting the successes, failures, and changes in the landscape of American Indian law between January 2830. Kicking off the series on the evening of January 28, Professor Frank Pommersheim of the University of South Dakota School of Law presented a summary of his book Broken Landscapes: Indian Tribes and the Constitution and held a book signing for a room of more than 60 students, faculty, and community members. Professor Pommersheim explained his theory that the federal government repeatedly has failed to respect tribal sovereignty. He then offered a solution: a Constitutional amendment reaffirming tribal sovereignty and ensuring that Indian tribes and people receive the respect and dignity they deserve. While fielding questions, Professor Pommersheim emphasized that a Constitutional amendment is just one potential solution, but that he hopes the proposal will move the current debate from what is wrong to how to fix those wrongs. He continually challenged the audience to look toward the future. On January 2930, the law school hosted The Next Great Generation of Indian Law Judges, a symposium exploring the legal issues that the Indian tribes and people in the United States currently face. Most of the legal issues discussed focused on judicial interpretation of federal statutes. For example, conference attendees and speakers discussed the Tribal Law and Order Act, currently before Congress, which would increase accountability for cases not prosecuted in Indian country. Another topic of discussion was the impact of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which prohibits the government from substantially burdening the practice of Native religions without a compelling state interest. Ninth Circuit Court Judge William Fletcher said despite this act, the protection of Indian religious practices only goes so far.' There was also debate about the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). Utah Court of Appeals Judge Willaim A. Thorne, Jr. said the statute should be rewritten to present ICWA not just for Indian kids, but as best practice for all kids so that it would be consistent, and not alien, to current judicial values. The symposium covered topics ranging from criminal jurisdiction and state authority in Indian country to the interpretation of statutes, treaties, and Constitutional issues that concern Indian tribes and people. It featured Indian law experts from around the country, including several Colorado Law professors, including Professors Charles Wilkinson and Jill Tompkins and Dean David Getches.

Colorado Innocence Project Finds New Home at Colorado Law

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The Colorado Innocence Project is getting a new, moving from the Denver office of Arnold & Porter to the Clinical Education Program at Colorado Law. The Project identifies individuals with colorable claims, and ensures that counsel is appointed to assist these individuals, per Colorado law. The Project also uses volunteer investigators and lawyers to assist the inmates directly. Jim Scarboro 70 has been the driving force behind efforts to identify and assist Colorado prisoners making claims of innocence despite having been convicted and exhausted the normal appellate processes. Because Scarboro is reducing his active role at Arnold & Porter, and suggested making Colorado Law the new home. Professor Ann England and Professor Pat Furman 80, with the approval of Dean David Getches and Clinical Education Director Deb Cantrell, agreed to take on the responsibility of continuing the work of the Project. Professor Furman cites the universal importance of the Innocence Project in an article in the September 2003 issue of The Colorado Lawyer. He says, It concerns anyone who cares about law enforcement and public safety. For every innocent person wrongfully convicted, a guilty person roams free. Current law students in Colorado Laws Wrongful Convictions Clinic help to review the initial inquiries, send, receive and evaluate the formal applications, speak with trial and appellate counsel, review counsels files and court transcripts and consider the applicability of new forensic techniques (including, but not limited to, DNA testing). Clinic students also are helping to finish the transfer of operations to Boulder. It is hoped that the Innocence Project will be up and running at its new home by the end of the spring 2010 semester.

CEES Report Influences SEC Guidelines

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Following the advice of Colorado Laws Center for Energy and Environmental Security (CEES), the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) released a new guideline requiring public companies to disclose climate-related risks to their investors on January 27, 2010. The advice came from a report, titled Reclaiming Transparency in a Changing Climate: Trends in Climate Risk Disclosure by the S&P 500 from 1995 to the Present, which was co-sponsored by CEES, the Environmental Defense Fund, and Ceres. The SEC's guidance is an extraordinary breakthrough, said CEES Senior Research Fellow Kevin Doran, one of the reports authors. The guidance recognizes that climate change can present material opportunities and challenges for business, and that companies are obligated to communicate this information to investors.

Research Fellow Reed Appointed Executive Member of the Geothermal Academy

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Law Center for Energy and Environmental Security (CEES) Research Fellow Adam Reed 80 has been appointed an executive member of the Geothermal Academy. The Geothermal Academy is a collaboration between CEES, CU-Boulders Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering, and the Colorado School of Mines. The Academys mission is to promote the advancement and widespread adoption of geothermal technologies through academic research, educational programs, and dissemination of global project information and analytics. Reed explains that his role in the Academy is to provide holistic, integrated thinking for the analysis of geothermal technology benefits and costs, that helps both researchers and policy makers to develop and improve geothermal-related laws, policies, and regulations. Reed joins fellow executive members CU-Boulder Civil Engineering Professor John McCartney, CSM Mining Engineering Professor Masami Nakagawa, and Joanne Schlafer of Certified Green Consulting.

Student Public Service Hours Increase Exponentially

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Between May and December 2009, Colorado Law students reported 8,250 hours of law-related public service, more than quadrupling the amount from the entire 2008-09 academic year. This change reflects the marketing of the Public Service Pledge Program that began as a student initiative in 2008. Students in the program sign a pledge to complete at least 50-hours of law-related public service during their three years in law school. The public service includes community education on legal rights, assisting local lawyers on pro bono projects, and summer volunteer jobs within the legal community. In total, students have reported 10,010 hours since the program began. So far, 48 students have completed the 50-hour requirement, and 38 current students have completed more than the 50 hours required by the program. For example, 3L Erica Baasten has reported more than 500 hours and 2L Ariel DeFazio has reported more than 480 hours. I definitely did even more hours than I reported, said 3L Sarah Lamborne, who has reported more than 70 hours since she signed the pledge in 2009. Sarah said she stopped counting but kept volunteering after she completed the required pledge amount during her internship with the Rocky Mountain Childrens Law Center during the summer of 2009. To increase student awareness, Colorado Laws Office of Career Development discusses the program with the incoming 1Ls at orientation, hold lunchtime student meetings, and set up weekly information tables. Students find out about law-related public service opportunities from various sources, including the Public Interest Law Students Association and their own contacts in the legal community. Legal professionals and other community members interested in finding students to assist in their own law-related public service projects should contact Colorado Laws Schaden Experiential Learning Program Coordinator, Andrew Hartman.

Law Students Help Draft Ordinance to Prohibit Plastic Bags

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

A team of Colorado Law students (Alex San Fillipo-Rosser, Pamela Maass, and Stephanie Scott) taking Professor Deborah Cantrells Lawyers and Social Change course in the fall teamed with New Vista High School students to draft an ordinance that would prohibit businesses in Boulder from using petroleum-based plastic bags. The proposal will be completed and presented to the Boulder City Council in February. Read the complete article from the front page of the Daily Camera on Sunday.

Walt Disney Executive Padden to Join Silicon Flatirons as Senior Fellow

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Preston Padden, executive vice president for government relations for the Walt Disney Company, has accepted appointments to join the University of Colorado at Boulder next fall as an adjunct professor in the Interdisciplinary Telecommunications Program and a senior fellow at the Silicon Flatirons Center. Padden recently announced plans to retire from Walt Disney. Dale Hatfield, adjunct professor of telecommunications and interim director of the Silicon Flatirons Center, said he expects Padden will co-teach a course on new media and cable television in the fall. Preston understands the media business probably as well as or better than anyone in the U.S., said Hatfield, adding that Paddens association with the Silicon Flatirons Center in the Colorado Law School goes back to the year 2000. Weve been talking to him for a long time about coming to teach at CU. Padden has been a regular speaker at the centers conferences, speaking about piracy and media regulation, which are key issues for Disney. His son, Joseph, also lives in Boulder. Padden will participate in a Jan. 31-Feb. 1 Silicon Flatirons Center conference on The Digital Broadband Migration: Examining the Internets Ecosystem. Padden joined Walt Disney Company in 1998 after serving for one year as president of the ABC Television Network. Prior to that, he was president of network distribution for the Fox Network -- part of the original team that created the fourth broadcast network. He holds a law degree from George Washington University and a bachelors degree in economics from the University of Maryland. We are pleased that Mr. Padden will be teaching part time at the University of Colorado, said engineering Dean Robert Davis. To have an individual with his extensive practical experience and record of achievement join our faculty is of tremendous benefit to our students. The Interdisciplinary Telecommunications Program, which is hosted by the College of Engineering and Applied Science, is the nation's oldest and one of the most prestigious graduate telecommunications programs in the world. For more than 35 years, the program has educated leaders who can bridge the engineering, business, economics, policy and legal fields. The program partners with the Silicon Flatirons Center in co-organizing a half dozen or more high-level academic conferences each year. Padden joins other high-level executives who are senior fellows at the Silicon Flatirons Center, including Richard Green, former president and CEO of Cable Labs, and Pierre de Vries, former chief of incubation and senior director of advanced technology and policy at Microsoft Corporation.

Students Help Children at Colorado Legal Services

Sat, 09 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

In November, the Juvenile and Family Law Club held a drive to provide toys for the Colorado Legal Services playroom. The Club was able to raise approximately $3,000 worth of toys. Professor Laura Spitz and club member 1L Janna Fisher delivered the donations to Colorado Legal Services Denver office and helped to clean up the playroom. Colorado Legal Services has a lot of clients with kids, and its easier for them to meet with their clients when the kids have somewhere they actually want to be, said Fischer. Its easy enough for me to give them a couple of hours to set things up, and it made a difference for an organization that helps families in crisis situations. The Colorado Legal Services playroom provides a place for children to wait while their parents receive legal services. These donations ensure that the Colorado Legal Services clients get better services while their children play. Some of the toys also went to indigent children as Christmas presents.

Natural Resources Law Center to Study New Governance

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Laws Natural Resources Law Center will begin work on a new Colorado River Governance Initiative. The current governance structure for the Colorado River focuses primarily on managing river flows to generate electricity and satisfy water demands, especially in the lower basin of the Colorado River. While efforts have been made in recent years to protect wildlife habitat and river ecosystems, especially through the Grand Canyon and in the Colorado River delta, these efforts have proved only modestly successful and difficult to sustain. Under this new initiative, the Center will examine the current governance structure on the Colorado River and engage policymakers on possible institutional reforms. They will analyze reform options to determine the extent to which they protect wildlife resources of the river system, protect or improve water quality, and promote improved wildlife habitat along the river corridor, while at the same time assuring adequate water supplies for human needs. One of the biggest challenges in reforming the Colorado River governance structure is political, noted Center Director Mark Squillace. An elaborate system of treaties, compacts, laws, court decisions, and policies often called The Law of the River currently govern river management, and each element of this Law has beneficiaries who are likely to oppose change. Unfortunately, some parts of the Law work against protecting the overall health of the Colorado River system, and this problem is complicated by factors such as climate change and population growth, which impose additional stresses on a resource that even now struggles to meet current demand. The initiative is designed to develop a blueprint for future management that will allow for managing the River basins resources more holistically, and in a manner that preserves wildlife resources and habitats while ensuring the availability of adequate water supplies for humans. For more than 25 years, the Natural Resources Law Center has been engaged in cutting-edge research on a wide range of resource policies, most notably in the area of water resources. Over these years, the Center has developed a reputation for offering practical and sound policy advice. These skills will be put to the test with this new initiative, but we are excited for the opportunity and the challenge.

Professor Spain's Observations from COP15

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Law School had two faculty membersAnna Spain and William Boydand two research fellowsKevin Doran and Julie Teelat COP15 United Nations Climate Change Conference Copenhagen 2009. Professor Spain, who is an NGO delegate with Mediators Beyond Borders, where she serves on the Board of Directors, was interviewed by local radio station KGNU on its Morning Magazine show. The topic was Ongoing Climate Change Coverage, and Spain says, There are more than 13,000 NGO participants at the Bella Center trying to advocate for particular causes. We are focused on how to prepare in advance for peaceful cooperation in an era of climate change. One aspect were seeking is the eventual inclusion of the word mediation in the treaty text as it refers to dispute settlement in climate change at local and national levels. While this process is standard in Art. 33 of the UN Charter and in many multilateral environmental treaties, it has been notably absent in draft texts on climate change. Listen to the interview (at 16:30 minutes in). Spain has also written an article in the American Society of International Law (ASIL) Insights titled, Whos Going to Copenhagen?: The Rise of Civil Society in International Treaty-Making. Spain made the following observation while at COP15: During the first week, the mood inside the Bella Center was one of discernable hope. Everywhere I turned, people commented, we are all in this together. Beyond words, innovative actions showed how people are doing what they can to reduce their carbon footprint. This message was captured in green signs posted around the city that read Hopenhagen. During the next week, the mood had shifted from hopeful to frustrated anticipation. Inside, several African Nations walked out on the formal negotiations in frustration with the process as the U.S. and China continued their unproductive exchange over emission targets and verification. The nature and structure of such a large multilateral process lends itself to the triumph of power-based dynamics over interests. Simply put, there is a deficit of trust. No country wants to make the first move if means they will be vulnerable. This is why deals are made in the side-negotiations as this context provides parties with the assurances they need to get real. Yet these fragile deals can and often do fall apart when parties return to the formal plenary sessions where posturing and protectionism resume. In this venue, governments also face an audience of NGO observers in the open session that also promotes a dynamic of power-based negotiations. Gaining entry to these open sessions for an NGO delegate can feel, in that moment, like winning an Olympic medal. The feeling we were left with was not one of transparency or empowerment but that those with power have rights. This is the same dynamic the African nations rejected on Monday. Because climate change is such a global issue, it attracts diverse interests groups and demographics. And while this activism should be encouraged, it should not necessarily be encouraged in such a manner and magnitude at the COP 15. All of the delegates were not participating constructively toward a common goal. The focus at COP 15 must remain on helping governments reach binding commitments embodied in a new treaty.

CEES Completes Colorado Energy Profile Website

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Laws Center for Energy and Environmental Security (CEES) has completed the Colorado Energy Profile, which offers an easy-to-use overview of current power plants, energy policies, and coal and natural gas resources statewide. The project is sponsored by the Governors Energy Office. Viewers can look at energy data in the areas of wind, solar, bioenergy, geothermal, hydro, energy efficiency, system support, and fossil fuel. In addition, for all those resource types, the public can look at federal, state, and local energy trends, law and policies, and environmental emissions. Conceptual mapping is coming soon. The information is useful to many groups in different ways: Homeowners can find incentives for installing on-site renewable energy systems, learn about rights as distributed generators of electricity, and estimate how much power can be produced through certain renewable energy systems. Business owners can examine programs and incentives to make operations more energy-efficient and sustainable. Policymakers can develop a comprehensive picture of energy laws and assess what new laws and policies might assist Colorado achieve its energy goals. Energy researchers and students can explore energy in Colorado by resource. Voters can learn about Colorado's energy opportunities and challenges, and what their elected officials have done and could be doing to secure our environmental and energy future.

Blum '71 and Rathod '07 Receive Colorado Bar Association Awards

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Two of Colorado Law alumnus recently received notable awards. Gary Blum 71, a Director and Shareholder at Silver & DeBoskey, received the Colorado Bar Associations (CBA) 2009 Don W. Sears Ethics Award in November. The Sears Award was established in 2001 to recognize outstanding commitment to the ethics of the legal profession and is presented by the Ethics Committee. Blum is a member of the Ethics Committee and a past Chairperson and is on the Board of Directors of the American Board of Trial Advocates. Blum was also recently recognized by the Public Justice Foundation as a finalists for its 2009 Trial Lawyer of the Year Award, which is bestowed on th trial lawyers or legal teams who made the greatest contribution to the public interest by trying or settling a precedent-setting case. Blum was one of the lawyers recognized for Cook w. Rockwell International Corp., holding the operators of the Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons Plant accountable for persistent radioactive contamination from the Denver area facility. Siddhartha Rathod 07 of the Colorado Public Defenders Office, received the 2009 Gary McPherson Outstanding Young Lawyer Award. The award is given annually in December by the Young Lawyers Division (YLD) to a young lawyer who is a member of the CBA and has shown outstanding commitment to professional success, community service, civic participation and inspiring others to participate in community service. Rathod, a deputy state public defender at the Office of the Colorado Public Defender, volunteers with several programs that encourage underprivileged students to stay in school and explore higher education opportunities in the legal community. He volunteers as a camp counselor at the Colorado Heritage Camps East Indian Heritage Camp, for children adopted from India into American families. He also serves on the boards for the Asian Pacific American Bar Association and Family Tree, Inc.

Hartman is New Experiential Learning Program Coordinator

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Law School announces an important beginning of its new Schaden Experiential Learning Program with the hiring of the programs first program coordinator, Andrew Hartman. Hartman brings nearly 20 years in private practice and 10 years as a Colorado Law adjunct faculty member. A national search is underway for a faculty member to fill the Schaden Chair in Experiential Learning. Colorado Law has been a leader in hands-on legal education, starting one of the nation's first legal clinics 60 years ago. Last year, the Schadens donated a $5 million gift to enhance and integrate the non-classroom educational experience for law students, including its nine legal clinics, externship program, Public Service Pledge Program, and appellate and moot court competitions. We are thrilled to have Andy as the first program coordinator. Our Experiential Learning Program is now officially under way, said Dean David H. Getches. This program is building linkages with faculty involved in experiential education and those doing traditional classroom teaching. In addition to giving greater coherence to our practical curriculum, the program instills the legal profession's ideal of service to society and meeting the needs of underserved people. Hartman has assisted clients in various intellectual property, litigation, and transactional matters in Colorado and around the nation. He was a partner at Cooley Godward Kronish LLP, a leading technology and emerging company law practice. Prior to Cooley, Hartman was an associate and partner at Reed Smith/Sachnoff & Weaver in Chicago. He has assisted a wide range of clients from Facebook and eBay to IZZE Beverage Company and Coach leather goods in their IP and other mission critical matters. As such, he has taught trademark, unfair competition (false advertising), and copyright law classes at Colorado Law since 2001. He also has served as an expert witness in copyright and trade secret cases. Hartman has engaged in active pro bono representation including providing legal assistance to the Boulder Community Foundation, Moving to End Sexual Assault, the University of Colorado, the Dairy Center for the Performing Arts, and the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio Foundation. Hartman is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center, with honors, and the University of Michigan. I am thrilled to be expanding my role to a full-time position at this outstanding institution. Colorado Law has a strong commitment to classroom and experiential learning, and I will strive to enhance the student experience, assist the faculty, and support all the law school communities, said Hartman.

Moot Court Team Win National Moot Court Competition Regionals

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Two Colorado Law teams, coached by Professor Gabrielle Stafford and Luke Van Arsdale, competed at Phoenix School of Law Friday and Saturday in the regional round of the National Moot Court Competition. 3Ls Ryan Day, Katie Kramer, and Ben Schler advanced to the finals and will be representing Colorado Law at the final round of the National Moot Court Competition in New York in February. 3Ls Hillary Cohn Aizenman, Kevin McAdam, and Rachel Mentz took the Best Brief Award, losing only to Arizona State, the competition champion.

Professor Schwartzs Paper Wins AALS Honorable Mention

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Professor Andrew Schwartzs paper, A Standard Clause Analysis of the Frustration Doctrine and the Material Adverse Change Clause, received one of only two Honorable Mentions in the Association of American Law Schools 2010 Scholarly Papers Competition, one of the most prestigious in legal education. He will present a summary of his paper at the AALS Annual Meeting in January. "With over 100 submissions this year, the task of the selection committee was all the more difficult, noted AALS Deputy Director, Elizabeth Patterson. The winners were chosen by a panel of eleven distinguished law scholars, using a 'blind-grading' process. "At the urging of AALS President Roger Crampton, this competition was launched in 1986 to highlight the excellent work of junior faculty," AALS Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer Susan Westerberg Prager said. The competition is limited to full-time law teachers who have been teaching at AALS member or fee-paid school for five years or fewer on July 1, 2009.

Ted Turner Talks about Business and Energy

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Ted Turner, co-chairman of the Nuclear Threat Initiative, spoke to a packed audience at Colorado Law yesterday as the featured entrepreneur, presented by Silicon Flatirons Center, ATLAS, and ITP. Before the interview, Dean Getches presented Turner with Colorado Laws inaugural Entrepreneurs for Good Prize. Watch the interview. During the interviewed led by Silicon Flatirons Entrepreneurship Director Professor Brad Bernthal, Turner spoke about working for his fathers advertising billboard business, the risk of starting a 24-hour news channel at CNN, and the Time-Warner mergers. Turner also discussed his new environmental mission and told the audience that if he were looking for a job today, it would be in clean, renewable energy, predicting that it will be a growth industry. He is lobbying Congress to get a clean energy bill through before a December global conference. Throughout his career, Ted Turner has received recognition for his entrepreneurial acumen, sharp business skills, leadership qualities, and his unprecedented philanthropy. Whether in billboard advertisement, cable television, sports team ownership, sailing, environmental initiatives or philanthropy--Turner's vision, determination, generosity, and forthrightness have consistently given the world reason to take notice. Turner holds many titles: co-chairman of the Nuclear Threat Initiative, a charitable organization working to reduce the global threats from nuclear, biological and chemical weapons; chairman of the Turner Foundation, Inc., which supports efforts for improving air and water quality, developing a sustainable energy future to protect the earth's climate, safeguarding environmental health, maintaining wildlife habitat protection, and developing practices and policies to curb population growth rates; chairman of the United Nations Foundation, which promotes a more peaceful, prosperous and just world; chairman of Turner Enterprises, Inc., a private company, which manages his business interests, land holdings and investments, including the oversight of two million acres in 12 states and in Argentina, and more than 50,000 bison head; and partner in the Ted's Montana Grill restaurant chain, which operates more than 55 locations nationwide.

Colorado Law Wins National Criminal Mock Trial Competition

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The Colorado Law mock trial team won the 19th Annual Cathy Bennett National Criminal Trial Competition at the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Fall Meeting in November in Portland, Oregon. The winning team included 3Ls Katharine Decker, Michael Nicoud, Marissa McGarrah, and Jason Slothouber. Eleven other teams were invited to competed and Colorado Law came out victorious and did not lose a single round. The criminal problem involved the obstruction of justice, and the team won the championship round as the defense. Additionally, Michael Nicoud was awarded and recognized as the best oralist in the competition. The team is coached by Brian Domingues of the Jefferson County DAs office and Professor Ann England.

Silicon Flatirons' Report on Higher Education and Entrepreneurship

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Laws Silicon Flatirons Center and the Governor's Innovation Council just released Higher Education and Entrepreneurship in Colorado, which has some very powerful statistics and facts. The report examines entrepreneurship education at Colorado's colleges and universities and suggests ways to further promote it and the economic growth it brings. One key finding is that Colorado's universities and federal laboratories train the next generation of entrepreneurs and incubate their spinoff ventures, contributing to the Front Range's status as a "mega-region" one of a dozen locales that together yield two thirds of global economic activity and 90% of innovation. The Report provided the intellectual framework for the June 2009 Roundtable discussion on entrepreneurship and higher education, which identified potential initiatives Colorado universities should take to obtain their entrepreneurship goals. Specifically, the Roundtable discussants recognized the need to: Raise awareness of entrepreneurship initiatives Facilitate collaboration and information sharing among educational institutions Develop a pan-campus network focused upon entrepreneurial education issues The group then recommended consideration of specific initiatives to accomplish these goals, including an Entrepreneurship education clearinghouse Grassroots awareness drive Improved collaboration Establishment of a policy forum

Colorado Law is Pilot Site for Cutting Edge MindManager Software

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Law School is proud to announce that it is a pilot site for MindJets MindManager advanced mind mapping software. Piloting the software places the law school on the cutting edge of both technology and legal education. Every student, faculty, and staff member has been given a free copy of MindManager, a significant gift of $179 per license. MindJet designed MindManager to boost productivity, effectiveness, and efficiency by helping the user to create mind maps¯a graphical diagram showing the relationships between thoughts by visually connecting ideas and information. Using the software, law students can move beyond an everyday outline by arranging and connecting information from class into a multi-dimensional space. MindManager can also be used by staff to help with day to day activities, organizing projects, and keeping track of emails and documents and by faculty as a teaching tool. Professor Paul Ohm has used the MindManager software as a visual learning tool during his lectures for several years, and he and Professor Derek Kiernan-Johnson were instrumental in attracting MindJet to use Colorado Law as a pilot site. The software is used by 1.5 million professionals in all types of industries including consulting, education, finance, government, healthcare, and telecommunications. Colorado Law joins major corporations and institutions like CocaCola, NBC, Hewlett-Packard, Oxford University and the Federal Aviation Administration in using the software.

Professor Pizzi and the Death of the American Trial

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Professor William Pizzi was one of Loyola University Chicago School of Law's featured speaker at this year's annual Philip H. Corboy Lecture. Yesterday's lecture features prominent speakers on some aspect of advocacy, and is open to the professional community. His topic was the "Death of the American Trial." Professor Pizzi is one of the countrys distinguished scholars in comparative criminal procedure. His book, Trial Without Truth, which is a critique of the criminal trial system, was the focus of his talk.

3L Harvey Running for State House

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Law 3L Steven Harvey officially kicked off his campaign on September 12 for the Democratic seat in the Colorado House of Representatives District 28 in Littleton. The Republican Party has traditionally held the District 28 seat. Recognizing the challenge, Steve strongly believes winning is possible. With a campaign staffed by volunteers, Steve is focused on using social networks, such as Facebook and LinkedIn, to attract and open discussion between people. There is only one thing on which we should never compromise, and that is that we steadfastly remain reasonable people of good will doing the very best we can. As a former high school social studies teacher, Steve left teaching to come to Colorado Law on a full merit scholarship with every intention of being involved in public policy formation. We are faced with a dogma of mutual indifference, even belligerence, wrapped in a flag that was never woven for that purpose. For more information visit Steve Harvey for Colorado.

Professor Squillace Testifies before Congress on Coal Mine Methane and Uranium Leasing on Public Lands

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Professor Mark Squillace testified yesterday before the House Resources Committee on two provisions of the Consolidated Land, Energy, and Aquatic Resources Act of 2009. The first would amend the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 to give a federal coal lessee ownership of the embedded natural gas. In exchange, the lessee would be obligated to develop the methane rather than venting it into the atmosphere if it is feasible to do so. I was especially proud to testify about the methane provision, remarked Professor Squillace, because the proposed statutory language was largely based upon a proposal that I drafted for the Committee. The venting of methane at underground coal mines poses a serious environment problem because methane is a potent greenhouse gas¯about 23 times stronger than CO2. A single underground coal mine in Colorado, for example, vents enough methane to heat nearly 50,000 homes a year, and emits the equivalent of about 3% of the CO2 emitted from all of the power plants in Colorado, noted Professor Squillace. Professor Squillace also testified in favor of a provision that would remove uranium from the General Mining Law of 1872 and place it under the Mineral Leasing Act. The uranium-leasing proposal is important because it would give the U.S. Department of the Interior discretion to decide where and how uranium development is going to occur. Many of these new claims are located on fragile lands on the Colorado Plateau, Controversy over new uranium claims erupted last year due to the proximity of many of these new claims to the Grand Canyon. Given the special risks associated with developing radioactive materials like uranium, it makes sense to have the government deciding where and how mining will occur, Squillace commented. Read Professor Squillaces testimony.

Recent Graduate Quinn Educates PUC on Privacy Considerations Implicated by Smart Grid Technologies

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Hard work during the school year has real-world applications for a Colorado Law School recent graduate. In the fall of 2008, Elias Quinn 09 completed a seminar paper for Professor Paul Ohms Information Privacy seminar on privacy considerations implicated by smart grid technologies. A smart grid is a power grid managed by specialized computer programs that collect data from consumers to deliver electricity from suppliers efficiently. It is designed to save energy, reduce cost and increase reliability of the energy supply.Quinns early research illustrates how information gathered through these technologies can be used to gather intimate details of a consumer's daily life and potentially invade their privacy. He examined the adequacy of existing protections for such information, concluding that current regulations need to address this new privacy threat. Quinn subsequently worked with Professor Brad Bernthal and continued to develop his research in the spring of 2009 while he was a student in the Samuelson-Glushko Technology Law & Policy Clinic. As part of his outreach and final project for the clinic, Quinn met with the Colorado Public Utility Commission (PUC) to share his conclusions about the competing policy issues surrounding the development of the smart grid, including supporting technology innovations while protecting consumer privacy. Quinn also made recommendations for regulating the consumer information gathered by the smart grid. The result is that the Colorado PUC has used his paper as the framing document to open an investigatory docket addressing the privacy consequences of smart grid deployment. Quinn will be speaking to the Colorado Bar Association's Communications and Technology Law section

James Rogers, Duke Energy CEO & President, Talks about 21st Century Energy Efficiency

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

James E. Rogers, the CEO and President of Duke Energy, was the invited lecturer for the 2nd Annual Schultz Lectureship Series, funded by the generosity of John H. and Cynthia H. Schultz. Dean David Getches introduced James Rogers to a full house as, not typical nor predictable. As newly re-elected CEO of the 3rd largest emitter of carbon, Rogers strongly believes in a commitment to the environment. His lecture began with a hope that there will be greater understanding about the way toward energy efficiency in the 21st century, which should include the use of solar, wind, and nuclear power. His solution encompasses affordability and reliability of electricity and energy efficiency. It can be achieved by modernizing and decarbonizing the generational supply of electricity in our country while making communities more energy efficient. He is delighted about the U.S. House of Representatives passing the Waxman-Markey Bill that would incentivize companies to become more energy efficient. The bill would cap greenhouse gas emissions and put a price on carbon. Throughout the lecture, Rogers advocated for energy efficiency NOW. Energy efficiency must be cathedral thinking based on a common vision, faith the project can be completed, and a commitment, but it must be implemented on China time.

Professor Spain Earns Membership on Prestigious Council on Foreign Relations

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Professor Anna Spain, whose research centers around of international law and conflict resolution, has been elected to term membership in the Council on Foreign Relations, an accomplishment presented to a highly selective group of young scholars working in government, media, non-governmental organizations, law, business, finance, and academia who demonstrate exemplary insight into international policy matters early in their academic careers. The Council on Foreign Relations is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, dedicated to being a resource for its members, government officials, business executives, journalists, educators and students, and other leaders and members of the community in order to help them better understand the world and the foreign policy choices facing the United States and other countries. It was founded nearly a century ago as part of the League of Nations (the predecessor to the United Nations). The term membership program allows its members to interact with seasoned foreign-policy experts and participate in a wide variety of events designed especially for them.

Students Serve as Legal Observers at DNC

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

As protestors organized for their marches during the Democratic National Convention, a few Colorado Law students donned bright neon-green hats and headed to Denver. They were volunteering their time as legal observers. Legal observers are mostly law students, legal workers, and lawyers organized by the National Lawyers Guild (NLG). According to the NLG, legal observers are the eyes and ears of the legal team whose purpose is the safeguard and advance the Constitutional rights of demonstrators. Scott Humphreys 09 summed it up by saying, In essence, we are neutral observers of interactions between protesters and police. The presence of legal observers helps to deter illegal and repressive actions by law enforcement. Every year the Law Schools NLG student organization offers law students a chance to train to become legal observers. Students are taught safety in protest zones, observation techniques, and best practices, such as what to wear and do during a protest. Students are also taught how to make incident reports for each event they attend. These reports, along with any recorded evidence, are kept within a strict chain of custody by the NLG in the event that they are needed as evidence in legal actions. Working through the NLG, the Peoples Law Project coordinated legal observers for the Democratic National Convention. Scott Humphries and Britta Stunkard 09 were among at least 10 Colorado Law students who spent the week in Denver observing protests. Anarchists, anti and pro-gay groups, anti-war veterans, and immigration advocates were just some of the groups who gathered in Denver to voice their concerns. The student observers said the atmosphere varied from day-to-day, but the police presence was felt the entire week. They noted that the tone of the police changed depending on the group that was protesting. The anti-war veterans had police escorts who blocked traffic and helped them get their message across peacefully. On some days they showed a lot of restraint and were friendly, but there was a dark side when it came to anarchist groups, said Stunkard. I was terrified, she said, it was the worst day. On Monday, about 200-300 ran into the street in front of the Denver City and County Building and were immediately stopped by a line of police. The protesters then ran through Civic Center Park and were again stopped by police who proceeded to surround the protesters on all sides and refused to let anyone out. Stunkard was trapped inside the barricade along with members of the media and the protesters, the majority of who she said were under 18. The police, who normally cooperate with the legal observers by stating their badge numbers and communicating their plans, were not responsive. Dressed in riot gear, gas masked and shields, they began chanting Move, Move, Move, while pushing the crowd into a tight group against a wall. Stunkard approached them and asked that minors and people in need of medical attention be released but was not acknowledged. She felt that the police were responding to a Hollywood image of what anarchists are and not the actions of the anarchists that were there that day. At one point, they shot pepper spray balls into the crowd without warning at close range. I think that the police far exceeded their powers on this night. The response to the threat of blocked streets was not proportional, says Humphries. More importantly, they observed more than 100 people get arrested that day without individualized suspicion. Instead, police charged everyone they arrested with obstruction of a passageway, interference, and failing to obey police orders, regardless of whether they actually committed the offenses. People who were not protesting were also arrested. That day will be with me for the rest of my life, says Stunkard.

Colorado Law Summer Conferences Draw Scholars from Around the World

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Laws seven Summer Conferences provided professors and practitioners the opportunity to share their scholarship and discuss current issues in their specific field of law. Emerging Family Law Scholars and Teachers Annual Conference Professor Clare Huntington helped organize the annual conference for emerging family law scholars and teachers that kicked off Colorado Laws Summer Conference Series. Participants worked on articles and book chapters that the participants had written and sharing teaching tips. Professor Huntington presented the introduction and one chapter from her draft book, Flourishing Families: Positive Psychology and Contemporary Family Law. With 40 participants from all around the country, she feels the conference, was a huge success and that all who attended benefitted from the intellectual exchange and shared camaraderie. Junior Tax Scholars Conference In June, two Colorado Law tax professors, Miranda Fleischer and Victor Fleischer, hosted a summer works-in-progress research conference for a handful of tax scholars from across the country. Topics included international tax, executive compensation reform, and regulatory gamesmanship and tax planning. The Fleischers originally co-founded the "Junior Tax Scholars" conference at Colorado in 2006 with colleagues from NYU and Columbia law schools. Property Works in Progress Conference On June 1-3, nearly 50 leading property scholars gathered for this third annual conference organized by Professor Nestor Davidson. Participants came from across the country and as far away as Europe and Israel to hear formal presentations and share insights in less formal roundtable sessions. The Conference has become the leading venue for property scholars across a range of perspectives and methodologies, providing a rare crosscutting platform for one of the most exciting areas of contemporary legal scholarship. The Martz Conference on Natural Resources Law and Policy The Natural Resources Law Centers (NRLC) Annual Summer Conference took place from June 3-5 and played host to leading faculty, scholars, public officials, and students who gathered to discuss the current issues that dominate the field of natural resources law and policy. As director of NRLC, Professor Mark Squillace hosted the event and announced the NRLCs decision to name the annual summer conference in honor of Clyde Martza teacher, lawyer, scholar, and public servant who was instrumental in founding the NRLC in 1982 and who spent 15 years at Colorado Law teaching natural resources law. This years conference, titled Western Water Law, Policy, and Management: Ripples, Currents, and New Channels for Inquiry, centered around western water law, focusing on how the increasing demand for water is overwhelming the ability to manage change and accommodate the diversity of interests and values related to water resources. Participates had interactive discussions with expert panelists regarding topics such as environmental challenges and infrastructure and engineering topics related to water management. Silicon Flatirons Center: Feld-Weiser One-on-One On June 10, Professor Phil Weiser conducted the third interview in a series of interviews with Brad Feld, a local venture capitalist, as part of Silicon Flatirons' Entrepreneurship Initiative. The interview focused on the challenges and importance of finding life-work balance. Feld feels that "balance improves the quality/quantity of work that you can get done and he has become more effective at accomplishing stuff." The interview also addressed how to develop strategies to both work hard and work effectively as well as how to define success not just in work, but in life. Conference on Legal Information: Scholarship and Teaching The teaching of legal research was the focus of this annual conference organized by Professor Barbara Bintliff, and held at Colorado Law on June 21-22. Participants included law professors, law library directors, legal research faculty, and law librarians from across the United States. The focus this year was on theoretical and practical aspects of legal research instruction. Specifically, it addressed how to integrate training in practical lawyering skills and professional ethics into the teaching of legal research. Participants summarized their discussions in the Boulder Statement on Legal Research Education document that expresses in a new way the principles of legal research instruction. New Thinking in Climate Change Law and Policy Works-in-Progress Symposium On August 6-7, fourteen law professors who write about climate change and related issues gathered in Boulder for a two-day workshop involving intensive group discussion about each participants current draft paper. Law professors from Stanford, Yale, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, and CU attended and participated in a lively conversation about climate change and the many conundrums that it presents. Professor Sarah Krakoff presented a paper examining the motivations of participants in local climate action groups, and linking the findings to implications for the governments role with respect to regulating carbon emissions. Professor William Boyd presented a paper focusing on how climate change and new technologies are transforming the political and governance possibilities for addressing the gradual disappearance of the worlds tropical forests. The conference was hailed by one participant as perfect and several others saying it was the best academic gathering they had been to. Plans are already afoot to host another workshop next year.

Colorado Law's BioChar Conference Gains National Attention in The Economist

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

More than 300 scientists, scholars, politicians, and student gathered at Colorado Law School to discuss the virtues, manufacturing, and benefits of biochar during the North American Biochar 2009 Conference hosted by The Center for Energy and Environmental Security (CEES). Details of the conference were covered in an article appearing in the science and technology section of the August 27th edition of The Economist. Biochar is essentially charcoal that can be made from the slow, controlled burning of organic materials such as corn scraps, yard waste, and offcuts from forestry and timber production. Infusing soils with biochar helps crops to grow and helps soils to retain plant nutrients. Recently, biochar has also been touted as a new tool to attack the problem of global warming by providing a way of extracting CO2 and other greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack was among those who attended the conference. His remarks provided a high-level perspective when he described biochar as the type of advancement in agriculture and energy that is in line with the Presidents vision. Colorado Law Professor Lakshman Guruswamy was cited in the article when he suggested an added benefit of biochar could be provided if farmers living in poor and developing countries were given access to the technology. Many of these poor farmers burn wood, trash, and dung indoors for heating and cooking. The dark soot released into the air contributes to global warming because it absorbs heat. More notably, it also kills more than one million people per year who inhale the soot. The pyrolytic stoves that produce biochar from organic vegetation generate almost no soot while providing the same amount of heat. Coordinating an effort to bring smaller, pyrolising stoves to people in poorer countries could have several benefits at little cost, he said. Listen to a podcast of Professor Guruswamy talk about energy justice and how one-third of the worlds population--more than 2 billion people--are without access to adequate energy sources, resulting in harmful health effects.

Colorado Law Welcomes New Faculty and Visiting Professors

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Law School welcomes five new faculty members and three returning visiting professors this fall. Three of the new resident faculty specialize in international law and will head up the new, comprehensive international law curriculum this fall. Colorado Law also welcomes a new clinical professor and professor of American Indian Law. New Full-Time Faculty Kristen Carpenter has comes to our law school as a seasoned professor, having taught law for six years before joining Colorado Law. She earned her JD at Harvard Law School before going on to practice at Hill & Barlow, PC, in Boston. Her areas of expertise are property law and American Indian law. Violeta Chapin is joining Colorado Law as an Associate Clinical Professor teaching the Criminal Defense Clinic. Since 2002, Professor Chapin was a trial attorney at the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia. She received her JD from New York University School of Law. Justin Desautels-Stein will be teaching public international law and legal theory. He comes to Colorado from Washington, DC where he practiced for three years in the Antitrust and Competition Group at Latham & Watkins. He received his JD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law and his LLM from Harvard Law School. Alexia Brunet Marks wilwill be teaching Torts, national security, and international business and trade courses. She taught law at Northwestern University School of Law as a Visiting Assistant Professor and was Special Counsel to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. She received her JD from Northwestern University School of Law Anna Spain will be teaching public international law, international dispute settlement, human rights and mediation. She previously taught at UCLA Law School and served as the Deputy Director of the UCLA Burkle Center for International Law. Professor Spain practiced international law as an Attorney-Adviser at the U.S. Department of State Office of the Legal Adviser. She received her J.D. from Harvard Law School. Visiting Professors Naomi Gale is returning to Colorado Law after being a Schusterman Visiting Professor for the 2008-09 academic year. She obtained her LLB from the Herzliya Interdisciplinary College of Law, specializing in criminal, family, and small claims and is a member of the Israeli Bar. She will be teaching a course in Jewish/Israeli law. Hannah Garry joins Colorado law for her third year as a visiting professor, teaching International Criminal Law. She obtained her JD at UC Berkeley School of Law and has practiced as a Legal Officer in the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal and as an Associate in the international law firm, Freshfields, Bruckhaus, Deringer LLP, in its New York office. Robert Nichols joins Colorado Law as a Teaching Fellow for the fourth academic year. He began teaching ethics and administrative law at the school in 2006.

Professor Marks named Searle-Kauffman Fellow on Law, Innovation, and Growth

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Professor Alexia Brunet Marks has been selected by Northwestern Law's Searle Center on Law, Regulation, and Economic Growth in Chicago as a 2009-10 Searle-Kauffman Fellow on Law, Innovation and Growth. Professor Marks is one of 16 Searle-Kauffman Fellows. The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation has launched an ambitious project on Law, Innovation, and Growth to foster research on the dynamic efficiency of laws and regulations that can spur economic growth. As part of this effort, the Searle Center will hold the Searle-Kauffman Institute on Law, Innovation, and Growth over the course of three meetings in academic year 2009-10. As a Fellow, Professor Marks will attend three institutes designed to spur creativity among the participants through a series of discussions centering on articles selected by the discussion leaders. In each of the discussions, participants will focus on how insights from the articles can be extended to research on law and economic growth.

Colorado Law Welcomes the Class of 2012

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Dean David Getches made his traditional Welcome Speech to the Class of 2012 and addressed the first-year law students as the futures trusted representatives, judges, political and community leaders, and solvers of a generation of problems not yet imagined. The Class of 2012 has 166 students ranging from 20 to 48 years of age. Approximately 30% of the class is from a diverse racial or ethnic background. Students hail from 94 colleges and universities around the country. Many speak a second language in addition to English, including American Sign Language, Arabic, Hindi, Nepali, and Mandarin Chinese. Some have a variety of careers before law school including a coal mine worker, a jazz pianist, a belly dancer, a Seattle Seahawks drumline drummer, and six people were staff members on state or federal legislative committees. See Facts & Figures for details about this class. Volunteerism is a major cornerstone of the class with volunteers from Teach for America, for human rights in Mexico, a UN project for environmental protection in Egypt, a Chilean orphanage, a founder of an organization to promote organ donation, and a founder of an organization to take action on the abuses in Darfur. The Dean emphasized a commitment to certain timeless values that the students must accept when choosing to enter the legal profession. You will lead the profession and our society on a new path, guided by old valuesintegrity, honor, a commitment to serve, and a belief in equal access to justice and the rule of law. The incoming class will join the ranks of alumni who are trusted legal representatives, defenders and prosecutors, political leaders, and judges across the state of Colorado and the nation.

Professor Ohm Appointed to Two Prestigious Groups

Sat, 15 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Professor Paul Ohm has been invited to join two prestigious technology working groups: the Center for Democracy (CDT) and the Future of Privacy Forum (FPF). The CDT is non-profit public interest organization working to keep the Internet open, innovative, and free. It recently established an academic non-resident Fellows program in which Professor Ohm is among the first of ten notable academics to be invited to participate. This first group of scholars hales from across the country and includes professors from UC Berkeley School of Information, NYU Law School, University of California at Berkeley School of Law and School of Information, Harvard's Berkman Center, and the Oxford Internet Institute. The program facilitates collaboration between scholars and the CDT staff in addressing the complex legal and policy issues facing the Internet. Each member was selected because of their impact on Internet policy. "We are grateful that such innovative thinkers have accepted our invitation to serve as non-resident Fellows, said CDT President and CEO Leslie Harris Professor Ohms second appointment is to the board of the FPF, a new Washington, DC-based think tank that focuses on data privacy practices. Ohm is joining an advisory board comprised of attorneys, scholars, and industry leaders. The board will serve as advisors to the FPF in, support of transparency, user control and the advancement of responsible data practices.

Dean Getches Receives Clyde Martz Award for Excellence in Teaching

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation awarded Dean David Getches the Clyde O. Martz Award for Excellence in Teaching. Getches received the award today at the opening of the Foundations 55th Annual Institute in San Francisco before an audience of 650 people. Immediate Past President of the Foundation Craig Carver presented the award, stating that Getches was selected in recognition of his outstanding career in teaching natural resources law. The Foundation is an educational organization based in Westminster, Colorado, whose governing organizations include 31 law schools, several state bar associations, and numerous oil and gas and mining associations. The award was created in the name of Clyde Martz who began his teaching career at Colorado Law and was a founder of the Foundation which began at the School in 1952 where it was housed for many years. Revered by generations of students, Martz went on to serve two U.S. Presidents in high positions in the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of the Interior. He practiced law in Denver at Davis Graham & Stubbs. In accepting the award Getches said, It is especially satisfying to receive an award named after Clyde Martz who, in his teaching, public service, and law practice, exemplified the kind of mentor we as teachers all aspire to be. The award carries with it a $2,500 prize that Getches donated to the Clyde Martz Endowment, which was recently created to support Colorado Laws Natural Resources Law Center.

Three Outreach Grants Awarded

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The CU-Boulder Outreach Committee awarded Colorado Law three grants for Fall projects that extend faculty expertise to external audiences. Caprivi Solar Light Project, Professor Laksham Guruswamy The Caprivi Solar Light Project is an integral part of the World Energy Justice Partnership (WJEP) of the Center for Energy and Environmental Security. WEJP is directed toward the nearly two billion people, typically living on less than a dollar or two a day, who rely on biomass-based fire to meet all their energy needs. The project will be situated in the Caprivi region of Namibia. It will demonstrate the feasibility of a bottom-up approach to developing non-fossil fuel based energy resources for very poor communities using appropriate sustainable energy technologies like solar lights and cook stoves. The project will demonstrate how the use of solar lights and cook stoves can reduce the time spent in gathering fuel-wood, decrease unhealthy indoor air pollution, reduce deforestation and reduce global warming. The Project has obtained 1400 donated solar lights from SunNight Solar for distribution in conservancy areas. The Project will identify the best ways to secure community involvement and local collaboration, distribute solar lights and cook stoves, monitor their deployment, and evaluate these methodologies. In Fine Print, Associate Professor Professor Amy Schmitz with Associate Professor Cecilia J. Pang, Department of Theatre and Dance In Fine Print is a 15-20 minute educational video project that will provide consumers with tips for surviving scams and financial pitfalls that plague us all. The user-friendly format of the short film will give the ability to engage consumers who may be unaware of the dangers we all face in our daily purchases. This film also would provide capacity to raise awareness and inform consumers who cannot attend consumer skills classes such as those Professor Schmitz presents with her service-learning course, or otherwise lack access to consumer protection information and resources. Stopping the Loss of Tribal Children: Indian Child Welfare Act Community Training, Professor Jill Tompkins The student attorneys of the American Indian Law Clinic will provide on-site training on the provisions of the federal Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) and the Colorado Childrens Code to the Northern Cheyenne Tribe of Montana, specifically targeting the Tribal Council, the Cultural Committee, the ICWA Committee, prospective tribal foster and adoptive homes and staff of the tribal and state child welfare departments. This training responds to a request by the Tribal Department of Human Services, supported by the Tribal President, to stem the adoption of tribal member children by non-Indians in Colorado (four tribal member children in the past two years have been adopted by non-Indians over the Tribes objections). The students will work collaboratively with tribal and state (Montana and Colorado) agency representatives to develop a tribe-specific curriculum and caseworker manual that may be replicated for use by other tribes and states.

Law Alumni Board Welcomes New Members

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The Law Schools Alumni Board announces the election of seven new members to serve four-year terms beginning in the 2009-10 academic year. The 2009-2010 Board Chair is Eric Rothaus 01 and the Chair-Elect is Jan N. Steiert '78. Carolyn McIntosh 81, Denver, CO. Ms. McIntosh is a partner at Patton Boggs where she works on environmental and natural resources litigation and compliance. Previously, Ms. McIntosh served as an assistant attorney general for the State of Colorado for Superfund and hazardous waste management and as a special assistant attorney general to the State of Montana, implementing its Superfund program. Ms. McIntosh has also served on a number of local government boards and commissions, including 12 years on the Lafayette City Council, the last four years of which she served as the mayor of Lafayette. Ms. McIntosh also works with Colorado local governments on planning, transportation and appropriations issues. Anthony F. Prinster 66, Grand Junction, CO. Mr. Prinster is currently Of Counsel at Hoskin, Farina & Kampf where he practices corporate, business, real estate, and estate planning law. In 1987, after several years of practicing law, he joined City Market, the grocery store chain founded by the Prinster family in 1924 on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. He built the chain to 38 stores in western Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and New Mexico. He was president from 1990 until 2001. Meshach Rhoades 04, Denver, CO. Ms. Rhoades is President of the Colorado Hispanic Bar Association and the recipient of the 2006 Outstanding New Hispanic Lawyer honor. She is currently acting as in-house counsel for Qwest Communications. Before joining Qwest in 2008, Meshach was a member of Holland & Harts Litigation and Intellectual Property Departments and clerked for U.S. Senior District Court Judge Kane. Active in the community, Ms. Rhoades also sits on the Board of Directors for Easter Seals Colorado, is a board member of the Colorado Center on Law and Policy, Co-Chair of CBAs Diversity in the Legal Profession Committee, and a member of Alfred J. Arraj Inn of Court. She is the Regional Deputy for the National Hispanic Bar Association and was recently appointed to its Commission on Women in the Profession. Michael R. Savage 96, Washington, DC. Mr. Savage is currently a Senior Vice President at U.S. Trust, the Private Bank of Bank of America. Prior to that appointment, he was Senior Manager in Ernst & Youngs Private Client Services practice for 10 years. Before leaving Colorado, Mr. Savage practiced law in Denver at Friedlob, Sanderson, Raskin, Paulson & Tourtillot and was a Denver Assistant City Attorney. He is a member the District of Columbia Bar, Colorado Bar, and Northern Virginia Estate Planning Council. Lance Sears 75, Colorado Springs, CO. Mr. Sears is the co-founder of Sears & Swanson, P.C. He is a past President of the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association, was elected to represent Colorado as a member of the Board of Governors of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America for six years, and was Chair of the Colorado State Judicial Performance Commission. He has lectured in over 40 states, at national forums, and all over Colorado, on subjects involving trial skills and tactics, personal injury law, commercial torts and legal ethics. He is certified as a Diplomat of Trial Advocacy by the National College of Advocacy, and is on the faculty and Board of Trustees of the National College of Advocacy. He is on the Colorado Bar Ethics Committee and is a Fellow of the International Society of Barristers. Named 2007 Superlawyer under the category of plaintiffs personal injury practice.

Three New Fellowships Funded by MillerCoors and Kennedy Childs & Fogg

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Thank you for stepping up! A heartfelt Thank you to MillerCoors (Cornell Boggs and Al Timothy) for their generous funding of the MillerCoors Center for Energy and Environmental Studies Research Fellowship and the MillerCoors Byron R. White Center for Constitutional Law Research Fellowship and to Kennedy Childs & Fogg, P.C., (Mark A. Fogg 79 and John Mann 86) for their generous funding of the Kennedy Childs & Fogg Research Fellowship to explore the developing law of jurisdiction related to internet transactions.

2L Catherine Ruhland Places Second in ABA Writing Competition

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Catherine Ruhland, was the 2nd Place winner of the 2008-09 American Bar Association Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section's Law Student Writing Competition of 13 submissions. The name of Ruhlands submission is Judicial Redundancy and Pre-Empting Tort Claims with Federal Regulation. The second place winner receives $500 cash and an announcement in the Section's magazine, The Brief. The goal of the competition is to encourage and reward law student writings on legal subjects within the scope of the Section and general and current interest. Congratulation to Ms. Ruhland on an excellent article!

Professor Moss Part of White House Press Conference Call

Wed, 27 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Professor Scott Moss was invited to be one of five legal experts on a conference call the White House organized today to brief, and field questions from, several dozen reporters on the Supreme Court Nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor. This was the first time in recent history that the White House press office arranged for nongovernment officials to brief reporters. The other four legal experts included Harvard Law Professor Martha Minow, Paul Smith, a partner at the firm Jenner & Block, University of North Carolina School of Law Professor William Marshall, Kevin Russell, a partner at Howe & Russell and an author of the influential SCOTUSblog.

Professor Loewenstein Named Monfort Professor of Commercial Law

Wed, 20 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Dean Getches appointed Professor Mark Loewenstein as the Monfort Professor of Commercial Law. The endowment required that the appointment have a national reputation in commercial, corporate, securities or tax law. Professor Loewensteins expertise and reputation in the field of corporations and business associations is unmatched. His recent articles on corporate governance and accountability have achieved considerable notice and citation, and he has continued to publish widely used teaching books (e.g., Business Enterprises, 2008; Agency, Partnership and the LLC, 2007). Dean Getches said, His history of influential scholarship is longstanding. In addition, Mark is a revered teacher. We are all honored to have him as a colleague. Please congratulate him on this well-deserved honor.

"Other Diversity Key for High Court," Editorial by David Getches

Sun, 17 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Dean David Getches' editorial in today's Denver Post was titled Other diversity key for high court." President Obama is poised to appoint a Supreme Court justice to succeed David Souter. Almost certainly, the appointmentor those that follow, as the two eldest remaining justices (John Paul Stevens and Ruth Bader Ginsburg) retirewill satisfy the call to add women and minorities to the court. This is a political necessity and, partly for that reason, race and gender are perhaps the least important kinds of diversity lacking on the court. At the University of Colorado Law School this year, retired Justice Sandra Day O'Connor was asked how being a woman affected her decision-making. She replied, "Oh dear, why is that important? Wouldn't a wise old woman make the same decision as a wise old man?" What she left unsaid was how one becomes wise and moves beyond knee-jerk ideology. The more diverse the life experience, the wiser a judge is likely to be. Now, the life experiences of the justices are strikingly similar. Of the nine justices: Seven are Republican Seven graduated from either Harvard Law School or Yale Law School Five are Roman Catholic All came from federal appeals courts (seven from courts in Washington Boston, or Philadelphia) On the other hand: Only one justice ever served on a state trial court (Souter) No sitting justice has been a state legislator or member of Congress Only four justices have had more than two years' experience in private practice Only two were born, raised or spent any significant time west of the Mississippi River (Anthony Kennedy and Stephen Breyer, both in California) None has been a criminal defense attorney Only one has served in the military (Stevens) Does any of this matter? With many of the court's thorniest cases involving federalism or the constitutionality of state laws, it might be appropriate to have former state legislators or other top state officials among them. Once Souter (a former New Hampshire attorney general) steps down, none of the justices will have any state government experience. In cases where the court must parse and apply complex federal laws, it might be useful to have some justices who are former members of Congress. Though many tough cases involve executive power or the propriety of administrative conduct, only one justice (Clarence Thomas) has headed an executive branch agency. The largest numbers of petitions to the court come from prisoners seeking writs of habeas corpus, so expertise in representing criminal defendants might be useful. A disproportionate number of Supreme Court cases involve public lands, American Indian rights, and watersubjects endemic to the American West in which the current justices lack expertise or interest. Having greater diversity of life experiences can also make the court less ideologically hidebound. Confirmation hearings will dwell tediously on the perennial issue of abortion rights. More important, however, are the qualities of character and experiences that equip a justice for applying and interpreting law to the toughest cases the nation has to offer, in situations that cannot yet be imagined. So solid is the ideological bent for some of today's justices, however, that consensus on a decision is rare; the unanimous decision is becoming an endangered species on the Supreme Court, and 5-4 split votes are more common than ever. For justices to be more than vestigial remnants of the politics of presidential administrations that appointed them, they need a diversity of experiences. This will enable them to understand the implications of applying revered constitutional principles to real life situations never contemplated by the Founders.

Congratulations to the Class of 2009!

Sat, 09 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

After three years of intense study, the 161 members of the University of Colorado Law School Class of 2009 graduated with much celebration tonight. This was the first class to start at the Wolf Law Building. After the traditional procession across the Boulder campus to Macky Auditorium, led by bagpipes, the faculty and administrators applauded the class as it entered the auditorium. The Commencement Ceremony started at 6:00 pm with a welcome speech by Dean David Getches, who noted how much the countrys state of affairs had changed in three years, in ways that could not be foreseen. Professor Paul Campos recognized the members of the Order of the Coif and introduced the Honorary Order of the Coif Recipient, Roy Romer 52. Class President Joe Neguse made a short speech recounting class jokes and told each member of the class to congratulate themselves. Class Vice President Michael Fredregill recognized this years student and faculty awards, Class Treasurer Benjamin Parrott presented the class gift to the Loan Repayment Assistance Program, and Class Secretary Elisabeth Mankamyer introduced Roy Romer, who was also the Keynote Speaker. Romer had three points of guidance for the graduates for their careers: 1) be lifelong learners, 2) your view of the truth is always partial; continue to listen especially to those who oppose you, and 3) understand that can take jobs either for the ego or the task. Romer said, I am indebted to this institution. He ended with telling the class, You are in an exciting time and have the skill of the mind. There is joy in using the mind. Its what makes life exciting. Then, Registrar Cindy Gibbons read the names of each graduate, who received their diploma from Associate Dean Dayna Matthew and congratulations from Dean Getches. And, as tradition, Dean Getches read the Charge by Dean Emeritus Don Sears (Dean, 1968-1973). The commencement celebrations included much food and music at the Law School late into the night. Congratulations Class of 2009!

Professor Bruff's Book Wins Awards

Fri, 08 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

This year's Colorado Law Jules Milstein Faculty Writing Award, with a cash stipend, goes to

Professor Harold Bruff for his book Bad Advice: The President’s Lawyers in the War on Terrorism. The Milstein Award recognizes the best piece of faculty scholarship for the year.

In September 2008, Bruff received the 2008 Chicago-Kent College of Law/Roy C. Palmer Civil Liberties Prize for his book. The $10,000 prize is awarded to a writer whose work “explores the tension between civil liberties and national security in contemporary American society.”

Bruff’s book examines the “relationship between American presidents and their legal advisors—particularly in times of crisis.” He uses President George W. Bush’s claims of unilateral executive power in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks to illustrate some of his assertions that, “strong interpretation of the constitutional separation of powers by presidential legal advisors could lessen the tensions between national security interests and the rule of law.”

Professor Bruff will travel to Chicago-Kent this fall to present his work. His expertise in constitutional and administrative law has served him in the Office of Legal Counsel where he has been a legal advisor for the Justice Department, the White House and executive agencies.

Professor Davidson Appointed to U.S. HUD

Tue, 05 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Associate Professor Nestor Davidson has accepted an appointment as principal deputy general counsel at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which works with communities across the country to promote homeownership, affordable rental housing, community development, and fair housing. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve with Secretary Shaun Donovan and Helen Kanovsky, President Obamas choice for general counsel, at a time when we face significant challenges in every area of HUDs mandate, said Davidson. Professor Davidson previously served as special counsel to the secretary of HUD and practiced affordable housing development and finance law at the firm of Latham & Watkins. He has also served on the Board of Commissioners of the Boulder Housing Partners, as Chair of the Board of Boulder County Advocates for Transitional Housing, and on the Board of Directors of Thistle Communities. Davidsons scholarship and teaching focuses on affordable housing, community development, sustainability in housing and land use, and related issues. While we will miss Nestors enormous contributions to the law school during his leave of absence in Washington, we understand the importance of his service to the Administration and the country, said Dean David Getches. His expertise is perfect for this position.

Alumnae Betty Nordwind Honored by Harriett Buhai Center

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

At their 24th Annual Theater Benefit, the Harriett Buhai Center for Family Law honored alumna Betty L. Nordwind 71 with the Zephyr M. Ramsey Award. The Harriett Buhai Center in Los Angeles protects victims of domestic violence and improves the well-being of children living in poverty through free family law assistance and legal education to the poor. Nordwind joined the Center in 1987 as Executive Director and has taken it from a staff of two to twenty persons, in addition to establishing the Centers Child Support Project. Non-profit law has been her lifes work.

Alumnus Hank Brown Receives Prestigious Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Award

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Hank Brown 69, former United States Senator and CU President, received a Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Award as an outstanding Coloradan in Community Service for his years of service to Colorado and the nation. Brown donated the $35,000 cash award to University scholarships. Were honored to recognize Hank Brown for his service to Colorado as legislator, educator, philanthropist and statesman, said Dorothy Horrell, president of the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation. Known for his tireless work, fiscal responsibility and commitment to excellence, Brown has received numerous awards, including Whos Who in Finance and Industry and 2008 Citizen of the West. He currently serves as senior counsel at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, is an adjunct professor at Colorado Law, and chairs the board of the Daniels Fund, one of Colorados largest foundations. Created in 1984, the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation award program seeks to honor achievement and motivate future leaders. Each year, the awards recognize one outstanding Coloradan in each of three disciplines science and medicine, arts and humanities and community service for contributions made to enhance the quality of life for residents of Colorado. Bonfils-Stanton chose Brown as the recipient in the Community Service category for his years of service to the State of Colorado and the nation. Past recipients include chemist Thomas Cech and physicist Carl Wieman, two University of Colorado researchers who went on to win Nobel Prizes. Former Gov. Dick Lamm, restaurateur Noel Cunningham and developer Dana Crawford have also received the award.

Students Witness Fujimori Trial

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Three Colorado Law studentsJessica Kaplan, Alex San Filippo-Rosser, and Sarah Frenchand three DU Law students travelled to Lima, Peru, over Christmas break to serve as international legal observers for three days of the trial of former president Alberto Fujimori. He was accused of authorizing the counter-insurgency actions of a death squad known as La Colina that killed 25 people in 1991 and 1992. Peru is the first country in history to try and convict a democratically elected leader for human rights violations; Fujimori was found guilty of mass murder and kidnapping and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. The students also interviewed the three judges on the case, the families affected by the massacres, and the Attorney General of Peru. "It was historic that Peru put its former president on trial for human rights violations even though his actions helped end terrorism in the country and he was still quite popular, said French, a Peruvian-American. I admire the Peruvian justice system for seeking justice and truth and evaluate whether the means used to achieve an end were justified."

Professor Ohm Writes ISP Essay for Canadian Government

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada invited Professor Paul Ohm and 13 other leading international academics and professionals working in telecommunications, law, privacy, civil liberties, and computer science to contribute to the Offices deep packet inspection (DPI) website to help Canadians understand the impact the components of the technology that underlies networked society. Professor Ohms essay, The Greatest Threat to Privacy, discusses the many dangers of your Internet Service Provider (ISP), from reading your emails to spying on users. Companies could pay to see what you look at on the web and use that information to place specific pop up adds on your screen. What is DPI? This network management tool is used in targeting marketing campaigns and advertisements at specific individuals. It allows network providers to peer into the digital packets that compose a message or transmission over a network. It has been used to maintain the integrity and security of networks, searching for signs of protocol non-compliance, viruses, malicious code, SPAM, and other threats. DPI technology raises privacy concerns because it can look into the content of messages sent over the Internet.

Professor Weiser Appointed to Justice Department's Antitrust Division

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Professor Philip J. Weiser, associate dean for research, and executive director of the Silicon Flatirons Center for Law, Technology and Entrepreneurship, has accepted an appointment as deputy assistant attorney general for International, Policy and Appellate Matters at the U.S. Department of Justices Antitrust Division, starting in July. Before joining Colorado Law and CUs Interdisciplinary Telecommunications Program (ITP) in 1999, Weiser served as a senior counsel to Joel Klein, assistant attorney general in charge of the antitrust division. We are proud that Phil has the opportunity to serve in this important position, explained David Getches, dean of the law school. His talents as a strategic thinker, administrator and leader will be missed at CU, but they will be put to good work in Washington. During his leave of absence, the law school will ensure that the Silicon Flatirons Center and our strength as a leading center for technology and entrepreneurial law continue to develop. Weiser has held visiting professorships at New York University, the University of Pennsylvania and Princeton University. He is a graduate of Swarthmore College and the New York University School of Law. Over the years, Weiser has taught and written in the areas of competition policy and technology law, establishing himself as one of the nations leading experts in these areas. He recently served as the lead agency reviewer of the Federal Trade Commission for the Presidential Transition Team and serves as a co-chair of the Colorado Innovation Council. The opportunity to serve with Christine Varney, President Obamas choice to lead the antitrust division, and return to the Justice Department is just too compelling to pass up, Weiser said. It is difficult to leave so many friends, an institution I cherish and a center whose development has been a labor of love. I am very confident that the Silicon Flatirons Center will continue to flourish under the leadership of Colorado Law Professors Paul Ohm and Brad Bernthal, ITP Professor Dale Hatfield, and others who will ensure the center continues to make powerful impacts in telecommunications policy, information policy/intellectual property and entrepreneurship.

Entrepreneurship Week and the New Venture Challenge

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The University of Colorados inaugural Entrepreneurship Week began April 13 with a luncheon on starting companies at CU and culminated April 17 with the announcement of winners of the CU New Venture Challenge, the universitys first business-plan competition for students and faculty. The week was a campus-wide initiative comprising the Silicon Flatirons Center, the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship, the ATLAS Institute, the Interdisciplinary Telecommunications Program, the Engineering Entrepreneurship (E-Ship) Program, the University of Colorado Technology Transfer Office, and numerous students and faculty members. Governor Bill Ritter helped mark the weeklong events on April 16 by announcing information and communications technology (ICT) as a pillar of the states economic-development strategy. Ritter delivered the keynote address at a conference titled Putting the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in Perspective at Colorado Law. The event brought leading academics and business people to campus to discuss entrepreneurship as a horizontally integrated ecosystem, in contrast to the traditional top-down structure of corporate America. The governor committed to promoting Colorados Front Range as a national hub for technological entrepreneurship, noting that the area has one of the countrys most highly educated populations, as well as high concentrations of software engineers, aerospace workers, and university researchers. The teams competing in the New Venture Challenge provided a window into the exciting, high-caliber innovations and business ideas emerging from CU. Eight teams presented their plans before a panel of judges, made up of investors, entrepreneurs, corporate executives, and service professionals in the community. Four teams were chosen to continue to the finals. The four judges were Paul Berberian, co-founder and former CEO of Raindance; Catharine Merigold, general partner of Vista Ventures; Ryan McIntyre, managing director of The Foundry Group; and Nancy Pierce, co-founder of Carrier Access. · First prize went to the non-profit organization Knova Learning, which aims to operate and manage public charter schools · Second prize to 3QMatrix, a biomedical company developing products to heal wounds based on patented material from CU · Third prize to Fetcht, a social networking venture that intends for its users to create targeted networks for knowledge gaining purposes · A special computer science award was given to TechoShark, Inc., which is developing a mobile smartphone application surrounding social networking · An honorable mention to Ap.igy, which will provide customizable application programming interfaces for businesses · A most innovative award was given to Conifer Quantum Technology based on its plan surrounding efficient solar energy conversion devices The April 16 conference also included presentations of academic research and discussions by panelists: · The first panel focused on how to recognize disruptive technologies that change the marketplace. Participants included moderator Professor Phil Weiser, executive director of the Silicon Flatirons Center; David Cohen, co-founder of TechStars; Heather Gates-Massoudi, director of venture capital services technology, media, and telecommunications for Deloitte Services; Tom Moore, president of Viasat Satellite Holdings and founder of WildBlue Communications; and Karl Ulrich of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Ulrich discussed his upcoming book, Innovation Tournaments, which compares the process of successful innovation to a competition where numerous raw ideas are filtered for quality until only the best remain. · A second panel on the elements of an entrepreneurial culture featured moderator Professor Brad Bernthal; Paul Jerde, executive director of CU's Deming Center for Entrepreneurship; James Linfield, a partner at Cooley Godward Kronish LLP; Jana Matthews, CEO of the Jana Matthews Group; AnnaLee Saxenian, dean of the School of Information at the University of California at Berkeley; and Michael Zeisser, senior vice president at Liberty Media Corporation. Saxenian presented her research on elements of entrepreneurial ecosystems, which she described as a shift away from a model of corporate hierarchies to one of regional communities where careers are specialized, flexible, and likely to span across many different companies. · The third panel discussed how, and how not, to capitalize on innovation, featuring moderator Jason Mendelson, managing director at The Foundry Group; Paul Berbarian, co-founder of Raindance Communications; Steve Georgis, CEO of ProStor; and Sue Kunz, founder of Solidware Technologies. The group of serial entrepreneurs traded war stories about hiring the right and wrong employees, borrowing money from relatives, and sleeping on the office floor while working 20 hours a day to get a company off the ground.

Students Recognized at Boulder Pro Bono Awards

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

At yesterdays Boulder County Legal Services (BCLS) Annual Pro Bono Luncheon, 11 Colorado Law clinic students were recognized for their work on family law cases in Boulder County. Congratulations to Wunpenn Zaborek, Vivan Vassall, James Francel, Leanne Hamilton, Megan Nishikawa, Michael Nicoud, Jessica Kaplan, Mackenzie Morgan, Garen Gervey, Frank Haug, and Kevin Allen. The two Civil Practice Clinics put in almost 800 hours of pro bono time in 2008-09 to Boulder County Legal Services. Each year, lawyers and law students who have donated time to pro bono work for the indigent are recognized and thanked at this annual luncheon.

Students Teach Consumer Empowerment to Public

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The Boulder County Housing Authority and 10 students in Professor Amy Schmitz's Consumer Empowerment class offered a free public seminar this past weekend on how to be a savvy consumer .Students tailored their 25-minute presentations to address issues that have arisen due to the current economic crisis. The seminar covered a variety of important consumer issues, including apartment leases, dangerous home loans, arbitration, toy safety, gift cards, credit cards, payday loans, credit counseling, and bankruptcy. The 20 community members that attended were most interested in apartment leases, as it seemed like they had been taken advantage of by a landlord in some way at some point. Also, there numerous questions regarding credit and repairing or guarding one's credit.

Clinic Students Succeed in Immigration Court

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Student attorneys in Civil Practice Clinic won two cases in U.S. Immigration Court in March. These asylum cases, which they had been working on for two semesters, involved research on immigration law, country conditions, brief writing, hiring expert witnesses, interviewing and preparing clients and witnesses, working with interpreters, and presenting their cases at trial. The first team (3L Garen Gervey, 3L Frank Haug, and 2L Kevin Allen) represented a Sudanese man, a member of the Fur tribe, who was persecuted by the Sudanese government for his political beliefs. The second team (3L Mackenzie Morgan, 2L Jessica Kaplan and 2L Michael Nicoud) represented a young man from Eritrea who was persecuted for his religious beliefs as a Jehovah's Witness. Professor Norman Aaronson said, I received compliments on the students' performances from the judge and a Department of Homeland Security attorney. The clinic has been fortunate to have the assistance of an immigration attorney, Jim Salvator 91, on both cases.

Energy Justice in Guatemala

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

CEES is pleased to announce that it has entered into an introductory partnership with the Philanthropiece Foundation to collaboratively create a blueprint for action in Guatemala that will reduce energy poverty and promote empowerment of women by increasing the availability of appropriate and sustainable energy technologies. The blueprint will build on existing activities undertaken by Government ministries, NGOs, entrepreneurs, policymakers, lawyers, educators, and community members in Guatemala and integrate social, technological, and economic approaches to alleviating energy poverty. The ultimate goal is to contribute to a political and legal environment in Guatemala that nurtures community-based and women-focused solutions to energy and environmental challenges. Project Partner: PhilanthropiecePiecing Together a Better World, www.philanthropiece.org.

28th Alumni Awards Banquet

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

At the 28th Annual University of Colorado Law School Alumni Awards Banquet, the alumni honored four distinguished alumniBritt Banks of Newmont Mining, Colorado Secretary of State Bernie Buescher, Peter Dietze of Dietze & Davis, and philanthropist Myra Monfort on Thursday, March 12th, at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. The banquet showcased four exceptional award recipients, entertaining speakers, and a wonderful new venue. As one of the schools signature alumni events, the banquet drew 350 members of the legal community and raised $35,000 for student scholarships, thanks to the generous contributions of law firms, businesses, nonprofits, alumni, and friends. Following an hors d'oeuvre happy hour in the Donald R. Seawell Grand Ballroom, the Law Alumni Board Chair Brian Meegan opened the banquet and thanked past and present board members for their dedication. Then the Banquet Chair, Board Chair-elect, and Master of Ceremonies Eric Rothaus recognized all previous alumni award winners and thanked the 36 sponsors, advertisers, and in-kind donators. Following a fabulously presented three-course dinner, Governor Bill Ritter (Class of 81), one of last years award recipients, spoke about the award recipients and their overall accomplishments. Dean David Getches welcomed guests and reviewed Colorado Laws accomplishments over the past year, expressing gratitude for such a wonderful turn out and fundraising efforts considering the difficult economic times. Stanley Dempsey (Class of 64) introduced Britt D. Banks (Class of 88), who received the Distinguished Alumni Award for Corporate Counsel for serving top legal roles, including Executive Vice President of Legal & External Affairs, at Newmont Mining Corporation for 12 years, where he had oversight responsibility for environmental affairs, sustainable development, reclamation and closure, government relations, corporate communications, and security. John Suthers (Class of 77) introduced Colorado Secretary of State Bernie A. Buescher (Class of 74), who received the Distinguished Alumni Award for Public Sector for his 12 years as a public servant to the state of Colorado, including reorganize the Colorado State Fair, serving as Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Finance, and served two terms in the Colorado House of Representatives. CU Regent Michael Carrigan (Class of 94) introduced Peter C. Dietze (Class of 62), who received the Distinguished Alumni Award for Small Firm Practitioner for managing Dietze & Davis for more than 40 years in Boulder. In addition, Dietze was elected to serve three terms on the CU Board of Regents. For the first time at the Banquet, the Law Alumni Board presented Colorado Laws highest alumni honor, the William Lee Knous Award. Meegan spoke to the prestige of this award given to one alumni each year in recognition of outstanding achievement and sustained service to the Law School. Former CU President Hank Brown (Class of 69) introduced Myra H. Monfort-Runyan (Class of 75) who was presented the Knous Award for distinguishing herself as a loyal alumna, serving on the Law Alumni Board and supporting Colorado Law in pursuing its educational mission, as a fine attorney and legal advisor working in industry, and as a committed community member and citizen, enthusiastically giving of her time and resources to educational and other causes of critical importance to the well-being of society. Dean Getches stated that the quality of this years award recipients reminds us that our most important mission is developing and inspiring young people to become leaders of our profession. Thank you especially to the Keystone Sponsors: Gibson Dunn & Crutcher; Myra Monfort; Morrison & Foerster; Qwest; and Wheeler Trigg Kennedy. And, to our Flagstone Sponsors: Arnold & Porter; Colorado Bar Association: CLE; Davis & Ceriani; Davis, Graham & Stubbs; Denver & Colorado Bar Associations; Dufford & Brown; Faegre & Benson; Fisher & Phillips; Holland & Hart; Husch Blackwell Sanders; Ireland Stapleton Pryor & Pascoe; Isaacson Rosenbaum; Krendl Krendl Sachnoff & Way; Monfort Family Foundation; Moses Wittemyer Harrison & Woodruff; Newmont Mining Corporation; Otten Johnson Robinson Neff & Ragonetti; Rothgerber Johnson & Lyons; and Snell & Wilmer.

Professor Hart Receives Serving Communities Award

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Professor Melissa Hart received the first CU Institute for Ethical and Civic Engagement Annual Serving Communities Award for a faculty member yesterday. She embodies the values and actions of an engaged citizen whose work contributes to the vitality of the communities we serve and who contributes to CU-Boulders civic mission, said the Institute director Peter Simons. Professor Hart serves as a role model and is integral and essential to CUs vision of a campus that fosters civic engagement and campus-community partnerships.

Vulnerability Inspires Two Law Students to Produce Film

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

This February, Emily Walker (09) and Jonathan Litwiller (09) visited Emory Law School in order to interview experts in vulnerability and the law for a full-length documentary film they are making titled, The Vulnerability Project. They interviewed Emory Professor, Martha Fineman, an internationally recognized law and society scholar, and a leading authority on family law and feminist jurisprudence. They also interviewed Colorado Law Professor, Laura Spitz, who has been a visiting professor at Emory for the 2008-09 academic year. As part of their visit to Emory, they attended a workshop on Incarcerated Mothers and met with various grassroots organizers. The documentary builds on a short film they made for Professor Spitz's Gender, Law & Public Policy class last year. The idea behind the film is to get people talking about vulnerability. The most interesting aspect of the project is the wide array of feelings and thoughts about vulnerabilitythe more people we talk to, the more we realize that no one experiences vulnerability in the same way, says Walker. Walker and Litwiller were inspired to make a film as a different way of communication. Law school forces you to communicate through written and oral advocacy on a regular basis. The film project gives us the opportunity to communicate through a different medium, added Walker. The film will be finished this May and premiere next fall at Colorado Law.

Mock Trial Program Helps Prepare Students for Family Law

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Budding surgeons can practice their skills on high-tech virtual patients. Architects can try out various building designs in small-scale wind tunnels to see whether theyll work in reality. Psychologists and other therapists rely heavily on role playing to hone the skills theyll need in the field. The same kind of experiential instruction and participation is working for soon-to-be lawyers who choose to practice in the complex and often high-stakes world of family law. Sixteen law students from the University of Colorado and University of Denver law schools recently gathered for a mock trial clinic offered by the Colorado Supreme Court and the Office of the Childs Representative in partnership with the CU and DU law schools. This is a wonderful opportunity for you to get a chance to try out your skills in a safe way, Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey told the students before the clinics first stage in the Colorado Supreme Court courtroom. In this setting, the mistakes you make dont affect anybody. The fourth annual clinic, which began Feb. 24, brought together five students from the Rocky Mountain Childrens Law Center of the University of Denver Sturm College of Law and eleven students from the Juvenile Law Clinic at the University of Colorado at Boulder Law School. The students and faculty were organized into four teams to run separate mock settlement conferences in preparation for mock trials scheduled for March 2 at the Sturm College of Law and March 4 at the CU Law School. The mock-trial competition will be judged by Jefferson County Judge K.J. Moore and the Hon. Edward Richardson, a retired Florida judge. Among the faculty conducting the settlement conferences this year were two former Colorado Law students who now work as family court facilitators in the Colorado court system: Julia Kneeland (07) and Janet Lee (06). Joining them were Barbara Bosley, family court facilitator in the Denver Juvenile Court, and Loretta Koehler, family court facilitator in the First Judicial District (Jefferson and Gilpin counties). I think because I had been in their shoes not too long before, I knew exactly how they were feeling, said Lee, who is the family court facilitator in the 17th Judicial District, which encompasses Adams and Broomfield counties. Lee went through the mock trial program as a student in 2006 and has returned in each of the following years to help train soon-to-graduate students. For so many students, when youre in law school, when youre trying to figure out what area to practice in, many are scared off by family law, she said. Its a really good opportunity to introduce students to this area of law. There are upsides to it a real sense of doing something thats improving the lives of the children of Colorado. Kneeland, the family court facilitator in the 2nd Judicial District (Denver), is relatively new to family law, having graduated with a focus on civil law and having clerked for a Denver District Court judge until May 2008, when she took her current job. She said she was attracted to family law to help people resolve emotional disputes in a way thats fair to each party, and wants to impart that sense of enthusiasm to law students. Its important to increase awareness of what a unique field of practice family law is and what opportunity you have to impact peoples lives, Kneeland said. I like that you get to interact with people before they begin the adversarial process. You have the opportunity to help people sort out their problems in a way thats mutually beneficial to all the parties.

AAJ Trial Team Wins Regional Competition

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The Colorado Law Trial Team traveled to San Diego this past weekend to compete in the American Association for Justices regional student advocacy competition. The competition is an annual mock trial event. Only two winners from each region advance to the National Finals. This years team from Colorado Law placed first at the regional level and will travel to Florida to compete at the National competition in April. The team of four students is Anthea Mustari (09), Jason Slothouber (10), Michael Nicoud (10), Marissa McGarrah (10).

Team Players: Colorado Law Professors Help Transition to Obamas New Administration

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Professors Phil Weiser and Helen Norton both recently served on the Presidential Transition Team. In particular, both served as team leads of the agency review process. The role of the teams was to review key federal departments, agencies, and commissions, and to provide brief memos addressed to the President and his administration containing information needed to make strategic policy, budgetary, and personnel decisions. Professor Weiser was a lead agency reviewer at the Federal Trade Commission and helped write the team memo. During his time on the transition team, Professor Weiser talked to well over 100 people, ranging from those at the agency to former agency officials to consumer and business groups to academics in an effort to gather different perspectives and ideas. Professor Norton is no stranger to transition. Before joining the Colorado Law faculty, she spent more than 15 years in Washington, DC, in various capacities, including a stint as Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Justice under the Clinton administration. This past fall, Professor Norton was asked to take the lead on the six-person transition team charged with reviewing the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the nations largest civil rights enforcement agency. After extensive document review and interviews both inside and outside the agency, her team put together a series of strategy memos that identified the Commissions key policy, management, and budgetary opportunities and challenges.

Native American Moot Court Competition & COnstitution Conference

Sat, 28 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The Colorado and Denver Law Schools co-hosted the 2009 National Native American Law Students Association Moot Court Competition yesterday. This years moot court problem involved Chapman v. Fort Howe State University, which challenged the fictional public universitys tuition waivers to American Indian students who have heritage that they can trace to the American Indian tribes that inhabited Colorado historically as violating a proposed (but defeated) November 2008 Colorado constitutional prohibition on using racial or gender preferences in state-funded programs. Out of 42 teams and 17 schools, best oral advocate honors went to the Columbia and University of Hawaii teams, and best brief honors were awarded to the South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Columbia teams. Held in conjunction with the Native American Moot Court Competition, Colorado Law hosted its first public Indian law conference, Native Americans, Race and the Constitution Conference, with featured leading academics and litigators in the field of federal Indian law, including Steve Moore 79 of NARF and Professor Melody Kapilialoha MacKenzie of the University of Hawaii. This conference focused on topics complementing the moot court competition problem, issues of race, tribal status, and the protection of American Indian religious exercise, including sessions on Native Hawaiians and Tribal citizenship determinations. Professor Sarah Krakoff moderated the conference, and Professor Jill Tompkins, American Indian Law Clinic Director and conference coordinator said, Coordinating the conference with the competition was a wonderful opportunity to bring leading Indian law scholars to take a timely look at the myriad constitutional challenges that American Indian tribes and Native Hawaiians are confronting on a daily basis. The conference was sponsored by the American Indian Law Program and the Byron R. White Center for the Study of Constitutional Law.

New Symposium on Sustainable Urban Development

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The ELEVATE 2009: Climate Change and the New Frontiers of Urban Development symposium brought together more than 30 of the nations leading thinkers and practitioners in real estate, law, business, and public policy for a groundbreaking symposium about sustainable land use and real estate development. The two-day conference was hosted by Colorado Law in conjunction with the CU Leeds School of Business Real Estate Council Annual Conference. Featured speakers included some of the most visionary urbanists at work today, including writer and social critic James Howard Kunstler; noted University of Pennsylvania professor Witold Rybczynski; and architect, design entrepreneur, and American urban innovator Teddy Cruz. Interdisciplinary panels discussed how policy design, social forces, and the private market intersect and accelerate or impede sustainability practices. Speakers, panelists, and attendees explored sustainable economic, social, and environmental solutions to pressing issues in the areas of housing, transportation, energy, and economic development. ELEVATE 2009 marked the launch of CUs newest environmental program, the Initiative for Sustainable Development (ISD), an interdisciplinary program housed in the School of Business working closely with the Law School. ISD will pursue the best ideas, practices, and policies in the growing field of sustainable land use and real estate development to build and train the next generation of development professionalsdevelopers, entrepreneurs, lawyers, engineers, planners, designers and policymakerswho are committed to sustainable, triple-bottom-line approaches to real estate and economic development, who have the mind-set and skill set to balance commerce and the common good. With the looming crisis of climate change and other threats, we are being forced to reconsider basic assumptions about growth, energy, land use, transportation, and housing, says ISD Director William Shutkin. Theres a lot of money to be made in the transition to a sustainable society. Few sectors of our economyor of the global economyare more vital to the transformation climate change requires of us, adds Professor Nestor Davidson, and this symposium could not have be a more timely opportunity to refocus the industry toward the right alignment of policy and development strategy. The symposium was sponsored by: Boulder Green Building Guild; Business Catapult; Chelsea Green Publishing; Climate Smart; Connected Organizations for a Responsible Economy; Enterprise Community Partners Green Communities; Housing Colorado; INC Innovation Network for Communities; Island Press; Lincoln Institute of Land Policy; Local Initiatives Support Corporation; Main Street Resources; MIT Press; Namaste Solar; New Belgium Brewery; Rockefeller Foundation; Rocky Mountain Institute; Sonoran Institute; University of Colorado Center for the American West; University of Colorado Center for Energy and Environmental Security; University of Colorado College of Architecture & Planning; University of Colorado Law School; University of Colorado Leeds School of Business; University of Colorado Leeds School of Business Deming Center for Entrepreneurship; Urban land Institute; Urban Ventures; and U.S. Green Building Council.

Professor Wesson Named This Years Gilbert Goldstein Faculty Fellow

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The 2009-10 Gilbert Goldstein Faculty Fellowship was awarded to Professor Marianne Wesson. Topping the list of applicants, she will be using the fellowship to continue work on her latest book Unquiet Grave: The Supreme Court and the Hillmon Case. The book details the 19th Century case that sought to determine who was buried in John Hillmons grave. While the mystery remains unsolved, the case did result in the formation of an important rule of evidence.

Professor Moss Testifies Before Judiciary Committee

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

On February 23rd, Professor Scott Moss went before the Colorado State Judiciary Committee to give oral testimony regarding Senate Bill 110. The legislation works to expand the anti-discrimination law currently in place by providing punitive damages, compensatory damages, and attorneys fees to employment discrimination plaintiffs. Professor Mosss expertise in this area comes from his prior experience as a plaintiff's employment lawyer. He has litigated individual and class action cases of discrimination, harassment, and minimum/overtime wage violations.

Moot Court Team Wins Regional Rounds in National Trial Competition

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The Colorado Law student team of Tyrone Glover 09, LaKischa Cook 09, and Katharine Decker 10 placed first in the regional competition of the 34th Annual National Trial Competition in Oklahoma on February 12-14. The NTC is sponsored by the Texas Young Lawyers Association and the American College of Trial Lawyers. This year, 152 law schools, approximately 300 teams, competed in fourteen regional competitions across the nation. Colorado Law competed from law schools in Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. The two winning teams from each regional competition advance to the national rounds in San Antonio to compete in this prestigious mock trial tournament on March 26-28. This years case involved a criminal action in which the State of Lone Star asserts that Defendant Kelly Taylor murdered Rob Cañas, a state district court judge; a previous trial resulted in a mistrial. Congratulation to them and good luck in finals.

19th Century Case Inspires a Different Kind of Legal Writing

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

After his first year of law school, Brent Jordheim ('09), spent part of his summer working with Professor Marianne Wesson, assisting with her research on the Hillmon case. The case is an elaborate story of a cattle dealer who journeyed west to find land but was shot when his companion's gun accidently went off. The controversy arose when it was discovered that Hillmon had taken out a massive life insurance policy right before he left and that another man, who looked a lot like Hillmon, went missing around the same time that Hillmon died. Twenty years, five trials, two Supreme Court appeals, and one settlement later, the mystery remains: who was buried in John Hillmon's grave? Jordheim, who majored in English literature as an undergraduate, has always had a passion for writing and got permission from Professor Wesson to write a play about the case. Using court transcripts, newspaper articles, and other evidence gathered by Professor Wesson, Jordheim completed a working draft of his first play within two months. By the fall of his 2L year, Jordheim was listening to professional actors from the Colorado Shakespeare Festival (CSF) complete a table reading of his script. Several drafts later, the Colorado Shakespeare Festival continues to be involved with Jordheim's script and is planning a staged reading for the fall of 2009 at the law school. Funding for the reading was donated in part by Colorado Law alumna Dr. Ruth Wright ('72) and her husband Kenneth Wright. As CFS expand its reptoire to include no-Shakespearean works, it hopes the reading will generate interest in the play that will lead to a full production. CFS is eager to broaden its appeal to a wider audience, which it hopes to do by involving the law school and attracting law students and legal professionals. Jordheim, now editor-in-chief of the University of Colorado Law Review, says that the entire experience has been one of the greatest highlights of his law school career. The opportunity to build a relationship with Professor Wesson, someone who has been able to combine her love of writing with a legal career, has been inspiring for Jordheim.

Clinical Student Goes Before Copyright Office to Change Federal Law

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Blake Reid (10), a student in Colorado Laws Glushko-Samuelson Technology Law and Policy Clinic, is headed to Washington, DC, to stand before the Copyright Office of the Library of Congress in a triennial rulemaking proceeding. Reid is representing Alex Halderman, a professor of electrical engineering and computer science at the University of Michigan. The proceeding is directed toward considering exemptions from the anti-circumvention measures of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Reid and Halderman, with the help of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Colorado Law Professors Paul Ohm, Harry Surden, and Brad Bernthal, are seeking an exemption from the DMCA for good-faith security research on PC-based digital rights management systems. In support of the proposed exemption, Reid and Halderman have garnered the endorsement of many academic and professional security experts from institutions and companies such as Harvard, Princeton, Columbia, RSA, Google, and AT&T. Reid and Halderman have also submitted a related filing to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) advocating for better disclosures to consumers about digital rights management and security issues, and plan to participate in hearings in front of the FTC later this spring.

CEES Analysts Invited to Present at Copenhagen Climate Congress

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Elias Quinn (09) and Adam Reed (08), analysts at Colorado Laws Center for Energy and Environmental Security (CEES), will be travelling to Copenhagen to present their work at the Copenhagen Climate Congress 2009. The Congress is the premier scientific lead-in meeting to the Conference-of-Parties 15 to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The Congress aims to compile existing and emerging scientific data to guide public officials in making enlightened decisions with respect to the balancing of adaptation and mitigation in the societal response to climate change. Reed and Quinn have been invited to present posters and give remarks at the Potentials and Limits of Biofuels and Integrating National and International Approaches sessions. Reed will present Life-cycle analysis and renewable fuel goals: a regulators Scylla and Charybdis. Quinn will present Attempts to insulate carbon-regulated economies from under-regulated imports, and the inadvertent integration of the worlds carbon markets under NAFTA, based on an article he published in Climate and Carbon Law Review in February 2008. Funding for their trip to Copenhagen is being provided by the CU Renewable & Sustainable Energy Initiative and the Colorado Energy Research Institute.

Professor Weiser Named to Portfolios Top Tech Policy People to Watch List

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Professor Phil Weiser was featured as a person to watch in the tech field by Portfolio Magazine. The list featured 12 people whose achievements and positions make them notable in their fields and whose influence we will likely see in the future of technology policy and innovation. Included on the list were such notables as Fred Humphries, Managing Director of Federal Affairs at Microsoft Corporation; Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), Chairman, U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce; and John Holdren, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and Co-Chair of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. The article highlighted Professor Weisers efforts to raise the profile of Colorado Law's Silicon Flatirons Center, his former position as an attorney for the Justice Department's antitrust division, his appointment as co-chair to the Federal Trade Commission review team during the Obama-Biden transition, and his new project to promote reform of the Federal Communications Commission.

18th Annual Women in Law Day a Success

Sun, 01 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The Womens Law Caucus hosted its longest-running event, Women In Law Day (WILD), this past weekend. The invite list was long and included local high school students, students accepted to Colorado Law for the fall, and current students from the University of Colorado, the University of Denver, Colorado State, Flatirons Community College and Wyoming University. Danielle Luber (10) is the WILD chair and organizer of this years event. She used connections made over the summer by members of the Womens Law Caucus to secure panelists and send out invitations. WILD aims to give women who are interested in a legal career exposure to law school and the practice of law, says Luber. The all-day event included a panel discussion given by women from five different sectors of law including the government, private practice, and in-house counsel. Several Colorado alumni who participated in the panel were Rothgerber Johnson & Lyons Partner Kristin Bronson (97), U.S. Department of Education civil rights attorney Sandra Roesti, (02), and Colorado Law School Legal Writing Professor Natalie Mack (04). A second panel consisting of Colorado Law students hosted a question and answer session and Professor Amy Schmitz presented a mock Contracts class. Students who attended felt it was an interesting and enlightening day. One attendee said she, Enjoyed being with other women to discuss law openly and honestly with students and practitioners.

Professor Hart Receives Award from Hispanic Bar Association

Sat, 31 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The Colorado Hispanic Bar Association awarded Professor Melissa Hart their Outstanding Community Service Award for 2008 at the CHBA Annual Banquet tonight. The award recognizes its recipient's contributions to the state of Colorado, its Bar, and in particular, to the members of the Hispanic Bar. Professor Hart received the award because of her work on preserving equal opportunity in Colorado, particularly her effort on the Amendment 46 question last election season. She was compelled to get involved in the equal opportunity issue because her scholarship focuses on addressing the persistent problems of stereotyping and bias which research reveals can only be solved through conscious, affirmative efforts to avoid that bias. As a law professor who sees so many of her own former students already making significant contributions to the State and to the legal profession, it reinforces for her how essential it is that Colorado continues to ensure that the community of law students in the state is one of inclusiveness and excellence. Governor Ritter and Senator Bennett also spoke at the banquet.

New Software Regulation Clearing House Launched

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The Software Regulation Clearing House, conceived of and managed by Professor Paul Ohm and funded by a grant from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, tracks governmental regulation of software development. It is a definitive online searchable database of statutes, administrative regulations, and case law¾Federal, State, and Foreign¾that either mandate or prohibit particular features or functionality in software. The Clearing House is publicly available and constantly updated to reflect changes in the law. The database currently contains more than 470 federal and state regulations. Examples include the Digital Millennium Copyright Act's anti-circumvention provisions, the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act, the Broadcast Flag, and proposed Spyware legislation. Legal scholars can look generally at state regulation of software and software developers can understand how law impacts their activities. Professor Ohm plans to add readable analysis to each of the regulations in order to make the database more accessible to non-lawyers.

Reforming the FCC Conference

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Is the Federal Communications Commission truly equipped to deal with immediate challenges that it will face? A leading group of academics, current and former Federal Communications Commission (FCC) officials, and leaders from the public interest community gathered in Washington, DC, to discuss how to reform how the FCC operates. The event was a great success, with many productive outputs. They compared future visions, explored historical lessons and, though a series of papers specially written for this conference, offered a comprehensive set of recommendations for the creation of an FCC well-prepared to confront contemporary challenges. Reforming the Federal Communications Commission is a joint project of Public Knowledge and Silicon Flatirons Center. On the website, readers can view: · Professor Phil Weiser's paper, FCC Reform and the Future of Telecommunications Policy · Response papers to Weisers paper C-SPAN covered the event. Viewers can watch videos of the following sessions: · As the conferences keynote event, former FCC members discuss the future of the commission under the new administration at the National Press Club. · "The Past as Prologue: Lessons From History on the Road to Reform" is a panel discussion moderated by Phil Weiser on how well the FCC has performed. · "The Future of the FCC as an Institution" is a panel discussion moderated by Gigi Sohn of the future of the FCC, including how the FCC can do better job in the future on issues such as managing spectrum, net neutrality, and media ownership.

Vital Projects Fund Provides Start-up Funding for New Sustainable Community Economic Development Clinic

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Law School recently received financial support from the Vital Projects Fund to launch an innovative, interdisciplinary CU clinic course for law, business, and planning students to participate in real-world sustainable community economic development projects. This new Sustainable Community Development (SCD) Clinic will provide free, comprehensive professional services for underdeveloped Colorado communities to pursue economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable opportunities. The SCD Clinic builds on Colorado Laws nationally recognized expertise in entrepreneurship, real estate, and environmental and energy law and policy. In addition, the Clinic combines the Law Schools expertise with those of the Leeds School of Business and the School of Architecture and Planning. Several community development groups and organizations have been unanimous in their support for the Clinic and some have offered potential partners on clinic projects. These groups have included: the Urban Land Conservancy, Enterprise Community Partners, the Denver Chamber of Commerce, the Colorado Enterprise Fund, Boulder Housing Partners, Housing Colorado, and Colorado Legal Services, among others. Examples of the type of cases such a clinic would accept include: · A single mother completes a nine-hour work day and looks forward to having dinner with her young children. But instead of going directly home, she must ride the bus an extra thirty minutes to get to the nearest supermarket. There is no grocery store in her struggling neighborhood. Or childcare. Or after-school activities. Or job training. What would it take to convince a developer to build commercial space in the neighborhood? Is there a local community member who might want to run her own licensed day care business? How might the community come together to cluster employment opportunities, retail needs, and vital community services in a compact, revitalized, walkable neighborhood? · A community struggles to meet the demand for affordable housing. The municipality may have some land available for new housing, but it does not have the funds for building and the land may need environmental remediation. The community would like assistance researching funding opportunities, and wants to ensure that any new housing is green as well as affordable. What kind of funds might be available to the community? How does the community find out how to build green and still stay within budget? How can urban brownfields be reclaimed safely? What are the contours of the new housing development might it include uses other than just housing? · A small business that for years supplied parts for local industry now faces closure as the local economy shifts. While traditional industry increasingly faces challenges, new businesses are opening that build on Colorados energy economy boom. How might local entrepreneurs, particularly in communities in need, tap into these emerging markets? Where might they find seed capital and training to retool for the sustainable energy economy? Questions regarding the SCD Clinic should be directed to Professor Deborah Cantrell.

Silicon Flatirons Center Hosts Law and Ethics of Networking Monitoring Conference

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

On December 5, the Silicon Flatirons Center hosted a conference on the Law and Ethics of Network Monitoring, consisting of three expert panel discussions around five different themes. (1) For Network Management v. Network Monitoring the panelists opinions varied on the level to which they felt personal data collection for advertising purposes constituted a violation of privacy. (2) With regards to Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), Mark Eckenwiler, a director at the Department of Justice (he spoke on his own behalf), believed the ECPA is technology neutral, citing the fact that while the internet did not exist when the law was written, it still has applicability. (3) Under the Consent topic, the panelists agreement that monitoring without user consent is wrong, ambiguity arose on what constitutes consent, both in terms of the law as well as the ethics. Several panelists commented that the consent exception has been relatively narrowly construed by the courts even in cases as extreme as inmates using prison phones. (4) For Responsibilities of ISPs v. other companies, the panelists discussed whether an ISP should be held to a higher standard of privacy protection than other types of companies such as Google, since an ISP provides purely transit of data and not party to the conversation as a website would be and the breadth of personal data to which an ISP has access. Arguments against different standards for ISPs focused on concerns over making distinctions in rules by company types. Regulating in a company-type specific way is in many ways analogous to technology-specific legislation they can easily be circumvented on technicalities. (5) For Non-legal Regulation of Network Monitoring, federal or state legislation is not the only way to enforce, or at least encourage, some level of restraint in monitoring. Read a complete summary of the conference.

Colorado Law receives $5 million endowed gift from litigator, Quiznos founders

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

For University of Colorado at Boulder Law School students, experiential education is about applied learning -- acquiring experience and skills by working as lawyers on actual, current cases for clients in need. Thanks to a new $5 million endowed chair donated to the law school by local philanthropists Richard F. and Rick E. Schaden, Colorado Law students will be better equipped to incorporate real-world practice into their schooling. The endowment, donated by the Schaden Family Fund, will enhance Colorado Law's clinical programs, externships, appellate and moot-court competitions, and voluntary pro bono work. It will enable the hiring of a senior professor to oversee the school's experiential education programs, and allow more students to participate. "With the Schaden Chair in Experiential Learning, we will establish and staff an Experiential Education Program that builds linkages with faculty involved in experiential education and those doing traditional classroom teaching," said David H. Getches, dean of Colorado Law. "The Schadens' gift allows us to strengthen our program, and acknowledges the importance of experiential education," said Colorado Law associate professor and director of clinical programs Deborah Cantrell. Colorado Law has been a leader in hands-on legal education since the school was one of the nation's first to establish its legal aid and defender clinic 60 years ago. Today, students can get academic credit working on cases in one of Colorado Law's nine clinics, in areas ranging from civil and criminal cases to entrepreneurial law to American Indian law. In addition to helping students connect theory with practice, Colorado Law's clinics provide free legal services for underserved clients who could otherwise not afford assistance. Another aspect of Colorado Law experiential education is externships, in which 70 students now participate, at government agencies, corporate legal offices, nonprofits or private law firms. Students also gain experience in moot court competitions --Colorado Law's teams are among the best among U.S. law schools, with one team winning a national championship last year, and another placing second in the nation's most prestigious competition. In November, the Colorado Law team won the regional finals in the National Moot Court competition and will soon compete in the national championship in New York. "In addition to giving greater coherence to our entire curriculum, from the theoretical to the practical, Colorado Law's Experiential Learning Program involves our students in the community -- instilling the legal profession's ideal of service to society, and meeting the needs of underserved people," said Getches. "I believe that experiential education is essential," said Richard F. Schaden. "This concept gives lawyers in training an opportunity to deal with real people with real problems." The endowment will help Colorado Law forge links between these programs and classroom curriculum. "Suppose a student chooses to take my Family Law clinic, because they're really interested in family law," Cantrell said. "There may be a trial or moot-court competition related to it -- but they don't hear about it, because there's no central location where they can find these sorts of resources. This gift will enable these connections to be made." The $5 million endowment is the largest of several recent Colorado Law gifts involving the Schadens. Richard Schaden provided substantial support for the Wolf Law Building, and another 2007 gift enabled the law school to double student moot-court participation. Richard F. Schaden, of Boulder County, is an aeronautical engineer, businessman, restaurateur, highly recognized trial lawyer, and founding partner of the aviation and public-interest law firm Schaden, Katzman, Lampert and McClune. His son Rick E. Schaden of Denver, graduated magna cum laude from the University of Colorado at Denver in 1987, and is founder, chairman, and (with his father) majority shareholder of Quiznos, building the company since 1991 to more than 5,000 franchises worldwide. Both Schadens are founding partners of Consumer Capital Partners, a nationally recognized private investment, concept development, strategic advisory, and causal marketing firm that is actively developing new restaurant and retail concepts including Smashburger, its latest. A video news release on Colorado Law legal clinics is available on the CU-Boulder news Web site at www.colorado.edu/news.

Winner of the 2009 Regional National Moot Court Competition

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Laws Rothgerber Moot Court board proudly hosted the November Regional 11 round of the nations most prestigious moot court competitionThe National Moot Court Competition. To make it to semi-finals, a team had to be undefeated in both preliminary rounds, and the Colorado Law was the only school to have both of its teams make it to the semi-finals of the twelve teams from Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming law schools. Colorado Laws Petitioners team was Amy Kramer, Melanie Jordan, and Ben Parrott. The Respondents team of Don Andrews, Thea Mustari, and Joe Neguse won First Place and Best Brief. Neguse won the competitions Best Oralist Award for his masterful performance arguing both sides of his issue. The two issues were 1) does Section 2 of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act exceed Congress' power under the Fourteenth Amendment and violate the Establishment Clause and 2) does the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act limit tuition reimbursement only to children who have received public special education and related services through attendance at a public school? The final round against the University of Utah was judged by District Judge John L. Wheeler; the Solicitor General for the State of Colorado, Dan Domenico; and attorney Alan Jensen. Mike Wautlet 08 of Faegre & Benson, who was a member of last years regional first-place and national second-place team, expertly coached the two teams, assisted by student coach Tyrone Glover. Andrews, Mustari, and Neguse will travel to New York to represent Region 11 in February at Nationals. More than 50 attorneys, judges, and faculty participated in the competition, as judges and in scoring briefs. Hugh Q. Gottschalk of the American College of Trial Lawyers presented the awards to the participants.

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Professor Hart Files Title VII Brief with US. Supreme Court

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Professor Hart authored and filed a brief with the US Supreme Court today on behalf of the National Women's Law Center and 35 other civil rights organizations. The amicus brief supports the position of respondent Noreen Hulteen in AT&T v. Hulteen, a case the Court will hear this spring. The case presents the question whether a company violates Title VII's prohibition against sex discrimination when it calculates an employees benefits with a penalty on pregnancy leave taken before the passage of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978. First-year student Louis Brands Savage and second-year student Zachary Mountin volunteered their time, as part of the Public Service Pledge Program, to serve as research assistants for this pro bono project.

New JD/LLB Dual Degree Program with Alberta

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Law and the University of Alberta announced a new and ambitious international Dual Degree Program today. Students will be able to earn a J.D. and its Canadian equivalent, an LL.B (Bachelor of Laws), in this four-year program, spending two years at each school. In North America, foreign trade has become more common for even the smallest business and a need for lawyers versed in multiple legal systems has emerged. According to the Office of the United States Trade Representative, from 1993 to 2007, trade among the NAFTA nations more than tripled, from $297 billion to $930 billion. Additionally, business investment in the United States has risen by 117 percent since 1993. Law degrees from both the United States and Canada will prepare students to serve Denver law firm clients conducting business internationally, offering them a distinct advantage in this job market. National law firms are becoming global firms, representing international securities firms, investment management companies, and other financial institutions on pertinent regulatory issues. A lawyer with this dual degree can cover any transnational issues in cross-border securities, transactional, commercial, insurance litigation, subrogation, recovery, immigration, real estate, or energy and natural resource law. We are delighted to forge this alliance that builds on the strengths and common interests of two great schools, said Colorado Law School Dean David Getches. It will open new opportunities for study and career development for our students and research and teaching for our faculties. The two law schools have similar centers and programs in natural resources, energy, constitutional, health, business, jurisprudence, and native people law. Attending the Signing Ceremony was CU-Boulder Chancellor G.P. "Bud" Peterson, Dean Getches, Alberta Dean of Law David Percy, Alberta Professor Wayne Renke, Jamie Canton from the Consulate General of Canada Office in Denver, and numerous CU-Boulder faculty and students. This is the first program of its kind in Western Canada, said Dean Percy. In an era of increasing internationalization, it will offer exciting opportunities to University of Alberta students and especially for students who plan to practice in Alberta, with its heavy reliance on north-south trade. Like CU, the University of Alberta is a top-ranked institute. It is listed among the top 60 global universities by Newsweek and is one of Canadas largest research-intensive universities. Colorado Law offers seven additional dual degree programs in conjunction with other CU schools, including masters of business administration, public administration, science in telecommunications, urban and regional planning, and environmental science, and doctorates in environmental science and medicine.

Class of 08 Celebrates 94% Bar Passage

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Law graduates who took the Colorado bar exam for the first time this July achieved a 94% passage rate, compared to a 78% passage rate for the state. In the past 27 years, the Colorado Law July bar passage rate for first-time takers has dropped below a 90% only five times. In 1997 and 1999, the rate reached 97%. Also, congratulations to Celene Shepard (08) who attained the third highest score on Arizonas July bar exam.

Professor Robert Nagel Publishes Book Describing the Driving Force Behind Judicial Activism

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Professor Nagels fourth and latest book, Unrestrained: Judicial Excess and the Mind of the American Lawyer, explores the driving force behind judicial activism. This book examines judicial appointments over the past 40 years and how despite the fact that they have been largely by republican presidents, activism continues to appear in majority of Supreme Court decisions. Professor Nagel observes that every justice put on the court during that period of time has commented that the court needs to be restrained by applying law, not making it. However, this has not happened in practice. The book explains that the basic reason for this begins with the way we train modern American lawyers. The way that they are trained to think in school removes the restraints and impediments that should bind judges. Judges tend to be very capable, well-educated and successful lawyers. Professor Nagel argues that once they have been socialized by those experiences, its hard not to be extremely aggressive in the use of power. The background ideas and assumptions that are at play today are influenced by legal realism movement and critical legal studies. The book notes that these types of judicial decisions often stifle disagreement and censor important beliefs and important traditions. In this way, it is a pertinent issue for all citizens. The book has been hailed by critics as a unique, well-executed, and insightful.

Professor Hart Interviewed on KCPR about Amendment 46

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Listen to the interview. Professor Melissa Hart spoke with Colorado Matters host Ryan Warner today about Amendment 46 and its potential effects on Colorado. The measure is designed to prohibit discrimination and preferential treatment by Colorado government. Hart, who has been working against the measure on her own time not-affiliated with CU, argues that the amendment is not directed at eliminating quotas or point systems since these are already illegal in Colorado. Instead, she warns that the measure will abolish, modest equal opportunity programs like training, outreach, and mentoring that enable communities who have traditionally been underrepresented in education, employment, and in the economic life of our community to have a fair chance to participate. These programs have increased the economic diversity and accomplishment of our state. This amendment will likely impact Colorado Law. Hart urges voters to look at what happened in California and Michigan, where similar measures were passed. Their college and graduate school classrooms saw a dramatic reduction in the representation of different cultural backgrounds and racial groups. Eliminating those programs is just a bad idea as a matter of policy for our state.

Clinic Receives Cy Pres Award from Alumnus

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Alumnus Robert Hill (70) and co-counsel John Evans, Avi Rocklin, Tom McFarland, and Gabriel McFarland led a class action suit against Shelter Mutual Insurance Company for not disclosing all the terms of coverage to persons buying insurance. As part of the negotiated settlement, Hill and his co-counsel successfully requested that the court award about $10,000 of cy pres funds to Colorado Laws Clinical Education Program. The Clinical Program will use the money to support its legal work on behalf of indigent clients. Clinic Director Deborah Cantrell noted, We are so grateful when Colorado Law alumni find opportunities to support the Law Schools public service tradition. Cy pres awards are integral to the Clinical Programs ability to fully represent its low-income clients.

Colorado Law Professors Join Top Law Schools as Visiting Faculty

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Three of Colorado Laws professors were invited to be visiting professors at the nations top law schools. Professor Phil Weiser is spending the Fall of 2008 teaching at New York Universitys School of Law in New York City. He graduated from NYU in 1994 and is returning to his alma mater to teach a Law and Innovation Seminar and a Telecommunications Law course. At Colorado Law, Professor Weiser founded the Journal on Telecommunications & High Technology Law and the Silicon Flatirons Center for Law, Technology, and Entrepreneurship. He teaches in the areas of telecommunications and information policy. This fall, Professor Lakshman Guruswamy is visiting the University of California Berkeley Boalt Hall School of Law. He is on a research sabbatical to investigate issues surrounding energy justice. At Colorado Law, Professor Guruswamy teaches International Law, International Environmental Law, and U.S. Environmental Law, and is widely published in these subjects in legal and scientific journals and is also the Director of the Center for Energy & Environmental Security. Professor Laura Spitz is visiting Emory Law School in Atlanta, Georgia, for the 200809 academic year, and teaching courses in bankruptcy and commercial transactions. At Colorado Law, she teaches Contracts, Advanced Contracts, Commercial Transactions, and Bankruptcy. Her research focuses on the effects of economic integration and trade liberalization on transnational and domestic regulation in North America.

Professor Ohm Talks with the New York Times About Privacy on the Internet

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Professor Paul Ohm is featured as a legal expert in the Bits section of The New York Times. This section focuses on the technology industry, including government policies. The article profiles Professor Ohms latest paper, The Rise and Fall of Invasive ISP Surveillance, and discusses how Internet service providers (ISPs) are using new technologies to track what their customers are doing online, including what sites they visit, what they download, and what they purchase. ISPs have been planning to sell this information to advertisers so that they can more effectively target consumers. Even though Congress has growled loudly enough to get Internet service providers to back off their plans to sell information about their customers Web surfing to advertising companies, one prominent legal expert argues that the law governing the issue should still be made tougher. (New York Times) Professor Ohm feels that monitoring individuals on the internet threatens privacy and his paper addresses this issue. The paper asserts that internet privacy should be protected under the Electronic Communication Privacy Act. Although this law was originally enacted to regulate telephone companies, the laws should also apply to some of the monitoring that ISPs engage in as well. While some monitoring is okay, it should be limited to sniffing out hackers and other security issues. Additionally, Professor Ohm feels, the law is overly complex and ambiguous, and should be clarified. His article proposes simplifying the overall structure and making it harder for customers to waive their privacy rights.

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Law Invited to Inaugural Moot Court National Championship

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

As one of the top 16 moot court programs in the nation, Colorado Law has been invited to participate in the inaugural Moot Court National Championship, hosted by the Blakely Advocacy Institute at the University of Houston Law Center in January 2009. Programs will earn points through strong performances in major moot court tournaments throughout the United States. In the trial advocacy world, the NITA Tournament of Champions has done wonderful things to put outstanding students and programs on display, as well as to tighten the community, said Gabrielle Marks Stafford, Director of Colorado Laws Moot Court Programs and the faculty coach. A moot court analogue is a welcome, welcome thing.

Colorado Law Welcomes This Year's New and Visiting Faculty

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Dean Getches, the faculty, staff, and students welcome the new and visiting faculty for the academic year 2008-09. Four new full-time faculty members will join Colorado Law this fall as associate professors. · William Boyd is an energy lawyer at Covington & Burling in Washington, DC, and received his JD from Stanford Law School and a PhD and MA from the University of California at Berkeley. Catharine DuBois will be our new legal writing professor. She is currently an Associate at Jenner & Block in Chicago and worked as an Associate for Jones Day in New York. She served as a judicial clerk to the Honorable Steven D. Merryday of the U.S. District Court in Florida. She received her J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center and a B.A. from Indiana University in Bloomington. · Andrew A. Schwartz is an intellectual property lawyer at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz in New York and received his JD from Columbia University School of Law. · Harry Surden is the inaugural fellow at the Stanford Center for Computers and the Law (CodeX) and received his JD from Stanford Law School. The visiting faculty members for next year include: · Professor Hannah Garry has graciously agreed to spend a second year teaching Public International Law, International Arbitration, and International Law, in addition to exciting skills-based experiences for students. · Professor Aya Gruber will join Colorado Law next spring from Florida International University College of Law, teaching International Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure. · Professor Maureen Weston 92 will visit this fall from Pepperdine, teaching Legal Ethics & Professionalism and Alternative Dispute Resolution. · Mr. Young Kim will be a Scholar In Residence, bringing corporate and international business expertise to teach three courses, including International Business Transactions and Advanced Contracts. Mr. Kim, who holds an appointment as a Fulbright Senior Specialist through 2012, is at Williams, Bax & Saltzman in Chicago.

Professor Collins Speaks about Telluride Land Case on NPR

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Professor Collins Speaks about Telluride Land Case on NPR Listen to the interview: Telluride State Supreme Court Ruling and Private Landowners. Today, Professor Rick Collins spoke on NPRs Colorado Matters (KCFR), regarding a recent Colorado Supreme Court case in which the justices decided that that the southeastern town of Telluride could take land outside its city limits in order to protect an undeveloped piece of land. KCFRs Ryan Warner also interviewed House Minority Leader Mike May regarding this case and about concerns of property rights advocates. May is proposing a constitutional amendment that would be on the ballot by 2010, at the soonest. When asked what protection landowners have against their property being condemn, Professor Collins said, The most important constitutional protection for landowners is always the requirement for just compensation, which deters any jurisdiction from condemning property. It has to pay for it. Moreover, the particular procedures under Colorado law are a better guarantee of payment than is generally true in some other states. One must have a statute authorizing it, so if a city wants to condemn property, its own ordinances must authorize the condemnation ordinance. The Issue Telluride residents claim that a $50 million, 570-acre meadow on the northwestern side of their town helps preserve the town's historic character so they want it conserved for open space. The land, however, is outside its boundaries. The June 2 court ruling affirmed the earlier San Miguel District Court decision and found the state constitution allows home-rule municipalities to condemn property for any lawful, public, local, and municipal purpose, rejecting developers' arguments to overturn the town's use of eminent domain. A law passed in 2004 made it illegal for cities and towns to condemn land for open space, park, or recreational purposes. Read the Colorado Supreme Court Case No. 07SA101, Town of Telluride v. San Miguel Valley Corp.

Professor Hart Debates Affirmative Action Initiatives on TV

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Watch or read the public television Democracy Now debate. Watch the NBC Your Show debate. On two television appearances this week, Professor Melissa Hart spoke against anti-affirmative Amendment 46, which will be on the ballot this November. She volunteers as President of Coloradans for Equal Opportunity, a group that is opposed to Amendment 46 (Initiative 31). She is one of the authors of a competing amendment, Colorado Equal Opportunity Initiative or Initiative 61, which would allow Colorado to maintain its affirmative action programs. On the June 29 Channel 9 "YourShow" and the June 30 Democracy Now television programs, Professor Hart debated the merits of affirmative action programs with Jessica Peck Corry, the Executive Director of the Colorado Civil Rights Initiative, which is the name of the proposed anti-affirmative action constitutional amendment, Amendment 46. She is also the Director of the Campus Accountability Project and Property Rights Project at the Independence Institute, a Colorado-based free market think tank. Washington, California, and Michigan already have similar initiatives and Arizona, Colorado, and Nebraska will all be voting this November to end affirmative-action programs. Affirmative-action opponents failed to gather enough signatures in Missouri and Oklahoma to get their initiatives on the state ballots. Ms. Corry believes that, We have class-based problems in this country. In Colorado, in particular, we have about a 70% white population. We have incredible levels of advantage or disadvantage based on geography, based on parent income and theres not a single affirmative action program that would be destroyed through this initiative if these programs are open to everybody based on race and gender. Professor Hart rebutted with, I cant disagree that theres a class-based problem in the country that also needs addressing, but class is not the only issue and there are still disadvantages in our society that come with being a woman or minority, regardless of your family income. People face discrimination on a regular basis. If this initiative passes, programs such as a CU program that gives girls interested in engineering and math an opportunity to develop that interest in high school.

Professor Guruswamy Addresses World Renewable Energy Congress

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Professor Lakshman Guruswamy has been asked to give the plenary address at the World Renewable Energy Congress (WREC) in Glasgow, Scotland, this July. The proposed topic of Professor Guruswamys speech is based on a current Center for Energy and Environmental Security project titled, Global Warming, Energy Insecurity and Energy Justice: The Path Not Taken. Professor Guruswamy will focus on the idea that any reaction to dilemmas caused by global warming should not be undertaken at the expenditure of the energy poor. He says that, the term energy poor refers to over a billion and a half people that live in rural and urban slum areas without electricity, and includes the nearly billion and a quarter impoverished humans who live on less than one dollar a day. To be invited to deliver a plenary address along with some of the most influential renewable energy experts and decision-makers in the world is an honor, stated Professor Guruswamy. WREC is a conference held every two years where energy experts participate in the conversation of energy. The U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the European Commission are among the prestigious organizations sponsoring the conference.

Law Students Win ACS Moot Court Competition

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Two of Colorado Laws most recent graduates Patrick Theissen and Cash Parker won the finals of the American Constitution Societys (ACS) Constance Baker Motley National Moot Court Competition. Held today at the ACS Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, the final argument was against a team from Berkeley and judged by Judge William Fletcher of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, Judge Richard Roberts of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, and Justice Peter Rubin of the Court of Appeals of Massachusetts. Student coach Grant Sullivan said that our students did an exceptional job against some extremely strong competition. Thank you for all your hard work and support of this competition. Congratulations to Cash, Patrick, Melissa Hart, Grant, and to all who worked with our victorious team, said Associate Dean Dayna Matthew. In the semi-final rounds, the Colorado Law team had won against a Georgetown team at Georgetown, and Berkeley had defeated Duke at the competition held at Colorado Law School in March.

NRLC Holds Annual Summer Conference

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The Natural Resources Law Center held its annual summer conference at the Law School June 4-6. This years theme for the conference was Shifting Baselines and New Meridians Water, Resources, Landscapes, and the Transformation of the American West. The conference examined the effects on the West due to population growth and Climate change and how these factors are beginning to affect the legal and political institutions. Director of the NRLC and professor, Mark Squillace, said that the legal and political institutions that evolved to manage these natural resources have, for the most part, served us well, but it is far from clear that these institutions are capable of adapting as quickly and as extensively as may be necessary to serve us in the future. Several of the panels included Water for the 21st Century, The Urbanizing West Limits to Water, Limits to Growth, and The Politics of Change and Natural Resources. Noteworthy was a lively exchange between Lynn Scarlett who is the current Bush Administration Deputy Secretary of the Department of the Interior and David Hayes who is the former Deputy Secretary of the Department of the Interior under the Clinton Administration, on the issue of natural resources as it should be addressed in the upcoming elections and by the next administration.

CU Law Wins Alumni Golf Tournament

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Law alumni brought home the boot! At the 6th Annual CU vs. DU Law Alumni Golf Tournament: "Battle for the Barrister's Boot." The teams playing for CU had a higher average, thereby winning the highly coveted Barrister's Boot Trophy for their alma mater to proudly display. The weather was perfect again this year for an afternoon of golf and dinner for the 85 golfers at the Pinehurst Country Club. All proceeds from yesterday's event go to benefit scholarship funds at both schools. Thank you to our generous sponsors: Gold Sponsors Baker & Hostetler Merchant & Gould Silver Sponsors Greenberg Traurig Kamlet Shepherd Lindquist & Vennum Montgomery Little Soran & Murray Wheeler Trigg Kennedy Hole Sponsors BKD Holland & Hart Hole-in-One Sponsor Terry Minnick of Mercedes Benz of Littleton Beer Sponsors Superior Liquor Boulder Beer Water Bottle/Program Sponsor Colin Kresock of Moreton Risk Services Special Thanks GolfTec Teching Professionals

Professor Hart Successful in Getting Initiative 61 Approved by Court

Fri, 23 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The Colorado Supreme Court ruled today in favor of a group of clients represented by Professor Melissa Hart in a pro bono election law project. Professor Hart has been representing three Colorado citizens seeking to put an initiative on the November ballot that would offer an alternative approach to the States nondiscrimination obligation. The supporters of Initiative #61 proposed their initiative (which they call the Colorado Equal Opportunity Initiative) in response to an initiative placed on the ballot by Californian Ward Connerly. The Connerly Initiative, which mirrors provisions passed in California and Michigan, would eliminate all affirmative action by the State of Colorado. The Colorado Equal Opportunity Initiative states a clear disapproval of discrimination and illegal preferential treatment, but preserves the States ability to act consistently with the U.S. Constitution and to enact modest equal opportunity programs. The case in the Supreme Court had raised the question whether Initiative #61 met the single-subject standards required to set a title for a ballot initiative. The Supreme Court found that it did meet those standards. Proponents of Initiative #61 may now begin collecting signatures to place the initiative on the ballot. As often happens in these disputes, however, the proponents had already begun to pursue other options, and had drafted a second alternative initiative this one #82. Professor Hart has been representing the proponents as this second alternative makes its way through the administrative process for inclusion on the ballot. This pro bono work is one of many election-related matters for which Colorado Law professors and students have taken an interest. This spring, 1L Jeff Rezmovic provided the impetus for an Election Law student organization. Students participated actively in the caucuses, and are planning to continue involvement in the election cycle at all levels in the fall.

Colorado Law Hosts Mock Medical Malpractice Trial

Thu, 15 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Law and the CU-Denver School of Medicine have collaborated on creating one of the first of its kind in the country and possibly unprecedented medical malpractice course to help medical students practice in a litigious society. Associate Dean Dayna Matthew, CU-Denver Counsel Patrick ORourke, and School of Medicine professor of ethics Jackie Glover created the medical schools malpractice course to cover all facets of a court case including depositions to the actual trial. Medical students learn about legal proceedings in case they will need to interact with the legal system whether it is for a malpractice suit or if they are called upon as an expert witness. They are also taught how to avoid medical malpractice. At yesterdays first mock medical malpractice trial, held at the Wolf Law Building, all CU fourth-year medical students served as jurors in the trial. After watching the proceedings from depositions to closing arguments, the students were called on to render a verdict.

Commencement 2008

Sat, 10 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The morning started with breakfast in Boettcher Hall followed by the faculty procession across the Boulder campus to the Coors Events Center, led by the traditional bagpipes. The faculty and staff applauded the Class of 08 as it proceeded into the Center while the Boulder Brass played Pomp and Circumstance. This is the first time that the Law School Commencement has been held at the Coors Events Center. The Commencement Ceremony started at 9 am with a welcome speech by Dean David Getches. Professor Paul Campos recognized the members of the Order of the Coif and presented the Honorary Order of the Coif to Jim R. Carrigan, a former Colorado Law professor and has dedicated his 55-year legal career to public service and education. Judge Carrigan was a Colorado Supreme Court Justice, U.S. District Judge for the District of Colorado, Regent of the University of Colorado, and professor. Class President Michael Wautlet made an excellent speech recounting the past three years and reflecting the change students have gone through. Class Vice President Christopher Fry recognized student and faculty awards, while Class Treasurer Tina Wainright presented the class gift, a memorial fund established in the memory of Jenn Shelton. The Class of 2008 Jennifer Lee Shelton Memorial Scholarship was established after she unexpectedly passing away this past December. Jenns parents, Jerry and Jan Shelton, were at the ceremony and accepted her degree posthumously on behalf of their daughter. Class Secretary Joseph Chen introduced the keynote speaker, Chief Judge Robert Henry of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit in Oklahoma. His speech included laughter, reflection, and the bible story of Abraham arguing with God to spare the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Judge Henry ended his speech with comparison: like Abraham, lawyers should argue with judges, and like God, judges will sometimes accede to the arguments. Unique to this years commencement, the Class of 2008 asked a for a Native American song and drum presentation, which was performed by Good Feather Drum Group. Finally, Registrar Cindy Gibbons read the names of each graduate who received their diploma from Associate Dean Dayna Matthew and from Dean Getches. As tradition, Dean Getches read the Charge by Dean Emeritus Don Sears (Dean, 1968-1973). The Sears Charge You have now received the Juris Doctor degree. Please do not take undue pride in this title, for in the final analysis the test of your professional fitness will lie not in your title, but rather in your service to society and in the extent to which you combine professional skills with humane concern, legal learning with intense integrity, great energy with high ideals. What kind of lawyer you will be depends in large part on the kind of person you are. I hope you may continue to grow and that, in the years to come, you will live the most challenging life of all: the life of the mind, the life of service. To you all, we wish great success in your chosen profession.

Tom Lustig, Natural Resources Litigation Clinic Professor and Alumnus, Passes Away

Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Tom Lustig 74, the senior staff attorney of the National Wildlife Federations Rocky Mountain Natural Resource Center and Adjunct Professor for Colorado Laws Natural Resource Litigation Clinic, passed away May 8 due to complications with his ongoing battle with cancer. It is with profound sadness that I let you know of the passing of our dear colleague, friend, and alumnus Tom Lustig, said Dean Getches. He has brightened our lives and gave us, our students, and the environmental issues for which he fought his best, and that was an enormous gift and legacy. A memorial service was held at his residence in Boulder. In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established. The Tom Lustig Memorial Fund is part of the NWF. Donations can be made in one of three ways: (1) by calling the NWFs toll free number 1-800-822-9919; contributions can be made by credit card and donors should specify that the gift is in memory of Tom; (2) online with a credit card; click on Donate Now then the green tab that states other ways to donate then memorial and tribute programs; and (3) by personal check noting the Tom Lustig Memorial Fund, attention to Pattie Beattie at the National Wilflife Fund, 11100 Wildlife Center Drive in Reston, Virginia 20190.

Alumnus Norman Brownstein Receives the University Medal at Commencement

Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

CU-Boulder honored seven people at the May 9 spring commencement ceremony. During the ceremony, CU-Boulder presented the University Medal to Norman Brownstein 68 in recognition of his significant contributions to the civic, cultural, political, and business lives of Colorado citizens. He is a founding member and chairman of the board of the Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck law firm. He is nationally recognized for his experience in real estate law, commercial transactions, and public policy advocacy, and was named one of the "100 Most Influential Lawyers in America" by the National Law Journal. Outside of his legal work, Brownstein is well known for his commitment to the health and wellness of Colorado citizens. He has given to numerous charities in the health sciences disciplines and spent countless hours serving as current or past director of organizations such as the National Jewish Center for Immunology and Respiratory Medicine and Rose Medical Center. Brownstein also has been a major supporter of CU's Anschutz Medical Campus, the Colorado Law, and other CU academic and athletic programs. Also at the commencement ceremony, CU-Boulder presented honorary doctoral degrees to Sister Helen Prejean, William E. "Bud" Davis, David L. DiLaura, David Wilson Jr., Long-Sheng Ma, and Dale N. Hatfield.

Bintliff, Meas, & Jackson Honored at CU Alumni Association Awards Ceremony

Wed, 07 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Several members of the Colorado Law community received awards at the CU-Boulder Alumni Associations 78th Annual Alumni Awards Ceremony this evening. Professor Barbara Bintliff was awarded the 2008 Robert L. Stearns Award. In addition, two Colorado alumni Judge Charles Dennis Maes 72 and Gary M. Jackson 70 were awarded the 2008 George M. Norlin Award. Barbara Bintliff, the Nicholas Rosenbaum Professor of Law and director of the William A. Wise Law Library, was presented the Stearns Award in recognition of her extraordinary contributions to the university. The Stearns Award recognizes achievement of members of the current CU-Boulder faculty and staff. Professor Bintliff was one of the first women at CU-Boulder to hold an endowed chair, served as Chair of the Boulder Faculty Assembly and the Boulder Athletics Board, served on the Chancellors Executive Committee and the previous Presidential Search Committee, and much more. The George Norlin Award, the Associations highest aware, recognizes the most outstanding CUBoulder alumni who throughout their lives have demonstrated a commitment to excellence in their chosen field and a devotion to the betterment of society and their community. Mr. Jackson is a partner at DiManna & Jackson. Alumnus W. Sonny Harold Flowers, Jr. 71 of Hurth, Yeager, Sisk & Blakemore nominated Mr. Jackson because of his efforts at building our Colorado community. He added, This award is so richly deserved. Gary has contributed in so many ways to the lives of so many. Please spread the light! Judge Maes is the Chief Judge for the 10th Judicial District. Alumna Bernadette Langbein 78 nominated Judge Maes because he has been heavily involved with multiple initiatives in his effort to get Pueblo youth and their families away from the courts and back into the schools. This is in addition to his countless hours in the court and support of young lawyers and judges throughout the state.

Silicon Flatirons Center Launches Entrepreneurs Unplugged

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

On April 24, 2008, the Silicon Flatirons Center launched Entrepreneurs Unplugged, an initiative which provides a meeting place for students, faculty and community members with technical or business backgrounds and an interest in entrepreneurship. Each monthly Entrepreneur's Unplugged meeting will feature food, drink and - most importantly - an experienced entrepreneur to discuss his/her start-up experiences. The new Silicon Flatirons series resumes in September and will continue during the 2008-09 school year. The April 24 meeting attracted an overflow audience of 100 attendees from across engineering, business and law. Guest entrepreneur Dan Caruso, founder and CEO of the Zayo Group, provided information about his experience as one of the leading technology entrepreneurs in Colorado. Jason Mendelson, Managing Director of the Foundry Group (and a leading venture capital firm) and Robert Reich of Me.dium (who founded and leads the New Tech MeetUp) moderated a question and answer session between the audience and Dan. Other notable guests included Paul Jerde and Steve Lawrence of the Deming Center (the Business Schools entrepreneurship arm), and Kurt Smith from the Engineering Management Program, who announced the engineering schools e-ship program.

Professor Squillace Discusses Sustainability

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

This morning on KGNU (88.5 FM Boulder), Professor Mark Squillace discussed sustainability as a part of a greater discussion on Earth Week. The full broadcast of Professor Squillaces discussion is available on the KGNU website.

1L Oral Argument Competition

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

At the end of each year, first-year law students participate in an oral argument competition for the chance to win the title of Best Oralist and 2nd Place Oralist. Each legal writing professor selects the top four oral advocates from each of their Appellate Court Advocacy class to participate in the competition. This years 12 semi-finalists included: Richard Chandler, Erica Chavez, Hillary Cohn, Grant Fevurly, Jonathan Geiger, Katie Gray, Jason Greene, Gordon Hadfield, Rachel Mentz, Trina Ruhland, Ben Schler, and Ashley Spicer. The first round of arguments took place on Saturday, April 19, where 6 finalists were selected to compete in the final rounds. Those finalists included: Hillary Cohn, Gordon Hadfield, Rachel Mentz, Trina Ruhland, Ben Schler, and Ashley Spicer. The finals were held in the Wittemyer Courtroom on Monday, April 21, where Ashley Spicer won the competition and runner-up honors went to Ben Schler. The judges presiding on the bench were third-year Moot Court Board members Todd Blair, Melanie Jordan, Ben Meade, Grant Sullivan, Trevor Updegraff, and Michael Wautlet.

Justice Sandra Day O'Connor Imparts Wisdom to Students

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Law and the Center of the American West collaborated to sponsor a visit by former Justice Sandra Day OConnor. Having stepped down from office, the U.S. Supreme Court's 102nd Justice and its first female member spoke candidly about her place in history. In her private talk at the law school today, she discussed her career, advising students to take opportunities even if it is not a top position right away. Students asked questions about her Supreme Court decisions on affirmative action, taxes, and Indian law. Justice OConnor also spoke about the rule of law and independent judiciary, citing differences in state judiciary systems and opining about recent state proposals. She advised students to care about the judiciary in the stare youre in and encourage them to be responsible, impartial, and fair. Justice O'Connor is a native westerner and the coauthor of the memoir Lazy B: Growing Up on a Cattle Ranch in the American Southwest, a collaboration between Justice O'Connor and her brother Alan that recounts their experiences growing up on a ranch along the Arizona-New Mexico border. The Center presented her with the 2008 Wallace Stegner Award, given to individuals who have contributed to the culture and identity of the American West.

Professor Hart Files Supreme Court Amicus Brief

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Associate Professor Melissa Hart filed an amicus brief in the case of Crawford v. Metropolitan Government of Nashville that will appear before the United States Supreme Court next term. The case looks at the issue of whether an employee is entitled to legal protection from retribution following an employer-initiated investigation into accusations of sexual harassment. The brief looks at the social science aspect and specifically at the research that illustrates the residual damage from sexual harassment, the reluctance and fear of victims in reporting sexual harassment, and the role employers can play in dissuading harassment and support the reporting of harassment. The brief was filed on behalf of the National Womens Law Center and 31 other organizations including the AARP, the ACLU, and the National Partnerships for Women and Families.

Urban and Indoor Air Pollution in Developing World Discussed by CEES

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Laws Center for Energy and Environmental Security and Camco Global hosted a discussion last night on urban and indoor pollution problems in the developing world. The "Fuel For Life: Energy Justice For The Developing World" conference featured leading innovators and entrepreneurs working to address urban and indoor air pollution in the developing world through improved transportation and cooking technologies. "Cooking is a universal part of life, but for the over 1.5 billion people who depend on coal and traditional biomass for their indoor cooking and boiling of water, it is also a source of disease and death," said Professor Lakshman Guruswamy, director of the center. "Pollution from cooking on an open fire or with a traditional stove results in the premature death of over 1.5 million children and women from pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, lung cancer and asthma, and also causes chronic respiratory ailments and debilitating sickness." Speakers included Professor Bryan Willson and Paul Hudnut. Willson is a professor of mechanical engineering at Colorado State University and founder of the school's Engines and Energy Conversion Laboratory. He is also the founder and co-founder of numerous sustainable energy companies and nonprofits, including Solix Biofuels and Envirofit International. Hudnut is founder of CSU's Global Social and Sustainable Enterprise Program, co-director of the school's Global Innovation Center for Energy, Health and the Environment and co-founder of Envirofit International. He also teaches entrepreneurship at the College of Business. According to Guruswamy, both Willson and Hudnut are pioneering the design of retrofits that dramatically reduce pollution caused by millions of two-stroke engine vehicles. They estimated they could reduce two-stroke pollution by 90 percent using clean, fuel-efficient direct injection technology. Two-stroke engines emit extremely high levels of particulates that annually result in thousands of deaths, many more thousands of cases of respiratory illness and other social and environmental ills in Asian cities, said Guruswamy.

CU Law to Host 2009 National NALSA Moot Court Competition

Sat, 12 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

CU Law to Host 2009 National NALSA Moot Court Competition Colorado Law, along with the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, have won the bid to co-host the 2009 National Native American Law Students Association annual moot court competition. The bid award was made at the NNALSA annual conference in Albuquerque in early April of this year. The competition is scheduled to take place in late February 2009, and will be held in various loctions throughout the Wolf Law Building. Gerald Harris, president of Colorado Laws NALSA says, Whats really exciting is that the competition, as good as we hope it turns out to be, will be but a part of a larger event that will include an Indian law conference, cultural events, and much more. Recent host law schools include Arizona State (2008), University of Minnesota (2007), and UCLA (2006). Approximately 60-80 teams are expected to compete, but the number could be as high as 100. Harris also says that more information on volunteer opportunities will be sent out later this year.

Federal Broadband Policy Needed: Editorial by Professor Weiser

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

An editorial by Professor Phil Weiser titled Broadband For All in todays Rocky Mountain News. Read full article. By all accounts, broadband is the fastest growing consumer electronics technology in U.S. history. Nonetheless, other countries have enjoyed faster growth in their adoption of broadband, spurring concerns that the U.S. is losing its status as a leader in the Internet age. There are a number of reasons why the international comparisons are questionable, but those reasons do not justify the lack of federal policy leadership in this area. As many have observed, the Bush administration has largely failed to develop any framework for broadband policy. This policy of benign neglect is most unfortunate because broadband is not just like any consumer electronics technology. Rather, it provides a crucial platform for delivering education (bringing advanced courses into every home and school), providing health care (allowing doctors to offer diagnoses at a distance), and driving economic development (enabling Internet-based businesses to be located anywhere). Thankfully, Gov. Bill Ritter recognized the importance of broadband deployment in his Colorado Promise, calling for the development of a Broadband Infrastructure Task Force to develop a strategy for addressing the issue. This task force is now up and running as a part of the Governor's Innovation Council. In my view, however, allowing another three or five or seven years to lapse before deciding to take action is not a risk we should take. If we do, we will ensure that young, talented individuals will not locate in areas not served by broadband and that those who are already there will leave them, thereby undermining Colorado's standing vis-a-vis other states and in the world economy more generally.

Law Topics at Conference on World Affairs

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

This week, CU-Boulder hosted the epic, 60th Annual Conference on World Affairs, bringing hundreds of impressive speakers on almost any imaginable topic to the campus. A number of law-related lectures took place at the Wolf Law Building, including: Oh, SCHIP!! Desperate for Health Care Panelists: Peter G. Bourne, Sandra Person Burns, Mike Franc, John K. Zwerling, Moderator: Richard Valenty ARIA Inside the Courtroom Panelists: John K. Zwerling Moderator: David Getches The Death Penalty on Trial Panelists: Lou Dubose, Mike Farrell, John K. Zwerling Moderator: Michael Radelet In the Flesh: Human Trafficking Panelists: Shahnaz Bukhari, Charles Jess, Judith Morrison, Joy Zarembka Moderator: Dorothy Rupert Beyond the Fence: Immigration Solutions Panelists: Lou Dubose, Judith Morrison, Antonio Sacre, Isaiah (Ike) Wilson, III Moderator: Christina Fiflis DUET Tobacco Litigation: Justice Department Blowing Smoke Panelists: Sharon Eubanks, Peter Pringle Moderator: Emily Calhoun

Attorney Training Program in Family Law

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The Colorado Supreme Court and Office of the Childs Representative, in partnership with the Rocky Mountain Childrens Law Center at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law and University of Colorado Law Schools Juvenile Law Clinic, held the third annual multidisciplinary attorney training program yesterday. The competition consisted of settlement conferences and a mock trial in a fictional termination of parental rights case to cultivate well-trained lawyers to be able to meet the complex legal needs of children and families. Local youth were used as jurors for the trials. This training program was created from the Colorado Judicial Branchs Court Improvement Program, which recognizes the importance of family law education.

Clinical Program Receives $20K from Alumnus Settlement

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Alumnus Glen Gordon 90 was plaintiffs class counsel in a 12-year disability rights lawsuit against the Colorado Department of Revenue for its practice of charging people who applied for handicapped parking placards. As part of the settlement of the class action, Gordon successfully requested that the court allocate a portion of cy pres funds ($20,000) to Colorado Laws Clinical Education Program. The Clinic will use the funds to cover expenses in its work to help people applying for Social Security disability benefits whose claims have been denied. Associate Professor and Director of Clinical Programs Deborah Cantrell said she was thrilled when she found out about the cash infusion.

Guest Hayden Gore Speaks on Fujimori Trial in Peru

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Hayden Gore of the Denver Justice and Peace Committee was invited by Visiting Associate Professor Hannah Garry to speak today at Colorado Law on the ongoing Alberto Fujimori trial in Peru. He recently spent February in Peru observing the trial of former President Alberto Fujimori and accompanying the family members of the victims from the Barrios Altos and La Cantuta University massacres for which Fujimori stands accused. Mr. Gore provided an insider's view into the recent developments of the court case, shared his reflections on the testimony of the death squad agents that carried out the massacres, and described the events that lead up to this historic trial. For background on the case against Fujimori, read Mr. Gores blog about the trial for Amnesty International USA.

Students Teach Consumer Skills to Public

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Law hosted the First Annual Consumer Skills Seminar, Be a Savvy Consumer, which was offered to the public jointly by the Boulder Community Housing Authority (BCHA) and Professor Amy Schmitzs Consumer Empowerment Service-Learning Seminar at Colorado Law. The seminar focused on how to be a savvy consumer in areas such as apartment leasing, automobile purchases, online contracts, and more. Law students covered each topic using a booklet they wrote, How to be a Savvy Consumer, which BCHA and other local organizations will distribute to Boulder County consumers. More than 20 community residents attended the four-hour seminar, along with numerous government and non-profit officials. This seminar benefits all involved because it provides outreach and service to the community while significantly enhancing students understanding and analysis of the law in action said Professor Schmitz. Her Consumer Empowerment course is part of a series of service learning courses she has taught over the past several years. Christopher Hudak of BCHA echoed Professor Schmitzs sentiments, stating, We are truly grateful to Colorado Law and their students. This seminar highlighted some of the issues of the growing economic crisis with which our community is grappling, and we were happy that the law school has joined in Boulder County's efforts to inform consumers about community resources for dealing with some tough consumer issues. Jill Kenney, a second-year law student, gave a presentation regarding manufactured homes, a topic that is critical to consumer protection. For me, this was truly an enlightening experience. Im glad I could help prepare members of our community so they can better protect themselves.

Financial Literacy Bill: Editorial by Professor Schmitz

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Professor Amy Schmitzs editorial titled SPEAKOUT: Let's Help Our Kids Learn Financial Ropes appeared in todays Rocky Mountain News. Read the complete editorial. April is Financial Literacy Month. President Bush is currently touting his establishment of a President's Advisory Council on Financial Literacy. Meanwhile, Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter also has noted the importance of educating our children to live and work in today's market, proposing his Colorado Achievement Plan for Kids. But despite such initiatives, Colorado's financial literacy bill seems to have fallen off the radar screen. Earlier this year, a bipartisan group of legislators proposed House Bill 1168 requiring addition of financial literacy content to K-12 math classes in Colorado's schools. News stories lauded the bill, and everyone from bankers to students testified in support of it at committee hearings. They all stressed the necessity for financial education in the schools to equip Colorado's youth with the tools for survival in today's economy. The bill nonetheless lingers in the Appropriations Committee with little sign of life. We need to do more as a state. If passed, HB 1168 would require Colorado to invest state economic and human resources in establishing usable model standards and materials for K-12 math classes. To be sure, the bill's $550,000 price tag appears hefty, but policy-makers may be able to conserve costs by borrowing from other states' programs and building on model standards that Jump$tart, the National Council on Economic Education and others already have developed. Moreover, investing in financial literacy education will pay huge dividends for our state's financial future. Indeed, we simply cannot afford to send our youth into today's economic jungle without adequate educational protection.

Alumnus Produces Death Penalty Film

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Law alumnus Douglas Bry 78 has produced The Life Penalty, a film about the death penalty and specifically about the jury selection work of another Colorado Law alumnus David Wymore 76, who successfully exonerated Timothy Masters, a Fort Collins resident who had been convicted in 1998 for the murder of Peggy Hettrick. Wymore worked tirelessly for three years along with co-counsel Maria Liu, eventually gaining Masters freedom through the use of DNA evidence. The film was shown as part of the Boulder International Film Festival and the South Africa International Film Festival. It is available as part of the 4 Disc DVD set, The Life Penalty and Selecting a Colorado Jury, approved by the Colorado Supreme Court for 13 CLE credits. Proceeds will go to the David Wymore College of Criminal Defense and Jury Selection, which is being coordinated by Associate Clinical Professor Ann England. Visit their website to see a preview of the film and to order.

"Political Vets Square Off in Colorado" Editorial by Professor Moss

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Associate Professor Scott Moss discusses the political candidates in Colorado in an editorial titled Political Vets Square Off in Colorado, printed in todays Politico website. He explains that Colorado is emerging as the classic purple state, neither reliably Democrat blue nor Republican red on the political map. He makes not that a Senate Democratic win could give Colorado an all-Democratic slate of the top three officeholders (governor and senators) just four years after an all-Republican top three. Moss mentions Bush, Ritter, Salazar, Udall, Schaffer, and Coors.

1st Place Winner in Regional Constitutional Moot Court Competition

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Laws third-year students Cash Parker and Patrick Thiessen won the regional round of the American Constitution Society Constance Baker Motley Moot Court Competition held at Georgetown Law School this past weekend. The team will travel back to Washington D.C. in June to compete in the final national competition against a team from University of CaliforniaBerkeley School of Law. The judges for the final round at Georgetown were Judge Henry Kennedy from the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Judge Vanessa Ruiz from the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, and Lisa Brown, ACS Executive Director and former Counsel to Vice-President Al Gore.

Technology Law & Policy Clinic Goes to Washington DC for Spring Break

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Second year law student Paul Shoning summarized how he spent his 2008 spring break: Spring break. While most law students enjoyed a week off from classes before starting the push toward final exams, students from Colorado Laws Samuelson-Glushko Technology Law & Policy Clinic (TLPC) received a behind-the-scenes look at regulatory and legislative advocacy. Four TLPC students joined Associate Clinical Professor Brad Bernthal and Silicon Flatirons Fellow Jill Van Matre in Washington, DC, for meetings with legal advisors at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), legislative aids on Capitol Hill, and other communications industry insiders. The trip was made possible by a generous donation from Patton Boggs. The TLPC met people with unsurpassed expertise ranging from a former FCC Chairman Dick Wiley of Wiley Rein, to FCC Commissioner Deborah Tate, to the Chief of the FCCs Office of Engineering and Technology Julius Knapp, to majority counsel for the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet. Students had the opportunity to lead ex parte meetings at the FCC. Additional discussions with legislative aids and Congressional staffers yielded a valuable understanding of the inner workings of the legislative process. Perhaps most inspiring was the realization that an independent legal clinic like the TLPC can provide a valuable service to policy-makers who often lack the time or resources to conduct their own rigorous and even-handed policy analysis. A final highlight of our trip was a TLPC dinner with the growing contingent of Alumni and Friends of CU Law School in DC. Nick Alexander (Class of 01), who was instrumental in coordinating several DC meetings, joined roughly 15 alumni and friends of the Silicon Flatirons Center for the dinner. As Colorado Law continues to build a national reputation for technology policy expertise, we look forward to expanding this growing network.

27th Alumni Awards Banquet - Ritter, Pelican, and King

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The 27th Annual University of Colorado Law School Alumni Awards Banquet, the law alumnis signature event, was held on the evening of Thursday, March 20, at the Hyatt Regency Denver. In addition to being the largest awards banquet ever430 people in attendancethe banquet showcased three exceptional award recipients, inspiring speakers, and a wonderful new venue. Thanks to a record $78,000 in sponsorships from the law schools many friends and supporters, the Law Alumni Scholarship will receive more than $41,000. Thank you especially to our Lead Sponsors: Arnold & Porter, Faegre & Benson, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, Otten Johnson Robinson Neff & Ragonetti, and Wheeler Trigg Kennedy. Following an hors d'oeuvre happy hour in the hotels Capital Foyer, guests were welcomed into the dining hall. Kara Veitch, the Law Alumni Board Chair, opened the banquet and Brian Meegan, the Banquet Chair and Chair Elect, thanked the 40 sponsors, advertisers, and in-kind donators, and past alumni board members. Following a fabulously presented three-course dinner, Dean David Getches welcomed guests, reviewed Colorado Laws accomplishments over the past year and paid special tribute to former Dean and Professor Emeritus Don Walter Sears. Pat Furman (Class of 80) presented David Barash who gave a special heart-felt tribute to his brother Daniel B. Barash (Class of 02), for which 1,000 donors have contributed more than $500,000 for a scholarship in his name. Peter C. Dietze (Class of 62) presented Neil C. King (Class of 56) with the Distinguished Alumni Award for Solo/Small Firm Practitioner for being one of Boulder, Colorado's most recognized legal figures in the areas of land use and real estate development. John Suthers (Class of 77) presented Judge Steven T. Pelican (Class of 71) with the Distinguished Alumni Award for Judiciary. He is one of the highest rated judges by attorneys and non-attorneys in the Fourth Judicial District (Colorado Springs) during his 22 years on the bench. Dean Getches introduced former CU President Hank Brown (Class of 69) and thanked him for all that he had done for CU in a time of need, for which the audience gave him a standing ovation. President Brown introduced Governor Bill Ritter (Class of 81) with the Distinguished Alumni Award for Public Service and Governor Ritter spoke about the importance of his legal education with teaching him how to think and learn. Dean Getches said, The quality of the award winners this year eminds us that our most important mission is developing and inspiring young people to become leaders of our profession. All recipients were accompanied by their adoring families, which they each thanked for their support. The banquet was a huge success because of the dedication of our great alumni!

2nd Congressional District Candidates Debate Energy Issues

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Last night at Colorado Law, Colorados Second Congressional District candidates Joan Fitz-Gerald (D), Jared Polis (D), and Will Shafroth (D) squared off in a debate over what the United States should do to achieve energy security and halt global warming. At the time, there was no Republican candidate in the race for the congressional seat now held by Mark Udall. With about 300 in attendance at the event sponsored by Colorado Laws Center for Energy & Environmental Security (CEES), each candidate described how the nations coal, oil, and gas might be converted into a renewable-energy civilization of the future. "The great thing about this election is that no one here is just horrible on this issue," Polis told the audience. "The real challenge will be to find the leadership to break the influence that the oil and gas industry wields in Congress." Fitz-Gerald mentioned the necessity for more R&D for coal. Polis does not believe that clean-coal technology is in our future. And Shafroth would oppose additional coal power plants until the technology reduces more carbon emissions. A video of the debate can be found on the CEES website.

American Constitutional Society Moot Court Competition

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

This past weekend, Colorado Law hosted the 2008 western regional Constance Baker Motley National Moot Court Competition in Constitutional Law. Apropos of the upcoming general elections and the fact that in 38 states judicial candidates must stand for election, the 24 student teams debated issues on state elections and their role in helping ensure a fair and independent judiciary. Almost 65 alumni and other members of the legal community¯including 15 members from the state and federal judiciary¯graciously volunteered to judge the competition. Many remarked about how impressed they were with the quality of the law students arguments. Professor Melissa Hart, a Steering Committee member for the Denver Lawyers Chapter of American Constitutional Society (ACS) and the faculty advisor for the law schools student chapter, organized the event. ACS named Colorado Law as the Student Chapter of the Week. The University of Colorado Law School did a spectacular job pulling together logistics for a Regional round of the 3rd Annual ACS Constance Baker Motley Moot Court Competition. Not only did they help organize and staff the event but also they were in the score room, tallying up scores and helping make sure everything ran smoothly. Holding the Moot Court competition was a huge endeavor that they handled effortlessly. But thats just icing on the cake for this chapter. This school year they have planned a number of excellent events for their student body, including a talk by Prof. David Cole on his book, Less Safe, Less Free, a discussion with Senior Judge John Kane of the U.S. District Court of Colorado on Endemic Secrecy in the Practice of Law and a preview of the Supreme Court docket with Professor Melissa Hart. ACS is a national organization of lawyers, judges, law students, and others interested in ensuring that the fundamental principles of human dignity, individual rights and liberties, genuine equality, and access to justice enjoy a meaningful place in American law.

U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals Holds Live Session

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit visited the law school again this year. Yesterday, judges and law clerks talked to students about the work of the court and the benefits of doing a judicial clerkship. Then the court held a live session, with Judges Timothy M. Tymkovich, Class of 1982, Neil M. Gorsuch, and James A. Parker from the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico, sitting by designation, presiding. The session gave students the opportunity to hear actual cases.

UN Assist. Secretary Gen. for Legal Affairs Johnson Talks about International Tribunals

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Law was very pleased to welcome the United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Legal Affairs Larry Johnson today for a talk on the role and efficacy of war crimes tribunals. Mr. Johnson was on the team that drafted the Statute of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), creating the first war crimes tribunal since Nuremburg. That Statute became the blueprint for the Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and Cambodia tribunals. In addition, Mr. Johnson works as a Professor of Global Affairs at NYU. He is also currently working on setting up the Lebanon tribunal. His talk The Proliferation of UN War Crimes Tribunals: What Works and What Doesn't? provided an overview of the objectives, legal basis, applicable law, composition, and financing of the tribunals, comparing and contrasting each. He noted that each tribunal is context-specific and has been set up accordingly. He also pointed out that the convictions and sentences of 70 people to date indicate the courts effectiveness. Tensions between defense rights and prosecutorial strategy on behalf of victims have hampered the tribunals efficiency at times. Nevertheless, he questioned whether they were any more expensive than domestic trials as has been claimed. The Doman International Law Society sponsored the talk.

ABA Awards Colorado Law with Bronze Key for Increased Membership

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The American Bar Association awarded Colorado Law with this years Bronze Key award for having strengthened law student participation in the programs and activities of the ABA Law Student Division, and for having achieved the most improved Association/Division membership in the Fifteenth Circuit. The Bronze Key Award is one of ABAs Membership Awards awarded to schools by the circuit governor at each spring circuit meeting to the school representative with: the highest number of members at his/her school, the highest increase in members, and the highest percentage of members. Congratulations to all our students who participated in recent ABA events, said Assistant Dean Lorenzo Trujillo. ABA membership and participation by Colorado Law students is an important aspect of active engagement in self-governance and policy decision-making in the legal profession. Our students presence and voice at the national level is reflective of their current and future stature in the profession. This award is testimony to their commitment to law in America.

Navajo Nation Supreme Court and Peacemaking Court Hold Sessions at Colorado Law

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The Navajo National Supreme Court and Peacemaking Court, headquartered in Arizona, held special sessions in the Colorado Law Schools Wittemyer Courtroom this week. Mondays Mock Session of the Navajo Nation Peacemakers Court gave the audience insight into this renowned restorative justice program. Participants are treated as equals so to preserve relationships and restore harmony among the parties. There are no offenders or victim, and no plaintiffs or defendants. Peacemakers are the institutional keepers of the methods and principles of original dispute resolution, culture, and tradition in our justice system. There are 242 certified peacemakers at large in 110 Chapters. The Supreme Court of the Navajo Nation, the largest American Indian nation in the United States, is a three-member body that is their highest Native American judicial authority. The Judicial Branch of the Navajo Nation rivals that of many busy states and municipalities, and handles more than 90,000 cases a year. It encompasses seven judicial districts, five of which have separate family courts. On Tuesday, the Navajo Nation Supreme Court heard the case of Gishie v. Morris about Tribal jurisdiction over a Navajo allotment dispute. The Honorable Chief Justice Yazzie and the honorable Justices Alan Sloane and Eleanor Shirley presided. The issue was whether a Navajo Nation local grazing committee and the Navajo Office of Hearings and Appeals have jurisdiction to decide a dispute over fencing of an allotment, or whether it is exclusively a federal matter for the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Two other issues are involved in this case. First, in Navajo culture, land should go to the person who is going to get the most use out of it, not necessarily to the person who inherited it. Second, there has been a long-standing debate over Navajo sovereignty and federal government interference. Colorado Laws Native American Law Students Association sponsored the weeks events.

Rothgerber Moot Court - Gun Rights

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Law congratulates this years winners of the Rothgerber Moot Court competition. The respondents team of Abe Alexander, Grant Sullivan, and Mike Wautlett were victorious over the petitioners team of Courtney Kramer, Cash Parker, and Patrick Thiessen for the Best Team Award. Wautlett won the Austin W. Scott Best Oralist award. The competition was presided over by Judge John Webb, attorney Richard Schaden, and Professor Pat Furman. The case involved issues similar to those recently argued before the U.S. Supreme Court. The Moot Court case asked whether a law allowing guns to be registered lawfully only for law enforcement officers violates Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. A second issue was whether the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act, which prohibits states from regulating transportation of property, preempted a states attempt to regulate delivery of ammunition.

Affirmative Action Debated

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Law Professors Robert Nagel and Melissa Hart, along with School of Education Professor Michele Moses and political consultant Brad Jones, debated on Affirmative Action last night at CU-Boulder. The 2-hour panel discussion, titled "Affirmative Action: Institutionalizing or Eliminating Racism?" is part of a series of discussion forums on current topics sponsored by University Libraries. The panelists discussed the role of affirmative action and other policies designed to address the historical legacy of racism and segregation, whether it is the role of government to "level the playing field," and if such policies are both effective and fair. There was also a lively debate about what schools like CU are in fact doing right now in terms of considering race or gender in their admissions and hiring processes. Panelists briefly discussed Initiative #31 and Initiative #61, the two alternative ballot measures that have been proposed for inclusion on Colorado's ballot in November 2008. Initiative #31 seeks to ban all "preferential treatment" by the state and mirrors initiatives that have passed in California, Michigan, and Washington in recent years. Initiative #61 seeks to offer a Colorado alternative that will eliminate illegal preferential treatment, but preserve the state's authority to offer modest equal opportunity programs consistent with the U.S. Constitution.

Students Support Adding a Public Service Graduation Requirement

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Law Schools students voted overwhelmingly this month in support of a public service requirement for graduation from the law school. Of the students that responded to a poll on the topic, 64% believe that public service should be part of the law school experience, and 59% believe that the service should be a mandatory graduation requirement. In early February, student leaders and the Public Interest Task Force distributed an on-line poll to all current Colorado Law students. The poll followed two public meetings held by the Task Force to describe its proposal for a public service graduation requirement. More than 50% of the student body responded to the poll, which asked whether the students supported a public service requirement, whether it should be mandatory, whether 30 hours over the course of law school was an appropriate target number, whether clinical work should count toward the requirement and whether completion of the requirement should be reflected on student transcripts. The Task Force recommended that Colorado Law adopt a public service requirement after the Task Force composed of students, administrators and faculty members spent a year studying trends in other law schools, arguments for and against a requirement, and different forms of public service programming. The model recommended by the Task Force mirrors one that has been successfully adopted at Harvard, the University of Washington, and the University of Denver law schools. It would require students to complete 30 hours of law-related public service work during their second and third years of law school. The proposal is now being considered by a faculty committee, and is likely to be considered by the full faculty in the next year. The broad student support for the idea of a public service requirement as an element of the curriculum at Colorado Law reflects trends around the nation. Many law schools have focused greater curricular and extracurricular attention on the public service obligations of members of the legal profession, spurred in part by student demand and in part by the urging of members of the Bar, who are themselves increasingly aware of the role pro bono work should play in a legal career. For more information, contact chair of the Public Interest Task Force, Professor Melissa Hart.

Kari Robinson Receives Proctor of the Year Award

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Kari Robinson, the Office Manager in the Deans Office, is the first recipient of the new building Proctor of the Year Award. CU-Boulders Facilities Management recognized Kari for her effectiveness as a proctor, her cooperation with our department, and all her efforts related to the move into the new Wolf Law Building. Director of Operations and Financial Management Dennis Russell says, Kari is really the pillar of operations for the law school. Join us in congratulating her and extending our gratitude for her dedication.

American Indian Law Clinic Receives Diversity Service Recognition Award

Tue, 12 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Laws American Indian Law Clinic will receive the 2008 CU Diversity Service Recognition Award presented by the Chancellors Advisory Committee on Minority Affairs on February 19. Under the creative and capable direction of Clinical Professor Jill Tompkins, the Clinic promotes diversity through its legal services and education. In addition, the Clinics campus-wide initiatives have included multiple panel discussions about tribal efforts to force the federal government to account for its handling of tribal trust funds, and a panel discussion about the impact of Indian gaming on tribal courts. Other recipients of this years award include CUs Office of Discrimination and Harassment, UMC Edge Team, Office of International Education, and Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Ron Stump. Please join us in congratulating Professor Tompkins and her students for their commendable work that has brought notable distinction to Colorado Law and its clinical education program, said Assistant Dean Lorenzo Trujillo.

Professor Norton Testifies on Workplace Religious Freedom Act before House Subcommittee

Tue, 12 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Professor Helen Norton testified today before the House Subcommittee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions as an expert in constitutional law and employment discrimination on the pending Workplace Religious Freedom Act (HR 1431). Her testimony (1) explained her support for the bills overarching goal of amending Title VII to provide greater protections for workers religious practices, (2) expressed concern that the language as drafted may create significant conflicts with other persons important civil and health care rights, and (3) suggested some possible approaches for resolving those concerns. Professor Norton provided two possible approaches to resolving these concerns. One possible solution would revise H.R. 1431s definition of undue hardship to expressly provide that accommodations that impose an undue hardship include practices that conflict with employers legally-mandated or voluntarily-adopted antidiscrimination requirements or that delay or disrupt the delivery of health care services. Another approach might require an employer to accommodate the most frequently-requested accommodations and those that do not create conflicts of the sort described above unless it can show that the accommodation would pose an undue hardship as rigorously defined under H.R. 1431 as proposed. Professor Nortons testimony drew from her work as a law professor teaching and writing about constitutional law and employment discrimination issues, as well as her experience as a Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights in the Department of Justice during the Clinton Administration, where her duties included supervising the Civil Rights Divisions Title VII enforcement efforts.

CU-Boulder Receives Presidential Award for Exemplary Community Service

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

CU-Boulder was one of only three colleges and universities in the United States to receive a 2007 Presidential Award for General Community Service from the Corporation for National and Community Service, and sponsored by the Presidents Council on Service and Civic Participation, the USA Freedom Corps, and the U.S. Departments of Education and Housing and Urban Development. The Presidents Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll recognizes colleges and universities that support innovative and effective community service and service-learning programs. The Honor Roll's annual Presidential Award is the highest federal recognition a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning, and civic engagement. An estimated 13,397 CU-Boulder students participate in some form of community service and 3,512 are engaged in academic service-learning, a teaching strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction. CU-Boulder is ranked third in the nation for the number of alumni currently serving as volunteers. Colorado Law students contribute more than 2,500 hours of pro bono work a year through legal clinic work, externships, and community volunteering. CU-Boulders Institute for Ethical and Civic Engagement (IECE) encourages and nurtures ethical and civic education at CU-Boulder, to prepare students for a lifetime of service to society as thoughtful, ethical and engaged citizens. It oversees seven programs and offers financial support to faculty members who integrate civic engagement into their coursework and academic projects. To date, IECE has funded the development and implementation of 21 civic engagement courses and projects.

Colorado Law Students Win 2nd Place in National Moot Court Competition

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Last night, for the first time in the law schools history, a Colorado Law team won second place in the nations most prestigious moot court competitionThe National Moot Court Competition. Since 1950, the New York City Bar and the American College of Trial Lawyers have sponsored the competition, where every year over 150 law schools compete in the regional rounds throughout the United States, and the winners advance to the final rounds held at the New York City Bar. After sweeping Novembers regional competition in Las Vegas, the Colorado Law team composed of third-year students Abe Alexander, Grant Sullivan, and Mike Wautlet was among the final top 28 teams that had competed in the 14 regional competitions held this fall. Their brief, ranked second in the regional competition and fourth in the national competition, was less than two points shy of the winning brief score. After defeating Campbell, University of Washington, Cardozo, and Duke law schools in the preliminary, octo-final, and quarter-final rounds, the Colorado Law team faced off against Chicago-Kent in the final round, where they were narrowly defeated. Mike Wautlet won the Second-Place Oralist Award. The final argument was judged by a seven-member panel that included judges from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, the New York Court of Appeals, and the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, and the presidents of the New York City Bar Association and the American College of Trial Lawyers. Achievements of this magnitude do not come without immense effort and tremendous talent, said Gabrielle Marks Stafford, the Director of Colorado Laws Moot Court Programs and the faculty coach. Please join me in congratulating these students! Student coach Cash Parker, who won the second-place oralist award at the regional competition, traveled with the team and kept them on their toes between rounds. The final round can be viewed at the competitions website.

Dean Getches Receives Community Service Award

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

On Saturday night, Dean David H. Getches was presented the Community Service Award by the Colorado Hispanic Bar Association at their 2008 Annual banquet, titled Diversity and the Legal Profession: A Timeless Struggle. The prestigious Community Service Award is given to a non-profit organization or individual committed to providing services to benefit the Hispanic Community. Dean Getches many contributions were noted in his nominations and award presentation. Since his appointment as Dean of Colorado Law in 2003, Dean Getches has truly made a difference in the Hispanic community by his personal fortitude and commitment to Latino students, attorneys, judges, and the community at-large. During his tenure, the law school has increased its scholarship awards to law students from $600,000 in 2004 to $2.1 million in 2007. At the same time and without compromising entering student admission criteria, he has increased our Hispanic student enrollment to 40, which is one of the highest Hispanic student enrollments at the school in many years. This past year, he arduously worked to gain the passage of a state law to allow public universities to grant Loan Repayment Assistance Grants to graduates who enter into public interest legal careers. Then, he gained financial support to fund an endowment to award these grants to public interest graduates from Colorado Law. His hiring of diverse administrators has been truly commendable. His leadership team is among the most diverse in a law school in America today. In this past year, Dean Getches co-chaired and led the Dean's Diversity Summit to fruition. This was a major project of focus on the hiring of diverse candidates into law firms. Most significant was the major study of diversity in the legal profession that was completed as part of the project. Dean Getches publishes lectures and teaches on issues of environmental law and has guided national legislatures in Latin American countries in their consideration of legislation regarding water, air, and issues of pollution and use. This past year, he published significant works on environmental issues in Latin America with Latin American academics, most notable among them: Agua y Derecho: Políticas Hídricas, Derechos Consuetudinarios e Identidades Locales, with Rutgerd Boelens and Armando Guevara Gil. In 2006, the Hispanic National Bar Association recognized Dean Getches for his Notable Commitment to Diversity at Colorado Law and in the Legal Profession with the HNBA's President's Award. Photos of the event can be found at http://1focustree.smugmug.com/gallery/4249816#248767008.

Professor Stanford Levinson Proposes a New Constitutional Convention

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Professor Stanford Levinson was this years invited guest speaker at Colorado Laws 51st John R. Coen Lecture, titled Is it a Criticism or a Compliment to Describe the U.S. Constitution as 'Undemocratic? Professor Levinson discussed the need for a new constitutional convention in an effort to bring forth a better charter, as well as citizens need to treat the constitution as the revisable product of fallible human beings. Levinson is the W. St. John Garwood and W. St. John Garwood Centennial Chair in Law at the University of Texas School of Law, and is a Professor in the Department of Government at the University of Texas. His is the author of four books, including Our Undemocratic Constitution: Where the Constitution Goes Wrong (and How We the People Can Correct It) (2006) and Wrestling with Diversity (2003).

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Services for Jennifer Shelton

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Services are tentatively scheduled for December 27 at the United Methodist Church in Parker, Colorado, for Jennifer Lee Shelton, a third-year law student who died unexpectedly on the evening of December 17. The law school will hold a memorial for Jenn once students return next semester. "A vibrant member of our community is gone and her classmates, friends, and professors are deeply distressed," stated Dean David Getches. "We have extended are heartfelt sympathy to the Shelton family. Jenn will be sorely missed." Colorado Law students held a vigil on December 18 for Jenn. Student Bar Association vice president Shanelle Kindel coordinated the informal vigil for the students in the law school café and 50-75 students showed up to support each other. Jonathan Allen, class of 09, said The vigil was an opportunity for all the students to come together and share their feelings and express their shock, confusion, and great sadness. Counselors were available at the university for those affected by Jennifers death. Questions and concerns regarding Jennifer and memorial services should be directed to Assistant Dean Lorenzo Trujillo.

Professor Mueller Ranked #6 Evidence Scholar

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Congratulations to Professor Christopher Mueller who was listed as the 6th Most Cited Law Professor in the specialty area of Evidence by Leiters Law School Rankings. The listings are drawn from data collected in July 2007 about citations to faculty since 2000. Citations are defined as an article that references the scholar, not the number of references within an article. In addition, congratulations to Professor Pierre Schlag who was listed as a Runner Up in the Critical Theories specialty area.

Law Student Joe Neguse Running for Regent

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Joe Neguse is Class President for the Colorado Law Class of 2009. He is a first-generation-American, and he is running for a seat on the CU Board of Regents. He plans to visit every high school in his 2nd Congressional District, which includes central Colorado, encompassing areas northwest of Denver, including the city of Boulder. Neguse disagrees exempting tuition from revenue limits imposed by the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights (TABOR). The Denver Post quotes him as favoring a designated funding stream for the state's colleges and universities without hefty tuition increases that mean people can't afford to go to the state's flagship institution. Read the Denver Post news article.

Colorado Law Welcomes New Assistant Dean for Career Development Susani Clayton

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Dean David Getches and Colorado Law is pleased to have Susani Clayton join the school as Assistant Dean for Career Development. She brings a wide range and depth of experiences that will help students and alumni as her office counsels and helps them with career options, networking skills, resumes, and interviewing techniques. I believe all of my career experience so far has prepared me and led me to this specific position, said Dean Clayton. She has served as legal counsel for a settlement consulting firm in Houston for 4 years and as an attorney at Holland & Hart for 20 years. There, she practiced Oil & Gas and Mining Law, was Of Counsel, Director of Attorney Recruitment and Professional Development, and Director of Diversity and Professional Development (one of the first such positions among law firms). At Holland & Hart, she was responsible for the recruitment, hiring, counseling, development, and retention of attorneys, and for guiding and assisting Holland & Hart to carry out its commitment to recruit, hire, retain and promote a diverse attorney workforce. She also provided diversity consulting to numerous Holland & Hart clients, other law firms, and corporations. Dean Clayton was the primary drafter of the original Colorado Pledge to Diversity, which was initiated by Holland & Hart and signed by 23 Denver law firms on April 7, 1993. She also served as co-chair of the Steering Committee for the original Colorado Pledge to Diversity Law Firm Group. Be sure to welcome Dean Clayton and make use of her invaluable knowledge.

Colorado Law Alumni Make List of Colorados Most Powerful People

Tue, 08 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Law congratulates three alumni who received the ColoradoBiz magazines distinction to be one of Colorados most powerful people. Governor Bill Ritter (81) is not only new to the list this year, but is ranked #1. Norman Brownstein (68) and Steven Farber (68) are listed #2 this year, up from #7 last year. Click here to read the complete article.

Dems' Views on Court Missing in Debate, Editorial by Professor Moss

Sat, 05 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Professor Scott Moss editorial about the Democratic presidential candidates and their stances on debate issues appeared in todays issue of The Rocky Mountain News. Read the full article. But the lack of any major ideological divide among the Democratic candidates is obscuring a few telling differences in their records - including in their attitude toward the Roe v. Wade abortion right - differences that have gone largely unnoticed in a campaign focused more on caucus date squabbles than our rights as citizens. Six of the nine justices will be over 70 during the next president's first term (four would be over 80 in a second term), so that president might reshape the Supreme Court. Given these stakes, we cannot ignore presidential candidates' differences on constitutional issues fundamental to their choice of federal judges who will determine our rights for decades.

Dean Matthew discusses Cyber Social Networking

Thu, 03 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Today, Professor Dayna Bowen Matthew discussed privacy laws as part of a radio show about the rights and access parents, school officials, employers, and others have to Internet-based social networking profiles such as those on MySpace and Facebook. The show, title Cyber Social Networking, was broadcasted on KGNUs (88.5 FM Boulder) Overdub: Youth Culture Out Loud. The show discussed MySpace and asked the questions why has this modern form of communication become so popular? and should we be concerned about these virtual spaces and the types of interaction taking place? Professor Matthew's discussion grows out of a lecture she gave to high school students and administrators about how 4th Amendment law pertains to locker and personal searches on campus. Listen to the broadcast.

Professor Hart Files Supreme Court Amicus Brief

Thu, 03 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Associate Professor Melissa Hart filed an amicus brief today in the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of 48 historians in the case of CBOCS v. Humphries (No. 06-1431). The case raises the question whether 42 U.S.C. 1981(Equal rights under the law) permits claims for retaliation. The case will be argued on February 20, 2008. Professor Charles Ogletree and the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute at Harvard Law School hired Professor Hart to author the brief. Several second-year students¾Warren Myers, Thea Mustari, and Jonathan Friesen¾helped with research on the brief, for which Professor Hart wrote as a pro bono project. Read the brief. Read the History News Network story about the brief

Former Dean and Professor Emeritus Don W. Sears Passes

Thu, 20 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

1921 - 2007 University of Colorado Professor Emeritus Don Walter Sears died on November 21, 2007. He was dean of the Colorado Law School from 1968 to 1973. In 1943, during the last semester of his senior year at Ohio State, he left college to enlist in the Army. He served with distinction and honor, earning a Purple Heart with Oak-Leaf Cluster and a Bronze Star with Oak-Leaf Cluster. Don married Eve Kathryn Willey on in 1946. He received his undergraduate degree and enrolled in Ohio State University Law School. He worked in private practice for two years and was re-commissioned in the US Air Force with the rank of Captain under the Judge Advocate Corps. In 1950, Don joined the University of Colorado Law School faculty. For the next 50 years, Don was as an educator, writer, arbitrator, and administrator. He chaired almost every Law School committee, many at CU, and in state and federal government. While Dean, he was instrumental in securing funds from the legislature to complete renovation and new construction on the Fleming Law building, and received the CU Recognition Medal from the Regents in 1975. He also received the Associated Alumni Robert L. Stearns Award in 1967. He served as a member of the Colorado Bar Ethics Committee for 40 years, Colorado Supreme Court Grievance Committee, Boulder County Bar Association, National Academy of Arbitrators, and a Major League Baseball arbitrator. He co-authored and edited labor law books, and authored numerous publications and speeches on Labor law, Arbitration and Professional Responsibility, Security Law and the Uniform Commercial Code. Three major awards established in his name include Colorado Law Schools Don W. Sears Award and Don Sears Diversity Scholarship, and Colorado Bar Association Ethics Committees Don W. Sears Award for Ethical Enhancement of the Legal Profession in Colorado. Eve K. Sears, his wife of 60 years, preceded him in death on October 2005. He is survived by his children Stephanie Volkman, Lance Sears (75), Don C. Sears, Shannon Chinatti, and Kathleen Sears 9 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Professor Bill Pizzi wrote the following about Dean Sears, Don was a major influence on me almost from the time I arrived at CU in 1975. He was a great raconteur and I enjoyed hearing all about his early years in Ohio, his meeting Eve, and his military service. We talked about the law school, teaching, early years in practice, the fun of deaning, Ohio State, running, and lots of other topics. I will always be deeply grateful for his friendship, for all he did for me, and for all that he taught me by the way he lived his life. A wake and memorial service was held for Don and Eve Sears on December 16, 2007, at the Folsom Stadium Club Suites on the CU-Boulder campus. His family requests that contributions in memory of Don Sears be made to: Don W. Sears Scholarship Fund c/o University of Colorado Foundation 4740 Walnut Street Boulder, CO 80301 Make checks payable to: University of Colorado Foundation and notate Fund number 0154327. To read an account of his life, visit the Daily Camera article and Denver Post article.

Professor Davidson Discusses Adverse Possession on Radio

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

This morning on KGNU (88.5 FM Boulder), Professor Nestor Davidson discussed adverse possession laws as part of a show about the high-profile adverse-possession land case in south Boulder. The broadcast included excerpts from a pre-recorded rare interview with Dick McLean and Edith Stevens conducted by producer Shelley Schlender. McLean and Stevens successfully sued Don and Susie Kirlin for a large section of the Kirlins' vacant lot next door, and now the case is going to the court of appeals. Listen to the broadcast.

Professor Ohm Interviewed on NPR

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

National Public Radio (NPR) interviewed Professor Paul Ohm today as part of their story on the text messaging privacy debate at a Colorado high school. The story, titled Text Privacy Issue Heats Up at Colorado School, quoted Ohm as saying, Colorado has a history of taking privacy matters seriously: State law prohibits the recording of electronic communication without the consent of the sender. Schools can't look in backpacks or purses based on completely a lack of suspicion. Listen to the NPR story online.

CEES Highlighted in Hispanic Outlook Magazine

Wed, 05 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The Center for Energy & Environmental Security (CEES) and one of their research assistants Katherine Peters were the focus of a December 3rd Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education magazine article, Energy & Environmental Security: CUs Possible Dream. CEES responds to the global energy crisis and to guide the international community towards a future based in sustainable energy and development. Katherine Peters defined sustainable energy by explaining by shifting away from carbon-based energy sources and by increasing energy efficiency, we can continue to use enough energy to sustain our society without the disastrous effects of our current energy usage. The idea for the center was started by faculty members Dr. Lakshman Guruswamy and Kevin Doran Guruswamy in 2004, and now the center has more than a dozen grants, 15 ongoing projects, and 30 interns and 3 staff who devote more than 400 hours a week toward center projects. Their research ranges from researching treaties to finding statutes that affect Colorados energy usage to analyzing executive orders and Supreme Court cases. A few projects are the Colorado Energy Profile, International Sustainable Energy Assessment (ISEA), Presidential Climate Action Plan, Colorado Hydro-Energy Storage Project, and International Project for Energy Commitments and Compliance (IPECC). Peters says, We are a politically neutral organization. Politically neutral does not mean that we stay away from politics.

Law Students Win in Colorado Supreme Court

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Today, the American Indian Law Clinic won its appeal in the Colorado Supreme Court in a case concerning a contested guardianship of an American Indian child, In the Matter of J.C.T. The Court reversed the decision of the Court of Appeals and upheld the rulings of the Denver Probate Court finding that it was an appropriate exercise of the Probate Courts authority to consider the potential of a prospective guardian to be an adoptive parent. This decision will allow the boy to finally be adopted after being under various guardianships for 10 years. Ann Rhodes (07) did an outstanding job of briefing the case on the boys tribes behalf. Professor Jill Tompkins argued the case. Maggie Wetmore (05) was the student attorney who handled the complex trial-level work. Click here for the opinion. Rhodes, along with co-counsel Celene Sheppard (08) also successfully briefed and argued another appeal to the Colorado Court of Appeals, In the Matter of N.B., involving a contested stepparent adoption case under the federal Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). Click here for the opinion. Bonnie Sarkar (06) and Lauren Templeton (06) handled the three day trial before the District Court. A petition for certiorari to the Colorado Supreme Court is pending however (the Clinic filed its opposition). Student attorneys Sylvia Curley (08) and Jay Perry (09) are working on the Supreme Court phase of the case currently. A third ICWA case involving a young American Indian girl who is the subject of a dependency and neglect action has been appealed by the Clinic on behalf the girls tribe to the Colorado Court of Appeals and briefing is underway. Melissa Pingley ('08) is the student attorney handling the appeal. Congratulations to the hard-working, smart, and dedicated clinic student attorneys of the Clinic. They are breaking new legal ground in Colorado and helping to protect the future of American Indian children, their families, and their tribes.

Red Lodge Clearinghouse Launches Series on Environmental Problem-Solving Tools

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

December 4, 2007-- The Red Lodge Clearinghouse, a website project managed by the Natural Resources Law Center of the University of Colorado Law School, has launched a new series on providing tools for anyone seeking to address environmental problems. In the first edition of this new Series, the Clearinghouse (www.redlodgeclearinhouse.org.) addresses how to work with the federal notice and comment processes. Viewers are provided a primer on how to work within the process, tips on how to write effective comments, an interview with a federal official responsible for running a comment process, as well as links to additional resources. The Red Lodge Clearinghouse provides resources to individuals and groups in their efforts to address their environmental challenges through collaboration stories, funding information, the Collaboration Handbook, summaries of legislation and regulations, and up-to-date news. With the initiation of this Series, the Clearinghouse seeks to explicitly explore the process of collaborationin its many forms and applications as well as other approaches that may accompany, enhance, or even replace a collaborative process. Future editions of the series will provide information on public hearings, meetings, field trips and open houses; administrative protests and appeals; alternative dispute resolution; legislation; litigation; and collaboration. For each of these topics, the Clearinghouse will evaluate the risks and benefits of these approaches, provide examples of their successes and failures, and illustrate lessons learned. The Red Lodge Clearinghouse is devoted to supporting, connecting, and informing the many collaborative initiatives, community groups and individuals that are addressing natural resource problems in their communities.

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Juvenile and Family Law Program Hosts Groundbreaking Strategic Planning Workshop

Fri, 09 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Today, approximately 65 judges, magistrates, legislators, practitioners, foster youth, academics, case workers, and CASA volunteers participated in a strategic planning workshop to address Colorados implementation of Senate Bill 226. The Juvenile and Family Law Program teamed up with Bridging the GapMile High United Way, the State Court Administrators Office, the Office of the Childs Representative, and the National Association of Counsel for Children to host the workshop. The new state law requires that in permanency hearings in dependency and neglect proceedings the court must consult with youth in an age appropriate manner concerning the proposed permanency plan. The goal of the workshop was to help participants develop a plan for implementing the law that would work best in their area, given the unique needs of the location. The broad language of SB 226 raises numerous questions, such as how to develop a process that incorporates this requirement, how to make good use of everyones time, how to prepare the youth for the hearing, how to identify a youths needs, and how and when to bring in support people to the hearing. After a morning of presentations by experts in the field, workshop participants broke into three working groups to address these issues.

Columbia Law Professor Kent Greenawalt Speaks on Equality and the Religion Clauses

Thu, 08 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

University Columbia Law School Professor Kent Greenawalt, a nationally celebrated scholar on law and religion, presented a lecture this evening based on his many scholarly works, including his recent book Religion and the Constitution: Volume I: Free Exercise of Religion. The lecture was sponsored by Colorado Laws Byron R. White Center for the Study of American Constitutional Law and the CU Political Science Departments Keller Center for the First Amendment.

Colorado Law Moot Court Teams Win National Competition

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

For the first time in memorable history, both Colorado Law School moot court teams of third-year students made it to the final round of the Region XI New York City Bar National Moot Court Competition. The students performed masterfully at the regional rounds of the Competition in Las Vegas in November. The unprecedented face-off between the two Colorado teams was a remarkable sight, as both sides wowed the judges with their command of the law and ability to parry difficult questions. The Respondents team of Abe Alexander, Grant Sullivan, and Mike Wautlet won the entire regional competition by a razor-thin margin and will advance to the national round in New York in January. The Petitioners team of Courtney Kramer, Cash Parker, and Patrick Thiessen was the second-place team. The Best Oralist Award for the competition went to Wautlet, who argued both the Petitioners and Respondents sides of a difficult preemption issue. The Second-Place Oralist Award went to Parker, who argued the Petitioners and Respondents sides of an equally difficult Second Amendment issue. In addition, as a testament to their prodigious writing talents, the Petitioners team won the Second Place Brief Award, and the Respondents team won the Third-Place Brief Award. Director of the Moot Court Programs, Professor Gabrielle Stafford, coached the teams with the assistance of John Poor.

Texas School of Law Professor Bruce Kramer is Inaugural Schultz Lecturer

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The Schultz Lectureship Fund was created this year by the generosity of John H. (53) and Cynthia H. Schultz to support a lecture each year by scholars in the fields of oil and gas, energy, or natural resources law. The inaugural speaker was Bruce Kramer, who spoke on Split Estates: A New Equilibrium between Surface and Mineral Owners. Kramer is the Maddox Professor of Law at Texas Tech University School of Law and the co-author of a four-volume treatise titled The Law of Pooling and Unitization and a casebook titled Cases and Materials on Oil and Gas Law. He is a trustee of the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation and the Energy and Mineral Law Foundation and chair of the Advisory Board of the Institute of Local Government of the Center of American and International Law.

Sun, 21 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Professor Weiser to Co-Chair Gov. Ritters Innovation Council

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Professor Phil Weiser will serve as co-chair of Colorados first Innovation Council to spur advances in Colorado's technology sector by expanding and growing opportunities for the 3,800 high-tech businesses and 175,000 IT/software employees in this state. The Council is one part of Gov. Bill Ritters new comprehensive high-tech initiative to consolidate and reform state government's fractured information technology operations. The Governor issued an "Improving State Information Technology Management" executive order in May. The Innovation Council is bringing together 34 leaders from around Colorado, composed of experts from large, small, urban, and rural technology businesses, as well as leaders in the venture capital, government, academic, and nonprofit sectors. The council will have three primary subcommittees that will: Assist the state as it reforms and improve its use of information technology Develop a strategy for spurring broadband deployment throughout the state Support state government's economic development efforts for the technology sector The council will be co-chaired by venture capitalist Brad Feld, managing director of the Foundry Group; entrepreneur Juan Rodriguez, who founded StorageTek and Exabyte; and Phil Weiser. The Council's executive committee will include Cathy Fogler of Charter Communications; Su Hawk, president of CSIA; and Lee Kennedy, founder of TriCalyx. "Our state must develop a robust and ubiquitous broadband infrastructure to support an array of applications that will transform how the people of Colorado work, learn and play," Weiser said. "Deploying broadband to unserved areas of Colorado is a make-or-break issue for the state. We cannot afford to leave Colorado citizens or businesses behind as other states and countries adopt broadband connections and applications that catapult them ahead in the 21st Century economy."

U.S. Court of Federal Claims Meet at Colorado Law

Thu, 11 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The U.S. Court of Federal Claims, also known as "the People's Court," held its 20th Judicial Conference October 10-11 at the Law School. During the "Claims Against the Sovereign" meeting, Chief Judge Edward J. Damich and 23 other active federal court judges from the historic Washington, DC, participated in moot courts and simulated court proceedings. There were also presenters and attendees from government, academia, non-profits, and law firms. Discussion topics included "Water, Water Everywhere and Every Drop to Sue" about water property rights and the intersection of state and federal laws, taking versus contract water claims, Indian water rights and global warming and water scarcity. Other topics included "Taking of Private Property: Impact of Recent Decisions" and "Tribal Claims Against the United States" in which Professor Charles Wilkinson gave the concluding presentation on the future of Indian nations and the Federal government. In addition, three of our alumni were included in the program. Terry Petrie ('82) of the U.S. Department of Justice's Natural Resources Section provided an attorney sanctions hearing with a technology demonstration. Nancie G. Marzulla ('83) of Marzulla Law in Washington, DC, and Bennett Raley ('83) of Trout, Raley, Montaño, Witwer & Freeman in Denver, CO, served on the "Water, Water Everywhere" panel. Founded in 1855, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims is one of the nation's oldest courts. Its role is integrally related to the fundamental principle of the U.S. Constitution that individuals have rights against the government.

Alumna Ruth Wright (72) Recognized by Perus President

Wed, 10 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Perus President Alan Garcia awarded alumna Dr. Ruth Wright (72), and husband Kenneth Wright, the Order of Merit for Distinguished Services today in Lima, Peru. The recognition was for contributions to the Peru cultural patrimony through archaeological investigations and publications. The Wrights have researched and disseminated countless technological achievements in their more than 12-year effort to mobilize multidisciplinary teams and relieve the costly investigations in Machu Picchu, Tipon, and Moray. The Wrights were presented with medals on behalf of Wright Water Engineers and Wright Paleohydrolic Institute for which they are both Directors. We all felt that the medals should have been awarded to the Inca civil engineers some five centuries ago, stated Kenneth R. Wright, P.E. The Foreign Minister Jose Belaunde, who presented the medals, made evident his interest in Perus ancient civil engineering achievements and what can be learned from careful study of prehistoric water works. Ruth Wright is a lawyer and renowned photographer. She also has been a Colorado legislator and promoted cultural activities through publications on the archaeological heritage of Machu Picchu.

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Law Ranked in Top 20 Best Law Schools for Hispanics

Mon, 24 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

In their September issue, Hispanic Business Magazine ranks the University of Colorado Law School as the 16th Best Law School for Hispanics. The magazine took into account a school's academic excellence, enrollment by U.S. citizens, faculty, student services, and retention rates. Colorado Laws 40 Hispanic students represent 7.8 percent of the student body and nine Hispanics graduated in 2006. The schools Hispanic law students had a 100 percent passage rate for the bar exam. The students also have an active and supportive Latino Law Students Association. In addition, the law school has five full-time faculty and staff. Colorado Laws first item in their vision statement demonstrates their dedication to diversity: Provide a supportive and diverse community of scholars and students in a place that inspires the vigorous pursuit of ideas, critical analysis, and civic engagement in order to advance the rule of law in an open, sustainable society. Assistant Dean of Students and Professional Programs Lorenzo A. Trujillo proudly stated, The University of Colorado Law School embraces all diversity and welcomes its Latino law students with the care of a mother and the disciplined nurturing of a father. Our students, faculty, and Hispanic community join in notable teamwork to support our Latino law students so they will be successful leaders, attorneys, and citizens. We appreciate Hispanic Business Magazines recognition of the quality of the educational experience we provide our students. Trujillo serves as General Counsel of the Hispanic National Bar Association and is the immediate past Regional President of the Hispanic National Bar Association. Because of his outstanding commitment to the Hispanic community, the Colorado Hispanic Bar Association awarded him the prestigious Chris Miranda Outstanding Hispanic Lawyer Award for 2006. Hispanics made up 6.07 percent of the total national law school enrollment in 2006-07. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, total minority representation among lawyers is about 9.7 percent, with Hispanics representing only 3.3 percent. The announcement of the magazines rankings come at an opportune time. This week was the Rocky Mountain Legal Diversity Summit, the first Colorado-based national diversity legal summit, which discussed issues facing diverse attorneys, best practices for hiring and retaining diverse attorneys, the business case for diversity, ways to improve the diversity pipeline, and accessing justice at all levels.

American Indian Law Clinic WINS in Colorado Court of Appeals

Fri, 07 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The American Indian Law Clinic (AILC) has been litigating a stepparent adoption case for four years that was heard last week by the Colorado Court of Appeals. It involves a critical question of whether Colorado should adopt the Existing Indian Family Exception that would bar the application of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) to certain cases where the Indian parents or Indian child are not culturally close to their tribe. The AILC argued against adopting this doctrine and against application of this doctrine to the facts of their case. The AILC won on all issue of the main appeal, thus rendering moot the question of the cross-appeal. In the PUBLISHED DECISION, the Court of Appeals affirmed the trial court's order dismissing the adoption petition based on the failure to comply with ICWA, and rejected the Existing Indian Family Exception, finding the ICWA constitutional. This is a major ruling for Colorado because the question of whether Colorado courts would apply the judicial doctrine was an open one. The Court of Appeals also confirmed that the ICWA applies in private actions even when a state social services agency is not a party. The AILCs client, the childs mother, will retain her parental rights and will now be entitled to a hearing on her request for parenting time with her son. Congratulations are due to the hard work, brains, and dedication of several Clinic student attorneys (some are now Colorado Law alumni): Maggie Wetmore, Julia Morgenthau, Bonnie Sarkar, Lauren Templeton, Celene Sheppard, and Ann Rhodes. The student attorneys worked under the supervision of Clinical Professor of Law and Director of the AILC, Jill E. Tompkins. Thank you to the invaluable work of Padraic McCoy and Sarah Malstair on behalf of the Fort Peck Tribes, Faegre & Benson, and Holland & Harts team on behalf of the amici (the Colorado Indian Bar Association, the Southern Ute Tribe, and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe) lead by Jennifer Weddle and Anthony Navarro.

Colorado Law welcomes Scholars and Professors Added for2007-2008

Thu, 06 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

New Appointments Deborah J. Cantrell, Director of Clinical Programs and Associate Professor of Law, comes to Colorado Law from Yale Law School where she taught ethics and public interest law, and co-supervised a legal ethics clinic. Helen L. Norton, Associate Professor of Law, specializes in constitutional law, torts, and employment law and most recently taught at the University of Maryland School of Law. Scott A. Moss, Associate Professor of Law, taught at Marquette Law School for three years and will teach constitutional law, law and economics, and employment law. He is an energetic and prolific young scholar. Derek H. Kiernan-Johnson, Legal Writing Instructor, has been practicing education law at Caplan and Earnest LLC in Boulder and edited the firms quarterly Colorado School Law Reporter. Visiting Professors Robin D. Barnes, an international speaker on democracy, free speech, privacy, and human rights, is a Professor of Law and the Director of Street Law Cooperative at the University of Connecticut. She is teaching constitutional law, wills and trusts, and advanced constitutional law seminars on the first amendment and equal protection. Mark J. Fenster, who will be teaching property and administrative law, taught at the University of Florida Frederic Levin College of Law for the past six years. Hannah R. Garry, who comes directly from her position at the International Court of Justice at The Hague, will teach International Human Rights: Crime and Punishment. Distinguished Visiting Scholars Martha A. Fineman, the Robert W. Woodruff Professor of Law at Emory University School of Law, is a leading authority on family law and feminist jurisprudence. She will lecture and co-teach a seminar in feminist legal theory, and participate in a scholarly conference on the subject. Harry Reicher, will teach an innovative new short course titled Law and The Holocaust, which he teaches at the University of Pennsylvania Law School and around the world. Scholars in Residence Julie Cassidy, an Associate Professor at Deakin University School of Law in Australia, was in residence at Colorado Law to complete research on aboriginal water rights. Jonathan W. Fineman will spend his second year at Colorado Law as a Research Fellow, teaching and writing in the areas of American and comparative employment and labor law. Judge Maurice B. Foley, the first African-American appointed to the U.S. Tax Court, returned to teach at Colorado Law for his second summer in 2007 as a Faculty-in-Residence-Summer-Term (FIRST) scholar teaching Federal Tax Politics. Armando Guevara Gil, a Professor at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú teaching the sociology and anthropology of law, conducted research and writings in the areas of Peruvian agrarian property and water rights. Donald G. Kempf, Jr., joined Colorado Law for the 2006 and 2007 summers as an Adjunct Professor teaching Government Regulation of Business. Alesandra Mignolli, an expert of international and European law, returned to Colorado Law as a Fulbright Scholar researching Federalism in the United States and in the European Union.

Professor Norton Testifies in Favor of Employment Non-Discrimination Act

Thu, 06 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The U.S. House subcommittee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions held hearings today on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) bill. ENDA is a proposed federal law that would prohibit discrimination against employees on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Colorado Laws Professor Helen Norton was one of the experts to discuss the pros and cons for the bill. Norton was invited by Chairman Andrews to offer her views as an expert in employment discrimination law on how this bill both tracks and departs from existing antidiscrimination law, and how it might be expected to work in practice. Currently, 13 states have policies prohibiting both sexual orientation and gender identity in discrimination in employment. Also, eight states have laws that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation only. Fifteen other states have laws that have been interpreted to protect transgender persons.

New National Tribal Law Clerk Program Collaboration Aid Law Students

Wed, 05 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The new National Tribal Law Clerk Program (NTLCP) is a collaborative project of the National American Indian Court Judges Association, Colorado Laws American Indian Law Program, and the National Native American Indian Law Students Association to match tribal court judges and justices with law students who will provide them with valuable legal research and writing assistance. NTLCP will bring unparalleled opportunities for Colorado Law students and recent alumni to study and work for American Indian and Alaska Native tribal justice systems. Clerkships for externship credit toward fulfillment of the American Indian Law Certificate requirements will be available. Federal and state judicial systems have enjoyed long-established law clerk programs where law students or recent graduates assist judges and justices with legal research, writing, and other court-related tasks. These clerkships are often highly competitive and prized by law students. The NTLCP is designed to expand these types of clerkship to more than 300 tribal courts formally established by American Indian tribes and Alaskan Native villages in the United States. These tribal courts make the same kind of important decisions as their federal and state counterparts and provide students with a unique opportunity to work on American Indian law. Through an $8,000 seed grant from CUs Institute for Ethical and Civic Engagement and the work of several volunteers, the NTLCP was established to provide a national database for clerkship opportunities with tribal courts. The NTLCP is housed at Colorado Law and the National Tribal Justice Resource Center has provided assistance to compile the database and to do outreach to tribal judges. Tribal judges who would like the assistance of a law student or recent graduate can send their posting to the program, who will in turn post it on the nationally available website. Because tribal courts are very different from state and federal systems, Professor Jill Tompkins and Massey Mayo Case (06) co-authored the Guide for Tribal Court Law Clerks and Judges.

Professor Weiser Talks About Impact of FCC Changes to Wireless Rules

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The Federal Communications Commission adopted new rules that will change the way we communicate in a wireless world. The FCC changed its rules as part of an upcoming auction of valuable UHF spectrum once used for analogue television broadcasting. Wireless service providers who bid on the spectrum must now agree to "unlock" their services so that consumers can pick any smart phone or other wireless device and load any software on it. Consumers currently are limited to what the wireless carrier wants them to use. In a new PODCAST, Professor Phil Weiser discusses why this spectrum is so valuable and the impact the new wireless rules will have on the industry.

Professor Peppet Trains Mentors for At-Risk Youth at Good Will

Wed, 29 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Professor Scott Peppet conducted a training session today for the Good Will organization's mentoring program. This program brings together professionals who mentor at-risk children and teenagers throughout the Denver area, and provides these mentors with training opportunities. Professor Peppet, who is an expert on alternative dispute resolution and legal negotiation, focused the session on managing difficult conversations by improving one's communication and negotiation skills. After talking with some of the mentors, Professor Peppet conveyed a sense of awe at their skills and dedication. "These are truly compassionate people who work every day to make a difference. They are expert negotiators, and it was a pleasure to have a chance to talk with them for a few hours about their experiences."

AltLaw.org Provides Free Searchable Database of U.S. Court Decisions -- Joint Effort of Columbia and Colorado Law Schools

Thu, 23 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Aiming to make federal case law fast and easy to search, more accessible to the public and free Columbia Law School and the Colorado Law have launched a new Web site, AltLaw, which has the potential to dramatically change the national landscape of case law resources. AltLaw contains nearly 170,000 decisions dating back to the early 1990s from the U.S. Supreme Court and Federal Appellate courts. The sites creators, Columbia Law Schools Timothy Wu and Stuart Sierra, and Colorado Laws Professor Paul Ohm, said the sites database will grow over time. Wu said he started to build AltLaw because he wanted a way to quickly search through court decisions the same way that the public now can search a wide array of information through such Internet search engines as Google and Yahoo! Its been over 10 years since the start of the Internet revolution, and case law is one area that has not budged. Somebody has to take the initiative, Wu said. Were a nonprofit and were purely interested in opening the law to the public. We dont have a commercial motive. Wu said he envisions AltLaw being used by many groups journalists, the public, lawyers who want to avoid the hundreds of dollars per hour in fees for proprietary law databases, and legal scholars who need quick and searchable access to cases at home or on the road. One of the assets to AltLaws design is that it is fast and simple to use, Wu said. Ohm wrote the thousands of lines of code that download cases to AltLaw from more than a dozen court websites each night. He said the data comes from the courts themselves, and AltLaw is designed as an extremely open platform so that others can take the raw material and use it in various ways. This is what we call the `law commons part of the design, Ohm said. The touchstone of AltLaw is openness, and this means that not only will users be able to search cases at AltLaw, but they'll also be able to make copies of all of the cases in our database to reuse or remix in any way that they'd like. This is all public domain material, and were repackaging it into a more useful, flexible, powerful form, Ohm said. On the Web site, Wu and Ohm note that The law is meant to belong to the people, but it can be surprisingly hard to find. Case reports, a major part of the laws of the United States, are hard to get at, and even when on the Internet, rarely searchable. To get full access you generally need either a library of law reports, or an expensive subscription to an online database, which can cost hundreds of dollars per hour. AltLaw is a small effort to change that to make the common law a bit more common. AltLaw provides the first free, full-text searchable database of Supreme Court and Federal Appellate case reports. It is a resource for attorneys, legal scholars, and the general public. AltLaw is a joint project of Columbia Law Schools Program on Law and Technology, and Colorado Laws Silicon Flatirons Program.

Natural Resources Law Centers Report on Climate Change and its Impact on Native Peoples Sent to Congress

Thu, 23 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Native Communities and Climate Change: Protecting Tribal Resources as Part of National Climate Policy is a new report researched and prepared by the Law Schools Natural Resources Law Center and was funded by the Turner Foundation. It examines the impact that global warming will have on native communities in the coming decades and offers recommendations to Congress and federal agencies to deal with these changes. The Center will be sending the report to members of the U.S. Congress, to the directors and deputy directors of the U.S. Department of the Interior, the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, and other appropriate federal agencies and interest groups. In addition, the document is being sent to the leadership of Native American tribes throughout the U.S. Rising sea levels, melting tundra, coastal flooding, warmer streams and severe drought are just a few of the calamities facing native communities in North America as global warming gains a foothold, said Jonathan Hanna, the Centers Research Fellow and principal author of the report. While climate change will affect everyone, it will affect some disproportionately and Native American communities are among the most vulnerable to a changing climate, said Hanna. The unfortunate irony is that the traditional lifestyles historically followed by tribes and continued to a large extent today contribute very little to the climate change problem. Beyond describing the ways in which tribes will be affected, the report discusses the implication of this disparity and it urges federal policymakers to recognize the special burdens facing tribes as they develop climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies. The report recommends that Congress holds hearings focusing on the impact of climate change on tribes. Because addressing tribal impacts will be costly, it is important that Congress establish adequate revenue-raising mechanisms such as a carbon tax or fee-based emissions allowances. The federal trust responsibility requires the government to protect tribal land and resources, and is rooted in the numerous treaties, statutes, executive orders, and judicial opinions recognizing the very tribal rights at risk from climate change, noted report contributor Professor Sarah Krakoff. While tribal lands host plentiful renewable energy resources like wind and solar power, developing these technologies requires investment capital and expertise that tribes often lack, said Hanna. The report recommends that the government provide financial and technical assistance to tribes to take advantage of these opportunities and it urges the federal government to administer government programs to protect treaty and other tribal rights from climate change impacts. Other Natural Resources Law Center publications can be found at http://www.colorado.edu/law/centers/nrlc/pubs.htm.

Professor Schmitz and David Blower (07) Win Sandgrund Award

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Last year, the Sandgrund Award for Best Consumer Rights Work was created with an endowment from Colorado Law alumnus Ron Sandgrund ('82). There are separate cash awards for faculty and student authors. The expectation is that we will make one award each year; however, this first year, we are able to make two awards. This years faculty winner is Professor Amy Schmitz for her fine article, Mobile-Home Mania? Protecting Procedurally Fair Arbitration in a Consumer Microcosm, 20 Ohio State Journal on Dispute Resolution 291 (2005). The student award goes to recent graduate David Blower for his well-written piece titled Colorado HB 1061and Advocating for an End of Caveat Emptor in Residential Leases, 78 University of Colorado Law Review 101 (2007).

Commemorative Brick Patio Celebration

Thu, 09 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

In the Gilbert Goldstein Plaza at the front entrance of the new Wolf Law Building, is an area of commemorative bricks with inscriptions from alumni, faculty and staff, and friends of the Law School. Yesterday, we celebrated the brick patio, including the large grill donated by the Class of 1999. So far, 525 bricks have been inscribed. Some bricks have been purchased to honor those that have passed including Daniel Barash (02), some by parents in their childrens name, and some with quotes about the legal profession. For a limited time, anyone may purchase a brick to leave a truly lasting impression on anyone that passes through Colorado Law.

Elsa Martinez Tenreiro ('89) Elected President of Denver Bar Association

Thu, 02 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Elsa Martinez Tenreiro became president of the Denver Bar Association on July 1st. Elsa received her B.A. from the University of Colorado at Denver and her J.D. from the University of Colorado Law School in 1989. She went on to be an associate with Pepe J. Mendez and Associates. For her year of presidency, Elsa plans to focus on continuing to reach out to diverse lawyers and developing ways of bringing more civics to classrooms through the Democracy Education Committee. Providing some kind of help to kids and education always have been strong interests, said Elsa. Ive worked with some kind of public legal education since I graduated from law school. Elsa was the recipient of Channel 9s Outstanding Volunteer award and received the Metro Volunteer Lawyer of the Year award in 2004. She also received the DBA Volunteer Lawyer of the Year award in 2005. All three awards were for her countless hours giving back to the community. Elsa has volunteered with: Law Line 9; Peoples Fair; Colorado Uplift; Community Resources, Inc; publications in the Public Legal Education department of the DBA; Metro Volunteer Lawyers Family Court Program; Mock Trial Subcommittees; CLE of Colorado; career fairs; school mediation programs (teaching kids to mediate programs themselves); 5678 Dance Academy of Performing Arts; and as a reading coach and avid volunteer at her childrens schools.

Faculty Receive Awards and Distinctions from Legal Library Community

Tue, 31 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Library Faculty and Staff Win Awards and Recognition The faculty and staff of Colorado Laws William A. Wise Law Library has received numerous awards and recognition recently--for scholarship, association elections, photos, and websites. Professor Barbara Bintliff is among the group of authors contributing to the two-volume work Prestatehood Legal Materials: A Fifty-State Research Guide, Including New York City and the District of Columbia, which is the 2007 recipient of the Joseph L. Andrews Bibliographical Award of the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL). Professor Bintliff wrote the Colorado chapter, Colorado Prestatehood Legal Resources: Sixteenth Century to 1876, and was mentioned prominently in the promotional materials for the title. This continues her longstanding contribution to publications covering Colorado bibliographic and legal history, which include Colorado Legal Resources: An Annotated Bibliography (with Richards), AALL LISP Public Libraries Toolkit: Colorado, and A Jurisdictional History of the Colorado Courts. Professor Bintliff and Georgia Briscoe received the 2007 Spectrum Article of the Year Award from the AALL for their work entitled, The Ethics of Electronic Record Sharing. The article asks the reader to ponder whether it is ethically acceptable for a librarian to find and utilize electronic entries from another librarys online catalog without first seeking permission. Bintliff and Briscoe propose that the profession create an electronic records sharing policy in order to resolve any ethical ambiguities that are currently being encountered. Catalog Librarian Karen Selden was elected president of the Colorado Association of Law Libraries (CoALL) for the 2007-2008 term. Her agenda includes coordinating CoALL's 30th anniversary celebration, updating CoALL's by-laws, and creating partnerships with other local professional legal organizations to provide legal education programs. The first of these programs will be the "Legal Boot Camp for Non-Law Librarians" to be held on Monday, September 17, 2007 (Constitution Day), in partnership with CLE in Colorado. Reference Librarian Alan Pannell was elected to a one-year term on CoALLs Executive Board. He has been instrumental in the annual CoALL Bridge the Research and Analysis Gap (BRAG) Program, which helps prepare law students and new law graduates for their first professional positions. Alan Pannell won three awards, including Best Overall Photo, in the "Day in the Life of the Law Library Community" 2007 photo contest sponsored by the AALL. The winning photos featured library technicians Mike Campo and Dan Draper, Karen Selden, and views of the new library. The Best Overall Photo was features on the cover of AALLs award-winning magazine, Spectrum, and the other entries were included in the Spectrum article announcing the results of the contest. Reference Librarian Alicia Brillon was one of three first place winners of William S. Hein & Co.s Website Description Contest to create an informational web page that described the HeinOnline product. View Brillon's winning entry.

Arraj Reading Room Dedication

Fri, 27 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Arraj Reading Room Dedication Last night, guests, including alumni and former law clerks of Judge Arraj, remembered the Judge and celebrated the opening of the beautiful Judge Alfred A. Arraj Reading Room in the William A. Wise Law Library. Al Arraj earned his LL.B. degree in 1928 from the University of Colorado. He maintained a law practice in Springfield, Colorado, until 1942, when he enlisted in the Army Air Corps for nearly three years. He then served as County Attorney of Baca County, City Attorney for Springfield and Walsh, Deputy District Attorney in the Fifteenth Judicial District, and District Judge for the Fifteenth Judicial District. He served as president of the Southeast Colorado Bar in 1940, senior vice-president of the Colorado Bar Association in 1950, president of the Colorado State District Judges Association in 1954, and a member of the CBAs Board of Governors from 1955 to 1958. Then, in 1957, President Dwight Eisenhower appointed Al Arraj to the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. From 1959 to 1976, he was Chief Judge of the court. He was the longest serving federal district court judge in Colorado history, sitting 35 years until his death in 1992 at age 86. Judge Arrajs nearly 40 law clerks developed a bond with the Judge and amongst themselves. Some of these former law clerks provided the original funding for Colorado Laws Alfred A. Arraj scholarships, which are awarded to deserving first-year students each year. In addition, Al Arraj received the Norlin Recognition Award for Distinguished Achievement, the highest award presented to CU alumni, and the William Lee Knous Award, the highest award presented by Colorado Law. CU also conferred upon him an honorary LL.D. degree. The Colorado Lawyer provides a more detailed account of Alfred A. Arrajs life and career.

Entrepreneurial Law Clinic Helps Prospective Denver Hispanic Entrepreneurs

Tue, 03 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Entrepreneurial Law Clinic Help Prospective Denver Hispanic Entrepreneurs The Entrepreneurial Law Clinic led a presentation to 30 prospective Denver entrepreneurs about how to select and form a legal entity when starting a business. Yesterdays presentation at the Denver Hispanic Chamber of Commerce was as part of 12-week course concerning how to start a business by Cultura Business Communications, which provides training and consulting focusing on Latino business with the goal of bridging understanding between American and Hispanic business cultures. The presentation is part of an informal relationship started in January 2006 between the Entrepreneurial Law Clinic and Cultura. Assistant Clinical Professor Brad Bernthal, who leads the Clinic, was joined by Colorado Law alumni Jon Sargent (06), an attorney in Boulders Frascona, Joiner, Goodman and Greenstein, and Marta Jucha (08), who is joining the Clinic for the 2007-08 term. Sargents practice includes securities and real estate matters. The Clinic will lead another Cultura class on July 9 concerning intellectual property matters in which alumnae and Faegre & Benson attorney Rita Sanzgiri (06) will join. Culturas classes are split into English and Spanish-speaking sections. Jucha, who previously practiced as an attorney in Mexico, provided language assistance that enabled Bernthal and Sargent to deliver their presentations to both sections. Bernthal, who was pleased with the results, said, It is terrific to see coordination like this between past and current Clinic students. Perhaps most importantly, the Cultura attendees were fully engaged and delighted with the quality of discussion. The Entrepreneurial Law Clinic presents information to Culturas classes roughly every two months. During the fall and spring semesters, supervised Clinic students lead outreach presentations. The benefits of such interactions are twofold. First, entrepreneurs are able to learn about legal issues that are often inaccessible to individuals without a legal background or business sophistication. Second, interaction with entrepreneurs allows students to understand the entrepreneurial mindset better. Students learn to think globally about how to translate technical and legal concepts into something comprehensible for non-lawyers. Brad and his students do a great job of making legal issues accessible for our students, said Cheryl Lucero, who spearheads Culturas 12-week business course. This is information that many of our entrepreneurs otherwise would not get exposed to. Occasionally, the Clinics presentations lead to client relationships between the Clinic and the entrepreneurs who come through Culturas classes. Work performed by Clinic students for Cultura clients has included assistance in setting up an LLC, advising concerning intellectual property protection strategies, and providing contract related assistance. In addition to its work with Cultura, the Entrepreneurial Law Clinic has been active in conducting outreach with other area entities. Its activities over the past year have included presentations to Micro Business Development, a business development entity in Denver, the BARD Center for Entrepreneurship (part of the CU at Denver Business School), and the Boulder-based TechStars program.

ENVISIONING ENERGY: Perspectives on Our Sustainable Energy Future

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

ENVISIONING ENERGY: Perspectives on Our Sustainable Energy Future Colorado Laws Energy and Environmental Security Initiative (EESI) hosted Envisioning Energy yesterday evening. Speakers discussed the passage of numerous bills designed to put Colorado on the right track for achieving a sustainable energy future to a standing-room-only crowd. Key leaders from the Colorado Legislature, Governor Ritters cabinet, and the British government came together to address the progress that has been made and the difficulties that lie ahead for Colorado and the world in reference to sustainable energy. Speakers at the event included: Colorado House Majority Leader, Alice Madden; Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, Jim Martin; Director of the Governor's Energy Office, Tom Plant; and British Consul in Denver, Kevin Lynch. According to some of Colorados Democratic leaders; some examples for sustainable energy for Colorado are: ethanol fuel-production plants and higher mileage standards for Colorados energy image. For a while, the global climate was changing faster than the political climate was changing, and now thats turning around, said Tom Plant, Director of the Governors Energy Office. For example, in 2004, only 3 percent of energy came from renewable sources such as hydropower, wood, solar, wind, geothermal and waste materials. The rest of the energy was derived from coal and natural gas. To counteract the 97 percent of energy being derived from coal and natural gas, Colorado passed Amendment 37, which calls for 10 percent of the states electricity to come from renewable sources by 2015. "Colorado can emerge as an economic powerhouse in this field, and this past legislative session was a solid step in that direction. But we also need to make sure that Colorado is a leader in taking advantage of all the opportunities that are coming onto the scene-at state, national, and even international levels. The speakers helped us understand how to do that," said Dr. Lakshman Guruswamy, EESI Director and Professor of Law. For more information on the Envisioning Energy event, or the EESI greenhouse gas trading report, please visit http://www.colorado.edu/law/eesi/. "There's an extraordinary amount of activity happening in the area of sustainable energy," said Dr. Lakshman Guruswamy.

The New American Indian Law Clinic Table

Fri, 22 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The Power of the Circle The American Indian Law Clinic and artist, Larry Desjarlais (Turtle Mountain Chippewa), have created a design for a beautiful table that will be used in the law school's Kiva conference room. This table has high significance, due to the fact that American Indians believe that the Power of the World always works in circles and everything tries to be round. The symbols in the table design (see photo below) represent the wide scope of American Indian law studied and taught at Colorado Law, as well as honors our special relationship to the tribes with which University of Colorado American Indian Law Program has worked with directly. The Program studies and works with two resident Colorado tribes, the Southern Ute Tribe and the Ute Mountain Tribe, more than 40,000 American Indians residing in Colorado, as well as Native American tribes and Alaska Native villages across the United States. Black Elk Speaks of the Oglala Sioux explained, In the old days when we were a strong and happy people, all our power came to us from the sacred hoop of the nation and so long as the hoop was unbroken the people flourished. The turtle on the table is for the Northern Arapahoe and many tribes represent the source of life. The buffalo symbolizes not only the plains tribes for which this area is a historical migratory crossroads, but also the University of Colorado. The bear is the sacred symbol of the Ute Tribes. Finally, the salmon represents the Northwest, Northeast, and Native Alaska tribes. Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing, and always come back again to where they were. The life of a man is a circle from childhood to childhood and so it is in everything where power moves," declared Black Elk Speaks. The American Indian Law Program and Clinic are deeply grateful to Council Tree Lodge for its generous support of the Program and for making this incredible meeting space possible.

Property Scholars Share Cutting-Edge Works at 1st Annual Conference

Fri, 15 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Property Scholars Share Cutting-Edge Works at 1st Annual Conference June 15, 2007 At a time when property scholarship in the legal academy is experiencing a significant revival, the University of Colorado Law School, in conjunction with Widener Law School, hosted the first annual Property Works in Progress Conference on June 14 and 15. The Conference provided a new forum for property scholars to share cutting-edge works and engage in conversations about early stage ideas and broader themes. Conference organizers, Nestor Davidson of Colorado Law and Ben Barros of Widener Law School, ensured that the 33 attendees had opportunities to present works in progress for formal responses and discussion. In addition, idea exchange sessions allowed participants to explore themes, subjects, and methodological questions in property scholarship in less formal settings. The sessions covered a range of topics, including: Evolution and History in Property Law Possession and Dispossession in Property Sexual Liberty, Same Sex Marriage, and Property Geography, Political Structures, and Alternatives in Property Perspectives on Property Theory Takings and Constitutional Property Knowledge, Information, and IP Conference participants included: Bernadette Atuahene, Chicago-Kent Thomas Merrill, Columbia Carlos Ball, Penn State Adam Mossoff, Michigan State Abraham Bell, Fordham Stephen Munzer, UCLA Al Brophy, Alabama Kali Murray, Mississippi Ann Carlson, UCLA Hari Osofsky, Oregon Eric Claeys, George Mason Claire Priest, Northwestern David Dana, Northwestern Marc Poirer, Seton Hall Lee Fennell, U. of Chicago Erin Ryan, William & Mary Mark Fenster, U. of Florida Christopher Serkin, Brooklyn William Fischel, Dartmouth Henry Smith, Yale Sheila Foster, Fordham Jim Smith, Georgia Rachel Godsil, Seton Hall Stewart Sterk, Cardozo Daniel Hamilton, Chicago-Kent Stephanie Stern, Loyola Chicago James Kainen, Fordham Lee Strang, Ave Maria James Krier, Michigan Josh Tate, SMU Daphna Lewinsohn-Zamir, Hebrew U.

Dean's Diversity: Increasing Diversity in the Legal Profession

Fri, 25 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

May 25, 0007 The Deans Diversity Council is a joint effort with the CU and DU law schools and the Front Range legal community to promote diversity in law school admissions and in hiring, retention, and advancement of lawyers in corporations and law firms. Formed by Deans Getches and José R. (Beto) Juárez (University of Denver Sturm College of Law), this landmark diversity initiative involves the commitment and active support of the managing partners of nearly all of Denver's most prominent firms, members of the state and federal judiciary, the U.S. Attorney for the State of Colorado, and the Colorado Attorney General. In response to stagnant employment rates of minority attorneys in private law firms since 1999, over one hundred Fortune 500 corporations signed the Call to Action, requiring law firms to increase their efforts to recruit and retain diverse attorneys or risk losing the signatory corporations as clients. As a result, the demand for diverse law students and lawyers in the private sector has risen, but the number of law school minority applications is in decline and attrition among minority attorneys at private law firms is accelerating. Since the initial meeting last November, the Council asserted a Vision Statement with the following goal: By the year 2016, all Denver metro law firms and corporate legal departments will have successfully developed and implemented initiatives that create cultures of inclusion where attorneys of all backgrounds succeed without regard to gender, race, religion, national origin, disability, or sexual orientation. In 2007, in partnership with the Colorado Pledge to Diversity, the Council will conduct the first comprehensive demographic and ethnographic survey of the Colorado legal profession to provide the baseline data against which the Council will measure its future initiatives. Then, in September, the Council, in conjunction with Colorado and Denver Bar Associations Diversity in the Legal Profession Committee, will host the Rocky Mountain Diversity Legal Summit--the first Colorado-based national diversity legal summit.

Fri, 11 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

91% Bar Passage Rate

Thu, 10 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

For the February 2007 Bar Exam, first-time Colorado Law test takers had a 90% passage rate. Adding in the July 2006 passage rate, Colorado Law has an amazing 91.2% passage rate. This is even more impressive since the passage rates decreased for all other groups taking the Colorado exam; the overall passage rate for all February 2006 test takers was 72% and 69% in February 2007. This years passage rate is 2 points higher than last years rate of 89.4%. Assistant Dean Trujillos recently published paper, "The Relationship Between Law School and the Bar Exam: A Look at Assessment and Student Success," highlights strategies to improve bar passage and prepare law students. The following is the articles abstract: Law schools have a moral and ethical obligation to society - and, to an even greater degree, to their students - to adequately prepare the students to succeed as professionals. Ultimate success for law students is measured by the ability to competently practice in the legal profession, which requires passing the bar exam. A recent downward trend in national bar passage rates highlights the need for law schools to address the factors negatively affecting bar passage rates. Based on research conducted at the University of Colorado School of Law, this article discusses methods to reform new attorney licensure and also highlights strategies to improve bar passage. It suggests ways to minimize the effects of the bar exam's negative factors and recommends ways to better prepare law students.

Chemerinsky Lecture

Wed, 25 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Chemerinsky Reveals Secret Dockets in The Assault on the Press Lecture At the 50th Annual John R. Coen Lecture yesterday, Erwin Chemerinsky, the Alston & Bird Professor of Law and Political Science at Duke University, spoke about an unprecedented assault on freedom of the press, which he blames on the war on terrorism and the Bush administration, and the failure to provide special protection for the press under the First Amendment. Most surprising was his discovery of more than 400 secret hearings that do not appear on the court dockets in the District of Columbia district court. The audience was shocked since there has been no press about the dockets. When asked why it had not been in the press, Chemerinsky replied that it is difficult to report on a something in which there is no listing or record. Other unprecedented secrecy can be found in immigration proceedings, closed hearings, and details about detainees. Freedom of the press is also under attack because of the increased threat of prosecution for publishing classified information and of not revealing confidential sources. As one of the nations most famous and respected constitutional law scholars, Chemerinsky has had his pick of high-profile cases. This May, he will argue outed CIA agent Valerie Plame's civil lawsuit against numerous Bush administration officials, trying to persuade a judge that she and her husband, former U.S. Ambassador Joseph Wilson, had their free speech, due process, and privacy rights violated.

More than 100 Law Students Honored at Ceremonies

Fri, 20 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

This years two law school awards ceremonies honored 115 students and a couple of faculty and staff for outstanding work. It was an amazing year for our accomplished students! On April 17th, the Second Annual Pro Bono Awards Recognition Ceremony honored those law students who have contributed more than 2,500 hours of pro bono work this academic year. Colorado Supreme Court Justice Alex Martinez talked at the ceremony about the importance of doing pro bono work and public service, and his own life of public service and its rewards. He also encouraged the students to do public interest work because not only is it their ethical obligation, but it is also personally rewarding. Dean Getches congratulated the students and the proud history of public service at the law school. In addition, a number of students spoke about their projects. Brandon Karpen volunteered the most number of hours, 500, over summer for Federal Judge. Michelle Albert had the second largest number of hours at 300 for an unpaid summer internship for Justice Mullarkey of the Colorado Supreme Court. Those with 100 hours or more included Sarah Quicksall for Colorado Legal Services and Denver Metro Volunteer Lawyers, Challon Winer for an IRS's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, Albana Alla with Immigrant Legal Center of Boulder County, Christian Gardner-Wood as coach for the Regis Jesuit High School Mock Trial Team, and Michael Levy with the ACLU. On April 19th, the Spring Awards Ceremony recognized 94 students for outstanding work in a range of areas included the clinics, moot court competitions, student organizations, writing, journals, centers, classroom contributions, and legal service. Most notable was SBA President Marnie Adams, who was recognized 5 times: Carrigan Cup, Women's Law Caucus Award, Meritorious Student Award, and the ABA and Rothgerber Mock Trial Competitions. The Jonathan B. Chase Human Rights Fellowship, which provides student stipends for summer legal work for the disadvantaged or on human rights legal matters, was awarded to Albana Alla, Geoffrey Cook, Jenna Mazzucca, Maren Jaffee, Michael Levy, and Valerie Gaimon. The Edward C. King Award, recognizing the student whose outstanding leadership and achievement exemplify Dean Kings ideals, including a spirit of service to the university, the bench, the bar, and the community, was presented to Siddhartha Rathod. The Loan Assistant Repayment Program awards went to Audrey Wimmer, Greg Pener, Sarah Quicksall, and Siddhartha Rathod. Two staff members were recognized by the students: Cindy Gibbons was presented the Barb Leggate Humanitarian Award and Eric Bono was presented the SBA Staff Appreciation Award. This years Outstanding New Faculty award went to Laura Spitz.

Mon, 16 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Silicon Flatirons Public Safety Roundtable: Frames Debate on Future of Next Generation Network for Public Safety

Thu, 12 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Laws Silicon Flatirons Telecommunications Program hosted a roundtable over the last two days, attended by thought leaders in public safety, academia, and industry to discuss the opportunity to develop a next generation network for public safety communications. This roundtable, made possible by a CTIA grant to the Program, included more than 30 participants and highlighted the important choices facing policymakers in this significant area. Professor Phil Weiser and CU Adjunct Professor Dale Hatfield organized and moderated the roundtable. I have been involved in discussions as to the future of public safety communications for more than 30 years, emphasized Dale Hatfield. I am very encouraged that we now have an opportunity to move in a far more effective direction. To my mind, this discussion and others like it are critical to taking advantage of new technologies and approaches. In short, I believe that our report will be able to develop how new technological developments have created unprecedented opportunities that policymakers should embrace. Over its seven years in existence, Silicon Flatirons has prided itself on the ability to raise the level of debate and cut through the rhetoric on important public policy issues, explained Weiser. The challenges facing public safety communications are one of the most important public policy issues facing the country and there is a vital need for careful analysis to frame the debate and guide policy going forward. We appreciate CTIAs leadership in supporting our effort to bring together leading thinkers on the topic. For years, public safety communications has not received the attention it deserved, noted Harlin McEwen, Chairman of the Communications and Technology Committee of the International Association of Chiefs of Police. I am very pleased that this roundtable brought together a considerable amount of brainpower to analyze the cutting edge issues of today. This dialogue represents an important step in developing more thoughtful public policy in this area, explained Charles Werner, Fire Chief of the City of Charlottesville. I have participated in a number of such forums and this one was unique for the caliber of individuals it brought together and the seriousness of the discussion. I look forward to and am encouraged that it can lead to an important report that will outline public safety needs and identify collaborative opportunities to meet those needs. CTIA is pleased to have hosted this important forum, explained Steve Largent, President and CEO of CTIA. We are committed to positively contributing to a high level of productive discussion in this extremely important area. CTIAs membership include commercial carriers offering services to public safety agencies, equipment developers serving public safety, and other companies also interested in advancing thoughtful public policy in this area. As envisioned, the roundtable discussion highlighted important areas of consensus, including new and emerging technologies and opportunities, requirements for public safety communications, and suggestions for a next generation architecture and policy strategy. These points will be developed in a report expected by mid-May.

Thu, 12 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Governor Signs Loan Repayment Bill to Encourage Public Interest Careers

Mon, 09 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Today House Bill 07-1242, Higher Ed Public Service Loan Repayment, which had passed the House and Senate unanimously, was signed by Governor Bill Ritter at a signing ceremony. The bill allows full implementation of Colorado Laws Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) by removing a legal barrier to assisting graduates working in public service with loan repayments. It also authorizes governing boards of all institutions of higher education to create similar loan repayment assistance programs to encourage students and graduates to enter public interest careers. Under the rules of the CU Regents, the university currently may not assist alumni with paying loans. The Prime Sponsors of the bill were Claire Levy and Jennifer Veiga. Cosponsors included Amy Stephens, Ellen Roberts, Michael Merrifield, and Anne McGihon. Getting the bill to pass was the first step, but to make the Colorado Law LRAP a formal program, the Board of Regents must still approve the ruling. Todays ceremony was attended by CU-Boulder Chancellor Bud Peterson, Dean David Getches, Christine Arguello, Elisa Dalton, and members of the Colorado Law LRAP Committee: Assistant Dean Lorenzo Trujillo, David Juarez (Class of 83 and helped write the legislation), Adjunct Professor Roger Flynn (Co-founder of Program), Sarah Quicksall (student) and Michelle Albert (student). Dean Getches states, We are proud of the long tradition of public service at Colorado Law and are committed to enabling our students to continue this tradition by providing access to the legal system for disadvantaged and underrepresented clients in need of first-rate lawyers. LRAP was started with funds the students themselves raised. The endowment was given a big boost by receiving $33,000 in proceeds from this years Law Alumni Awards Banquet. I am committed to expanding the program by raising private donations for LRAP as well as for scholarships. Michelle Albert (Class of 08) explains, I chose to leave my ten-year career as an educator so that I could pursue a career in public interest law. Now, as I watch my educational debt grow, I more fully appreciate the difficulty of choosing to pursue a low-paying public interest job when I graduate. LRAP helps students like me make choices to choose work that they are passionate about, and which helps those in need. The program was one of the reasons I chose to attend Colorado Law, and I believe it is one of the most important programs that a law school can offer. What is LRAP? With state support for higher education declining, law school tuition has been rising faster than the rate of inflation, and the size of student loans are rising to keep pace. Colorado Law School tuition has doubled in the past three years, and 85% of last years graduates borrowed loans at an average of $60,000. In addition, the disparity between private and public sector salaries remains large. LRAP provides partial loan forgiveness for recent Colorado Law School graduates who choose public interest jobs. LRAP allows recent graduates the freedom to choose public interest work. More importantly, these lawyers help disadvantaged clients in need of first-rate representation for their critical legal needs. LRAP also benefits the Law School by helping to attract highly qualified applicants who plan to work for the public interest when they graduate.

The Rothgerber Moot Court Competition

Fri, 06 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

In the final round of this years Rothgerber Moot Court Competition, the teams argued the case of Dom L. Door (Petitioner) v. United States (Respondent), which is before the United States Supreme Court. The Court certified the following questions: - Does the Fourth Amendment permit police officers during a stop based on reasonable suspicion to request consent to search a suspect after the initial purpose of the stop is completed? - Does the Fifth Amendment require that Miranda warnings include an express reference to the right to consult with an attorney during an interrogation? Before the distinguished panel of Justice Allison Eid, former Justice Jean Dubofsky, and Judge James Casebolt, Director of the Moot Court Programs, Professor Gabrielle Marks Stafford, said, All the oralists performed like seasoned advocates and they masterfully fielded difficult questions. Congratulations to Jonathon P. Martin who received the Austin W. Scott Best Oralist Award, the Petitioners team of Gabe Lopez, Roni Melamed, and Chuck Piechota were selected as the Best Team, and the Respondent team of Marnie Adams, JP Martin, and Brad Williams were the Runner-up Team. The Rothgerber Moot Court Appellate Competition was endowed in 1951 by Ira C. Rothgerber, Jr., to commemorate the 50th anniversary of his father's graduation from University of Colorado Law School. The Competition consists of three rounds of briefing and argument, the first round in the fall of the participants' second year of law school, a semi-final round in the spring of that year, and the final round in the spring of the participants' third year.

Colorado Law Earns GOLD for Being Green

Thu, 22 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The U.S. Green Building Council awarded Colorado Laws Wolf Law Building a Gold certification under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System, the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance green buildings. We are the first publicly supported law school in the country to obtain Gold. And contrary to the techy image of some green buildings, the Wolf Law Building has won architectural praise for incorporating the style of the original CU buildings. From planning and design, to construction management, to developing and pursuing the application, this project was done right, said Dean Getches. We had an extraordinary team of experts, great support from the campus, and the commitment to go for the gold. And we believed in what it represents. Congratulations, and thanks to all who worked so hard to make our gold rating a reality! To achieve Gold, the building had to meet high standards, including sustainable site development; water-saving features; high levels of energy efficiency; use of green construction materials; extensive recycling of construction waste; and high indoor environmental quality. The Wolf Law Building features high-efficiency lighting, CO2 monitoring, low-flow water fixtures, waterless urinals, a high-efficiency cooling system, and central steam heat. During construction, 91% of the materials from demolition and construction were recycled. The school also is powered by 100% renewable energy through wind energy credits. Construction of the $46 million Wolf Law Building was financed through a combination of a new student capital construction fee, federal and state funding, and private donations. Read bout other CU-Boulder buildings have or will receive similar LEED certification.

The Climate of Environmental Justice: Taking Stock Conference

Sun, 18 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

On March 16-17, The Climate of Environmental Justice: Taking Stock conference, gathered 125 academics and practitioners from around the country to consider the pressing issues facing low-income and/or communities of color that continue to be subjected to a disproportionate share of environmental maladies. "Some people are more equal than others when it comes to bracing ourselves for the impacts of climate change," said conference organizer Professor Maxine Burkett. "Whether it's because poor folks lived in the lowest areas of New Orleans when Katrina floodwaters rushed in, or are less able to afford the cooling bill during increasingly frequent heat waves, impoverished communities and communities of color are really bearing the brunt of a more unstable climate. On the heels of the most recent findings on the urgency of the climate crisis, we're looking forward to talking about its impacts on those who are most vulnerable.¨ The environmental justice movement has long been concerned with the disproportionate impacts of pollution and industrial waste on poor communities, and climate change adds another dimension of urgency to the field. Twenty years ago, the concept of ¡§environmental justice¡¨ emerged in force, and the conference will provide an opportunity to reflect on the impact of two decades of effort in the face of a largely hostile political arena. Specifically, the conference will seek to identify innovative legal and policy options to improve the conditions of low-income and/or communities of color that are most affected by inequitable environmental practices. On the evening of March 16, the keynote session included a talk by U.S. Representative Mark Udall (D-CO), who reflected on his introduction of environmental justice and climate change legislation in Washington, D.C. He was followed by Jerome Ringo, who emerged from the Bayous of Southern Louisiana to become the Chair of the National Wildlife Federation and President of the national Apollo Alliance. Then, Denver environmental law practitioner Willie Shepherd led a discussion about environmental justice issues in Colorado. On March 17, panels discussed the status of the environmental justice movement, new issues related to climate change, and potential policy solutions that will help environmental justice practitioners in the field move forward. Conference speakers included: - LUKE COLE, Director, Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment, is an environmental justice and civil rights lawyer in San Francisco, where he directs the Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment. Widely recognized as one of the foremost environmental justice lawyers in the United States, Cole pioneered the community-based, community-led litigation style for which the Center is known. -SHEILA FOSTER, Professor of Law, Fordham Law School, is the author of numerous publications on civil rights law, constitutional law, and environmental law. Her primary scholarship is dedicated to exploring the intersection of civil rights and environmental law in ¡§environmental justice. - RICHARD LAZARUS, Professor of Law, Georgetown Law, focuses his scholarship on environmental and natural resources law. He has most recently published law review articles on environmental legal history, Supreme Court and environmental law, the Fifth Amendment Just Compensation Clause, and environmental justice. Other panelists from the West and nationally included: - REBECCA TSOSIE, Professor of Law, Arizona State University - NICHOLAS TARG, Holland & Knight - DEAN SUAGEE, Of Counsel, Hobbs, Straus, Dean & Walker LLP (DC) - CLIFF RECHTSCHAFFEN, Professor of Law, Golden Gate University School of Law - RUTH GORDON, Professor of Law, Villanova University School of Law - RACHEL GODSIL, Professor of Law, Seton Hall Law School - MICHAEL B. GERRARD, Partner, Arnold & Porter (NY) - EILEEN GAUNA, Professor of Law, University of New Mexico School of Law - ROBERT BULLARD, Professor of Sociology, Clark Atlanta University The 2007 Climate of Environmental Justice Conference was generously sponsored by: Natural Resources Law Center; University of Colorado Law School; Kamlet Shepherd & Reichert, LLP; Office of Vice Chancellor, University of Colorado; Environmental Center, University of Colorado; Margaret Paul (In memory of Phil Stanbro); and the Center to Advance Research and Teaching in the Social Sciences, University of Colorado.

26th Alumni Awards Banquet Record Attendance and Sponsorship

Thu, 15 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The 26th Annual University of Colorado Law School Alumni Awards Banquet, the Law Alumnis signature event, was held on the evening of Wednesday, March 14th, at the Hyatt Regency Denver. In addition to being the largest awards banquet evermore than 400 people from the community attendedthe banquet showcased four exceptional award recipients, inspiring speakers, and a wonderful new venue. Thanks to a record $77,000 in sponsorships from the law schools many friends and supporters, the Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) will receive more than $33,000. Following a hors d'oeuvre and happy hour in the hotels Capital Foyer, guests were welcomed into the dining hall. Peter Dietze, the Law Alumni Board Chair, opened the banquet and Kara Veitch, the Banquet Chair and Master-of-Ceremonies, thanked the 40 sponsors, advertisers, and in-kind donations. In addition, Ms. Veitch recognized past alumni board members, past award winners, and the members of the Class of 57 who had reserved two tables for a small a reunion. Following a fabulously presented three-course dinner, Dean David Getches welcomed guests and presented a video of the Dedication Ceremony of the new Wolf Law Building that took place in September 2006. Dean Getches reviewed Colorado Laws accomplishments over the past year and then introduced Governor Bill Ritter (Class of 81). Governor Ritter spoke about each of the the deserving award recipients and all that they have contributed to the legal profession. Jami Vigil (Class of 02), a two-year LRAP recipient, spoke about her work as Executive Director and Managing Attorney at Socorro, a firm providing legal services for immigrant women and children, and how LRAP has helped with her loan burden. CU President Hank Brown (Class of 69) spoke about each nominee and their notable contributions to the legal community and to Colorado Law and presented them their Award for Distinguished Achievement. Justice Nathan B. Coats (Class of 77) received the Judiciary Award for his long and dedicated career in the Supreme Court. Justice Coats remembered his time at the law school, his relationships with other alumni, and serving on the bench. The Law Alumni Board chose Norman Brownstein (Class of 68) for the Private Practice Award because of the impact that Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck has had in the law community, in addition to his active involvement with CU and numerous centers and committees. Mr. Brownstein spoke to his long partnership with classmate and partner Mr. Farber and vision they had for their law firm and early cases. Steven W. Farber (Class of 68) was presented the Private Practice Award because of his firms legal contributions and his leadership roles in countless community causes, including co-chair of the 2008 Denver Host Committee for the Democratic Convention. Mr. Farber reminded the members of the audience to give back to the community they came from. Gail H. Klapper (Class of 68) received the Executive in Industry Award for her work as the Member/Director of the Colorado Forum, founder of the Klapper Firm, and her contributions to numerous Colorado boards. Ms. Klapper spoke about the difficulties of being a woman lawyer early in her career, the woman who gave her a chance, and how she pays it forward. All recipients were accompanied by their adoring families, which they each thanked for their support. The banquet was a huge success because of the dedication of our great alumni!

Rethinking the Great Lakes Compact

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Support for passing the proposed Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact is gaining momentum, but University of Colorado law Professor Mark Squillace urges the parties in the eight Great Lake Basin states to take a step back and rethink their entire approach. He makes his argument in his article in the Michigan State Law Review, "Rethinking the Great Lakes Compact." Both the New York Assembly and the Ohio House of Representatives approved the compact late last year and it is now under review by the remaining state governments. "The proposed compact imposes cumbersome requirements on every basin state as well as on most new water users, and yet the benefits are negligible," said Squillace. "Most importantly, while the compact gives the illusion of protecting the ecological health of the basin, it actually affords very little protection because it fails to provide for the regulation or management of the myriad existing uses and activities that already significantly impact the water resources of the Great Lakes Basin." In his article, Squillace proposes an alternate framework that allocates among the basin states and provinces a fair percentage of the available water supply. The available water supply is conservatively defined in terms of that amount of water that is in excess of what is needed to protect the ecological health of the Great Lakes. Ownership of existing uses and activities could be granted to individual states and provinces to provide them with an incentive to conserve. "This alternate framework has many advantages," points out Squillace. "It avoids micromanaging individual water uses on a regional level, while being readily adaptable to address the impacts of uncertain events such as drought and climate change. "If smaller water supplies are available in the future each party may have to make proportionate reductions in their withdrawals and consumptive uses, but no new program would need to be developed," he said. Notably, the alternate framework proposed by Squillace essentially ignores the contentious problem of out-of-basin diversions, but he makes a case for his claim that the Great Lakes will be far better protected under the system he proposes even without a ban on out-of-basin diversions. "Each state and province will have access to a fixed supply of water over a given period of time to use as it sees fit," explained Squillace. "But political and practical considerations make it highly unlikely that any party will send a significant part of its share of the water to any faraway place and more importantly, however, from the perspective of the other parties, the locus of use shouldn't matter." He added the impact on the Great Lakes Basin and on other parties will be the same whether the water is consumed in or outside the basin. In this way, he said, "we can protect the ecological health of the Great Lakes efficiently and effectively without worrying about where the water is being used."

CU Law School To Host National Climate Change Conference

Wed, 28 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The Natural Resources Law Center and the University of Colorado at Boulder School of Law will host a two-day conference on the impact of climate change and its direct effect on society's most vulnerable populations. Called "The Climate of Environmental Justice: Taking Stock," the conference will be held March 16-17, and will be attended by national leaders in the field of environmental justice. "Some people are more equal than others when it comes to bracing ourselves for the impacts of climate change," said Maxine Burkett, associate professor of law at CU and conference organizer. "Whether it's because poor folks lived in the lowest areas of New Orleans when Katrina floodwaters rushed in, or are less able to afford the cooling bill during increasingly frequent heat waves, impoverished communities and communities of color are really bearing the brunt of a more unstable climate." On March 16, at 4:30 p.m., the keynote session will feature Colorado Congressman Mark Udall, who will reflect on his introduction of environmental justice and climate change legislation in Washington, D.C., and Jerome Ringo, chair of the National Wildlife Federation and president of the national Apollo Alliance. A discussion about environmental justice issues in Colorado will follow. On March 17, panelists will discuss the status of the environmental justice movement, new issues related to climate change and potential policy solutions that will help environmental justice practitioners in the field move forward. The conference will feature a number of prominent lawyers and legal scholars including: o Luke Cole, environmental justice and civil rights lawyer in San Francisco, Calif., and director of the Center on Race, Poverty and the Environment. o Sheila Foster, professor of law, Fordham University School of Law, who has dedicated her study to exploring the intersection of civil rights and environmental law in "environmental justice." She is the author of numerous publications on civil rights law, constitutional law and environmental law. o Richard Lazarus, professor of environmental and natural resources law at the University of Georgetown, has published law review articles on environmental legal history, the United States Supreme Court and environmental law, the Fifth Amendment just-compensation clause, and environmental justice. The conference is open to scholars, attorneys, non-profit organizations and the public and will be held in the Wolf Law Building located on the south side of the Boulder campus near Baseline Road and Broadway. For more information about the conference, including a complete schedule, registration fees and online registration, visit the Natural Resource's Law Center Web site at www.colorado.edu/law/centers/nrlc/index.htm or call (303) 492-3720. Contact: Maxine Burkett, (303) 492-3720 maxine.burkett@colorado.edu Elisa Dalton, (303) 492-3124 elisa.dalton@colorado.edu Dirk Martin, (303) 492-3140

Ethics and Collaborative Law Presentation

Tue, 20 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The Juvenile and Family Law Program sponsored a lunchtime presentation titled Ethics and Collaborative Law. One of Colorados leading family law attorneys, Dave Johnson, of Kane, Donley & Johnson PC, provided an introduction to the basic concepts of collaborative law, discussed its advantages and drawbacks, and addressed several ethical issues raised by this new form of alternative dispute resolution. Approximately 90 students and faculty attended the presentation. Mr. Johnson noted that family law is the perfect setting for this form of dispute resolution because it concerns family interactions that will continue even after legal relationships change. The basic design of collaborative law helps divert cases from the courtroom and presents clients with a forward looking, goal oriented, and client-driven model of dispute resolution. Mr. Johnson identified two ethical issues that are often cited in relation to collaborative law: (1) attorney-client privilege, and (2) disqualification of attorneys if negotiation fails. Mr. Johnson contended that attorneys can avoid these ethical issues if they carefully counsel their clients with respect to the goals and requirements of collaborative law and the role the attorney will play in the four-way meetings.

New Website Chronicles Net Neutrality Debate

Tue, 13 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Micah Schwalb, a 3L and the Editor in Chief of the Journal on Telecomm and High Tech Law, put together a new website, neutralitylaw.com, that traces the history of the net neutrality debate through the Journal's back issues and footage from past Silicon Flatirons conferences. There are videos of talks by Larry Lessig, Vint Cerf, and others (many of which have never been available online before now), and articles by Tim Wu, Chris Yoo, Barbara van Schewick, Phil, and more.

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Three Law Students Become US Citizens

Wed, 17 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The University of Colorado Law School congratulates three of its students that became United States citizens today. Albana Alla and Andra Zeppelin are members of the class of 2008 and Kyaw Tin is the class of 2009, each tells a different and compelling story. Albana is from Albania (as her name indicates) and came to US in 2000 from Kosovo, where she was an interpreter for the US troops. She attended Sam Houston State University in Texas until funds ran out, transferred to Sandhills community college in North Carolina, and finally graduated from the University of North Carolina. Before coming to US, she had completed two years at the University of Tirana law school, Albania. Going to law school has always been my dream, for a million reasons, explains a passionate Albana. I grew up in a communist country. I experienced the fall of communism. I saw how hundreds of people rushed to the center of the city to drag in the streets the bust of our Dictator, Enver Hoxha. I remember our first free elections when a second party besides the communist party participated. I remember when the first non-communist party won the elections in March 22, 1992. Those were awesome times, full of hope for the future. We all thought that the country would prosper quickly and be like Western Europe. That did not happen and to this day we are struggling. The rule of law disappeared and chaos took over. But the worst had yet to come. In 1997, our country went through a civil war with the financial pyramidal schemes as an impetus. I saw horrible things: my friends being raped, people that I knew robbed and killed, and sometimes police officers doing the misdeeds. I swore to myself that I would go to law school and send to jail a lot of people that I thought committed crimes but never got punished. I swore that I would become a judge, parliament member, or minister of justice and do some justice. This is what I thought when I was a teenager, nevertheless, those ideals stick with me to this day. Of course, with some doses of reality in them!! Andra is from Romania and moved to the US in 2001, receiving her BA in Political Science and French, magna cum laude, in 2005 from the University of Colorado at Denver. Going to law school has been my goal since I was probably four or five, Andra shares. I am not entirely sure what led to that at that particular age, but, as years went by, I realized that law school was indeed where I wanted to go. The reason behind that was a desire to work with people and be able to assist them in their affairs both private and professional. I have always known that I have skills that might promote a law career an analytical mind, a strong desire to find the right answer, and a need to facilitate access to justice and the legal system. Apart from my skills, I have always wanted to work with people and I am hoping that my future legal career will afford me that opportunity. Andra believes that becoming a citizen opens new opportunities that she did not have access to before, including employment positions in the federal government and being able to vote. Kyaw is originally from Burma and came to the US in 1994 after receiving his undergraduate degree from the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom. I am interested in International law, particularly human rights law, especially since it impacts present-day Burma, Kyaw exclaimed. I am also looking forward to taking IP law classes. He believes that getting to vote is the most exciting aspect of becoming a citizen.

Dean Getches Joins Law Deans' Release Statement on Stimsons Remarks Concerning Lawyers for Detainees

Mon, 15 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Dean David Getches along with more than 150 other American law school deans signed a letter in response to the remarks made by Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Charles "Cully" Stimson criticizing top US law firms for providing pro bono representation to Guantanamo detainees. The following statement was released today: "We, the undersigned law deans, are appalled by the January 11, 2007 statement of Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Charles "Cully" Stimson, criticizing law firms for their pro bono representation of suspected terrorist detainees and encouraging corporate executives to force these law firms to choose between their pro bono and paying clients." "As law deans and professors, we find Secretary Stimsons statement to be contrary to basic tenets of American law. We teach our students that lawyers have a professional obligation to ensure that even the most despised and unpopular individuals and groups receive zealous and effective legal representation. Our American legal tradition has honored lawyers who, despite their personal beliefs, have zealously represented mass murderers, suspected terrorists, and Nazi marchers. At this moment in time, when our courts have endorsed the right of the Guantanamo detainees to be heard in courts of law, it is critical that qualified lawyers provide effective representation to these individuals. By doing so, these lawyers protect not only the rights of the detainees, but also our shared constitutional principles. In a free and democratic society, government officials should not encourage intimidation of or retaliation against lawyers who are fulfilling their pro bono obligations." "We urge the Administration promptly and unequivocally to repudiate Secretary Stimsons remarks."

Winter Commencement Celebration

Fri, 22 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The final 11 members of Class of 2006 graduated at an intimate ceremony in the new Wittemyer Courtroom this morning. After major efforts to complete finals during a record-breaking snowstorm and gathering family together to get to the Law School, these graduates had the proud distinction to be the first to graduate in the new Wolf Law Building. Dean David Getches delivered an inspiring speech and congratulated each J.D. graduate for their hard work and dedication. After the ceremony, family and faculty joined the graduates for a reception in Boettcher Reception Hall. Congratulations to these members of the Class of 2006! Good luck in your pursuits and we look forward to your involvement as new alumni.

Energy & Environment Securities Initiative (EESI) Receives Two Grants

Wed, 20 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

EESI received an international award from the Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP) to expand and refine the International Sustainable Energy Assessment (ISEA) ISEA Database. EESI is the only U.S. entity to have received major awards from REEEP. The ISEA project will supply the unmet global need for a comprehensive, systematic, and empirical (as distinct from an impressionistic) treaty implementation database. It also will expand the ISEA database to include additional international energy agreements from Brazil, Mexico, Russia, and South Africa. EESI also received a grant from the Wirth Chair at the University of Colorado in Denver to create a comprehensive report of U.S. policy proposals dealing with, or highly relevant to, climate change to be included in a President's Climate Action Plan, titled 100 Days of Climate Action: A Leadership Plan for the Next President. EESI will gather the most promising proposals for new climate change policies, programs, legislation, regulations, incentives, and agency authorities.

Thu, 14 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The 11-member Air Quality Control Commission held its official meetings at University of Colorado Law School's Wolf Law Building December 14 and 15, 2006. Under consideration were such weighty concerns as increasing the number of "remote sensing" vehicles that test for high-polluter vehicles, and waiving emissions testing on late model vehicles to "decrease the burden on citizens of Colorado," as one Council Member remarked. Congresswoman Diana DeGette had asked the group to pass strong measures to protect the air quality of Colorado. Members of the public, as well as prominent Colorado Officials made comments and presentations to the council.

Juvenile and Family Law Program co-hosts symposium

Fri, 17 Nov 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Calls for Changes to Role of Guardian ad Litem on November 9th and 10th. The Juvenile and Family Law Program teamed up with the Colorado Office of the Childs Representative to host a symposium entitled Voices of Youth in the Courtroom: Is it Time for a Change? The symposium initiated a conversation in Colorado about how best to implement the recommendation of the PEW Commission on Foster Care that children and parents have a direct voice in the courtroom. Approximately 200 attorneys, judges, advocates, and students participated in the symposium, which featured speakers from around the country. The symposium began with an overview of the child welfare system and the representation of children, given by Marvin Ventrell, Executive Director of the National Association of Counsel for Children. Five former foster youth, in a panel moderated by Professor Colene Robinson, described their struggles and real life experiences, focusing on the legal process. A panel of speakers from New Mexico, which recently changed its standard for representation of foster youth, spoke about their experience. This panel included the Honorable Petra Jimenez Maes of the New Mexico Supreme Court. After lunch, the Honorable Mary Mullarkey, Chief Justice of the Colorado Supreme Court, delivered the keynote address. Justice Mullarkey spoke of the need for change and the importance of representation of children in foster care. This was followed by an informative presentation by Miriam Krinsky, Executive Director of the Childrens Law Center of Los Angeles, and Leslie Heimov, Policy Director at the Project Director and also of the Childrens Law Center of Los Angeles, and Clinical Professor Donald Duquette, of the University of Michigan Law School. This panel addressed reforms occurring around the country. In a very engaging talk, Emily Buss, Professor of Law at the University of Chicago Law School and Kanter Director of Chicago Policy Initiatives, addressed the interplay between child development and a childs ability to participate in the legal process. To end the day, Andrea Khoury from the ABA Center on Children and the Law, discussed the ethical considerations of various representation models. Symposium participants then enjoyed a generous reception sponsored by the Juvenile Law Section of the Colorado Bar Association. The second day of the symposium began with an overview of issues, presented by Annette Appell, Associate Dean for Clinical Studies and William S. Boyd Professor of Law at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Professor Appell set forth five questions for the participants to address. Participants were then divided into small working groups to discuss the questions. After substantial time for discussion, the groups reconvened and shared their recommendations for giving youth a voice in the courtroom in Colorado. This was a highly energizing and energized discussion that left participants feeling as though change could be made soon in Colorado. There was widespread consensus that Colorado should do more to give youth a voice in the courtroom. The symposium concluded with a sit-down lunch sponsored by the State Court Administrators Office. The first annual Spirit of the Summit awards were presented to a Colorado judge, a county attorney, a guardian ad litem, and a respondent parents counsel. The awards recognized the outstanding work of individuals in improving the lives of children and parents in the child welfare system. Comments about the symposium: Excellent, thought-provoking symposium Thank you for putting on this very special symposium So passionate and informative. Very smart and well-delivered. Appreciated diversity of views presented This was a great symposium. One of the best Ive been to in a long time.

Colorado Law Congratulates 2006 Election Winners

Thu, 16 Nov 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The University of Colorado Law School congratulates its alumni on their election to Colorado government offices and all the county and local offices. "Our Law School community works in many different ways to serve the public," said Dean David Getches. "The large number of Colorado's newly elected officials coming from Colorado Law School perpetuates our longstanding public interest commitment." Colorado Law School Alumni Ed Perlmutter, U.S. House Bill Ritter, Governor John Suthers, Executive Branch Bernie Buescher, State House Morgan Carroll, State House Cory Gardner, State House Jeanne Labuda, State House Alice Madden, State House Ellen Roberts, State House Brandon Shaffer, State Senate John Tayer, RTD Board Honorable Morris B. Hoffman, District 2 Honorable Ronald Michael Mullins, District 2 Honorable Orrelle R. Weeks, District 2 Honorable Claude W. Appel, District 3 Honorable Robert L. Lowrey, District 4 Honorable Steven T. Pelican, District 4 Honorable Larry E. Schwartz, District 4 Honorable M. Jon Kolomitz, District 16 Honorable Dolores (D.D.) Mallard, District 20 Honorable Robert M. Russel, Court of Appeals Kyle Hybl, CU Regent

Sen. Salazar Speaks at Loan Repayment Assistance Program Benefit

Fri, 10 Nov 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

United States Senator Ken Salazar and Professor Melissa Hart were guest speakers at the Law Schools Second Annual Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) Benefit. Almost 75 people attended the Benefit hosted at Davis Graham & Stubbs, raising $1,200. LRAP provides partial loan forgiveness for recent graduates that take public interest jobs. With 85% of Colorado Law graduates borrowing loans on the average of almost $60,000, many students hesitate to choose meaningful, low-paying governmental or nonprofit jobs. "The Law School has had a long tradition of public interest work and this program allows us to continue," said Dean David Getches. "Since the cost of Colorado Law School tuition has almost doubled in the past two years, funding is needed more than ever to help those graduates who choose to pursue public service."

Antonin Scalias Jurisprudence: Text and Tradition

Mon, 06 Nov 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Today, the Federalist Society hosted a speaking event by Dr. Ralph Rossum of Claremont McKenna College. He came to speak about his new book entitled, "Antonin Scalia's Jurisprudence: Text and Tradition." Lionized by the right and demonized by the left, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia is the high court's quintessential conservative. Witty, outspoken, often abrasive, he is widely regarded as the most controversial member of the Court. This book is the first comprehensive, reasoned, and sympathetic analysis of how Scalia has decided cases during his entire twenty-year Supreme Court tenure. Ralph Rossum focuses on Scalia's more than 600 Supreme Court opinions and dissents-carefully wrought, passionately argued, and filled with well-turned phrases-which portray him as an eloquent defender of an "original meaning" jurisprudence. He also includes analyses of Scalia's Court of Appeals opinions for the D.C. circuit, his major law review articles as a law professor and judge, and his provocative book, A Matter of Interpretation.

Network Convergence Hosted By Silicon Flatirons Telecommunications Program

Thu, 02 Nov 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Today, the Silicon Flatirons Telecommunications Program hosted "Network Convergence" conference covering topics including: 1) the technological and business realities of network convergence. 2) interoperability, open standards, and applications competition, 3) regulatory implications: the end of silos? The first panel, Technological and Business Realities of Network Convergence, examined technological and business factors affecting network convergence, including those that may be preventing full realization of technical capabilities. This panel additionally discussed the prospects for innovations predicated upon network convergence, and panel gauged the validity of such concerns, and look at countervailing technological and business forces that might mitigate such concerns. Second panel, Interoperability, Open Standards, and Applications Competition, explored the dynamics between open standards and competition as played out in the application layer of communication networks. First, the panel considered whether the companies that drive private standards can reasonably expect open application developers to create products for their platform. Additionally, the panel will consider what institutions might develop to meet the interoperability challenges presented by the continually evolving technologies of next generation networks. The final panel, regulatory Implications: The End of Silo? considers whether Congress is likely to move away from its historic and now antiquated silo-based regulatory approach. Moreover, in the arena of broadband, the FCC has continued to adhere to regulatory distinctions based on the underlying delivery platform. The panel will ask how deeply committed the FCC is to silo-based regulation. Additionally, the panel will compare the current regulatory approach, which heavily relies on prescriptive rules, with the alternative of an after-the-fact, antitrust approach to regulation, asking whether such a change in orientation is either desirable or likely.

Tribal Sovereignty and Indian Country in 2006

Thu, 02 Nov 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Today,two of the leading voices in Indian Law were invited to discuss tribal sovereignty and the state of Indian Country in 2006: John Echohawk and Billy Frank, Jr. John Echohawk a Pawnee, is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Native American Rights Fund. Native American Rights Fund is recognized as being one of the foremost advocates in the areas of tribal sovereignty and the safeguarding of natural resources and ancestral burial grounds. John Echohawk has been recognized as one of the 100 most influential lawyers in America by the National Law Journal since 1988 and has received numerous service awards and other recognition for his work for justices for Indian tribes for over 30 years. Billy Frank, Jr. of the Nisqually Indian Tribe, is the Chairman of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission for 22 years. The Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission was formed in 1975, to support tribal fisheries management activities and to enable the tribes to speak with a united voice and help coordinate such programs as enhancement and habitual management. Billy Frank has been the recipient of numerous recognition awards, including the 1991 Albert Schweltzer Prize for Humanitarianism and 2004 Indian Country Today Inaugural American Visionary Award.

Professor Robert J. Miller Visits Colorado Law School

Mon, 30 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Today, Professor Miller from Lewis & Clark Law School visited Colorado Law School to discuss his latest book, Native America, Discovered and Conquered: Thomas Jefferson, Lewis & Clark, and Manifest Destiny. In his book, Professor Miller addresses the international legal principle called the Doctrine of Discovery and how that legal rule was used in American history and transformed into the American policy of Manifest Destiny. The Doctrine of Discovery provided that by law and divine intention European Christian countries gained power and legal rights over indigenous non-Christian peoples immediately upon their discovery by Europeans. Various European monarchs and their legal systems developed this principle to benefit their own countries. The Discovery Doctrine was then adopted into American colonial and state law and into the United States Constitution, and was then adopted by the federal legislative and executive branches, and finally by the U.S. Supreme Court in Johnson v. MIntosh in 1823. Johnson is still federal law today and the Doctrine of Discovery is still being applied to Indian individuals and the American Indian Nations notwithstanding its Eurocentric, religious, and racial underpinnings. Professor Millers book breaks new ground by proving from Thomas Jeffersons own words that he clearly understood the Doctrine of Discovery and actively used this legal principle against American Indians and their tribal governments. His book also establishes another new idea that has apparently gone unnoticed until this time: Manifest Destiny developed out of the legal principles and elements of the Doctrine of Discovery, Jeffersons ambitions, and the path breaking work of the Lewis & Clark expedition. Robert J. Miller is an Associate Professor at Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon where he teaches Indian law courses and Civil Procedure. He has also been a part-time tribal judge since 1995 for many Northwest tribes and is currently the Chief Justice of the Court of Appeals for the Grand Ronde Tribe. Professor Miller became involved with his research on Lewis & Clark expedition and the Indian Nations in 2003 when he was appointed by his tribe to be its representative on the Circle of Tribal Advisors to the National Council of the Lewis & Clark Bicentennial. Professor Miller is a citizen of the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma.

Thanksgiving Dinner Drive

Mon, 30 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

For a second year the Non-Traditional Law Student Association (NTLSA) and the Juvenile Law Clinic are running a Thanksgiving dinner drive, which will provide five needy families with a free Thanksgiving dinner, including all the fix'ins. The goal of the program is to give back to the community and to take a moment to recongize all the things we are thankful for in life. NTLSA will purchase the turkeys for the families and through donations by law students, staff and faculty, five families will be provided with a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner. Each of the families selected are clients of the Juvenile Law Clinic The program was developed last year by 2L, Emily Wright, and has been supported by many, many students and faculty and staff members, including Professor Colene Robinson, and students Brian Geoghegan and Sarah Doll. For any questions please contact Emily Wright at emily.wright@colorado.edu. Happy Thanksgiving!!

General Tate of Army JAG Corp Visits Law School

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The University of Colorado Law School was proud to host Brigadier General Butch Tate, Commander and Commandant of the Judge Advocate General's (JAG) Legal Center and School for the U.S. Army. This marks the first time a JAG Commandant has visited the Law School to meet his future JAG Corps officers. General Tate is a graduate of the University of Kansas School of Law and holds an LL.M in Military Law and a masters degree in National Security Strategy. He has held a variety of positions, including: Senior Trial Counsel for the 82nd Airborne Division; Officer in Charge of the Panzer Kaserne Legal Center, 1st Infantry Division (Forward), Boeblingen, Germany; Professor of Criminal Law at the Armys Judge Advocate Generals School; and Deputy Staff Judge Advocate, U.S. Army Special Forces Command. His awards include the Legion of Merit with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with Silver Oak Leaf Cluster, Army Commendation Medal, and the Army Achievement Medal. Currently, three Law School students participate in the Funded Legal Education Program (FLEP); two are in the Army and one is in the Air Force. In addition, three students are applying for the program. FLEP lasts for three academic years and allows officers to obtain a law degree at an approved civilian law school at government expense. Upon successful completion of a law degree and the bar exam, officers will work for the JAG Corps. Fifteen total students are current military officers or reservists, with all four branches represented.

Referendum I and Amendment 43 Information Session

Wed, 25 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Today, speakers from Coloradans for Fairness, Focus on the Family and other organizations came to Colorado Law for an information session on Referendum I and Amendment 43 just in time for Colorados upcoming November election. Referendum I and Amendment 43 are two items on the November 7th ballot that address same-sex couples. Referendum I would grant registered partners many of the same rights and responsibilities that heterosexual married couples currently enjoy. Amendment 44, on the other hand, would effectively ban gay marriage with a state constitutional amendment echoing the statutory definition of marriage as between one man and one woman. For more information on Referendum I and Amendment 43, visit http://www.elections.colorado.gov/DDefault.aspx?tid=835&vmid=750#">Colorado Secretary of State's website.

Colorado's First Plug-In Hybrid

Tue, 24 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Today, Colorado Law's Energy and Environmental Security Initiative and University of Colorado's Energy Initiative hosted an event featuring Colorado's first plug-in hybrid in the Wittemyer Courtoom. A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle is a vehicle that can charge its expanded battery capacity from a standard electrical outlet, thereby utilizing electricity as a secondary fuel source and doubling the average miles per gallon. Hybrids Plus Inc., a Boulder based company converted the Toyota Prius to a plug-in with the support of the Colorado Governor's Office of Energy Management and Conservation. Hybrids Plus is only the second company in the United States to undertake such a conversion. The batteries used in the conversion are a new generation of high power lithium ion. Such batteries are also used for cordless power tools, and have been installed as a self-contained battery pack in the rear of the vehicle.The design takes some of the space occupied by a storage tray now in the trunk, but allows access to the spare tire. A123Systems generously donated the batteries for this demonstration vehicle. In addition to, distinguished speakers came to speak at the groundbreaking event: Carl Lawrence (Founder and President of Hybrids Plus), Keith Park (Analyst at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory), and Joel Swisher (Managing Director of Rocky Mountain Institute). Speakers discussed the economic, environmental and national security implications of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Carl Lawrence, founder and CEO of Hybrids Plus discussed the project's development and the PHEV conversion. Keith Parks of National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Strategic Energy Analysis Center presented results from a study by Xcel Energy and NREL to assess the collective effects of widespread PHEV adoption on environmental emissions and the electrical generation in Colorado. Joel Swisher, the managing director of the Rocky Mountain Institute spoke about the long-term potential and national implications of PHEVs. Following the presentation there was an interactive Q&A session, then the showing and the demonstration of the converted plug-in hybrid Toyota Prius. The plug-in hybrid was first unveiled at the Clean Energy Partnerships in Fort Collins on September 18th, 2006.

Prof. Charles Wilkinson Wins 2006 Colorado Book Award

Mon, 23 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

University of Colorado Law School Distinguished Professor Charles Wilkinson has won the 2006 Colorado Book Award in the history and biography category for "Blood Struggle: The Rise of Modern Indian Nations." Wilkinson was one of 12 authors honored Oct. 18 at the 15th annual Colorado Book Awards ceremony held in Denver and sponsored by the Colorado Center for the Book. "Blood Struggle" chronicles the dynamic rebirth of American Indian society and culture. "I am very honored by this award," said Wilkinson, the Moses Lasky Professor of Law. "But in a larger sense the real honor goes to the legacy of Vine Deloria Jr. and other tribal leaders who so laboriously carried out this inspiring movement to make the reservations homelands governed by sovereign tribal governments."

White Center Holds National Conference on Interrogation Law

Fri, 20 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

A group of national experts on criminal procedure convened in Boulder on October 20-21, 2006, to discuss the past, present, and future of interrogation law. The Cautions and Confessions: Miranda v. Arizona After 40 Years conference, which took place in the new Wolf Law Building, showcased the interdisciplinary perspectives of legal scholars, historians, sociologists, and judges. The conference was sponsored by the Byron R. White Center for the Study of American Constitutional Law and organized by Professor Carolyn Ramsey of the University of Colorado Law School and Professor Bruce Smith of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Law. On October 20, Professor Yale Kamisar of the University of Michigan Law School and the University of San Diego School of Law began the conference with a thoughtful keynote address on Mirandas origins and meaning. Then, a series of formal, scholarly panels featured papers on the history of warnings and incommunicado questioning, the doctrinal and policy limits of the Miranda decision, and the international dimensions of interrogation law. The day ended with a lively roundtable discussion of videotaping and other measures for reforming police practices in the future. Invited speakers returned to campus on October 21 for two informal seminars. The first seminar explored coercive interrogation techniques including religiously-based tactics that seemed to necessitate the Miranda decision. The second seminar focused on the modern problems of false confessions and the interrogation of terrorism suspects.

Clinical Workshop Series Announced

Thu, 12 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The Clinical Programs at Colorado Law announce a series of workshops to inform and stimulate thought in different areas of law and practice. The workshops are open to all students and faculty and the public. The workshops will all be at noon for one hour. The first session on October 17th will be presented by Adjunct Professor Sheldon Friedman, with the firm of Isaacson& Rosenbaum. The topic: Discovery of Electronic Evidence. The second presentation (October 31st) will be Immigration- The Law of Asylum, with Professor Clare Huntington, Clinical Professor Norm Aaronson and immigration attorney Carol Lehman. Topic: The Case for Granting Asylum. Clinic student attorneys will also discuss their work on asylum cases. The third workshop will be Juvenile Law: The Ethical Issues in Representing Child Clients on November 8th. Presenters are Clinical Professor Colene Robinson and Adjunct Professor Judge Edward Richardson along with clinic students. The final workshop this semester will be Criminal Law: The 4th Amendment in Action (November 16th) with Clinical Professor Ann England. A mock suppression hearing will be presented with discussion.

NRLC Celebrates Centennial of the Antiquities Act

Tue, 10 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Yesterday, the Natural Resources Law Center and the Center of the American West sponsored a one-day conference on the 100 year-old Antiquities Act. Former Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt, the principal architect of the eighteen Antiquities Act proclamations issued by President Clinton, and a host of other distinguished speakers came to speak at the event. For 100 years, the Antiquities Act has been used by nearly every President to set aside and protect lands threatened with privatization and development. The list of lands first protected under the Antiquities Act - and that might never have been protected without it - is truly remarkable. Many of our most treasured national parks including the Grand Canyon, Olympic, Zion, Arches, Glacier Bay, and Acadia, began as national monuments. All told, Presidents have issued 123 proclamations setting aside millions of acres of land under the Antiquities Act.

Secrecy, Confidentiality, Privilege, and American Egalitarianism

Tue, 03 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Today, Senior District Court Judge John L. Kane, Jr. came to speak about the current trend toward suppression of information as well as the need for public awareness and participation in the processes of our legal system in an era of increasing regulation. Judge Kane shared his personal experience on the bench dealing with these issues and stressed the importance for transparency in our legal system. Questions posed by Judge Kane were: What is our country doing with secrecy, the sealing of records, and the classification of documents? Are open records essential to a free and democratic government? How much secrecy and confidentiality are needed in a free society? Judge Kane has been a Federal judge in Denver since his appointment by President Carter in 1977.

10th Circuit Court Holds Arguments at Colorado Law

Thu, 28 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Yesterday, the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit held oral arguments at Colorado Law. Prior to the court session, the Legal Writing Faculty and the Office of Career Development held a brownbag session with the judges and law clerks from the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, where they discussed the benefits of doing a judicial clerkship after law school. This was a great opportunity for law students to learn how a judicial clerkship can be a springboard to a successful legal career. After the brown bag, law students were invited to see the judges hear live oral arguments on four cases in the Wittemyer Courtroom. After the oral arguments, the judges and their clerks held another student Q & A. A reception followed in Boettcher Hall where students had the opportunity to meet the judges in person.

"Fireside" Chat with Larisa Dobriansky

Wed, 27 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Today, the Doman International and Environmental Law Society hosted a lunch chat session with Larisa Dobriansky, the current Deputy Assistant Secretary for National Energy Policy at the U.S. Department of Energy. Larisa Dobriansky has represented the U.S. in many international forums addressing renewable, clean energy. She has worked for private firms in environmental and energy law. She has also worked as legal counsel to a US House of Representatives subcommittee. Various issues discussed included Energy Policy Act, Federal Energy Management Program, ethanol use in Brazil, government's critical role in adoption for cleaner efficient energy, and etc.

EESI Receives Grant, and Launches New Database

Mon, 25 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The Energy and Environmental Security Initiative (EESI), an interdisciplinary center at the University of Colorado Law School, is making great strides on many fronts. First, EESI has received a grant from the Colorado General Assembly to study markets and private firm activities related to climate change. Commenting on the award, U.S. Senator Wayne Allard (R-Colorado) remarked: I am delighted that Colorado has selected EESI for this grant. EESI will provide an objective and valuable assessment of how Colorado should position itself relative to climate change markets. Senator Allard is co-chair of the bi-partisan Senate Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus. In addition, EESI launched its new online database of international energy treaties on Tuesday, September 26th, 2006. Sponsored by the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP), the database is called the International Sustainable Energy Assessment (ISEA) and contains in-force energy treaties from all 192 countries in the world dealing with some 45 energy-related subject areas.

Author of Sex, Lies, and Feminism speaks at Colorado Law

Wed, 20 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Today, feminist scholar and author Chirstina Hoff Sommers, Ph.D. was invited by the Federalist Society to speak to Colorado Law students. Among other things, Dr. Hoff Sommers discussed some issues in contemporary feminism: The lack of free and honest discussion in today's Women's Studies classes. - Why it is foolish to ignore the hard-wired differences between men and women? - How a just and reasonable equity feminism has been hijacked by hard-liners in the academy and in the major women's organizations. - How young third-wave equity feminists can save the women's movement by demanding good information, common sense, and fairness. Dr. Sommers serves on the Board of Advisors for the Center for the American Experiment, is Chairman of the Board of Academic Advisors for the Independent Women’s Forum. She has taught at Clark University, University of Pittsburgh, and University of Massachusetts at Boston. She received her Ph.D. in philosophy from Brandeis University and her B.A. from New York University. Her books include One Nation Under Therapy, The War Against Boys.

What the Media Isn't Telling You About the Conflict in the Middle East

Thu, 14 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Today at lunch, the Colorado Law's Jewish Law Students Association invited the director of the Allied Jewish Federation of Colorado, Shaul Amir, to speak the timely topic regarding American media coverage of the ongoing conflict in Israel, Lebanon, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. For more information about the Allied Jewish Federation of Colorado, visit their website, www.jewishcolorado.org. This event was the Colorado Law's JLSA's first event of the year and their contribution to the inauguration of the new law school building.

Colorado Law Celebrates New Building Dedication

Fri, 08 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Today, over one thousand alumni, students, faculty, staff, special guests, dignitaries, and friends of Colorado Law gathered at the new Wolf Law Building to dedicate the building and celebrate its successful completion. Friday's activities began with a morning panel discussion in the Wittemyer Courtroom about Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer's book Active Liberty. Festivities then included a buffet lunch for all visitors and tours offered by current Colorado Law students. At three o'clock the dedication ceremony began with a procession of from the Law School's former home in the Fleming building to the Wolf Law Building courtyard. The Procession was led by Dean David Getches, University of Colorado President Hank Brown, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, the University of Colorado Regents, other distinguished guests, and the faculty and staff of Colorado Law. The dedication included a native american blessing by an elder of the Ute tribe, remarks by Dean Getches, CU President Hank Brown, American Bar Association President Karen Mathis, and an address by Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. Following the ceremony, the entire community enjoyed a reception, dinner, native american dancing, several different musical bands, and dancing.

MDC/Richmond American Homes Foundation To Donate $1 Million To CU-Boulder Law School

Thu, 07 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

David Getches, dean of the University of Colorado School of Law School, today announced the MDC/Richmond American Homes Foundation will donate $1 million to the University of Colorado Foundation to establish the Gilbert Goldstein Fund. The Gilbert Goldstein Fund will be dedicated to funding scholarships and fellowships to deserving law students and faculty of the CU law school. In recognition of Gilbert Goldstein's dedication and generosity to the greater Denver legal community, the University of Colorado will designate the Main Plaza at the new Wolf Law Building as the "Gilbert Goldstein Plaza." Over the years, Gilbert Goldstein has remained a dedicated and devoted member of the Denver legal community. His generosity and commitment have made a significant difference in the growth and stature of the legal profession in Colorado and, in particular, the University of Colorado Law School. Goldstein's achievements, not only as a respected lawyer, but as a professional committed to the betterment of the community and the state of Colorado, make it appropriate to recognize his life's work through this generous gift by providing for continuing academic research and learning at the CU School of Law. Larry A. Mizel, president of the MDC/Richmond American Homes Foundation, said, "We are proud and grateful for the opportunity to honor Gilbert Goldstein and support the students and faculty of the CU Law School. Mr. Goldstein continues to be an active role model and inspiration to many in our community." "We are honored to have Gil Goldstein as an alumnus and, given his stature in the realms of legal professionalism, business, and public service, it honors us to have his name on the plaza of our new home," said Getches. "Our appreciation for his contributions to the legal community is matched only by our gratitude for the generous gift by the MDC/Richmond American Homes Foundation. This modest man is revered by so many people throughout the Denver legal and business community." The MDC/Richmond American Homes Foundation was established in 1999 and is dedicated to charitable, educational and other philanthropic endeavors in the state of Colorado and throughout the nation. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer will dedicate the 183,000 square foot Wolf Law Building on Friday, Sept. 8, at 3 p.m. The new building will feature two high-tech courtrooms, 50 percent more space for law journal offices and law clinics, and the largest resource collection and most technologically advanced law library in the 12-state Rocky Mountain region. Contact: David Getches, (303) 492-3084 Matt Moseley, (303) 887-0826 (GBSM)

CU Law School To Hold Remembrance Ceremony In Honor Of Sept. 11 Victims

Tue, 05 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

At noon on Sept. 11, the University of Colorado at Boulder School of Law and the CU Law Alumni Board will hold a 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony at the new Wolf Law Building on the Boulder campus. The ceremony will recognize the fifth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. Organizers of the ceremony also will unveil a bronze plaque dedicated to the memory of CU alumni killed during the attacks. The ceremony, which is open to the public, will be held on the outdoor patio in front of the main entrance to the law school. An American Legion color guard will participate and David Getches, dean of the law school, will emcee the program. Law school alumnus John Carson; representatives of the CU Law Alumni Board, student organizations and the Boulder Fire Department; and others will make comments. Following a university-wide moment of silence, the ceremony will conclude with the unveiling of the memorial plaque that will be located on the grounds of the Wolf Law Building. Contact: John Carson, (303) 524-2754 carsonej@aol.com Danielle Hayward, (303) 492-8047 danielle.hayward@colorado.edu Dirk Martin, (303) 492-3140

CU's Silicon Flatirons Kicks Off Fall Semester Conferences In New Wolf Law Building

Tue, 29 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Note to Editors: Members of the press are welcome to attend the conference without charge. To arrange, call Todd Blair at (303) 735-5633 or e-mail todd.blair@colorado.edu. Experts in telecommunications regulation and water law will meet at the University of Colorado at Boulder School of Law Sept. 7 to examine wireless use and access law reform at the Wolf Law Building. "Wireless Revolutions: How Telecommunications Regulation Should Adapt to New Technologies and Learn from Water Law" is the first of three conferences sponsored by the law school's Silicon Flatiron's Telecommunication Program during the fall semester. Participants will include Colorado Supreme Court Justice Gregory Hobbs, an expert in water, environment and land-use law, and Kathleen Abernathy, former commissioner with the Federal Communications Commission. Abernathy will deliver the keynote address at 6:20 p.m. "The explosion of wireless technologies and services is a critical and often under-appreciated part of our telecommunications industry," said Phil Weiser, executive director of the law school's Silicon Flatirons Program. "At present, however, the regulatory reform effort -- which aims to promote technological development and a better use of the wireless spectrum -- appears to be stalled." Bringing together leading experts in wireless technology and regulation, as well as experts in water law, should provide new insights and suggestions for ways to reform the traditional system of regulating the use of and access to the wireless spectrum, Weiser said. The conference will meet from noon to 7 p.m. Seating is limited and various fees apply. Participants are asked to register in advance at silicon-flatirons.org/conferences/20060907wireless.asp. On Oct. 10, the Silicon Flatirons Program will present "Confronting Cable's Technological Frontier," at the Cable Center in Denver located at 2000 Buchtel Blvd. The conference will examine the opportunities and challenges facing the cable industry over the next five to 10 years and will feature a number of top cable executives. On Nov. 6, the last of the three conferences, "Network Convergence," will take place at the Wolf Law Building. Panelists representing a number of information technology companies, including Qwest, Comcast, T-Mobile and Carrier Access, will talk about the challenges companies will face with the emergence of technologies to help people communicate and access information across wireless, broadband and satellite networks in a seamless manner. Both conferences will be held from 3 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Continuing legal education credits are available for each event. For more information about the conferences, schedules, registration fees and online registration, visit the Silicon Flatiron's conference Web site at www.silicon-flatirons.org/index.html or call (303) 735-2733. CU-Boulder students, faculty and staff will be admitted to all three conferences at no charge but are encouraged to register. Contact: Phil Weiser, (303) 735-2733 phil.weiser@colorado.edu Todd Blair, (303) 735-5633 todd.blair@colorado.edu Dirk Martin, (303) 492-3140

Law School Welcomes the Class of 2009!

Mon, 21 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Orientation began for the entering class of 2009 on Tuesday, August 22d. The four-day orientation process, which includes introductory information about the Law School, tours, advisor meetings with faculty members, and social events, concludes on Friday. Classes begin on Monday, August 28th.

Law School Moves Into New Wolf Law Building

Sun, 06 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

On August 1st, Faculty and Staff moved from the Fleming building into the new Wolf Law Building. The move went incredibly smoothly, and all are now busy unpacking and preparing for the new school year. History is being made with the opening of the new building, said Dean David Getches. The Wolf Law Building will be a source of pride for everyone associated with Colorado Law for generations to come. It is a monument to the determination and generosity of those who made it possible, and its technologically advanced classrooms and courtrooms, and gracious public areas will further our mission of providing the excellent legal education to our students. Here are some preliminary photographs:

Announcing the Sandgrund Award for Best Consumer Rights Work

Tue, 01 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Colorado Law is pleased to announce the creation of the Sandgrund Award for Best Consumer Rights Work, created by Colorado Law alumnus Ron Sandgrund, '82. The Sandgrund Award is intended to encourage and reward writings by Colorado Law students and faculty that advance the field of consumer rights, especially the rights of homeowners, and to reward writing excellence. The initial $100,000 Sandgrund Fund provides funding for two awards, one for students and one for faculty. Each of the awards is to be paid and conferred every two years, assuming qualified recipients are identified. Awards will be made to the best electronic or print published work concerning consumer rights protection, including books, treatises, scholarly articles, and bar association, legal periodical and law review articles. Topics may address issues affecting the nations consumers as a whole, but must have some direct application to the discussion, analysis and/or explanation of Colorado consumer rights. More specifically, publications should address consumer rights and/or remedies arising from the purchase or rental of ordinary household goods, services and products and/or the purchase or lease of residential property, rather than rights and/or remedies primarily arising from commercial or business ventures or transactions, such as claims for anti-trust violations and unfair competition, or rights primarily arising from the incurrence of bodily injury. The selection criteria will include, in equal weight, the following factors: (a) the anticipated contribution to supporting consumer rights, especially Colorado consumers rights; (b) writing clarity; (c) depth of research; (d) novelty; and, (e) objectivity and balance. Special consideration and extra weight will be given to: (a) the expansion and/or vindication of consumer rights; and/or (b) the expansion and/or vindication of homeowner rights and/or remedies. The subject may include: (a) procedures that assist the enforcement of consumer rights, such as class and collective actions; (b) barriers to the enforcement of consumer rights, such as procedurally or substantively unfair contract provisions, including arbitration provisions; (c) deceptive and unfair trade practices legislation and other consumer protection laws; and (d) insurance coverage for consumer property damage claims, such as property/casualty and liability insurance, as well as improper claims handling practices. Eligible recipients include faculty members and students who were at Colorado Law at any time between when the Work was first submitted for publication through the date of its first publication. At the discretion of the Awards Committee, more than one of each award for faculty or student publications may be made. Initial awards for faculty and student publications will be $1,500 and $1,000, respectively, as well as an embossed award certificate. The amount of each award is designed to grow over time, depending on the Sandgrund Endowment investment returns. Award recipients and their work will be described in a plaque located in a prominent space in the new Wolf Law Building. If no work is selected for an award in a given year, the amount of the award will carry over.

CU Law School Launches Online Global Energy Treaties Database

Wed, 12 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The Energy and Environmental Security Initiative at the University of Colorado at Boulder School of Law has unveiled an online global database of international energy treaties. The database is called the International Sustainable Energy Assessment and contains in-force energy treaties from all 192 countries in the world dealing with 45 energy-related subject areas. According to Lakshman Guruswamy, director of the Security Initiative and Nicholas Doman Professor of International Environmental Law, the genesis of the project "arose out of the recognition that the challenges in moving to a more sustainable global energy regime cannot be solved by any one nation and must entail international engagement and cooperation." "This is an invaluable database," commented U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee who recently introduced the Energy Diplomacy and Security Act that would use new and existing international agreements to enhance energy security and promote the use of sustainable energy. "It will be a useful tool in our diplomatic efforts to chart a sustainable energy future with our international partners." Development and research for the database was sponsored by the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership, a public-private partnership launched by the United Kingdom in 2002. The database covers a wide array of energy subjects including energy markets, electricity infrastructure, renewable energy, energy efficiency and hydrogen. It took a team of researchers from the center more than a year to identify and analyze tens of thousands of international agreements before settling on the current database At present, there are two versions: an internal, password-restricted version that contains all 1,700 agreements -- of which the United States is party to approximately 1,100 -- and a free public version located at lawweb.colorado.edu/eesi/ that contains about 500 agreements. "The internal database is a kind of holding bin," said Kevin Doran, project manager and a research fellow at the law school. "After we've thoroughly researched and analyzed a treaty, we then pass it into the public database where anyone can access the information." Doran said the goal is to have all 1,700 agreements available on the public site in the next six months. Users of the public database are able to search for agreements using basic and advanced search options, said Doran, including a "subject-tree" that allows users to navigate to treaties dealing with a given subject area. For instance, by clicking on "Energy Efficiency" users are presented with links to treaties dealing with energy efficiency in buildings, industry, power generation and transportation. Established in 2003, the Energy and Environmental Security Initiative is an interdisciplinary center located at the CU-Boulder School of Law. The fundamental mission of the center is to facilitate progress toward a global sustainable energy future through the innovative use of laws, policies and technology solutions. For more information contact Doran at (303) 492-5127 or by e-mail at dorank@colorado.edu. Contact: Kevin Doran, (303) 492-5127 dorank@colorado.edu Lakshman Guruswamy, (303) 735-0181 Lakshman.Guruswamy@colorado.edu Dirk Martin, (303) 492-3140

CU Law Alum Inducted Into Prestigious International Academy of Trial Lawyers

Mon, 15 May 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Denver, CO Hill and Robbins, P.C. announced that one of its founding partners, attorney Robert F. Hill, has been inducted into the International Academy of Trial Lawyers (IATL). The IATL, one of the most prestigious organizations of trial lawyers in the world, identifies and invites attorneys who have achieved a career of excellence through demonstrated skill and ability in jury trials, trials before the court, and appellate practices. Hill was recognized after attaining the highest level of advocacy and undergoing a screening process of both peer and judicial review. His induction into IATL makes him the eighth active member in Colorado. Members are engaged in civil practice on both the plaintiff and the defendants side of the courtroom, and in the trial of criminal cases. Active Academy membership is limited to 500 Fellows from the United States. In addition, the Academy includes 100 Fellows from over 30 countries throughout the world. I am both humbled and gratified by the academys honor. I have taken great pride in representing clients whose voices otherwise might not be heard, and I never expected this type of recognition, stated Hill. Hill, co-founder and shareholder of Hill & Robbins, P.C., emphasizes a practice in complex commercial litigation, particularly antitrust, securities, and pension litigation and class actions. He received his law degree from the University of Colorado School of Law in 1970, where he was co-editor-in-chief of the Law Review and graduated first in his class. Hill served as a law clerk to a federal judge in the Central District of California, and as an associate with the law firm of Covington & Burling in Washington, D.C. before returning to CU as a Visiting Associate Professor of Law. From 1975 through 1978, he served as First Assistant Attorney General of the State of Colorado, where he founded the Antitrust Section of the Colorado AG's office. Listed in The Best Lawyers in America since 1991, Hill has been lauded for his leading role in many of the largest civil-damage recoveries in Colorado. He received the Award for Best of the Bar for Antitrust Law in 2004 and was named one the four best commercial litigators in Colorado in America's Leading Business Lawyers 2005. Hill also received the Knous Award in 2005 from the University of Colorado School of Law, the schools highest alumni honor. His numerous awards for community service include the National Philanthropy Day Award as the Outstanding Volunteer in Colorado (2003), the Colorado Bar Associations Hoagland Award for Public Service, and the Individual of the Year Award and the Outstanding Sustained Contribution Award from the Colorado Lawyers Committee. He is currently a member of the board of Invest in Kids, a nonprofit childrens organization that he co-founded in 1996, and is the chair of the Board of the Nurse-Family Partnership, a national nurse visitation program serving approximately 12,000 low-income mothers in more than 20 states.

Law School Celebrates Commencement

Fri, 12 May 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

On Friday, May 12th, 2006, the Law School celebrated the Commencement of the Class of 2006! The ceremonies included remarks by Dean David Getches, United States Senator from Colorado Ken Salazar (recipient of the Honorary Order of the Coif), outgoing Class President Laurie Rust, and the American Bar Association's President-Elect Karen J. Mathis (CU Law '75). Throughout the day, the Law School honored the Class of 2006 for its incredible and lasting accomplishments, including its efforts to secure student legislation that made possible the almost-completed construction of the new Wolf Law Building. Congratulations to the Class of 2006! We will miss you.

Law School Hosts Panel Discussion on Kelo v. City of New London

Tue, 02 May 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

On April 18th, the American Constitutional Society and the Construction & Real Estate Law Association hosted a panel presentation to encourage and enable law students to explore the construction and real estate industries. The panel was titled Property & Public Rights: Colorados Response to Kelo v. City of New London. In Kelo v. City of New London (2005) the U.S. Supreme Court ruled (5-4) that local governments may force property owners to sell out and make way for private economic development when officials decide it would benefit the public, even if the property is not blighted and the new projects success is not guaranteed. Panelists were invited to speak about Kelo case and its possible implications for Colorado. The Panelists included: Leslie Fields, of Faegre & Benson., who has been on both sides of some of the most important eminent domain battles in Colorado in recent years, and is currently representing Telluride in a major eminent domain case; Eugene L. Hohensee, of Arnold & Porter, who has been active with the Denver Urban Renewal Authority and has represented the Colorado Municipal League in opposing some of the current legislative initiatives, is currently on the Board of Directors of the Downtown Denver Partnership; and Malcolm Murray, of Murray Dahl Kuechenmeister & Renaud, who is a prominent advocate on eminent domain issues and represents a number of local governments in Colorado on this topic.

EESI Sponsors the Third CU Sustainable Energy Forum

Fri, 28 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Yesterday, CU Laws Energy & Environmental Security Initiative and the CU Environmental Center held the third CU Sustainable Energy Forum--a series designed to showcase the sustainable energy research and projects of CU faculty, staff and students. As the final forum of the academic year, the event focused on some of the key economic issues and opportunities that inform and influence energy choices. The four panelists for the forum discussed the economic reality in which energy choices are made, and offered real world solutions for improving our ability to make optimal choices in the face of that reality. Moderated by Dr. Lakshman Guruswamy, EESI Director and Nicholas Doman Professor of International Environmental Law, the Forum featured the following panelists: Paul C. Caldara, Manager of Utilities Distribution at CU-Boulder; Stephen R. Lawrence, Associate Professor of Operations Management in the Leeds School of Business; Jane Pater, a graduate student in her second year as a dual degree MBA/MS in Environmental Studies student with a focus on energy; and Suzanne Tegen, a researcher at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and a Ph.D. candidate in CU-Boulder's Environmental Studies program specializing in energy policy. For information on upcoming CU Sustainable Energy forums, please send an email to eesi@colorado.edu. Additional information on past CU Sustainable Energy Forums is available on EESI website. The presentations of each panelists are available for download below in PDF format: Paul C. Caldara, Welcome to the Real World (PDF 288kb) Stephen R. Lawrence, Entrepreneurship & Sustainable Energy (PDF 626kb) Jane Pater, Framework for the Total Value Proposition of Clean Energy Technologies (PDF 397kb) Suzanne Tegen, Statewide Economic Impacts from New Electricity Generation (PDF 384kb) More on the Speakers and Presentations PAUL C. CALDARA, MANAGER OF UTILITIES DISTRIBUTION at CU-Boulder, discussed the complexities of operating a cogeneration plant and the impact of gas prices on the economics of plant operation. Paul is responsible for the safe and reliable operation of CU-Boulder's electric distribution system, and oversees plant optimization calculations for the most efficient operation of the power house, rate analysis, and contract negotiations. PROFESSOR STEPHEN R. LAWRENCE discussed specific types of entrepreneurial opportunities open to individuals and investors in the sustainable energy space. In addition to yielding financial rewards for individual investors, the exploitation of such opportunities is critical to the rapid commercial diffusion of sustainable energy technologies. Stephen is an Associate Professor of Operations Management in the Leeds School of Business at CU-Boulder, where he teaches courses in the assessment of sustainable energy technologies, supply chain management, technology management, and entrepreneurship. GRADUATE STUDENT JANE PATER gave a presentation entitled, "A Framework for Valuing Clean Energy Technologies." Conventional valuation techniques fail to include many of the financial advantages of clean energy technologies, including risk management, emissions reductions and policy incentives. Jane presented an analytical framework that provides a method for quantifying those values and incorporating them into a product valuation. This framework may be used to create comparable value propositions for clean energy technologies supporting investment decisions, project siting and marketing strategies. Jane is in her second year as a dual degree MBA/MS in Environmental Studies student with a focus on energy. She interned at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) during the summer of 2005, which is where she completed the research that will serve as the basis for this presentation. GRADUATE STUDENT SUZANNE TEGEN gave a presentation entitled, "Statewide Economic Impacts from New Electricity Generation: Comparing Coal, Natural Gas and Wind plants." Suzanne introduced a new methodology for calculating the direct economic benefits to a state from the construction and operation of new power plants. This methodology traces the dollar flow into and out of the state from construction, operation, maintenance, fuel, landowner revenues, financing and property taxes. Suzanne works at NREL and studies economic development within their Wind Powering America program. She is also a PhD candidate in CU Boulder's Environmental Studies program researching energy policy. Suzanne has a Master's degree from CU and a Bachelor's degree in German Literature from the University of Wisconsin Madison. About the Sponsors As an interdisciplinary center at the University of Colorado School of Law, the mission of EESI is to facilitate the attainment of a global sustainable energy future through the innovative use of laws, policies and technology solutions. To that end, EESI serves as an enabling environment for teaching and research into the impact of laws and policies on the scientific, engineering, sociopolitical, and commercial dimensions of sustainable energy. To learn more about EESI, visit the EESI Home Page. Established in 1970, the CU Environmental Center educates, activates, and inspires the campus community to understand and engage in local and global environmental issues. For additional information on the CU Environmental Center, please visit the CU Environmental Center Home Page.

Federalist Society Hosts Program on NSA's Terrorist Surveillance Program

Fri, 21 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Today, the Law Schools Federalist Society (a student organization) invited Todd Gaziano to a discussion about the National Security Agencys Terrorist Surveillance Program. Mr. Gaziano is the Director of the Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at The Heritage Foundation, where he specializes in constitutional issues and Supreme Court developments.

Sports and Entertainment Law Association Hosts Panel Discussion

Fri, 21 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Yesterday, the Sports and Entertainment Law Association (SELSA) hosted a panel facilitated by Professor Jack Mills and invited Rich Slivka (general counsel for the Denver Broncos), Hal Roth (inside counsel for the Colorado Rockies) and James Leonard (Faegre & Benson, outside counsel for the Colorado Rockies) to speak about their jobs, education and career paths. SELSA strives to promote participation in a variety of sports & entertainment-related social events for the CU law community and to encourage the development of networking opportunities for those interested in pursuing a career in this arena.

CRELA Hosts Speaker Series

Thu, 20 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Yesterday, the Construction and Real Estate Law Association had its final event for the 2005-2006 speaker series by inviting Roy Alexander, the Executive Director and CEO of Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA), to speak at the Law School. Mr. Alexander spoke about the role that CHFA plays in Colorado housing and business communities and the vision that his organization has for Colorado. There was a Q&A session following the presentation. The CHFA team works together throughout Colorado to: -- Increase the availability of affordable, decent, and accessible housing for lower income Coloradans -- Strengthen the state's economy by providing financial assistance to businesses CHFA was created in 1973 by the Colorado Legislature to address the shortage of affordable housing in the state. Since then, CHFA has established itself as the front-runner in the affordable housing industry by financing single family mortgages for qualifying homebuyers and supporting developments of apartments for low and moderate income residents. In 1982, when Colorado had economic difficulties, CHFA began making loans to small and medium sized businesses. CHFA is a responsible advocate of affordable housing and small business issues for the Colorado community. Since 1973, CHFA's financing has served every county in Colorado by: Financing more than 57,000 mortgages to homebuyers Helping sustain and support more than 26,400 jobs Financing more than 45,000 residential rental units Allocating tax credits for 30,000 residential rental units More information on CHFA can be found at http://www.colohfa.org/

Phi Delta Phi Hosts Discussion with Judge Morris B. Hoffman

Thu, 20 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Today, the Phi Delta Phi International Legal Fraternity, founded in 1869to promote a higher standard of professional ethics, sponsored a discussion with Colorado Second Judicial District Judge and New York Times contributor Morris B. Hoffman.

Judge Hoffman spoke about hot topics in legal ethics, including the new Canon 5 that encourages judges to be "active in their communities" and the related problem of lawyers who are "true believers" in their causes.

Law School Celebrates Annual Spring Awards Ceremony

Sat, 15 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Annual Spring Awards Ceremony Every year Colorado Law School hosts the Annual Spring Ceremony in the Lindsley Memorial Courtroom, when students, faculty and staff at the Law School honor their colleagues for both academic achievement and contributions to the life and mission of the University. The following awards were given out during this years Spring Awards Ceremony: Barbara B. Leggate Humanitarian AwardKari Robinson & Cindy Gibbons Awarded to a staff member with a compassionate concern for all students who has done the most to make the law school a more tolerable and humane place for students. Meritorious StudentBrian Mason Presented to a third-year student who contributed the most to the Law School community over the course of their legal studies. Legal Aid and Defender Program AwardHarry Budisidharta, Karl Schock, & Kirsten Westerland Awarded to students for outstanding commitment and service to the Legal Aid and Defender Program and its clients. Indian Law Clinic AwardRachel Gillar & Lauren Templeton Awarded to students who excel in client service and classroom participation, and therefore embody the Indian Law clinics goals of providing the highest quality representation in a rigourous educational environment. Outstanding Asian Pacific American Law GraduateRita Sanzgiri Outstanding Latina/o Law GraduateAdelita DeHerrera Womens Law Caucus FellowshipSarah Quicksall, Julia Kneeland, Kielly Dunn, & ________ Loan Repayment Assistance Program Gina Bata Awarded to a student who chooses legal careers in public service or with non-profit organizations. ALI-ABA Scholarship and Leadership AwardGina Bata Presented to a student who best represents a combination of scholarship and leadership qualities. Moot courtsABA Mock Trial Team, ATLA Team, Hispanic National Bar Association Moot Court Team, Jessup International Law Moot Court Team, Jim R. Carrigan Trial Team, National Telecom Team, Native American Law Students Association Moot Court Team, Rothgerber Moot Court Team, Pace Environmental Law Team, Saul Lefkowitz Moot Court Team Irving P. Andrews AwardLisa Neal-Graves Awarded to a student who has shown the same service, intellect and commitment which Mr. Andrews, a Denver trial attorney typifies. SBA-Sutcliffe Distinguished Service AwardBrian Mason Awarded to a student who has show outstanding dedication and service to the Law School community. Journal of Telecommunications and High Technology Law Writing AwardLisa Neal-Graves Journal of Telecommunications and High Technology Law Stephen William Leadership AwardLisa Neal-Graves Don W. Sears AwardAdam Reed, Stephanie Lynch, Joseph Rosenblum, _________, ___________, ____________- Edward C. King AwardBrian Mason Awarded to a student whose outstanding leadership and achievement exemplify Dean Kings ideals. Jonathan B. Chase FellowshipSarah Sorum & Kielly Dunn Awarded to student who will engage in legal work during the summer on behalf of the disadvantaged or on a legal matter that raises important human rights issues. Staff Appreciation AwardKari Robinson Lifetime Achievement awardRosemary Siote Sprit of Community AwardElizabeth Porter-Merrill & ______________ Outstanding Legal Writing ProfessorNatalie Mack Outstanding New Faculty AwardLaura Spitz Presented in appreciation of a new faculty member who has shown great service to students and to law school life, both inside and outside the classroom. Excellence in Teaching AwardClare Huntington Presented in appreciation of the exceptional effort faculty member has made to enhance students educational experience both inside and outside the classroom.

ACLU Hosts Talk on Post 9-11 Policies and Bush's Wiretapping Program

Tue, 11 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Today, the American Civil Liberties Union at Colorado Law, in their effort to put pertinent issues involving our civil liberties in a real, tangible context, invited Matt Bowles to discuss post-9-11 policies and the legality of Bush's wiretapping program. Matt Bowles is currently a National Field Organizer for the American Civil Liberties Union Washington Legislative Office. He had spent last three years mobilizing civil liberties activists nationwide to defend their local communities from government abuse and to pressure Congress to roll back repressive post 9-11 policies. Mr. Bowles has published works in Al Ahram Weekly, COPRED Chronicle, Left Turn Magazine, Peace and Justice Studies Association Newsletter, Sustain Solidarity Letter, and Washington Report on Middle East Affairs. His writings have also appeared in Censored 2004 and Middle East: Current Controversies. Additionally, he has lectured widely at colleges and universities, interviewed with various media, and presented at the following conferences: American Sociological Association, American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, Consortium on Peace Research, Education and Development, Council on American Islamic Relations, Cry Justice: Activism, Organizing and Civil Liberties After 9-11, Irish Northern Aid Committee, Islamic Society of North America, National Conference on Organized Resistance, North Central Sociological Association, Palestine Solidarity Movement, Peace and Justice Studies Association, and the Union of Arab Student Associations.

CU Law Students spend a day getting their hands dirty for a good cause.

Sat, 08 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Today, a group of students from Professor Amy Schmitzs Humanizing Contracts service learning seminar, along with other volunteers from the Law School, worked on building a Habitat for Humanity home as part of the Better BoulderBetter World initiative. This initiative was geared towards sparking outreach and community service among CU students. The CU Law students spent a full day getting their hands dirty for a good cause. Students measured, cut, and hung dry wall, drilled and nailed boards, and planted trees in the Emerald Hill Habitat housing complex, a part of Flatirons Habitat for Humanity. Despite pre-finals pressure, the students took this time to join AmeriCorps and other community volunteers in working on fourteen homes for local families in need of affordable housing. The experience was rewarding because it not only taught the students about outreach, but also about teamwork. A month earlier, the student volunteers from Professor Schmitzs service learning class had presented an educational seminar to current and future owners of Habitat for Humanity homes in this housing complex. It was great for the students to realize that they were building homes for a real people. Signs in front of the houses with names of the future owners inspired students to work hard all day and feel a sense of accomplishment. Knowing that this land would not go to waste was a great feeling and gave students a sense of perspective and appreciation for Habitat for Humanity. Seeing the children playing on a swing-set outside the homes reassured students that this process works, and by volunteering, they were truly making a difference. Further, the student volunteers able to meet other volunteers and learn about their experiences. It was great to see people volunteer out of the goodness of their hearts and gave all the students a sense of camaraderie. Students were particularly impressed by the Habitat for Humanity organization. The Habitat leaders were patient and excellent teachers, and seeing how Habitat successfully operates as a non-profit inspired students curiosity in pursuing other non-profit and outreach opportunities. Moreover, the students now plan to continue volunteering on Habitat for Humanity builds. Overall, the students worked hard, but more importantly, had fun. In thinking about what you put in and what you get out this experience, I felt like I really took away a lot from this experience...Now, I know how to hang dry wall! -Janel (2L) We had a lot of fun...it was a great bonding experience for all of us. -Julia (2L) While civic duty is a lot of work, its an incredibly rewarding experience -Maureen (2L) It was really cool to contribute to an established organization and learn how a non-profit works. It made us want to learn more about non-profits and how they work. Its amazing how the process works. -Katie, Maureen, Julia (2Ls)

APABA Hosts Annual Minoru Yasui Banquet

Fri, 07 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Today, Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Colorado hosted its Annual Minoru Yasui Banquet at the Kings Land Restaurant in Denver. Each year the Asian Pacific American Bar Association (APABA) of Colorado and the Colorado Asian American Pacific Bar Foundation also honors an individual or organization whose goal of community service exemplifies the achievement of Mr. Yasui. This years winner is Fay M. Matsukage. Ms Matsukage began her career more than 25 years ago after graduating from the University of Denver School of Law in 1979. She is a partner with Dill Dill Carr Stonbraker & Hutchings, P.C. where she is a superb securities and corporate attorney. While her practice and reputation in the legal community is outstanding, it is her selfless commitment to the local community and the Bar that exemplifies the achievements of Mr. Yasui. In 1980, Ms. Matsukage was one of the first Asian-American women attorneys to be admitted to practice before the courts in Colorado. Since then, she has committed countless hours volunteering in our legal community and the community at large. Her commitment to the Asian community in Colorado is unparalleled. Ms. Matsukage was a founding member of the Asian Pacific Bar Association of Colorado and the Asian Pacific American Womens Leadership Institute. She is on the Board of Directors for the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Colorado and the Colorado Asian Pacific American Bar Foundation. She has also served on the Board of Directors for the Asian Pacific Development Center. Ms. Matsukage has also served the legal community at large by serving on the Denver Bar Association Board of Trustees, serving as vice President for the Colorado Bar Association, the Board of Directors of the Colorado Womans Bar Association foundation Fellow. In 1999, she was recognized by the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association with its Trailblazer Award and in 2006 the Colorado Womens Bar Association will award her the Mary Lathrop Award. In addition to the Annual Minoru Yasui Community Service Award, APABA also annually gives the Anheuser-Busch Minoru Yasui Memorial Scholarships to two law students, each from Colorado Law School and University of Denver School of Law. This years winners are Jennifer Kim from Colorado Law School and Yoon Kim from University of Denver School of Law. The Anheuser-Busch Minoru Yasui Memorial Scholarship was founded with three goals in mind: (1) To honor the memory of Minoru Yasui and his many contributions to the Denver Community; (2) To recognize and reward individuals who have, through their commitment to bettering their communities, continued Mr. Yasuis work of promoting civil rights and community activities; and (3) to recognize law students who have likewise, dedicated themselves to public service. Another annual scholarship was set up this year called Aisenberg Leadership Award, in an effort to give assistance to those students who are in leadership positions and need financial assistance. Joan Kim was the winner this year and the scholarship proceeds will help her with the travel expenses entailed by her current Secretary position at the National Asian Pacific American Law Students Association. Minoru Yasui (1916-1986) Minoru Yasui was a long-time Colorado attorney, civil rights activist, and community leader. He was born and raised in Hood River, Oregon, and earned his bachelors and law degrees from the University of Oregon. During World War II, the U.S. Government interned Mr. Yasui. After his release, he practiced law in Denver. Throughout his legal career, Mr. Yasui worked devotedly to challenge the discriminatory treatment of Japanese Americans during World War II. He challenged the curfew order imposed on all persons of Japanese descent on the West Coast. After his conviction for violation of the curfew order, he appealed his conviction which eventually was heard by the U.S. Supreme Court. His case was consolidated with the landmark case United States v. Hirabayashi. Years after his conviction, he filed a writ of coram nobis to vindicate his name. Unfortunately, with his death in 1986, his writ was dismissed by the Court. However, his work in the redress movement was instrumental in brining about the vindication he sought for himself and all Japanese-Americans. Mr. Yasuis commitment was not limited to the Japanese-American community. He was a founding member of the Urban League of Denver, the Latin American research and Services Agency, and the Denver Native American United. He also served as the Executive director of the Denver Commission on Community Relations and in that capacity continued to focus on issues affecting Denvers African American, Hispanic, Native American and Asian American communities. On March 1, 1999, the city and County of Denver honored him and his lifetime accomplishments by naming the building at 303 West Colfax Avenue as the Minoru Yasui Plaza. And if I, as an American citizen stood still for this, I would be derogating the rights of all citizens. By god, I had to stand up and say Thats wrong. ~ Minoru Yasui ~

David Kaczynski Speaks on the Death Penalty

Fri, 07 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Yesterday, the American Constitution Society at CU Law hosted a lunch discussion on death penalty with David Kaczynski, an activist against the death penalty and also the brother of Ted Kaczynski. Here is an excerpt of his story, which can also be found at http://www.nyadp.org/main/david.html. "I never thought it would happen to my family." I often hear this remark when I speak with family members of murder victims. But it applies equally to me and to other family members of serious offenders. The shock wave from a violent act spreads out in all directions. It isn't possible to be prepared in advance. You may try to imagine how you would feel, but imagination never comes close to the crushing reality. In October 1995, after my wife Linda broached her suspicions concerning my brother Ted, I made a trip to the public library and read everything I could about the Unabomber's 17-year bombing spree. It relieved me that none of the victims' names were known to me, for it made it appear less likely that my brother Ted would have targeted them. I focused at the time on my worry about Ted, yet it wasn't possible to read about the bombings - the unsuspecting victims, the horrified and grieving families - and not feel a sudden twinge of pity. I wondered what it must feel like to be "struck by lightning," to feel one's whole universe shift and teeter as a result of some seemingly random violence. Unfortunately for me, I was soon to find out. As I combed through the Unabomber's "manifesto" published in the Washington Post, it seemed increasingly likely that my brother could have written it. It was nightmarish to consider that my brother's mental illness and distorted thinking could have affected him so terribly. Simultaneously, Linda and I faced another kind of nightmare: what should we do? Say nothing and run the risk that my brother might attack others? Or alert the FBI knowing that the Unabomber would likely face execution? In the end, Linda and I went to the authorities. We shared our suspicions with the FBI agents and helped them investigate and ultimately arrest my brother. Ironically, a 17-year manhunt (the most expensive criminal investigation in US history) was powerless to catch the Unabomber - or not until an anguished family came forward, willing to turn over a loved one because it recognized its responsibility to protect others. The Kaczynski family's partnership with the Justice Department ended on the day of Ted's arrest. Until then, we had worked closely with law enforcement to save lives. After my brother's arrest, however, I watched in dismay and horror as the Justice Department quickly refocused its resources on the goal of taking a human life: my brother's. It didn't seem to concern prosecutors that my brother was mentally ill with schizophrenia, or that executing him would discourage other families from following our example in the future. Since my brother's trial, and especially since becoming executive director of New Yorkers Against the Death Penalty, I've tried to point out some lessons that can be learned from the Kaczynski case. There are many things wrong with the death penalty, as evidenced by the alarming number of wrongful convictions, the thinly concealed racial and class bias, the fact that we regularly execute juvenile offenders and people with serious mental illnesses. To most thinking people, these reasons are sufficient to reject a system for imposing ultimate punishment that operates with limited rationality and fairness. But in my view (an uncomfortably close and personal view) problems in the application of capital punishment are traceable to a deeper, underlying problem. It is a problem that appears whenever we attempt to excuse or justify violence. The justice system focuses on the crime with little attention given to the offender as a human being. Nevertheless, by subtle or overt inferences, the justice system equates the condemned person with his or her criminal conduct. It's the crime that we deplore, yet it's the human being whom we put to death (as if one could be substituted for the other). Do we undo the crime by killing the criminal? Of course not. Family members of offenders are acutely aware of this confusion. When my mother and I provided background information on Ted to the authorities, we said, "We'll do everything in our power to help you catch the Unabomber, but please understand that this is our loved one: a disturbed person, not a monster." The agents, in turn, acknowledged that Ted was seriously mentally ill. But when it came to seeking the death penalty, the Justice Department did an about-face and hired a psychiatrist who was much criticized for his unorthodox views and prosecutorial bias. His job wasn't to discover the humanity in my brother, but instead to hide my brother's humanity so that the jury wouldn't be tempted to empathize. The death penalty thrives on a polarized vision of human society. It's good against bad, us vs. them. But what happens if one of them is actually one of us? Usually, defendants targeted for death belong to some marginalized group - people of color, people of lower economic status, gays and people "accused" of being gay - all conveniently described as one of them. But in reality they're members of the human family, members of our community, usually members of a family group. Just as the death penalty misdirects hatred for the crime at the offender's humanity, it also inflicts injury on the offender's family and damages core values of responsibility and compassion - values indispensable to the community's health. By seeking my brother's execution, thereby turning us into its adversary, the Justice Department sent a terribly mixed message. By giving way to anger and vengeance, it validated the emotions that often lead to violence while dismissing the humane values which are so desperately needed to prevent it. In the end, my brother's life was spared, not because the Justice Department recognized its error, but because he had great lawyers (the kind of lawyers that few capital defendants ever see). He's now serving a life sentence in a federal prison. It's an outcome we, his family, can live with. For those affected on both sides, my brother's violence has changed all our lives forever. In different ways, we struggle to survive with the better part of our humanity intact. Would I do it again, knowing what I know now? The answer is yes. I believe that we probably saved lives. I trust the values and ethics that moved us to do what we did. I know that it would be a mistake to use others' failures as an excuse to avoid personal responsibility. The truth is a very powerful thing. I believe there's no possibility of overcoming evil with evil, falsehood with silence, violence with indifference. If we want to change the world for the better, we must put ourselves on the line.

SFTP Hosts Symposium on Re-Examining the Patent System

Thu, 06 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Today, Colorado Law Schools Silicon Flatirons Telecommunications Program presented a symposium covering the challenges faced by the current patent system. To critics of the patent system, it is a tax on innovation and a full employment act for lawyers. In an age where the importance of intangible assets increasingly overshadows physical assets, intellectual property is a high stakes part of todays business landscape that is justifiably receiving attention from all quarters. There is little doubt that patents are growing in importance. In particular, technology companies are securing more patents than ever before, expanding their scope, licensing them in novel ways, and litigating about their validity and impact. For some firms, patent rights form not just the core, but the entirety of their business. To critics of the system, such firms often called patent trolls because they demand royalties but do not actually create a product are Exhibit A for why the system needs to be reformed. In the wake of studies by the Federal Trade Commission and the National Academies of Sciences, there are emerging lines of consensus about how the U.S. patent system can be improved. It is particularly important that technology and telecommunications firms, which account for around 40% of all issued patents, understand and help shape the directions of future reforms. For startup companies, the critical question concerning reform is whether the current patent system primarily facilitates an opportunity to succeed against entrenched incumbents or, alternatively, whether it primarily functions as a daunting barrier to entry in view of incumbents patent portfolios and willingness to sue. This conference evaluated the state of the patent system and surveyed avenues for reform. In particular, it analyzed how firms game the system by strategically acquiring patents in order to extract concessions from other firms that rely on standards including the patented technology. It also evaluated whether the Patent and Trademark Offices (PTO) penchant for issuing bad patents can be remedied, perhaps with the aid of a post-grant review process. Additionally, the panels discussed strategies for keeping costs down during the litigation of patent rights, avoiding the impact of bad PTO decisions, and limiting the abusive use of injunctions. Finally, as to the effect of patents on innovation, the panels discussed whether the patent systems value as a vehicle for protecting businesses and attracting investment outweighs its shortcomings as a strategic means by which established firms exercise control over the marketplace. The panels covered three issues surrounding the current patent system: 1) Granting and Defining the Scope of the Patent Right: Of Bad Patents, Patent Trolls, and Responses to Abuses of the System 2) The Patent Litigation Mess: Can It Be Cleaned Up? 3) The Uses and Abuses of Intellectual Property: Facilitating Startups or Entry Barrier? For an article in the Denver Post discussing this SFTP conference, click here

Law School Hosts Student Volunteer Recognition Reception

Wed, 05 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Today, in the Lindsley Memorial Courtroom, Colorado Law School held its first annual Student Volunteer Recognition Reception recognizing the efforts of 70 law student volunteers who have combined over the past year to account for over 2,500 hours of legal volunteer work in our greater community and the Lend-a-Law Student Program contributed over half those hours. The Lend-a-Law Student Program at Colorado Law School is a legal volunteer program which matches law students with pro bono volunteer opportunities in the Denver/Boulder communities. These law students have performed legal volunteer work, either through their placement by Lend-a-Law Student Program or by their own initiative in a myriad of ways: Acting as legal researchers; serving as trial assistants on pro bono cases; judging/coaching mock trial competitions in high schools; presenting seminars on legal matters concerning students; staffing citizenship drives; working as guardian ad litems; researching death penalty cases; performing legal work for government organizations including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; and volunteering for local homeless and battered women's shelters in legal intake matters. Some students traveled as far as Texas to provide free legal services during this past spring break. Another large group of law student volunteers has served as mediators in the University of Colorado Restorative Justice Program for the past two semesters. Others worked as interpreters to assist legal aid clinicians. Guest speakers included Justices Martinez and Hobbs from the Colorado Supreme Court, Judge Vogt from the Colorado Court of Appeals, and Constance Talmage of the Colorado Lawyers Committee, who all applauded the students for their commitments in volunteer work. Law students interested in doing legal volunteer work in the greater community this summer or for the 2006-07 academic year should please contact Mark Loy, Lend-a-Law Student Volunteer Coordinator at mark.loy@colorado.edu.

Prof. Georgia Briscoe Wins National Award

Thu, 30 Mar 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Professor Georgia Briscoe has been chosen as the 2006 recipient of the Renee D. Chapman Memorial Award for Outstanding Contributions in Technical Services Law Librarianship, presented by AALL's Technical Services Special Interest Section. This award is one of the oldest and most prestigious awards given by AALL. The Chapman Award recognizes achievement in an area of technical services, service to AALL, or outstanding contributions to the professional literature. Competition is fierce for this recognition. Georgia's nominators, including the leading technical services law librarians in the country and our own Dean David Getches, supported Georgia for her numerous accomplishments and contributions. Professor Briscoe's record is so strong that the awards committee commended her for achievements in all three categories, a very unusual occurrence. The CU Law Library and CU Law School has benefited from Professor Briscoe's knowledge and dedication for over a decade. Please join with us in congratulating Georgia on this well deserved recognition.

Law School Moot Court Teams Advance to National SemiFinals

Mon, 20 Mar 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Congratulations to the members of our two Ira C. Rothgerber National Moot CourtCompetition Teams for presenting excellent arguments at the final Rothgerber competition held on Thursday, March 16th. After a difficult deliberation, the judges concluded that the Petitioners Team was the best team, and they awarded Clare Salmo with the Austin W. Scott Award for best oralist. A year of hard work paid off, as both teams, for the first time in our many appearances in the National Moot Court Competition, made it to the semifinal rounds at the regional competition in Tempe, Arizona. The teams were coached by Professor Yvonne Dutton. Judges Daniel Taubman and Walker Miller presided over the arguments, and all six participants made admirable presentations and parried difficult questions. David Lipka, Clare Salmo, and Ed Veronda composed the Petitioners Team, and Nicholas Mayle, Brian Mason, and Christa Rock composed the Respondents Team. The judges were most impressed with the arguments, even more so because none of the students used notes at the podium.

CU Law Hosts the Call to Duty Tour

Fri, 17 Mar 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

On March 16th, CU Law School hosted "The Call to Duty Tour" in the Lindsley Memorial Courtroom. The Call To Duty Tour is a platform for renewed debate on the merits of the "Dont Ask, Don't Tell" policy. It features the largely unheard voices of young service members who embody the reality of "Dont Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) in todays armed forces and highlights the policys impact in the post-9/11 World. The central question the national Tour's presenters focused on is whether gay men and women should be allowed openly to serve in the armed forces. Professor Richard B. Collins, who teaches Constitutional Law here at CU Law School and also the director of the Byron White center, filled in the details for the students the Constitutional implications of DADT policy. Speakers included recent Veterans and Special Guest Speaker Rear Admiral Alan M. Steinman. The Call to Duty Tour was conceived as a way to expose mainstream Americans to a representative sample of the ordinary gay service members who are largely forgotten amidst the politics surrounding the DADT law. These patriotic men and women would rather be serving their country as soldiers, sailors, coastguardsmen, airmen and marines than focusing on activism. However, the veterans on the Call To Duty Tour, both gay and straight, feel that gay men and women are too often misrepresented in the media and in society at large. Most importantly, their experiences while serving in todays military largely contradict the presumptions underlying the DADT policy - presumptions which are now nearly 15 years old. While many have tried to quietly serve their country with pride and dignity, they have nevertheless experienced first hand the manner in which DADT prevents them from doing so and needlessly denies critical talent to our nations military. Their voices need to be heard. Their stories need to be told. It is their real-world experiences that matter most in the debate about the merits of DADT. The past year has seen monumental strides on all fronts in the movement to lift the ban on gays serving openly in the military. Log Cabin Republicans and Service members Legal Defense Network have initiated two historic legal challenges in federal court to attack the constitutionality of the DADT policy. Congressman Marty Meehan (D-MA) and over 100 cosponsors in the U.S. House of Representatives have introduced a bill, the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, to repeal the law that mandates the ban. The militarys mounting recruiting and retention problems have risen to national attention, and new data have shown that the American public now favors lifting the ban. The Call To Duty Tour serves to help introduce conservative and neutral audiences to the arguments and issues involved in the debate, and to continue the current wave of momentum toward lifting the ban. The Call to Duty Tour began its march across the nation last month at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. The Tour will conclude its nationwide journey in early April in California.

Prof. Martha Fineman Delivers 49th Annual Coen Lecture

Fri, 17 Mar 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

On March 15th, 2006, Professor Martha Fineman of Emory Law School delivered the 49th annual John R. Coen lecture at CU Law. Professor Fineman is the Robert W. Woodruff Professor of Law at Emory, where she teaches Family Law, Feminist Legal Theory, Sexuality and the Law, and Women and the Law. She is an internationally recognized law and society scholar, and a leading authority on family law and feminist jurisprudence. Following graduation from University of Chicago Law School, Fineman clerked for the Hon. Luther M. Swygert of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, and then taught at University of Wisconsin and Columbia University. She joined Cornell Law School in 1999 to become the first endowed Chair in the nation in Feminist Jurisprudence. Her scholarly interest is in the legal regulation of intimacy. Fineman is founder and director of the Feminism and Legal Theory Project, which was inaugurated in 1984. Fineman's publications include The Autonomy Myth: A Theory of Dependency, The New Press (2003); "Taking Children's Interest Seriously," Nomos; "Why Marriage?" University of Virginia Journal of Law and Social Policy (2001); The Neutered Mother, and The Sexual Family and other Twentieth Century Tragedies, Routledge Press (1995). She has received awards for her writing and teaching and has served on several government study commissions. Professor Fineman's Coen Lecture focused on the interaction between religious beliefs and expectations about the family in American society and the emerging international norms regarding the family and the regulation of children's rights. Previewing her forthcoming book, she argued that current debate about family law and children's rights could be furthered by taking into account international norms about such rights. She also contrasted the view of the family that prevails in more conservative or fundamentalist religious groups to such international norms.

Colorado Court of Appeals hears two cases at CU Law School

Wed, 15 Mar 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Every year the Colorado Court of Appeals holds a session here at our law school for the purposes of providing the law students at first hand the invaluable experience of observing a real appellate advocacy in action. The law students not only get the opportunity of learning how oral arguments should be conducted at the appellate level and also learn about the proper lawyer etiquette of addressing the judges during an oral argument. This year the Colorado Court of Appeals Judges JoAnn L. Vogt, James S. Casebolt, and David Furman heard two arguments, one civil and one criminal, and the judges and clerks also spoke at an informational brownbag for law students during lunchtime. A reception followed after the hearings and students had an opportunity to directly talk to the judges and ask questions

Habitat for Humanity Homeowners Seminar: Contracting and Consumer Protection a Success!

Mon, 13 Mar 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

On Saturday, March 11th, CU law students in Professor Amy Schmitz's Humanizing Contracts seminar, presented legal information to a group of Habitat for Humanity homeowners. CU law students Katie Crenshaw, Julia Kneeland, Maureen Sweeney, Lauren R. Smith, Annie-Caitlin Mattes, and Janel Chin gave presentations on various contracting and consumer protection issues. These topics included consumer protection laws, credit and payday lending, alternative dispute resolution, homeowners' associations, Internet transactions, and bankruptcy. Habitat for Humanity volunteers provided free childcare, pizza and snacks. Saturday's seminar is part of a service-learning course in which CU students combine their rigorous academic study with outreach volunteer work. The Humanizing Contracts seminar is unique on many levels from any seminars, courses or clinics currently taught at the law school. It is a journey through theory and practice in an area that students traditionally learn in a more doctrinal manner. It seeks to provide students with opportunity to expand their understanding and analysis of contract law beyond the basic concepts they learn in the first-year Contracts course. Through course work, students explore and question concepts and theories that underlie contract law. The volunteer and outreach components of the course then push students to "humanize" contracts, and consider how legal concepts and theories apply in action. Professor Schmitz' class also volunteered at the Habitat for Humanity thrift store, and will be working on a build in April. The class's key project, however, has been the creation, development, and presentation of the "Habitat for Humanity Homeowners Seminar: Contracting and Consumer Protection." The students all did a wonderful job explaining tough concepts in a very straight-forward and informative manner. The participants asked good questions, and seemed to learn quite a bit. The participants also left with gift bags with various coupons, treats, and other "goodies" for their children to thank them for their participation, as well as colored booklets and brochures expanding on the information discussed in the presentations. Habitat for Humanity now may distribute additional copies of the materials to families who were unable to attend on Saturday.

25th Annual Alumni Awards Banquet a Great Success!

Fri, 10 Mar 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

On March 8th, 2006, over 400 guests, by far the largest attendance in the history of our Banquet, attended the University of Colorado Law Schools Twenty-Fifth Annual Alumni Awards Banquet. Over $95,000 was raised to benefit the Deans Fund for Excellence. Thank you to all of our Alumni who made the event such a success! Every year the annual alumni banquet recognizes three alumni for their excellence in the judicial, public, and private sectors. This year the Distinguished Alumni Awards were given to Justice Michael Bender 67, Glenn Porzak 73, and Bryan Shaha 71. Special tributes were also made to honor two CU Law alumni in memoriam, Louise Romera 80 (CU attorney, 1994-2006) and Vine Deloria, Jr. 70 (CU Professor who taught American studies, law, history, religion, and political science). Justice Michael Bender 67 Following his law school commencement, Justice Bender worked as a Deputy State Public Defender (1968-1971), and then spent seventeen years working in private practice, first with Gibson Dunn & Crutcher (1979-1980), then Bender & Treece (1983-1993), and finally in solo practice (1993-1997). He was appointed to the Colorado Supreme Court on January 2, 1997. Throughout his career, Justice Bender has worked as an adjunct instructor at both the University of Colorado Law School and the University of Denver College of Law. While a law student, Michael Bender received the Faculty Award for Outstanding Student Work from the University of Colorado Law Review in 1967. He was named Denver Bar Association Volunteer Lawyer of the Year in 1988 and Outstanding Judicial Officer of the Year in 2000. In 1990 he received both the Robert C. Heeney Memorial Award and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Outstanding Service Award. In addition to these awards, he has served on numerous committees, including the University of Colorado Law Alumni Board (1999-2001), ABA Criminal Justice Standards Committee (1997-2000), Colorado Bar Association Board of Governors (1980-82; 1989-1991), U.S. District Court Committee for Criminal Justice Act for District of Colorado (1991-1993), and the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association Board of Directors (1985-1987). Justice Bender currently serves as a liason member to various Supreme Court Committees and is a member of the American Bar Association. Glenn Porzak 73 Mr. Porzaks first law job was working for the University of Colorado, where he remembers earning the princely wage of $3 and hour. Very soon thereafter he joined Holme Roberts & Owen, where he worked for twenty-two years, including ten years as managing partner. In 1996, he co-founded Porzak Browning & Bushong, of which he is a managing partner. Glenn Porzak was designated by the Heritage Center as a CU Distinguished Alumnus in 1990. He is a member of the School of Law Steering Committee, the Museum Advisory Board, the Phi Beta Kappa honor society and the Sigma Phi Epsilon social fraternity. Mr. Porzak has served on the CU Foundation Board of Trustees, the Natural Resources Law Center Board, Town and Gown, and Wells Fargo Community Bank Board. An accomplished mountaineer, Mr. Porzak has joined the ranks of those who have climbed the Seven Summits the highest peak on each of the worlds seven continents and is the first person to climb the 100 peaks of Rocky Mountain National Park. The CU flag he carried to the summit of Mt. Everest is displayed in the Universitys Heritage Center. Bryan Shaha 72 Prior to attending CU Law, Mr. Shaha joined the United States Marine Corps where he would eventually gain the rank of Captain. Throughout his military career he received the Distinguished Flying Cross, ten Air Medals, the Air Force Commendation Medal and the Purple Heart. Upon graduation, Mr. Shaha went to work as a Staff Attorney for the Colorado Rural Legal Services (1973-1974), as a Deputy State Public Defender (1974-1979), in private practice (1979-1984) and again for twelve more years as the Deputy State Public Defender in Greeley, Colorado (1984-1996). For the last 9 years, Mr. Shaha has worked for the Alternate Defense Counsel of the State of Colorado. Mr. Shaha has served on the Executive Session on Indigent Defense Systems since 1998. He was named Colorado State Public Defender of the Year in 1993, received the Jonathan Olom Award in 1996, and most recently the Charles Dorsey Award in 2005. He is a member of the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the National Legal Aid Defender Association

CU-Boulder Law Professor Analyzes S.D. Abortion Law

Thu, 09 Mar 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

South Dakota lawmakers this week approved the nation's most rigid abortion law, virtually banning abortion in the state. But according to University of Colorado at Boulder law Professor Richard Collins, the South Dakota abortion statute most likely will be rejected in the lower courts because it is similar to the Texas law that was overturned in Roe vs. Wade. South Dakota law most likely was passed in an attempt to challenge Roe vs. Wade, said Collins. "The South Dakota law is nearly identical to the Texas law overturned in Roe vs. Wade," he said. "Therefore, as its sponsors intended, it is simply a vehicle to try to have Roe overruled." Collins is the director of the University of Colorado Byron White Center for the Study of Constitutional Law. A number of possible legal challenges lie ahead for the new law, he said, described below: o "Opponents of the law may try to force a statewide vote to overturn it. Were that to succeed, of course, the matter would end. However, the vote in the South Dakota Legislature suggests that such a vote would fail and opponents may not even try to overturn it." o "Any court challenge must begin in the lower courts. If they follow Roe and overturn the law, the question would be whether the U.S. Supreme Court would vote to review. It takes four votes. Probably two (votes) would have to come from the new justices: Samuel Alito and Chief Justice John Roberts." o "If the Supreme Court does review, which would be two or three years from now, there still appears to be at least five votes to sustain Roe as modified by the Casey decision in the early 1990s. The case would reveal the views of the two new justices, and if there is another vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court in the meantime, another Bush appointment could change the outcome of the vote." CU law professors Robert Nagel, (303) 492-8428, Hal Bruff, (303) 735-3536 and Philip Weiser, (303) 735-2733, also are available to comment on the South Dakota abortion law and U.S. constitutional law. Collins can be reached at (303) 492-5493, or call Dirk Martin in the CU-Boulder Office of News Services at (303) 492-3112.

Marc Holtzman speaks to CU Law students

Fri, 03 Mar 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The Republican Law Society, in an effort to promote intellectual and political diversity by including Republican and conservative ideas and principles among the law students, invited Marc Holtzman to come speak to students during lunch on March 2, 2006, about various issues affecting Colorado including but not limited to education, technology, and states economy. Marc Holtzman was the first Secretary of Technology of Colorado and former president of the University of Denver. He is currently a Republican candidate for governor. Some of the issues covered during his visit included: Economic Development and Jobs Marc Holtzman believes that Colorados next Governor needs to serve as the Salesman-in-Chief of the State. As Colorados first Secretary of Technology under Governor Bill Owens, Marc helped to persuade prominent companies like Intel to move facilities and quality jobs to Colorado. Marc recruited dozens of biotech and aerospace companies into Colorado. These are the businesses of the future, businesses that will last through boom and bust, and they bring with them the kind of good, high-paying jobs that people in Colorado deserve-jobs not just for those with PhDs, but jobs for working men and women with all kinds of educational qualification. K-12 Education Except for public safety, Marc Holtzman believes that public education is the most important service that our state and local governments provide, and Colorado families deserve to get their moneys worth. As Governor of Colorado, Marc Holtzman wishes to pursue an education agenda that will limit bureaucratic interference so teachers can teach and students can learn. Marc supports education reform including merit pay for teachers, school choice and the rights of parents to educate their children at home. His Plan for the Future Marc Holtzman stresses that Colorado must increase the number of high school students who go to college, and must ensure that when they get to college, they are prepared to succeed. Achieving these goals depends on the job Colorado does educating children during their K-12 years. The goals of Denver School of Science and Technology, a charter high school he helped establish, should be the goals of every Colorado public school: to ensure that 100% of our students meet state standards in math, science and English, and that 100% of our students gain college acceptance and are prepared to successfully earn a college degree. For more information about Marc Holtzman, visit www.Marc2006.com

CRELA Hosts Real Estate Development Information Panel

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The Construction and Real Estate Law Association hosted an informative panel for law students on February 28, 2006, on working as an attorney or a developer in the Real Estate field. Attorney Bruce Dierking of Packard and Dierking and Developer Dave Wedmore of Carmel Partners discussed the relative roles of the developer and attorney in modern real estate development. Mr. Dierking is a CU Law alumni known for obtaining entitlements for some of the most significant projects built in the Boulder region in recent years. He has worked on a wide variety of purchase and sale, leasing, and finance matters, as well as complex 1031 exchanges. Mr. Wedmore serves as Managing Partner of Acquisitions-Development for Carmel Partners. He is responsible for acquisitions, planning, approval, contract negotiation and construction management of multifamily operations in Denver and Washington, D.C.

Symposium on Cobell v. Norton

Fri, 24 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

On February 23rd, 2006, the Law Schools American Indian Law Program and the Native American Law Students Association presented a symposium regarding the ongoing Cobell case. Since 1887 (and with respect to some tribes, even earlier,) the United States government has held land in trust for many individual American Indians and managed the income from those trust lands. The Cobell litigation is a class action suit by the American Indian beneficiaries of those trust accounts against the Secretary of the Interior, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, and the Secretary of the Treasury, for breach of statutory and common law trust obligations. The legal question in Cobell is fairly straightforward: Have the defendants breached their fiduciary obligations to the plaintiffs? The trial court determined that the answer to this question is Yes. The much more difficult question in Cobell is how to get the federal government, paralyzed by the inertia of a centurys worth of trust account mismanagement, to remedy the situation. Elouise Cobell, Montanas Blackfeet tribal member and one of the original plaintiffs who brought the case in 1996, came to speak about her personal experience with how the lawsuit came about. All this case is about is accountability, Cobell commented as she stressed to the law students and attorneys about the importance of responsibility in upholding the law. This case is more than just about the money.We are talking about a fundamental change in the Department of the Interior and to put Indians in charge of their own destiny, commented Keith Harper, a member of the Cherokee Nation and NARF attorney who worked on this case since its inception. Cobell is the largest class-action lawsuit ever attempted: forensic accountants estimate that the government owes individual Indian landowners a total of $176 billion (averaging $352,000 per plaintiff). As Cobell litigants await the latest in a long string of court opinions, legislative solutions appear to be on the horizon. Senator John McCain, Chairman of the Indian Affairs Committee has spearheaded efforts to open up the lines of communication with tribal leaders, Indian landowners, and the Cobell plaintiffs regarding potentials for legislative settlement of the case. After a series of meetings across the country, principles of settlement emerged. Only time will tell whether court decisions, legislation like that introduced by Senator McCain last July, or another alternative will resolve the Cobell litigation. The Native American Rights Funds website provides more information about Cobell v. Norton and can be accessed at http://www.narf.org/cases/iim.html

CU Team makes it to quarter finals at National NALSA Moot Court Competition

Thu, 23 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

On February 10th and 11th, CU NALSA sent two teams to the 14th Annual National NALSA Moot Court Competition at the University of Washington School of Law. Competitors argued a three prong question dealing with different areas Federal Indian Law and Water Law. Affie Ellis and Jonathan Lucero were quarter finalists in that competition. Congratulations!

Silicon Flatirons Telecommunications Program holds Conference on the Digital Broadband Migration

Thu, 23 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Last weekend, the Silicon Flatirons Telecommunications Program held its flagship conference on the Digital Broadband Migration, focusing on Confronting the New Regulatory Frontiers. The event attracted over 250 students, academics, industry professionals, and lawyers, featuring a terrific lineup of speakers from government, industry, and academia that included Internet icon Bob Kahn, former FCC Chairman Michael Powell, Level 3 CEO Jim Crowe, and regulatory legend Fred Kahn. The proceedings of the event, like its predecessors, will be published in the Journal on Telecommunications and High Technology Law. For some of the press reports on the conference, see the stories here and here. Apropos of the topic, a number of blogs reported on the conference, including discussions about the future of video over the Internet, Michael Powells comments on the state of telecom policy, and the institutional challenges facing regulators in todays environment. Videos of the conference, and past Silicon Flatirons events, are (or soon will be) available here. Silicon Flatirons will host two more events this spring, The Challenges of Information Management: An Interdisciplinary Perspective on Secure Data Collection, Storage and Retention on Monday, March 13th and Re-Examining the Patent System on Thursday, April 6th. The transformation of telecommunications from an analog, narrowband network optimized for voice to a digital, broadband network optimized for data traffic has created a myriad of challenges for businesses, policymakers, and academics alike. The questions range from those involving which institutionscourts, agencies, standard setting bodies, and/or international treaty organizationscan address technology policy questions to questions involving the emerging structure of the telecommunications industry and whether it is an effective facilitator of or possible barrier to continued innovation. Similarly, the development of video content over the Internet is emerging as a challenge that will potentially transform the video programming industry, with respect to both the rethinking of regulatory strategies and the role of digital rights management systems. This conference examined the above set of pressing regulatory challenges that policymakers have yet to fully grapple with. With a thoughtful array of leaders from academic, industry, and governmental circles, this conference continued the Silicon Flatirons tradition of encouraging bolder thinking in Boulder. Like its predecessors, the proceedings from this conference will be published in a volume of the Journal on Telecommunications and High Technology Law. Wide arrange of technology issues were covered throughout the conference, including an overview panel discussing the institutional challenges of technology policy, a panel covering video over internet protocol, a panel regarding digital rights management, and a panel about the industry structure. Keynote speakers included Robert Kahn, an Internet pioneer, Michael K. Powell, the former Chairman of FCC, and Jim Crowe, President and CEO of Level 3 Communications. Panelists included the following: Overview Panel: The Institutional Challenges of Technology Policy Phil Weiser (Assoc. Prof. of Law and Telecom at CU), Ray Gifford (President of the Progress & Freedom Foundation), Dale Hatfield (Adjunct Prof. at CU Interdisciplinary Telecom Program), Howard Shelanski (Prof. of Law at Berkeley), & Hon. Stephen Williams (U.S. Court of Apps.D.C. Circ.) Video Over Internet Protocol Panel Peter Rohrbach (Hogan & Hartson), Susan Crawford (Asst. Prof. at Cardozo Law School), Jon Nuechterlein (Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale & Dorr LLP), Timothy Wu (Prof. of Law at Columbia), Dorothy Attwood (AT&T), Paul Glist (Cole, Raywid & Braverman), & Stephan Shelanski (Starz Entertainment Group LLC) Digital Rights Management Paul Ohm (Assoc. Prof. at CU), Randy Picker (Prof. of Law at University of Chicago), Doug Sicker (Prof. of Comp. Sci. & Interdisciplinary Telecom Program at CU), Chris Sprigman (Prof. of Law at University of Virginia), Dick Green (President & CEO of CableLabs), Preston Padden (Exec. VP of Govt Relations for The Walt Disney Company), Gigi Sohn (President of Public Knowledge) Industry Structure Sean Linsay (Assoc. General Counsel at Qwest), Antoinette Cook Bush (Skadden Arps Comm.), Mark Cooper (Director of Research at the Consumer Federation of America and President of Citizens Research), Aaron Edlin (Richard W. Jennings Endowed Chair at Berkeley), Alfred Kahn (Chariman, CEO & President of the Corporation fro National research Initiatives), Douglas Melamed (Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP), F.M. Scherer (Prof. at John F. Kennedy School of Govt, Harvard).

Technology Law Students Assoc. Hosts Lecture on From WiFi to Wikis

Wed, 22 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

On February 21st, 2006, the Technology Law Students Association hosted Dr. Mark Cooper, a consumer advocate and expert on new collaborative technologies, like Wikis, WiFi, and Peer-to-Peer. He holds a Ph.D. from Yale University and he is Director of Research at the Consumer Federation of America where he has responsibility for analysis and advocacy in the areas of telecommunications, media, digital rights, economic and energy policy. His lecture included two main points: Collaborative Information Production, Deliberative Democracy and Cooperative Organizations share fundamental premises as institutions - equality of members, active (voluntary) participation, deliberative (nonhierarchical) decision-making, and non-coercive relations. Collaborative, peer-to-peer information production has emerged on the Internet (e.g., open source, free software) and new approaches to large-scale deliberative political processes are being fostered by the Internet. Cooperative organizations have long been part of the American consumer movement (e.g., farmers cooperatives, credit unions). His project explores the potential for convergence and cross-fertilization between these movements to foster progressive, democratic institutional change by relying on new information technologies. By analyzing and studying the elements of similarity and ingredients for success, he seeks practical implementation of new models of collaboration and deliberation within a large, consumer advocacy organization. Open Networks in the Digital Economy seeks to broaden the appreciation of the importance of open communications networks in democratic, capitalist societies. He examined the long history of the principle of nondiscriminatory access to transportation and communications services in capitalist economies and the important role of open communications in democracy. His study treats the emerging digital communications network as a platform and examines the chilling effects that anticompetitive and discriminatory practices in the physical and code layers of the platform have on innovation and the harm they impose on consumers. It identifies critical decisions confronting both antitrust and regulatory policy. For more information about Dr. Mark Cooper and his works, visit http://cyberlaw.stanford.edu/blogs/cooper/

Business Law Association Hosts SEC Panel

Fri, 17 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

On February 16th, 2006, the Business Law Association hosted a Securities Law Panel to provide to law students with access to speakers from the SEC and from firms that handle business-related issues. The SEC is the agency responsible for administering federal securities laws in the US. The mission of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is to protect investors, maintain fair, orderly, and efficient markets, and facilitate capital formation. Three panelists came to speak to interested students about their personal job experience.

Key Figure In Indian Trust Lawsuit To Give Talk At CU Law School Symposium

Thu, 16 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

It's a multibillion-dollar legal battle with roots 118 years old and yet after dozens of rulings there is still no settlement in sight for the Indian trust funds management lawsuit filed over a decade ago by Blackfeet tribal member Elouise Cobell. On Feb. 23, Cobell will tell her story at a symposium sponsored by the University of Colorado at Boulder's American Indian Law Program and the Native American Law Students Association. The symposium, "More Than the Money: Restoring Government Accountability Through Cobell v. Norton," will be held from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Lindsley Courtroom of the Fleming Law Building on the Boulder campus. Cobell is the lead plaintiff in the Cobell v. Norton class action lawsuit that was filed to force the U.S. government to account for billions of missing dollars relating to lease, royalty and other payments due individual Indian land owners for the use of their lands. Cobell will talk about events leading to the filing of the lawsuit, as well as her experiences during the litigation. She will be joined by Native American Rights Fund staff attorney Keith Harper, who is lead counsel for the plaintiffs. CU-Boulder Associate Professor Sarah Krakoff, an Indian law scholar and author, will moderate the session. "The record-keeping problem began sometime after 1887 when the U.S. Congress enacted the General Allotment Act dividing tribal lands into individual parcels," said Jill Tompkins, director of the law school's Indian Law Clinic. "The act also created individual trusts to be managed by the government and royalty money made from leasing the parcels to oil, timber and grazing interests were supposed to be dispersed to Native Americans across the country but never were." According to government records, an estimated $40 billion dollars is owed to over 500,000 individual Indian trust beneficiaries, Tompkins said. The event is free and open to the public. The symposium has been approved for two Continuing Legal Education credits for attorneys. For more information contact the American Indian Law Program at (303) 492-0966 or visit the CU School of Law's Web site at http://www.colorado.edu/law/ and look under "Feature Events." Contact: Jill Tompkins, (303) 735-2194 jill.tompkins@colorado.edu Dirk Martin, (303) 492-3112

Professor Allison Eid Named to Colorado Supreme Court

Wed, 15 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Governor Bill Owens announced today the appointment of Allison Eid of Golden to the Colorado Supreme Court. The appointment is effective immediately, filling a vacancy created by the resignation of the Honorable Rebecca Love Kourlis. Eid becomes the 95th person to serve as a Supreme Court Justice for Colorado. "Allison Eid is a premier legal scholar with superb real world experience," Owens said. "She will interpret the law as it is written, stand firm on legal principles and carry out her duties in a professional and collegial manner. She will be an excellent addition to the Court." Eid has served as Solicitor General for the State of Colorado since 2005. In that capacity, she directs and manages all of the state's trial and appellate litigation. From 1998 to 2005, Eid served as a law professor at the University of Colorado School of Law. She is currently on leave from this position. She taught courses in constitutional law, legislative process and interpretation, and torts. Eid has authored numerous legal publications on tort law and federalism. Her private legal practice focused on commercial and appellate litigation in the Denver office of the law firm Arnold & Porter. In 1991, Eid served as a law clerk to Judge Jerry Smith of the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and in 1993, she had the honor of serving as a law clerk for United States Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. She earned high honors as an undergraduate at Stanford University and as a law student at the University of Chicago Law School. "I am honored to serve the people of Colorado as a Supreme Court Justice and I am aware of the significant responsibility with which I have been entrusted," Eid said. The initial term of office for a Supreme Court Justice is a provisional term of two years, after which the incumbent must stand for retention to serve an additional ten years. The annual salary for an associate justice is $119, 739. With the appointment of Allison Eid to the Colorado Supreme Court, Gov. Owens now has appointed 136 judges to serve courts in Colorado. This is his second appointment to the Colorado Supreme Court. He has made 10 appointments to the Court of Appeals and the remainder to district and county courts throughout the state. In his seven years as governor, Owens has appointed roughly half of the 261 judges in the state. "I adhere to the viewpoint that it is the job of the legislature to make the laws and the job of the judicial branch to interpret the laws," said Gov. Owens. "I believe Allison shares that philosophy and will strive to fairly and accurately interpret Colorado's laws." On Feb. 1, Gov. Owens received the names of three nominees from the Supreme Court Nominating Commission. He had 15 working days to interview the candidates and make his selection.

CU Law Team Takes the Best Brief Award at the National Telecommunications Competition

Fri, 10 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

On February 3-4, Catholic University of Americas Columbus School of Law in Washington D.C. hosted the National Telecommunications Competition, an appellate advocacy competition which focuses exclusively on communications law. Teams submitted a brief and delivered oral arguments before a panel of practicing attorneys who specialize in communications law. Travis Litman, Alison Minea and Micah Schwalb comprised CUs Telecom Moot Court Team. They advanced to the National Semifinals. Additionally, the team received the National Telecommunications Competition's Best Brief Award. Congratulations to Travis, Alison, and Micah

Marijuana in Colorado?

Wed, 08 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The NLG will be hosting The Marijuana Reform Movement in Colorado with Brian Vicente, Director of Sensible Colorado and Mason Tvert, Director of Safer Alternatives for Enjoyable Recreation(SAFER)as they discuss the movement to reform Colorado's marijuana laws, including: 1. Proposition 1-100, the successful Denver marijuana ballot initiative to legalize marijuana possession. 2) The test case of the 1-100 initiative, the Eric Footer case, as profiled on National Fox news. 3) The upcoming Colorado initiative to legalize possession of marijuana as set to appear on the 2006 statewide ballot

CU LAW BAR PASSAGE RISES TO 91%

Wed, 25 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

When The Colorado Supreme Court released the results of the July 2005 Colorado Bar Exam this week the University of Colorado School of Law had the highest passage rate in the state, surpassing the 74 percent average results of all other schools and exceeding the statewide average by 14 percentage points. 91 percent of exam takers from the University of Colorado School of Law passed the grueling exam on the first attempt, placing the School and its students in the top echelon of American legal community. This year's results represented a 2-point rise over last year's.

2006 Distinguished Alumni Awards Announced

Tue, 24 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The Law Alumni Board of the University of Colorado School of Law announced today that it will confer Distinguished Alumni Awards on Justice Michael Bender 67, Glenn Porzak 73, and Bryan Shaha 71. The 28-member LAB approved this year's nominees at their December board meeting with overwhelming support. The awards, which recognize excellence in the judicial, public, and private sectors, will be presented at the 25th Annual Alumni Awards Banquet to be held Wednesday, March 8, 2006.

Scholars To Discuss Academic Freedom At CU Conference Feb. 3-4

Tue, 24 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Examining why academic freedom is often a source of controversy on college campuses across the nation will be the cornerstone of the University of Colorado at Boulder's 13th Ira C. Rothgerber Jr. Conference to be held Feb. 3-4 in the Fleming Law Building. Titled "Horowitz, Churchill, Columbia -- What Next for Academic Freedom?" the conference will address the theory and practice of academic freedom from the perspective of several controversial disputes. The conference is open to the public and continuing legal education credits are available. Members of the judiciary, CU alumni, faculty, staff and students will be admitted for free but lunch and a parking pass are not included. The conference title refers to conservative author David Horowitz and two recent cases where academic freedom was criticized. Horowitz is known for his campaign for an "Academic Bill of Rights" to protect students from what he claims is an "unprofessional political indoctrination" on college campuses. At CU-Boulder last year an article published by ethnic studies Professor Ward Churchill raised public scrutiny while at Columbia University in New York City critics have claimed the school's Middle Eastern Studies are anti-Israeli. But according to Richard Collins, CU law professor and director of the law school's Byron White Center for the Study of American Constitutional Law, the controversies surrounding Horowitz, Churchill and Columbia are only meant to initiate dialogue and are not the focus of the conference. This year's conference is sponsored by the Byron R. White Center, the political science department's Keller Center for the First Amendment and the University of Colorado Law Review. Principal speakers will be Larry Alexander, University of San Diego School of Law; Alan K. Chen, Sturm College of Law, University of Denver; Fred Schauer, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University; J. Peter Byrne, Georgetown University Law Center; Robert M. O'Neil, Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression, University of Virginia; and Emily Calhoun, CU School of Law. For more information about the conference, a complete schedule, registration fees and online registration visit the conference Web site at http://www.colorado.edu/law/centers/byronwhite/current.htm or call (303) 492-8048. Contact: Richard B. Collins, (303) 492-5493 Richard.collins@colorado.edu Dirk Martin, (303) 492-3112

Diverse Choices

Mon, 23 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

A full-day conference was held at CU Law School's Courtroom for educational leaders and others offered ideas and information about advancing diversity within school choice systems. Leaders of Colorado's school choice community joined researchers to discuss the effects of choice on integration and segregation. Speakers from innovative districts around the U.S. presented concrete, practical options available to schools and districts in Colorado. Finally, local and national lawyers summarized the legal implications of pursuing such options.

2006 Hogan & Hartson CU/DU Cup

Sat, 21 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Eleven CU teams competed in the 2006 Hogan & Hartson CU/DU Cup, an annual mock trial competition between CU and DU. All the teams performed exceptionally well and their hard work and preparation was apparent to both competitors and judges alike. Our heartfelt congratulations extend to our CU team Andra Zeppelin (CU 1L), Grant Sullivan (CU 1L), Victoria Ravenscroft (CU 1L), and Ken Clifton (friend) for their outstanding accomplishment this year. They placed second in the competition and took home a $1000 prize. CU Law School would like to also congratulate the all the participants of the cup, as well as thank Pat Furman, Dan Deasy, and Ann England for helping prepare our teams for the mock trial competition.

Dan Hale '71 Named "Outstanding Judicial Officer"

Wed, 11 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

By Christine Reid, Camera Staff Writer The tables were turned on Boulder District Judge Dan Hale on Tuesday when he learned he had been judged the state's top court officer. Hale accepted the title as Colorado's "Outstanding Judicial Officer" of the year at a surprise party at the Boulder County Justice Center the only way he could - overflowing with humility and a couple of tears.

EESI Developments

Mon, 28 Nov 2005 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

On November 8, 2005, House and Senate members of the Colorado State Legislature convened a “Forum for Colorado 's Energy Future.” Held in the State Capitol's Old Supreme Court Chambers, the forum was designed to identify pathways for making Colorado a national and international leader in sustainable energy. Chaired by House Majority Leader Alice Madden, CU Law '89, the forum featured a number of distinguished panelists invited to speak on various aspects of Colorado 's energy situation. Kevin Doran, EESI Research Fellow, CU Law '03, was the only CU researcher to receive the distinction of an invitation to participate in the forum's panel—which also included Dr. Stanley Bull, Associate Director of the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and Dr. Dag Nummedal, Director of the Colorado Energy Research Institute. Kevin's presentation focused on providing the legislators with a detailed and comparative understanding of Colorado 's current and future energy profile. The presentation also delineated what other States are doing in terms of strategic energy planning, and made the case for creating a long-term, integrated strategic energy plan for the State of Colorado. Select slides from the presentation are made available below.

About the Energy & Environmental Security Initiative (EESI):

A project of CU Law, EESI's fundamental mission is to facilitate the attainment of a global sustainable energy future through the innovative use of laws and policies. EESI has two primary goals: (1) to serve as an enabling environment for teaching and research into the impact of laws and policies on the scientific, engineering, sociopolitical, and commercial dimensions of sustainable energy; and (2) to establish an institute at CU Law dedicated to understanding and improving the interface between laws and policies and progress toward a global sustainable energy future.

About Kevin L. Doran:

Kevin Doran is an attorney and research fellow at the University of Colorado School of Law's Energy & Environmental Security Initiative (EESI). His current work involves analyzing the dynamic interface between laws and policies and the use of sustainable energy technologies. Kevin is also the lead project manager for CU Law's International Sustainable Energy Assessment—a project designed to analyze the impact of international agreements on the development and commercial deployment of clean energy technologies. He has practiced law, consulted, taught, lectured, and published concerning matters in energy law and policy and international law. Prior to joining EESI, Kevin was a research associate at the Natural Resources Law Center specializing in the international use of conservation easements. He received his law degree from the University of Colorado School of Law in 2003, where he was an editor of the Law Review and president of the Environmental Law Society.

Kevin L. Doran, Building a Sustainable Energy Future for Colorado (November 8, 2005); presented at the Forum for Colorado's Energy Future, Colorado State Capitol, November 8, 2005. Select presentation slides below:

Telecom's Brave New World

Wed, 16 Nov 2005 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Former Dean Don W. Sears established the Austin W. Scott, Jr. Lecture Series in 1973 in his memory. A member of the Law School faculty for twenty years, Professor Austin W. Scott, Jr. was an excellent and much beloved teacher as well as a prolific writer in the fields of criminal law and procedure. Each year, the Dean of the Law School selects a member of the faculty engaged in a significant scholarly project to lecture on his or her research.

This year Professor Phil Weiser was selected for his successful work in raising CU's profile in telecommunications and technology law by establishing the Silicon Flatirons Telecommunications Program. Professor Weiser publishes widely on telecommunications and information policy, including a recent book, Digital Crossroads: American Telecommunications Policy in the Internet Age, co-authored with Jon Nuechterlein.

Digital Crossroads is the first and only scholarly explanation of how the telecommunications industry has evolved in the wake of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Written for law readers, industry players, and scholars alike, the book presents an accessible explanation of the regulatory, technological, and economic forces now shaping the industry. Since writing Digital Crossroads, Professor Weiser has focused on regulatory issues related to wireless spectrum, including work associated with a NSF grant and a contract from DARPA.

Capitalizing on the strong presence of the local telecommunications industry, the University of Colorado created the Silicon Flatirons Telecommunications Program to bring to campus individuals from legal, technical, regulatory, and business backgrounds to discuss issues facing the telecommunications and information technology industries. The program pursues three basic goals: (1) to elevate the debate around technology policy issues; (2) to facilitate networking and the development of "human capital" in the Colorado technology community; and (3) to inspire student interest in technology law.

ACLU Guest speaker: We Want To Recruit You High School Students

Mon, 07 Nov 2005 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

ACLU hosted a discussion with Judd Golden, Chair of the boulder County ACLU on the topic of military recruiting in high schools.

The beginning of a new school year marks the opening of another season of military recruiting of high school students as the military exercises the authority it gained under little-known provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act. Such provision have been interpreted as a requirement that school authorities turn over student contact lists to the military and afford its recruiters unprecedented access to students in school.

This was a heated topic and all students were invited to give their perspectives on this controversial issue of high school students' right to privacy.l

Supreme Court Panel: The Past, the Future, and the Nomination of Our Next Supreme Court Justice

Fri, 04 Nov 2005 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

All students were invited to main campus to hear a panel discussion in the Old Main Chapel. Old Main is CU's oldest building and was the only building on the campus when it opened in 1877.

The topics for discussion included the role of the Supreme Court in American politics, the Nomination Process, the new Chief Justice John Roberts, and what is at stake with the nomination of the next justice. The event was open to undergraduate students as well as law students.

Discussion on Recent Medical Marijuana Case

Sun, 30 Oct 2005 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The Federalist Society hosted a discussion of the recently decided Raiche case (Medical Marijuana) by U.S. Attorney William J. Leone.

In Gonzales v. Raich case, the Supreme Court, Justice Stevens, held that application of CSA provisions criminalizing manufacture, distribution, or possession of marijuana to intrastate growers and users of marijuana for medical purposes did not violate Commerce Clause.

Following his presentation, the current Colorado Solicitor General and CU Law Professor, Allison Eid made comments on the case and the possible implications for Colorado residents.

Winners of 2005 Carrigan Cup

Sun, 30 Oct 2005 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

This year it came down to two teams, a 2L team consisting of J.P. Martin and Pat Haines and a 3L team consisting of David McDivitt and Brian Mason. Their battle in court was judged by the Honorable Judge Carrigan and his two sons, one of whom is Michael Carrigan, CU's Regent.

It was finally decided today that David McDivitt and Brian Mason are winners of the 2005 Carrigan Cup with their outstanding performance and big thanks to their outstanding witnesses, Michael Wautlet and Andrew Philips.

The Winner of the Best Oralist of the 2005 Carrigan Cup also went to J.P. Martin, who individually scored the highest points in the competition.

The Carrigan Cup semi-finalists included Lisa Pearson, Mario Nicolais, Christian Gardner-Wood, and Adam Kendall.

Every year the CU Law conducts the Carrigan Cup Competition to select two teams to compete in the National Trial Competition, the nation's oldest and most prestigious trial advocacy competition. The School of Law first conducts an internal competition (the Carrigan Cup) administered by faculty advisers to select teams to enter the regional competition that is held on a rotating basis at participating law schools in the West.

The Carrigan Cup endowment was established by family and friends in honor of judge and former faculty member Jim R. Carrigan.

Students compete in moot court competitions to develop skills in appellate brief writing and oral argument, and gain valuable trial practice experience. The Dean's Fund and endowments provide financial assistance to support student participation in these competitions. CU teams have consistently been extremely competitive in which they participate. Selection of teams varies by competition.

Re-Examining the Role of State and Local Governments in Telecom Regulation

Fri, 28 Oct 2005 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Designing a new regulatory architecture for telecommunications regulation presents a critical challenge that Congress must carefully consider in weighing prospective changes to the Telecommunications Act of 1996. To assist Congress in this endeavor, the Progress and Freedom Foundation (PFF) chartered a Digital Age Communications Act (DACA) project that, among other things, has created a proposed statutory framework to delineate the role of federal, state and local authorities in telecommunications regulation. Re-Examining the Role of State and Local Governments in Telecom Regulation program discusses and analyzes the proposed framework, recommendations and conclusions of the DACA Working Group on Federal-State Framework (the "Report").

The Silicon Flatirons Telecommunications Program ("SFTP"), which examines cutting-edge issues involving technology, business, and law. SFTP is hosting one remaining conference this Fall, Commercial Opportunities at the Technological Frontier: Building a Company around New Internet Technologies (November 7th, 3:00-7:00pm). Additionally, SFTP's very own Professor Phil Weiser will discuss Telecom's Brave New World as the invited lecturer for the 32nd Annual Austin N. Scott Jr. Memorial Lecture (November 15th, 7:00-8:00pm).

SFTP also sponsors the Journal on Telecommunications and High Technology Law, which will hold a symposium on "the Digital Broadband Migration: Confronting the New Regulatory Frontiers" coming February 19-20th. The conference will explore the Institutional Challenges of Technology Policy, Video over Internet Protocol, Digital Rights Management, and the Emerging Industry Structure. Noted scholars and luminaries, such as former FCC Chairman Michael Powell, economist Alfred Kahn, Level 3 CEO Jim Crowe, and Internet pioneer Bob Kahn, will be on hand to discuss these issues.

Seating will be limited for these events, so please register in advance. For more information, visit SFTP's website at www.silicon-flatirons.org, or email sftp@colorado.edu.

Thu, 27 Oct 2005 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

LRAP Reception

Tue, 18 Oct 2005 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

LRAP Reception hosted by Faegre & Benson LLP Featuring Professor Patrick Furman, University of Colorado School of Law Ethics,

Professionalism and Pro Bono: What must we do?
What should we do? What can we do? One CLE Ethics Credit available.

The reception will be held on Thursday, October 27, 2005, 4:45 p.m. – 7:00 p.m and the speaker starts at 5:15

The Reception is being hosted by Faegre & Benson LLP at 3200 Wells Fargo Center, 1700 Lincoln Street, Denver, Colorado Please enter the building via the 17th and Sherman entrance.

$50 per person contribution and $20 per student

If you are interested in donation opportunities, please contact Julie Levine at (303) 735-6196 or Julie.Levine@Colorado.edu. proceeds from this event will benefit the Loan Repayment Assistance Program of the University of Colorado School of Law. As a result of your generous donations, past and future recipients of LRAP are able to dedicate their legal services to communities in need.

Light hors d'oeuvres and drinks will be served Please RSVP to Danielle Corland at (303) 492-8048 or Danielle.Corland@Colorado.edu

CU Law receives major building gift

Mon, 17 Oct 2005 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The University of Colorado School of Law announced this week the receipt of a $200,000 gift from the national law firm of Faegre & Benson toward the realization of the School’s new Wolf Law Building. The gift is being joined by an additional $50,000 in individual pledges from CU friends and alumni at the firm's Colorado offices. Together the gifts will fund construction of a 100 seat state-of-the-art classroom in the new law building.

In announcing the gift, Faegre & Benson partner Michael S. McCarthy cited the firm’s longtime connection to the Law School. “Given our firm’s strong and lengthy relationship with the Law School we are delighted to be able to make this investment in the future of this great Colorado institution,” said McCarthy, who serves on CU’s Law Alumni Board. Dean David Getches accepted the donation on behalf of the Law School, invoking the special ties that unite the two institutions. "We are gratified by the leadership and generosity of Faegre & Benson, a firm whose civic and social responsibility is well known," said Getches. “This donation reinforces a bond for which we are daily thankful and that carries us closer to our vision of a new home for the Law School.”

The Faegre & Benson gifts represent an important step in the Law School’s campaign to raise private donations to complete construction on the Wolf Law Building, scheduled to open in summer 2006. “Faegre & Benson has shown exceptional philanthropic leadership for the legal community and indeed, for the state of Colorado,” said Julie Levine, CU Foundation’s Director of Development for the Law School. “This carries us into the homestretch. The Law School has already raised $10.8M of the $12.8M needed to complete the new building. The groundswell of support from Colorado law firms like Faegre & Benson has generated incredible momentum in the final phase of the campaign.”

About Faegre & Benson

Faegre & Benson is the fourth largest firm in Colorado with more than 100 attorneys and is a recognized leader in the Colorado law community. With more than 475 lawyers worldwide, the firm offers a full range of practice groups, with experience handling complex and challenging transactions and litigation matters throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. Faegre & Benson, with Colorado offices in Denver and Boulder, ranked among the top 20 U.S. law firms for client service in 2002, 2003 and 2004. For more information on Faegre & Benson, consult the firm's award-winning web site at www.faegre.com.

CU Law Chapter of the ACLU Hosts Cathy Hazouri

Tue, 11 Oct 2005 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Cathy Hazouri, the Executive Director of the Colorado Chapter of the ACLU spoke about current initiatives by the Colorado ACLU and the National ACLU, current litigation, and ways that CU Law students can become more involved.

Topics Discussed:

Patriot Act and its impact
Military Recruitment on High School Campuses (military failure to disclose that it has no discrmination policy even though public schools have anti-discrimination policies)
National Identity Cards (Radio Frequency Identification Cards and personal information disclosure without consent)
ACLU mentor program that pairs high school students with law students
Unpaid internships at the ACLU (Intake assistance, legal department assistance, translating ACLU materials, fundraising, student rights)
Fundraising: Petitioning ACLU lawyers for a donation of the monetary equivalent of a few billable hours and CU law students doing follow-up calls on those efforts.
Memberships cost $5.00, the proceeds of which go back to the member's local chapter.

Rachel Chaparro, Development and Education Coordinator, spoke generally about the ACLU and reviewed the panoply of ACLU educational materials available.

CU-Boulder Law Students To Explain New American Indian Land Law In Community Education Workshops

Tue, 11 Oct 2005 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

University of Colorado at Boulder law students will conduct two community education workshops in southwest Colorado and the Denver area to explain the impact of a new federal law affecting American Indian land holdings. The soon-to-be implemented federal American Indian Probate Reform Act was passed to stop the division of land resulting from the General Allotment Act of 1887. Many parcels, if they could be split among the owners, would be smaller than the page of an average-sized book. The workshops will be held at or near the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute reservations in southwest Colorado and in metro Denver where more than 30,000 American Indians live. The workshops are aimed at assisting individual tribal members in handling their land interests. Dates of the workshops are yet to be announced. A $4,000 grant from the Colorado Bar Foundation, the charitable arm of the Colorado Bar Association, to the law school's American Indian Law Clinic will fund the workshops. The grant also will fund videotaping of the workshops for broadcast on public television and the publication of a guide to understanding the new law that will be distributed statewide. Congress passed the American Indian Land Probate Reform Act of 2004 to stop the fractionation of tribal lands that resulted from the 1887 law. The act is set to go into effect in April 2006. The General Allotment Act of 1887 divided tribal lands previously held in common into small tracts held in trust by the United States for individual Indian owners. The tracts could be inherited under state law, but lack of access to lawyers, cultural barriers and other factors made Indian wills uncommon and splintered Indian ownership. Many parcels now have hundreds of owners. The American Indian Law Clinic was established in 1992 as an addition to the CU-Boulder School of Law's clinical education program. It is intended to provide quality legal representation to poor clients with specific Indian law-related problems, while also providing students with hands-on experience with Indian law issues. The new guide to understanding the reform act and links to the relevant statutes, agencies and tribal offices will be posted on a variety of American Indian and legal services organizations' Web sites, including the American Indian Law Clinic's at http://www.colorado.edu/law/clinics/ilc. Contact: Jill Tompkins, (303) 735-2194 jill.tompkins@colorado.edu Kirsten Dueck, (303) 492-3124 kirsten.dueck@colorado.edu Dirk Martin, (303) 492-3140

2005 William Lee Knous Award

Sat, 08 Oct 2005 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The Knous Award was established in memory of former governor, federal judge, distinguihed statesman dn CU Law Alumnus, William Lee Knous '11. Conferred annually by the Law Alumni Board of Directors, the School of Law's highest honor recognizes outstanding achievement and sustained service to the Law School. The School of Law is exceedingly proud to add Robert F. Hill to this illustrious group by naming him the 2005 recipient of the William Lee Knous Award.

Mr. Hill is a co-founder and shareholder of Hill & Robbins, P.C., where his practice emphasizes complex commercial litigation, particularly antitrust, securitites, and pension litigation and class actions. After earning his law degree from the University of Colorado, where he was co-editor-in-chief of hte Law Review and graduated first in his class, Mr. Hill served as a law clerk to the Honorable Warren J. Ferguson of the United States Dictrict Court for the Central District of California and as an associate with the law firm of Covington & Burling in Washington, D.C. before returning to Colorado as a Visiting Associate Professor of Law at CU. From 1975 through 1978 Mr. Hill served as First Assistnat Attorney General of the State of Colorado, where he established the Antitrust Section of the Colorado Attorney General's office.

As a founding partner of Hill & Robbins in 1978 Mr. Hill has had a leading role in many Colorado's largest civil damage recoveries in recent years. Listed in The Best Lawyers in America since 1991, Mr. Hill received the Award for Best of the Bar for Antiturst Law in 2004 as well as numerous awards for community service including the National Philanthropy DAy Award as the Outstanding Volunteer in Colorado (2003); the Colorado Bar Association's Hoagland Award for Public Service; and the Individual of hte Year Award and Outstanding Sustained Contribution Award from the Colorado Lawyers Committee. He recently chared the Committee on Conduct of the United States District Court for the District of Colorado and the Board of Directors of Colorado's Ocean Journey. He is a former co-chair of Invest in Kids, a nonprofit children's organization that he co-founded in 1996, and is currently chair of the Board of the Nurse-Family Partnership, a national nurse visitation program for low-income mothers.

Yup'ik Dancers from Alaska performs for CU Law School

Sat, 08 Oct 2005 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

The Kicaput Singers and Dancers of Alaska performed on the Fleming Law Building's north lawn from noon to 1pm, sponsored by the CU-Boulder Native American Law Students Association.

Dance group members are comprised of Yup'ik descendants from the Kuskokwim and Yukon river deltas and long the Bering Sea in southwest Alaska. Though known as Eskimos in American popular culture, they prefer to be referred to by their traditional name, accordering to Dena Ivey, president of the Native American Law Students Association and a Yup'ik descendant.

The Kicaput (pronounced "gitch-ah-put") Singers and Dancers perform in traditional Yup'ik regalia, consisting of qaspeqs (a light overgarment), mukluks (calf-high boots made from seal skin, wolf, beaver or wolverine), headdresses (made from feathers or wolf/beaver fur, beads and animal hide) and dance fans (made from wood and feathers for the men's dance fans or woven grass and caribou beard hair for the women's dance fans). Yup'ik drums are traditionally made from bent circular driftwood and walrus stomach.

The Kicaput Singers and Dancers are based in Anchorage and perform different interpretations of elements of the traditional Yup'ik village lifestyle. Songs and dances can depict comical or serious situations involving animals, hunting, fishing, berry-picking and social interactions.

The performances were co-sponsored by the CU Cultural Events Board, teh University of Colorado, the CU School of Law, and the law firms of Holland & Hart and Greene, Meyer, & McElroy, P.C.

The CU-Boulder Native American Law Students Association promotes awareness of Native American issues at CU-Boulder, develops community for Native American students and organizes activities to enrich the law school and assist memebers in career development.

John Miller Book Signing

Fri, 07 Oct 2005 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Jonathan Miller, CU Law 88 will sign his books "Crater County", "Rattlesnake Lawyer" and "Amarillo in August" at Borders, 1600 Pearl st, in Boulder from 12 to 3 on Saturday October 8 before the CU-Texas A and M homecoming game.

Crater County is a few dozen books away from selling out its first printing. It's the story of a female CU Law grad exiled to a small New Mexico town after choking at the Olympic trials. Working as a prosecutor on a triple murder, she falls in love with the defense attorney, but as more people get murdered she worries that the lawyer is imitating his client. Jonathan swears that it is not based on a true story....yet. You can read the first ten pages of Crater County, and Jon's other books on amazon.com. Rebeccasreads.com hailed Jonathan as the "new voice of contemporary legal fiction" and the book is on the 2004 Master List of Southwestern books of the year. Later this month, Jonathan will lecture at Albany Law School and at USC School of Professional Writing on how lawyers and other professionals can become published authors. Don't miss the chance to meet Jonathan at Borders before CU crushes the Aggies.

Rattlesnake Lawyer has also been optioned as a potential TV series.

The Colorado Law Mediation Program

Tue, 04 Oct 2005 00:00:00 GMT-07:00

Law students interested in mediation were invited to an informational meeting about the Colorado Law Mediation Program. The topics covered during the meeting included a general introduction to mediation and CLMP, information on the CLMP mediator training program and upcoming submission of applications, and introduction to CLMP's *new* on-campus mediation services provided by CLMP mediators.

Bruce Babbitt speaks to CU law community (sponsored by NRLC and Center for the American West)