The Informant

February 5, 2008
(2007-08 Archives)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Congratulations to Patti Anderson, who has been selected as the College's Employee of the Month for December ‘07. Patti has been a member of the College of Law staff since November of 1998. As Principal Secretary in the UT Legal Clinic, Patti manages the activities of the Clinic's front office, including providing assistance to and keeping track of the Clinic's students, faculty, staff and clients; managing client in-take; processing new client files; assisting with special projects and events; and much, much more, all of which help to ensure the smooth and efficient operation of the Clinic each and every day. Patti, from all of us -- congratulations and thank you for your outstanding service, friendship and your many contributions to the College of Law!

The College of Law and the Moot Court Board announce that Docket Day 2008 will be held Wednesday, Feb. 6, in Room 237. All students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to attend. For those unfamiliar with the event, each year the Tennessee Court of Appeals for the Eastern Section holds court at the College of Law. It is an honor for the Court to sit at the law school and it provides students an invaluable opportunity to observe actual appellate advocacy first hand. In years past, some very interesting appeals have been heard on this day. For example, last year students were able to view the appeal of the Georgia man accused of not cremating over 500 deceased in Tennessee and Georgia. This story dominated the news of our region in early 2005. The members of this year's distinguished bench will be the Honorable Charles D. Susano, Jr., the Honorable D. Michael Swiney, and the Honorable Sharon G. Lee. Students, faculty and staff are welcome to sit in on any and all of the arguments and may enter the room at any time so long as they do so quietly. The Court will begin its morning session at 9 a.m. and will continue until the docket is completed, around 4 p.m. The Court will take a brief lunch break from noon until 1 p.m. For more information on the court please visit:
http://www.tsc.state.tn.us/geninfo/Bio/Appeals/Biotca.htm

Transactions: The Tennessee Journal of Business Law is pleased to announce its 2008-2009 Editorial Staff: Rob Whitfield, Editor in Chief; Brad Hearne, Executive Editor; Meghan Fowler, Managing Editor; Patrick Norton, News & Publications Editor; Josh Mullen, Senior Commentary Editor; and Articles Editors Maria Foley, Rachel Levinson, Bethany Scott, Christopher Sherman, Walt Siedentopf, and Scott Simmons.

The Center for Advocacy and Dispute Resolution at the University of Tennessee College of Law is pleased to host a lecture by distinguished scholar James W. McElhaney on Wednesday, April 2, at 12:20 p.m. in Room 132. Prof. McElhaney is perhaps the foremost teacher, writer, and speaker on trial techniques in the country today. He writes the award winning column, "Litigation" in the American Bar Association Journal and the popular quarterly column, "Trial Notebook," in the Litigation Journal. He has authored the three highly acclaimed books, Effective Litigation, McElhaney's Trial Notebook, and McElhaney's Litigation. McElhaney is the Joseph C. Hutcheson Distinguished Lecturer in Trial Advocacy, South Texas College of Law, the Baker & Hostetler Distinguished Scholar in Trial Practice and Joseph C. Hostetler Professor Emeritus of Trial Practice and Advocacy, Case Western Reserve University School of Law, and a faculty member of the National Institute for Trial Advocacy. He has given nearly 1,000 seminars, speeches and workshops on evidence, procedure and trial practice in every one of the 50 U.S. states and throughout Canada.

FACULTY

Prof. George Kuney’s article “Differentiating Between Vague Terms Describing Time – An Unsupported Waste of Time” is being published in the March issue of the California Business Law Practitioner, a publication of UC Berkeley’s CEB. It will be followed shortly by an article on material adverse change clauses in the same publication. Prof. Kuney’s recent article on judge-made successor liability law, "Successor Liability in Illinois," will be published in 96 Illinois Bar Journal at 2 (March 2008). The article is the latest in a series of state-by-state examinations of the applicable doctrines and their development and evolution over time in each jurisdiction.

Prof. Glenn Reynolds has been named “Yalie of the Week” by the Yale Alumni Magazine. He is the first Yale alumnus to receive this new honor.

STUDENTS

Get the Goods on Using Technology in the Courtroom: The Center for Advocacy and Dispute Resolution will host a presentation by Bill Ramsey in conjunction with LogicForce Consulting, LLC on the use of technology in the courtroom Wednesday, Feb. 13, from 12:20 until- 1:10 p.m. in Room 237. The Center welcomes two experts on the topic of the use of technology in the courtroom, one a lawyer with more than two decades of experience trying cases with the use of technology and the other an expert on information technology with almost two decades of experience assisting law firms in case presentation. William T. "Bill" Ramsey is a 1981 graduate of the College of Law. He finished first in his class, despite his passion for rock and roll and his other career as a rock and roll musician. After graduation, Ramsey clerked for the Honorable Harry Phillips of the 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals and then joined the premier Nashville law firm of Neal & Harwell. Bill has extensive legal experience ranging from federal white collar prosecutions and investigations, high-profile bank, healthcare, securities, tax and mail and wire fraud cases, personal injury, business torts, computer and technology litigation and complex commercial transactions. In addition, Bill is a frequent lecturer on the topic of the use of technology in the practice of law, litigation involving computers and technology, and the impact of the internet on the practice of law. He is a self-proclaimed techno-geek who keeps the rest of the Tennessee Bar abreast of technology advances in his annual seminars. Philip Hampton is the founder and president of LogicForce consulting, LLC. Phil has visited the law school on one previous occasion when he previewed a number of litigation support systems. For over 18 years, Phil has worked in the field of information technology, consulting with numerous law firms and government agencies in the areas of practice management systems, technical litigation support, computer forensics, electronic data discovery, and trial presentation technologies. As a computer forensic specialist, Phil has provided forensic services to attorneys on a wide variety of cases and frequently works with Bill and the Neal & Harwell firm. The Center invites all students interested in litigation technology to attend this exciting demonstration. Lunch will be served.

If you want a chance to boost your resume and you have a passion for animals, the Animal Law Project is looking for you! Your interest for animals can range from domesticated pets, to endangered species, to the condition of animals in zoos, to absolutely anything. The Animal Law Project’s purpose is to raise awareness about legal issues surrounding animals. Its most recent project has been to assist the vet school in updating its Animal Law Book, which is distributed to police officers, agencies, and others that need to understand the laws that govern their interaction with a variety of animal types.
There are publishing/writing opportunities and pro bono credit available for those interested in assisting the Animal Law Project. And, new project ideas are welcome! Involvement is a great chance to increase your employment prospects by demonstrating your commitment to leadership. Employers seek those that undertake responsibility. Please contact jballing@utk.edu for more information.

VITA will have training on Wednesday, Feb. 6, from 5 until 7 p.m., in Room 132. Dinner will be provided.

Prof. Mae Quinn is seeking a Spanish-speaking Research Assistant to conduct research about the Honduran legal system, help create teaching materials, and assist with other aspects of a planned collaboration with the Catholic University in Honduras and its clinical legal education program. Work on the project will begin immediately. Resumes and expressions of interest can be forwarded to Prof. Quinn at mquinn3@utk.edu or left with Patti Anderson, the Legal Clinic receptionist.

Applications are now being accepted for the College's 2008-2009 Student Advisors. Student Advisors (SAs) work to ease a first-year student’s transition into law school. Student Advisors orient incoming students by providing social and academic information and support during the first year. SAs are in a unique position to not only serve as an official representative of the College of Law but also to relate the experiences of a current student. Applications are available in the Admissions Office.

The College of Law and the ABA Section on International Law will co-sponsor a panel discussion on careers in international law Monday, April 7, from 12:20 until 1:10 p.m. in Room 135. UT Prof. Robert Blitt will be among those on the panel.

Prof. Robert Blitt is seeking a Research Assistant to work through the Spring 2008 semester, approximately 10 hours per week. Research tasks will be related to upcoming articles on freedom of religion in Russia and the International Religious Freedom Act. Interested 2L/3L students can drop off a resume and brief letter of interest in Room 356 of the College of Law, marked to Prof. Blitt's attention. The deadline for applications is Feb. 8.

Programs/events this coming week:

-- "Mock Interview Program - Knoxville Barristers" for 1Ls, Monday through Friday, Feb. 4-8, 12:45-3:15 p.m. by appointment, Career Center.

-- "Career Strategy - The Out-of-State Job Search" for all classes, Thursday, Feb. 7, 12:40-1:30 p.m., Faculty Lounge.

-- "The Business of Practicing Law - Session 1 'Lawyer Roles in Tomorrow's Firm'" for all classes, Monday, Feb. 11, 12:20-1:10 p.m., Room 132.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

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CONTACT PERSONS

For a list of College contact persons, Click here.