The Informant
January 6, 2009
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Mark calendars for two '09 events
The College of Law will host two programs of interest early in the Spring 2009 semester. Jan. 15-16 will feature “Civil Liberties, National Security, and the Legacies of the Japanese Removal and Incarceration.” Six hours of CLE credit will be available. The Tennessee Law Review will present “The Past, Present, and Future of the Death Penalty" Feb. 6-7.
Request for Nominations for Student and Staff Awards
All students, faculty and staff are encouraged to submit nominations for several awards which will be presented at the College of Law’s annual Honors Banquet and Awards Program on Friday evening, February 13, 2009 at the Foundry on the World’s Fair Site.
STUDENT AWARDS
Nominations are requested for the following student awards:
Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz Student Leadership Award
William M. Leech, Jr. Public Service Prize
National Association of Women Lawyers Award
*Susan B. Anthony Award
Information describing these awards and nomination forms are linked below. Please be sure to read the information on each award carefully, to ensure the student(s) you wish to nominate meets all the criteria for selection.
*Note: The recipient of the Susan B. Anthony Award is selected by the members of the East Tennessee Lawyers Association for Women. The members of ETLAW invite applications from students for this award, as well as nominations by other individuals. Nominators and applicants should complete the form provided. Please attach a copy of the nominee’s/applicant’s resume, as well as any other substantive information you wish to provide.
STAFF AWARDS
The College will present two support staff awards in recognition of outstanding service. One award will be presented to a member of the Law Library support staff, and the other award will be presented to a member of the College support staff. Nomination forms for both staff awards are attached.
Please Note: Recipients of all these awards are selected on the basis of the information provided in the nomination statements. It is very important that you provide substantive information on the student or staff member you are nominating to ensure that he/she will receive full consideration.
You may duplicate any of the attached forms if you have multiple nominations. Additional copies also will be available in the Dean’s Office (Suite 278) and the Student Records Office (Suite 166).
General Information
Student Awards
Susan B. Anthony Award
Library Staff Award
College Staff Award
THE DEADLINE HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2009
Nominations may be submitted to either the Dean’s Office or the Student Records Office
or may be sent by e-mail to Mary Ann James at mjames1@utk.edu
FACULTY
Prof. Barton presenter at Southern Cal
Prof. Ben Barton had a busy break. He was an invited presenter at the University of Southern California Law School’s Leading Legal Innovation Conference. The conference brought together managing partners of large law firms, general counsels of fortune 500 companies like Shell Oil and Cisco Systems, politicians like U.S. Representative (D) Jim Cooper, judges, and law professors to talk about innovation in the legal market. Prof. Barton was one of eight invited law professors, including faculty from USC, Harvard, Penn, Northwestern, Columbia, NYU, and Indiana. Some of Prof. Barton’s comments were highlighted in an American Law Journal article on the conference. Prof. Barton was also named one of the 40 under 40 for Knoxville by the Knoxville Business Journal. The 40 under 40 celebrates forty emerging leaders in the Knoxville community. The article can be found here.
Prof. White lectures at Harvard once again
Prof. Penny White joined the trial advocacy faculty at Harvard Law School for the first week of the school year to teach in Harvard's Trial Advocacy Workshop. This is Prof. White's 10th year teaching TAW, which is a three-week intensive course for second- and third-year Harvard law students.
Prof. Heminway CLE lecturer
In December, Prof. Joan Heminway participated in a continuing legal education seminar on "Corporate Investigations and White Collar Defense" for the Tennessee Bar Association. Prof. Heminway's presentation covered key aspects of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the major federal securities legislation of the post-Enron era.
Prof. Kuney article published
Prof. George Kuney’s article “Material Adverse Change Clauses” was published in the California Business Law Practitioner by The University of California’s Continuing Education of the Bar. The article reviews the applicable law and practical use of material adverse change clauses in delayed closing deal structures and compliments Kuney’s work with Donna C. Looper on contract law contained in their treatise California Law of Contracts, a new edition of which is being published this spring.
Prof. Stein named Associate Dean for Faculty development
Prof. Greg Stein has been appointed the College’s Associate Dean for Faculty Development. Greg's primary responsibilities will be to promote and support faculty scholarship, increase collaborations with other parts of the university, and encourage teaching excellence.
STUDENTS
Summer clerkship opportunity
Refugee Family Services is seeking law students to fill full-time summer clerkship positions that will focus on issues-specific legal analysis and fact gathering in support of policy development, as well as grant writing for the policy and direct service programs of the agenda. MORE
Juvenile Justice project for students
Prof. Mae Quinn is willing to supervise up to two students this spring on a special juvenile justice-related Directed Research Project for expository writing credit. The project will require completion of a 20-25 page paper for submission to The Campaign for Youth Justice 2009 Student Paper Competition. The Call for Papers seeks submissions on a topic pertaining to youth in the adult criminal justice system, such as historical analyses of changes in transfer policies in a particular state, the impact of juvenile transfer policies on youth of color, or the collateral consequences of juvenile transfer. The Campaign for Youth Student Paper Competition winner will receive a $500 prize and possibly have their paper published as a policy brief by the organization. For more information about The Campaign for Youth read here. For more information about this independent study opportunity contact Prof. Quinn at mquinn3@utk.edu.
Student Bankruptcy Law Writing Competition
The Bankruptcy Litigation Committee of the American Bankruptcy Institute has announced its first annual ABI Bankruptcy Law Student Writing Competition. For details, click here. Prof. George Kuney is happy to meet with students wishing to discuss topics relating to section 363 sales and plans of reorganization.
IL Career Integration Program
More than half of the 1L class members have participated in the individual "Getting to Know You" career strategy sessions with the Career Center staff. As part of the Center's 1L Career Integration program, students are also attending small group workshops to learn how to use the most important career and job resources. Additional "Using Best Resources" workshops are scheduled for this week. "Getting to Know You" sessions will resume in January. Both opportunities can be scheduled after exams and before the University closes for the holiday. Check with the Career Center staff to sign up for these opportunities
Business court clerk opportunities
The Business Law Diversity Clerkship Program, an initiative of the American Bar Association’s Section of Business Law, encourages students to pursue business court clerkship opportunities and to consider careers in the practice of business law. In considering a student's diversity, the Section of Business Law will give special consideration to individuals who have overcome social or economic disadvantages such as physical disability, financial constraints, or cultural impediments to becoming a law student. Up to nine interns will be given a summer stipend of $6,000 and placed in business court clerkships in the Philadelphia Commerce Court or the Delaware Court of Chancery. Other possible internship locations include New York and Florida. To apply, students must be Section of Business Law members. For membership information and to join the Section, click here.
Business law writing competition
The American Bar Association’s Section of Business Law is sponsoring its 23rd Annual Mendes Hershman Student Writing Contest to encourage and reward law student writings on a business law subject of general and current interest. Cash awards are given for first, second, and third place entries ($2,500, $1,000, and $500, respectively). All winners will be invited and subsidized to attend the Section Spring Meeting, April 16-18, 2009, in Vancouver, BC to receive their award. Papers will be judged on research and analysis, choice of topic, writing style, originality, and contribution to the literature available on the topic. Papers submitted are normally 20-30 pages long, but should not exceed 100 pages of double-spaced typed text, including footnotes. Students need not be members of the Section of Business Law to participate. All entries must be submitted electronically on or before January 9, 2009. Click here to download a cover form to be included with your entry. For more information click here.
CAREER CENTER
-- "Getting to Know You: Individual 1L Career Strategy Sessions," Tuesday, Jan. 6, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Judges Chamber.
-- "Using Resources" for 1Ls. Wednesday, Jan. 7, 10-11 a.m., Lewis Career Center.
-- "Symplicity Training for 1Ls," Wednesday, Jan. 7, Noon- 1 p.m., Lewis Career Center.
-- "Using Resources" for 1Ls, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2-3 p.m., Lewis Career Center.
-- "Using Resources" for 1Ls, Thursday, Jan. 8, 10-11 a.m., Lewis Career Center.
-- "Using Resources" for 1Ls, Thursday, Jan. 8, noon-1 p.m., Lewis Career Center.
-- "Getting to Know You: Individual 1L Career Strategy Sessions," 2-5 p.m., Judges Chamber.