The Informant
November 30, 2010
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Justice Clarence Thomas and Professor Otis Stephens
Student Joseph Alan Jackson II describes visit to U.S. Supreme Court
Joseph Jackson is a student in Professor Otis Stephen's Supreme Court Decision-Making class and provides this account of the class' recent trip to Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Supreme Court.
"Students in Professor Otis Stephens’ Supreme Court Decision-making class have spent the semester learning about the Court’s history, dissecting cases and constitutional doctrines and holding oral arguments. It was a great treat, then, when Professor Stephens informed the class that they would be traveling to Washington, D.C., to observe oral arguments and meet with Justice Clarence Thomas.
As one might expect, the Court was majestic, awe-inspiring and intimidating — its stern neo-classicism punctuated with portraits and statues of the giants of American law. The Justices and oral advocates did not disappoint, either, and the arguments, although concerned with fairly esoteric points, were lively and stimulating.
After lunch, the class met with Jeff Wall, Justice Thomas’s orange-blooded former law clerk and current Assistant to the Solicitor General, who discussed his time as a U.S. Supreme Court clerk and his current position. The class then met privately with Justice Thomas in his chambers. Topics of the hour-long discussion included effective lawyering, jurisprudence, the state of the legal job market and one of Justice Thomas’s favorite subjects, college football. Although he is a staunch Nebraska Cornhuskers fan, he expressed appreciation for the Tennessee Vols and was sure to contrast the current coaching regime favorably with the last. His advice: “Rule No. 1 — do not hire a mercenary!” He was gregarious, gracious and as generous with his time and attention as one would infer from his recent visit to our campus.
It was a fabulous trip, a law student’s dream in fact, and the class is immensely grateful to all involved for the privilege, especially Professor Stephens himself."
SALDF President Becky Parsons and VP Tina Osborn make a gift to HSTV Development Director Laura Ross.
SALDF makes donation to HSTV
The Student Animal Legal Defense Fund (SALDF) made a donation to the Humane Society of the Tennessee Valley (HSTV) just before Thanksgiving. The total from all fundraising efforts and donations was $500. The HSTV is Knoxville's only no-kill shelter, relying entirely on private donations. MORE photos. As of this posting, all of the animals pictured are available for adoption.
Nominations sought for 2010 Student and Staff Awards
Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to submit nominations for several student and staff awards to be presented at the College of Law's Annual Honors Banquet and Awards Program on Friday evening, February 18, 2011, at The Foundry on the World's Fair Site.
Nominations should be submitted by Friday, Dec. 31, 2010, to either the Dean's Office (Suite 278) or the Student Records Office (Suite 166). Nominations also may be submitted by e-mail to Mary Ann James at mjames1@utk.edu.
Descriptions of awards and nomination forms:
General Information
Student Awards
Susan B. Anthony Award
Library Staff Award
College Staff Award
FROM THE COMMITTEE ON COMMUNITY
Sign up now for MLK celebrations
The Committee on the Law School Community asks you to save the following dates for the annual celebration of the Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday. On Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2011, the college will commemorate Dr. King's birthday with a school-wide read-in during the free hour in Room 132. On Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2011, the tradition of the Martin Luther King, Jr. birthday luncheons will continue. Students, staff and faculty will meet in small groups in individual faculty members' offices to reflect upon and discuss the legacy of Dr. King. Box lunches and drinks will be provided. Sign-up sheets for the luncheons are available in the Student Records office. Please plan to participate in these two community-wide events.
FACULTY
From Greg Stein, Associate Dean for Faculty Development
Professor Maurice Stucke and Chinese students.
Professor Maurice Stucke’s most recent article, “Why More Antitrust Immunity for the Media Is a Bad Idea,” coauthored with Allen Grunes, has just been published in the Northwestern University Law Review Colloquy. Read MORE. Stucke recently gave a lecture on behavioral economics at Beijing Normal University in Beijing, China. The link describing the talk (in Chinese) may be found here. An approximate English translation is available here. Stucke also is scheduled to give a presentation at Jinan University in Guangzhou, China.
On Nov. 12-13, Professor Dean Rivkin spoke on social science research and access to justice at the AALS Bellow Scholars Workshop at the University of the District of Columbia School of Law. The Bellow Scholars Project is part of the AALS Section on Clinical Legal Education’s Committee on Lawyering in the Public Interest, of which Rivkin is a member. Also at the workshop the committee launched the bi-annual process of selecting new Bellow Scholars for support by the committee.
From Nov. 19-21, more than 160 lawyers, environmental activists and scientists attended the inaugural Appalachian Public Interest Environmental Law Conference at the College of Law. Nineteen workshops were presented on issues such as the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water Act, the Precautionary Principle, Ecological Economics and Mountaintop Removal. The conference was organized by a steering committee that included Rivkin, Chris Irwin (‘06), members of the student Environmental Law Organization, and Micki Fox, the College of Law’s expert on CLE. Rivkin co-presented at a workshop with John Rosenberg, the longtime Director Emeritus of the Appalachian Research and Defense Fund of Kentucky and the founder of the Appalachian Citizens Law Center. The workshop was entitled “Lawyering For Environmental Justice: The Broadform Mineral Deed Campaign and Beyond.”
Professor George Kuney joined a group of law professors preparing and filing an amicus brief in Stern v. Marshall in the U.S. Supreme Court. The brief argues that the authority of non-Article III bankruptcy judges to hear compulsory counterclaims is not precluded by Article III in light of the Article III judiciary’s “control” over the bankruptcy case through the reference of jurisdiction to the bankruptcy courts and the ability of the district court to withdraw that reference at any time.
Professor Cathy Cochran is a member of the UT Chancellor’s task force on electronic textbooks. The task force analyzed e-textbooks from the perspective of the UT bookstore, the UT libraries, information technology, and UT press. The group looked at what other universities are doing, how successful e-textbook systems have been elsewhere, and how current technological capabilities should affect UT’s decision. The chancellor is now reviewing the task force’s recommendations.
STUDENTS
Animal Law Review sponsoring writing competition
The Animal Law Review is sponsoring a student writing competition with a submission deadline of Jan. 15, 2011. MORE
Hogan/Smoger Access to Justice essay contest
Entries are being accepted for the 2010 Hogan/Smoger Access to Justice essay contest, formerly known as the Roscoe Hogan Environmental Law essay contest. The intent-to-submit deadline is Jan. 31, 2011. MORE
Bankruptcy writing competition
The Bankruptcy Litigation Committee of the American Bankruptcy Institute, the country’s premier trade association of the insolvency and restructuring community, invites students to participate in its third annual ABI Bankruptcy Law Student Writing Competition. First through third place recognition, which include a cash prize, publication opportunities and ABI membership for a year, will be awarded. Professor George Kuney will work with any students interested in developing and writing a paper for this competition. The deadline is March 1, 2011. MORE
Chapter 13 writing competition
The National Association of Chapter 13 Trustees is sponsoring a writing competition for law students that features a $1,000 first prize, as well as registration and boarding at the group's annual conference and seminar in August 2011. The topic of the essay, article or comment can be on any issue concerning chapter 13 of the Bankruptcy Code and may not exceed 15 pages of double spaced, 12 point, Times New Roman text. The winning submission will be eligible for publication in the association’s quarterly membership publication, which reaches Chapter 13 Trustees and bankruptcy judges nationwide. Professor George Kuney will meet with interested students to assist in developing a topic and to provide feedback as part of a “supervised writing project” as permitted by the competition’s rules. Competitions of this sort are often undersubscribed by quality entries and, thus, may represent fruitful opportunities for committed entrants. The deadline is April 30, 2011. MORE
Animal humane rights writing competition
The Committee on Animals and the Law of the New York State Bar Association announces its fourth annual student writing competition. The deadline for submission is June 30, 2011. MORE
CAREER SERVICES
Upcoming programs offered through the Bettye B. Lewis Career Center:
-- No programs scheduled.