The Informant
March 1, 2011
ANNOUNCEMENTS
2011 Honors Banquet
Honorees from the annual Honors Banquet held Feb. 18 at the Foundry were:
Stefanie Polauf, Knoxville Auxiliary to the Tennessee Bar Association Award
Ryan Berry, Herbert L. Davis Memorial Trust Fund Award
Brennan Wingerter, Cunningham Excellence in Legal Research Award
Paul Singleton, Cunningham Excellence in Legal Writing Award
Dorothea Thompson, Cunningham First-Year Brief Award
Sara Ellis and Ian McFarland, Merchant & Gould Excellence in Intellectual Property Awards
John Rodgers, Hardin Award for Excellence in Labor & Employment Law
Brian Bibb and Elizabeth Tramm, Harshfield Awards for Excellence in Civil Procedure
Sally Goade, Charles H. Miller Excellence in Civil Advocacy Award
Amanda Dobbins, James L. Powers III Excellence in Criminal Advocacy Award
Sarah McGee, Tennessee Attorney General's Trial Advocacy Award
Charles Hartman, International Academy of Trial Lawyers Trial Advocacy Award
Elizabeth Vaughan, Robert E. Pryor Award of Excellence in Advocacy
Alicia Teubert, Class of 2004 Concentration in Business Transactions Award
Danielle Greer, National Association of Women Lawyers Award
Heather Graves, Susan B. Anthony Award
Kristina Chuck-Smith, Baker, Donelson Student Leadership Award
Amy Coleman, Frank Benson Creekmore Memorial Award
Kimberly Hamilton, William M. Leech, Jr. Public Service Prize
Bob Lloyd, Marilyn V. Yarbrough Award for Writing Excellence
Michael Higdon, W. Allen Separk Faculty Scholarship Award
Joe King and Ben Barton, Carden Outstanding Faculty Awards for Scholarship
Reba Best, George Kuney and Paula Schaefer, Carden Outstanding Faculty Awards for Service
Judy Cornett, Bass, Berry & Sims Faculty Award
Michael Sayne, Outstanding Adjunct Teacher Award
Penny White, Harold Warner Outstanding Teacher Award
Beth Offshack, CJ Ottinger and Tammy Neff, Staff Awards for Extraordinary Service
Spencer Williams leads UT's Pace moot court team
Last week at Pace University Law School, this year's National Environmental Law Moot Court Team, composed of Nathan Tilly (2L), Steven Stuart (3L) and Spencer Williams (2L), advanced to the quarterfinal round of 27 teams following three preliminary rounds. Seventy-five law school teams participated in the competition. Spencer Williams was designated best oral advocate in one of the preliminary rounds. The complex problem involved issues of state and federal administration of the regulatory program under the Resource Conservation & Recovery Act (RCRA).
UT trio make strong debut in national mediation competition
UT law students Yusuf Malik, Aaron Gentry and TJ Hatter paid their own expenses to Chicago in early February to compete in the International Mediation Moot Court competition. MORE
Transactions Journal announces new editorial staff
The 2011-12 Editorial Board of Transactions: The Tennessee Journal of Business Law consists of: Managing Editor, Terrence Harvey; Executive Editors, Michael Franz and Joe Kimmett; Productions Editor, Rachel Watson; Acquisitions Editors,Chris Inklebarger and Amanda Nichols; Marketing and Solicitations Editor,Josh McCord; Senior Commentary Editor, Mark Jobe; and Research Editors,Chelsea Blake, Rebecca Bryan, Nathaniel Dallas, Betsy Kessler and Dave Otten.
"Reel Business Law" series continues
The Clayton Center for Business Law is pleased to announce the next installment of the semester’s Reel Business Law series of movies with Visiting Professor Christyne Vachon.
This week's presentation is "Barbarians at the Gate," (1993, 107 minutes) a movie based loosely (and with some humor) on the leverage buy out of the RJR Nabisco Corporation. The CEO of RJR Nabisco planned to buy out his own company. His decision sprung an intense bidding war, leading to an elevated buyout price and a large debt for the company.
Advocacy Center hosts author Cait Clarke March 30
The Center for Advocacy and Dispute Resolution will host Cait Clarke, author of “Dare to Ask” on March 30. Cait, who is the director of federal programs, at Equal Justice Works, will give a general program at noon in Room 136 for the law school community. Information about Clarke can be found here.
Minority student admissions workshop set for Thursday, March 3
This is a free event for high school students, college students, graduates and their advisors from 3-6:30 p.m. at the College of Law in Room 242. MORE
Phi Alpha Delta's third annual judges' reception
The annual judges' reception is an event where local attorneys, judges and law students/faculty gather for an evening of networking and fellowship. This year P.A.D. is honoring Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Cornelia Clark. The event will take place on Thursday, March 3, from 6-8 p.m. at Calhoun's on the River. The event is free for all students and hors d'oeuvres will be served, along with a cash bar.
Environmental Law Organization "Crude Justice" Film Screening
The Environmental Law Organization will show the brief documentary "Crude Justice" on March 8 in room 132 during the free hour. "Crude Justice" explores how those affected by the BP Oil Spill might receive compensation. After the film, there will be a panel and open discussion. Speakers include attorneys Gary Davis and Jamie Whitlock as well as UT Anthropology Professor Gregory Button. Davis and Whitlock are involved in BP oil spill litigation. Button has extensive experience with Gulf Coast communities and a legal policy background.
Protecting Children symposium to be held April 1
The Tennessee Journal of Law and Policy and the Center for Advocacy and Dispute Resolution will be hosting an upcoming symposium entitled "The Politics of Protecting Children" on April 1 at the College of Law in Room 132. The symposium will focus on legal and political issues facing child protection. Panels will include discussions about guardian ad litems, political and ethical challenges, landmark litigation and best practices for attorneys from the juvenile judge’s point of view. Robert Schwartz, the executive director of the Juvenile Law Center in Philadelphia, Pa., will bring his national expertise and provide a keynote on “Revisiting Luzerne County: Promoting Fairness, Transparency and Accountability in Juvenile Court.” The entire law school community is invited. CLE will be provided (7 hours, with 3 hours dual).
FACULTY
From Greg Stein, Associate Dean for Faculty Development
On Friday, Feb. 25, Professor Joan Heminway delivered remarks at a symposium at the University of Dayton School of Law, "Perspectives on Gender & Business Ethics: Women in Corporate Governance." Her talk, entitled "The Last Male Bastion: In Search of a Trojan Horse," represented reflections on the underrepresentation of women in the executive ranks of U.S. public companies. An essay based on her presentation will be published in a forthcoming issue of the Dayton Law Review.
In addition, Heminway's comments on faculty reactions to the recently released NCAA statement of allegations relating to the UTK basketball and football programs were aired on WBIR TV last week. An uncut video of her responses can be found here.
Professor George Kuney continues to provide commentary and analysis to Bloomberg News Service regarding the post-closing litigation between the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy estate and Barclays, which acquired its multi-billion dollar trading business in a week's time during the height of the financial crisis of 2008. Read MORE.
Professor Alex Long has been invited to give a presentation at an upcoming conference on "Bob Dylan and the Law." More information about the conference, to be held at Fordham Law School in April, is available here.
Professor Maurice Stucke has been asked to participate as a speaker at the American Bar Association Antitrust Section's Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., on March 30. Stucke will participate in a panel addressing the implications of behavioral economics for antitrust policy and enforcement.
Stucke also has been invited to present a paper in Haifa, Israel, at the second Haifa-Loyola antitrust workshop in late May 2011.
FROM THE COMMITTEE ON COMMUNITY
Event of interest:
-- The Ready for the World Café, an international buffet operated by students in the advanced food production and service management class, opens for the semester on Feb. 7 and will run through April 21. The café will be open from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday in the Hermitage Room on the third floor of the University Center. Diners will pay $11 for the all-you-can-eat buffet or $9 for a plate of food to carry out.
STUDENTS
2011 Cambridge summer program interest meeting
If you are interested in studying law in Cambridge, England, as part of the UT summer program, please attend the student interest meeting, Tuesday, March 8th, in room 237. This year's program will feature UT law professors Bob Lloyd and Ben Barton, as well as professors and students from other American law schools. Classes will be held at historic Downing College. The program offers the opportunity to earn extra credits towards graduation, learn some international law and experience one of the world's oldest college towns. More information on the program can be found here. More information on Downing College is available here. Professor Joan Heminway, who taught in the program last year, will also attend the meeting and answer student questions.
Research assistant needed
Research assistant needed to work approximately 10 hours per week. Research will be in the area of immigration and asylum law. Students interested in the position should send a resume, current transcript and writing sample to Professor Karla McKanders at mckanders@utk.edu. Any questions regarding the position can be sent by email or telephone at (865) 974-571
Lewis R. Hagood Labor and Employment Writing Award
Submissions are being accepted for the 2011 Lewis R. Hagood Labor and Employment Writing Award, which will be presented to a law student who, as a second-year, authored the best paper written in the area of labor and employment law. Details.
TAPIL and Kolwyck Fellowships, Summer 2011
Each year the Tennessee Association of Public Interest Law (TAPIL) at the College of Law encourages and fosters students’ interest in public interest and social justice work. The goal is to cultivate a commitment to social justice and to help students provide legal representation to traditionally underrepresented groups. TAPIL provides fellowships to students who have committed to spending their summer working with a public interest organization. By providing stipends, TAPIL reduces the financial barriers for students who wish to accept public interest summer employment and assists under-funded public interest organizations reach greater numbers of low income individuals and families.
Kolwyck Equal Access to Justice Fellowships
In recognition of the legal profession’s special obligation to provide legal services to persons of limited means, the College of Law awards Kolwyck Equal Access to Justice Fellowships to deserving students who have completed their first or second year of studies and have secured summer or term-time employment with a governmental agency or non-profit organization which provides free legal services to or on behalf of persons of limited means, or with a law firm which will assign the student exclusively to matters in which the firm is providing pro bono publico legal services to or on behalf of persons of limited means. The criteria for an award include professional promise, financial need, prior public service activities, likelihood of long-term commitment to the provision of legal services to persons of limited means, and the extent to which the student’s proposed employment will further the goals for which this scholarship has been established.
The interest meeting for the Kolwyck/TAPIL application process will be Wednesday, Feb. 23, during the free hour in Room 135. Pizza will be served.
"Business of Practicing Law" series begins
The 2011 series "The Business of Practicing Law" began Feb. 7. The seminars are produced by the Bettye B. Lewis Career Center and continue through March 2. 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. MORE
CAREER SERVICES
Upcoming programs offered through the Bettye B. Lewis Career Center:
-- Practicing Law Institute/Patent Bar Review, Tuesday, March 1, noon-1 p.m., Room 237.
-- Succeeding in a Summer Clerkship, Wednesday, March 2, noon-1 p.m., Room 132.
-- The deadline for applications for the SE Legal Hiring Conference is Thursday, March 3.