Professor Merle Weiner comments on Resolution 543 on International Parental Child Abduction in Register-Guard
Professor Merle Weiner comments on Resolution 543 on International Parental Child Abduction in Register-Guard
UO Students work toward homelessness solutions with Wayne Morse Center support
UO Students work toward homelessness solutions with Wayne Morse Center support
Oregon Law Professor and University of Oregon President Emeritus Dave Frohnmayer and Lynn Frohnmayer talk about the Fanconi Anemia Research Fund in Sunday’s Register-Guard
Oregon Law Professor and University of Oregon President Emeritus Dave Frohnmayer and Lynn Frohnmayer talk about the Fanconi Anemia Research Fund in Sunday's Register-Guard
Oregon Law welcomes new Associate Director of Alternative and Public Interest Careers
Advising students on pursuing alternative careers is second nature to Sarah Bannister, recently appointed Associate Director of Alternate and Public Interest Careers at the University of Oregon School of Law Career Center. Her past successes working in a variety of different legal careers benefits her in this newly created position. The role required someone with knowledge and expertise in two areas: alternative career paths for JDs and successfully pursuing public service and public interest legal careers. Bannister possesses both of these strengths and more.
“I have worked to identify a career path that will allow me to combine my legal experience with my interest in working with people in a collaborative environment,” Bannister said.
Oregon Law has been ranked among the top 20 public interest law schools by preLaw Magazine, a National Jurist publication, and has many students who focus on public interest law. Bannister will play a major role within Oregon Law as she advises and assists these students in their career planning. She has worked in a number of different sectors including academic, corporate, government and non-profit law environments.
“I identify strongly with law students who want to do work that is personally satisfying, but may not want to stick to a prescribed, traditional career path,” Bannister said. “I welcome the opportunity to use my personal knowledge and experiences to help students to think creatively about their preferences and the career paths that best suit them.”
During her legal career she also established an active pro bono practice representing clients of various backgrounds and circumstances, including immigration matters and criminal cases. Her successful experiences navigating diverse careers will benefit students and alumni when consulting with her on resumes, cover letters and other employment materials. “Bannister is passionate about using her expertise to help prepare and inspire Oregon Law students to follow rewarding professional paths,” said Assistant Dean Rebekah Hanley.
Bannister received her J.D. from George Washington University Law School, graduating in the top 10 percent of her class. Her knowledge in a multitude of legal areas, along with her personal affinity for alternative and public interest law, make her an asset to the Oregon Law career center team and the students that she will be serving. Her volunteer experience includes teaching in a juvenile detention center in Tanzania.
Oregon Law welcomes Sarah Bannister and her expertise to the Career Center staff. Her passion and energy for assisting students and graduates with finding fulfilling careers makes her a great addition to Oregon Law.
New Hans Linde Fellowship Announced
The School of Law and the Wayne Morse Center for Law and Politics are pleased to announce the establishment of the Hans Linde Fellowship. Each year, the fellowship will provide a stipend of $4,000 to a second- or third-year UO Law student who is actively interested in addressing legal problems that extend beyond national or state borders.
For this inaugural year the fellowship will be available for the spring semester and the stipend will be $2500. Applications are due on January 14, 2013. Current 2L and 3L students may apply.
The Fellowship will support student research into problems that extend beyond traditional jurisdictional boundaries and therefore must be addressed by multiple jurisdictions or multistate or multinational institutions. Former Oregon Supreme Court Justice and UO Law Professor Hans Linde is a reknowned expert in administrative law and keenly interested in multijurisdictional legal processes.
More information and application instructions can be found on the Wayne Morse Center website here.
Professor Jennifer Reynolds Presents Article at Ohio State University ADR Conference
On Nov. 9 and 10, 2012, Jennifer Reynolds presented her in-progress article regarding Nazi propaganda at the Sixth Annual Works-in-Progress Conference at Ohio State University Law School. The conference offers law scholars and professors the opportunity to meet and share their research with other scholars from around the country who are also researching and writing on the topic of alternative dispute resolution (ADR).
Professor Reynolds’ article examines an exhibit in the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum called “State of Deception: The Power of Nazi Propaganda,” which shows how the Nazis leadership manipulated public attitudes to be more sympathetic toward the Nazi cause. Instead of only promoting hatred, the Nazi used rhetoric of freedom and love of country that attracted many followers. Professor Reynolds’ in-progress article takes a look at the exhibit from the perspective of an ADR scholar who is interested in the relationship between persuasion and consent, as well as the effect of ADR on domestic and international disputes.
The commentator for Reynolds's paper was Professor Amy Cohen of The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. Professor Cohen is widely regarded for her scholarship in domestic and transnational dispute resolution, economic and social development, and democratic governance.
Beth Ford Serves as Oregon Law’s First International Law Fellow
Beth Ford came to the University of Oregon School of Law with big dreams and an even bigger opportunity. As Oregon Law’s first-ever 1L International Law Fellow, Ford will be assisting faculty with projects relating to international law and international relations as well as forging the path for future students participating in the fellowship program. In addition to the international law fellowship, Oregon Law provides funded fellowships for 1L students studying environmental and natural resources law, family law, business law, policy law and appropriate dispute resolution. Fellows are chosen based on their experience and academic records. Fellows complete project work, schedule lectures and events and perform research as part of their first year in law school.
Born in Seattle, Wash., Ford grew up in Portland before completing her undergraduate studies at the University of Missouri in Columbia, where she received her Bachelor of Journalism in 2010. The Missouri School of Journalism paired its students with KOMU TV-8, an NBC affiliate, which gave Ford ample opportunities to explore her passion for broadcast journalism. Ford worked at KOMU TV-8 as a reporter, producer and web editor, gaining a breadth of experience during her more than two years at the station. During college, Ford worked at KMOX news radio in Jefferson City, Mo. as a state politics radio reporter. Ford also interned with an ABC affiliate news station in Portland, Ore. In 2010, Ford returned to Ore., working as a reporter and producer for KVAL, a local CBS-affiliated television station in Eugene. She had always planned to attend law school, and selected Oregon Law for its tight-knight community, commitment to public service and emphasis on interdisciplinary programs.
“One type of law is not taught by itself in a closed room,” Ford said. “Everything crosses over. It appealed to me that the school (Oregon Law) embraced this type of interdisciplinary approach to law and legal education.”
Ford’s first task as a 1L fellow is updating the school’s International Law website with new content. Her interests include criminal law, asylum law, international news and international relations, and she hopes to do work that merges these fields of study for a truly interdisciplinary experience.
“You have to look at laws through what’s going on culturally, socially and politically,” said Ford. “I just think that’s fascinating.”
Oregon Law’s diverse and welcoming community was in part what drew Ford to the school. She is constantly impressed by her cohort’s wealth of knowledge, and bonds with her peers over discussions of what she calls her “PLL,” or “pre-law life.”
Ford recognizes that as the first 1L International Law Fellow, she’s in an experimental role, and that this is an opportunity for her to shape her fellowship program to work for her needs and interests. Through her fellowship, Ford hopes to gain a broader perspective of international law and discover how laws and policies can affect other nations. Although she’s still working out the details, Ford plans to travel overseas and do public interest work, something deeply engrained in the culture of Oregon Law.
“The reason I feel happy here (at Oregon Law) is because of the environment, because I’m challenged but not stifled,” Ford said. “I want to struggle with this so I can really know where I want to be challenged in five, ten, twelve years.”
While inaugurating Oregon Law’s International Law Fellowship comes with a certain amount of pressure, Ford is excited to set the bar for future 1L students ready to jump into the school’s international law program.
Said Ford jokingly, “Maybe they’ll call this the Beth Ford International Law Fellowship in years to come.”
University of Oregon Nonprofit Clinic Strengthens Eugene’s Nonprofit Community
After a successful first year, the clinic is now preparing to work with a new selection of nonprofit organizations from throughout the state.
Beginning its second year, the University of Oregon School of Law’s Nonprofit Clinic is currently accepting applications from nonprofits interested in participating in this interdisciplinary program. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis; nonprofits are strongly encouraged to apply before December. As with last year’s program, 12 twelve nonprofit organizations will be selected to participate in the 2013 clinic, which is free of charge. The clinic hopes to work with local nonprofits as well as with nonprofits in rural Oregon this year.
In January of 2013, each nonprofit will be teamed with three students: one student enrolled in the University of Oregon School of Law, one student from the Oregon graduate school’s Conflict and Dispute Resolution program and one student from the graduate school’s Planning, Public Policy and Management program. From January through April, these students, under the supervision of professional nonprofit consultants, will work with the nonprofit organization to assess its governance structure, management practices and key policies and procedures, and then offer recommendations and suggested next steps to further strengthen the organization.
According to Clinic Director Carrie Heltzel, the clinic provides a mutually beneficial opportunity for students to learn about nonprofits through real world experience, while at the same time aiding nonprofits through conducting governance and management assessments which may provide valuable reality checks, alignment to best practices and set the stage for committed action.
Past clients have included Emerald KidSports, Centro Latino Americano, the Siuslaw Watershed Council and the Civil Liberties Defense Center.
Emerald KidSports Executive Director Bev Smith participated in the nonprofit clinic program during its inaugural year. The organization provides youth sports programs to pre-K through 12 graders in the Eugene-Springfield community and surrounding areas. Smith found working with an experienced third party was helpful in auditing her organization for areas of improvement.
"I think the most meaningful part of the clinic was having the group of folks with nonprofit experience and expertise help us to take such a broad, critical look at our organization,” said Smith. “Reviewing our bylaws and policies will tighten up those essential documents and practices.”
Susan Gary, the clinic’s co-founder and faculty advisor, worked with Nonprofit Management Program Director Rene Irvin for ten years to develop the program before the clinic finally came to fruition in January of 2012. The clinic’s interdisciplinary model makes it the only clinic of its kind in the country.
Gary believes the clinic provides a valuable service to Oregon’s non-profit community.
“Nonprofits provide incredible support to the community in a variety of ways,” said Gary. “If we can strengthen their governance structure, they will then be more able to do the good work they are trying to do.”
In the future, Gary sees the clinic providing resources such as live trainings for the non-profit community and developing a stronger state-wide scope. Eventually, Gary envisions the formation of a second clinic; the first clinic would provide assessments to nonprofits, while the second would provide legal services to assist nonprofits in improving their organizations.
Download the application forms.
Peter O. Watts ’02 Receives Up & Coming Lawyer Award
Peter O. Watts ’02 recently received the Daily Journal of Commerce (DJC) 2012 Up & Coming Lawyer Award. The award recognizes attorneys practicing in an array of environments who demonstrate a commitment to the legal profession as well as their communities.
Watts was admitted to the Oregon Bar in 2002. Currently he serves as the president of the Clackamas County Business Alliance Board of Directors. He practices at Jordan Ramis P.C. in Lake Oswego, Ore., concentrating on municipal and local government law, debt negotiation and general business. Watts was previously recognized as a Rising Star by Oregon Super Lawyers Magazine.
Adding to his commitment to the community, Watts serves on the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Oregon Junior Board of Directors. Make-A-Wish raises money to assist with wish fulfillment for children with life threatening illnesses. Since 2010, he has also served on the board of Child Centered Solutions.
Watts is professionally accomplished and very passionate about helping others. He spends a great deal of his professional time working on community involvement projects and pro bono work.
Watts was chosen from among a list of 21 total nominees. Nine other Oregon Law alums were also finalists: Elaine Albrich ’05, James Bruce ’06, Jason Busch ’06, Ben Eder ’05, David Eder ’05, Bradford Miller ’07, Laura Salerno Owens ’07 and Anna Sortun ’04. Alumni Traci Ray ’07 and Oregon Law Communications Director Erick Hoffman were among the finalists for the Unsung Legal Hero Award.
Image Copyright 2012 Daily Journal of Commerce / The Dolan Company. Not to be reused without written permission.
Oregon Law Moot Court Find Success in Negotiation Competition
On Nov. 3-4, the University of Oregon School of Law Moot Court Board hosted the ABA’s Negotiation Regional Championship, a competition in which teams of two simulate legal negotiations. The theme this year was small business negotiations. According to the Oregon Law Moot Court Board, the negotiation competition helps students develop dispute resolution skills.
For the competition, teams received legal problems in advance before facing off in several rounds of 50-minute negotiations, all while attempting to negotiate the best deal for their client.
This year, the negotiation competition attracted 24 teams from 14 law schools across the Northwest, including two Oregon Law teams.
The first Oregon Law team included KayLynn Alley, a ‘Double Duck’ from Albany, Ore. interested in pursuing intellectual property law, and Lara Smith, a Seattle native interested in a career in business and intellectual property law. The second Oregon Law team was comprised of Brian Hennes, who has a background in biology and wants to pursue environmental law, and Bay Toft-Dupuy, who will work for the EPA during the summer of 2013 and wants to pursue environmental law. All Oregon Law participants are 2Ls.
In a close finish, with only one point separating the top two teams, the Alley and Smith team finished second, and the Hennes and Toft-Dupuy team finished third.
“At first, we were disappointed to finish second by such a close margin, but after reflecting on it, we were very successful overall, and the negotiation competition experience is invaluable to our future career paths,” said Alley.
The two Oregon teams qualified for the regional championship by finishing as the top two teams among the 16 teams who entered Oregon Law’s Moot Court inner-school competition. After qualifying within Oregon Law, the two teams spent a month preparing for the regional competition with weekly practice sessions lasting several hours. Both teams were coached by Josh Gordon, director of Oregon Law’s Competition Not Conflict program, and Laura Schultz, an Oregon Law 3L.
“I was impressed with both teams’ eagerness to embrace coaching and feedback, and how much they improved in a relatively short period of time,” said Gordon.
Congratulations to both Oregon Law teams for their successful efforts, and to the Moot Court Board for a job well done in organizing the entire Negotiation Regional Championship event.
