The U.S. Postal Service and the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law will honor the city’s native son, Louis D. Brandeis, on what would have been his 153rd birthday.

Brandeis is featured on a new set of commemorative stamps, which also includes U.S. Supreme Court associate justices Joseph Story, Felix Frankfurter and William J. Brennan Jr. Nationally-known graphic designer Ethel Kessler worked with Lisa Catalone-Castro and Rodolfo Castro on the inspired design of the souvenir sheet that incorporates images of the Supreme Court building and a detail from the first page of the United States Constitution.

The presentation will be held at 10 AM on Friday, November 13. Prior to the event, Professor and Distinguished University Scholar Laura Rothstein will be giving an overview of Brandeis, his distinguished career and his connection to Louisville. The lecture begins at 9 AM and the public is welcome.  In addition to Rothstein, Congressman John Yarmuth, Louisville Postmaster Richard Curtsinger, and Dean Chen will present.

“Louisville can be proud that Justice Brandeis is so connected to our community and that the values he is known for had their roots here,” said Rothstein.
 
“The principles and philosophies Brandeis is known for – including rights to privacy, free speech, curtailing big government and big business, balancing regulation with free enterprise – are timely today,” she added. “It is appropriate that his enormous contributions are recognized on this set of commemorative stamps.”

To mark the event, 153 commemorative envelopes with a special postmark — both designed by artist Leslie Friesen — will be available for sale. The envelope features a photo of the Brandeis School of Law as well as one of Brandeis’ famous quotes, “Knowledge is essential to understanding & understanding should precede judging.” The cancellation features a Corinthian capital and the numerals 153 to mark his 153rd birthday. It also features the Louis D. Brandeis commemorative stamp. Each envelope is numbered by the artist. The artist will also be on hand to sign the limited edition artwork. The envelopes are $5.

On Nov. 19, the University of Louisville will institute a policy that prohibits smoking on all campuses.

Our Health Sciences Center campus has been smoke-free since January 2008 when downtown hospitals made that move. Since then, no smoking has been allowed in any indoor or outdoor space within the boundaries of the HSC campus or within 50 feet of any building entrance.

That same policy will be implemented at Belknap Campus and university-owned or -controlled buildings at the Shelby Campus beginning Nov. 19.

There are many reasons why we are instituting this policy:

- Public health: Smoking harms both the smoker and people around the smoker.
- Employee satisfaction: More and more UofL employees are complaining about walking through smoke to enter buildings and about cigarette butt litter.
- Inequity: Many employees also have pointed out the inequity in having a smoking ban only on one campus.

Enforcement will begin Nov. 19 on HSC as employees there have received considerable notice about the policy. Sanctions that could accompany refusal to comply with any university policy could be applied to the no-smoking policy.

From Nov. 19 to June 1, designated smoking areas will be established on Belknap and affected Shelby Campus buildings to allow faculty, staff and students time to adjust to the policy.  [Note: The Law School's designated smoking area will be the back courtyard off the library lobby.]  Starting June 1, however, the designated smoking areas will cease to exist and the policy will be fully enforced on all campuses.

Smoking is an individual choice. This, however, may be an opportunity for many of you who want to stop smoking. Both our Get Healthy Now employee health management initiative and our Campus Health Center can connect you with classes and products that can help you quit. Humana has made a generous offer to partially cover the costs of smoking cessation support, so we will offer an array of products, including pills, patches and gum, as well as behavioral support to people who want to quit. We will communicate more about these opportunities in the coming weeks.

Shirley Willihnganz
University Provost

Christie Floyd, formerly our Academic Success Director, passed away Wednesday October 21, after an illness.  Grief counseling is available at the Counseling Center. Their number is (502) 852-6585.  Christie will be missed by all of us.

Those wishing to celebrate Christie's life and work are invited to attend an open visitation to be held at Saint Mark's Episcopal Church at 2822 Frankfort Ave. (map) from 4-8 PM on Friday, October 30, 2009. A private ceremony will be held at Cave Hill Cemetery the following morning.

Here is a brief biography:

Christie graduated from the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law in 2001. While there, she served as Editor-in-Chief of the Brandeis Law Journal.  Her Student Note, "Admissibility of Prior Acts Evidence in Sexual Assault and Child Molestation Cases in Kentucky: A Proposed Solution That Recognizes Cultural Context," 38 Brandeis L.J. 133, was published in 1999.  She graduated magna cum laude and was named Oustanding Graduate of 2001 by the National Women Lawyers' Association. She accomplished all of this while working full-time, attending classes in the evening and raising a family.

Prior to joining U of L, Christie practiced as an Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney and Deputy Division Chief of the Commonwealth Attorney's Office Domestic Violence/Child Abuse Unit.  In that capacity, she also served on the Kentucky Sex Offender Risk Assessment Advisory Board and Kentucky Sex Offender Management Task Force.  Christie was instrumental in founding Kentucky's first child advocacy center in 1991 and participated in numerous groups targeting legislative and policy changes in areas of domestic violence and child abuse.  She also played a significant role in training new prosecutors and police officers.  

Source: Law School Academic Support Blog, friends and colleagues

Those wishing to celebrate Christie's life and work are invited to attend an open visitation to be held at Saint Mark's Episcopal Church, 2822 Frankfort Ave., from 4-8 p.m. Friday October 30, 2009. A private ceremony will be held at Cave Hill Cemetery the following morning. 

Details and guestbook are available at Courier-Journal.com.

On October 7, 2009, as a part of the University of Louisville's homecoming celebrations, the Brandeis School of Law held it's annual alumni banquet. The celebration, which was held at the Seelbach Hotel, provided alumni with an opportunity to reconnect with friends and faculty, and to honor some of their fellow alumni, who were being recognized this year.

Those recognized this year included:

• Alumni Fellow - Justice Lisabeth Hughes Abramson
• Lawrence Grauman Award - Robert L. Ackerson
• Distinguished Alumni/ae Award - Mary E. Barrazotto, Ronald E. Meisburg, Judge Geoffrey P. Morris, Kathleen Pellegrino, Shelton R. Weber
• Recent Alumnus/a Award - Demetrius "D" Holloway
• Dean's Service Award - Thomas M. Williams
• Excellence in Teaching Award - Kathleen S. Bean

We thank all our alumni who joined in the celebration and hope to see all of you next year.

More photos are available at Flickr.

The seasonal flu shot will be available AT THE LAW SCHOOL!  Free to all students today, Wednesday, October 14, from 11:30-1:30 and from 3:30-5:45.  The shots are free to ALL students and ALL full time faculty and staff.  Part-time faculty and staff (<80%) will be asked to pay $5.00.

Campus Health Services will be giving seasonal flu shots to students, faculty and staff beginning September 21, 2009. Seasonal flu shots are free to all UofL full-time students, Graduate Medical Education Residents & Fellows, and UofL faculty & staff who are at least an 80% FTE. All UofL part-time employees and retirees may get their flu shot for $5.00. ID's are required for free and discounted flu shots. All others may purchase the flu shot vaccine for $20.00 (no insurance claims will be filed).

Shots will be provided at the law school on October 14 from 11:30 AM-1:30 PM and 3:30 PM-5:45 PM.

Refer to the schedule for a complete list of times and locations.

You must complete the necessary form and take it with you in order to receive a flu shot.

Lively Wilson was an admired and respected member of the legal profession who made a significant impact on the judicial system in Southern Indiana and Kentucky.  A native of Kentucky and a Harvard Law School graduate, he was a role model and mentor to an entire generation of lawyers in the region. 
 
As a member of the Stites & Harbison firm in Louisville since 1953, Lively Wilson had a national reputation for his commitment to civility and professionalism by both civil and criminal trial lawyers.  He spoke about the importance of professionalism when he delivered the law school’s 2005 commencement address. 

His reflections about his practice in Kentucky are included in “Kentucky Lawyers Speak:  Oral History from Those Who Lived It,” the recently published book of interviews with seventy-four Kentucky lawyers.  In 1995, Lively Wilson and Dean Donald Burnett founded the Louis D. Brandeis Inns of Court. 

As a tribute to his example, in 2003 Edward H. Stopher, and the firm of Boehl Stopher & Graves and the Stites & Harbison firm, through the leadership of T. Kennedy Helm III, provided support to create the Lively M. Wilson Oral Advocacy Program.  The fund provided for furnishing the Moot Court office and establishing an endowment to fund participation in oral advocacy competitions.  Other major support came from Ronald E. Christian ’83 and the estate of Arnold Robinson ’61.

On July 22, 2009, Lively Wilson lost his valiant three-year battle with cancer.  Kennedy Helm’s email to the community noted that “Lively’s most recent gift to us was the example of optimism, grace and dignity he exhibited every day that he fought his illness.”

Thanks to everyone who attended and contributed to the 5th Annual Battle of the Bands! Nearly $4500 was raised for the Judge Ellen B. Ewing Fund.

Congratulations to third-year students Andrew Henson and Forrest Kuhn! Assault with a Deadly Weapon is the first student band ever to win first place in the Lawlapalooza Battle of the Bands. They were followed by 100% Legal in second place and Keltricity in third.

Many thanks to our silent auction bidders! Bekah Soule won a night's accommodation at the Louisville Marriott Downtown. Will Nefzger won a night's accommodation at the Seelbach Hilton. Becky Wenning won the original Guitar Player painting by Schuyler Olt and Vicki Senior won his Trumpet Player painting.  

• Lawlapalooza Program
• Photo Gallery - credits: Leslie Tencer, Jim Becker, and Virginia Smith

• Alumni Fellow – Justice Lisabeth Hughes Abramson
• Lawrence Grauman Award – Robert L. Ackerson
• Distinguished Alumni/ae Award – Mary E. Barrazotto, Ronald E. Meisburg, Judge Geoffrey P. Morris, Kathleen Pellegrino, Shelton R. Weber
• Recent Alumnus/a Award – Demetrius "D" Holloway
• Dean’s Service Award – Thomas M. Williams
• Excellence in Teaching Award - Kathleen S. Bean

The Banquet will be held at the Seelbach Hilton at 500 Fourth Street. The event will begin at 6:00 p.m. with a cocktail reception followed at 6:30 p.m. by dinner and the program.

We look forward to sharing this special time with you. Reservations may be made online or by contacting Peggy Bratcher by email or by phone at (502) 852-1669.

On September 22, the United States Postal Service released a series of four new postage stamps commemmorating great United States Supreme Court Justices, including one featuring the law school's namesake Louis D. Brandeis.  The other honorees are William Brennan,  Felix Frankfurter, and Joseph Story.  A story in Legal Times discusses the offering and notes that Thurgood Marshall's son will be at the dedication, along with Chief Justice John Roberts. 

The USPS site provides this mini-biography of Brandeis: “Louis D. Brandeis was the associate justice most responsible for helping the Supreme Court shape the tools it needed to interpret the Constitution in light of the sociological and economic conditions of the 20th century. “If we would guide by the light of reason,” he once exhorted his colleagues, “we must let our minds be bold.” A progressive and champion of reform, Brandeis devoted his life to social justice. He defended the right of every citizen to speak freely, and his groundbreaking conception of the right to privacy continues to impact legal thought today.”

Both Professor Kurt X. Metzmeier and Professor Scott Campbell contributed to this story. More photos and commentary are available at each of their blogs.

Photo Credit: Scott Hite, LexisNexis

Dateline—September 18th, 2009 UK Intramural Fields—Lexington, Kentucky

Led by the passing combination of UofL School of Law Quarterback Blake Bowling to receiver Jared Key, the law school football team defeated their arch rival UK College of Law last Friday evening 13-6 in Lexington.    

The Bowling to Key passing combination resulted in an 18 yard reception in the first half followed by a 22 yard second half touchdown that turned out to be the difference in a heavily, defensive struggle by both teams.

The Cardinal Law defense was spectacular limiting the Cats to over 4, separate  4-and-outs while intercepting them twice, once by Josh Speirs and another by Jerred Kelly.  Kelly’s interception late in the game turned out to be the game winning stop by the visiting Cards.  

The Cardinal victory was the third in a row over their arch rivals in this annual competition held on the same weekend as the UofL vs. UofL football game.  

Westlaw will sponsor Lawlapalooza 2009, Thursday, Oct. 1, at the Phoenix Hill Tavern.  The first 100 students through the door will receive a ticket good for one domestic bottled beer.

For more information about Lawlapalooza, including a listing of bands performing this year, visit the Lawlapalooza Web site.

Several proceedings from the Second Annual Conference on Innovation and Communication Law are now available online. More will be added as they are received.

The Second Annual Conference on Innovation and Communication Law, hosted this year by the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law, came to a successful close on Saturday, August 22. The two-day conference featured over 50 speakers from four different continents around the world and from local law firms, discussing the role intellectual property and communications law play in the dissemination of information. Professors Cross and Smith, the faculty sponsors for the conference, want to thank everyone involved for their hard work which helped make the conference such a success. They would particularly like to thank Becky Wenning and Vickie Tencer for their assistance in planning and coordinating everything from the logistics of bringing in the speakers to arranging the event at the Marriott; and Jim Becker and Joe Leitsch for ensuring that the technology worked smoothly. They would also like to thank the many students involved in the conference as well, including Mike Swansburg, Mari-Elise Gates and Brian Stempian. None of this would have been possible without everyone's hard work. Well done and thank you!  ~Lars Smith

Dear Alumni,

The new semester has begun, and our halls are once again filled with students eager to join your ranks as alumni. We have a number of events planned for this semester. I'd like to highlight a few and invite you to join us:

Lawlapalooza, the Louisville legal community's annual Battle of the Bands, benefits the Judge Ellen B. Ewing Fund, which provides summer fellowships for Brandeis School of Law students to work in the areas of family law, domestic violence and spouse abuse, and HIV/AIDS. We hope that you will join us at Phoenix Hill to cheer on your fellow - musical - alumni and to support this important program.

You are cordially invited to the Law Alumni Awards Banquet on October 7, 2009. The Banquet will be held at the Seelbach Hilton at 500 Fourth Street. The event will begin at 6:00 p.m. with a cocktail reception followed at 6:30 p.m. by dinner and the program.

We are excited to spend this time with you as we honor several individuals who have made significant contributions to the legal community and to the work of the University of Louisville's Brandeis School of Law.

We will be honoring the following individuals for their tremendous accomplishments:

• Alumni Fellow - Justice Lisabeth Hughes Abramson
• Lawrence Grauman Award - Robert L. Ackerson
• Distinguished Alumni/ae Award - Kathleen Pellegrino, Mary E. Barrazotto, Shelton R. Weber, Ronald E. Meisburg, Judge Geoffrey P. Morris
• Recent Alumnus/a Award - Demetrius "D" Holloway
• Dean's Service Award - Thomas M. Williams
• Excellence in Teaching Award - Kathleen S. Bean

In town for Homecoming? Then join us on October 9 to see our students put to the test their trial practice talents at this annual competition. The competition will run 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. in the Allen Courtroom.

Each year, the law school and Alumni Council host a holiday party. This year will be no exception! Please mark your calendar and plan to join us for this annual holiday event.

For additional alumni news, please visit one of the following links:

Class Notes

Law Alumni Council

Do you have news to share? Send your class notes to Virginia M. Smith.

Keys to the Door: ENDA, Transgender Identity, and Community
September 29, 2009, 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM, Room 275

Sponsored by the Diversity Committee and the Lambda Law Caucus, with the following co-sponsors: ACLU of KY, ACS, BLSA, Fairness Campaign, Kentucky Commission on Human Rights, SBA, UofL LGBT Services Office.

A  three-person panel will discuss ENDA generally, the case for inclusion of transgender people in ENDA, and the politics of ENDA.  

This event is part of the UofL Pride Week celebration and will include a light lunch from Expressions of You (available at 11:30 AM).

It's not too late to register for the Louisville AIDS Walk! To register, please visit http://louisvilleaidswalk.kintera.org and join the Louisville Law team--registration for the walk is free! Funds raised at this event ensure that those in need continue to receive the food, medical assistance, housing, counseling, legal assistance, and other support services provided by a diverse group of local non-profit organizations. You can collect donations online or bring them to the walk. Join other students and professors in supporting this great community event.

If you are attending the walk, meet downtown at the Belvedere near Main Street at 1.30pm. Come wearing a U of L shirt and look for someone holding a Louisville Law sign.

If you have any questions, contact Sandra Moon at sandra.moon@gmail.com.

Tickets for Lawlapalooza 2009, the Louisville legal community's annual Battle of the Bands, are on sale now in the Law Resource Center, room 272.  Student tickets are $5 each, and general admission tickets are $20, both in advance and day of show.

Lawlapalooza benefits the Judge Ellen B. Ewing Fund, which provides summer fellowships for Brandeis School of Law students to work in the areas of family law, domestic violence and spouse abuse, and HIV/AIDS.

This year's event will be held Thursday, October 1, at the Phoenix Hill Tavern, 644 Baxter Avenue.  Doors open at 6:00 PM, and the first band takes the stage at 6:30 PM.  The bands competing this year include:

• Living Proof
• The Velvetkings
• The Golden Rockets
• HeadTap
• Keltricity
• Assault With a Deadly Weapon
• 100% Legal
• The Ben Fultz Five

Founded in 1993, the Louisville AIDS Walk is Kentucky's largest fundraiser for HIV/AIDS. Funds raised at this event ensure that those in need continue to receive the food, medical assistance, housing, counseling, legal assistance, and other support services provided by a diverse group of local non-profit organizations. Sunday, September 13, 1-5 pm is the 17th Annual Louisville AIDS Walk.  Join other students and professors in supporting this great community event. To register, please visit http://louisvilleaidswalk.kintera.org and join the Louisville Law team. For more information, please contact Sandra Moon.