Louisville Metro Police Chief, Robert White, Chair of the Pan-African Studies Department, Dr. Rajack-Talley, and Professor Cedric Powell will present a panel moderated by Jamie Izlar.

The program begins at 12 noon in room 275. A complimentary light lunch from Expressions of You will be available at 11:30 AM.

This forum is sponsored by BLSA, Lambda Law Caucus, the Pan-African Studies Department and the ACLU of Kentucky.

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.

The Louisville Law Dining Guide contains reviews of the law school community's favorite dining establishments in the city and sourrounding area. It's by no means exhaustive, but it is informative, especially for those of you that are new to town.

The Student Bar Association's favorites include: Third Avenue Café, J. Alexanders, Ramsi's Café On the World, Spinelli's Pizzeria, El Mundo and the Irish Rover. Dean Chen, Michael Ben-Avraham, Scott Campbell and Professors Knowles and Hilyerd each recommend the Santa Fe Grill.

See the dining guide for more reviews, details and directions. 

Congratulations to Jim Becker! His entry, "Melinda Becker's Deer Chili", won for the second consecutive year. Following by just a 1/2 vote, was Becky Wimberg's award-winning southwest chili, aka "Becky's Kickin' Chicken Chili".

Thanks so much to all who purchased a meal! A grand total of $317, which will be split among the five charities of the UofL Cares campaign, was raised.

Other tasty entries included:

• Kathy Bean's "Cleveland Art Museum Tomato Basil Soup" and her husband's "Bombay Bob's Vegan Red Lentil Soup"
• Tom Blackburn's "Turkey Chili"
• Becky Wenning's "Homemade Beef Stew"
• Vickie & Leslie Tencers' homemade "Cream of Mushroom Soup"
• Kimberly Ballard's "Vegetarian Chili with Whole Wheat Pasta"

Many thanks to the following individuals who also contributed: Charlene Taylor, Janet Sullivan, Rita Siegwald, Debra Reh, Peggy Bratcher, Jina Scinta, Brandon Hamilton, Brenda Hill, Ariana Levinson, Grace Giesel, Barbara Thompson, Jodi Duce, Kathy Urbach, and Angela Beverly.

If you haven't already made a pledge, we hope you'll do so now.  To make a pledge on-line or to print out a form to contribute by mail, visit UofL Cares.  

Kentucky's Transportation Cabinet will embark upon a three-phase construction project to some of the main thoroughfares on the eastern and southern borders of Belknap Campus. Construction will begin in late August and is expected to be completed by the end of December. Enhancements to the area will include bike lanes, structurally enhanced bridges, increased safety, better signage, and a landscaped median. 

The law school will be most impacted by Phase II that involves a major redesign of the portion of Eastern Parkway nearest Third Street. During that period, access along Eastern Parkway will be restricted. Visitors are encouraged to approach from either Third Street (west) or Cardinal Boulevard (north). Some of the spaces in the red, green, and blue parking lots will be temporarily relocated. TARC bus #29 will be rerouted at Crittenden Drive. The Black Loop will not be impacted.

Update, 10/19: The stretch of Eastern Pkwy. between Third Street and the Speed School of Engineering has reopened.

Update, 9/30: Eastern Parkway will remain closed at Third Street for another week because of additional construction work needed in and around the tunnels leading to Speed School of Engineering. Eastern Parkway will remain blocked at Third Street until Monday, Oct. 12. Access to the Speed School parking lot will remain open at Brook Street. Parking officials note that some spaces still are available in the Engineering Graphics lot off Third Street just south of Eastern Parkway.

Additional Resources:

• Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Road Work Fact Sheet
• State Road Work Updates, Aug. 17-Dec. 31 (UofL updates)
• TARC announces route changes (Courier-Journal, August 18)
  
• Road work near UofL to begin (Courier-Journal, August 17)
• Road work to start Aug. 17 (UofL, August 10)
• Rider Alerts: Rt. #29 Eastern Parkway Detour Throughout 2009 (TARC, August 6)
• State road projects to affect Belknap Campus fall semester (UofL, July 29)
• Stretch of Eastern Parkway Going On 'Road Diet' (Broken Sidewalk, July 27)
  

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.

• Photo Gallery

The semifinal and final rounds were held on Friday, October 9th in the Allen Courtroom.

Here’s the schedule:

9 AM, Semifinal Round

• Appellant: Duffy Trager
• Appellee: Algeria Ford

• Appellant: Eric Lowe
• Appellee: Barry Dunn

Duffy B. Trager is a native of Louisville.  He earned his B.A. in Political Science and Religious Studies from Western Kentucky University in 2006.  In law school, he competed on the 2008 National Moot Court Team.  He is currently Constitutional Law Editor of the Journal of Law and Education, founder and Vice President of the International Law Society and a Marshall - Brennan Fellow.  In the summer of 2009, he was awarded an IOLTA Fellowship with Catholic Charities Immigration Legal Services.  Duffy has recently become an avid runner.

Algeria Ford is a third year law student and the winner of last year’s Pirtle-Washer competition.  He has a range of interests including criminal and civil litigation, intellectual property law, and environmental law.  He would like to thank his wife for her continued support.

Eric Lowe is from Mt. Washington, Kentucky, but currently lives in the Louisville area.  He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of the Cumberlands, in Williamsburg, Kentucky, where he played varsity football and competed in Parliamentary Debate.  Throughout his career at the Cumberlands, he studied in the areas of Communication and Political Science.  Currently, he is a second year evening student and has been employed full time throughout his law school career at Bullitt Central High School.  At the law school he participates in various programs and activities such as: University of Louisville Law Review, Moot Court Board, Student Bar Association, and as a member of the Health Law Moot Court Team.  He is honored to have been selected to compete in the Pirtle Washer finals and would like to wish all if his fellow competitors congratulations and best wishes.

Barry Dunn is a Columbia, Kentucky, native who received his undergraduate education at Lindsey Wilson College before obtaining an M.A. in political science from the University of Cincinnati.  Mr. Dunn came to law school after teaching eighth grade social studies.  He currently serves as President of the Moot Court Board and Notes Editor for the University of Louisville Law Review.  Mr. Dunn is also a member of the school's National Moot Court Competition team.  Mr. Dunn has worked for the law firms Stoll Keenon Ogden and Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs.  After law school, he hopes to clerk for a federal judge for one year before practicing litigation.

Presiding Judges

Each semifinal round was judged by the following three judge panel:

• Judge John Heyburn - United States District Court
• Chief Circuit Judge Charles Hickman - Kentucky Circuit Court
• Professor Leslie W. Abramson - University of Louisville, Brandeis School of Law
• Professor Karen A. Jordan - University of Louisville, Brandeis School of Law

Appellant, Duffy Trager, and Appellee, Barry Dunn, advanced to the final round at 1 PM, which was judged by the following:

• Chief Circuit Judge Charles Hickman - Kentucky Circuit Court
• Judge John Heyburn - United States District Court
• Honorable Ann Bailey Smith - Kentucky District Court
• Judge Denise Clayton - Kentucky Court of Appeals

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.

Diversity Forum Series: Keys to the Door: ENDA, Transgender Indentity, and Community - September 29, 2009

Dean Chen opens the program. Moderator, Lucas Vance introduces the panel. Brian Buford, Director of LGBT Services       Gil Reyes Dawn Wilson Morgan Ransdell

The following 20 first-year students successfully submitted an Exam4 practice test by 5:00 PM EDT, Monday, September 28, and their names were drawn at random to receive a free ticket, compliments of Professor Kurt "Wolfman" Metzmeier, to Lawlapalooza, Thursday, October 1, at the Phoenix Hill Tavern:

1. Batey, Nathan
2. Climer, Jeremy
3. Donahue, Natalie
4. Englert, Whitney
5. Esser, Brian
6. Fort, Nathan
7. Garland, Todd
8. Humphrey, Natalie
9. Kahn, Melanie
10. Leeper, Natalie
11. Lewis, Mookie
12. Murray, George
13. Pickett, Melinda
14. Potter, Sarah
15. Simonson, Julie
16. Smith, Natalie
17. Spalding, John
18. Theiss, James
19. Turner, Chad
20. Vinsel, Nancy

The tickets will be placed in your mailboxes this afternoon (Tuesday, September 29).  Congratulations to all, and many thanks to Professor Metzmeier!

Join us at the Ekstrom Library east entrance for the annual Banned Books Week Read-in which will be held Monday to Wednesday, September 28-30, from 11 AM - 1 PM  Faculty, staff, and students will read aloud from their favorite challenged books. An informational exhibit will also be on display. Join us in celebrating the freedom to read!

• Top 10 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 2008
• Banned and Challenged Classics Among the Top 100 Novels of the 20th Century

University of Louisville officials unveiled the renovated Belknap Campus oval at a press conference September 22, 2009.

The oval has been under reconstruction since 2007. The project includes a cascading fountain, lighting, landscaping and safety features, such as sidewalks, curbs and brickpavers. It was paid for by Transportation Enhancements Program funding through the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and a grant from the University of Louisville Foundation.

• Oval renovations complete with turning on of fountain (UofL, 9/22/09)
• Dedication video on YouTube

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.

The United States Constitution is not only the basic law of the United States. It has also inspired politicians, philosophers, and ordinary people around the world. Scholars have devoted intense attention to the Constitution, its interpretation by the Supreme Court of the United States, and its impact on the American people.

Constitutional law forms an important part of the Law School's curriculum and research agenda. University of Louisville faculty members have devoted considerable attention to the Constitution, its interpretation, and its social meaning. Lawyers with diverse practices and specializations share a background in constitutional law, which in turn unites the practicing bar in a common civil culture based on the Constitution and its role in American history and politics.

The Law School therefore takes great pride in presenting an annual commemoration of Constitution Day on behalf of the entire University of Louisville. This year's program consists of two video presentations. In the first video, Law School faculty discuss the appointment of Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Professors Laura Rothstein, Judith Fischer, Luke Milligan, Samuel Marcosson, and Cedric Merlin Powell and Dean Jim Chen, joined by Professor John McGinnis of the Northwestern University School of Law, ponder the significance of Justice Sotomayor's arrival on the nation's highest court. In the second video, Professor Joseph Tomain presents Fleeting Expletives and the Shadow of the First Amendment.

We invite other institutions, throughout the Commonwealth of Kentucky and elsewhere, to link to this page and to use its resources in their efforts to commemorate Constitution Day. In addition, we invite students, graduates, and friends of the Law School and of the University of Louisville at large to treat this page as a standing guide to constitutional law. The resources section of this page includes a 21-question constitutional scavenger hunt and a photo gallery depicting constitutional controversies throughout American history.

Finally, we are pleased to provide archives of the Law School's Constitution Day programs from 2008 and 2007.