The 2011 Brandeis School of Law Alumni Awards were given out on Wednesday, October 26, 2011, during a reception dinner at the Brown Hotel in Louisville. Read more about this years winners.

Download a copy of the program from this years awards.

To view photos of the evening be sure to visit our Flickr page.

This year's award winners:

Creighton Mershon, Sr.

Lawrence Grauman Award

Donald Vish

Distinguished Alumnus Award

John Tate

Distinguished Alumnus Award

Nancy Niederman

Distinguished Alumna Award

Mary Jo Gleason

Distinguished Alumna Award

Tori Murden McClure

Distinguished Alumna Award

Karen Paulin

Recent Alumna Award

Lowry Watkins, Jr.

Dean’s Service Award

Linda Sorenson Ewald

Excellence in Teaching Award

Howard Fineman

2010 University of Louisville Alumni Fellow

November 13 is the birthday of Justice Louis Brandeis, for whom our law school is named.  On Monday, November 14, Professor Laura Rothstein will give a one-hour power point presentation about Louis Brandeis.  Prizes will be given at the end for those answering the most questions correctly about Louis Brandeis. 

All students, faculty, and staff members are invited and welcome to attend.  Doughnuts, one of Brandeis’s favorite foods will be provided for the event.

LOUIS D. BRANDEIS (born November 13, 1856) * 1856-1941 *

Long before Louis Brandeis made his mark as a United States Supreme Court Justice, he had a brilliant career as an advocate for social justice issues. Brandeis’s commitment to using the law to promote social justice was a major reason some members of the Senate opposed his confirmation to the Court.  Justice Brandeis was born in Louisville, Kentucky, and chose the law school at the University of Louisville as his final resting place.  In 1997, the law school was renamed the Louis D. Brandeis School of Law.  Inspired by his commitment to public service, the Brandeis School of Law requires all law students to perform at least 30 hours of public service to graduate.  Brandeis’s personal papers are housed at the law school, and can be accessed at www.law.louisville.edu/library/collections/brandeis.

-- from Robert Shetterly’s “Americans Who Tell the Truth” website.

Photo Gallery

Drum roll please... Lawlapalooza 2011: I Rocked the Law yielded over $4,181.25 from ticket sales, t-shirt sales, and band tips! This tally does not include band registrations and sponsors. The funds will be used to support the Ellen B. Ewing Fund. 

Battle of the Bands Winners:

• 1st Place: Skinny and Small
• 2nd Place: Sam I Amicus
• 3rd Place: Raisin Brandies

Karaoke Winner:

• 1st Place: Doug Kiel & Tyler Korus

Freakin' Sweet

WARNING: Freakin' Sweet is not for the faint of heart.

Representing Borowitz & Goldsmith, Freakin' Sweet features Greg Curry, lead guitar, shredder, strategist and chairman of the Freakin' Sweet endowment; Mike Pantoja, lead vocals, bass guitar, talent scout, compliance director and director of social networking; Tom Mock pounding the drums, cowbell, and various other objects within arms' reach, supporting/lead vocals, IT support and systems integration; and John Sheryak, lead vocals, rhythm guitar, ship's captain and resident J.D.

FREAKIN' SWEET performed in the 2007 LAWLAPALOOZA as The VelvetKings...after deciding that "The VelvetKings" was way too dorky of a name for these cool guys, they promptly changed it. John is a 5 year veteran of Lawlapalooza, having performed with "She's With Me" in 2005 and the frightful calamity of their 2006 "performance." In 2007, Ed Skees and John dropped the total losers they had played with in the past, trashed the multi-million dollar pyrotechnics, lasers, spinning drumcages and swore to never again perform near open flames. Next, they hijacked Greg and Mike, who were discussing generally accepted accounting principles and asset diversification. They all four felt the magic and decided to form an 80's/90's alternative rock cover band. It worked...Freakin' Sweet instantly became established as one of the loudest, edgiest and fastest bands on the Lawlapalooza circuit.

In the spring of 2010, citing his inability to party, rock, and "hang"with the rest of the band, founding member and drummer Ed Skees called it quits, Dispelling wild rumors that he was going to become a monk or have back-alley sex change surgery, Ed promptly filed a pettion in the Floyd County Distrct Court to change his name to Hugh G. Weiner. Ed was quickly replaced with ex-death-metal head drummer Tom Mock. Not much is known about Tom, except that he is from Minnesota, talks like those people in the movie "Fargo," is a genious in his chosen field of IT, and has new kid. Oh yeah! The FREAK LIVES ON!!!!!

Freakin' Sweet is planning something special for LAWLAPALOOZA 2011. At this time, the details cannot be revealed, but lets just say that PHT should be prepared for midgets, clowns and strippers!

100% Legal

100% Legal is the "in-house" rock & roll band of the Greenebaum Doll & McDonald law firm. Two band members are Greenebaum litigation attorneys. Mark Grundy (bass and vocals) heads the firm's construction litigation team. Mark Riddle (guitar) serves as chair of Greenebaum's Litigation Practice Group. Gary Strobel (drums and vocals) works for Greenebaum's long time client, Humana.

100% Legal traces its origins to a showcase of home-grown talent for a Greenebaum staff party in 2003. Since that time, members of the band have performed at a variety of corporate and civic events and venues, including Greater Louisville, Inc., United Way, Belknap Fall Festival, the Louisville Marathon, The Galt House, National City Tower Plaza, and a client-sponsored conference in New Orleans. The band was profiled in Business First in 2008.

Although the band members greatly enjoy playing music as a diversion from the daily grind of their legal and corporate work, they don't plan to quit their day jobs.

Robert Shetterly's portrait of Louis Brandeis from which the law school's reproduction was made will be on display along with about 30 other portraits of "Americans Who Tell the Truth: at a Young Professionals Cocktail Hour sponsored by the Kentucky ACLU.  The event will be on November 17, at 5:30 at the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage, 1701 West Muhammad Ali Boulevard.

Sam I Amicus

Sam I Amicus consists of six third-year law students at the University of Louisville's Brandeis School of Law. Hunter Brown, from North Carolina, provides soulful vocals and regularly snacks on ketchup packets. Sam Goss, a founding member of Zoo Legacy (yes, it's a real band), lays down a steady beat. Jarad "keys" Key, a Paducah, Kentucky native, tickles the ivories. Ross Neuhauser, from Louisville, plays a fine fiddle. Jared Hall, the bearded siren, honed his acoustic guitar skills in Mascoutah, Illinois and Atlanta, Georgia. Brenton Stanley, who moonlights as frontman and guitarist for The Perfectos (EP available on iTunes), is from Carmi, Illinois. The band took shape quickly in Molly MacCaskey's basement, and is performing for one night only at Lawlapalooza 2011.

Greg Simms, Esq.

Greg Simms, attorney at law, is a 2007 graduate of UofL Law and a partner in the firm of Gruner & Simms, PLLC. Among the many accolades in Mr. Simms' Martindale-Hubbell profile are the following:

• He received the Book Award for the highest grade in Evidence in law school.
• He is a member of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers.
• His teeth are large enough to allow him to eat corn through a fence.
• He is the 2004 Marion County (Ky.) Ham Days Hog Calling Champion. Really. No lie.

Despite his considerable theatrical experience, Lawlapalooza is Greg's first effort at karaoke. Consequently, his goals are modest and reasonable: While he does not expect to win this year's Lawlapalooza karaoke competition, he does plan to soundly beat Sam Marcosson.

Luis Cartaya, 2L

Luis "Cher" Cartaya, pictured here shaving his legs, was once one of the legendary members of the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (the red one, obviously). After suffering an ACL tear fighting Lord Zedd, Cartaya had to retire the red suit and follow his second dream, being Cher. After discovering he had a voice of an angel, Cartaya joined Sonny & Cher and began blessing the world with his voice. Cher, clearly the greater of the group, broke off to begin a solo career and was soon thereafter regarded as the Goddess of Pop. You might also know Cartaya from his Hollywood love affairs with such movie stars as Jessica Alba, Megan Fox, and Jessica Biel. Having traveled back in time, Cartaya has become great friends with Louis D. Brandeis, and after losing a hot game of poker agreed to bless Lawlapalooza with his epic voice.

Lawlapalooza 2011: I Rocked the Law, the Louisville legal community's band battle to benefit the Judge Ellen B. Ewing Memorial Fund, is Thursday, October 27 at the Phoenix Hill Tavern, 644 Baxter Avenue. Doors open at 6:00 p.m., first band starts at 7:00.