University of Louisville Law Review Symposium: First Amendment Issues in Emerging Technology - February 20, 2009

 

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Christopher McDavid kicks off the symposium.		Dean James Chen delivers the opening address.		Keynote speaker, Emory law school Dean David F. Partlett
Session 1: Advances in Speech Technology and the Implications for Society			Session 2: Regulating Potentially Harmful Speech
Moderator Kurt Metzmeier		Professor Ellen Podgor		Cato Institute Fellow Ilya Shapiro
Moderator Susan Duncan		Professor Udo Fink		Professor Arnold Loewy
Session 3: Regulating "Hate Speech" & Holocaust Denial			Session 4: The Shifting Nature of Speech Technology
Dean Blake Morant			Professor Paul Secunda
Professor Eric Segall			Dean James Chen
Conference Attendees			Members of UofL's Law Review

The Animal Law Moot Court Competition was held at Harvard University this past weekend. The University of Louisville sent two moot court teams: Lauren Bean/Rexena Napier and Sarah Haegele/Melissa McHendrix. Additionally, Ebert Haegele competed in the closing argument competition. All competitors performed very well and impressed the judges. Final scores are not out yet, but unofficially both moot court teams went 1-1 against top teams such as Duquesne, Berkeley (Winner of Best Brief), and New Mexico.

Out of 16 teams, only four make the semi-finals and unfortunately neither UofL team advanced among such tough competition. The judges were quite impressed with UofL's preparation. Lauren Bean was complimented on her controlled demeanor and steady pace while delivering her argument. The judges were very complimentary of the policy behind Rexena Napier's argument and her quick responses to their questions. Sarah Haegele impressed the judges with her poise and ability to remain relaxed under intense pressure. The judges complimented Melissa McHendrix on her ability to withstand difficult questioning while choosing her battles wisely and refocusing the judges on her core argument.

"Daddy, they shot the dogs," uttered Ebert Haegele dramatically to begin his closing argument about two family pets that were shot. He did this in front of six jury members from the Harvard Law Community. Ebert impressed them with his level of preparation and all thought his argument was very logical. They also loved his visual aids (they looked like a million bucks). In a battle where mere points separated the competitors, Ebert was not able to advance to the finals. Overall, the University of Louisville was very well represented by this group of competitors who garnered the respect of many in the animal law community over the weekend.

Be sure to congratulate these fine competitors for their tremendous effort and preparation. Special thanks to Professors Marcosson, Liebson, and Cross for their help in the team's preparation.

 

Everyone should know about the extraordinary service of two of our students, Barry Dunn and Johnna Spicer and a recent graduate, Justin Fowles. Barry, Johnna and Justin organized and implemented a two-day mock interview program for our 1L students. 

The first day, led by Johnna, was held at the law school and involved 2Ls and 3Ls interviewing our 1Ls. This was the first professional interview for many of our first year students and excellent practice for the second day of the mock interview program.   The second day, led by Barry and Justin, involved the LBA Young Lawyers interviewing our 1Ls at the offices of Frost Brown Todd.

One of our 1Ls, Teresa Kenyon, told me that she had an actual interview the following Monday and having interviewed  the previous Friday and Saturday contributed to the success of the real interview a day later.

According to Holly Hudelson, another 1L participant, it can sometimes be hard to talk about yourself.  "The more you do it, however,  the more comfortable you become."  Holly's last professional interview was three years ago.

~Kathy Urbach, Assistant Dean Career Services and Public Service 

The program was excellent.  I was one who was unsure about BigLaw because I didn't know what to expect about the environment.  And, although our event Saturday didn't give a real glimpse into the world of BigLaw, it certainly inspired me nonetheless.  The attorneys I interviewed with were awesome and they gave me excellent feedback that I could implement immediately and benefit from.  I've already written them both thank you letters and let them know that I hope they will continue to support this SBA effort because it had such an impact on me and really to every fellow classmate that I have spoken with about it.  I believe the experience both with the students on Friday and the attorneys on Saturday will prove to make a huge difference in my interview skills when it counts.  I feel much more confident after these rounds of mock interviews and I would certainly recommend the experience to all future 1L's.  You guys did an awesome job!  Thanks again.

Best, Kimberley Gant, 1L

The Law School follows the University's lead in all weather-related cancellations and delays.

1) We will cancel classes up to a certain time and begin with our full class schedule at that point.  For instance, if we delay opening until 10 a.m., all classes that begin before 10 a.m. will be cancelled.  Classes meeting at 10 a.m. and later will meet at their regular times and will include the full instruction period..

2) For purposes of this policy, evening classes will be defined as any classes beginning at or after 4:30 p.m.

3) Please note that the University will provide official school closing information in the following ways: A notice at the top of the University home page, www.louisville.edu; e-mails sent to all students and employees on their Groupwise accounts; a recorded message at 852-5555; or, for those who have signed up, a text message will be sent to your cell phone.

These are the only venues through which we can guarantee accurate information.  Please remember, whether or not the University is open, it is up to you to decide if it is safe for you to make the journey.

For personal reasons, I have resigned as the Director of Academic Support effective January 15, 2009.  I'm sorry that I had to make this decision in the midst of a semester, but the Administration has assured me that they will try and make the transition as smooth as possible.  It has been a wonderful experience getting to know each and every one of you and I look forward to see you practicing in our community in a few short years.

The Law School administrative offices will be closed during the University's official holidays. This includes the following times:

Thanksgiving: from noon on Wednesday, November 26 through Thanksgiving weekend

Winter Break: from December 24 until Monday, January 5, 2009.

 

Please note that the Law School offices DO NOT re-open before the start of Spring 2009 classes, which also begin January 5, 2009. Therefore, students or faculty needing services or information from the Office of Student Records, the IT staff, the Faculty Resource Center, the Assistant or Associate Deans' offices or other law school administrative offices should be sure to contact those offices well in advance of the holiday, as the first few days of the semester will undoubtedly be very busy. Thank you for your cooperation and patience.

Phi Alpha Delta along with the Section 2 1L's would like to personally thank everyone for their help with our Kentucky Harvest Food Drive!!!  Both staff and students helped to provide various food items to families in need during this holiday season.  We greatly appreciate the abundance of support and generosity shown by everyone.  Again, thank you for making this community event a huge success.

Professor Nicholson's Drafting seminar (LAW 986-09, meeting Thursdays from 3:50-5:30) is now open for enrollment by 2L, 3L and 4L students.  If you have received priority permission to add this course, please do so as soon as possible so that the Student Records office can have an accurate count of students enrolled, and to be fair to students who may sign up for a waiting list.  If you have received priority permission to enroll and no longer intend to do so, please inform Barbara Thompson in the Student Records Office.

Exam time can be an extremely stressful time, one which may raise issues that may otherwise remain under the surface for us.  Below are three links-- one for mental health screening (this takes you to a University of Minnesota web page where you can click on "On-line screening."), one for alcohol abuse, and one for marijuana abuse screening-- if you have concerns about yourself.  If you feel you need help with these issues or any others that may affect your ability to do well on exams, please feel free to stop by and see me in Room 212 and together we'll find the appropriate resources for you.  You may also call the UL Counseling Center directly at 852-6585.  I will also post these links on the Academic Support web page.

 

http://www.uccs.umn.edu/index.html

https://interwork.sdsu.edu/echug2/?id=UMN&hfs=

 

http://interwork.sdsu.edu/etoke/index.php?id=UofL

Jamie Izlar, 1L, was honored at the Sixth Annual Elizabeth Cady Stanton Awards Luncheon on November 13, 2008.

Ms. Izlar received the Dr. M. Celeste Professional Development Award, which is given to UofL graduate students for travel or other professional development needs who best demonstrate how well their intended use of the award supports the mission of the Women’s Center and Dr. Nichols’ legacy. Jamie intends to use the award next summer to conduct research that will facilitate community engagement in the Dominican Republic.

The award is named in honor of M. Celeste Nichols, student, scholar, mentor, and professor. She was the first African American to receive a Ph.D. from UofL’s English Department. Dr. Nichols taught African American literature and basic writing at UofL, Kentucky State University, and at Bellarmine University.