CUALawyer - The Columbus School of Law

Transcription

cualawyer
The Catholic University Of America • Columbus School of Law
Promises to Keep
Alumni New and Old
Strengthen Commitment
to CUA Law
Spring/Summer 2006
FROM THE
Dear CUA Law School Community:
I
have completed my first academic year
as dean of the law school, and I can say
without question that it has been one of the
most fascinating, educational and fulfilling
experiences of my professional career. All
that I have learned about the law school this
year fills me with great hope and excitement for the future.
I hope that you find this issue of CUA
Lawyer to be informative and inspiring. As
you may recall from our fall 2005 issue, we
focused on the anniversary celebrations of
our special institutes and programs of
excellence. In the spring semester, many of
these programs sponsored outstanding
symposia and lectures about topical matters
facing our world and legal systems. This
issue of CUA Lawyer will give you a look
into some of these fascinating programs,
which included topics on the important and
complex issue of access to high-speed
broadband technology throughout our
nation’s remote and rural communities;
analysis of Medicare’s expansion to cover
prescription drugs; procedural reforms to
immigration law; the U.S. trade imbalance
with China; as well as a lecture by Sen. Lisa
Murkowski on how global warming is
affecting Alaska.
This spring, the law school faculty
completed a review and redesign of our
Dean’s Desk
LL.M. degree program that will provide
future domestic and foreign degree
candidates with the opportunity to
concentrate their studies in areas of
specialization including Commercial Law,
Communications Law, Securities Law,
Estates and Trusts Law, Comparative and
International Law or Jurisprudence. These
offerings will enable applicants to take
advantage of program areas that the law
school has always enjoyed as strongholds in
the curriculum.
We would also like to introduce you to
our newest full-time faculty members,
Professor Suzette Malveaux, who comes to
us from The University of Alabama, and
Professor Elizabeth Winston, who comes
to us from Whittier Law School in
California. We are also looking forward to
getting to know two visiting faculty members next year. Professor Steve Smith of the
University of Virginia will visit at the law
school during the spring of 2007, and
Professor Mary Leary with the National
Center for Prosecution of Child Abuse will
be with us for the entire 2006-07 academic
year. Of course in introducing new faculty,
we must also say goodbye and a heartfelt
thanks to retiring faculty members
Professor Leroy Clark and Dean Bill Fox,
as well as one of our most devoted adjunct
faculty members, Judge “Sparky” Gierke.
Our students demonstrated advocacy
skills and determination in several moot
court competitions that brought the law
school distinction. We are very proud to
share news of these activities including our
first international competition in the
Willem C. Vis International Commercial
Arbitration Moot, held in Vienna, Austria;
our first appearance in the Hispanic Bar
Association’s Constitutional Law Moot
Competition in Seattle; and our appearance
in the finals of the 2006 Sutherland Cup
Moot Court Competition held here at the
law school.
During the year, I made it a priority to
travel around the country to visit with as
many alumni as possible, to not only let you
know about recent developments at the law
school and to share my vision for the
future, but also to enlist your support as we
move forward. It is my intention to continue this outreach and to visit with more
alumni throughout the country this coming
academic year.
Studying at the Columbus School of
Law has always been, and remains to this
day, an invaluable investment of time and
energy. Its intangibles are immeasurable.
Our students benefit from a super faculty, a
richly diverse academic program, a topnotch library and insider access to
Washington, D.C., the nation’s legal epicenter. Yet, one of the richest resources of
all is you, the 10,000 alumni who have gone
before. Many of you have loyally and generously given back to the law school.
Whether it be through your time and talent
serving as mentors, career counselors, judging moot court competitions, sharing your
knowledge and experiences in a legal specialty, or writing a check, every investment
that you make back to the law school has a
ripple effect, smoothing the path ahead
for today’s students and positively affecting their lives in ways both seen and
unseen. Someday in turn, they will remember your example and do the same for the
next generation.
To all of those who have supported the
law school, or will in the future, this issue of
CUA Lawyer is a heart-felt thank you for
the difference you have made.
Veryl V. Miles
Dean and Professor of Law
cualawyer
The Catholic University Of America • Columbus School of Law
Volume XXV • Number 1 • Spring/Summer 2006
Features
DISTINGUISHED PRACTITIONERS
10
Two Prominent Alumni Return to Teach at
CUA Law
COMMENCEMENT 2006
12 Remember the “Twin Daughters of Hope”
12
20
ALUMNI PASS ON THE GIFT OF OPPORTUNITY
14 The Inheritance: A Tradition of Giving
24
Sustains CUA Law
Departments
A LEADER BIDS FAREWELL
F r o m t h e D e a n ’s D e s k inside cover
24 Eyewitness to History
“All that I have learned about the law
school this year fills me with great hope
and excitement for the future.”
IDIMW (I DO IT MY WAY)
W h a t ’s N e w 3
26 A Confluence of Two Charming Traditions
F a c u l t y N e w s 37
A FINAL SALUTE
26
28 Most Honorable Discharge
Publications
Professional Activities
Conferences & Symposia
Community Service
Recent Media
IN REMEMBRANCE
To m o r r o w ’s A l u m n i 36
30 A Master Professor of Civility and Grace
A l u m n i N e w s 43
Highlights
30
14
4
6
9
Edel-Vis Blooms
32
34
Transitions
In Memoriam, 52
All in the Family, 53
Cross Country, 54
C a l e n d a r o f E v e n t s inside back cover
Welcome to the Legal Profession
CCLS Professors: A Significant Presence at
the 2006 CLE Conference
Remarkable Events
Cover photography by Hilary Schwab
Office of Legal Career Services
Fall 2006 Program Calendar
THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA
Columbus School of Law
The Office of Legal Career Services needs your help! If you are interested in participating in mock interviews, being a mentor or serving on
a panel, please e-mail Jessica Heywood at [email protected].
cualawyer
S p r i n g / S u m m e r 2 0 0 6 • Vo l . 2 5 , N o . 1
Fall Recruiting Q & A Session
Monday, July 24
4 p.m.
OCI Interviewing Tips
Monday, Aug. 14
4 p.m.
FALL MOCK INTERVIEW
(LCS is looking for alumni volunteers.
Interviews take place at the offices
of the alumni.)
Thursday, Aug. 17
All Day
Thomas M. Haederle
Associate Creative Director
Publications Manager
Design/Art Direction
Veryl V. Miles
Dean and Professor of Law
William J. Wagner
OCI: On-Campus Interview begins
Tuesday, Aug. 22
All Day
Federal Government Honors Program
Wednesday, Aug. 30
4 p.m.
DOJ Honors Program and Summer
Intern Program
Thursday, Aug. 31
Boston Interview Program
(Interviews take place in Boston.)
Friday, Sept. 1
PUBLIC INTEREST WEEK
Associate Dean for
Academic Affairs
Mara Duffy
Associate Dean for
External and Student Affairs
Michael R. Kanne
Associate Dean for
Administration and Finance
Margaret A. King
Associate Dean for Institutional
Advancement
4 p.m.
All Day
Editor in Chief
Mara Duffy
Gina Moorhead
VC Graphics
UNIVERSITY OFFICIALS
Very Rev.
David M. O’Connell, C.M. President
John J. Convey
Week of Sept. 4, 2006
Equal Justice Works
Fellowships
Public Interest Networking Reception
Tuesday, Sept. 5
Wednesday, Sept. 6
Thursday, Sept. 7
4 p.m.
4 p.m.
4 p.m.
Congressional Research Service
Tuesday, Sept. 12
All Day
Boston Lawyer’s Group Job Fair
Wednesday, Sept. 13
4 p.m.
Frank G. Persico
Presidential Management Fellows
Thursday, Sept. 21
4 p.m.
Robert M. Sullivan
State Law Clerk
Monday, Oct. 16
4 p.m.
Beyond OCI: Plan B
for 2nd, 3rd and 4th Years
Wednesday, Oct. 25
4 p.m.
George E. Garvey
C. Joseph Nuesse
Julie Englund
Susan D. Pervi
W. Michael Hendricks
Craig W. Parker
Victor Nakas
Provost
Vice Provost and Dean of
Graduate Studies
Provost Emeritus
Vice President for
Finance and Administration,
Treasurer
Vice President for Student Life
Vice President for University
Relations
Vice President for University
Development
Vice President for Enrollment
Management
Associate Vice President and
General Counsel
Associate Vice President for
Public Affairs
Alumni are encouraged to send news about themselves and
other alumni. Please send these items, as well as letters to
the editor, comments, requests and address changes to:
Editor, CUA Lawyer, Columbus School of Law, The Catholic
University of America, Washington, DC 20064
Discover excellence. Experience success.
2
C U A L A W Y E R / Spring–Summer 2006
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 202-319-5438
Fax: 202-319-4004
www.law.edu
W H AT ’ S
New
CUA Law to Expand LL.M. Program
S
ix new LL.M. programs will be available during the
2006-2007 academic year in: Commercial Law,
Communications Law, Securities Law, Estates and
Trusts Law, Comparative and International Law, and
Jurisprudence.
The LL.M. degree at The Catholic University of
America’s Columbus School of Law offers an advanced
program of study in law that seeks to inculcate a general
maturity and depth of knowledge at a level surpassing that
of graduates with the J.D. degree. At the same time, it also
aims to ensure consolidation of significant strength by
each student enrolled, within a curricular area of particular
interest.
Through its more advanced level of preparation, The
Catholic University of America’s LL.M. degree equips the
student to be better prepared for the practice of law, but
also to be ready to contribute to the resolution of society’s
problems. In all of its concentrations, the LL.M. program
seeks to provide students with tools to represent clients
effectively, but also to advance social justice. The LL.M.
program consciously aims at attracting outstanding students from abroad for the sake of promoting transnational
cooperation in a time of rapid globalization, as well as for
the greater enrichment and diversity of its own academic
environment.
For more information, including concentration descriptions and requirements, and to receive application information for the LL.M. program at The Catholic University of
America, please e-mail Sarah E. Rewerts, director of
admissions, at [email protected].
WE NEED YOU!
Legal Career Services
is Looking for Volunteers
Be an interviewer during LCS’ Fall
Mock Interview Program on
Thursday, Aug. 17, 2006
The Mock Interview Program is one of LCS’ most popular programs, with 80 students
typically participating. Interviewers do not have to travel to CUA to participate —
the students come to you! All interviews take place in the office of the participating
alumni. LCS is looking for up to two hours of your time to conduct four interviews
The Mock Interview Program is an easy, rewarding way to get involved.
If you are able to participate, please contact us at [email protected].
Spring–Summer 2006 / C U A L A W Y E R
3
A DEBUT
Abroad
Edel-Vis Bloomsat CUA Law
T
international commercial arbitrahe hills were alive with the
tion moot in Europe.
sound of mooting in Vienna,
That didn’t make sense to
Austria, during the week of
Professor Peter “Bo” Rutledge.
April 6–14. For the first time in
Having practiced for several
the 13-year history of the annual
years in Vienna early in his
Willem C. Vis International
career, Rutledge was well
Commercial Arbitration Moot, the
aware of the prestige conferred
accomplished voices of students
Confident first-timers, the CUA moot court team turned
upon a law school that profrom The Catholic University of
duced a successful showing in
America Columbus School of heads in Austria. Back: Paul Alvarez, Nate Bruner, Carolyn
the Vis Moot Court.
Law joined in the ringing interna- Manning, Professor Bo Rutledge, Derek Burrows.
“Having attended this as a
tional legal choir.
Front: Malou Rodgers, Jane Kim, Raeka Safai,
judge, I saw the networking
Astride a world stage, com- Jennifer Hill-Wilson.
benefits for students and the
peting in the largest multinational
promotional opportunities for the law
that gathered in the picturesque capimoot court competition of any kind,
school,” says Rutledge. “It’s a unique
tal to showcase their skills. Facing stuthe CUA squad placed in the top third
opportunity to think outside of the
dent moot court teams not only from
tier among 154 teams from 60 nations
box, culturally, because students
other countries, but grounded in very
argue against students from another
different legal traditions, the five-man,
legal culture.”
three-woman Catholic team more
The popular professor got to work
than held its own.
organizing CUA’s inaugural team. He
“We impressed them. They
solicited and reviewed more than 30
may not have thought much of us
applications, eventually selecting eight
going into the competition, but they
students to represent the law school.
thought a lot of us coming out of
Most students had some relevant
the competition,” said rising thirdbackground through their participation
year team member and captain
in the school’s summer program in
Raeka Safai.
Krakow, Poland.
The goal of the Vis Arbitral Moot
Beginning in September 2005,
is to foster the study of international
team members burned the midnight
commercial law and arbitration for
oil, writing 35-page briefs to very
resolution of international business
complex legal questions. Not only did
disputes through its application to a
they receive no class credit for their
concrete problem of a client. It furlabors, they received no guarantees
ther aims to train tomorrow’s leaders
that the trip would even be possible,
in methods of alternative dispute resgiven the high costs associated with
olution. Although the Columbus
traveling to Vienna.
School of Law has an enviable track
“I told them when they signed on,
record of success among the various
the money was not in the bank,”
moot court competitions in which it
recalls Coach Rutledge. “They spent all
competes each year, it had not paid
fall writing briefs in the hope that the
any particular attention to the huge
money would be there.”
The timeless beauty of Vienna beckoned,
While team members were
but the disciplined CUA squad saved its
stretching their minds, the professor
was busy stretching budgets. Donors
sightseeing until after the competition.
©iStockphoto.com/Loic Bernard
The hills were alive with
the sound of mooting
4
Burning the midnight oil. Team
members spent evenings “mooting”
each other and preparing for the
The members of the 2005-2006
Catholic University Vis Arbitral
Moot Court team wish to thank
the following individuals and
organizations for their sponsorship:
next day’s arguments.
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld
David Donohoe, 1962
J. Conor Gallagher, 2005
were found from in and out of
the law school, and fund raising
jumped significantly when the
first student briefs were completed and shown. Like raising
capital for a new business venture, the wallets opened wider after
investors were shown a concrete product. Within the space of a month,
enough money came in to cover the
plane tickets. By the end, $13,600 was
raised, which was enough to get the
job done.
On March 30, the team jetted to
the fabled city of Mozart. They felt they
had done all they could to ready themselves for their first turn on this big
new stage. Students spent the year
practicing intensively and mastering
the fine distinctions between civil law
and common law, an understanding
essential to success in the Vis Arbitral
Moot. Many of Professor Rutledge’s
faculty colleagues pitched in to help,
“mooting” the team by serving as
judges in the practice rounds.
When the weeklong arguments
finally began, the CUA team faced law
students from China, Belgium and
Germany. Malou Rodgers, 2006, said
its debut performance clearly put CUA
law on the map.
“This competition was great for
Catholic,” says Rodgers. “We represented the law school very well. We
were very polished, both in and out of
the courtroom. We put ourselves in a
group that alumni can be proud of.”
The team’s performance was all
the more impressive because it chose
to ignore the popular strategy of sending only the most gifted speakers into
Stanley and Linda Glod
Good Will Publishers, Inc.
Gorman & Williams P.C.
oral argument competition.
“This allows [other teams] to
enhance their chances at advancing,
but it really excludes some team members,” Rutledge says. “We opted to
give all eight of our team members a
chance to participate in the oral arguments because the moot is not only a
competition—it’s also an educational
experience. All our team members had
the skills to succeed in the oral arguments, and I wanted them to learn
what it really takes to prepare for one.”
Despite the deliberate decision to favor
inclusion over winning at all costs, the
CUA squad still came within a whisker
of qualifying for the elimination rounds,
falling short of advancing by fewer
than two points.
Forsaking Vienna’s glittering
nightlife, the team stayed in at night,
coaching each other and helping teammates ready themselves for the following day’s arguments. “It’s the
most collegial experience I’ve had in
law school,” reflects Safai. “It’s like
watching your kid, you’re so proud of
your team members.” Other U.S. law
schools that fielded teams to the Vis
Arbitral Moot included Georgetown,
Columbia, George Washington and
Harvard. Catholic University’s poise
and preparation made an indelible
impression on them, Safai believes.
The Columbus School of Law
moot court team did not make it to the
Margaret A. King, Associate Dean
for Institutional Advancement
McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP
N. Marshall Meyers
Very Rev. David M. O’Connell, C.M.,
President, The Catholic University
of America
Alyson Oswald, 2005
Joseph R. Profizer
Dr. Frank Riel
Armstrong Robinson, 2004
Sodexho, Inc.
Craig Trainor, 2005
William Wagner, Associate
Dean for Academic Affairs
Wilmer Cutler Pickering
Hale & Dorr LLP
Wilson-Epes Printing Company
final 32 teams its first time out, but
team members and Professor
Rutledge are very encouraged by its
terrific showing overall.
Sounding rather like a wellknown Austrian bodybuilder-actorpolitician, Raeka Safai says simply,
“I’ll be back.”
5
The State of the Law
A N A LY S I S :
Welcome to the Legal Profession
Circuit Judge Richard C. Tallman
U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit
I
The last weekend in March was
a good one for Catholic
University’s law school. Its
Sutherland Cup moot court
team, competing in the nation’s
oldest national moot court competition, finished as a finalist in
the field, close behind eventual
winner The Ohio State
University. The CUA team
showed the right stuff before an
impressive panel of jurists,
including final round judges
Hon. David Sentelle, U. S.
Court of Appeals for the D.C.
Circuit, United States Supreme
Court Associate Justice Clarence
Thomas and Hon. Richard C.
Tallman, U.S. Court of Appeals
for the 9th Circuit.
April 1st also happened to
be Admitted Students Day at
CUA law. The law school was
brimming with young men
and women who were close to
making a final matriculation
decision. Impressed by the performance of
CUA’s Sutherland Cup squad, their sense
of the school was further enhanced by the
high esteem in which it is held by Judge
Tallman. His remarks to the admitted
students, condensed here and reprinted
with his permission, offer a window into
one accomplished jurist’s thoughts about
the legal profession, the court he serves on,
and The Catholic University of America
Columbus School of Law.
6
When you graduate from law
school, you will receive more than a
parchment that will hang in a place of
honor on your office wall. You will be
welcomed into membership in a
sacred and honorable profession that protects the freedom of the individual and
places his rights on a higher
pedestal than the interests of
the State. It is a profession
founded in the JudeoChristian traditions of respect
for the dignity of the person
and the love of one’s fellow
man. It is a system of laws,
and not of men; a system
that holds as its cardinal principle that no man is above
the law. In this country, the
rule of law embraces the paradigm that the Constitution is
the Supreme Law of the
Land and that our government is subject to various
checks and balances, and ultimately beholden to the consent of the governed for its
legitimacy and our nation’s
very existence.
Senator J. William
Fulbright once complained that “the
law is by its very nature a buttress of
the status quo.” But it has been used
by men and women of great vision to
disrupt an unjust status quo, and to
prevent a just, yet unpopular, status
quo from being adulterated. These
great men and women have
employed the law so that many of you
can be here today to join what was
once a very exclusive male fraternity,
Rex Bohn - Images.com
want to thank The Catholic
University of America and its
Columbus School of Law for inviting me to speak to you this afternoon.
It is a special opportunity to address a
group of students who are about to
take the first steps of their legal
careers, so I tread with great care and
some trepidation in the hope of not
dissuading you from your interest in
the law. As you make your final decision on where you wish to attend law
school, I want to share with you today
my own devotion to the rule of law; a
calling about which I am unabashedly
passionate.
open only to those of privilege and
wealth. Indeed, as if responding
directly to Senator Fulbright, the late
Judge William Bryant, the first black
chief judge of a U.S. federal district
court and one of the first black assistant U.S. attorneys, said that if not for
lawyers, “I’d still be three-fifths of a
man.” This piece of paper will arm you
with a very powerful arrow in your
quiver: one that will enable you to do
well and do good.
Many distinguished alumni from
the Columbus School of Law have
used their education to do well and do
good. Alice Fisher, with whom I labor
on the Criminal Rules Advisory
Committee of the U.S. Judicial
Conference, is a 1992 graduate, and
currently serves as the assistant attorney general in charge of the Criminal
Division of the U.S. Department of
Justice. Shireen Fisher, a 1976 grad,
was appointed to serve as one of two
U.S. judges to the international War
Crimes Chamber of the Court of
Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo.
Brian Moran, a 1988 grad, was reelected in November 2005 as the delegate from the 46th Legislative
District of Virginia. Tom Catliota, a
1983 grad, was appointed by the U.S.
Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit as
a U.S. bankruptcy judge for the
District of Maryland.
Cathy Catterson, who obtained
her undergraduate degree here at
Catholic University, serves as the clerk
of my court, and is nationally recognized for her expertise in court administration. Rafael Prohias, a 1994 grad,
is no doubt the envy of his fellow
alums as the senior corporate counsel
of Barcardi-Martini, Inc., based in Coral
Gables, Fla., and New York City. Many
other alumni of the Columbus School
of Law hold partnership and associate
positions at prestigious law firms
across the country. And, most important to me, Emily Saylor, a member of
the Class of 2006, will be clerking in
my chambers starting in the fall of
2007 after she spends a year working
with the Washington, D.C., firm of
Hogan & Hartson. The breadth and
diversity of these and other successful Columbus School of Law alumni
demonstrate the professional flexibility of a law degree. Indeed, the contributions that have been made by
graduates of this fine institution can
be seen internationally and domestically, in the federal government, in
Congress, the state and federal judiciaries, state legislatures, corporate
boardrooms, private and public law
firms, state and national bar associations, as well as in the bars and
restaurants that serve Barcardi Rum.
You have chosen a particularly
opportune time to join the legal profession. We stand at the cusp of
breathtaking advances in science and
technology that will have a profound
impact on the development of the
law and our relationship to one another: Internet privacy issues, worldwide
personal jurisdiction in cyberspace,
human cloning, bioethics, and the
human genome mapping project with
its attendant question of access to
DNA profiles by insurance underwriters, are but a few of the legal challenges we must address. As the law
struggles to keep pace
with emerging science
and technology, you will
have a unique opportunity to put your hand on
the tiller and influence
the course of the law, whether that
direction comes from policy, advocacy, or adjudication.
This work has already started.
This term, the Supreme Court has
decided to hear five patent cases, the
highest number since 1966. As technology attracts more vendors and
consumers to the marketplace of
ideas, lawmakers take a more active
role in establishing the rules that govern the transactions, lawyers become
more involved in executing the transactions, and courts become more
involved in adjudicating the disputes.
We also stand at the cusp of a
monumental period in our nation’s history: an era of profound impact on the
development of the law, and a time
that empowers lawyers with the tools
and ability to influence that development. The war on terror has raised
important civil rights, national security,
and detention issues. These concerns
have also flooded into the immigration
arena. As I’m sure you have heard
from the media over the past few
weeks, proposed changes in the law
have sparked a nationwide debate
about the most effective and humane
immigration policy, and which courts
should be responsible for adjudicating
the legal disputes that arise in the
complex web of immigration law.
Moreover,
technology
has
brought with it an increase in international business transactions, as well
as an increase in transnational crime.
A growing role in the global community
Judge Richard C.
Tallman was confirmed
to the U.S. Court of
Appeals for the 9th
Circuit in May 2000.
“Many distinguished alumni from the
Columbus School of Law have used their
education to do well and do good.”
7
has brought with it an interest and
need for experts in international and
foreign law. The Columbus School of
Law offers the unique opportunity to
participate in the Krakow summer program in Poland, where Pope John
Paul II served as archbishop; and at
the Comparative and International
Law Institute, where you can study
subjects including comparative constitutional law, human rights and international intellectual property. The school
offers you a dizzying array of tools to
take full advantage of the professional
flexibility of a law degree. For those
interested in clinical programs, you
will have several opportunities to
hone your advocacy skills, both as a
courtroom and appellate lawyer, and
as a mediator and problem solver for
real clients.
Students at Catholic University
also have the unique opportunity to
study the law here in Washington,
D.C., the epicenter of government
and justice. This is where the law is
created, enforced and interpreted,
sometimes to its death and sometimes to its immortality. Here, you can
study the law in the shadow of
Congress, the White House, and the
Supreme Court. You will have ready
access to esteemed jurists like
Supreme Court Justice Clarence
Thomas, who will later this afternoon
preside over the final round of the
Sutherland
Cup
Moot
Court
Competition. You will also have the
fortuitous opportunity to be in
Washington, D.C., for the next presidential election, which impacts this
community like no other hamlet in the
nation.
Those of us who hail from the
“other Washington” sometimes wonder whether there is an invisible force
field in addition to the three time
zones and nearly 3,000 miles which
separate us. Perhaps that may explain
why my court, the 9th Circuit, sometimes steps to the beat of a different
8
“The school offers you a dizzying array of tools
to take full advantage of the professional flexibility
of a law degree.”
drummer. Speaking of the 9th Circuit,
you may also have an opportunity during the next three years to witness an
historic event. Much media attention
has been focused lately on congressional efforts to split the 9th Circuit,
carving out a new 12th Circuit that
would include Washington, Oregon,
Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Arizona and
Alaska. The 9th Circuit currently has
over 17,000 cases on its docket (28
percent of the entire national appellate caseload), almost twice the number of cases as the next largest circuit, and we cover 40 percent of our
nation’s land and serve almost 60 million people. We have 47 judges on our
court of appeals, more than twice as
many as the next largest circuit, and
far more than the 1st Circuit, which
has only seven judges. This large roster prevents our court from holding a
full en banc panel.
As a law student at this institution, you will be able to witness
Congress struggle with the perplexing question of “how big is too big?”
as it debates ways to increase the
efficiency of administering justice by
splitting the 9th Circuit. Opponents of
the split try to characterize the effort
as nothing more than a partisan
assault on the independence of the
federal judiciary; an overreaction to
unfavorable rulings like the Pledge of
Allegiance case. But there is nothing
inherently liberal or conservative
about the 9th Circuit; it depends on
which judges are drawn for a particular panel. And partisan arguments
have no room in this debate. Indeed,
those of us who think it is a court in
need of reorganization to better serve
our growing populace try to focus the
debate on issues like internal conflicts
among three-judge panel decisions;
the lack of full court representation in
limited en banc rehearings; the
increasing delays in processing
appeals; and the absurdity of allowing
a court to grow so large that its judges
lose the collegiality and frequent sittings with one another so vital to
appellate decision-making that only a
smaller court can offer.
In conclusion, I repeat my theme
that attending law school is an important step in your professional
endeavors no matter where you may
ultimately end up. Although you will
spend the next three years mastering the technical rules that govern
the adjudication of substantive disputes, do not lose sight of the fact
that these technical rules are the
foundation on which justice is built.
And do not forget that these rules
must be applied fairly and consistently to have any force. Unlike the
legislative or executive branches, the
judicial branch does not control the
purse or the military. We are the man
behind the curtain in Frank Baum’s
Wizard of Oz, and our legitimacy
depends on the quality of our opinions and the reasonableness of our
decisions. For ultimately, it is the ability to maintain the respect of the
people for the quality of reasoned
decisions that ensures the survival of
the “least dangerous branch” of our
government.
Thank you for giving me the
opportunity to speak with you this
afternoon. It is an honor to be here,
and I wish you every success in your
future endeavors.
PEER
Assessment
CCLS Professors:
A Significant Presence at the 2006 Conference on Clinical Legal Education
T
he professors of Columbus
Community Legal Services, the
legal clinic of The Catholic
University of America Columbus
School of Law, were among the key
presenters, participants and honorees
at the 2006 Conference on Clinical
Legal Education, held April 30–May 3 in
New York City. Sponsored by the
Association of American Law Schools,
this year’s clinical conference was the
largest ever, with more than 500 registrants. Among the highlights for CUA’s
clinical faculty:
•
Professor
Margaret
Barry
received the Outstanding Advocate
Award from the Clinical Legal
Education Association. Professor Barry
is a former president of CLEA, and the
honor recognized her outstanding
work and advocacy for the concerns of
clinical education and teachers within
the ABA and AALS. In presenting the
prestigious award to Barry, Professor
Kimberly O’Leary of the Thomas M.
Cooley Law School in Lansing, Mich.,
said “Margaret’s name was suggested
by so many different people it was
almost as if her nomination sprung
from a consensus that she was the
only and obvious choice.” Professor
Barry also co-led a session on collaboration in teaching. She and her co-presenters focused on ways that clinical
teachers can encourage students to
work together effectively.
•
Professors Leah Wortham and
Catherine Klein were two of the four
speakers at the opening plenary session on “Making International
Cooperation a Two-Way Exchange:
Learning with Our Partners.” Their
presentation traced the 10-year history
of collaboration between the Columbus
School of Law and the Jagiellonian and
Koêminski Law Schools in Poland.
Professor Leah Wortham
Instructor Faith Mullen
Professor Catherine Klein
Professor Margaret Barry
•
Instructor Faith Mullen was
selected as a working group co-facilitator for a civil law group at the conference. These smaller topical sessions
are an important component of the
annual conference, and it’s a recognized professional honor to be chosen
to lead one. In collaboration with a colleague from Penn State, Mullen also
prepared and presented a poster session highlighting the values of storytelling and narrative. The presentation
was titled “Work Stories, Stories
Work: Storytelling for Meaning-Making
and Pedagogical Improvement in
Clinical Legal Education.”
•
Professors Klein, Wortham and
Barry contributed significantly to
organizing a regional conference,
“International Collaboration in Teaching,
Learning, Lawyering, and Scholarship,”
held on May 3–4, 2006. The event was
sponsored by the Organization of the
Global Alliance for Justice Conference
and held in conjunction with the AALS
clinical conference. The CUA team set
the sche ule, reviewed speaker proposals, organized panels and identified
moderators. Professors Klein and Barry
each served as moderators for one of
the sessions. More than 80 people
registered for the tremendously successful conference, which included
discussions from law professors about
the state of legal education in countries
such as China, El Salvador, Great Britain,
Moldova, Israel, Peru and Mexico.
•
At a clinical scholarship workshop
at New York University on April 29, professors Klein and Wortham joined with
colleagues from the Jagiellonian
University to discuss an article regarding their collaboration on the comparative simulation, which also was the subject of the plenary. Professor Barry
made a presentation on her work-inprogress on mediation and family court.
Professor Wortham presented her
work on analysis of the environment for
legal education reform.
All in all, it was a busy weekend for
the clinical faculty that surely made an
impression on their peers from law
schools across the country. Said
Professor Wortham, “We clinical folks
at the conference in New York City are
very proud of how well CUA has shown
itself here.” They have every right to be
proud, and the Columbus School of
Law is proud of them as well.
9
D I S T I N G U I S H E D
P R A C T I T I O N E R S
Two Prominent Alumni
Return to Teach at CUA Law
Edward J. Damich
Edward J. Damich, 1976, chief judge, U.S.
Court of Federal Claims, has joined the
Columbus School of Law as a distinguished
lecturer in intellectual property law. Judge
Damich will teach an advanced copyright
seminar during the spring 2007 term.
Judge Damich was appointed to the U.S.
Court of Federal Claims in 1998 by
President Bill Clinton, and four years later
was designated chief judge by President
George W. Bush. During the mid-1990s,
Judge Damich served as chief intellectual
property counsel for the Senate Judiciary
Committee, where he assisted the chairman, Sen. Orrin Hatch, with the passage of the Digital Millennium
Copyright Act, the most significant
change in copyright law since the
Copyright Act of 1976. He also
worked on the Omnibus Patent Act
and was a member of the U.S. delegation at the World Intellectual
Property Organization diplomatic
conference. In 1992, Judge Damich
was appointed to be a commissioner
of the Copyright Royalty Tribunal.
Judge Damich has been a professor
of law at George Mason University
and at the Delaware Law School of Widener University. He has
taught intellectual property subjects, such as copyright law,
unfair trade practices and international protection of intellectual property. In addition, he has also taught contracts, property,
trusts and estates, jurisprudence and legislation. Judge Damich
is the author of numerous articles, mostly on copyright law, but
also on jurisprudence, land use planning and criminal law.
Judge Damich was appointed to the U.S. Court of
Federal Claims in 1998 by President Bill Clinton,
and four years later was designated chief judge by
President George W. Bush.
10
Kathleen Q. Abernathy
Nominated by President George W.
Bush and confirmed unanimously
by the U.S. Senate to a four-year
term in 2001, Abernathy served as
a commissioner at the Federal
Communications Commission.
Kathleen Q. Abernathy, 1983, will become
Distinguished Practitioner-in-Residence at
the Columbus School of Law beginning the
2006-2007 academic year. Working closely
with the Institute for Communications Law
Studies, the former FCC commissioner will
act as a faculty adviser to its various programs and
initiatives, including the National Telecom Moot
Court Team, CommLaw Conspectus: Journal of
Communications Law and Policy, and activities of the
institute itself. Abernathy will also chair a new advisory and steering committee created on behalf of
the institute. Currently a partner at the
Washington, D.C., law firm of Akin Gump,
Abernathy advises clients on a wide variety of policy and regulatory issues related to the telecommunications and media fields. Immediately prior to
joining Akin Gump, Abernathy served as a commissioner at the Federal Communications
Commission. Nominated by President George W.
Bush and confirmed unanimously by the U.S. Senate to a fouryear term in 2001, she was responsible for representing the
public interest in each of the policy areas under the FCC’s jurisdiction, including wireless; domestic and international
telecommunications; satellite; broadcast; cable; communications equipment manufacturers; and broadband, IP and other
advanced communications technologies. She was intimately
involved in developing and implementing domestic policy in
each of these fields. Before joining the FCC as a commissioner,
Abernathy served as vice president of public policy at
BroadBand Office Communications, as vice president of regulatory affairs at US West, and as vice president of federal regulatory at AirTouch Communications (a predecessor company to
Cingular Wireless).
Pictured are members of
the 2006 Graduation
Class Gift Leadership
Committee. Their
efforts resulted in a
record-breaking class
gift in both participation
and dollars raised.
Congratulations and Many Thanks
to the 2006 Graduating Class of
The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law!
We extend our heartfelt thanks to the members of the Class of 2006 who participated in the Graduation Class Gift. As of May 19,
2006, more than 40 percent of the class participated in this special law school initiative, committing $63,000 in gifts and pledges
to the Law School Annual Fund, LRAP and other programs! Listed below are the individuals who have made a special commitment
to the law school in celebration of their commencement day. Many of these gifts were made in memory of classmate Marcus Page.
On behalf of the entire law school community, we thank you and wish you success and happiness in the months and years to come!
Nada Abdelaal
Alex DuFour
Behnaz Lavian
Marie-Louise M. Rodgers
Diane Adams-Strickland
Christine Dulla
Kelly Loud
Timothy D. Rogers
Dave Allred
Saiza Elayda
Michael Magidson
Emily Saylor
Paul Alvarez
Judy Faubert
Rachel Mangas
John Schlageter
Michael Anderson
Kayleen M. Fitzgerald
Carolyn Manning
Rebecca N. Schwartz
*Amanda Axeen
*Matthew C. Ford
Daniel J. Marcinak
Emily Scruggs
*J. Israel Balderas
Jori Frahler
Cecilia McGregor
Denise Senese
Stockton D. Banfield
Andrew Glover
Susan McMaster
Meredith Skowonski
Lauren Baum
Michael Gorfinkle
Stacey Mescall
Andrew Smith
Nathaniel Borreli
*Katie Grassini
Heather Meyers
Christopher Spevak
Sara Bromberg
Lori Grazio
Johanna Mihok
Alexander H. Spiegler
Craig W. Bruney
Dean E. Griffith
Patrick Morand
Casey Symington
Derek Burrows
Liana Grossman
Melissa Morgan
Evan Taylor
Paul Calvo
Robert P. Hagan
James F. Morgan
Julie Thomas
Chris Canter
Mia G. Hayes
Claire Morisset
*Erica Tritta
*Kaethe Carl
Justin Heminger
*Bridget Mullaney
Jennifer Vaughan
Nicola Castel
Laura Henderson
Kristen Mullen
Tresa Vidayathil
Kerri Castellini
*Doug Herrema
Cathleen Reilly Myers
Desmarie Waterhouse
Jason Cheek
Jennifer Hill-Wilson
Diana Norris
James Weiss
*Margaret Cholis
Phu Huynh
Margaret O'Neil
Laura Weston
Candice Cleere
David Illingworth
Laurie K. Parks
Ron Whitworth
*Kathleen Connolly
Betsy L. Johnson
Meredith C. Petravick
Jennifer Whitworth
Adam W. Cook
Kimberly Johnson
James Petrungaro
M. Lee Wood
Laurie Crawford
Alison Keller-Micheli
Stephen Prest
Rachael Wood
*James Daniels
Brian P. Knestout
*Anna Priddy
Jeane Yoo
Tracy M. DeJesus
*Kendra L. Kosko
Jessica Purcell
Stefanie Zalewski
Jessica Zarrella
Adrienne Y. Denysyk
Timothy Kotsis
Rajir J. Raj
Tamara Droubi
Elizabeth Latwin
Robert C. Riegle
* 2006 Graduation Class Gift Leadership Committee
(This list includes gifts and pledges made on or before May 19, 2006. All class gift participants will be acknowledged in our fall 2006
Annual Report of Donors. Additional gifts and pledges can be made through August 2006 to be included in the Annual Report.)
Spring 2003 / C U A L A W Y E R
11
H O O D E D
A N D
H O P E F U L :
C O M M E N C E M E N T
2 0 0 6
2006 Law School Graduates
Urged to Remember
“The Twin Daughters of Hope”
“My friends, you are
the best and brightest
of America, and
we need you now
more than ever.”
12
R
emember always to serve others, a refrain familiar to the Columbus School of Law’s Class of
2006 throughout their three years of law school,
was sounded with passion and conviction one final time during the
commencement address delivered by Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Ariz).
A 2002 alumnus of the law school’s evening program, Renzi
graduated with a certificate earned from its well-known Law and
Public Policy Program. It was evident from his commencement
remarks that the program’s mission, focus and goals are still very
much a part of his public spirit, four years after graduation. The
second-term congressman urged the approximately 300 new law
school graduates to bear in mind through their lives and future
careers what St. Augustine referred to as the “Two lovely daughters
of hope: that of anger and that of courage. The anger to see that
which should never be, and the courage to fight against it.”
H O O D E D
A N D
H O P E F U L :
C O M M E N C E M E N T
2 0 0 6
The 117th annual commencement of The Catholic
University of America Columbus School of Law was
held on Saturday, May 27, 2006, at the Basilica of the
National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in
Washington, D.C. The warm and sunny afternoon
was brushed with a light breeze that provided the
perfect weather counterpoint to the students’ mood
of joy and exultation.
“My friends, you are the best
and brightest of America, and we
need you now more than ever. We
need you to fall deeply in love with
your country. We need you to step
forward as patriots and serve the
greater good, to help the downtrodden, the underprivileged and the
least among us. We need men and
women of your caliber to be filled
with anger and courage and great
hope for this country to help change
the remaining areas of need in our
own backyard,” said Renzi. Elected
to congress barely six months after
earning his law degree, Renzi represents the largest Native American
population in the nation. His call to
public service, he said, was fired
largely by the poverty, alcoholism and
hopelessness that is still rampant across
many tribal reservations in his district.
The reminder to serve the greater
good echoed from many speakers
Above: Another class successfully
launched as Dean Veryl V. Miles
presents paper proof of three years of
hard work. Left: Four years after his
own graduation from CUA’s law
school, Rep. Rick Renzi returns to
deliver its commencement address.
throughout the afternoon. Chosen to
deliver the official address on behalf of
his classmates, Israel Balderas
praised the long history of volunteerism and social action that is
typical of CUA law students.
“We’re indispensable not just
because we say ‘Is there a need?’
but also because we say ‘I’ll do it,’”
noted Balderas.
Law school Dean Veryl V.
Miles praised the “wonderful
compassion” demonstrated by
the law school community last fall by
the way it accepted and embraced fellow
law students who enrolled at CUA on an
emergency basis, displaced from their
Bright smiles, high spirits and a possible
recruit for the Class of 2026 marked a
beautiful and joyous day.
own classrooms in New Orleans by
the fury of Hurricane Katrina. “You
welcomed them here to heal with your
friendship,” she said.
The dean also made special mention of the inestimable contributions to
the law school from professors Leroy
Clark, Harvey Zuckman and William
F. Fox Jr. The retirements of the three
long-tenured faculty members officially
took effect at the end of the 2005-2006
academic year.
In
an
unusual move,
the university
awarded The
P r e s i d e n t ’s
Medal,
the
highest award
it can bestow,
to two recipients this year.
The first was presented to retiring
Adjunct Professor H.F. “Sparky” Gierke,
chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals
for the Armed Forces. The second was
awarded to Congressman Renzi.
13
The Inheritance
B y To m H a e d e r l e
For young men and women on the verge of launching a
career in law, alumni are the mirror reflecting into their
futures—the successful attorneys they anticipate they
will someday become.
14
A Tradition of Giving
Sustains CUA Law
We think of “commencement” as that joyous ceremony
that emphatically stamps the final period on the end of
a law school career.
After all, the word itself connotes a beginning, the inauguration of a fresh new start.
Luckily for the Columbus School of Law, many of its graduates over the years, along with
launching their outstanding legal careers, have also chosen to commence a new relationship with it. They quickly transform from focused, hardworking students to generous and
supportive alumni. Some offer financial help, others volunteer their knowledge, guidance
and professional expertise. All of these incredible gifts come from the heart and every one
of them touches the life of a current or future student.
Giving something back to society, thinking of others, extending a helping hand: these principles have always been the hallmark of a legal education at The Catholic University of
America. Perhaps mindful of the wise old proverb that ‘charity begins at home,’ many CUA
law alumni have chosen to put service to others into practice in a place where it will ultimately do a world of good. Right in their own backyard, in the classrooms and hallways of
their very own law school, looking out for the students who have followed in their path.
Recruitment
Alumni play an invaluable role in helping potential students form their first impressions of the Columbus School of
Law. This initial contact often comes at regional receptions
held for newly admitted students from all over the country. It
can be a deciding factor in a student’s decision about where to
matriculate. For young men and women on the verge of
launching a career in law, alumni are the mirror reflecting into
their futures—the successful attorneys they anticipate they will
someday become.
Each spring for the past several years, newly admitted
CUA law students from the New York City area have been
treated to a breathtaking view of the Big Apple’s skyline while
having the opportunity to meet and chat with alumni spanning
three generations. The hosts of this highly successful event are
Doug Wigdor and Scott Gilley, both of the Class of 1993. As
two of the three founding partners of Thompson Wigdor &
Gilly LLP, the attorneys are aware that their firm’s location on
the 57th floor of the Empire State building and its quite visible
success leave powerful impressions on blossoming law students.
“We reflect back to when we were law students and the valuable guidance we received from alumni who were in touch with
the student body,” Gilly recalls. “We believe it’s important to
share that same dedication to the school by giving them the
same opportunities we had to build relationships with practicing lawyers.”
Their annual reception clearly achieves its intended goals.
In 2005, for example, it provided a 100 percent yield for students
from the New York City area. Each and every student who
attended the event at Thompson, Wigdor & Gilly enrolled at
Catholic University’s law school for the fall 2005 entering class.
As part of the law school’s national recruitment effort,
receptions like the one in New York were hosted in five other
15
Doug Wigdor (left) and Scott Gilley (right) have played a significant
role in recruiting students from the New York City area.
of all the choices and experiential learning opportunities available to them. It’s a win-win situation, says Joe Morra, 1992, an
attorney with the Securities Exchange Commission who has
helped place a number of younger CUA law students into valuable externships.
“Interns can be very helpful, working alongside attorneys,
shouldering responsibilities and completing assignments, and
providing a fresh perspective on the issues at hand. It would
be less time consuming to write a check, but not as personally
rewarding. Obviously, both are very, very important to the
future of the Columbus School of Law,” says Morra.
Externships provide an opportunity for a student and
employer to try each other on for size. For many students, the
externship is their first real experience in a legal practice.
Through it, they better understand the scope and nature of the
practice of law and learn which areas of law appeal to them and
which do not. For their part, externship providers benefit from
the diligent work of motivated students and receive the chance
to “audition” potential future hires. The system worked well
for Mia Zur, for example. The 2002 graduate earned course
credit for her externship at the SEC. Four years later, she earns
her salary there as a staff attorney.
In addition to the practical and professional experience,
CUA law students learn equally important lessons about solidarity, pride in one’s law school, and seeking to help others.
major markets during 2005-2006: Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia,
Los Angeles (ably organized for many years by board of visitors
member Dean F. Pace) and Washington, D.C. These receptions
help to expand the school’s national presence and provide the
matriculation of a more geographically diverse student body.
Sarah Rewerts, director of the Office of Admissions, considers this
outreach effort to new “admits” to be an essential and exceptionally persuasive recruiting tool. “As many prospective law students
fully intend to return home upon graduation, they frequently ask
about the ‘geographic reach’ of the law
school,” she says. “When they meet with
Catholic alumni in major legal markets, their
The Lawyering Skills Program
confidence in the institution is crystallized.
They see how a Catholic University legal eduOne area in particular in which alumni make a phenomenal difcation will assist them in building a bridge to a
rewarding legal career.”
ference is through their steadfast support of the Lawyering Skills
Mentoring and
Teaching
The Columbus School of Law has the
largest and most well established legal externship program in the D.C. area. Each year, nearly 250 students earn course credits by working
in law firms; federal, state and local agencies;
the Congress; judicial chambers of the federal,
state, and District of Columbia courts; public
interest organizations; trade associations; and
corporations. Often, the doors to some of the
most coveted externships are personally opened
by CUA law alumni. Working with the law
school’s Office of Clinical Programs, the graduates make sure that current students are aware
16
Program. To hone their oral advocacy skills, every first-year student
participates in a mock appellate oral argument, offering their persuasions before two-judge panels. The student then receives both a verbal and written critique on his or her performance. Evaluating the
budding courtroom skills of 300 or so students is a lot of work, requiring many judges who are willing to give up hours of their time, often
on a weekend. The LSP program sends out 5,000 solicitations every
year, hoping to attract enough
judges to do the job. Of the 160 or
so who say yes, approximately 80
percent are CUA law alumni.
“They’re people who want to see
CUA students do their best,” says
Bev Jennison, co-director of the
Lawyering Skills Program. “Without
their help, that part of the [LSP]
program would just fall away.”
Jim Dolan, 1996, works within the insider trading section of the
National Association of Securities Dealers and has happily
helped steer many CUA law students toward his organization’s
externship opportunities. He does not seek their gratitude, but
he does expect them to remember the boost they received.
“One day they’ll be sitting in my chair, and they’ll be in
a position to help others get the same opportunity that they
are getting,” remarks Dolan. “I ask that when their turn
comes five or 10 years down the road, they’ll lend a hand to
another smart, hard-working CUA law student looking for
an opportunity.”
Career Guidance
There is a big difference between studying an area of law
and coming to understand it from the perspective of an insider.
Law students do the former, of course, but thanks to the willingness of many CUA law alumni to share what their years of
practice have taught them, current students are fortunate to
have the chance to do the latter as well.
Consider a recent example from March 2006. One spring
morning, more than a dozen CUA law students were the honored guests at a special breakfast in the Washington, D.C.,
offices of Holland and Knight. Employing nearly 1,200
lawyers, with offices around the globe, Holland and Knight is
among the 15 top largest law firms in the world. Hosted by five
CUA law alumni, the purpose of the event was to expose the
students to the rewards, challenges and intricacies of real estate
law and to get them thinking about the field as a potential area
of practice in their future careers. The Office of Legal Career
Services partnered with the Office of Institutional
Advancement to organize and publicize the breakfast. The
result: Students were treated to a sweeping overview of a fascinating area of law, one they had modest exposure to in the
classroom. The impressive panel of speakers included Charles
‘Chad’ Tiedemann, 1981, who spoke about “Overview of the
Practice of Real Estate Law”; Christopher H. Collins, 1978,
on “Land Use and Historic Preservation”; Alan P. Vollmann,
1980, on “Purchase/Sale and Financing”; Sharon Nelson
Craig, 1987, on “Condominiums and Leasing”; and Colleen
Leonard, 2003, who discussed “Life As A Real Estate
Associate.”
“Until I was shown other options, I only thought of giving money and participating in activities such as judging Moot
Court competitions as ways to contribute to the law school,”
says Tiedemann. “Dean Miles and the alumni and development staff have opened my eyes to other opportunities. This
[breakfast] program gave us the opportunity to showcase many
types of specialty practices that can be pursued by real estate
lawyers in private practice.”
“We reflect back to when we were law
students and the valuable guidance
we received from alumni who were in
touch with the student body.”
— Scott Gilley, 1993
17
Adds Chris Collins, “I think it’s also important to let them
know that we are taking an interest in their success as law
students, so that when they are successful lawyers several years
out of school, they will do the same.” Collins is also helping to
organize the brand new CUA Law Firm Challenge, an effort to
increase giving from firms that employ five or more alumni.
Events that allow students and alumni to begin building
professional connections have proven enormously popular for
both sides. A similar panel is anticipated in coming months at
Venable, hosted by Tom Madden, 1968. “These panels represent the creative ways we try to engage our alumni in mentoring,” says Jessica Heywood, director of the law school’s Office
of Legal Career Services. “It’s an opportunity for our students
to learn more about specific practice areas, as well as to introduce our best and brightest students to potential employers.”
These career panels can also lead students, quite literally, in
new directions. Former board of visitors member and 1977
alumnus Judge Marcus D. Williams, Fairfax Circuit Court, 19th
Judicial Circuit of Virginia, recalled attending a career program
that featured two alumni who practiced in Fairfax County,
which was a sleepy and largely overlooked Washington suburb
in the mid-1970s. The alumni saw changes coming and encouraged the students to branch out to a county that was soon to
become the largest jurisdiction in the Washington, D.C., area.
“That program and those law graduates were one of the main
reasons that I looked for opportunities in Fairfax to begin my
legal career,” remembers Williams.
For those who choose to share their knowledge, time and
expertise, there are any number of avenues that benefit the school
and it’s lawyers-in-training. They include participating on career
panels to give students the flavor of a particular legal specialty; conducting mock job interviews to help prep students for the pressure
of the real thing; heading up reunion and alumni association committees, or volunteering as a moot court judge or coach. SEC attorney Kathy England, an active alumna from the Class of 1981, puts
it succinctly, “Time is the most valuable asset we have to share.”
Career Coaching Over Lunch
“One day they’ll be sitting in my chair,
and they’ll be in a position to help
others get the same opportunity that
they are getting.”
— Jim Dolan, 1996
18
Brian Stolarz, 1998, is a familiar face to the staff of the law
school’s Legal Career Services office. Eight years since his own
student days (during which he met his wife at CUA), Stolarz is
still a regular participant in the mock interview program and
other law school related activities. He has much experience to
share. Stolarz has worked at small, mid-size and large law firms.
He has specialized in white-collar criminal defense and toiled
as a public defender. Currently, he is with Kirkpatrick and
Lockhart Nicholson Graham in Washington, D.C., where his
practice areas include securities enforcement and white-collar
criminal defense. Stolarz has extended an offer to treat any
CUA law student to lunch in order to discuss his or her career.
“I don’t look at what I do as far as any personal gain,” he says.
“I do it to help out students and to continue the CUA traditions. I
remember when I was in school that to get an alumnus to respond
to an e-mail or a call or a letter was like gold. So, I want to make
the process easy for current students (hence my lunch offer).”
Philanthropy
Historically, the Columbus School of Law has been very
tuition-dependent. Positioned as it is in one of the most
competitive markets in the country, the challenge of continuing to
enroll gifted and diverse student bodies, both from the region and
nationally, grows more difficult unless the school becomes less
Nell Hennessey, 1978, is the current chair of the Annual Fund.
Having donated, in aggregate,
well over $200,000 of her own
money to various scholarships
and funds, Hennessey isn’t asking her fellow alumni to do anything for the school that she hasn’t done many times herself. Her
affection for the Columbus School of Law has translated into a willingness to donate considerable time and
money to it, and it results from the very positive experience she had as a law student. “CUA law established for
me that law was a collegial profession rather than a cutthroat, competitive one,” Hennessey recalls.
James F. McKeown, 1970, is a
former member of the law
school’s board of visitors, an
influential steering and advisory
group. A partner at the
Washington, D.C.-based firm of
Crowell & Moring and an expert
in American intellectual property
law, McKeown has been one of
the law school’s most reliable contributors for more than
three decades. He has donated to both the Annual Fund
and the Dean’s Scholarship Fund, and was also active
in the capital campaign that raised money for the current law school building, which opened in 1994. “Great
reliant on tuition dollars as the primary source of funding.
A single semester’s tuition for the Columbus School of Law
for the 2005-2006 academic year is $15,115, or slightly more
than $30,000 for one year of law school, not including books,
meals, rent or associated living expenses. That figure is more or
less on par with most other private law schools in the nation. Yet
that same amount of tuition money applied to the 1974-1975
academic year, for example, would have paid for nearly 12 students to pursue their legal studies at CUA. If you began law school
at Catholic just over 30 years ago, you were billed $2,600 in tuition
for the entire academic year. While nobody is shocked to learn
that the cost of living has jumped dramatically over the past three
decades, the price of higher education, including law school, has
actually outpaced the rest of the economy. Nevertheless, CUA
law alumni continue to do what they can to help defray the cost
of law school for as many students as possible.
institutions have become great because their alumni
did not forget them,” says McKeown. “The time and
money contributions from generations of alums have
been handsomely repaid to the Harvards and Yales in
terms of the prestige gained from their association with
these great institutions. We who can should make no
less effort for the Columbus School of Law.”
Luis and Linda Perez, 1983, have been among the more
creative supporters of the law school and have even
opened their home to benefit it. Each year, the family
hosts a brunch and Mass in their Coral Gables residence
for the Florida chapter of the law school alumni association. “It provides a terrific opportunity for alumni in the
area to experience again the goodwill and friendship fostered by those earlier [law school] masses and perhaps
motivates them to show their appreciation to the law
school by supporting the school financially and otherwise,” says the couple.
The annual brunch and Mass hosted by Luis and Linda Perez
has become a treasured tradition for Florida alumni.
19
193 students, received scholarship
money during their time in law school.
Amounts ranged from more than
$70,000 awarded to a couple of academic superstars, to much more modest amounts of a few thousand dollars.
No matter what the level, however,
every subsidy represented money that
the student did not have to pay up
front, or would not owe upon graduaJean Marc Favreau
tion. Every scholarship dollar lightened
the load of debt created by tuition
“Not only did
that has crept up to more than $30,000
they accept
per year.
me, but they
For many law students at Catholic
University,
scholarship money can
awarded me
mean the difference between obtaining a
the Dean’s
legal degree or not. At the very least, the
Scholarship
amount of postgraduate debt reduced by
scholarships broadens the realistic range
as well.”
of career choices available later on.
Nicole Hogan, 2003, an attorney with the U.S. Bureau of
Prisons, always knew that she wanted to work for the government. During her second year of law school she was awarded a
coveted scholarship that was endowed by the late Judge
Kathryn J. DuFour. The $25,000 scholarship nearly erased
Hogan’s tuition that year. “The DuFour scholarship certainly
assisted in making [government practice] a reality by significantly reducing the amount
Doing Something
of debt I had when I graduated
from law school,” explains
“I just hate it. The cost of education is both reprehensible and repugnant,” says Robert
Hogan. “Government agencies
A. Warren, 1968. More than 35 years removed from his days as a law student, the
and other public sector
Sante Fe, N.M., retired lawyer has been a steadfast friend to his alma mater for many
employers look for applicants
years. “The cost is cheating a generation of students who deserve better, indeed
who already have established a
deserve what my generation got, a quality education at an entirely manageable price.”
commitment to some form of
Literally putting his money where his mouth is, Warren is doing what he can to help
public service. Judge DuFour’s
defray the price tag of a J.D. degree from Catholic University. Warren and his wife,
generous scholarship was an
indication to them that I had
Carol, devote time each year to donating a significant portion of their income to the
shown a commitment to serveducational funds and scholarships of four different schools to which they feel a perice and set me apart from other
sonal link. In the case of CUA, the Warrens’ generosity has resulted in a $50,000
applicants in that regard.”
donation in 1998 to the Leahy Scholarship, which covers a significant portion of
A student’s ability to gradtuition with preference for a Native American student or a student from the southwest
uate free of a career-narrowing
in general. Warren is well aware that not every alumnus is in a position to write the
debt load affects the rest of
kinds of checks that he can. But everyone, he believes, can do something. He sums
society as well. The law
it up like this: “I passionately value and believe in our youth. Depending upon how we
school’s exceptional and highly
treat them, educate them, nurture them—or ignore, abuse or disdain them—they will
ranked legal clinic has whetted
be the source of our greatest pride or deepest shame. Either way, they are, inevitably,
the appetite of many students
our future.”
for continuing public service
and pro bono work beyond
The level of generosity shown by these alumni and many
others makes a profound difference. For example, Jean Marc
Favreau, 2003, was accepted to CUA law and awarded ample
financial help for the pursuit of his interest in union-side labor
law and its applications as a tool for social justice. “The decisionmakers at CUA were forewarned that I was not going to graduate with a six-figure salary and the ability to make large financial
donations,” remembers Favreau. “Yet, not only did they accept
me, but they awarded me the Dean’s Scholarship as well.”
Selected among hundreds of applicants for a one-year legal fellowship within the general counsel’s office of the AFL-CIO,
Favreau was immersed in the major labor issues of our times,
such as employees’ rights to organize unions free of employer
threats or their right to distribute leaflets in public places. He was
also involved in drafting comments that opposed the Labor
Department’s proposed overtime regulations. Favreau graduated
about as well prepared as a law student can be, thanks directly to
the largess of alumni whose giving made his education possible.
Today, he practices union side labor law with Peer & Gan,
LLP. He has also made a point of staying engaged with CUA
law, keeping the cycle alive and contributing in numerous ways
to today’s student body. Favreau returns regularly to his alma
mater to speak about public interest law, as well as offers his
support each February to the school’s annual fundraising auction for Students for Public Interest Law.
Favreau is hardly alone in benefiting from alumni-supported scholarship dollars. Two-thirds of the Class of 2006, or
20
their law school days. Aly Oswald, 2005, continues to perform
life-changing pro bono work through her position as an associate at Jones Day. Recently, she was able to restore vital Social
Security disability benefits to a 53-year-old woman with crippling osteoarthritis to whom they had been denied.
Representing the woman on appeal, Oswald spent numerous
hours researching the applicable SSA regulations and drafting
her brief. Two firm partners contributed their time by editing
the brief, and Jones Day paid for the client’s transportation to
and from the hearing. “The best part was the look on her face
when the judge announced his favorable decision—relief,
excitement and joy, all at the same time,” says Oswald. It is
unfortunate, she believes, that the legal skills and invaluable
help that so many CUA law students would like to extend to
others runs smack into the wall of financial reality upon graduation. “More of my classmates would have been drawn to public service or pro bono work if not for the heavy debt load after
law school,” Oswald concludes.
Money not only speaks loudly in the rarified air of graduate school education, it sometimes has the last word. During
the last year or so, applications to law schools nationwide have
dropped by nearly 10 percent. The reasons for this are muddy;
some chalk it up to a resilient economy and steady job creation.
Applications to the Columbus School of Law, on the other
hand, have dipped less than that—in large part because the
school is able to offer approximately one-quarter of incoming
students a persuasive financial aid package through various
scholarships, sturdily propped up by the backbone of the
Annual Fund.
“I think it’s also important
to let them know that we
are taking an interest in
their success as law
students, so that when
they are successful lawyers
several years out of school,
they will do the same.”
— Christopher H. Collins, 1978
Several days of silent bidding always begins the annual SPIL
auction. The popular fund raiser is a perfect example of students
helping themselves.
21
For alumni who are inclined to
donate financially in any amount, the
law school’s Annual Fund is by far the
most helpful destination for their dollars. At some schools, “annual fund” is
a cover term for its general operating
budget and used to pay for everything
from building maintenance to office
supplies. But the Columbus School of
Law’s Annual Fund is mission-directed money, a pool of unrestricted funds Kim Soen Morris
used only to address its most critical
needs. “Currently, all gifts to the “Through her
Annual Fund are used to fund annual generosity, I
scholarships to attract and retain top
undoubtedly
students,” according to Margaret A.
King, the law school’s associate dean had a much
for institutional advancement. “These more enriching
gifts have the most immediate impact
law school
on the law school and on addressing
experience.”
our current challenges.”
Some alumni chose to establish
and endow named scholarships—ensuring that the memory of
their family, as well as their generosity, lives on within the walls
of the Columbus School of Law. The DuFour name will certainly never be forgotten by Kim Soen Morris, 2004. Now a
practicing attorney in the New York City office of Winston &
Strawn, Morris was also a beneficiary of the Judge Kathryn J.
DuFour Scholarship. She is acutely aware of the positive difference that one person made in her life, a woman whom she
never had the chance to meet. “Through her generosity, I
undoubtedly had a much more enriching law school experience. The scholarship allowed me to concentrate more on my
studies and become more involved with extracurricular activities without worrying about working long hours to cover my
expenses during school,” says Morris.
“I don’t look at what I do as far as
any personal gain,” he says. “I do it
to help out students and to continue
the CUA traditions.”
— Brian Stolarz, 1998
22
Steering Their
Own Futures
While today’s students benefit in irreplaceable ways from
strong alumni support, they also work actively on their own
behalf. Anyone who has graduated within the past 15 years, for
instance, surely recalls the annual fund-raiser for Students for
Public Interest Law. The February event auctions off everything from beach vacations, to knitting lessons, to facultycooked dinners, to autographed baseball bats. The money
raised provides summer stipends that allow CUA students to
pursue low-paid public interest work. Many of the biddable
Restaurant gift certificates,
bottles of wine, television
and stereo equipment and
even a pair of round-trip,
first-class tickets to
London were among the
items generously donated
by supporters of CUA law
to the most recent SPIL
auction.
For additional information:
items are donated by alumni, but students personally organize
the highly successful auction. In 2006, the SPIL event raised
almost $30,000, an amount that was nearly doubled by the
$25,000 chipped in from the law school. The funds permitted
more than a dozen CUA law students to perform important
public service and pro bono work that would otherwise be
unfeasible financially.
In another example of motivated entrepreneurship, students organized a drive to resell used textbooks to raise money
for the law school’s new Loan Repayment Assistance Program,
designed to alleviate educational debt burdens for graduates
who commit to a certain period of public interest work.
Finding A Way
American author and historian Henry Adams said “A
teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence
stops.” That is equally true of giving, whether it’s of time, talent or treasure. No contribution is ever wasted, and every
investment made now into the Columbus School of Law will
pay off in a thousand ways for years to come.
There are so many valuable avenues open to any alumnus
of the law school who wants to get involved and help. Why a
graduate should do that is a question each person must answer
for himself or herself. Robert Warren, endower of the Leahy
Scholarship, intends to bequeath the school with more money
from his estate in the future. His reasons are simple and deeply
felt. “CUA law was very good to me, it provided me with a
quality legal education and a good deal more besides that, so I
want to reciprocate and be good to it,” says Warren. “You can’t
take it with you. All you can do is plant the seed and provide it
with a bit of moisture and fertilizer in hopes that it grows and
reseeds itself.”
To make a financial gift
Office of Institutional Advancement
The Catholic University of America
3600 John McCormack Road N.E., Suite 339
Washington, DC 20064
Phone: 202-319-4637
Fax: 202-319-4051
To volunteer for moot court judging, career
mentoring, or the sharing of professional
knowledge and expertise
Office of Legal Career Services
Phone: 202-319-5132
To host admitted student receptions or alumni chapter
meetings
Office of Admissions
Phone: 202-319-5151
23
A
L E A D E R
B I D S
F A R E W E L L
Eyewitness to History
Flip Schulke/CORBIS
F
As civil rights awareness grew during the 1960s, the law necessarily became a crowbar, prying open the doors of opportunity
and equality that had been slammed shut to minorities.
24
or 25 years, his classes in criminal
law, criminal procedure and fair
employment law have made generations of CUA law students sit up, listen closely and
learn. Perhaps it’s because they realized that when
Professor Leroy Clark is speaking, they’re hearing
from a man who not only knows those bodies of
law, but who helped to shape them as well.
Professor Clark—teacher, book author, civil
Professor Leroy rights attorney, arbitrator and consultant—joined
Clark
the faculty of the Columbus School of Law in 1981
and has decided to retire at the end of the 2005–2006 academic year.
His departure from the classroom leaves an immense void within the
law school. In addition to his great technical mastery of the subjects
he taught, Professor Clark also takes with him that rare sense of
participant, of having both watched and played a significant role in
some of the most important changes in the nation’s history.
Although the term “The Greatest Generation” is often used to
refer to the Americans who fought and won World War II, the handle could equally well apply to people like Professor Clark, members of a courageous legal vanguard who respected the potential of
their country too much to allow it to renege on its promise of
equality to all citizens.
His experiences as a young assistant counsel to the NAACP
Legal Defense and Educational Fund Inc. during the tumultuous
1960s are the stuff of History Channel documentaries today, but
were nonetheless typical for the times. Professor Clark spent a great
deal of time defending black men sentenced to death for crimes such
as rape. In one memorable instance, his legal maneuverings bought
his client just enough time to have his death sentence vacated, after
a conscience-stricken sheriff unexpectedly came forward and admitted that the damning evidence had been planted. “This event was
my most memorable experience of the civil rights movement,
because we literally got a bunch of people off death row that would
have been killed,” said Clark. At other periods, he worked with leaders like Jesse Jackson and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to implement
the Poor People’s Campaign, an effort to focus the country’s
A
L E A D E R
B I D S
F A R E W E L L
“You can imagine how
gratifying it was for me
to learn how the Church
embraced many of the
moral and ethical
principles that I think
guided the [civil rights]
movement.”
attention on its obligation to lift people
out of poverty by giving them access to
decent food, shelter and schooling.
Professor Clark’s work did not go unnoticed. At one point, he was threatened
with death by the Florida Ku Klux Klan.
Leroy D. Clark grew up in New
York City’s Harlem, during the 1940s
and 1950s a much more integrated community with a distinct middle class.
While the neighborhood certainly had
its problems, it also gave him an early
sense of what was possible when people
chose to live peacefully together. After
obtaining his LL.B. from Columbia
University’s School of Law in 1961, he
commenced his legal career as staff counsel within the civil rights division of New
York State’s Office of the Attorney
General. Then came his six years with
the NAACP, followed in turn by his first
dip into the classroom at NYU’s law
school from 1968-1979. Along the way
he burnished his legal skills in other
areas as well, serving as an arbitrator
In his farewell letter to the law school, Professor Clark wrote “It was gratifying to learn
gradually that there was no need for me to implore or campaign for expanding the
minority presence on the faculty because I saw, in actual practice, that this was also an
implicit goal of my colleagues.”
with the Federal Mediation &
Conciliation Service and as general counsel for two years to the Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission.
Over the years, Professor Clark has
also devoted a great deal of his time to
pro bono causes. He has served on the
board of directors of the ACLU and the
Fair Employment Council, as a consultant to New York State’s Judicial
Commission on Minorities, and as a
member of the Personnel Appeals Board
of the General Accounting Office.
His longest running membership,
however, has been that of faculty professor at The Catholic University of
America Columbus School of Law.
When Professor Clark joined the school
in 1981, it seemed a natural fit
because the views of the Catholic
Church on many important social
issues dovetailed neatly with his
own. “You can imagine how gratifying it was for me to learn how
the Church embraced many of the
moral and ethical principles that I
think guided the [civil rights] movement,” he wrote in a farewell letProfessor Clark is delighted with
the presence of his sons, surprise
guests at the BLSA awards
ceremony in April.
ter to his faculty colleagues.
Married to Jeanette Jackson Clark,
a 1970 Trinity College graduate and an
associate justice on the D.C. Superior
Court, Professor Clark has had the
immense satisfaction of watching his
sons grow up in a world markedly
improved from the one he knew at their
age. His youngest son is a patent attorney and partner in a prestigious law firm
that, as Clark noted, “wouldn’t even
have given me an interview.”
On April 5, 2006, the law school’s
Black Law Students Association held its
annual Alumni Achievement Award
Ceremony. The students also used the
occasion to pay special tribute to the life
and career of Professor Clark. As he
prepares to leave the classroom and
move into the next phase of his life, he
can look back on a career devoted to the
struggle for justice and equality for all.
Most of all, he can retire knowing that
he made a difference. Through his
efforts and those of an entire generation
of socially committed lawyers, many of
the barriers that used to block the
progress of minority citizens have been
demolished forever.
Professor Clark said it himself during his remarks at the BLSA ceremony:
“America is moving along at a rapidly
beautiful pace.”
25
I D I M W
( I
D O
I T
M Y
W A Y )
A CONFLUENCE OF TWO
CHARMING TRADITIONS
(A self-congratulatory illustrated essay)
1. Abbrvns
Every professor develops a style, a set of idiosyncrasies. One of mine, which has become something of a tradition among my students, is a
lengthy set of abbreviations that I have developed in each of the courses I teach. They have
become so numerous that I include a list of them
with the exam instructions in each course.
The abbreviations my students tend to
remember the longest — alumni sometimes
approach me at reunion events 20 years after
graduation and tell me, “I still remember
KIHOP BOBAP”— are the ones I use to teach
the law of provocation. This doctrine provides
that, although as a general rule an intentional,
unlawful killing is murder, if the defendant killed
when confronted with particularly provoking circumstances, a jury may find the defendant not
guilty of murder and guilty only of manslaughter.
Naturally, all sorts of restrictions and qualifications complicate this concept.
by Professor Clifford S. Fishman
26
I D I M W
( I
D O
To summarize this body of law, I write on the
blackboard:
KIHOP
BOBAP
WACOP
MFARPPOV
I explain: a defendant is entitled to assert the partial defense of provocation, where the evidence
makes out the following:
KIHOP — killing in the heat of passion
BOBAP — brought on by adequate
provocation
WACOP — without a cooling-off period, all
of which is
MFARPPOV — measured from a reasonable person’s point of view.
*Note these well, because there will
be a quiz at the end of this essay.
So that’s the first tradition: my manic
abbreviations.
2. The Rock
I was a visiting professor at the University of
Tennessee College of Law in Knoxville during
the fall of 2005. The main street on campus is
Volunteer Avenue. About half a mile along this
road, off fraternity row and near the athletic
fields, you’ll find an otherwise nondescript parking lot with one conspicuous feature: The Rock,
an outcropping of limestone which protrudes
from the ground between the lot and the sidewalk. It measures roughly 6 feet high and 12 feet
long.
The Rock serves as a sort of student bulletin
board. Whenever students feel strongly enough
about a subject, they paint The Rock accordingly. (I’m told that both Sports Illustrated and
Playboy prominently mention The Rock as a significant campus sight on their Web pages about
UT.) Tradition dictates that The Rock may be
painted only under cover of darkness. One
I T
M Y
W A Y )
group’s message remains thereon until another group is motivated to paint it over and present its own message. (It is
sometimes said that The Rock
began as a mere pebble and
has grown to its present proportions because of the countless layers
of paint that have been applied to it.)
3. Confluence
As I entered the room for my last Criminal Law
class at UT, on the teacher’s podium I found an
11-by-14 print of the photograph that is attached
to this essay.
Yes, this is The Rock, after my criminal law students had taken it upon themselves to paint it.
Note, first, the color pattern and the circle on the
right: They painted it to look like a fish.
Note, second, what is written on the center of
The Rock:
MFARPPOV
FISHMAN ROCKS!
TYPCF
MFARPPOV, you undoubtedly recall (aren’t you
glad you studied?), is my final “provocation”
abbreviation. Those who can decode that abbreviation therefore understand that The Rock dramatically proclaims:
MEASURED FROM A REASONABLE
PERSON’S POINT OF VIEW,
FISHMAN ROCKS!
TYPCF
TYPCF? That’s not one of my abbreviations; my
students coined it, to mean: “Thank you,
Professor Cliff Fishman.”
From faculty and staff reaction, I gather that it is
quite unusual for students to paint The Rock to
honor a professor. So I guess I can say that I left my
mark at UT—at least until someone paints it over!
27
A
F I N A L
S A L U T E
Most Honorable Discharge:
A Beloved Professor Bids Farewell
M
ost sports stars vow to quit “while I’m
still at the top of my game,” although
the promise is rarely kept. One CUA
law teaching star, however, is leaving while still at the peak of his
classroom prowess. Not because his skills or motivation have
eroded, but simply because the time is right.
On Sept. 30, 2006, the Hon. H.F. “Sparky” Gierke, chief
judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, will
complete his term, bringing to a close a 23-year career on the
bench. For the past decade or so, he has shared his vast knowledge of trial practice and comparative military law with fortunate
law students at both Catholic University and George
Washington University. With the impending end of his judicial
service, however, Judge Gierke has decided to relocate permanently to Florida, where his wife Jeanine is the human resources
director at the Arnold Palmer Bay Hill Club and Lodge in
Orlando. (He has already accepted the position of Distinguished
Jurist-in-Residence and coordinator of lawyering skills and values at Andreas School of Law in Orlando, where he will begin in
October 2006.) Continuing his service in the academic community, Judge Gierke will continue to support Columbus School of
Law’s program, people and alumni.
Judge “Sparky” Gierke was presented with the President’s
Medal, which quoted a former student and read in part: “He has
given of himself much more to this law school community than
we could ever repay him in words or gestures.”
28
C U A L A W Y E R / Spring-Summer 2006
Anywhere he lectures, students hold him in the highest
esteem. In 2002 and 2004, the Student Bar Association at CUA
honored him with the Outstanding Adjunct Professor Award.
Their peers at G.W.’s law school did the same, conferring the
Distinguished Adjunct Service Award on Judge Gierke in 2002.
“I don’t claim I’m a better instructor than anyone else,” he says.
“But, I do connect well with students. I’m accessible, and I make
a substantial effort to accommodate their needs.”
“He has given of himself much more to this law school community than we could ever repay him in words or gestures,” says
Christopher D’Antonio, 1999. “For those of us lucky enough to
have been in his classroom or in his chambers, we will not forget
the contributions that Judge Gierke has made —and continues to
make—to our academic careers and our professional lives. He
will be missed at Catholic.”
The admiration is mutual. “The students, faculty and alumni here have been just wonderful,” says the former justice of the
North Dakota Supreme Court, noting that the several faculty
members who have served as associate dean for Academic Affairs
during his time have all offered their unwavering support. The
judge’s regard for his CUA students extends to his court, where he
typically employs two externs each semester. In recent years, most
of them have come
“For those of us lucky enough from the Columbus
to have been in his classroom School of Law. “A
colleague and good
or in his chambers, we will not friend of mine has an
expression: ‘If you
forget the contributions that
want to be a better
Judge Gierke has made.”
lawyer, start with
being a better person.’ The students here have got a head start on
being better people,” says the judge. “They’re a pleasure to teach.
One hallmark of the Columbus School of Law community is that
the students become lawyers that you’d like to practice law with.”
Judge Gierke taught his normal courses during the spring
semester of 2006. As the end of the semester loomed, his
thoughts increasingly turned to his rich and rewarding years at
CUA law. “It’ll be a tough walk down the hall and out of the
building that last week,” he reflected. For its part, the university
tried to acknowledge Judge Gierke’s vast contributions to the law
school with the most significant gesture in its arsenal. On May
27, at the law school’s commencement ceremony, Judge Gierke
was presented with the President’s Medal—the highest honor
bestowed by The Catholic University of America.
I N
R E M E M B R A N C E
A Master Professor
of Civility and Grace
M
As accomplished as
Urban Lester was in
the courtroom and in the
classroom, he is best
remembered for his
“gentle and courtly way
which he combined so
winningly with his keen
skills as a lawyer.”
ost professors of law teach their subjects with skill and dedication. Much
smaller, however, is that pool of
legal educators whose imprint upon their students
transcends their classroom entirely. Such professors
are a treasure. They impart lifelong lessons not just
in the minutiae of the law, but also in civility, graciousness, personal comportment and what it means
to live one’s life as a successful human being.
Urban A. Lester was such a man. When the
retired Columbus School of Law professor died of
atrial fibrillation May 22, 2006, in Washington,
D.C., at age 76, his former faculty colleagues, students and countless other people whose lives he had touched over the
years had an instinctive response: We will not see his like again.
“Urban Lester was a true gentleman and scholar, whose teaching
and counsel has left an indelible imprint on my career,” said Professor
Robert Destro, who recalled the help and advice he received from
Lester when, as a brand new faculty member in 1982, he felt the jitters
when faced for the first time with how to properly curve his grades.
Professor Lester left that impression with everyone. For a number
of years he served as faculty adviser to the CUA chapter of the Black Law
Students Association. Some people might have expected that role to fall
to Professor Leroy Clark, at the time the only black member of the law
faculty. But Clark’s time was already overcommitted. Professor Lester
was more than happy to step up. “I know from conversations with some
of the black students during Urban’s service that they really appreciated
having a white person come forward and volunteer. He was, from my
perspective, a very thoughtful, sensitive and caring person,” said Clark.
A third-generation lawyer, Urban Alexander Lester was born in
Knoxville, Tenn., and moved to the District in 1949 to attend
Catholic University, thus beginning a relationship with the university that was to last more than a half-century until his retirement in
2003. He received a bachelor’s degree in philosophy, graduating cum
m
30
C U A L A W Y E R / Spring-Summer 2006
I N
R E M E M B R A N C E
Clockwise from top: In the cockpit in Korea;
With his beloved wife Julie on their 25th
wedding anniversary in 1993; With faculty
colleagues at his retirement dinner in 2003;
Professor Lester was the recipient of the
Mirror of Justice Award in 1991.
laude in 1954. After graduation he
served as a B-25 pilot in Korea, leaving
the Air Force with the rank of captain.
Lester then returned to Catholic,
where he earned his law degree in
1959. After working as a federal court
clerk in Pittsburgh, he returned to
Washington, where he was affiliated
with several law firms, specializing in
litigation and commercial law.
Professor Lester was a special litigation counsel in the Kennedy and
Johnson administrations and in the
early 1970s acted as a counsel to an
attorney for the Watergate burglars
who was forced by Judge John J. Sirica
to reveal the names of his clients.
In the early 1970s, Mr. Lester
began teaching courses in agency and
partnership law at Catholic as well as in
federal practice and procedure. In 1978,
he became an associate professor while
retaining an of-counsel position at the
D.C. law firm of Alvord & Alvord.
At Catholic, he taught courses
on civil procedures, corporations,
federal practice and procedure, litigation and professional responsibilities. (Two phrases that his students will remember, according to
his good friend, Professor Michael
Noone, are “don’t put a pen to
paper” and “trap for the unwary.”)
Lester also served as chairman of
Catholic’s Academic Senate.
Professor Lester was associated for more than 20 years with the
National Institute for Trial
Advocacy, serving as a senior lecturer in programs at Harvard, Emory
and Georgetown universities and elsewhere. He was also a founding member
of the Thurgood Marshall American Inn
of Court at Catholic University. The
inns, which include more than 20,000
b
members, are dedicated to improving
the skills and professionalism of judges,
lawyers and students.
As accomplished as Urban Lester
was in the courtroom and in the classroom, he is best remembered for his
“gentle and courtly way—which he
combined so winningly with his keen
skills as a lawyer,” in the words of
Professor Leah Wortham. Indeed,
Professor Lester’s respect for the law,
and the proper teaching of the law,
shone bright in everything he did. His
relations with faculty colleagues were
exceptionally cordial. “He was always
positive and upbeat. And he didn’t play
favorites; Urban had the same uplifting
and encouraging manner with the entire
law school community,” recalled
Professor William Kaplin.
Urban Lester
was devoted to
Juliette, his wife of
37 years, personally flying her to
New York City to
begin their honeymoon in 1968.
They always faced
life together and
had planned for a
comfortable retirement in Scottsdale, Ariz,
before he took ill.
With his passing goes his unique
gift for relating to others. Friend, colleague or student, anyone who passed
through his orbit felt respected, valued
and significant. Writing about his dear
friend in 1998, former law school dean
Ralph Rohner said “This is quintessential Urban Lester, serving always as a
mirror, reflecting light on others so that
they might see and become the best of
themselves.”
The Catholic University law school
community bade farewell to its beloved
member on June 7, 2006, with a Mass of
Christian Burial at the Crypt Church of
the Basilica of the National Shrine of the
Immaculate Conception, overlooking
the campus that for most of his life,
Urban Lester called home.
Spring-Summer 2006 / C U A L A W Y E R
31
A N E V O LV I N G
Faculty
Transitions
By Eileen M. Flanagan
S
ummer is a time of transition in
any educational institution, and
the Columbus School of Law is
no exception. Students welcome a
reprieve from the demanding schedule of the academic year. New graduates join the ever-growing community
of alumni and prepare for the next
phase of their professional lives. This
summer, our faculty is undergoing
transition as well. As discussed in this
issue of CUA Lawyer, Professor Leroy
Clark and Adjunct Professor H.F.
“Sparky” Gierke are leaving full-time
teaching after many years of invaluable contributions to the law school.
Joining them is a 30-year veteran of
faculty service, professor and former
dean William F. Fox Jr. With the retirement of these three distinguished
professors, students are losing more
than 60 collective years of experience
at the front of the law school’s classrooms.
Professor William F. Fox Jr.
began teaching at the Columbus
School of Law in 1975 after receiving
his J.D. from the CUA school of law in
1972 and an LL.M. degree from
Harvard Law School in 1974. As an
alumnus, faculty member and law
school administrator (Associate Dean
for Academic Affairs, 1975-1978 and
2001-2003; and Dean, 2003-2005),
Professor and former Dean Fox has
been a part of the law school community for almost 35 years. His significant and recent service to the law
school enhances a list of impressive
teaching and scholarly accomplishments in the areas of civil procedure,
32
administrative law and international
business law. An admired professor
and administrator, he is also the
author of several journal articles and
books
including
Understanding
Administrative Law, International
Commercial Agreements, and The
Law of Veterans Benefits: Judicial
Interpretation. His research interests
facilitated his international teaching in
Scotland, Indonesia and most recently
in the American Law Program in
Krakow, Poland, during the fall 2005
semester.
While Dean Fox and Professors
Clark and Gierke can never really be
replaced in the hearts and minds of
the thousands of students who have
benefited from their superb instruction over the years, the Columbus
School of Law is pleased to announce
the arrival of four new faculty members, all of whom will teach during the
2006-2007 academic year: Professor
Suzette Malveaux, Professor Elizabeth
Winston, and Visiting Professors Mary
Leary and Stephen Smith.
Professor of law and former dean
William F. Fox Jr.
University of Alabama School of Law,
where she is an assistant professor.
Prior to teaching, Malveaux practiced
law in Washington, D.C., for eight
years. Her research interests include
arbitration, class actions and civil
rights. She has experience teaching
civil procedure, complex litigation,
With the retirement of these three distinguished
professors, its students are losing more than 60
collective years of experience at the front of the
law school’s classrooms.
These regular and visiting faculty
members bring impressive credentials and ample teaching experience.
Malveaux, a graduate of Harvard
University and New York University
Law School, comes to CUA from the
public international law and employment discrimination.
Joining her as a regular faculty
member is Professor Elizabeth
Winston, who is currently an assistant
professor at Whittier Law School and
the director of its Center for
Intellectual Property Law. A graduate
of the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology and the University of
Virginia School of Law, Winston
clerked for two federal judges,
practiced law at Covington & Burling,
and taught as a visitor at Tulane Law
School. Her scholarly interests include
The Columbus School of Law looks forward to the
contributions its newest faculty members will make
to students and to the greater law school community.
Professors Mary Leary and Stephen
Smith. Leary, a graduate of and
adjunct professor at the Georgetown
University Law Center, is currently the
Joining Us at
CUA Law
attorneys and as an assistant United
States attorney. In January 2007,
Professor Leary will be joined by
Professor Stephen Smith, who currently teaches at the University of
Virginia School of Law. A graduate of
UVA School of Law and Dartmouth
College, Smith is a former clerk to
Supreme Court Justice Clarence
Thomas (a distinction he will share
with one of his spring semester
colleagues, CUA professor Peter
“Bo” Rutledge). Professor Smith is
the author of several law review articles, and his research and teaching
interests include criminal law, criminal
procedure and federal criminal law.
The Columbus School of Law
looks forward to the contributions its
newest faculty members will make to
students and to the greater law
school community. To Professor
Clark, Dean Fox and Judge Gierke, we
express our deepest gratitude and
best wishes. We hope that these
unforgettable educators will continue
to maintain their connections with the
community of which they are so
much a part.
Clockwise from top right: Professor Elizabeth Winston, Professor Suzette Malveaux and
Professor Stephen Smith.
copyright, patent and trademark law,
and she has experience teaching contracts and copyright law.
To accommodate the remaining
academic needs, the Columbus
School of Law welcomes Visiting
director for both the National Center
for Prosecution of Child Abuse, and
the American Prosecutors Research
Institute in Alexandria, Va. She brings
a wealth of professional experience
from work in offices of two district
33
REMARKABLE
Events
Remarkable Events Inspiring Tomorrow’s Leaders
at The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law
Equipped with a J.D. degree, today’s attorneys enjoy nearly limitless choices among legal specialties and practice areas, many
of them nonexistent just 30 years ago. Practitioners can choose to develop expertise in health care law, immigration issues,
high-tech communications regulations, international trade and environmental law, among many other sub-fields. Catholic
University’s law students were exceptionally fortunate during the spring semester of 2006. They were able to learn first-hand
about the hottest issues in some of the most exciting practice fields in law today, from the experts that know them best.
Searching for Fairness and Accountability
from Government
January — With record numbers of people pressing for permanent entry
into the United States, do non-citizens receive fair hearings before the immigration courts and the Board of Immigration Appeals? That was among the
key questions discussed at a day-long symposium sponsored by the Catholic
University Law Review on Jan. 30, 2006. The “Immigration Appeals and
Judicial Review” invited leading immigration experts from government, the
judiciary, academia and advocacy groups to analyze the implications of
important procedural changes made by the Department of Justice several
years ago to the way immigration cases are handled by the United States.
Warning of the Danger of Complacency
February — Citing “almost universal acceptance that our planet is warm-
ing,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) told an audience at Catholic
University’s law school that the smartest path to controlling climate change
lies in a combination of new technologies to reduce greenhouse gases,
helping developing countries adopt new and cleaner energy sources and
bringing economic development to countries facing extreme poverty. A
member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Murkowski’s Brendan Brown Lecture represented the senator’s most detailed statement so far on the issue of planetary warming. “Climate change is real and something we’ll be dealing with throughout our lifetimes,” she said.
Mining Great American Literature for
Significant Cultural Commentary
Spring Semester — Call it admirable independence or rogue behavior, but America has a history of asserting for itself a standing exemption from general rules. This theme courses
through some of the nation’s finest literature, from Huckleberry Finn to Ralph Ellison’s
Invisible Man to many other works. Four eminent American scholars were invited to mine the
great works within the American canon as a means of exploring “Exceptionalist Themes in
American Literature,” a four-lecture series in law and literature sponsored by the law school’s
Center for Law, Philosophy and Culture and the School of Arts and Sciences.
34
Assessing Changes to America’s
Social Safety Net
March — Critics decry the cost, but the administration’s decision to expand Medicare coverage to include most prescription drugs was the right move at the right time, said Columbus
School of Law alumnus James G. Scott, 1988. A senior legislative adviser for the Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services, Scott said the historic law has so far provided more than 25 million
Americans with expanded health insurance, making the three-year-old program one of the most successful
federally subsidized programs in the nation’s history. Scott was among the speakers at a symposium titled
“Medicare: The Business of Modern Medicine.” Sponsored by The Journal of Contemporary Health Law
and Policy and the Health Law Society, the symposium examined recent developments in health care law
and the impact of the Medicare Modernization Act upon the health care system in general.
Balancing the Picture with an Important
Trading Partner
March — China is often depicted in today’s media as America’s biggest
long-term economic rival, but there is more to the picture, said experts.
While the trade imbalance is real, Americans forget that China is also the
world’s fourth largest market for American-made goods. The economic
relationship between the two powers was closely examined during a twohour panel discussion, “U.S.–China Trade Relations: Current
Developments.” Sponsored by the law school’s Comparative and
International Law Institute and the International Law Student Association,
the panel of experts was moderated by CUA adjunct instructor Patrick A. Mulloy, a commissioner on the U.S.-China
Economic and Security Review Commission.
Urging Expanded Access to the Benefits of
High-Speed Internet
March — Blazing fast Internet speeds are a wonderful perk that
many people take for granted, so it’s worth recalling that millions of Americans, most residing in rural and underserved
areas, are still shut out from the intellectual and economic benefits of access to broadband technology. How to spread its
wealth was the subject of a day-long conference, “Bringing
America up to Speed: Delivering on Our Broadband Future
Without Sacrificing Local Identity,” sponsored by The Catholic
University of America’s CommLaw Conspectus: Journal of Communications Law and Policy and the Institute for
Communications Law Studies. Dozens of viewpoints were expressed, but more agreed with the panelist who stated,
“We don’t want to become a nation of haves and have nots.”
35
T O M O R R O W ’S
Alumni
What’s New with CUA Law Students
Moot Court Results
Catholic University’s Students for
Public Interest Law (SPIL) raised
approximately $29,800 from their annual fundraising auction, held in February.
The law school provided a matching gift
of $25,000. The money underwrites
summer stipends for up to 18 CUA law
students, allowing them to perform
public service and pro bono work that
would otherwise be financially unfeasible. Rising 2Ds James Flanagan, Tyler
Van Voorhees and Kristin Johnston
(pictured above, with Professor Michael
F. Noone Jr.) were the high bidders on a
weekend getaway to the Middleburg,
Va., Hunt Races. The April excursion
into the heart of Virginia horse country
was personally donated by Professor
Noone.
Rising 2Ds Nancy Conneely, Adam
Hall and Elizabeth Pugliese have been
selected as the 2006 St. Ives Summer
Honors Interns in legislative affairs by
The Center for Law, Philosophy and
Culture. The students will spend an
intensive six-week internship at the
Catholic Charities national legislative
affairs office in Alexandria, Va.
Rising 3D Michael Mitchell was selected to serve on The Federalist Society’s
2006 National Student Symposium
Editorial Board of the Harvard Journal of
Law & Public Policy. The board consists
of law students nationwide chosen by
The Federalist Society to edit the papers
that were presented at the 2006 National
Student Symposium. The topic of the
36
The three-member Catholic University
2006 Sutherland Cup team was a
finalist in the eight-team field, placing
just behind eventual winner Ohio
State University. Rising 3Ds Adam
Bitter, Denise Giraudo and rising
4E Christina Heide competed during the weekend of March 31–April 1
in the appellate advocacy competition
focusing on constitutional law. The
panel of final-round judges was comprised of the Hon. David Sentelle,
U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C.
Circuit; U.S. Supreme Court Associate
Justice Clarence Thomas; and the
Hon. Richard C. Tallman, U.S. Court
of Appeals for the 9th Circuit.
Carol Cahill, 2006, was awarded
third-place Best Oralist accolades,
besting more than 45 competitors at
the 2006 National Jessup Cup Moot
Court Competition. The Jessup Cup
Competition is an appellate advocacy
competition focused exclusively on
international law.
2006 symposium was international law.
Student board members will edit the
papers over the summer for publication
in the journal this fall.
Rising 1D Daniel Kruger applied and
was accepted into the U.S. Army’s Judge
Advocate General Internship Program
for the summer of 2006.
Rising 3D Erik Viera was chosen to participate in the Legal Services Summer
Fellowships sponsored by the Florida
Bar Association. He will be working for
Legal Aid Services of Greater Miami.
Catholic University’s Securities Moot
Court Team bested 15 of 18 competitors to make its way into the semifinals of the 31st Annual Irving
R. Kaufman Memorial Securities
Law Moot Court Competition, held
in March in New York City. The
Columbus School of Law was represented by Elizabeth Getman,
Jonathan Jachym and Elliott
Smith, all rising 3Ds.
In its first-ever entry in the
Hispanic National Bar Association's
Constitutional Law Moot Court
Competition, CUA's team placed
fourth in the 32 team field. Israel
Balderas, 2006, received secondplace honors in the Best Advocate
category.
Mary Kiwanuka, 2006, won Best
Advocate in the Thurgood Marshall
Mock Trial Competition, conducted
during the mid-Atlantic regional conference of the National Black Law
Students Assocation.
Viera’s stipend of $5,500 will allow him
to work on issues ranging from representing homeless immigrants at administrative hearings for supplemental security income, to developing an educational
curriculum for fifth graders on financial
literacy and predatory lending.
F A C U LT Y
News
Publications
Professor Helen Alvaré published an article in the University of St. Thomas Law
Review, “The Consistent Ethic of Life: A
Proposal to Extend its Legislative Grasp.”
Professor Clifford Fishman’s article,
“Defense Witness as ‘Accomplice,’ Should
the Trial Judge Give a ‘Care and Caution’
Instruction?” was published by the Journal of
Criminal Law and Criminology. When an
accomplice testifies for the state pursuant to
a plea bargain, many jurisdictions require
the judge to instruct the jury to consider his
testimony with particular “care and caution.” This article addresses the reverse situation: suppose a witness, whom the prosecutor considers to be the defendant’s accomplice, testifies willingly for the defense.
Should the judge give a “care and caution”
instruction then? Several courts have
endorsed the idea. Professor Fishman disagrees, arguing that such an instruction is
inappropriate, unfair and gives the impression that the judge has endorsed the prosecutor’s theory of the case. Along the way,
Professor Fishman explained how peat moss
and pancake mix influenced his career; took
the 5th Circuit to the woodshed for deliberately misconstruing a passage from a
Supreme Court decision in a way that no
CUA graduate would ever do; devoted four
full pages to what the citational signal “cf”
means, without (he claims) putting himself
to sleep (“Well, I did nod off once or twice”);
and persuaded the editors to let him make a
point without citing any cases as authority
(see footnote 79).
Adjunct faculty member Stephen H.
Klitzman co-authored the second edition
of An Interpretive Guide to the Government in
the Sunshine Act, published by the American
Bar Association, Section of Administrative
Law and Regulatory Practice. A definitive
update of this leading commentary on the
federal open meeting law, cited by the
Supreme Court in FCC v. ITT World
Communications, Inc., 466 U.S. 463, 471
(1984), this new edition analyzes agency and
judicial experience under the law since its
enactment in 1977. It also explains how federal agencies post-9/11 are reconciling new
security requirements with their open meeting obligations, and recommends reforms to
the agencies and the Congress.
Dean and Professor Veryl V. Miles published "A Legal Career for All Seasons:
Remember St. Thomas More's Vocation,"
20 Notre Dame Journal of Law, Ethics &
Public Policy, 419-431 (2006).
Research Ordinary Professor Michael F.
Jr. published “El Ejercito
Republicano Irlandes: Soldados Ilegitimos”
in the January/February 2006 HispanoAmerican edition of the Military Review,
pages 57-63. Professor Noone also published two articles during the winter of 2006.
The first, “Unprivileged Belligerency: The
IRA” appeared in Military Affairs, the journal of the U.S. Army Combined Arms
Center. Professor Noone’s second work,
“The U.S. Approach to Combating
Trafficking in Women: Prosecuting Military
Customers. Could it be Exported?” was
published in Connections, the quarterly journal of the Partnership for Peace Consortium
of Defense Academies and Security Studies
Institutes at the George C. Marshall Center.
Noone
Professor J.P. “Sandy” Ogilvy published
“Clinical Legal Education: An Annotated
Bibliography” (third edition) in Clinical
Law Review, Special Issue No. 2, Fall 2005
(412pp).
Professor Antonio F. Perez published
“The Impact of Economic Integration on
Choice of Law Doctrine—Lessons from the
Interaction of U.S. Federalism and Choice
of Law for the Evolution of Private
International Law within the Context of EU
Integration,” Direito Comparado Perspectivas
Luso-Americanas, Vol. 1, 263-74 (Dário
Moura Vicente, ed. 2006). He is also author
of the recently published “Traditional
Paradigms for the Causes of War Applied to
the International Trading System: NationState Institutions in a World of MarketStates in Trade as the Guarantor of Peace,
Liberty and Security?” Critical, Historical
and Empirical Perspectives 178-91 American
Society of International Law Press, Studies in
Transnational Legal Policy: A Series of
Books) (Padideh Alai, Tomer Broude &
Colin B. Picker, eds. 2006).
Professor Peter “Bo” Rutledge is coauthor of the next edition of International
Civil Litigation in the United States (with Gary
Born). He also published a paper in the Pace
Law Review that was based on remarks
Rutledge delivered at its symposium on
securities arbitration.
Professor Heidi M. Schooner is the
author of “Consuming Debt: Structuring
the Federal Response to Abuses in
Consumer Credit,” published in Loyola
Consumer Law Review (2006), as well as
“Bank Insolvency Regimes in the United
States and the United Kingdom,” 18 The
Transnational Lawyer 385 (2005).
Professor George P. Smith published a
monograph titled, “Of Panjandrums, PoohBahs, Parvenus and Prophets: Law,
Religion, and Medical Science,” Macquarie
University, Sydney, Australia; as well as an
article titled “Human Rights and Bioethics:
Formulating a Universal Right to Health,
Health Care or Health Protection?” 38
Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law 1295
(2006).
Professor Geoff Watson published “The
‘Wall’ Decisions in Legal and Political
Context,” 99 American J. Int’l L. 6 (2005), as
well as “Review Essay: Treatises and Study
Aids for American Students of International
Law,” 99 American J. Int’l L. 932 (2005).
37
F A C U LT Y
News
Professor Helen Alvaré moderated and
spoke at Advocates for Life program on
abortion law on Jan. 20, 2006. Two weeks
later, she testified before the Constitution
Subcommittee of the House Judiciary
Committee on the family law ramifications
of the abortion privacy right. Later in
March, Professor Alvaré delivered the
Governor Robert Casey Lecture for the
Archdiocese of Denver on Catholic Social
Teaching and Public Service; and on
March 28, she spoke at St. Bartholomew’s
parish in Bethesda, Md., for its Lenten
series on Marriage, Family and the
Community of Disciples. Professor Helen
Alvaré spoke at a Thomas More Society
dinner in Wilmington, Del., on May 21.
The event was held in honor of CUA law
alumnus Norman Griffiths, 1983. In midJune, she addressed the “Legatus,” a professional society made up of Catholic
CEOs, on the topic of family law and
Catholic social teaching. Professor Alvaré
spoke on the subject again in July, this time
before the Confraternity of Christian
Doctrine conference held at The Catholic
University of America.
Professor Sarah H. Duggin will become
co-director of the law school’s highly
regarded Law and Public Policy Program,
effective fall 2006. She will share leadership duties with current director and LPP
founder Professor Lisa Lerman.
Professor Clifford Fishman has been
reappointed as co-chair of the Committee
on Rules of Evidence and Criminal
Procedure of the Criminal Justice Section
of the American Bar Association.
Professor and Vice Provost George E.
Garvey was interviewed by Ave Maria
Radio on Jan. 26, 2006, about “The
Intersection of Catholic Social Teaching
and the Auto Industry in America.”
Professor Garvey has also been elected to
38
the board of directors of the Thomas More
Society and to the “scientific” Committee
of Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice, a
Vatican Foundation created by Pope John
Paul II.
Professor David Irwin addressed the
Rural Iowa Telephone Association in Des
Moines, Iowa, as its keynote speaker on
March 8, 2006. Before an audience of several hundred people, Irwin made the case
that the communications industry is being
“Googleized.” Professor Irwin believes
that the massive search engine’s pervasive
database of general knowledge and information, personal information about individuals, images, locations, mapping and
financial matters, when coupled with
Google’s moves to become a carrier and
conduit of its own and other information,
may have profound effects on legacy
telecommunications companies small
and large.
Professor Lisa Lerman will become coordinator of Clinical Programs for the law
school, effective fall 2006. She succeeds
Professor J.P. “Sandy” Ogilvy, who has
served in that capacity for 10 years.
Professor David A Lipton, director of
the Securities Law Program, was appointed recently as a member of the National
Association of Securities Dealers committee on market regulation.
Dean and Professor Veryl V. Miles was
sworn to the bar of the United States
Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces on
March 21, 2006. Professor Michael Noone
made the motion to admit her. As part of
its 20-year-old Project Outreach program,
the court heard a real-life appellate case,
U.S. v. Finch, in the law school’s Walter A.
Slowinski Courtroom. The court’s practice
of hearing some cases in other venues such
as law schools is designed to enhance
public understanding of the system of military justice. Dean Veryl V. Miles delivered
an address titled “The Catholic Lawyer’s
Obligations to the Poor and to Promote
Racial Justice” at the Red Mass Luncheon
in Bridgeport, Conn., on April 30, 2006.
Dean Miles was admitted to a new bar in 2006.
Noone Jr. chaired a panel and spoke
about human rights of military personnel
at the Geneva Center for Democratic
Control of Armed Forces in early May.
Later in the month, he traveled to
Scheveningen, Netherlands, to participate
in a program on “The Rule of Law in
Peace Operations,” sponsored by the
International Society for Military Law and
the Law of War. Professor Noone also has
been elected to the board of directors of
the International Society for Military Law
and the Law of War, headquartered in
Brussels, Belgium.
The Rev. Raymond O’Brien plans to
teach family law at Georgetown University
Law Center during the summer of 2006.
In January, he traveled to Miami to celebrate Mass and attend a local gathering of
law school graduates and their families.
And, at his Rockville, Md., parish, he baptized the first son of Michael and Dawn
Lovelace; Michael is a graduate of CUA
law. During the first half of 2006, O’Brien
introduced his new casebook to his students at CUA and Georgetown. The text is
titled Decedents’ Estates: Cases and Materials
and is co-authored with former CUA
F A C U LT Y
News
student Michael Flannery. He also signed
contracts with Foundation Press to write
new editions of the three family law books
he co-authored with Walter Wadlington.
The books, Family Law in Perspective;
Family Law Statutes, International
Conventions and Uniform Laws; and
Domestic Relations: Cases and Materials, will
be available in 2007.
Professor J.P. “Sandy” Ogilvy will oversee the establishment and implementation
of a new voluntary pro bono service program within the Columbus School of Law.
Scheduled to begin by the fall 2006 semester, the newly created Legal Service
Society will provide expanded civil legal
service to low-income Americans. Society
membership is open to any student, faculty member or alumnus who pledges a minimum of 30 hours of volunteer service over
a three-year period.
Professor Antonio F. Perez attended the
meeting of the Inter-American Juridical
Committee in Washington, D.C., at OAS
headquarters from March 20 to 31, which
included meetings with the secretarygeneral of the OAS, the permanent
Council of the OAS, and the Permanent
Council’s Committee on Juridical and
Political Affairs. He was also a presenter to
the U.S. Consulate in Guadalajara,
Mexico, concerning America’s system for
the protection of human rights. In March
of 2006, Professor Perez presented
“Mechanisms of Defense of Democracy
in the Inter-American System” to the
Joint American Society of International
Law and Inter-American Juridical
Committee Workshop on Democracy, in
Washington, D.C.
Adjunct instructor Shelby R. Quast has
taken a semester’s break from teaching at
CUA law to serve as a visiting Fulbright
Professor at the Indian Institute of
Management in Lucknow, India. There,
she teaches International Business
Transactions and is also lecturing at
several law schools throughout India. In
August 2005, Quast was rapporteur for a
meeting in Stockholm, Sweden, on
“Building Partnerships for Promoting
Gender Justice in Post-Conflict Societies.”
The subsequent report on the effort was
presented to the United Nations.
Professor Lucia Silecchia was invited to
become a member of the executive board
of the newly created Religiously-Affiliated
Law Schools Association, and she accepted
the position. Founded in April 2006 during
a conference on Baylor Law School in
Texas, the new association represents 28
religiously-affiliated law schools nationwide.
Professor Karla Simon was an organizer
and a moderator at a daylong conference
on reforms to the United Nations, held at
the Columbus School of Law on April 3,
2006. The two major topics of discussion
were the newly established Human Rights
Council and the U.N. Peace-Building
Commission. Speakers included senior
United Nations and human rights officials,
leading academics and representatives
from the State Department. Sponsors of
the event included the Center for
International Social Development of The
Catholic University of America, of which
Professor Simon is co-director. During the
third week of May, Professor Simon taught
Comparative Civil Society Law at the
University of Bologna, Italy. The course is
part of the program for a master’s degree in
International Studies in Philanthropy.
The George Washington University
Institute for Spirituality and Health at the
Medical Center; The Centre for the Study
of Religion and Politics, University of St.
Andrews, Scotland; The Rothermere
American Institute, Oxford University,
Trinity Term; The Institute of Ethics,
American Medical Association, Chicago;
and the Hastings Center for Bioethics
Research, Garrison, New York. Professor
Smith was honored by being chosen for
inclusion in Marquis’ Who’s Who in
American Education and Who’s Who in Law.
Judge-in-Residence Fred Ugast addressed
the annual convention of the Bar
Association of the District of Columbia
from April 30 to May 7, 2006. Judge Ugast
spoke about the procedures and issues
involved in the disposition of cases involving
defendants found not guilty of a crime by
reason of insanity, and who later seek some
type of release back into the community.
Professor Geoff Watson participated in
the December 2005 and March 2006 public and closed sessions of the State
Department’s
Historical
Advisory
Committee. He and the other eight members of the committee are working on a
variety of issues relating to declassification
of historical diplomatic documentation.
Also in March, Professor Watson delivered
a presentation to the Executive Council of
the American Society of International Law
on the recent activities of the Historical
Advisory Committee.
Professor George P. Smith was on sabbatical for the spring semester researching
and writing his new book, Distributive
Justice and the New Medicine. He also held
academic affiliations as Visiting Fellow at
39
F A C U LT Y
News
Conferences and Symposia
Professor Helen Alvaré delivered a law
review symposia paper on April 1, 2006, at
Loyola University’s School of Law in
Chicago on the gap between the moral
reasoning of the Abrahamic faiths and that
used in the argument on behalf of samesex marriage.
Professor Steve Margeton co-planned
and was a panelist at the ABA’s seventh
triennial Bricks & Bytes and Continuous
Renovation conference, held March 22–25,
2006, in Seattle at the University of
Washington Law School and the Seattle
University Law School. Joan Vorrasi,
director of Student Life and Special Events,
was also a presenter at the conference,
which focused on law school facilities
design.
Dean Veryl V. Miles presented a lecture,
“The Last Word: Race and Rights in the
21st Century,” at the Mid-Atlantic
Region People of Color Legal
Scholarship Conference at American
University, Washington, D.C., on Jan.
27-28, 2006. The following month, Dean
Miles attended an ABA Dean’s
Conference in Chicago and spoke to her
colleagues about “The Future of the
Decanal
Profession:
Modeling
Professionalism and Integrity as
Institutional Leaders.”
Noone Jr. presented a paper titled “Rebus
sic stanibus and the American Way of War”
at the U.S. Army War College’s
Seventeenth Annual Strategy Conference
in Carlisle Barracks, Pa., on April 13, 2006.
Professor Noone also presented a paper,
“Ethical Relations with Congressional
Intelligence Oversight Committees,”
before the Joint [Military] Service
Committee on Professional Ethics conference, held in January in Springfield, Va.
The following month, he attended the
40
regional European conference of the
International Association of Prosecutors at
The Hague in the Netherlands, and
chaired a discussion group on “A Model
Prosecution Service.” Upon his return,
Professor Noone traveled to the University
of Michigan Law School to speak about
“Legal Restraints on Use of the Military in
Natural Disasters and Civil Disorders.”
Community Service
Professor Helen Alvaré spoke April 1,
2006, at the Metro Achievement Center
in Chicago. The center is dedicated to the
advancement of at-risk adolescent girls.
Professor Alvaré’s remarks were titled
“The Family as the School of Love in
Catholic Social Teaching.” Professor
Alvaré was the commencement speaker
on June 3, 2006, for Devon Prep, a Jesuit
high school near Philadelphia.
Professor Clifford Fishman gave “An
Introduction to the Fourth Amendment”
to a group of 80 high school students
from across the country who were
brought to Washington, D.C., in March by
a civic educational organization called the
Close Up Foundation. (Less important reasons for their trip to Washington included
attending a session of Congress, touring
the Supreme Court building and the
National Archives, meeting government
officials and partying.) Professor Fishman
is happy to report that both he and
the Fourth Amendment survived the
experience.
Professor J.P. “Sandy” Ogilvy will offer
a new externship course to CUA law students during the 2006-2007 academic
year. To develop claims of innocence, students in the CUA Innocence Project
Seminar will have the opportunity to work
for course credit under the direction of
Professor Ogilvy. He will coordinate and
direct students in the evaluation of case
histories, including review of trial transcripts, appellate briefs, medical reports
and other documents. Under Professor
Ogilvy’s supervision, students also may
interview prisoners, prosecutors, defense
attorneys, and expert and lay witnesses
during their investigations. If the investigations undertaken in the course reveal a
viable claim of innocence, the matter will
be referred to an outside cooperating
attorney who will undertake representation of the inmate to prosecute the claim
of innocence. Whenever possible, students from the CUA Innocence Project
Seminar will be assigned to work with the
cooperating attorney in prosecution of the
inmate’s claim. The new for-credit externship is offered in cooperation with the
Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project, which
works on behalf of inmates who have
been convicted of serious crimes and
who claim actual innocence to overturn
their convictions or to obtain clemency.
Professor Peter “Bo” Rutledge was reappointed chairman of the Alexandria
Community Criminal Justice Board by the
mayor and city council of Alexandria, Va.
He also prepared several lawyers for
Supreme Court oral arguments at
Georgetown Law School’s Supreme
Court Institute.
Professor Lucia Silecchia served as faculty coach for CUA’s first-ever team to
compete in the national Animal Rights
Moot Court Competition, held this year at
Harvard University. She also assisted the
United States Conference of Catholic
Bishops in evaluating its responses to current ecological matters.
F A C U LT Y
News
Conferences and Symposia
Professor J.P. “Sandy” Ogilvy presented
“Learning from Experience: CUA’s
National Leadership,” a review of the law
school’s nationally recognized externship
program, to the law school’s board of visitors on Feb. 2, 2006. During the weekend
of March 24–25 in Los Angeles, Professor
Ogilvy delivered an address titled “Where
Have We Been and Where Are We
Going” at Externships3: Learning from
Practice, a national legal externship conference jointly hosted by Loyola Law
School and Southwestern Law School, in
association with the Columbus School of
Law. Catholic University’s law school
hosted the conference in 1998 and 2003.
Professor Peter “Bo” Rutledge spoke to
the judicial council of the Washington Bar
Association on the legal doctrine of originalism. He was also a featured speaker at
the judicial conference of the Court of
Appeals for the Armed Forces, addressing
the famous Miranda ruling. Professor
Rutledge has also shared his analysis and
interpretation of some of the key legal
issues of the day directly with CUA law
school alumni. At an alumni brown bag
luncheon in Washington hosted by Will
O’Brien and McKenna Long, Professor
Rutledge discussed the enforcement of
foreign judgments in the United States.
Along with his colleague, Professor
Heather Elliott, Rutledge offered an
assessment of the first years of the two
newest members of the United States
Supreme Court, Justice John Roberts and
Justice Sam Alito, to the alumni from the
New York City area.
journeyed to Fordham Law School to
attend a conference on “Catholic Social
Thought and the Law Summer Institute.”
Professor Heidi M. Schooner presented
“Structural Comparison of Consumer
Protection Regimes” at a Texas Tech
University School of Law conference titled
Federal Preemption in the Financial
Institutions Arena on April 20, 2006. The
previous month, Professor Schooner spoke
at Syracuse University’s College of Law
and discussed “Gringotts: The Role of
Banks in the Wizarding World” as part of
a panel on The Law and Harry Potter at
the Annual Meeting of the Association for
the Study of Law, Culture and the
Humanities.
Professor Karla Simon presented a
paper titled “NPO Governance — Recent
Developments in Countries Around the
World: Experiences with the American
Law Institute Project on NPO
Governance, Regulatory Reform in Japan
and the Ongoing Debate in China,” on
May 30 at the Max Planck Institute for
Comparative and International Private
Law in Hamburg, Germany.
Professor Lucia Silecchia spoke at a
University of Maryland law school conference on April 11, 2006. The subject was
“God’s Law in the People’s Law: A
Discussion of Contemporary Issues
Arising from Religion and the Law.” Her
remarks were titled “Religion in the Public
Square.” In February, Professor Silecchia
was a respondent to remarks delivered by
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who spoke to CUA
law about the latest evidence of global climate change. Silecchia attended a conference on law and morality at William &
Mary School of Law in March, as well as
the ALI-ABA Conference Criminal
Enforcement of Environmental Laws held
May 18–19. In June, Professor Silecchia
Professor George P. Smith presented
three papers, “Finding a Point of
Equilibrium — Law, Religion, and
Medical Technology,” at the American
Medical Association, March 23, 2006; “In
God We Trust: Continuities and
Discontinuities in Law, Science, and
Medicine,” at the University of St.
Andrews, Scotland, April 2006; and
“Normative Standards and Health Care
Resource Management,” at Oxford
University, May 2006.
Judge-in-Residence Fred Ugast attended
the judicial and management training conference of the D.C. Superior Court at
Rocky Gap, Md., from March 10 to 12,
2006. The theme of the conference was
“Understanding our Colleagues, Ourselves
and the Communities We Serve.”
ATTENTION ALUMNI:
If your firm is interested in filling a position, we encourage you to utilize
Legal Career Services’ online jobs database. Employers may post openings for
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Call Legal Career Services at 202-319-5132 for assistance in writing
a position description or simply e-mail your posting to [email protected].
41
F A C U LT Y
News
Recent Media
Professor Helen Alvaré taped a threehour C-SPAN interview detailing the
contents and scope of the Supreme
Court’s abortion jurisprudence in preparation for the Senate confirmation hearings
of Judge Samuel Alito. Her televised discussion reviewed and analyzed the oral
arguments from the four most prominent
abortion cases since the original Roe v
Wade decision of 1973. Professor Alvaré
serves as an occasional adviser to ABC
news regarding coverage of religious
issues in the news. Recently, she worked
with Nightline in connection with the
upcoming coverage of The DaVinci Code
and the place of women in the Catholic
Church.
Professor Sarah Duggin was interviewed
in March 2006 for an article in Compliance
Week. The story dealt with efforts to
counter the “culture of waiver,” in which
the SEC and Department of Justice
demand that companies being investigated
for corporate fraud waive the attorneyclient privilege.
Professor Clifford S. Fishman was
quoted in the Dec. 10, 2005, edition of
The New York Times for an article on the
government’s use of cell phones to track
their owners. Cellular company computers automatically “know,” within about
300 yards, the location of a subscriber
phone whenever the phone is turned on
— even if the phone is not being used.
This information can be very useful to law
enforcement officials. Professor Fishman
was interviewed about the same subject
four days later on National Public Radio’s
Talk of the Nation. In January 2006,
Professor Fishman spoke to Congressional
Quarterly about his 2002 testimony before
Congress on a bill regarding the question
of “reasonable basis” vs. “probable cause”
in NSA eavesdropping. He also spoke
with the ABA Journal in January about a
42
plea bargaining case, Van Patten v Deppisch.
Professor Fishman was also quoted in The
Wall Street Journal on April 4, 2006, in a
story about the Foreign Intelligence
Surveillance Act. Professor Fishman was
quoted in the May 8, 2006, online publication wired.com in an article about the use
of cell phone tracking technology by law
enforcement officials.
Professor Lisa Lerman was quoted in the
March 10, 2006, edition of the online ABA
Journal & Report for a story about the
questionable practice of rounding up billable hours. The case involved a Kansas
attorney who admitted to routinely billing
for an hour when only 45 minutes of time
were spent on behalf of a client. “Fiddling
around with time is a major source of mistrust between lawyers and clients,”
Lerman was quoted as saying. “I think the
legal profession would benefit by abandoning that because most of it is done to
rationalize charging clients more, and
clients know that.”
Dean and Professor Veryl V. Miles was
featured in the Fairfield County Catholic, a
newspaper serving the diocese of
Bridgeport, Conn., for her April 30 speech
at the Brooklawn Country Club to members of the county’s legal profession.
Lecturer Patrick Mulloy was quoted in
the Feb. 23, 2006, edition of The
Washington Post about the planned
takeover of operations at six U.S. seaports
by a United Arab Emirates-owned company. Mulloy is a commissioner on the
United States-China Security Review
Commission.
Noone Jr. was interviewed on April 28 by
the Ventura, Calif., County Star about a
local resident, a graduate of both West
Point and law school, who sued the
United States seeking release from his
military commission after having served
eight years. In January, Professor Noone
was quoted in the National Journal on U.S.
policy for detainees at Guantanamo Bay,
Cuba.
Professor Peter “Bo” Rutledge was
quoted by The Los Angeles Daily Journal on
Georgia v Randolph, a case decided by the
U.S. Supreme Court that examined the
question of whether police may search a
home when a cohabitant consents and the
other cohabitant is present and does not
consent.
Professor Lucia Silecchia was quoted in
the Jan. 18, 2006, edition of Science and
Theology News on efforts by the Pontifical
Academy of Sciences to highlight the need
for global access to clean drinking water.
“When it comes to environmental issues,
Pope Benedict will not write on a blank
slate,” said Silecchia. “It is highly likely
that all of the ecological teachings of Pope
Benedict will arise directly from his creation theology. Throughout his writings,
he makes clear that physical creation is the
concrete way in which the splendor, power
and goodness of the creator is manifested
in this world.”
ALUMNI
News
What’s New with Your Fellow Alumni
1963
Rev. George Wilkinson Jr. has been
named by the Archdiocese of
Washington to be pastor of the Holy
Redeemer Catholic Church in College
Park, Md.
1970
Frank Dunham Jr. was the subject of a
front-page article in the Jan. 30, 2006,
edition of Legal Times that discussed his
professional career and retirement from
the federal public defender’s office in
Northern Virginia. During his long
years of service in the law, Dunham has
been both a prosecutor and defense
counsel. Over the past 25 years, his
office has handled the defense of many
high-profile cases, including that of confessed 9/11 terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui.
Dunham was the first evening student in
the history of CUA law to graduate first
in the class.
Hannah Sistare has been named vice
president for academy affairs for The
National
Academy
of
Public
Administration. A veteran of Capitol
Hill, Sistare has served as staff director
and counsel of the Senate Governmental
Affairs Committee, and before that, as
chief of staff to Sen. Charles H. Percy
and legislative director for Senate
Minority Leader Hugh Scott. Following
her Senate service, she was executive
director of the National Commission on
the Public Service. Sistare began her
public service career as an economist at
the U.S. Department of Labor and later
served as special counsel to the secretary
of Health and Human Services. She was
elected an Academy Fellow in 2001.The
academy is led by its elected membership of 600 distinguished fellows who
provide trusted advice on governance
and public management issues to government leaders in every branch and at
every level.
1971
Col. Dayton Michael Cramer retired
from the Army in 2000 after more than
28 years of active duty at the rank of
colonel. He was subsequently appointed
deputy general counsel for Florida State
University in November 2000, where he
continues to serve. Cramer was also
appointed chair of the education law
committee for the Florida bar in July
2005. The committee is seeking certification of education law as a specialty
approved by the Florida Supreme Court.
Maureen Logue McGill was appointed
Feb. 1, 2006, to serve as general magistrate in the 1st Judicial Circuit of Florida.
She resides in Pensacola, Fla.
1973
Joseph M. Quirk was the recipient of
the 2005 John Carroll Society Pro Bono
Legal Service Award for outstanding
contributions to the Archdiocesan Legal
Network of Catholic Charities, a pro
bono program serving the legal needs of
the poor and homeless. The award was
presented at the reception following the
annual Red Mass, celebrated at St.
Matthew’s Cathedral in Washington,
D.C., which marks the commencement of
the current Supreme Court session. Quirk
is a solo practitioner in Rockville, Md.
1974
Ron Merolli was appointed by Senate
Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.)
as a delegate to the third joint White
House and congressionally sponsored
National Summit on Retirement
Savings (the “Saver Summit”), held
March 1–2, 2006, in Washington, D.C.
Merolli’s appointment came at the urging of Sen. Jim Jeffords (I-Vt.). The
Saver Summit Act of 1997 authorized
the creation of three national summits to
develop strategies for Americans to better save for their futures. Merolli is
director of advanced sales at National
Life Insurance Company in Montpelier,
Vt. He resides in Northfield Falls.
1976
Shireen Avis Fisher has been appointed as one of two U.S. international
judges to the War Crimes Chamber of
the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina in
Sarajevo. Her two-year term began in
November 2005.
1977
Peter Mitchell has been named as managing general counsel of the legal department of the Communications Workers
of America in Washington, D.C.
Mitchell previously served as general
counsel for the International Union of
Electronic Workers since 1997.
1978
Nell Hennessy published “Follow the
Money: ERISA Plan Investments in
Mutual Funds and Insurance,” in 38 John
Marshall Law Review, No. 3, Spring 2005.
1980
Marvin E. Johnson, a mediator and
arbitrator with JAMS, The Resolution
Experts, was appointed by Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice to a two-year
term on the Foreign Service Grievance
Board. The Grievance Board is an
independent body that adjudicates grievances filed by members of the Foreign
Service who work all over the world. The
grievances heard by the board are appeals
from agency decisions that involve a wide
range of employment issues including
termination, disciplinary actions, denial
of financial benefits and prejudicial information in personnel records. A nationally recognized mediator and arbitrator
with nearly 30 years of experience in
resolving public and private disputes,
Johnson has mediated and arbitrated
more than 2,000 cases in the fields of
employment, labor management, business, community and public policy.
Ronald B. Rubin has been appointed to
Montgomery County Circuit Court by
Maryland Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.
Rubin was among three appointees to
the court announced by the governor’s
office in November 2005. Rubin has
been a shareholder with Rubin & Rubin,
Chartered, in Rockville since 1997.
Previously, he was a partner in Brand,
Lowell & Ryan, PC, as well as Camhy,
Karlinsky, Stein, Razzano & Rubin,
Spring-Summer 2005 / C U A L A W Y E R
43
ALUMNI
LLP, from 1996 to 1997 and 1994 to
1996, respectively. Prior to his elevation
to the bench, Rubin served as national
defense counsel for several companies in
mass tort litigation and as special counsel for a variety of nonprofit and charitable institutions in the Washington metropolitan area. Rubin will serve until
the general election in November 2006.
He and his wife reside in North
Potomac with their two daughters.
1981
Jose Arrieta has joined The Arrieta
Law Firm, P.C., and now practices with
his brother, Manuel I. Arrieta. Based in
Las Cruces, N.M., the firm specializes in
personal injury law.
1982
James F. Moriarty has joined Locke
Liddell & Sapp’s Washington, D.C.,
office as a partner. Moriarty represents a
broad spectrum of clients on energy regulatory issues before the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission and the appellate courts. Moriarty has practiced law in
Washington, D.C., his entire career,
most recently as head of the energy
group at Fleischman and Walsh.
Moriarty has counseled industry leaders
on rate, tariff, contract, certificate, commercial, compliance and enforcement
matters. He has advised interstate gas
pipelines, LNG terminal operators,
local distribution companies, end-users
and financial institutions.
Thomas H. Suddath Jr. has joined the
Philadelphia office of Reed Smith, LLP,
effective May 1, 2006. Suddath is a partner and will practice in the firm’s regulatory litigation group. He comes to Reed
Smith from Montgomery, McCracken,
Walker & Rhoads, LLP of Philadelphia,
where he was a partner in the litigation
department and chair of its government
investigations and white collar crime
practice. He has been lead counsel in
more than 20 jury trials and has handled
numerous appeals, including arguments
in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd
Circuit and the Delaware Supreme
44
News
Court. While a student, Suddath was
editor-in-chief of the Catholic University
Law Review.
1983
Kathleen Q. Abernathy has been
appointed to the board of directors of
Citizens Communications Company,
one of the largest local exchange telephone companies in the country. A former FCC commissioner, Abernathy is
now a partner in the communications
and information technology practice in
the Washington, D.C., office of Akin
Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP. She
advises clients on a wide variety of policy
and regulatory issues related to the
telecommunications and media fields
and represents clients at both the federal
and state levels as well as before various
international and foreign regulatory agencies. Abernathy received the Forerunner
Accolade in 2002 from Women in Cable
and Telecommunications for her commitment to encouraging, developing
and promoting women in the industry,
and the Milestone Award in 2001 from
Catholic University’s Columbus School
of Law for her exemplary service to the
law school and outstanding achievement
in the field of communications law. In
addition, she was named one of the most
powerful women in television by Electronic
Media magazine. A graduate of the law
school’s evening program, Abernathy
served as commencement speaker for the
law school’s Class of 2005.
Tom Catliota has been appointed by
the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th
Circuit as a United States Bankruptcy
Judge for the District of Maryland.
Catliota had been a partner with the
Washington, D.C.-based law firm of
Shaw Pittman, where he put in more
than 21 years of service. First in his class
at CUA law (evening program), Catliota
has been recognized by The Washington
Post for his work in representing the
District of Columbia in keeping open
the bankrupt Greater Southeast
Hospital, the only full-service medical
facility in the impoverished southeast
section of Washington. His appointment
was the result of an extended selection
process, managed by the chief judges of
the U.S. District Court and the U.S.
Bankruptcy Court for the District of
Maryland and the president of the
Maryland State Bar, which considered a
very large pool of senior lawyers for the
position.
Jay B. Gould has joined the corporate
and securities practice of Pillsbury
Winthrop Shaw as a partner. He will be
based in the firm’s San Francisco office.
During his career, Gould has been chief
counsel to E*Trade Global Asset
Management, Inc; vice president of
TransAmerica Life Companies; senior
counsel to Bank of America; and an
attorney with the Securities and
Exchange Commission from 1984 to
1987. He is active in the Bay Area Hedge
Fund Professionals and is a member of
the Northwest Hedge Fund Society. He
also serves on the board of directors of
the San Francisco Chapter of the
Association for Corporate Growth and
belongs to the Financial Institutions
Committee of the California State Bar.
He is on the advisory board of the financial services publication, Wall Street
Lawyer, and is a frequent speaker at conferences and industry events.
Rosemary Robinson Pall became
director of the annual fund at the
Widener University School of Law in
June 2005. She and husband Leo are the
parents of Rachel, Daniel and Kathryn
and reside in Havertown, Pa.
1984
D. Michael Reilly has been selected to
serve on the board of regents for
Gonzaga University. The governor of
the state of Washington also recently
appointed Reilly to the state’s Economic
Development Commission. The commission is charged with developing
state-wide strategies to enhance business
and economic development. Reilly also
continues his practice as director of the
labor and employee benefits practice
group at Lane Powell in Seattle. Reilly
was recently identified by Washington
ALUMNI
CEO Magazine as one of Washington
State’s “Most Amazing” Lawyers for his
management side practice in labor and
employment law at Lane Powell in
Seattle. Recently, the governor of the
State of Washington nominated Reilly
to serve as a commissioner on the State
of Washington’s Economic Development
Commission. He also serves on the
board of regents for Gonzaga University.
Robert C. Sexton recently left 20 years
of private international law practice in
Washington, D.C., London, Paris and
Moscow and has been appointed vice
president and general counsel for international commercial operations at
Amgen, the world's largest biotechnology company, in Zug, Switzerland.
1985
H. Ward Classen has published his
most recent book, A Practical Guide to
Software Licensing for Licensees and Licensors:
Analyses and Model Forms (ABA Business
Law Section, January 2006). Classen is
associate deputy general counsel of
Computer Sciences Corporation with
responsibility for CSC’s consulting,
healthcare and financial services business
units. He is author of the three-volume
set Classen’s Commercial Forms as well as
Classen’s Merger and Acquisition Forms.
Classen has been widely published in
legal journals and has spoken extensively
before professional groups both domestically and internationally.
John J. Matteo was recently elected to
sit on the executive committee at
Jackson & Campbell, PC, a century-old
law firm based in Washington, D.C. He
is currently chair of the business law
practice group and concentrates his
practice on business and commercial
legal matters.
Susan J. Mertes has joined the
Aerospace Industries Association as its
director of Aviation Infrastructure, a
new position focusing on improvements
to the civil air transportation system.
Her appointment with the Arlington,
Va.-based association was announced in
December 2005. Mertes is an attorney
with a telecommunications law degree
and extensive aviation expertise attained
while working for federal agencies, local
government and associations, and while
working on Capitol Hill. In her new
position, she monitors and identifies
emerging issues and trends related to
aviation infrastructure and federally
funded advanced systems research and
development.
1986
Richard C. DesLauriers was promoted
to the position of special agent-incharge of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation's New York City field
office. He will reside in the area of
Norwalk, Conn.
Mary A. Lopatto has been elected partner in the insurance and reinsurance
practice group of the Washington, D.C.,
office of New York-based Chadbourne &
Parke LLP. Lopatto is chairman of the
AIDA U.S. Reinsurance and Insurance
Arbitration Society, the leading U.S.
association serving the insurance and
reinsurance arbitration community. Prior
to joining Chadbourne, she was a partner
at LeBoeuf, Lamb, Green & MacRae
LLP. Lopatto lectures and publishes frequently on reinsurance and dispute resolution. She has represented clients in litigation in state and federal courts. She has
also advised clients with respect to contract drafting and coverage issues.
Lopatto has been recognized by the
International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers
(2005), Who’s Who Legal (September 2004)
and Guide to the Euromoney’s World’s Leading
Insurance
and
Reinsurance
Lawyers
(November 2002). While at CUA law,
Lopatto served as associate editor of
Catholic University Law Review.
1987
Kim McDaniel has been selected as the
first director of Equal Employment
Opportunity, for the Office of the
Attorney General in Washington, D.C.
Her responsibilities include leading
EEO investigations, advising the attorney
News
general on EEO and diversity matters,
negotiating and resolving matters related to EEO issues and building diversity
programs. Prior to that, McDaniel was
the director of diversity for Harris
Teeter at its corporate headquarters in
Charlotte, N.C. Her previous federal
government experience includes 11
years as an attorney with the National
Labor Relations Board.
Andrew F. Palmieri
has been named
partner
in
the
Alexandria, Va., office
of Vorys, Sater,
Seymour and Pease
LLP, headquartered
in Columbus, Ohio.
His promotion was
effective Jan. 1, 2006. Palmieri practices
in complex commercial, corporate and
real estate transactions and represents
national and international business
enterprises in such matters as purchase,
sale and financing of real estate; choice
and formation of business entities; state
and regulatory corporate compliance;
business acquisitions; employee relations; and other general business considerations. He also has extensive experience in the formation and management
of community associations.
1988
Mark Holden has been named senior
vice president and general counsel of
Koch Industries Inc. Holden has been
with Koch since 1995, most recently as
co-general counsel.
Kevin W. Lynch has joined
Philadelphia-based Obermayer Rebmann
Maxwell & Hippel LLP as an associate,
where he will practice in the litigation
department. He concentrates his practice in the areas of asbestos and commercial litigation, medical malpractice litigation and insurance coverage litigation.
Prior to joining Obermayer, Lynch
worked as a litigator at a regional insurance defense firm. He has prepared and
tried more than 60 jury and non-jury
cases to verdict in both Pennsylvania and
45
ALUMNI
New Jersey. A 1981 graduate of the U.S.
Naval War College, Lynch is also a certified SCUBA instructor.
Michele A. Masiowski will be getting
married Aug. 5, 2006. She is a practicing
attorney in Santa Fe, N.M.
Anna Manville has joined Washington,
D.C.-based Arnold & Porter’s intellectual property practice. She came to the
firm from an intellectual property law
firm in Minneapolis, where her practice
encompassed all aspects of U.S. and
international trademark law.
Brian J. Moran was re-elected in
November 2005 as delegate for the 46th
Legislative District of Virginia. Delegate
Moran has served in the House of
Delegates since 1996 and has been chairman of the House Democratic Caucus
since 2001.
Paul E. Pompeo has been elected partner with Washington, D.C.-based
Holland & Knight, LLP. A member of
the firm’s litigation section, Pompeo
practices in the area of government contracts law. He counsels on the full spectrum of government contracts law, with
a focus on the areas of cost allowability
and the Cost Accounting Standards.
Robert A. Spar was named to the board
of directors of the Greater Baltimore
Technology Council. The nonprofit
organization helps grow the region’s
tech community through innovative
programs and forums where organizations can meet, learn and do business.
The board is a group of dedicated individuals representing a wide range of
technology industries, universities and
professional service businesses. Spar is a
partner in the business department and a
member of the two other practice
groups with Saul Ewing LLP. His practice concentrates on venture capital,
mergers and acquisitions, strategic
alliances and other business and transactional matters.
46
News
1989
Jim Nugent was named to the board of
directors of the Gerry Spence Trial
Lawyers College. He practices in
Connecticut with his father, James A.
Nugent, 1967, and his wife, Julie
Maloney Nugent, 1990.
1990
Ann M. Cannoni
has been promoted
to the position of
shareholder
with
The Webb Law
Firm, a legal practice
concentrating exclusively in intellectual
property such as
patents, trademarks and copyrights. Her
appointment was effective in February
2006. Based in Pittsburgh, Cannoni is a
patent attorney with experience in
chemical and mechanical fields and a
concentration in pharmaceutical, polymer
and organic chemistry. Before joining The
Webb
Law
Firm,
she
was
in charge of all organic chemistry
patent activities for Schering-Plough
Pharmaceutical Corporation.
1992
The Rev. Thomas B. Curran, O.S.F.S.,
has been appointed the 14th president of
Rockhurst University, in Kansas City,
Mo. He takes office in June. Curran was
formerly associate vice president for
university relations and assistant to the
president at Regis University in Denver.
He is an ordained Roman Catholic
priest and a member of the Oblates of
St. Francis de Sales, dedicated to education, the missions and parish work.
Rockhurst is a Jesuit institution and is
governed by a board composed mostly
of laypersons. Curran will be the university’s first non-Jesuit president. In
announcing his selection, the university’s
board of trustees noted that Curran’s
“experience in educational administration and fund raising, joined with his
ease at connecting with people, make
him an excellent choice for this position.” Earlier in his career, Curran
served as founder and executive director
of Nativity Preparatory School in
Wilmington, Del.; as president of
Salesianum School in Wilmington; and
as president of Northeast Catholic High
School for Boys in Philadelphia.
Alice S. Fisher was the subject of a news
profile in the Jan. 5, 2006, edition of The
Wall Street Journal. The article focused on
the range and scope of cases Fisher has
handled since she was appointed last year
to oversee the Justice Department’s
Public Integrity Division. Among many
other public corruption cases, her office is
prosecuting wrongdoing by Republican
lobbyist Jack Abramoff and others, the
widest-ranging congressional corruption
investigation in more than two decades. A
recess appointment by President Bush,
Fisher’s term will expire when the 109th
Congress does so at the end of 2006.
Michael G. Geffroy, formerly chief
counsel for oversight and investigations
for the House Committee on Homeland
Security, has joined the Department of
Justice as counselor to the assistant attorney general, Criminal Division. Geffroy
has worked for Congress since 2001.
Joseph L. Pellis
II was named a
shareholder in the
Pittsburgh-based
firm of Babst,
Calland, Clements
and Zomnir, P.C.
He was previously
of counsel to the
firm. Pellis focuses his practice on providing clients with alternative risk management solutions, including a new initiative targeted at developing liability
and risk transfer vehicles for clients with
environmentally impaired assets.
1993
Francis E. Bemis proudly announces
the opening of Bemis & Rossignol,
LLC, in Presque Isle, Maine. The general practice law firm provides a full
range of services including civil litigation, personal injury, real estate, family,
ALUMNI
probate and business law services.
Bemis and his wife, Ellen, reside in
Presque Isle with their two daughters,
ages 4 and 2. They are expecting a third
child in May 2006.
H. Bryan Brewer
III has been elected
to partnership at
the
Washington,
D.C.-based firm of
Nixon Peabody LLP.
A
member
of
the firm’s business
group, Brewer focuses on a wide range of areas including private equity transactions, public securities
matters, intellectual property counseling, licensing and mergers and acquisitions. He actively advises privately held
companies on financing matters, and has
counseled and represented nonprofit
organizations in obtaining federal and
state tax-exempt status.
William E. Fitzpatrick has been
appointed the new deputy U.S. attorney
for the southern vicinages of the district
of New Jersey. He assumed his new job
on Jan. 9, 2006. Fitzpatrick will oversee
all criminal prosecutions and federal
civil matters handled in the Trenton and
Camden offices of the U.S. Attorney’s
Office. He has served as a U.S. attorney
since 1999, first assigned to the eastern
district of Virginia. Fitzpatrick’s career as
a federal prosecutor has included many
high-profile drug and gun trafficking
cases, as well as prosecuting organized
crime. He lives in Drexel Hill, Pa., with
his wife and three children.
Douglas Wigdor, a partner in the New
York City-based firm of Wigdor Gilley,
was interviewed Jan. 18, 2006, by ABC
television’s Good Morning America
and Nightline about his role as counsel
representing six female employees at the
Wall Street bank Dresdner Kleinwort
Wasserstein Securities LLC. The plaintiffs have filed a $1.4 billion sex discrimination lawsuit against their employer.
1994
Alexandra Dapolito
Dunn was recently
named to a threeyear term serving on
the council of the
American
Bar
Association’s section
of
Environment,
Energy and Resources, after serving in various leadership
positions throughout the past decade.
She is currently general counsel of the
National Association of Clean Water
Agencies, representing the interests of
municipal clean water utilities in
Washington, D.C., and in courts across
the country. She and her husband, Chris,
live in Potomac Falls, Va., with their two
children, Caroline (6) and Sean (2).
Joseph O. Haggerty was recently
named a partner in the Scranton, Pa.,
firm of Haggerty McDonnell O’Brien &
Hinton, LLC. Haggerty has been associated with the firm since 1996 and practices in the areas of corporate transactions, municipal finance, banking and
estate planning.
Edward ‘Ted’ Hammerman and his
wife, Sherri, announce the birth of their
son, Dean Marcus, born Nov. 21, 2005.
Hammerman serves as assistant general
counsel of The John F. Kennedy Center
for the Performing Arts and continues to
run Hammerman PLLC, devoted to
copyright royalty, media and transactional work.
John M. Kneuer will be nominated by
President George W. Bush to be assistant secretary of Commerce for
Communications and Information, it
was announced in May. Kneuer currently serves as deputy assistant secretary for
Communications and Information at the
Department of Commerce. He also currently serves as deputy administrator for
the National Telecommunications and
Information Administration. Earlier in
his career, he served as a senior associate
at DLA Piper Rudnick, LLP. Kneuer
was also the keynote speaker at the
News
March 28, 2006, CommLaw Conspectus
Symposium: “Bringing America Up to
Speed—Delivering on Our Broadband
Future Without Sacrificing Local
Identity,” held at the Columbus School
of Law.
D. Michael Lyles was re-elected last
November as District 4 representative to
the Bowie, Maryland, City Council.
Councilman Lyles, an associate county
attorney for Prince George’s County,
was initially elected in a special election
in March 2004.
Rafael G. Prohias has been appointed
senior corporate counsel of BacardiMartini Inc., based in Coral Gables, Fla.,
and New York City. Prohias previously
held the position of counsel with
Hunton & Williams LLP in Miami, specializing in mergers and acquisitions and
securities law.
Jeannine Rustad is pursuing a master’s
degree in urban and regional planning at
Portland State University in Portland,
Ore. She married Rahul Ravel in July
2005. The couple resides in Portland.
Donald W. Schroeder has been promoted to partner status at the law firm of
Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and
Popeo, P.C. He practices in the
Employment, Labor and Benefits
Section of the firm’s Boston office.
Schroeder advises clients on a daily basis
on a wide variety of day-to-day personnel matters, including terminations,
employment contracts and policies,
internal investigations and reductionsin-force. He has substantial experience
in trade secrets litigation including temporary and permanent injunctions. He
received his B.A. from the College of the
Holy Cross (1991) and his J.D. from the
Columbus School of Law, where he was
a member of the Catholic University Law
Review. Schroeder is a frequent lecturer
and author on a variety of employment
law issues involving the Americans with
Disabilities Act, Family and Medical
Leave Act, and workplace privacy issues.
He resides in Needham, Mass.
47
ALUMNI
1995
Brian L. Baker was appointed director
of the law library and professor of law at
the San Joaquin College of Law in
Clovis, Calif., effective Aug. 1, 2006.
Married for 17 years, Baker has a
daughter, Veronica, age 8, and a son,
John, age 5.
Carolyn Kelly Bogart was named a
shareholder of the Philadelphia-based
defense litigation firm Marshall,
Dennehey, Warner, Coleman &
Goggin. The announcement was made
at the annual shareholders’ meeting held
Dec. 6, 2005. Bogart is a member of the
casualty department and works in the
firm’s Cherry Hill, N.J., office.
Charles M. Clapton has been hired as
the policy adviser for healthcare and
social security issues for U.S. House
Speaker Dennis J. Hastert (R-Ill).
Previously, Clapton served as the chief
health policy counsel for the House
Energy and Commerce Committee,
where he was involved in the drafting
and negotiations that led to the Medicaid
and Medicare provisions included in the
Deficit Reduction Act of 2005.
Kathleen Greenan Ramsey has been
elected partner at the law firm of
Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP,
as announced in November 2005. With
more than 10 years of experience in
telecommunications regulation, Ramsey
will continue to defend companies
in regulatory enforcement actions
before the Federal Communications
Commission, advocate regulatory policies before the FCC and state regulatory
commissions, and counsel clients on a
full range of communications and competition issues, including mergers and
acquisitions. She is based in
Sonnenschein’s Washington, D.C.,
office. Ramsey is active in providing pro
bono legal representation to the
Children’s Law Center in Washington,
D.C. She represents foster parents who
wish to adopt abused and neglected children in the care of Children and Family
Service Agency. She has also provided
48
News
pro bono legal representation to the
Legal Counsel for the Elderly.
Andrew D. Rivas has been named executive director of the Texas Catholic
Conference, the association of the 15
Catholic dioceses of Texas. Rivas served
as policy adviser for the United States
Conference of Catholic Bishops for more
than four years, concentrating on federal
legislation affecting criminal justice, agriculture and environmental issues. Prior to
his position at the USCCB, he worked
for Catholic Charities USA and for the
Senate Commerce Committee.
Karyn M. Taylor was promoted to
shareholder at Littler Mendelson of
Reno, Nev., in January 2006. The following month, she married Robert Craig
MacRae. The couple resides in Reno.
1996
Donna Ann Gallagher Browne has
relocated to San Ramon, Calif., with her
husband, Greg, and sons, Daniel (5) and
Justin (3). She is doing volunteer work
and preparing for the California Bar
Exam.
Beverly J. Russell is counsel to the
administrative judge of the Criminal
Court of the City of New York. She
resides in Brooklyn.
Brian P. Wyatt was named partner at
the Baltimore, Md.–based firm of
Anderson, Coe & King, LLP, effective
in January. Wyatt has been with the firm
since 1998 and specializes in professional malpractice defense. Brian and his
wife, Rebecca, 1996, are the proud parents of Bartley Rose, born Jan. 12, 2006.
She joins her big brother, Seamus
O’Neill, who was born in October 2003.
The Wyatts traveled to the San
Francisco area in October 2005 for the
marriage of CUA law classmate Jerome
Galli to his wife, Diane. Also in attendance was classmate Marcus Spatafore,
who was accompanied by his wife.
1997
Scott N. Flesch has accepted a position
as a trial attorney with the U.S. Army
Contract Appeals Division in Arlington,
Va. A former army JAG officer, Flesch
recently left active duty to join the
civilian ranks. In his new practice, Flesch
represents the army in contract litigation
before the Armed Services Board of
Contract Appeals, the Government
Accountability Office, the United States
Court of Federal Claims and the United
States Court of Appeals for the Federal
Circuit. He has also published articles in
the June and October 2005 issues of The
Army Lawyer. Flesch continues to teach
as an adjunct lecturer at CUA law. He
resides in Vienna, Va., with his wife,
Amy, and their two sons.
David R. Keene joined Tallman
Hudders & Sorrentio PC in May 2005,
where he continues to practice labor and
employment law representing management. The firm is headquartered in
Allentown, Pa.
Major
Eugene
(“Gene”) Kim and
his wife, Jeannie,
became the proud
parents of their first
child,
Deborah
Saemee Kim, on
Sept. 2, 2005. Gene
is in his eighth year
of service with the U.S. Army’s Judge
Advocate General’s Corps and is currently assigned to the U.S. Army Legal
Services Agency in Arlington, Va. Gene is
a trial attorney in USALSA’s Contract
Appeals Division, where he works with
Scott Flesch, 1997, and Capt. Sean
Connolly, 1999.
Jennifer E. Mandell opened a new law
office in January 2005, where she continues her solo practice in family law. The
firm is located in the City of Fairfax, Va.
Nancy M. Palermo has joined Garrison
& Sisson, an attorney search and legal
recruitment consulting firm which has
been serving the Washington, D.C.,
ALUMNI
legal community since 1987. Palermo
recently became a principal of the firm
and will serve as its president. Palermo
and her husband, Nicholas, are the
proud parents of their second child, Liza
Jane, born May 5, 2005. She joins
Charlie, who is now 3.
Jonathan Pavony has been promoted to
partner in the Washington, D.C., office
of Patton Boggs. Pavony advises clients
on corporate and securities matters,
including public offerings, stock and
asset purchase transactions and corporate governance practices.
Lee G. Petro was named a partner at
Fletcher, Heald & Hildreth, PLC, where
he specializes in telecommunications law.
Lee also serves on the board of trustees
for the Federal Communications Bar
Association Foundation. Lee lives with
his wife, Na-Rae Ohm Petro, and his two
daughters, Emily Rose (6) and Sarah Jane
(3), in Alexandria, Va.
Susan Goss Taylor has been named
partner at the San Diego, Calif.-based
law firm of Lerach Coughlin Stoia
Geller Rudman & Robbins LLP. Her
practice focuses on securities fraud and
consumer fraud litigation.
1998
Anthony F. Archeval and his wife,
Kristina, are the proud parents of their
first child. Luke Fernando was born July
29, 2005. Archeval is a trial attorney with
the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil
Rights Division, Housing and Civil
Enforcement Section. The family
resides in Kensington, Md.
James I. McAuley IV has returned to
his hometown of Franklinville, N.Y., and
is a partner in the law firm of Moriarty
& Swanz. McAuley is the attorney for six
townships, three fire districts and his
local school district. He practices primarily in the area of real estate and municipal issues. He and his wife, Susan, have
a daughter.
Jeneba Jallah Ghatt and Fatima
Fofana (2000) were selected as the 2006
News
Alumni Achievement Awardees by
Catholic University’s chapter of the
Black Law Students Association. Ghatt
and Fofana are two of the three partners
of The Ghatt Law Group LLC, the
nation’s first communications law firm
owned and operated by AfricanAmerican women.
Bill Winter is running for a seat in
Congress during the November 2006
election. He is challenging Republican
incumbent Tom Tancredo for the
right to represent Colorado’s 6th
Congressional District.
Brian
M.
McDermott
has
joined the Tyson’s
Corner, Va., office
of Williams Mullen
as a lateral partner
in
its
communications
group.
McDermott assists
in international telecommunications
and broadband clients with local, state,
federal and international regulatory and
transactional issues. His experience
includes mergers, acquisitions and
securities issuances; the transfer and
purchase of public utility facilities; and
the negotiation of interconnections
agreements.
Christy Wallner Goodman has joined
with two partners to form the law
offices of Goodman, Sheridan & Roff,
LLP. The San Diego, Calif.-based firm
specializes in business litigation,
FDCPA and FCRA litigation, consumer
litigation and estate planning.
1999
Sarah Weitzel Carson was recognized
by Atlanta Magazine as one of Georgia's
Super Lawyer Rising Stars.
Christopher J. Cloud reports that his
company, CJC Consulting, has recently
signed Audissey Guides as a new client.
The Boston-based company has made
waves in the media and tourism industry
by using MP3 players to provide audio
commentary about historic sites to
tourists. CJC Consulting is based in
Roslindale, Mass.
Charles R. Nold has left the University
of California and started his own intellectual property practice in California,
specializing in the patenting and licensing of high-tech inventions. His Web
site is NoldLaw.com.
Audrey J. Todd recently joined SES
AMERICOM, Inc. in Princeton, N.J.,
as regulatory counsel. Todd resides in
Ocean Grove, N.J.
2000
Erica R. Jacobson completed an
LL.M. in corporate law from Columbia
University in February 2006. Since
2003, Erica has served as in-house
counsel with Lehman Brothers Inc. at
its offices in New York and New Jersey.
She resides in New York City.
Cecelia A. TaBois was featured in the
December 2005 issue of the ABA Journal
in an article about her system for organizing her office space. Featuring a photograph of her, the article was titled
“Dead Letter Office: A Paper-Saver
Must Learn to Let Go Before She Can
Organize Her Space.” TaBois also spoke
at the ABA Real Property Probate
and Trust Law Section’s Spring
2006 Washington D.C. Community
Outreach Program: An Introduction
to Trusts and Estates Practice. The
eight-week course was for new and
prospective members of the probate and
trust bar. TaBois is a solo practitioner in
McLean, Va., and is a board member of
the Asian Pacific American Bar
Association of Greater Washington
D.C., where she edits its newsletter.
2001
Karen LeVan Bergman married Leif
Bergman on Oct. 22, 2005. The couple
resides in Medford, Mass.
Gina Cain-Tate married William L.
Tate in February 2003. The couple has
two children, Alexandria and Aidyn, and
resides in Durham, N.C.
49
ALUMNI
Patrick A. Hope and his wife, Kristen,
became the proud parents of a baby girl,
Emma Grace, on Jan. 31, 2006. The
family resides in Arlington, Va.
Maura Jeffords and her husband,
Leonard, welcomed their first child,
Patton Henry Jeffords, on May 23,
2005. The family resides in Washington,
D.C.
Josef D. Leary has retired after nearly
20 years as a member of the U.S.
Foreign Service. His final assignment
with the State Department was working
on legal and policy issues as a special
assistant to the executive director of the
Bureau of Diplomatic Security. Leary is
now in private practice. In addition,
through his role as a member of the
ABA’s Homeland Security Committee,
Leary recently provided substantive
comments regarding a resolution concerning the constitutionality of the
domestic surveillance program. The
resolution was later considered by the
ABA House of Delegates.
Shane Orr and his wife, Liza, 2000,
have departed the Washington, D.C.,
area to move back to his hometown of
Denver. Formerly with Arnold and
Porter, Shane is now an attorney with
the Denver-headquartered Jacobs Chase
Frick Kleinkopf & Kelley LLC. Liza
previously served in the Division of
Market Regulation of the U.S. Securities
and Exchange Commission.
Dana J. Thompson married Shera
Higgs of Houston on Dec. 17, 2005. The
wedding was held in Houston. Thompson
is deputy chief of staff in the office of U.S.
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas).
2002
Sarah Glennon Pietragallo was married to William Pietragallo III in January
2006. The following month, she left
Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll LLP
to continue real estate finance practice as
in-house counsel at CapitalSource Inc.
50
News
Jennifer Rasile is happy to announce
her marriage to Terence Everitt, 2001,
on Nov. 19, 2005. The wedding ceremony was performed at Blessed Sacrament
Church in Alexandria, Va., followed by a
dinner reception at the Westin Grand in
Washington, D.C. The couple currently
resides in Alexandria.
Hon. John H. Bayly Jr. in D.C. Superior
Court in 2001 and as a health policy
intern from 1998 to 1999 for the Hon.
Garnet F. Coleman, Texas House of
Representatives. She served in the HIV
/AIDS Bureau of the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services as a
health policy intern in 1998.
2003
2004
Timothy Bauersachs has joined the law
division of the New Jersey Attorney
General’s Office, working to protect the
state’s children from child abuse and
neglect. He has also completed the
cross-country journey of a lifetime, driving from New Jersey to San Diego in his
convertible, visiting 15 major U.S. cities
and exploring 12 national parks.
Liza Terry Craig completed a one-year
clerkship with Judge James Baker of the
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed
Forces in September 2005. Since then
she has joined the law firm of Shaffer,
Bock & Antonoplos PLLC as an associate in its commercial real estate practice
group. In April 2005, she married Peter
David Craig of Huntington, Ind. Along
with daughter Eryn, the couple resides
in Upper Marlboro, Md.
Michael D. Freeman has accepted a
position with the law firm of Griffith,
Sadler & Sharpe in Beaufort, S.C.
Andrew P. Lannon completed a clerkship for Florida Supreme Court Justice
Peggy A. Quince in July 2005, and has
joined the Orlando, Fla., offices of
Holland & Knight LLP. Lannon, his
wife, Corazon, and children, Peter and
Abigail, reside in Winter Park, Fla.
Monica Santelices Monroe recently
moved to Tallahassee, Fla., where she is
employed by the Florida Department of
Revenue. Monroe serves in the Office of
General Counsel as a specialist in communications services tax.
Heidi Singleton recently joined
Michaels & Ward, LLP in Boston,
where she practices securities litigation.
Chiarra-May
Stratton has joined
the health law
practice in the
Washington, D.C.,
office of OberKaler. Before joining the firm, she
practiced in the
health care group of Reed Smith.
Stratton served as a judicial intern for the
John T. Davis and his wife, Megan, are
the proud parents of Caitlin Maureen
Davis, born June 30, 2005. The family
resides in North Carolina, where Davis
is employed by the Guilford County
Public
Defender’s
Office
in
Greensboro.
Morgan J. Milner and his wife,
Jennifer, proudly announce the birth of
their son, Benedict William Milner, who
was born Jan. 26, 2006. Morgan is an
associate with Chittenden, Murday &
Novotny LLC in Chicago.
AnnaLisa Schmidt
has joined the
Washington, D.C.,
office of Vorys,
Sater, Seymour and
Pease LLP, where
she is an associate
in the litigation
group.
Schmidt
focuses her practice on commercial litigation, with an emphasis on professional liability defense and coverage matters,
including lawyers, stockbrokers and
other professionals. She has been a volunteer attorney for Whitman-Walker
Clinic and the Capital Area Immigrants’
Rights Coalition, both located in
ALUMNI
Washington, D.C. While in law school,
Schmidt was elected to the Student Bar
Association and served as an editor on
the Catholic University Law Review.
Brenna C. Steinert will wed Emil P.
Lenchak Jr., on Aug., 5, 2006, at
Reynolds Plantation in Georgia.
2005
Jessica Aspinwall Baldassari married
George Springsteen on April 12, 2006.
They await a new baby on June 23, 2006.
Peter C. Cole is an investigator for the
New Jersey Bureau of Securities, under
the Office of the Attorney General. He
resides in Glen Ridge, N.J.
Nicole D. DeCostello joined the New
Jersey Senate Republican Office in
October 2005. She serves on the staff of
the Senate Committee on Economic
Growth and Committee on Community
and Urban Affairs, where she
concentrates on drafting legislation for
Republican senators.
Jared S. Greenstein is an associate at
Washington, D.C.-based Greenstein
Delorme & Luchs, P.C., a mid-sized
general practice law firm specializing in
commercial law, specifically commercial
real estate transactions. His practice is
focused on commercial leasing, as well as
certain aspects of real estate finance,
development and acquisition.
William F. Lynch has accepted a judicial clerkship with the Hon. Joan
Zeldon, presiding judge of the Civil
Division, D.C. Superior Court, to commence in September 2006. Lynch’s
clerkship follows a previous one with the
23rd Judicial Circuit of Virginia.
Todd W. Monroe has joined the
Washington, D.C., office of Greenberg
Traurig LLP as an associate in its litigation practice.
News
Colleen S. Walsh currently works as an
assistant district attorney in Manhattan.
Curtis L. Zeager is counsel and associate director of the Project for
International Religious Liberty, Project
for Civil Justice Reform, the Hudson
Institute. Zeager concentrates on various tort reform initiatives and international human rights problems, such as
human trafficking and prison conditions.
Send news to: Editor, CUA Lawyer,
Columbus School of Law, The Catholic
University of America, Washington, DC 20064
Craig Trainor was admitted to the New
York State Bar in March 2006. Upon
completion of his judicial clerkship with
the Hon. Frederick J. Scullin Jr., United
States District Court for the Northern
District of New York, Trainor joined the
Manhattan law firm De Feis O’Connell
& Rose, P.C., as an associate attorney.
The firm specializes in white-collar
criminal defense work, including securities fraud, political corruption, money
laundering, tax evasion, RICO, and civil
and criminal antitrust violations.
A MILLION DOLLAR YEAR!
The law school extends a special thank you to all those alumni, faculty, staff, students
and friends who assisted us in making this a banner year in our fundraising efforts!
More than $1.1 million was raised in fiscal year 2006 in support of our student
and programmatic needs, a 50 percent increase from fiscal year 2005.
More than $560,000 was gifted to our Annual Fund, which supports
student scholarships, enabling the school to attract and retain the best and brightest
aspiring legal practitioners and scholars.
On behalf of all the students who will benefit from your generosity to CUA law, we thank you!
To make a gift to the Law School Annual Fund please contact Sara Goldberg,
annual fund coordinator, at 202-310-4637 [email protected].
51
ALUMNI
News
In Memoriam
1936
Felix T. Haynes died on Oct. 17, 2005, in
Tampa, Fla., at the age of 91.
1937
Helen M. Curtin passed away March
11, 2006. A resident of Bethesda, Md.,
Mrs. Curtin is survived by two children
and several nieces and nephews.
1946
Joseph A. Sommer died on Feb. 22,
2006. A resident of Santa Fe, N.M.,
since 1953, Sommer practiced law for
59 years. As an assistant U.S. Attorney,
he worked for the Department of Justice
from 1948 to 1951. He then became
special assistant to the U. S. Attorney in
the Tax Division, Civil Trial Section from
1951 to 1953. During those years he
traveled throughout the United States
trying tax cases, developing his skills as
a trial lawyer and as a tax lawyer. In
1953, Sommer co-founded McKenna &
Sommer, now known as Sommer, Udall,
Hardwick, Ahern & Hyatt. One of New
Mexico’s first tax attorneys and one of
the state’s premier trial attorneys,
Sommer was recognized by his colleagues in 1991, when he received the
President’s Award for Exceptional
Service from the Bar Association of the
First Judicial District. One of the highlights of his early professional career
was his oral argument before the United
States Supreme Court in Rea v. U.S., in
which he and his client prevailed against
the government. During the last years of
his career, Sommer was especially
active in the Service Corps of Retired
Executives (SCORE), a nonprofit association dedicated to the formation, growth
and success of small businesses nationwide. As a member of SCORE, he gave
countless hours providing legal advice to
many small-business owners in Santa
Fe. Joseph Sommer is survived by his
52
life partner of 24 years, Ricky Hardy, five
children and eight grandchildren.
1949
Gerard B. Giguere passed away Nov. 2,
2005.
1959
The Hon. Donald L. Fratino died of a
cerebral aneurysm on Dec. 11, 2005, in
Annapolis, Md. He was 74. Born June 6,
1931, in Norwalk, Conn., Judge Fratino
served in the Army from 1954 to 1956
and was stationed in Germany. Upon
retirement from the Internal Revenue
Service, where he specialized in international tax law, Judge Fratino was in private practice of law before becoming an
administrative law judge for the state of
Maryland. Among his many memberships, Judge Fratino belonged to the
alumni association of the Columbus
School of Law, which honored him as a
45-year alumnus during its annual Auld
Lang Syne luncheon in 2004. Judge
Fratino enjoyed tennis, cycling, travel
and boating. He is survived by his wife,
Mary Monica Fratino, three daughters
and 11 grandchildren.
1961
William P. Roche died on Friday, Nov.
18, 2005. A resident of Bethesda for
many years, Mr. Roche resided in Silver
Spring at the time of his death. He is survived by his wife, Jean Travis Roche,
four children and 17 grandchildren.
1964
Edwin C. Barrett died on Dec. 14, 2005,
in Harwichport, Mass., at the age of 72.
1974
Richard “Dick” Rivers died from acute
leukemia on April 30, 2006. He was 63.
The former head of the international law
practice section of Akin, Gump, Strauss,
Hauer & Feld, Rivers retired in 1996. He
went on to earn a master's degree in
creative writing from Johns Hopkins
University in 2003. Rivers began his
career as press secretary to Rep. Hale
Boggs (D-La.) in the office of the House
majority whip (1968-70) and in the office
of the House majority leader (1970-72).
He later served as a staff member of the
Senate Finance Committee chaired by
Russell B. Long (D-La.), where he drafted the legislation that was known as
"fast track." Rivers moved to general
counsel of the Office of the Special
Trade Representative during the Carter
administration, where he assisted in
negotiations for the so-called "Tokyo
Round" trade agreement with the member countries of the General Agreement
on Tariffs and Trade. A memorial service
was held May 22, 2006, at the
Metropolitan Club Washington, D.C.
1979
Anthony Bergin died suddenly on Oct.
22, 2005, at his home in Waterbury,
Conn. He was an attorney with Zehnder
& Zehnder of Naugatuck, Conn. Bergin is
survived by his wife, Maureen, and six
children ranging in age from 8 to 17.
1981
Beth Kanehl Steele died on May 4,
2005, at the Hospice of the North Shore,
in Skokie, Ill., at the age of 59. Ms.
Steele was employed as a legal editor.
1984
John E. Smathers, a captain in the
United States Army Reserve, died on
Feb. 5, 2006. A resident of Laurel, Md,
Capt. Smathers had been serving as the
command judge advocate for the 352nd
Civil Affairs Command in Riverdale, Md.
A member of the judge advocate general corps since 1995, Capt. Smathers’ previous military assignments included
deployment to Iraq from January 2003 to
ALUMNI
February 2004, where he was awarded
two Purple Hearts and the Combat
Action Badge. Capt. Smathers’ bravery
under fire was the subject of a short article in the summer 2004 issue of CUA
Lawyer, titled “When Johnny Came
Marching Home.”
News
All in the Family
Graduation Class of 2006
1982
Susan Duh Heffron, 48, passed away
on March 30, 2006, at George
Washington University Hospital in
Washington, D.C. A lawyer and litigation
coordinator who had worked with the
Washington law firm of Akin Gump
Strauss Hauer & Feld in recent years,
Heffron was a native of Allentown, Pa.
Early in her career, she worked for several area law firms including Piper &
Marbury. There, she helped with pre-trial
work for the defense in the massive
Love Canal environmental waste case in
upstate New York. More recently, she
focused on lawsuits related to insurance
matters. A classical piano enthusiast,
Ms. Heffron is survived by her husband
of 20 years, William J. Heffron.
1991
Sylvia M. Brennan died on Jan. 28,
2006, after a courageous battle with
cancer. Brennan ran the Washington,
D.C., office of the nonprofit National
Housing Law Project for two years prior
to taking leave to battle her disease. She
is survived by her husband of 16 years,
Stephen C. Brennan; her parents; a sister and a brother; and five nieces and
nephews.
Alexandra M. Abboud, 2003
sister of Khalil J. Abboud
Nicholas Manfreda, 1937*
grandfather of Brendan Manfreda
Raymond A. Dufour, 1936*
grandfather of R. Alex Dufour, II
Michael R. McCarthy, 1991
father of Maureen McCarthy
G. Michael Dufour, 1989
cousin of R. Alex Dufour, II
Linda C. McCreary, 1999
mother of Melissa K. McCreary
Michael R. Sachs, 2005
cousin of Janine P. Gannon
James F. Morgan, Jr., 1978
father of James F. Morgan, III
Lawrence P. Grassini, 1970
father of Kathleen M. Grassini
William W. Murck, 1972
father of Patrick A. Murck
Bronia Walsh, 1957*
grandmother of Krista A. Kaczensky
Alice P. Schwartz, 1977
mother of Rebecca N. Schwartz
Roger J. Lucas, 1981
father of Jennifer A. Lucas
Thomas W. Keech, 1975
uncle of Soon Ei Sweeney
Joseph Broderick, 1937*
grandfather of Brendan Manfreda
James J. Vaughan, 1966
father of Jennifer Vaughan
Mark N. Manfreda, 2005
cousin of Brendan Manfreda
Jeanette Gerber Vaughan, 1968
mother of Jennifer Vaughan
Mary E. Manfreda, 2002
cousin of Brendan Manfreda
Margaret A. King
cousin of Cathleen Reilly Myers
(Associate Dean for Institutional
Advancement)
*deceased
53
ALUMNI
News
Cross Country
Alumni gatherings nationwide
Scranton Alumni Chapter
In March, Dean Veryl V. Miles,
1980, was warmly met by many
of our alumni in Scranton, Pa.,
at the Lackawanna Station
Hotel. It was a wonderful
opportunity to share stories
and reconnect with classmates
and peers.
Washington, D.C. Sixth Annual
St. Patrick’s Day Celebration
More than 65 of our D.C. alumni joined D.C.
chapter chairperson Edward J. McAndrew, 1995,
center, for a pint at the D.C. Pub Party in honor of
St. Patrick’s Day. Ed caught up with Paul M. Higgins,
1995, and John Kitlas, 1997, during the festivities.
New Mexico Alumni Luncheon
The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in
sunny Albuquerque, N.M., was the site
of a New Mexico chapter luncheon in
November, hosted by board of visitor
member Robert N. Singer, 1968.
Rhode Island Alumni Chapter
Members of the Rhode Island Alumni
Chapter greeted Dean Veryl V. Miles with a
luncheon at the beautiful University Club.
The Honorable Alice B. Gibney, 1972,
hosted the event with help from Richard
Pacia, 1978, and Melissa Darigan, 1992.
54
ALUMNI
News
New York City Alumni Chapter
Our NYC alumni took in exceptional views of New
York at the historical Beekman Tower Hotel. Among
the many in attendance were, left to right, Daphne
Tchao, 1993; Dean Miles; Jacob R. Zissu, 2004;
Megan Annitto, 2001; Mary O'Flynn, 1999; and
board of visitors member William Sondericker, 1952.
New Jersey Alumni Chapter
New Jersey alumni welcomed Dean Miles at
the Park Avenue Club in Florham Park, N.J.
Melissa ‘Missy’ Elias, 1980; Christine and
Robert Contillo, 1980; Hugh DeFazio, 1968;
Seton Hall Professor John B. Wefing, 1967;
and John Elias, 1980, take a moment to smile
for the camera. Special thanks to hosts Melissa
and John Elias for a spectacular event.
Boston Alumni Chapter
CUA law shareholders at Greenberg
Traurig, LLP hosted Dean Miles for an
intimate dinner at their office. Breathtaking
views of downtown Boston were enjoyed
by all, especially Karen LeVan Bergman,
2001; Theodore ‘Ted’ Grannatt, 2001;
Dean Miles; Juan Marcelino, 1981; board
of visitors member John Carberry, 1973;
and John Sten, 1995.
1897 Society Gathering
Members of the 1897
Society and special guests
shared a magical evening
with Dean Miles at the
Kennedy Center for a
performance of Wicked:
The Untold Story of the
Witches of Oz, one of the
hottest tickets in town.
55
ALUMNI
News
Cross Country
Alumni gatherings nationwide
Third Annual Miami Family
Mass and Brunch
Linda and Luis Perez, both members of the Class of 1983, along
with their daughter, Elizabeth,
hosted more than 30 of our
Miami alumni at their home in
sun-drenched Coral Gables, Fla.,
this past February. Rev. Raymond
O’Brien was on hand to preside
over the special Mass.
New York City Alumni Chapter
CUA law Professor Clifford S. Fishman, far right,
lectured to our NYC alumni in April at Milberg,
Weiss, Bershad & Schulman, LLP. A special
thanks to the firm for hosting us as well as Joseph
Guglielmo, 1995, and Shannon McKenna, 2003,
for making the lecture a great success.
Washington, D.C.Young Alumni Chapter
In March, the first Student and Alumni Breakfast was
held at Holland & Knight. The program included team
members from the firm’s real estate division. Pictured
here are Charles ‘Chad’ Tiedemann, 1981; Sharon
Nelson Craig, 1987; Colleen Leonard, 2003; Christopher
H. Collins, 1978; and Alan P. Vollmann, 1980.
Auld Lang Syne Luncheon
Holiday festivities kicked off with the annual
Auld Lang Syne Luncheon held at the law
school on Dec. 2, 2005. Pictured here are our
most senior alumni dressed in their holiday
best. Seated front and center are recipients of
special acknowledgement: Natalie Y. St.
Denis, 1955, who celebrated her 50th
graduation anniversary, and Richard W.
Galiher Sr., 1935, who celebrated his 70th.
56
CALENDAR OF
Events
Alumni Events Calendar
August
8/12/06
Washington, D.C. Alumni Chapter Baseball Game
Washington Nationals vs. New York Mets
RFK Stadium
8/15/06
NYC Alumni Chapter Baseball Game
New York Yankees vs. Baltimore Orioles
Yankee Stadium
TBD
Hawaii Alumni and Faculty Reception
(in conjunction with the ABA Annual Meeting)
Honolulu, Hawaii
September
9/10/06
Washington, D.C. and Baltimore Alumni Chapter Baseball Game
Baltimore Orioles vs. New York Yankees
Camden Yards
Baltimore, Md.
9/15/06-9/17/06
REUNION 2006
Washington, D.C.
Classes of 1966, 1971, 1976, 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996 and 2001
TBD
Washington, DC Young Alumni Chapter
Pub Party Welcoming the Class of 2006
Washington, D.C.
October
10/30/06
Virginia Bar Swearing In Alumni Breakfast
Richmond Marriott
Richmond, Va.
TBD
Homecoming Reception
Washington, D.C.
November
TBD
Washington, DC Young Alumni Chapter
Student & Young Alumni Breakfast
Topic: Careers in Government Contracts
Venable, LLP
Washington, D.C.
CUA law school is always looking for volunteers to help us plan and execute new events across the country. If you would like to be
a part of your regional alumni chapter committee, please contact Jodie Sperico, director of alumni relations, at [email protected].
For additional information regarding these and other alumni activities, please call
202-319-5670 or 1-877-7CUALAW or e-mail:[email protected]
THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA
Address Service Requested
NON PROFIT ORG
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT 382
DULLES VA

CUALawyer - The Columbus School of Law

Transcription

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