Law School News Archives

12/8/2004 - W&L Law Shows 200 Percent Increase in Black Student Enrollment
A recent article in the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education points to a nationwide trend toward increased enrollment of black students in the nation's accredited law schools. Washington and Lee's School of Law is cited as notable among them, with a 200 percent increase in the past five years. The student body at W&L Law is now 10.8 percent black, up from 3.8 percent in 1999.

"Minority representation in our law class is of vital importance to W&L," said David Partlett, dean of the School of Law. "We recognize that a law class functions best when different views are canvassed. Moreover, a professional must have a broad appreciation of the world that he or she is to practice in. it is for this reason that we have expanded the numbers of international students in addition to our continuing efforts to recruit persons of color and those with diverse views."

12/8/2004 - Professors Gallanis and Howard Elected to American Law Institute
Washington and Lee University law professors Thomas Gallanis and Margaret Howard have been elected to membership in the American Law Institute.

The American Law Institute (ALI) cites its exclusive purpose as "to promote the clarification and simplification of the law and its better adaptation to social needs, to secure the better administration of justice and to encourage and carry on scholarly and scientific legal work."

11/29/2004 - W&L Law Professor Wins Prestigious Writing Award
Mark Drumbl, associate professor of law at Washington and Lee University, has won the Association of American Law Schools' 2004 Scholarly Papers Competition for his paper "Collective Violence and Individual Punishment: The Criminality of Mass Atrocity."

11/17/2004 - W&L Law Library Ranked 13th in Nation By National Jurist Magazine
The library at Washington and Lee University's School of Law is ranked 13th out of nearly 200 law libraries reviewed by National Jurist magazine.

11/15/2004 - W&L Wins First Place at the ABA Regional Negotiation Competition
Congratulations to Jonathan Robbins, Chris Wynn, Tim McKeen, and Chris Bullard for competing at the ABA Regional Negotiation Competition this weekend. Both teams put a lot of time and effort into preparing for the competition and their impressive performances reflected their dedication. As well, the team of Jonathan Robbins and Chris Wynn have brought glory to W&L by winning FIRST PLACE at the competition and they will represent W&L at the ABA National Negotiation Competition in the spring.

11/5/2004 - J. Scott Fechnay Named to Washington and Lee Board of Trustees
J. Scott Fechnay, Class of '69, has been elected to the Washington and Lee University Board of Trustees. He graduated from Washington and Lee with a BA in history. He also earned a MA from Pepperdine University and a MBA from the Darden School at the University of Virginia.

10/27/2004 - Four W&L Law Students Honored at Annual Moot Court Competition
Four Washington and Lee University law students were honored for their performances during the final round of the 25th Annual John W. Davis Moot Court competition at W&L's School of Law.

10/19/2004 - International Affairs Writer to Speak on "Global Security in 2010"
Journalist and author Robert Kaplan, who has been called "one of the most influential commentators on the new world order," will give a public lecture on "Global Security in 2010" at Washington and Lee University on Thursday, Oct. 21, at 6 p.m. in Lee Chapel.

10/19/2004 - Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Virginia to Speak
The Honorable Leroy Rountree Hassell, Sr., Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Virginia and former partner at McGuire Woods will give a public lecture on Wednesday, November 17, 2004 at 4:00 PM in the Moot Court Room. His topic is "The Importance of Ethics and Professionalism: Lessons from the Legacy of Lewis F. Powell, Jr."

10/19/2004 - 22 October: Legal History Lecture
Friday, October 22, 2004 at noon in the Law School Moot Courtroom, Charles Donahue Jr., Paul A. Freund Professor of Law, Harvard University and President-Elect, American Society for Legal History will deliver a lecture on 'Why Legal History?'. The lecture is free and open to the public.

9/22/2004 - Grey to Host National Symposium on the American Jury System at W&L
American Bar Association President Robert Grey will host a National Symposium on the American Jury System on Oct. 14-15, 2004, at Washington and Lee University School of Law in Lexington, Va.

9/17/2004 - W&L Law Names New Directors of Admissions, Career Services
Washington and Lee University's School of Law has announced the appointment of Andrea Hilton Howe as director of admissions. A 1985 graduate of W&L Law, Hilton Howe has been the school's associate director of career services since 2000.

Hilton Howe will oversee an admissions office that last year was responsible for a 67% increase in the number of applications to W&L's School of Law, resulting in one of the most academically competitive classes in the school's history. The Class of 2007 has an average undergraduate GPA of 3.5 and an average LSAT of 166.

9/15/2004 - Spencer Overton to Speak on the Voting Rights Act
Professor Spencer Overton, Professor of Law at The George Washington University and former Washington and Lee University School of Law Presenter will speak on the Voting Rights Act at 5:00 PM in Classroom A on September 30, 2004. Professor Overton's scholarly interests include property, campaign finance, voting rights, and race.

9/14/2004 - W&L Alumnus to Join Federal Court Bench in Norfolk on Sept. 17
Norfolk attorney and Washington and Lee University alumnus Walter DeKalb Kelley Jr. will be invested on Sept. 17 on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Kelley, who earned bachelor and law degrees from W&L in 1977 and 1981, will replace Judge Henry Morgan, who announced last year that he would be taking senior status on the court. Morgan also is a W&L alumnus from the classes of 1957 and 1960 law.

9/10/2004 - W&L Race and Ethic Ancestry Law Journal Announces Staff Writers
The Editorial Board of the Washington and Lee Race and Ethnic Ancestry Law Journal is pleased to announce the selection of the Staff Writers for 2004-2005.

Yanessa L. Barnard, Jillian L. DiLaura, Dannel C. Duddy, Georgianaa E. Gaines, Wellington Gu, Michael B. Lestino, Johnny J. Lo, Taeho D. Lim and Seth A. Steed.

9/10/2004 - Moot Court Negotiation Competition Completes Semi-Final Round
The Moot Court Board wishes to thank everyone who competed in the semi-final round of the Annual Negotiation Competition. Teams advancing to the final round of competition are Shawn Bone & Jared Hembree, Chris Bullard & Tim McKeen, Lauren Hoelzer & Brant Kuehn, Greer Smith & Gabrielle Butcher,
Brett Twitty & Chris Brumback and Chris Wynn & Jonathan Robbins.

9/7/2004 - Commonwealth Secretary of Education to Speak
Belle Wheelan, Commonwealth of Virginia's Secretary of Education, will speak to Professor Blake Morant's Law and Education Class on Thursday, September 16, 2004 in the Moot Court Room begining at 9:00 AM. The event is open to the public and all are invited to attend.

Secretary Wheelan, former President of Northern Virginia Community College, received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Trinity University with a double major in psychology and sociology. While at Trinity, she distinguished herself as an Academic Scholar. She was the first African-American at Trinity to be named to Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities. In 2002, the University awarded Dr. Wheelan with the Outstanding Alumnus Award.

More about Secretary Wheelan and her biography may be found on the Department of Education website.

9/1/2004 - School of Law Names New Faculty Members
The Washington and Lee University School of Law has appointed five new faculty members for the 2004-05 academic year. The appointments include David I. Bruck as clinical professor of law and director of the Virginia Capital Case Clearinghouse; Montre Carodine and Melissa Waters as assistant professors of law; and Peter Kostant and Sean Donahue as visiting faculty.

8/27/2004 - W & L Law Professor to Serve as US Delegate to the International Association of Criminal Law Congress
Law Professor Mark Drumbl will travel to Beijing China to serve as a United States delegate to the International Association of Criminal Law Congress. The Congress, held every five years, will take place from September 13 to 19, 2004. In the past, resolutions adopted at the Congress have led to multilateral treaties and topics this year will include the place of minors in international criminal law, international economic crimes including corruption, and the relationship between national courts and international courts in the prosecution of war crimes.

Drumbl received his BA from McGill University and his MA from Institut d’etudes politiques de Paris/McGill University. He then graduated summa cum laude with a J.D. from the University of Toronto and received his J.S.D. from Columbia University. Drumbl has also served on the University of Toronto Law Review and the Columbia Journal of Transitional Law. He has clerked for Frank Iacobucci of the Supreme Court of Canada and served as a litigator and counsel for various firms. Drumbl began teaching Washington and Lee in 2002 and currently sits as the Ethan Allen Faculty Fellow while teaching International Law; International Organizations; Mass Violence and Human Rights; Global Environmental Governance and Contracts.

8/9/2004 - W&L Law School Alumna Receives One of ABA's Highest Honors
Washington and Lee University law alumna Linda A. Klein has been awarded one of the American Bar Association's highest honors for achieving professional excellence and paving the way for other women lawyers' success.

An Atlanta attorney and 1983 W&L School of Law graduate, Klein received the ABA's Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award at a luncheon during the organization's annual meeting in Atlanta on Sunday (Aug. 8).

8/4/2004 - W&L Law Adjunct Professor Elected Fellow of the American Bar Foundation
Lawrence H. Hoover, Jr., Adjunct Professor of Law at Washington and Lee University, has been elected Fellow of the American Bar Foundation.

The American Bar Foundation is the preeminent research center for the empirical study of law, legal institutions, and legal processes in society. The Fellows is an honorary organization of practicing attorneys, judges, and law teachers whose professional, public and private careers have demonstrated outstanding dedication to the welfare of their communities and to the highest principles of the legal profession. Established in 1955, the organization of The Fellows encourages and supports the research program of the American Bar Association.

Since 1985, Professor Hoover, of the firm Hoover Penrod, PLC in Harrisonburg, Virginia, has taught Negotiation and Mediation.

8/2/2004 - W&L Law Review Names New Staff Writers
Twenty-four students at Washington and Lee University's School of Law have been named staff writers for the Law Review, completing the staff for the upcoming year's edition, Volume 62. They join an editorial board comprised of 14 third-year students, including Editor in Chief Jennifer R. Belcher and Executive Editor M. Todd Carroll.

The second-year students were chosen from a pool of about 60 candidates—more than half of the Class of 2006—following a rigorous competition and selection process.

7/30/2004 - W&L Law Professor to Deliver Keynote Address at SOLINET Meeting
Law Professor and Law Librarian Sally Wiant will deliver the keynote address at the August 2, 2004 meeting of the SOLINET Virginia Users Meeting. Professor Wiant's address will focus on the U.S. Patriot Act.

SOLINET is The Southeastern Library Network, a membership network of libraries and other information organizations, that works to provide leadership for cooperative action, improve access to information, and enable members to effectively address the region's needs for education, economic development, and improved quality of life.

At Washington & Lee, Professor Wiant teaches courses on copyrights and patents as well as trademarks and unfair trade practices. Prior to coming to Washington & Lee to pursue her J.D., Professor Wiant received her B.A. from Western State College and her M.L.S. from the University of North Texas. Professor Wiant has served as Assistant Librarian for Circulation at Texas Tech University and as Assistant Librarian at Washington and Lee University, before becoming Law Librarian and Assistant Professor of Law.

7/29/2004 - W&L Law Professor's Work Cited in Conn. Supreme Court Ruling
The Connecticut Supreme Court, in its ruling this week in a free speech-private property case, cited a successful legal approach put forth by Professor Ronald Krotoszynski Jr. of Washington and Lee University's School of Law.

The case, United Food & Commercial Workers Union, Local 919, AFL-CIO v. Crystal Mall Associates, L.P., involved the union's use of the mall's common areas to distribute literature and talk with the public about employee rights under state and federal laws.

7/12/2004 - W&L Law School's Legal Clinic Prevails in 4th Circuit Court Case
Three days before her May graduation from Washington and Lee University's School of Law, Shellie Lynne Sewell presented oral arguments in a black lung case before the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Sewell, of Randallstown, Md., recently was notified that her arguments on behalf of Jimmy Lucas, a longtime coal miner who was denied black lung benefits shortly after his retirement, were successful.

7/1/2004 - Law Professor to Foster Programs Focused on Global Environmental Policy, Economics and Law
During July, University President Thomas Burish will be accompanied by Law Professor Mark Drumbl and Undergraduate Professor Jim Kahn during a two-week visit to the Universidade Federal do Amazonas and the Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense to develop Washington and Lee's exchange programs. These programs are to focus on global environmental policy, economics, and law. During the summer of 2003 Drumbl and Kahn
co-facilititated a course entitled Global Environmental Governance at the Universidade Federal do Amazona, which focused on the legal and economic regimes responsive to problems such as climate change and biodiversity.

Drumbl, the Ethan Allen Faculty Fellow, has taught at Washington and Lee since 2002. His main course focuses are International Law, International Organizations, Mass Violence and Human Rights, Global Environmental Governance, and Contracts.

7/1/2004 - Former W&L Law School Dean Penned Brief in Detention Cases
Barry Sullivan, former dean of Washington and Lee University's School of Law, wrote an amicus brief in the Hamdi v. Rumsfeld case, in which the U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that U.S. citizen Yaser Esam Hamdi has the right to challenge his detention in a Naval brig in court.

6/30/2004 - Former W&L Law School Dean Penned Influential Brief in Guantanamo Bay Case
Barry Sullivan, former dean of Washington and Lee University's School of Law, wrote one of the amicus briefs in the Hamdi v. Rumsfeld case in which the U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that foreign nationals being held at Guantanamo Bay have the right to challenge their detention in court.

6/28/2004 - W&L Law Alumnus to Head American Bar Association
Robert J. Grey Jr., a 1976 alumnus of Washington and Lee University's School of Law and a highly regarded Richmond attorney, will become the 128th president of the American Bar Association (ABA) on August 9, 2004 at the association's annual meeting in Atlanta.

Grey will serve a one-year term at the helm of the ABA, which, with 410,000 members, is the largest voluntary professional group in the world representing practicing and academic attorneys nationwide.

6/24/2004 - Center for Law and History Announces 2004-05 Schedule
The mission of the Washington and Lee Center for Law and History is to encourage and support the interdisciplinary study of law in its historical context. It aims to achieve that mission by bringing together scholars from W&L and throughout the world to promote research and teaching in all areas and periods of legal history.

The 2004-05 academic year will again bring prominent and exciting speakers to campus. Complete information on this year's speakers may be found on the Center's website and detailed information on the Center for Law and History may be found on the Center's homepage.

6/24/2004 - Center for Law and History Finalizes Speaker Schedule for 2004-05
The mission of the Washington and Lee Center for Law and History is to encourage and support the interdisciplinary study of law in its historical context. It aims to achieve that mission by bringing together scholars from W&L and throughout the world to promote research and teaching in all areas and periods of legal history.

The 2004-05 academic year will again bring prominent and exciting speakers to campus. Complete information on this year's speakers may be found on the Center's events/a> website and more detailed information on the Center for Law and History may be found on the Center's homepage/a>.

6/18/2004 - W&L Law Alumnus Receives Prestigious Ethics Award
Washington and Lee University law alumnus Kenneth Wernick has been awarded the 2004 Distinguished Service Award by the U.S. Office of Government Ethics (OGE).

6/8/2004 - Associate Dean of Administration and Technology to Present at CALI
John Keyser, Associate Dean of Administration and Technology will present at CALI, the Computer Assisted Legal Instruction Conference, in Seattle on June 19th. Keyser will present his paper with Gary Banks, Assistant Dean for Technology at the University of Virginia.

Keyser's presentation, "Exploring the “it” in IT" will focus on how as technology has become more pervasive in academia, IT personnel have been asked to do almost everything at one time or another. In addition to traditional IT roles, IT is often asked to assist with project management, facilities management, communications, HR and a host of other tasks. As support needs have escalated, often without a corresponding increasing in staff or budget, the strain on dedicated and talented IT staff has increased. Many individuals and departments have been forced to re-evaluate their institutional roles. This talk will explore the role of IT and IT administration in our institutions. Keyser and Banks will attempt to explore the "it" IT should be doing and what we should expect and demand from our constituents and administrations.

6/1/2004 - Law Professor to Serve as Panelist on United Nations Law-Making and Standard Setting
Washington and Lee University School of Law Professor and former Dean, Rick Kirgis, will serve as a panelist for a session on United Nations Law-Making and Standard Setting, as part of the larger program Global Issues Facing the United Nations on June 7 - 18, 2004 at the Columbia University Law School.

The program is co-sponsored by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research and by the Columbia University Law School. Kirgis' topic is "Law-Making by Four Specialized Agencies of the United Nations: the International Maritime Organization, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the International Labor Organization and the World Health Organization."

Kirgis, the Law Alumni Association Professor of Law, earned his B.A. from Yale University and J.D. from University of California (Berkeley) graduating Order of the Coif. At UC-Berkeley he served as Assistant Notes and Comments Editor for the California Law Review. He was admitted to practice in Colorado and Virginia and served as judge advocate, U.S. Air Force, 1961-64. He then went on to work for Covington & Burling, Washington, D.C. before entering academia. He has taught at the University of Colorado, U.C.L.A., the University of Michigan, Cornell, the University of Virginia, the University of Georgia, and Hastings. At Washington and Lee he has served as Director of the Lewis Law Center, Dean and Professor. He teaches Contracts, International Law, Conflict of Laws, and Foreign Relations Law.

5/31/2004 - Director of Law Technology Services to Present at Conference
Dirk van Assendelft, Director of Technology Services, will present software he has developed to monitor public computers and report on public computer labs usage at the June CICV Users Meeting in Norfolk Virginia. The software, called NT User Tracking System (NUTS), lets the Technology Services staff in the Law School be proactive in identifying and fixing problem computers, and lets the administration track lab usage in order plan for and adjust lab configurations.

The Council of Independent Colleges in Virginia (CICV) is an association of 25 Virginia independent colleges and universities. CICV works to promote the interests of non-profit, independent higher education in Virginia.

5/28/2004 - Law Student Wins Prize in AHLA Essay Contest
Judges for the American Health Lawyers Association's 2003-2004 Student Writing Competition on Corporate Responsibility have awarded Third Prize to James Braswell for his paper entitled, "Sarbanes-Oxley and Non-Profit Health Organizations."

Braswell, a third year law student from Pasadena, MD will receive complimentary registration for AHLA's upcoming annual meeting in New York City (June 27-30, 2004) and a cash award.

"This is a wonderful achievement, I am very proud of him," said Timothy Jost. Jost, a professor of Health Law, Comparative Health Law and Property has taught at Washington and Lee University since 2001.

5/25/2004 - Law Staff to be Honored
The 14th Annual University Recognition Banquet will be held on June 4th to recognize colleagues who have attained various employment milestones, and to honor individuals who will be retiring at the end of the academic year. This year the Washington and Lee University School of Law will honor six staff members.

Jean M. Eisenhauer and Linda S. Newell will be honored for Thirty Years of Service and Thomas A. Williams will be honored for Twenty-Five Years of Service. Daniel C. Coffey, Catherine H. Falls and Carole M. Shorter will be recognized for Twenty Years of Service and Carol J. Kirby will be recognized for Fifteen Years of Service.

The Law Community would like to take this opportunity to congratulate and thank these individuals for their hard work and dedicated service.

5/25/2004 - Law Professor Played Host for Radio Conversation
Law professor Brian C. Murchison hosted a radio conversation with the two declared candidates for Lexington/Rockbridge County Commonwealth’s Attorney on Tuesday, May 25, at 7:30 p.m. on WLUR, the radio station on the campus of Washington and Lee. The station call number is 91.5 FM.

The candidates, H. David Natkin and Robert N. "Bucky" Joyce, Jr., are both alumni of Washington and Lee. Natkin, a 1983 law graduate, has been a trial lawyer, defense attorney, and public defender in a career spanning over twenty years in Lexington and Rockbridge County. Joyce, a 1981 law graduate, has served as Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney for eighteen years. On July 1, he assumes interim duties as Commonwealth’s Attorney when Gordon Saunders, the current official in that position, becomes a judge in the General District Court.

Voters will decide between Joyce and Natkin in a special election in November. The winner will serve out the remaining three years of Saunders’ current term.

"The purpose of the show was to heighten public awareness of this election and the candidates," said Professor Murchison. A member of the law faculty since 1982, Murchison is the Charles S. Rowe Professor and teaches mass media law, torts, and administrative law.

5/25/2004 - Professor Continues Work on Master's of Theological Studies
Professor Ann Massie has switched hats for the summer and has taken the role of student. Massie is spending the summer taking a course at Candler Divinity School at Emory University in her continuing fulfillment of the requirements for a Master's in Theological Studies. Massie expects to complete the degree in the Spring Semester of 2005.

“It represents my long-time interest in law and religion--I have taught seminars on that subject in the past, and last year co-taught a Seminar in the Law School in American Religion and American Law with Winston Davis, from the Undergraduate Religion Department,” said Massie.

Massie received her B.A. from Duke University, graduating Phi Beta Kappa. She went on to receive her M.A. from the University of Michigan and her J.D. from the University of Virginia graduating Order of the Coif and as a member of the Virginia Law Review. Massie has served as an Editorial Assistant for Yale University Press, and as an attorney for various practices and the Federal Trade Commission. She has also clerked for Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson and served as a Washington and Lee University School of Law professor since 1985.

In addition to her recent Law and Religion class, Massie also teaches Constitutional Law; Constitutional Law Seminar; Health Law and Law & Medicine.

5/24/2004 - Law Professor in TV Film on Brown v. Board
Washington and Lee University Law Professor Doug Rendleman has taken to the screen, playing a leading attorney in "The Turning Point: Brown v. Board of Education."

The television documentary, recently produced in Virginia by the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Commission, is a dramatization of the argument before the U.S. Supreme Court and its landmark decision against racial segregation in the nation's public schools.

The film, honoring this year's 50th anniversary of the Brown v. Board ruling, will premiere in downtown Richmond on Sunday, May 16, at 6 p.m. in the Carpenter Center for the Performing Arts at 600 E.Grace St.
Rendleman, a widely published author and expert on injunctions, remedies and contempt issues, was cast in the film as John W. Davis, a W&L alumnus, former U.S. presidential candidate and the attorney who represented the state of South Carolina in Brown v. Board.

"It was a totally new experience," said Rendleman, W&L's Robert E.R. Huntley Professor of Law and a former director of the W&L School of Law's Frances Lewis Law Center. "I earn my living standing up and talking to groups – but video cameras are different."

5/22/2004 - Dean David Partlett to Present Paper at AALS Conference
Dean David Partlett will present his paper, "Distance Learning: Loosening the Ties that Bind," at the Association of American Law Schools Conference on Educating Lawyers for Transnational Challenges.

This conference will bring together 150 legal educators, representing over 50 countries and all of the world’s major legal systems. It is designed not only to bring about a dialogue concerning the education of graduates for a transnational law practice, but also to consider formulating a possible curriculum outline for a law school that seeks to educate its graduates for such a practice. It is also expected that this conference will lead to the establishment of an International Association of Law Schools to facilitate cooperation among the world’s law schools, including the development of partnerships between law schools with significant resources and those that have significant resource needs. The Association is expected to develop information exchange programs and a series of programs to help advance the curricular objectives, and a better understanding of different legal systems and cultures.

5/13/2004 - Law School to Host Spring Meeting of Virginia Association of Law Librarian
On Friday, May 14, 2004 law librarians from across the Commonwealth will meet in Lewis Hall for their Annual Spring Meeting. The program, The case of the Eccentric Ex-Prodigy, is a look back at the celebrated privacy case involving the New Yorker magazine and a look forward to the U. S. supreme Court's possible direction in invasion of privacy cases. The session will update the theory of privacy by bringing in Bartinicki v. Vopper, 532 U.S. 514(2001), a case involving the intercepted cell phone conversation and will discuss a cause of action for the invasion of privacy.

5/7/2004 - U.S. Circuit Court Judge to Address Law School Graduates
Over 125 men and women will process down the historic Front Lawn to Lee Chapel for Washington and Lee University's School of Law commencement exercises on Saturday, May 8, at 11 a.m.

Addressing the graduates is the Honorable Harry T. Edwards, the former chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, on which he continues to serve.

Detialed information on the events and speaker can be found at this website.

4/28/2004 - 3L Awarded the Oliver White Hill Student Pro Bono Award
Mark Kennedy, a third-year law student, has won the Oliver White Hill Student Pro Bono Award. The Hill Award is given by the Virginia State Bar Special Committee on Access to Legal Services, and "recognizes extraordinary achievements of outstanding students in the pro bono arena." Kennedy will be presented with the award at the Fourteenth Annual Pro Bono Conference, on May 13, 2004.

During Kennedy's first summer in law school, he worked for the D.C. Prisoners' Legal Services Project. Kennedy also worked for a public interest firm in New York City and at Washington and Lee he volunteers for many projects, including serving as the University's National Lawyers Guild Chapter President, raising money for AIDS awareness and working with recycling efforts. He has also organized a new campus initiative, "Men of Action," to raise awareness about violence against women.

In Kennedy's nomination letter, the Elizabeth Peck, Director of Career Services, noted that "Only when I pressed did he really let me know just how much work he has done. In a crowded room he is not the first person you spot; he's the guy who is quietly getting the work done while others talk. To honor someone who seeks to do good because it is the right thing to do, rather than because he may be later recognized, seems, to me, the best use of your award."

4/28/2004 - Law Student to Speak
Ahmed Younis, Washington and Lee Law Class of 2004 and author of the
book "American Muslims: Voir Dire: Speak the Truth" will speak on "Hate, Ignorance and Mass Violence: a Colorblind Story of Pride and Hysteria." Thursday 29 April, at 7:00pm in the Commons Theatre.

4/7/2004 - Two Law Students Selected for Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy
Stephen Brownback and Jared Hembree have been selected to serve on the Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy (HJLPP) 2003 National Symposium Editorial Board. Brownback and Hembree will serve as Editors of this year's symposium issue (Vol. 28, No. 1). The symposium edition will
contain articles presented at the 23rd Annual Federalist Society Student
Symposium, which took place on February 20th and 21st, 2004 at the
Vanderbilt University Law School in Nashville, Tennessee. The topic of
the symposium was "Private Law: The New Frontier for Limited
Government."

The Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy, published thrice annually,
is the most widely circulated student law review in the country and the
nation's leading forum for conservative and libertarian legal
scholarship. The late Stephen Eberhard and former Senator and now
Secretary of Energy E. Spencer Abraham founded the HJLPP twenty-seven
years ago, and many journal alumni have risen to prominent legal
positions in the government and at the nation's top law firms.

The Journal's Board of Advisors includes two U.S. Senators, four U.S.
Court of Appeals Judges, and leading conservative and libertarian
scholars. Recent authors include Viet Dinh, John Yoo, Eugene Scalia,
and Judge Guido Calabresi. In the past, the HJLPP has published pieces
by Chief Justice William Rehnquist, Justice Antonin Scalia, and Justice
Clarence Thomas.

This is the second consecutive year that Washington & Lee law students
have served on the HJLPP Symposium Editorial Board. In 2003, Ryan Berry and Jim Coleman served as Executive Editor and Editor, respectively.

4/2/2004 - Congressman Bob Goodlatte to Deliver Second Annual Powell Lecture
U.S. Representative Bob Goodlatte, from the Sixth Congressional District of Virginia, will deliver the 2nd Annual Lewis F. Powell, Jr. Distinguished Lecture on April 14, 2004 at 12:30 p.m. in the Moot Court Room in Sydney Lewis Hall.

In 2002, the students of Washington and Lee University’s law school founded the Powell Lecture Series in honor of former Supreme Court Justice Lewis F. Powell, Jr. Justice Powell graduated from Washington and Lee in 1929 and from its law school in 1931, and he was appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1972. The students created the lecture series with the aim of bringing preeminent legal scholars, public servants, and practitioners to campus annually to deliver a public lecture. Among the various lectures that occur annually in the law school, the Powell Lecture is unique in that it is entirely student managed. The students decide who to invite, organize and publicize the lecture, and fund the lecture through student activity fees.

Congressman Bob Goodlatte, who has represented the Sixth Congressional District of Virginia continuously since 1993, will be this year’s presenter. The Congressman is the Chairman of the Agriculture Committee. He also serves on the Judiciary Committee and the Select Committee on Homeland Security. His subcommittee assignments include the Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property Subcommittee, and the Cybersecurity, Science, and Research & Development Subcommittee. Congressman Goodlatte graduated from Washington and Lee University School of Law and earned an undergraduate degree in Government from Bates College in Lewiston, Maine.

Immediately following the address, the Washington and Lee Federalist Society will be hosting a reception on the Law School Patio honoring Congressman Goodlatte.

4/1/2004 - Commencement Schedule Finalized
The 2004 Commencement Schedule has been finalized and a listing of events may be found on the commencement website.

4/1/2004 - Law School Cookbook Available
The Epicurean Society's 2003-2004 Cookbook has arrived. Cookbooks can be purhcased for $5.00. Recipes this year include Gourmet Potatoes, Shrimp & Grits and many others. Special contributors include Professors Joan Shaughnessy and Brad Wendel. To purchase a cookbook, e-mail Meghan Smith at smithmp@wlu.edu.

3/26/2004 - Clerk of the U.S. Supreme Court to Speak at W&L
Clerk of the U.S. Supreme Court William K. Suter will speak at the Washington and Lee University School of Law on Wednesday, April 7 at 4 p.m. in the Moot Court Room. His talk, "Today's Supreme Court," will be followed by a question and answer session and a reception in the Moot Court Lobby.

3/4/2004 - Law School to Host American Cancer Society Relay for Life Team
This year the School of Law will host an American Cancer Society Relay for Life Team. The 16 hour relay will take place on May 14 and 15, 2004.

Members of the Law School community will be taking turns walking to show their support of cancer survivors as well as honor those that have been lost. The current Relay for Life team is seeking donations to sponsor their walk. Sponsors may also choose to purchase luminaries, used to line the walk area, in honor of cancer survivors or in memory of victims.

Anyone interested in joining or supporting the Law School Relay for Life team may contact Sarah Nichols, Assistant Director of Admissions, at nicholss@wlu.edu.

3/1/2004 - Uffelman Named New W&L Law Magazine Editor
Louise Uffelman, a writer in Washington and Lee University's communications and publications office, has been named editor of the School of Law's biannual magazine, effective February 1.

3/1/2004 - Law Center Announces Critical Race Theory as March 19 Symposium Topic
Critical Race Theory is well recognized for its contributions to civil rights. It is less well known, however, for its contributions in the business area.

Join us on Friday, March 19, 2004, to participate in a thought-provoking symposium that will consider the implications of Critical Race Theory in the areas of tax, corportate and bankruptcy law and what impact Critical Race Theory will have in the 21st century. A list of speakers and registration information may be found at the Lewis Law Center website.

3/1/2004 - 2004 Mock Convention Taps Kerry as Democratic Nominee
Every four years, the students of Washington and Lee University hold a Mock Convention for the party out of the White House. The purpose of this event is to correctly predict the nominee for this political party.

On Saturday, student delegates representing all 50 states cast their votes and tapped Senator John Kerry as the Democratic Nominee for the 2004 Presidential race with Senator John Edwards receiving the Vice Presidential Bid.

Billed as the nation’s most accurate mock convention since its inception in 1908, Washington and Lee’s convention cannot claim to be the oldest such exercise; Oberlin College has one that dates back to pre-Civil War days. Nevertheless, for consistent accuracy—and eye-filling opulence—the Mock Convention simply has no peer. With 17 correct predictions in 22 attempts, the convention has been described by Time as the “biggest and boomingest” of all amateur gatherings. Newsweek, not to be outdone, promptly dubbed it, “the most realistic” student conclave. It has been applauded on the floor of the U.S. Senate as an “outstanding practical experiment in politics.”

Only time will tell is Washington and Lee University can add another feather to its cap by having correctly predicted the 2004 nominee, until then we will all be waiting and closely watching.

3/1/2004 - Virginia Capital Case Clearing House CLE Symposium
The Virginia Capital Case Clearing House Continuing Legal Education Symposium will be held on April 2, 2004. This year's program focuses on emerging issues in capital defense cases.

Presentations include: Physiological and Psychological Effects of Stun Devices by Dr. Raphael C. Lee, Professor of Medicine at University of Chicago; Anti-Social Personality Disorder (ASPD) and Its Effects on Capital Defense Litigation by Lisa Greenman, Esquire; Frontal Lobe Tumors and Their Effect on Behavior by Dr. Russell H. Swerdlow, Associate Professor of Neurology, University of Virginia; Ethics in Capital Defense Litigation by Joseph N. Bowman, Esquire; and Issues & Developments in Capital Litigation by Roger D. Groot, Director of Virginia Capital Case Clearinghouse and Professor of Law, Washington and Lee University.

Individuals wishing to participate may find additional information on the Virginia Capital Case Clearinghouse website.

3/1/2004 - Islamic Law Expert to Speak at Washington and Lee
Washington and Lee University's School of Law and departments of sociology and anthropology will co-sponsor a public lecture by Dr. Ziba Mir-Hosseini on "Islamic Law & Feminism: The Story of a Relationship" on Thursday, Feb. 26 at 7:00 p.m. in Room 345 of W&L's Elrod Commons.

3/1/2004 - W&L Law Student One of 10 Americans to Win Prestigious Grant
Lana M. Wright, a third-year student at Washington and Lee University's School of Law, is one of 20 students worldwide to win this year's Alexander von Humboldt Foundation grant, which she will use to study church-state relations law in Germany.

1/26/2004 - James Carville to Keynote 2004 Mock Convention
Democratic political strategist James Carville will keynote Washington and Lee's 2004 Mock Convention at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 31.

1/21/2004 - National Democrat Leaders to Address W&L's 2004 Mock Convention
Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, Florida Rep. Jim Davis, and founder of the Alliance for Democracy Ronnie Dugger have joined the growing list of confirmed speakers for Washington and Lee University's 23rd Mock Convention on Jan. 30-31.

Former Oklahoma Sen. David Boren and Mississippi Rep. Gene Taylor also are scheduled to speak.

The nation's most accurate Mock Convention will rev up on Thursday, Jan. 29 with a rousing speech from W&L alumnus Jim Davis, and end Saturday, Jan. 31 with the students' prediction of the Democrat's nominee to take on President George Bush.

"We've been fortunate to secure some well-respected leaders in the Democratic Party to participate with us," said Convention Personnel Chairman Jacquelyn Clark, a W&L senior. "These initial confirmations coupled with our close negotiations with several potential keynote speakers are a huge step towards our success in a couple of weeks."

Founded in 1908, the Washington and Lee Mock Convention is a completely student-run event that predicts the presidential nominee for the party currently out of the White House. After more than two years of planning and months of grassroots research in all 50 states and four U.S. territories, more than 1,600 current W&L students will try to live up to Mock Con's 92 percent accuracy rate. The students have been wrong only once since 1948.

In addition, they will try to replicate the events and political process surrounding the actual Democratic National Convention that will take place in Boston this summer.

To kick off the weekend's events, W&L alumnus and Florida Rep. Jim Davis will address students on Thursday evening, Jan. 29, in Lee Chapel. Davis is a national co-chair of the New Democratic Coalition, a group of moderate House Democrats who promote bipartisan solutions.

The 2004 Mock Convention festivities will begin at 10:30 a.m. with a parade in downtown Lexington.

Boston Mayor Thomas Menino will call the Mock Convention to order at 1:45 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 30, as he also will do at the actual Democratic Convention in June. Menino has served three terms as Boston's mayor and is the first Italian-American to hold the position. He also is president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

Friday's session will continue with Oklahoma's former Governor and Senator David Boren. After serving as governor from 1975-1979, Boren spent 15 years in the Senate. He was the longest-serving member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. Boren currently serves as the 13th president of the University of Oklahoma.

Ronnie Dugger, co-founder of the Alliance for Democracy and founding editor of the Texas Observer, also will speak on Friday. The Alliance for Democracy is an organization dedicated to end corporate dominance.
Dugger is one of presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich's major supporters. In 2002, he attempted to run as the Green Party candidate in the New York senate race, which would have pitted him against Hillary Clinton, but he lost the Green primary.

Friday night's Mock Con events will conclude with Mississippi Rep. Gene Taylor. Taylor is known for his conservative Democratic politics and has served as a congressman since 1989. He serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
Saturday's session will begin at 9 a.m., concluding late Saturday, when the state and U.S. territories' delegations cast their votes for who will be the Democrats' nominee to oppose President George W. Bush.
Invited keynote speakers include: Hillary Clinton; Howard Dean; John Edwards; John Kerry; Dick Gephardt; Dennis Kucinich; Carol Mosely Braun; Joseph Lieberman; Gen. Wesley Clark; Harold Ford; Sen. Sam Nunn; Rep. John Lewis; Rep. James Clyburn; Al Sharpton; and Donna Brazile, both of whom spoke at the Mock Convention's Spring Kickoff.

More information and media credentials may be obtained on the Mock Convention website.

1/16/2004 - Professor Dorothy Brown Selected as Keynote Speaker
Dorothy Brown, Washington and Lee University School of Law Professor,has been selected to serve as the keynote speaker for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Program on Monday, January 19, 2004 at 7:00 PM in the University Commons Theater.

The event will celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and begin with a birthday celebration dinner at the Marketplace form 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM. After dinner, Professor Brown will deliver the keynote presentation. Following the presentation, there will be a processional and vigil march from the University Commons to Evans Hall for a reception. All events are sponsored by the Dean of Students Office, Multicultural Student Organizations and the MLK Planning Committee.

Professor Brown's courses include Administrative Law, Critical Race Theory, Federal Income Tax, and Partnership Tax. More information on Professor Brown and her legal contributions may be found on her faculty profile website .

1/14/2004 - Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Dinner and Discussion Planned
The Washington and Lee University School of Law community will celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Dinner and Open Discussion on Monday, January 19, 2004 from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM in the Faculty Lounge. Following dinner, this year's open discussion topic will be "Is There (or Isn't There) Any Importance in Celebrating Martin Luther King's Birthday at Washington and Lee?" If you wish to attend or have questions, Contact Shayla McGee at mcgees@wlu.edu.

1/14/2004 - Rita Dove to Speak
Rita Dove, recipient of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Medal in the Humanitities and former Poet Laureate of the United States will give a public reading from her work in Lee Chapel at 7:30 PM on January 22, 2004. Ms. Dove is currently the Commonwealth Professor of English at the University of Virginia. Her most recent collection of poems is ON THE BUS WITH ROSA PARKS. Work from her next volume, AMERICAN SMOOTH, will appear in the spring issue of SHENANDOAH, the Washington and Lee University literary magazine. Ms. Dove's reading is sponsored by the Glasgow Endowment, the Honor Scholars Program and the Office of the Provost.

1/8/2004 - Dr. Larry Richard to Speak
Dr. Larry Richard, a former trial lawyer and a principal with Altman Weil, Inc., specializing in behavioral science consulting, training, and leadership development for the legal profession, will be speaking on Monday, January 12, at 12:30 p.m. in Classroom A. Dr. Richard is an internationally known expert in the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), a widely used personality test that explains variations in personal style among lawyers and others, as well as several other models of personality and values. His topic is Career Choice and Job Search Style. This presentation is designed to build on the concepts explored in First Year Orientation and in individual Myers-Briggs sessions with members of the Career Services staff.

Dr. Richard consults with large firms and agrees each year to speak at a select number of law schools. We are very fortunate that he is coming to Washington and Lee School of Law. Everyone is invited to attend.

To learn more about Dr. Richard, information may be found on his website .

1/8/2004 - Founders Day Celebration - Robert Huntley '50, '57L to Speak
Robert E.R. Huntley '50, '57L, former Washington and Lee Law School Dean and Professor of Law, and Washington and Lee President from 1968-1983, will deliver the keynote address for Founders Day and the Institute for Honor. The address is entitled "Honor and Corporate Governance," and follows the theme for this year's Founders Day Celebration. The event will be held in Lee Chapel from 11:30 a.m. to 12:55 p.m.