Law School News Archives

12/11/2008 - Students in International Law Practicum Promote Justice in Liberia
The West-African nation of Liberia is just beginning to recover from the fourteen year civil war that destroyed its economy, infrastructure and legal system. Through a new international law course, Washington and Lee law students are participating in the rebuilding process up close and personal.

12/11/2008 - Robert E. Shepherd Jr., W&L Alumnus, University of Richmond law professor emeritus and advocate for children’s legal rights, dies of cancer at 71
Robert E. Shepherd Jr., professor emeritus at the University of Richmond's School of Law and a leader in legal issues affecting children and families, died Dec. 11 after a battle with cancer. Shepherd was an alumnus ('59A, '61L) of Washington and Lee and a visting professor this semester at the School of Law.

12/5/2008 - Justice Donald W. Lemons Receives International Honor
Donald W. Lemons, Virginia Supreme Court Justice and Distinguished Professor of Judicial Studies at Washington and Lee University School of Law, was named an Honorary Master of the Bench by the Middle Temple Inn of Court in London, England.

11/21/2008 - German Law Journal Publishes Special Issue with Max Planck Institute
The German Law Journal, an online journal that publishes commentary and scholarship in the fields of German, European and international law, has published a special issue on international governance in association with the prestigious Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and Public International Law.

11/20/2008 - Law Professor Offers Guidance to New Administration on International Criminal Law
Rebuilding U.S. diplomatic reputation abroad will be one of the many tasks facing President-Elect Obama and other members of his administration. A gathering of international criminal law experts on Nov. 20-21 anticipates these tasks.

11/18/2008 - Ketan Patel Wins 2008 Mock Trial Competition
Top honors at the 2008 Mock Trial went to Ketan Patel '09L. Victoria Corder '10L, winner of the John W. Davis Appellate Advocacy Competition, was the runner-up.

11/17/2008 - Prof. Robin Wilson Presents at Georgia Supreme Court Summit
Washington and Lee School of Law Professor Robin Fretwell Wilson participates in a Georgia Supreme Court family law summit sponsored by the Georgia Commission on Children, Marriage and Family Law.

11/12/2008 - Former Trustee Isadore Scott Dies
Isadore Meyer "Scotty" Scott '37L, a member of the Board of Trustees from 1971 to 1982, died Oct. 29, 2008. He was 95 and lived in Haverford, Pa.

11/7/2008 - Erwin Chemerinsky to Deliver 2008 Tucker Lecture during Law and Media Symposium
Erwin Chemerinsky, founding dean of the law school at the University of California, Irvine will deliver the Tucker Lecture as part of the annual Law and Media Symposium. Also speaking at the symposium will be the Hon. Alex Kozinski, chief judge of the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

11/5/2008 - W&L Negotiations Team Takes Second at Regional Competition
The team of Mike Gardner and Steve Mammarella placed second at the American Bar Association Regional Negotiations Competition, held Nov. 1 in Washington, D.C.

10/29/2008 - Strict Enforcement of State Electioneering Laws Problematic
Election officials who interpret their state's prohibitions against electioneering as prohibiting voters from wearing campaign buttons or T-shirts into the polling places on Election Day may be strictly within the law, but Washington and Lee University law dean Rod Smolla, an expert on the First Amendment, believes the interpretation would be unconstitutional.

10/22/2008 - Winners of 2008 Davis Moot Court Competition Announced
Victoria Corder '10 was named Best Oralist at the 2008 John W. Davis Moot Court Competition. Best Brief honors went to Liz Clarke and Stephanie Hager.

10/20/2008 - Dean Smolla Named 2008 Leader in the Law for Curricular Innovation
Law Dean Rodney A. Smolla has been named a 2008 Leader in the Law by Virginia Lawyers Weekly for his work on Washington and Lee Law School's innovative third-year curriculum reform.

10/14/2008 - School of Law Opens Legal Clinic in Childhood Home of Civil Rights Activist
Beginning this fall, students from the Washington and Lee School of Law will offer pro bono legal services out of the childhood home of the late civil rights activist Oliver White Hill.

10/13/2008 - Former Powell Clerk and Watergate Prosecutor to Speak at School of Law
Larry A. Hammond, distinguished criminal defense attorney, Watergate special prosecutor and clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Lewis F. Powell, Jr., will speak about the death penalty at the School of Law on Thursday, Oct. 16.

10/13/2008 - Transnational Law Institute Produces Guidelines on Treatment of Detainees
The Lexington Principles on the Rights of Detainees proposes a body of international guidelines intended to help guide the development of due process standards to govern the treatment of detainees.

10/8/2008 - First and Fourth Amendment Cases Highlight Annual Supreme Court Preview
U.S. Supreme Court watchers have noted that this will be an important year for the highest court in the land. Law faculty will preview several important cases on the docket during the annual Supreme Court Preview.

10/6/2008 - Law Professor Discusses Virtual Playgrounds Symposium in Second Life
Joshua Fairfield, associate professor of law at Washington and Lee School of Law, appeared on the Second Life lecture series Metanomics to discuss a recent symposium on virtual worlds held at the Law School.

9/30/2008 - Protecting Children Online Topic of W&L Law Symposium
Academic psychologists, economists, and lawyers gather at Washington and Lee School of Law to discuss the future of children's virtual worlds.

9/29/2008 - Dean Rodney A. Smolla Named to Steinheimer Chair in Law
Washington and Lee University Provost June Aprille has announced that Dean Rodney A. Smolla of the School of Law has been named to the Roy L. Steinheimer, Jr., Professorship in Law.

9/26/2008 - Student Scholarship Honored at Law Review Notes Presentation
On October 2, 2008 at 4:00 p.m. in the Millhiser Moot Court Room, third-year law students Michelle L. Evans and Allen C. Myers will present their winning law review notes.

9/23/2008 - Winners of 2008 Robert J. Grey Jr. Negotiations Competition Announced
The team John Sorock and Shannon Sherrill won top honors at the 2008 Robert J. Grey Jr. Negotiations competition at Washington and Lee University School of Law. (Video/audio available)

9/5/2008 - Law Professor’s New Book Explores Conflict between Religious Liberty and Same-Sex Marriage
A new book co-edited by Washington and Lee University law professor Robin Fretwell Wilson explores the religious freedom implications of defining marriage to include same-sex couples.

9/5/2008 - Ambassador David Scheffer to Address the Future of the International Criminal Court
The Washington and Lee University School of Law Transnational Law Institute presents Ambassador David Scheffer, who will discuss "The Future of America and the International Criminal Court."

9/3/2008 - Law Professor Says Supreme Court Decision May Lead To More Approved Employee Health Benefit Claims
In a new article published by Health Affairs, Washington and Lee School of Law Professor Tim Jost concludes that a recent Supreme Court decision will likely lead to more approvals of health insurance claims.

8/21/2008 - W&L Law Annual Fund Posts Record Year
It was a record-setting year for the Washington and Lee School of Law Annual Fund. At the close of the 2007-08 fiscal year, the fund totaled $835,823.36, a 4 percent increase over last year's effort.

8/19/2008 - W&L Black Lung Clinic Wins Latest 4th Circuit Argument
Washington and Lee University School of Law students have again prevailed in a Black Lung benefits dispute argued before the United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit.

8/12/2008 - Dean Smolla Participates in Viacom v. Google Webcast
On March 13, 2007 the international media giant Viacom filed suit against Google, claiming that Google's popular video-sharing network YouTube had engaged in massive violation of Viacom's copyright interests.

8/7/2008 - Law Professor's New Book Looks to Nation's Past in Understanding Government Response to War on Terror
Written testimony from the 1975 Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, also known as the "Church Committee," reads like a lot of Congressional testimony from the last two years. Then as now, a fierce debate raged over national security interests and the preservation of civil liberties.

7/23/2008 - School of Law Donates Law Books to Aid Liberian Legal System
On Monday, July 14, a truck carrying a shipping container backed up to the loading dock at the Washington and Lee University School of Law. One hour and 30,000 pounds later, the container began a 7 week, 5000 mile journey to Monrovia, Liberia.

7/3/2008 - W&L Law Professor Mary Z. Natkin named Assistant Dean for Clinical Education and Public Service
Mary Z. Natkin, clinical professor of law at Washington and Lee University School of Law has been named Assistant Dean for Clinical Education and Public Service. In this newly created position, Natkin will oversee one of the chief initiatives of the School's new third-year curriculum.

6/28/2008 - Law Professor's Work Cited by Supreme Court of Canada
Washington and Lee School of Law Professor Mark A. Drumbl's scholarship was cited in a recent decision by the Supreme Court of Canada involving fishing rights of indiginous peoples.

6/27/2008 - Law Professor Robin Wilson Wins WLSO Award
The Women Law Students Association at Washington and Lee University School of Law has named Robin F. Wilson the 2008 recipient of the organization's Professor of the Year award.

6/25/2008 - Professor Tim Jost Participates in New Talk Online Forum
Washington and Lee School of Law Professor Tim Jost is participating in a New Talk online discussion forum addressing the question of delivery models for chronic care.

6/23/2008 - Washington and Lee Mourns Law Professor Louise Halper
Louise A. Halper, professor of law and director of the Frances Lewis Law Center at Washington and Lee University, died unexpectedly from complications following surgery.

6/16/2008 - Virginia Supreme Court Justice Donald Lemons to Join W&L Law School Faculty
Donald W. Lemons, Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia, will join the faculty of the Washington and Lee University School of Law this fall as Distinguished Professor of Judicial Studies.

6/4/2008 - Professor Tim Jost Publishes JAMA Commentary on Health System Legal Reforms
Washington and Lee School of Law Professor Tim Jost has published a commentary for the Journal of the American Medical Association on legal reforms necessary to promote innovation in the delivery of health care.

5/21/2008 - Peter Jetton Named Director of Communications for the School of Law
Peter T. Jetton has been named Director of Communications for the Washington and Lee University School of Law. For the last three years, Jetton has served as web and communications specialist for the Law School.

5/12/2008 - School of Law Honors Graduates at 2008 Commencement Ceremony
The Washington and Lee University School of Law celebrated its 153rd commencement on Saturday, May 10 as 141 J.D. degrees and five LL.M. degrees were awarded.

5/12/2008 - Dean Smolla Analyzes Legal Issues Surrounding User-generated Web Content
In a new West podcast and white paper, Dean Rodney A. Smolla analyzes legal issues surrounding user-generated web content.

5/7/2008 - Elizabeth Outland Branner Named Director of Law Advancement
Elizabeth Outland Branner has been named Director of Advancement for the Washington and Lee University School of Law following a nationwide search.

5/2/2008 - School of Law Adopts Transnational Law Course for First Year Students
The faculty of Washington and Lee University School of Law has voted unanimously to include Transnational Law as a required first-year course.

4/30/2008 - Three Law Students Receive Public Service Scholarships
Washington and Lee School of Law students Kiyomi Bolick, Kyu-Eun Lee, and Sara McManus, all members of the class of 2010, have been selected as the 2008 recipients of Virginia Law Foundation Public Service Internship awards.

4/18/2008 - Law Student Named Student Editor of ABA Magazine
Washington and Lee School of Law student Charles E. Gates, Jr. has been named student editor of Student Lawyer magazine for the 2008-09 academic year.

4/11/2008 - Law Student Selected as Fulbright Alternate to Pursue Colombian Comparative Law Study
Washington and Lee University School of Law student Ernani DeAraujo has been selected as a Fulbright alternate for his proposal involving a comparative study of U.S. and Colombian administrative law.

4/7/2008 - School of Law Welcomes New Faculty for 2008-09 Academic Year
Washington and Lee University School of Law will welcome eight new teachers to the permanent faculty for the upcoming academic year. The incoming faculty members include experts in domestic and international law, as well as distinguished interdisciplinary scholars.

4/3/2008 - Law Professor’s Book Honored at 2008 ASIL Meeting
The new book Progress in International Law by Washington and Lee law professor Russell Miller has been selected for the rare honor of a panel discussion during the 2008 American Society of International Law meeting.

4/1/2008 - School of Law Announces German LL.M. Scholarship Program in Conjunction with German Law Journal
Washington and Lee University School of Law in Lexington, Virginia, USA, announces the establishment of a scholarship for one qualified German LL.M. student.

3/14/2008 - Legal Reform Champion Philip K. Howard to Deliver 2008 Powell Lecture
Philip K. Howard, a prominent attorney and advocate of legal reform, will deliver the 2008 Powell Lecture on Friday, March 28 at 11:00 a.m. in the Millhiser Moot Court Room at Washington and Lee University School of Law.

3/13/2008 - Sol Wachtler to Discuss Betrayal of Rule of Law in Nazi Germany
The Honorable Sol Wachtler 51A, 52L will visit Washington and Lee University on Wednesday, March 26 to discuss the documentary film, "Hitler's Courts: The Betrayal of the Rule of Law in Nazi Germany."

3/10/2008 - Washington and Lee School of Law Announces Dramatic Third Year Reform
It has been more than 100 years since law schools in the United States have overhauled how they teach students. The Washington and Lee University School of Law looks to change that with a bold plan to reform the third year of law school.

3/6/2008 - Media, Law and the Courts Symposium Explores 60 Minutes Scandal
Four years ago, in the middle of a hot presidential campaign, the CBS News program 60 Minutes Wednesday aired an explosive segment involving President George Bush's National Guard service. But the story backfired

2/26/2008 - Former FBI, CIA Chief William Webster to Deliver Law School Commencement Address
The Honorable William H. Webster, former federal judge and the only American to serve as director of both the Central Intelligence Agency and Federal Bureau of Investigation, will deliver this year's commencement address during the 2008 graduation exercises at the Washington and Lee University School of Law.

2/15/2008 - Law Students Providing Legal Assistance with Ongoing Hurricane Recovery Efforts
Although public attention to the Hurricane Katrina disaster has long since given way to concerns about the economy and the home mortgage crisis, hundreds of volunteers and organizations continue the difficult work of rebuilding the gulf coast region.

2/6/2008 - Phi Alpha Delta Presents Auction Proceeds To Christmas Basket Program
On Thursday, January 31, members of Phi Alpha Delta presented the proceeds from their annual charity auction to organizers of this year's recipient, the Lexington-Rockbridge Christmas Basket Program.

2/4/2008 - Law School Symposium to Address Sexual Orientation and the Law
On Friday, February 29, beginning at 10:00 a.m. in the Millhiser Moot Court Room, the Washington and Lee University School of Law will host a symposium titled "A Queer Definition of Equality: Exploring Major Issues in Sexual Orientation and the Law."

1/31/2008 - Inaugural Hendricks Lecture to Address When Massachusetts was Religious and Virginia Wasn't
William E. Nelson, the Judge Edward Weinfeld Professor of Law at New York University Law School, will deliver the inaugural Hendricks Lecture in Law and History. The lecture will debut on George Washington's birthday, Friday, February 22, at 2:00 p.m. in the Millhiser Moot Court Room at the Washington and Lee University School of Law.

1/29/2008 - Law Students to Help Taxpayers Claim Valuable Credits on 2007 Tax Returns
Students at the Washington and Lee University School of Law will offer free tax preparation assistance for low- to moderate-income taxpayers in the Rockbridge county area. The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) office will be open on Monday evenings beginning February 11.

1/28/2008 - Law Alumnus named 108th President of Virginia Bar Association
The Virginia Bar Association (VBA) swore in G. Michael Pace, Jr., of Salem as its 108th president at the VBA Annual Meeting held this month in Colonial Williamsburg. Pace is a 1984 graduate of the Washington and Lee University School of Law.

1/23/2008 - Distinguished Panel to discuss Justice, Security and Controversy at Guantanamo Bay
A panel presentation and public discussion on Justice, Security and Controversy at Guantanamo Bay will be held at the Washington and Lee University School of Law on Friday, Feb. 1.

1/21/2008 - Law Professor Named to West Publishing Advisory Board
Ben Spencer, visiting professor at the Washington and Lee University School of Law, has been appointed to the West Publishing Company Law School Advisory Board.

1/11/2008 - David Crane to Deliver Transnational Law Institute Public Lecture
David Crane, former Chief Prosecutor of the Special Court for Sierra Leone, will deliver a public lecture at the Washington and Lee School of Law on Tuesday January 29, at 10:30 a.m. in the Millhiser Moot Court Room. The lecture will be titled "Diamonds, Guns, and Thugs--The West African Extreme."

1/8/2008 - Jost Book Receiving Favorable Reviews from Medical Community
The recent book by Washington and Lee law professor Tim Jost exploring the health care crisis in America has received favorable reviews in several of the country's leading health care research and policy publications.

1/8/2008 - School of Law Welcomes Visiting Faculty Members for Spring 2008
The Washington and Lee University School of Law is pleased to welcome several visiting faculty members this semester.

1/2/2008 - Law Professor Receives Honors for Conference Participation
Robin F. Wilson, Professor of Law at the Washington and Lee University School of Law, received special honors for her contributions to the 20th Anniversary Conference at the Kopaonik School of Natural Law in Mt. Kopaonik, Serbia.