Legal Deacon Digest – September 2024
Message from Leadership
I am honored to serve as the new Chair of the Wake Forest University School of Law Board of Visitors, and look forward to working with Dean Klein, the development team, faculty, and administration over the next two years. Most importantly, I am thrilled to reconnect with each of you and hopefully find ways to encourage you to engage with the Law School and your fellow alumni. This is an exciting time at the Law School, with bar passage rates, morale, ranking, and job success post-graduation at all-time highs. Please reflect on your time at Wake Forest Law and the connections that you made while in school. How can we, as Wake Forest Law alumni, reconnect with the Law School to bring more awareness to it, both nationally and internationally, while continuing to embrace the spirit of Pro Humanitate? Consider not only giving back to the institution that most likely launched your career, but also paying it forward. What does this mean? Visit Wake Network. At this site, you will be able to connect with classmates and students. It is also a good tool when searching for referrals. If possible, please update your information so others can connect with you. Check out the Law School’s new website! On the Alumni page, you can find information about upcoming Wake Forest Law events in your area, volunteer opportunities, alumni services, and more. Many of your fellow classmates are hosting these events. Dean Klein is excited to share updates with you and talk about how you can stay involved with the Law School as an alum. We hope you can join us when he hits the road and comes to a city near you! Give to Wake Forest Law. Did you know that 75% of the gifts made to the Wake Will capital campaign from 2010-2020 were $1,000 or less? Every. Dollar. Supports. Students. Truly, any amount that you are able to give reflects favorably on so many factors by which the Law School is measured. Would you consider donating the equivalent of one hour of your billable time? Come back to campus! A lot has changed since most of us were in school. The students are spectacular and eager to learn about our careers, lives, work-life balance, traditional and nontraditional paths, and navigating the practice of law. Interview and hire some of them! Continue to represent the ideals of Wake Forest University and the spirit of Pro Humanitate in your community, as you always do. In closing, I encourage each of you to contact me with any thoughts, comments, ideas, or challenges regarding best efforts to expand the Law School’s base of engaged alumni. I truly welcome any and all communication. Thank you for continuing to advance the mission of Wake Forest University School of Law. Warmest regards, Kate Harris Hatcher (JD ’95, P ’27) Spotlights Alumni
Our “Deacs Days of Living” feature in the Jurist asks alumni to consider a question regarding aspects of their Wake Forest Law experience and share their responses. Our latest question is, “What is one of the most meaningful connections you made during your time at Wake Forest Law?” Answer this year’s Deacs Days of Living question to be featured in the upcoming issue of the Jurist. Donny Stewart (JD ’24) and Spencer Osborne (JD ’24), members of the Class of 2024, argued in federal circuits this past spring, as part of the Appellate Advocacy Clinic, directed by Professor John Korzen (’81, JD ’91). Meet Dr. Mohammad Al-Abbadi (LLM ’19, SJD ’21)! The Wake Forest Law Office of Development and Alumni Engagement is pleased to welcome 22 new members to the Law Board of Visitors (LBOV) and Rose Council for their three-year terms, starting on July 1, 2024. Professor Emeritus Charley Rose moderated a conversation between Wake Forest Law alums Judge Raag Singhal (JD ’89) of the southern district of Florida and Chief US District Judge Elizabeth Dillon (JD ’86) of the western district of Virginia. Professor Rose explored with them the core aspects of public service, their judicial experience, and they also shared their personal career journeys starting at Wake Forest Law. Students Wake Forest Law 1Ls recently participated in Foundations Week, our orientation week and a rite of passage for our first-year law students. Students learned about opportunities and resources on and off campus, were introduced to LAWR, and ended the week with service opportunities throughout the community. A group of Wake Forest Law students studied abroad this summer through the London Summer Program. The Program consisted of two classes taught by Professor Jonathan Cardi—Comparative Advanced Torts and History of the Common Law—and each afternoon was an adventure in London. The Wake Forest Law Class of 2027 boasts the most impressive statistics yet. Professor Ellen Murphy, along with JD students Jack Cordell (JD ’26), and Oliver Xu (JD ’26), recently conducted a CLE presentation for the Mecklenburg Bar on AI. In addition to assisting Professor Murphy with research, Jack and Oliver demonstrated common lawyer-used AI tools during the presentation. Wake Forest Law celebrates the signing of a new exchange agreement with EBS Universität für Wirtschaft und Recht in Wiesbaden, Germany. The partnership offers unparalleled opportunities for Wake Forest Law students to add a global and comparative aspect to their law school experience. Faculty Professor Tanya D. Marsh was quoted in The Washington Post article titled “Smithsonian Targeted DC’s Vulnerable To Build Brain Collection.” Dean Andy Klein recently released the 2nd edition of his book Toxic and Environmental Torts: Cases and Materials. Professor Abby Perdue was recently elected President of the Legal Writing Institute. Professor Samir Parikh’s paper “Creditors Strike Back: The Return of the Cooperation Agreement” was recently quoted on the front page of The Wall Street Journal in the article titled, “Coming to Cash-Strapped Company Near You: Creditor-on-Creditor Violence.” Professor Ellie Morales (JD ’10), along with Sean Clark and Scott Tirocchi, was a guest on the National Veterans’ Training Institute (NVTI) Podcast episode 23 called Continuing Conversations: Serving Justice Involved Veterans. The Center for Progressive Reform recently hosted an author discussion and Q&A with Professor Sid Shapiro and Professor Joe Tomain, dean emeritus at the University of Cincinnati College of Law, about their book How Government Built America. Professor Audra Savage is featured in Columbia’s Law, Rights and Religion Project’s Black Religious Liberty video curriculum—a twelve-part video series featuring 24 interdisciplinary scholars, including Professor Savage, in conversation on topics at the intersection of race, religion, and the law. Events We miss you already! Where are we going next? Los Angeles, CA| Law Alumni Lunch Raleigh, NC | Law Alumni Reception San Francisco, CA | Law Alumni Lunch Greensboro, NC | Law Alumni Reception Save the Dates for: November 25 | Chicago, IL December 3 | Atlanta, GA Noteworthy For Dean Andy Klein, making sure students remain at the center of operations at Wake Forest Law is a top priority. “We owe them our full attention and our best efforts,” he says. Learn more about Dean Klein’s first year and plans for the future of Wake Forest Law. Wake Forest Law is pleased to unveil its new website! The site, which boasts a fresh look and feel, streamlined navigation, updated content, and institutionally-aligned visuals and branding, prioritizes the user experience and dynamically showcases the work of the Law School. The Heirs’ Property Project, led by Professor Scott Schang and Law Fellow Miles Malbrough, has received a generous one-year grant of $300,000 from the Wells Fargo Foundation. The grant will empower the Environmental Law & Policy Clinic to serve as a hub for clinical legal and academic research on heirs’ property issues, help similar clinical efforts take root across the US, and train the next generation of heirs’ property experts and practicing attorneys. Wake Forest Law is excited to announce the Dr. Ralph Peeples Law Scholarship, established in memory of Professor Emeritus Ralph Peeples, who taught at Wake Forest Law from 1979-2018. Read more about Professor Peeples and the Scholarship or donate to the Scholarship.
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Categories: Legal Deacon Digest