Legal Deacon Digest – December 2024
Message from Leadership
As the calendar year draws to a close, the halls of Wake Forest Law are abuzz with the energy of students preparing for exams and faculty and staff reflecting on the incredible milestones we’ve achieved together this year. Soon, our community will pause to celebrate the season with loved ones, and I hope you will also find joy and peace during this special time. This year, we’ve traveled far and wide to connect with you, our alumni, in cities like Chicago, Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro, Atlanta, San Francisco, and Washington, DC. Your engagement at these events and your continued support of Wake Forest Law remind us of the strong, vibrant network we are privileged to engage with daily. As we approach the end of the year, I invite you to consider making a gift to support the students, faculty, and programs that make Wake Forest Law a leader in legal education. Your generosity helps us empower future lawyers, provide transformative educational opportunities, and continue our mission of Pro Humanitate. Whether you choose to support scholarships, experiential education, or the Wake Forest Fund for the School of Law, your gift truly makes a difference. On behalf of the entire Wake Forest Law community, thank you for your dedication, encouragement, and unwavering support. May your holidays be filled with cheer and warmth, and may the New Year bring health, happiness, and success.
Warm wishes, Taylor Hill Spotlights Alumni
Governor Roy Cooper has appointed Chief District Court Judge Sherri Elliott (JD ’94, P ’20) to serve as superior court judge in Judicial District 19 (Catawba County). Judge Elliott will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Greg Hayes. Elliott currently serves as chief district court judge in District Court District 36. She previously served as a district court judge in District 25.
In November, current and former Wake Forest Environmental Law students attended the Shape of the Coast Legal Symposium and Coastal Conference in New Bern, NC. Samantha Hamilton (JD ’22, MA ’22) spoke about wetlands on the coast in a panel moderated by alum Amy Wang (JD ’96) (Amy also served as a conference organizer). The Conference was also attended by Marley Petersen (JD ’24). Wake Forest Law recently hosted the fall board meetings of the North Carolina Bar Association (NCBA) & North Carolina Bar Foundation. Thanks to our alum and NCBA President Kim Stogner (’86, JD ’94) for leading the day and for the opportunity to share all the great things happening at the Law School. We are proud to celebrate alum and Professor Laura Graham (’86, JD ’94) on the publication of her new book, Persuasive Advocacy in Action: A Workbook for Law Students, co-authored with Professor Robin Boyle-Laisure. Persuasive Advocacy in Action: A Workbook for Law Students is designed to help students develop and strengthen their skills in persuasive legal writing and oral advocacy. Students
Students from Wake Forest Law’s international programs came together for the annual International Thanksgiving Potluck, an opportunity for international students, faculty, staff, and their families to celebrate Thanksgiving while sharing their own cultural traditions. 2Ls David McIver, William Scott, Kaitlyn Snyder, and 3L Marshall Adkins competed in two preliminary rounds at the 15th annual Billings, Exum, and Frye Moot Court Competition held at Elon University School of Law. Our MSL students completed their residential weekend in November, which consisted of an intensive devoted to the topic of sustainable corporations, taught by Professor William Pleasant (’91, JD ’94, P ’22, P ’27). The Residential also included the first-ever MSL tailgate and dinner with Professor Pleasant. With support from the Program for Leadership and Character, Wake Forest Law partnered with Senior Services Inc., for an Intergenerational Lunch Bunch event. The event kicked off with a facilitated session for the Wake Forest Law community members. The learning session was followed by lunch and conversation between the students and staff and seniors from the broader Winston-Salem community. Students from Wake Forest Law’s LLM, SJD, and VIR programs visited Hanging Rock in October to hike the trails and take in the views. The Wake Forest Law Journal of Law and Policy Symposium, “The Legal Implications of Artificial Intelligence and Healthcare,” was held on Friday, October 25. In collaboration with Wake Forest University School of Medicine’s Center for Artificial Intelligence Research, this symposium explored the legal, ethical, and policy challenges that arise from the integration of artificial intelligence in healthcare. Faculty Professor Mark Hall recently published an article in the Stanford Law Review in collaboration with Brown University Professor Erin Fuse Brown. The article, “Private Equity and the Corporatization of Health Care,” describes the concerns around private equity in health care and the legal and political actions that can be taken to protect the health system. On Monday, October 7, Bookmarks Bookstore hosted a Wake Forest Law Faculty Showcase highlighting recently published books by Professors Marie-Amélie George, Gregory Parks, and Sidney Shapiro. Professor Chris Coughlin (JD ’90, P ’20, P ’27) presented “The Legal Regulation of Brain Organoids” at the International Conference on Emerging Issues in Intellectual Property Law at the University of Salzburg in Austria. The US has established its first national strategy to reduce plastic pollution. Professor Sarah Morath, an expert in environmental law and justice and sustainability, recently published an article in The Conversation highlighting three important proposals in the plan and one major omission. Professor Harold Anthony Lloyd’s article “Recasting Canons of Construction into ‘Canonical’ Queries: Canons and Queries of Meaning, Spirit, Letter, and Text” was highlighted on TaxProf Blog’s Weekly Legal Education Roundup and article of the week for the third year in a row. Professor Audra Savage has been selected to be a Georgetown Center for the Constitution Research Fellow. The non-residential research fellowship supports early-career academics with scholarship focused on constitutional law or constitutional theory. Events Where are we going next? Palm Beach, FL | Law Alumni Reception Nashville, TN | Law Alumni Reception Washington, DC | Law Alumni Reception Washington, DC | Alumni SCOTUS Swearing-In Trip Winston-Salem, NC | Leadership and Character in the Law Conference Noteworthy The 2024 Jurist is now available! From guidance that shaped careers to relationships that fostered lifelong connections, these stories celebrate the invaluable role of mentors in the legal profession. Read the magazine here. Wake Forest Law recently launched a brand new website boasting a fresh look and feel, streamlined navigation, updated content, and institutionally aligned visuals and branding. To help make the website as user-friendly as possible, the MarComm department is looking for alumni to participate in a 15-minute usability test to help us determine what is working on the new site and what isn’t. The testing will take place via Zoom. Interested in participating? Email Victoria von Dohlen at vondohv@wfu.edu or schedule an appointment here. On October 3, Wake Forest Law kicked off an impactful partnership with Winston-Salem State University (WSSU). WSSU Chancellor and Wake Forest Law alum Bonita Brown (’94, JD ’97, Law Board of Visitors member) and Wake Forest Law Dean Andrew Klein signed a memorandum of understanding to create a pathway for WSSU students to pursue a JD at Wake Forest Law. International Partnership News:
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Categories: Legal Deacon Digest, News