Wildcat Wednesday -- Letter of the Law

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James E. Rogers College of Law

August 3, 2016

Greetings,

As the summer is winding down and students are preparing to head back to campus from summer internships, this season also marks the selection by state and federal judges of their clerks for the following term.

I had the great privilege of clerking for the Honorable Ann Scott Timmer during the 2014-2015 term. While clerking for the Arizona Supreme Court, I gained invaluable experience as well as life-long friendships.

My experience at the court, and the friendships it fostered, led me to seek a less traditional legal path. Building on my prior career as a project manager for a software development company, I sought out a collaborative and dynamic work environment that allowed me to use the legal knowledge I gained during my time at University of Arizona College of Law and the Court. I found everything I was looking for and so much more at alliantgroup. I am fortunate to have found a career where I truly believe in the work that we do for American businesses and enjoy coming to work every day.

In this issue of the Letter of the Law, we will highlight the rising 3L students who have been selected as clerks for the Arizona Supreme Court as well as alumnus Melanie Pate ('96).

Don't forget to see the footnotes for a list of upcoming alumni receptions in Los Angeles, Denver, and Santa Fe.

Until the footnotes,

Kate LaFosse ('14)

3L Students Selected for Arizona Supreme Court Clerkships

The Arizona Supreme Court recently announced its clerkships for the 2017-2018 year. Rising third-year Arizona Law students have been selected to fill several positions with Arizona's highest court. Among them are three native Arizonans, six members of the staff of the Arizona Law Review (ALR), four women, and two men.

The new clerks include Lindsey Huang, who will work for Chief Justice Scott Bales. Lindsey says,

"I'm so excited for the opportunity to improve my critical thinking and writing skills while helping to shape the law in the state where I will practice and live. I know I will learn a lot from not only the Justices, but also my fellow clerks."

In response to the news of his clerkship with Vice Chief Justice John Pelander ('76), Brett Gilmore says,

"Serving as a clerk for the Arizona Supreme Court is truly an honor. I am grateful to Arizona Law for helping me to secure this opportunity."

"I am very much looking forward to advancing my understanding of the law, in addition to being a part of the Arizona legal and judicial community," says Amanda Weaver, who will clerk with Justice Robert M. Brutinel ('82).

David Lundmark will also clerk with Justice Brutinel. He notes,

"I understand that I'm now the third Bowman & Brooke summer intern to receive a clerkship with Justice Brutinel. I'm honored to be a part of this informal tradition and excited to work with Justice Brutinel."

Janet Howe and Jillian Andrews will both clerk for Justice Ann Scott Timmer in 2017-2018. Jillian will go on to spend 2018-2019 clerking with Judge John Tuchi in federal district court in Phoenix:

"I'm very excited to work with two judges whom I admire and to learn from their experience, while also improving my writing skills and getting a chance to shape Arizona law."

Here is a snapshot of the newly chosen 2017-2018 clerks:

	Jillian Andrews ~Clerk for Justice Ann Scott Timmer ~Hometown Mesa ~This summer with Ballard Spahr, Phoenix ~Current SBA president and senior note editor of ALR
	Brett Gilmore ~Clerk for Vice Chief Justice John Pelander ~Hometown Salt Lake City, Utah (but says Arizona is quickly becoming home) ~This summer with Fennemore Craig, Phoenix ~Current senior managing editor of ALR
	Janet Howe ~Clerk for Justice Ann Scott Timmer ~From Easton, PA; Villa Park, IL; and North Brunswick, NJ; before coming to law school she lived in Monterey, CA and Ewa Beach, HI. ~This summer with Perkins Coie, Phoenix ~Currently a managing editor of ALR
	Lindsey Huang ~Clerk for Chief Justice Scott Bales ~Hometown Elkhart, Indiana ~This summer with Perkins Coie, Phoenix ~Current editor-in-chief of ALR
	David Lundmark ~Clerk for Justice Robert M. Brutinel ~Hometown Phoenix ~This summer with Bowman & Brooke, Phoenix ~Currently an articles editor with ALR
	Amanda Weaver ~Clerk for Justice Robert M. Brutinel ~Hometown Phoenix ~This summer with Snell & Wilmer, Phoenix ~Current president of the Federalist Society and an articles editor with ALR

Melanie V. Pate ('96)

1996 graduate Melanie Pate was recently recognized by Arizona Business magazine as one of 2016's Most Influential Women. As we reported in last week's Letter of the Law, the honor goes to top female "innovators, trailblazers, and leaders of industry" from across the state. (Last week we profiled fellow honoree Nicholle Harris, '07.)

Melanie's law practice is distinguished by her leadership in employment law and her commitment to pro bono service. She is a partner and labor and employment attorney at Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie, with a practice that includes employment counseling and litigation, and representation of employers in state and federal court and before regulatory institutions. Her expertise also includes interpretation of the complex regulations related to Titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and state and federal fair housing laws.

Previously she spent 15 years working in the Arizona Attorney General's Office, including nearly five years as Chief Counsel of the Arizona Civil Rights Division, almost two years as Chief Counsel for the Compliance Section of the Civil Rights Division, and nine years as an Assistant Attorney General in the Employment Law Section.

Earlier this year Melanie received Lewis Roca's 2016 John P. Frank Pro Bono Attorney of the Year Award for her representation of domestic violence victims in cases involving family law issues such as custody disputes, child support and orders of protection. The State Bar of Arizona has also recognized her commitment to pro bono service.

We discovered that Melanie has been involved in pro bono activities throughout her legal career. She explains:

"When I served as the Chief Counsel of the Arizona Civil Rights Division, I provided training about civil rights laws to community groups and attorneys. When I joined Lewis & Roca in 2011, I became very involved with pro bono work for victims of domestic violence. My firm partners with the Sandra Day O'Connor Institute to provide pro bono legal services to domestic violence victims, and I serve as the co-chair of those efforts."

Melanie was born at the Grand Canyon and grew up in Flagstaff. For college, she says that she decided to follow in the footsteps of her father, John G. Verkamp, who attended Arizona Law and graduated in 1965. A double Wildcat, Melanie earned her BS in political science from the UA in 1992: "I attended UA for my undergraduate degree and fell in love with the University and Tucson." She continued at the UA for law school and met her husband, Dan, during that time; they have two sons, Ryan and Tanner.

Melanie and her family visiting her birthplace

-- the Grand Canyon.

What's next for Melanie? She says,

"I am looking forward to expanding my legal practice in the areas of employment law, ADA accessibility and fair housing. Civil rights and equal justice in our legal system are passions of mine, and I hope to continue representing employers, businesses and housing providers in the years to come. Personally, I hope to travel abroad and spend more time with my family and friends."

Melanie, thank you for sharing your story and for giving so much back to the Phoenix and Arizona communities. We also hope your plans will include joining your classmates in Tucson at this year's Homecoming.

Footnotes

Summer Alumni Receptions in Phoenix, LA, Denver, and New Mexico

Join us TONIGHT! This evening, we will welcome Los Angeles area alumni to a reception at The Library Bar downtown.

Wed., August 3

Downtown LA Alumni Reception at The Library Bar, 630 W 6th Street Suite 116-A, Los Angeles, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Register here.

Next up are Denver and New Mexico:

Monday, August 8

Downtown Denver Alumni Reception at The Corner Office, 1401 Curtis Street, Denver,

5:30 - 7 p.m. Register here.

Fri., August 19

New Mexico Alumni Reception in conjunction with the New Mexico State Bar Convention, at Buffalo Thunder Resort & Casino, Caldera Ballroom B, 30 Buffalo Thunder Trail, Santa Fe, 5:30 - 7 p.m. Register here.

We had a great turnout from Phoenix-area alumni, friends, and family at our reception last week. We also brought lunch to our bar-takers. Thank you to everyone who came out to see us: