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August 13,
2014 | |
Greetings,
Students
are the lifeblood of the law school, and we are
about to welcome a superb new class into the
Arizona Law community.
Most
of our new students will begin their JD studies,
though a good number of students come to us with
prior legal training and often legal experience in
other countries. Some come for our world-renowned
legal masters (LLM) programs in indigenous peoples
law and policy (IPLP), and international trade and
business law (ITBL), or our legal doctorate (the
SJD), or the new masters degrees for non-lawyers,
the Master of Legal Studies (MLS), and the Master
of Professional Studies (MPS).
Each
year, a small group of JD students --
typically 5 to 12 people -- become
Wildcats after spending their first year of study
at another law school (yes, there are other law
schools). This week we highlight several transfer
students who made this successful transition.
It
is not easy to transfer from one law school
to another, but we have found that our
transfer students are embraced and quickly
integrated, sharing all of the passions and
commitments of the entire community. Learn about
their path to Arizona Law from the success stories
of Michael Rice, Daniel Segovia, and Anne
Kemp.
Until
the footnotes,
Marc
|
Michael
Rice has a spirit of adventure and a passion for
service. He came to the Grand Canyon State from
St. Mary's University in San Antonio, but was no
stranger to the Sonoran Desert: His wife, Leah,
was born and raised in Tucson.
Michael's
path to law school is unique. He graduated from
the Virginia Military Institute in 2007, where he
was a Reservist in the United States Marine Corps
specializing in demolitions and explosives. After
graduation, he was first deployed to Al Anbar,
Iraq, and later sent to Mozambique to train
African forces. He led a platoon tasked with
finding improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in
Helmand, Afghanistan, and commanded a
counter-landmine mission to Senegal.
In
2012, he enrolled in law school and in the summer
of 2013 he transferred to Arizona Law.
"I
chose to transfer to Arizona because I wanted to
expand my opportunities for success after
graduation. Arizona Law has helped me move closer
to my goals because professionals associate our
school with success -- and not just in the
Southwest, but nationally."
Michael
is a dual-degree student in the 4-year JD/MBA
program. He believes that our wealth of
business law opportunities support his long-term
goals, and are one of Arizona Law's distinguishing
features. He hopes to become a
transactional attorney focusing on M&A,
corporate governance, and securities law.
Both
of his summer internships have been with Booz
Allen Hamilton in Washington, DC. He consults
with the team responsible for providing solutions
to the US Department of Veterans Affairs. He was
also a law clerk for the Tucson firm of Kinerk
Schmidt & Sethi this past school year.
Michael
is still a Captain in the Marine Reserves, and
serves in a position that allows him to assist
transitioning Marines who are moving back to
Arizona. He is also involved on campus in the
Business Law Society and Intellectual
Property Student Association.
And
on a very special note, Michael and Leah are
expecting a baby girl -- their first child --
around August 24th. Now, that is a spectacular way
to celebrate the start of the new school
year!
Connect with Michael on
LinkedIn
|
Dan Segovia knows what he
wants in life, and he is going to fight for it. He
is determined to be one of the great trial lawyers
in Arizona.
Dan
transferred to Arizona Law from the University of
Oregon.
"As
a Tucson native who wants to be a trial lawyer,
the decision to transfer was an easy one. A few of
the reasons include: Professor Tom Mauet, the trial
advocacy program, excellent clinics, enormous
value, weather (after a year in the rain,
I now appreciate sunshine), close
proximity to family and friends, and joining
an impressive community of Wildcats."
After
graduating from Northern Arizona University with a
degree in criminal justice, Dan originally had his
sights set on becoming a National Park Ranger.
However, after losing a job offer due to
unforeseen circumstances, he moved back home to
Tucson and decided to work as an emergency medical
technician (EMT). During that time, he responded
to what he calls "many memorable and life-changing
moments."
The experience of seeing
the fragility of life first-hand inspired him to
volunteer with the Pima
County Attorney's Office,
and together those experiences convinced Dan that
he wanted to become a trial lawyer.
Dan
has worked in clinical and internship-based
settings in the Arizona Attorney General's
Office and the City of Tucson
Prosecutor's Office.
"Arizona Law has
helped me obtain trial experience that some
lawyers do not receive until practicing for
several years. Through the clinic offerings I
have been first and second chair in multiple
misdemeanor and felony jury trials, bench
trials, and evidentiary
hearings."
|
When
he is not in classes, Dan serves as an Arizona Law
Delegate giving tours and speaking to prospective
students, volunteering with the Wills for Heroes
program, and spends as much time as possible
working in the clinics.
You
can also find him on the city golf courses,
participating in endurance events such as Tough
Mudders, marathons, and bike tours, and
binge-watching Netflix shows.
Connect with Dan on
LinkedIn
|
For Anne Kemp, it is all
about the little things. When thinking about
whether to transfer, she decided to hop in the car
and drive from Phoenix down to Tucson.
Without
scheduling any kind of appointment, she came to
the law college and by happenstance met Assistant
Dean for External Relations Nancy Stanley. "It was
the community atmosphere and the warmth exuded by
individuals like Nancy that settled my decision to
come to Arizona Law" says Anne about her decision
to transfer from Arizona Summit.
Before
starting law school, Anne was a Certified
Pharmacy Technician who intended to go to pharmacy
school. But she decided she wanted a
different and more varied kind of daily challenge,
and that led her to law school.
One
of the "little things" Anne is passionate about is
kids. She was a foster child, and has long had a
desire to understand the intricacies of juvenile
law. She feels empowered by the opportunity to be
an advocate and defender of children, and she
found Arizona Law to be the perfect fit:
"Arizona
Law has a great curriculum, and I am confident in
my educational decisions. I am able to pursue the
Family and Juvenile Law Certificate and engage
with top experts in the field. Furthermore, I have
had a lot of opportunities to get actual
experience in juvenile law."
During
the school year, Anne clerked at the Pima County
Office of Children's Counsel. This summer, she is
an extern for the Honorable Frank R. Zapata ('73)
at the district court in Tucson. In the upcoming
fall semester, she will be a student attorney in
the Family Law Clinic
under Professor Paul Bennett.
And during her time at Arizona Law, she has
maintained an active executive role in the Family
and Juvenile Law Association.
When
she is not studying for class or working on a
project, Anne loves to read and write. She leans
toward fantasy and science fiction as a way to
unwind, but will read just about anything
good.
Connect with Anne on
LinkedIn
|
Arizona Law congratulates
its former LCA President, Jeff
Simmons ('86), on receiving
the Distinguished Service Award from
the national Transportation
Lawyers
Association.
|
Jeff (right) with TLA
Past President Pat McMonigle during the
award ceremony |
Arizona
Law thanks Paul Fisher ('09)
and the Fisher
firm for sponsoring Monday's alumni reception in
Denver.
Thank
you Justin
Hurwitz ('01) for helping to
organize our Albuquerque alumni
reception.
Networking
Noshes are Back: Join Us!
Help
Arizona Law students and network! Our talented
students are eager to engage with alumni and
practice their networking skills. Alumni are
encouraged to join us on the second Thursday
of every month for a networking
reception.
Networking
Noshes are held on campus
and provide our students an
opportunity to meet legal and business
professionals, practice their networking skills,
and learn about different practice areas. We
are looking for interested alums who can join us
at the law college for these events. Our first
Networking Nosh will be September 11th. It is an
informal reception and runs from 4:30 to 6pm. If
you are interested in participating, please email
us at alumni@law.arizona.edu.
Coming soon!
SAVE THE DATE - Arizona
Law in Las Vegas
September
5, 2014
*
* *
SAVE
THE DATE - Rehnquist Center's Annual
Constitution Day Program at the College of
Law
September
15, 2014
*
* *
SAVE
THE DATE - Centennial Homecoming
Weekend
November
7-9, 2014
For
more
information, visit
our Homecoming 2014
website.
For assistance with hotels
or game tickets, please contact the alumni
office.
*
* *
The
students are coming! The students are
coming!
Now
you know what is on our minds -- as always, we
want to hear what is on your mind. I hope you are
enjoying the end of summer, and that we will see
you often in the new school year.
Warmly,
Marc L.
Miller
Dean & Ralph W. Bilby Professor of
Law
James E. Rogers College of Law
Looking for a way to
make an impact?
Make a donation to our
student scholarship fund. Every dollar
invested produces a solid return and helps to
alleviate the burden of educational debt for a
student.
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Giving | law.arizona.edu/give | Link | | | |
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