Greetings, 

As is true almost every week, there is a lot to celebrate this week at Arizona Law -- from student accomplishments on the national stage to memorable gatherings to prestigious alumni awards.
 
Don't forget to get your tickets for the 42nd Annual Law College Association Appreciation Dinner on April 16 at the Arizona Historical Society Museum. Early ticket pricing ends in one week, on March 16. It is going to be outstanding event to honor six individuals who have made lasting impacts on the profession and the community.

Until the footnotes,

Marc
Jovan Ruvalcaba (1L)

1L Jovan Ruvalcaba was recently elected president of the National Association of Law Students with Disabilities (NALSWD), and also launched the Disability Law Club at Arizona Law. Jovan, who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth, is a Fulbright Scholar, a Gilman Scholar, and is fluent in four languages.  
 
Assistant Dean  Tracy Mueller recently caught up with Jovan to learn more about his work. Here is an excerpt from the full Q&A.
 
What are your responsibilities as president of the NALSWD?
I serve as the main contact between the American Bar Association's Commission on Disability Rights and any other group or organization working to advance disability advocacy projects, especially those seeking to increase access and support of students and professionals with disabilities in the legal profession.
 
Why did you choose Arizona Law?
I am a native Tucsonan, and while I will say that Arizona's resident tuition got my attention, it was the college's collegial atmosphere that convinced me to stay. I must also add that as a student with disabilities, the nationally recognized Disability Resource Center here at the University of Arizona, together with the incredible support of faculty and the dean of students, made staying home an easy choice.   
 
Can you tell us about the Disability Law Club that you recently started?
We want the club to take on disability advocacy and awareness projects for the law school at large. We would like to have disability rights attorneys give presentations on pressing issues, but we would also like to partner with community organizations that serve the handicapped and see how we can use our legal training and resources to increase accessibility around campus and the Tucson community. It is important to remember that an understanding of disability is as important for lawyers who practice civil rights law as it is for those who practice tort law, healthcare law, administrative law, tax law, employment law, etc.
 
What is something that most people don't know about disability rights?
People tend to forget that disability is an equal-opportunity transgressor. You can be born with a disability or acquire it at any point in your lifetime. We should not wait for disability to affect us personally to work on ways to make the spaces and places we live in more accessible and inclusive for everyone. If you catch yourself thinking of a person with a disability, do not focus on how inspirational they are for living with limitations; instead think of one thing that if different would make their life easier. Advocate for that change, and you will have become an activist.
 

Judge McNamee ('69) Receives John Roll Award

Congratulations, Judge McNamee. On Friday, March 4, Judge Stephen M. McNamee ('69) received the Judge John M. Roll Award at the District of Arizona Annual Conference held at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel. The award was presented to Judge McNamee by Chief Judge Raner Collins ('75, above right) and included video tributes from Senator John McCain, former Senator Jon Kyl ('66), and Kenneth Starr, among others. Judge McNamee was surrounded by current and former judicial assistants and law clerks, several of whom are College of Law alumni, as well as his wife, Elizabeth.

With former clerks at last year's  Annual LCA Appreciation Dinner in Tucson (l-r): 
Shruti Gurudanti ('15), Judge McNamee, Nicole Ong ('08), 
Alison Bachus ('05), and Brandon Espinosa ('12).


Legal Skills Competition Wins

National NALSA Moot Court Competition
 
Arizona Law's Native American Law Student Association (NALSA) team made a strong showing over the weekend at the National NALSA Moot Court Competition, going up against more than 60 teams from law schools across the country. The UA NALSA team was: Anna Hohag (Bishop Paiute, 2L), Lisa Wrazidlo (Bad River Ojibwe, 2L), Alex Mojado (Pala/Cherokee, 2L), and Jacob Metoxen (Oneida, 1L).
 
Lisa and Anna advanced to the Elite 8. 
 
Anna Hohag, Lisa Wrazidlo, Jacob Metoxen, and Alexandra Mojado (l-r).
 
Of the experience, Anna says:
 
"It was an honor to represent on behalf of the University of Arizona, the IPLP program, our local NALSA chapter, but most importantly to represent on behalf of our tribal communities. We'd like to especially thank our moot court coach, Pilar Thomas, for dedicating her free time to prepare us for the competition."
 
In this very small world, Pilar Thomas has been connected to my family for almost 40 years, though I only met her in person for the first time two years ago. (To solve this riddle, talk with me or Pilar.) I share in Anna's gratitude for the time Pilar spent helping the team to hone their skills.
 
Thanks also go to those who served as guest judges for the team's practice sessions: Amanda Lomayesva (General Counsel, Casino Del Sol), Virjinya Torrez ('06, Assistant Attorney General, Tohono O'odham Nation), Professor of Practice Jim Diamond ('14), John Hinderaker ('96, Partner, Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie, LLP), Professor Barbara Atwood ('76), Professor Robert Hershey ('72), Chase Velasquez ('15), Michelle Cook, and Sidney Larson.


National Appellate Advocacy Competition

The Arizona Law team of James Carlson (3L), Kate Hollist (3L), and Ryan Pont (3L), was one of four teams to win last weekend's San Francisco regional and advance to the national round of the American Bar Association's National Appellate Advocacy Competition (NAAC), one of the most prestigious and competitive interscholastic legal skills competitions in the country.


Back row, l-r: Kate Hollist, James Carlson, and Dan Roberts.
Front row, l-r: Ryan Pont, Erica Morris, and Briana Campbell.
 
Their coach,  Professor Susie Salmon describes their win:
 
"After three preliminary rounds, a semi-final round, and a final round -- all against impressive competition -- the Arizona Law team advanced to Nationals. It was a dramatic victory: going into the elimination rounds as the #16 seed, Ryan, Kate, and Jim took out the #1 seed in round four and delivered a decisive victory in round five against an excellent pair of advocates."
 
Please also join me in congratulating Briana Campbell (3L), Erica Morris (3L), and Dan Roberts (3L). These fierce competitors made it to the final round of the regional competition and only narrowly missed advancing to nationals.
 
Kate, James, and Ryan show some Wildcat spirit
(the clipping reads, "Can a 16 Seed Take Down a 1?").

 
The teams were in great hands. Susie is a nationally recognized moot-court expert. She even co-wrote the book on moot court. And, says Susie: 
 
Both teams enjoyed excellent preparation and advice from several Arizona Law faculty members, including Lorraine Gin, Vanessa Buch, Kathie Barnes, David Marcus, Sylvia Lett, Suzanne Rabe, Jane Bambauer, Jason Kreag, and our own Dean Marc Miller. 
 
Several alumni (and former Arizona Law NAAC team members) also served as practice judges, including 2011 NAAC team alums Nick Knauer ('11) and Katie Callahan ('11); 2013 NAAC team alum Johnny Anderson ('13); and 2014 NAAC team alums Kristine (Alger) Doubleday ('14), Hope (Sullivan) Bielat ('14), Jon Loe ('14), and Will Pew ('14). Pima County Public Defender Steve Sonnenberg, his Chief Assistant Kevin Burke, and Assistant PDs Walt Palser ('98) and Efthymios Katsarelis ('08) also judged a practice round, as did Assistant U.S. Attorney Rui Wang ('05). 
 
Congratulations again to both teams.

Gutter Bowl Results

Gutter Bowl IX was a resounding success. The Bowlmor in Scottsdale was taken over by sixteen teams of alumni and friends, representing the bench and bar, and the young and not-so-young. Thanks to all who made it out last Friday.
 
Here is a rundown of the awards -- and I use the term "awards" loosely:
 
Highest Team Score - Overall: Jones, Skelton & Hochuli

Highest Team Score - Average: Quarles & Brady

Team Gutter Bowl: Class of 2005

Highest Individual Score: Dillion Steadman (Jones, Skelton & Hochuli)

Individual Gutter Bowl: Rachel Peters (Snell & Wilmer)

Our ongoing gratitude goes to committee members Hon.  Alison Bachus , Geoff Balon, Shruti Gurudanti Coree Neumeyer Jessica Post , and  Tom Stack , and honorary co-hosts and emcees extraordinaire Steve Hirsch and Chas Wirken. You represent our dedicated alumni community and are the reason that Arizona Law has so much to celebrate these days.











Footnotes
Las Vegas Alumni Reception, March 10


Are you headed to Las Vegas this week for the Pac 12 Men's Basketball Tournament? If so, please join me, Professor Billy Sjostrom, our Distinguished Scholars, and fellow alumni at our annual Las Vegas alumni reception. 

When: Thursday, March 10, 2016, 4 - 6 p.m.
Where: Pub 1842 (located inside the MGM),  3799 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109

No registration is required but please let us know if you think you can join us:  Yes! I plan to attend. 

IPLP Speaker, March 11

The next IPLP speaker is Angela Riley (Citizen Potawatomi Nation), Professor of Law at UCLA School of Law. Professor Riley is currently serving as the Oneida Indian Nation Visiting Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. In 2003 she was selected to serve on her tribe's supreme court, becoming the first woman and youngest justice of the Supreme Court of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation of Oklahoma. In 2010, she was elected as Chief Justice.

Professor Riley will discuss her research on the many doctrinal puzzles presented by implementation of the Tribal Law and Order Act (TLOA) and the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act (VAWA), and the larger implications for tribal governance raised by jurisdictional changes in Indian Country.
 
            When: Friday, March 11, 12 - 1:15 p.m.
            Where: College of Law faculty lounge (room 237) 


Tucson Festival of Books, March 12-13

Arizona Law will again have a booth at the Tucson Festival of Books, March 12-13. We hope you'll stop by and say hello. (There may be a little something for you if you show up in Arizona Law apparel!) We will be at booth #460, a little west of Cherry Avenue, on the main mall. This is a great event for Tucson and the college, so drop by and enjoy it with us!


 
On Saturday, April 16, the Law College Association will host the 42nd Annual Law College Association Appreciation Dinner. 

Please join us for the presentation of awards honoring and celebrating the remarkable achievements of Ryan C. Flynn ('06), C. Max Killian ('49), Peter W. Likins, the Honorable Roxanne Song Ong ('78), Nicole F. Stanton ('00), and Gary L. Stuart ('67).
 
When: Saturday, April 16, 2016, 6 - 9 p.m.
Where: Arizona Historical Society Museum
1300 North College Avenue, Tempe, AZ 85281
 
$125 per person ($150 after March 16)
$1100 for a table of ten ($1500 after March 16)

Register Early
For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit 

Online Alumni Directory

Please take the time to join your  online alumni directory. We are creating a shared resource to support our students and our alumni. If you need us to resend your personalized invitation, please email or call (520) 621-8430.
 
The latest weekly Arizona Law T-shirt drawing winner from among new directory members Julie Wilson-McNerney ('13). Congratulations, Julie, and thank you for joining.

The impressive accomplishments of our trial teams taste even sweeter when we recognize the part played by alumni, faculty, and friends in their preparation. 

As a community, we all -- fellow students, alumni, faculty, staff, administrators, and the many friends of the college trained at other law schools (yes, there are other law schools) -- contribute to such successes and join in the celebration of every Arizona Law win.

 
Warmly,
  
  
  
Marc L. Miller  
Dean & Ralph W. Bilby Professor of Law
 
Shaping the next century of legal education 
 
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