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March 12,
2014 | |
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Greetings,
This
week we feature student Jeffrey Wohlford, alumnus
Steve Lainoff, and the newest member of our
Admissions team -- Mimi Huang.
Until
the footnotes,
Marc |
Jeff
Wohlford '14
One of the most surreal days in Jeff Wohlford's
life unfolded while riding in a Russian helicopter
from Dushanbe, Tajikistan to an outpost on the
China border. The retired Air Force Lieutenant
Colonel was traveling with the four star commander
of Central Command and served as executive
officer, carrying the briefcase and keeping
meetings and movements on time. Surprise! Jeff
received a birthday vodka toast from the Commander
of the Border Guard Forces of
Tajikistan.
"In
my memory, it still seems more like a visit to
Disneyland than a high-level military exchange,
and certainly a day I'll never forget," he
said.
Other
days Jeff won't forget are those he is spending
with us at Arizona Law.
After
retiring from the Air Force in 2010, Jeff's wife
Michelle accepted a teaching position at BASIS
Charter School and the family moved to Tucson.
Jeff
decided that after years in the military, he would
tackle law. But it did take some persuading by
Skip Skinner ('02), who attended Arizona Law after
a 28-year career in the Air Force.
"He
helped me see that it wasn't a
completely crazy idea to go back to
school after military retirement," Jeff said, "and
Michelle was hugely supportive as well. Something
along the lines of 'You need to apply so that I
don't have to listen to you talk about it for the
rest of my life,'"
The
Michigan native loves the veteran-friendly vibe
Arizona Law provides. "I really appreciate the
sense of community and cooperation."
Jeff
is president of the Federalist Society
chapter and has been running the student chapter
of the Christian Legal Society for two years.
After graduation, he hopes to stay in Tucson,
clerk for a year or two, then practice criminal
law. 
"I've
focused my studies, my summer
work, and my clinical work toward
criminal law and I'm fairly certain that's where I
belong. But, in the end, flexibility in
the face of change has been a big part of our
lives for a long time. So, who knows what will
happen,"
Jeff and Michelle have three sons: Luke (18), Seth
(16), and Tanner (13). All three are working hard
and thriving, and Jeff said he is tremendously
proud of them.
Connect
with Jeff
on LinkedIn.
|
Steven
Lainoff '77
 Steve Lainoff ('77) hadn't
even been to the state of Arizona when he and his
wife Riea loaded the moving van and headed to the
UofA. "We drove 48 straight hours to Tucson, fell
asleep sitting up on our [motor] coach, and I
started law school the next morning," he
recalled.
Steve
embraced Arizona Law with gusto and found his
interest moving toward tax, thanks to Professor Art Andrews.
Professor Andrews taught income taxation,
administrative law, and criminal procedure for 36
years, and remains a fan favorite. "I had no idea
what kind of lawyer I wanted to be when I
started," Steve says, adding that Professor
Andrews' influence was the deciding factor.
After
graduating, Steve headed east to NYU for an LLM in
Taxation with every intention of returning to the
West. Instead he started as an associate with an
international law firm in New York.
His
trajectory shifted when he was offered a job at
the US Treasury Department in Washington, DC "I
was the youngest person to ever hold the job. I
worked directly with Congress, the Secretary of
the Treasury, negotiated tax treaties with foreign
governments and led the efforts on the
international tax elements of the Tax Reform Act
of 1986," he said.
After
returning to private practice, he worked as a
partner at Weil, Gotshal
& Manges and later at King &
Spalding in DC. He now works at
KPMG where he serves
as the principal-in-charge of the Washington DC
national tax office.
Steve
also loves sharing knowledge and experience with
students. He teaches at NYU, Georgetown, and
Rhodes College.
"I
remember becoming interested in a potential
profession for the first time thanks to some
wonderful professors, watching the Tucson Toros
and the sunset, and eating Mexican food you can't
find in DC to this day." Baseball--and Mexican
food-remain passions for Steve. He works with the
Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy, which
combines baseball and academic mentoring for
inner-city youths. He said, "I'm a season ticket
holder of the Boston Red Sox, which is somewhat
strange since I live in Virginia."
Steve's
wife Riea is also an attorney. The couple has
three children: Caitlin, a theater set designer in
Los Angeles; Brian, who works for the Global
Crop Diversity Trust in Bonn, Germany; and
Mark an International Studies and History major at
Rhodes College.
In
early April, Steve will spend four days as the
Executive-in-Residence at Arizona Law. During his
residency, Steve will function as a visiting
professor. He will hold office hours for students,
attend faculty events, and guest lecture in
classes. The residency week will culminate with
the Law College Association's
40th Annual Appreciation Dinner where Steve
will be awarded the University of Arizona Alumni
Association's Public Achievement Award. The dinner
is open to all students, alumni, and friends of
the College of Law. I hope many of you will join
us for this event. (see the footnotes for ticket
information)
|
Mimi
Huang
 "Arizona Law practically
chose me."
Perfect
words from the brand new Director of Admissions
for Arizona Law.
Mimi
Huang recently joined the Admissions team after
more than two years as Associate
Director of Admissions for Seton Hall
University School of Law in Newark, New
Jersey.
Coming
from Newark, she loves how Arizona Law values
academic rigor and collegiality in a small-knit
community. And she loves the weather. "It was 70
degrees in Tucson when my husband and I visited in
January. It was snowing and only eight degrees on
the morning we flew out from New
Jersey!"
The
Jersey native graduated from law school in her
home state and then clerked for a judge and
practiced environmental law before moving into
higher education. "Just goes to show you how
versatile a degree the JD can be in terms of
opening new career paths," she said.
Mimi
loves all that is food and drink. It's an interest
she can't wait to explore in Southern Arizona now
that she calls the Sonoran Desert her home. "My
husband and I love to cook with local ingredients
and try regional food specialties. I'm looking
forward to exploring all that Tucson has to offer
food-wise from restaurants, breweries, and food
trucks to farmers markets and roadside produce
stands. Any recommendations would be more than
welcome and much appreciated!"
Mimi's
enthusiasm for Arizona Law is palpable, or as she
put it, "I'm thrilled." In her first week Mimi
participated in the admitted student event at
Fender Music, and ended up talking with one
admitted student's mother at length--in
Taiwanese!
The
newly minted Wildcats fan says she can't wait to
meet and chat with alums and students during
Preview Weekend for admitted students on March
28th.
To
contact Mimi.
|
Coming
soon!
Law College Association
Annual Dinner and Awards Ceremony in Phoenix
Please
join us for the presentation of awards honoring
and celebrating the remarkable achievements
of:
- Charles
(Chick) Arnold '70 - LCA Award for extraordinary
service to society
- Maria
Baier '92 - UAAA Public Service Award
- Paul
Charlton '88 - UAAA Public Service Award
- Steven
Lainoff '77 - UAAA Professional Achievement
Award
- The
Honorable James Teilborg '66 - UAAA Professional
Achievement Award
Friday,
April 4, 2014 5:30 - 9:00 -- U of A College of
Medicine, 550 E Van Buren St, Phoenix, AZ
85004
Register here.
Alumni
Authors Needed
The
College of Law will host a booth at this year's Festival
of Books on March 15-16. We are looking
for alumni authors to join us. If you are
interested, please contact Nancy
Stanley
Networking
Nosh
The
next Networking Nosh is Thursday, March 27th. All
students and alumni are welcome. To RSVP mwhite@email.arizona.edu.
Veterans
Court Southwest Symposium &
Workshop
Friday,
March 28, 2014 - 8:30 am - 5:30 pm
James
E. Rogers College of Law (Room 164)
Veterans
Courts have been operating in the US for almost a
decade now - each approaching issues of procedure,
treatment, sanctions, and rewards differently.
It's time to gather, share lessons learned, and
problem solve together common issues arising in
Veterans Courts.
Featured
Speakers and Workshop Leaders include:
- William
Gunn, General Counsel, US
Department of Veterans Affairs
- Ted
Vogt, Director, AZ Department of
Veterans' Services
- Hon.
Robert Russell, Veterans Treatment
Court, Buffalo, NY (established the nation's
first veterans court)
- Hon.
Michael Pollard, Regional
Municipalities Veterans Treatment Court,
AZ
- Hon.
Maria Felix, Pima Country Justice
Court, AZ
- Brig.
Gen. Gregg Maxon,
(ret.), AZ Supreme Court Adviser for Veterans
Courts
- Lori
Lewis, Senior Assistant Prosecuting
City Attorney, Tucson AZ
- Thomas
Winkel, Director, AZ Coalition for
Military Families
- Dr.
Cynthia Dowdall,
Director, Behavioral Health and Community
Services, Northwest Fire/Rescue District, Tucson
AZ
Click
here to RSVP for the Veteran's Symposium.
Space is limited.
Richard
Grand Argument Competition
Preliminary
rounds will be April 10, 2014 and April 11,
2014
Final
Arguments will be on April 16, 2014
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.
| |
Hard
as it is for everyone who is at the College
day-to-day to believe, Spring break is next week.
For many here it is time for a deep if quick
breath before the five week sprint to the end of
the term.
I
hope to see many of you at the LCA Annual Dinner
on April 4th in Phoenix.
Warmly,
Marc L.
Miller
Dean & Ralph W. Bilby Professor of
Law
James E. Rogers College of Law
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