Former US Representative Barney Frank will deliver this year's McCormick lecture.

Representative Frank served as a United States Representative from Massachusetts for more than three decades, starting in 1981. Most prominently known as the Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, he is credited with the landmark Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

Please join us on October 16^th at 5:30 pm in the Ares Auditorium (Room 164) for this dynamic lecture and discussion. Register here. 

The event is free and open to the public, though space is limited. The lecture is presented by the McCormick Society for Law and Public Affairs. The Society was formed to honor the memory of J. Byron McCormick who served the State of Arizona with great distinction as President of the University of Arizona, as Dean of the University's College of Law, and as an advisor to the Arizona Board of Regents. 

McCormick Society members gain priority access to the annual lecture and an invitation to a private gathering with Barney Frank -- and if you are not already a member, you can still join. Membership is open to all interested members of the community. The lifetime membership fee is a one-time $500 contribution to the University of Arizona McCormick Endowment. If you would like to join, please contact Dean Emerita Toni Massaro at massaro@email.arizona.edu.

Kate exploring the great outdoors!

Life is an adventure for Kate Curl. When she isn't hiking in Sabino Canyon or exploring great forests around the country, she is harnessing the skills she needs to be an advocate in natural resources law and Indian law.

Kate's path to Arizona Law was filled with exciting challenges and varied experiences. In 2007, she entered the Peace Corps and spent two years in Gambia, Africa. She served as a natural resource volunteer, where she learned, among other things, how to keep bees, graft fruit trees, and speak Wolof -- the language of Senegal, Gambia, and Mauritania.

On her return Kate explored different outlets for her talents, ultimately pursuing a graduate degree in geography and development with a certificate in water policy from the U of A. 

During her studies, she had the multifaceted experience of working in the Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy and taking cross-listed law classes like Professor Glennon's Water Law course. She says, "Being an avid Wildcat fan and having the opportunity to take my academic interests to a new level of advocacy, Arizona Law was the natural choice."

This past summer, she spent the entire season exploring the Pacific Northwest while working in Portland for the Department of the Interior's Regional Office of the Solicitor.

"I just fell in love with the whole region. I really enjoyed learning about the differences in environmental issues between the Northwest and Southwest. I also learned a lot about timber and in-stream fishing rights; two issues you don't see a lot of in Arizona. Because of its beauty and promise, I hope to work in the region after graduation."

Kate and Grover

I agree that 'in-stream fishing rights' to the Rillito would be an odd conversation indeed -- at least for a very long time, since the once free-flowing river became an ephemeral waterway.

Kate is also a dedicated student-attorney through the Immigration Law Clinic. She credits the Clinic as a genuine opportunity to help people and strengthen her own Spanish-speaking skills.

On a special note, Kate will be getting married this March in Tucson. Her fiancé, Grover Reitz, is an MBA student at Eller. They met during their time in the Peace Corps. 

When she isn't in the Clinic, working on an environment law project, or working on wedding plans, you can find Kate playing the trumpet, traveling to new and exotic places, and, naturally, exploring the outdoors. Kate hopes to return to Portland to practice and would welcome an opportunity to meet any of our Northwest alumni.

Connect with Kate on LinkedIn.