law.arizona.edu
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October 22,
2014 | |
Greetings,
Many
alums talk with me about how their practice is
changing -- how client demands and relationships
are shifting, how lawyers and non-lawyers are
providing or supporting legal services, and how
the impact of globalization and technology affect
both the supply of and demand for legal
services.
The
effects of these changes are compounded by the
high cost of traditional legal education, and have
led to the need for new ways of providing legal
training.
This
fall, the University of Arizona and Arizona Law
cooperatively launched the first US Bachelor of Arts in
Law, with undergraduate law courses taught by
law faculty. The goal of this partnership between
Arizona Law and the School of Government and
Public Policy in the College
of Social and Behavioral Sciences is to
empower undergraduate students to pursue jobs
where legal training and an understanding of legal
doctrine, analysis, and procedure will give them
an employment advantage.
Arizona
Law's efforts to train more people capable of
working in regulatory, business, government and
other legal environments are responsive to changes
in legal services, and good for our students who
study for the JD and become licensed
attorneys.
The
new BA in Law also provides the opportunity for
law majors who excel to start law school after
their junior year, reducing the cost and time
needed to get a JD. Nearly 100 students have
already declared law as a major and upperclassmen
are preparing to start taking undergraduate law
courses this spring.
This week we share how our undergraduate law
program is responding to the new legal landscape
by featuring our program director, Najwa Nabti,
teaching fellow Jim Diamond, and two of our
undergraduate students, Jesus Manuel Rosas and
Reuben Canastillo.
Until
the footnotes,
Marc
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Najwa with her two
children |
Najwa
Nabti is the director of the Undergraduate Law and
Master of Legal Studies programs at the college.
She brings her passion for education, appreciation
for experiential learning, and international
expertise to students and the entire Arizona Law
community.
Najwa
decided to attend law school after working for two
years as a paralegal specialist with the US
Department of Justice. She recalls that straight
out of college:
"I
knew that I was interested in seeking justice for
victims, but wasn't sure that I could see myself
as a lawyer. I had amazing mentors at the DOJ. I
worked hard, but they invested a tremendous amount
of time in training me. Had I studied law as an
undergraduate -- even basic concepts -- it would
have saved them a lot of time."
The
experience helped steer her career path. After
obtaining her JD, Najwa worked in white-collar
criminal defense with partners who were former
federal prosecutors. Before joining us, she worked
for seven years in The Hague, Netherlands, where
she served as an appeals prosecutor at the International
Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.
There, she also managed the prosecution's
internship program, coordinating training for
undergraduate and graduate law students from
around the globe.
Najwa
appreciates the value of working with judges,
having clerked at the federal district court of
Arizona (Judge Stephen McNamee '69), the Board of
Immigration Appeals, and the International Court
of Justice. Her passion for victim justice
instilled from that very first legal job after
getting her BA stayed with her. Throughout her
career, Najwa has pursued accountability for
gender-based violence, whether seeking asylum on
behalf of a rape victim, researching domestic
violence against displaced refugees, or working on
prosecutions for sexual violence as a crime
against humanity.
Based
on her experiences, Najwa is convinced that
"internships and other experiential learning
opportunities are absolutely essential to
preparing students to enter the workforce, whether
as undergraduates or graduates." These
opportunities are built into the undergraduate law
curriculum, and reflect the program's vision.
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The whole family on
vacation |
"By
the time students graduate with their BA in Law,
they will have foundational knowledge of the law
in core subject areas, know what it means to
'think like a lawyer', issue-spot, and structure
sound legal arguments. They will be able to use
these skills immediately after graduation in
law-related jobs. They should also have a better
idea about whether or not they really want to go
to law school. If so, qualified law majors can
start law school as seniors through our 3+3 program, saving
time and money."
Geared
toward professionals in law-related careers, the
Master
of Legal Studies will follow a similar
curriculum (without the 3+3 option), allowing
graduate students to obtain this legal training in
one year of full-time study, or on a part-time
basis.
When
she isn't working with undergrads, master's
students, or studying up on the latest
international issues, she enjoys spending time
with her husband, Arizona Law graduate, Ed Russo
('00) and their two children. She notes that her
kids are both adjusting well to the climate and
learning Spanish. Najwa loves to travel, bake
sweet things, and take in the Arizona sunsets and
starry skies.
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Jesus at the Kukulcan
Temple |
When
it comes to success, Jesus Rosas knows that it
starts with great experiences. He is a senior at
the University of Arizona and a BA in Law
student.
When
asked why he chose to major in law, he responded,
"I get to learn from College of Law faculty while
still being an undergraduate, and being part of
the first law major in the country. It was perfect
for my professional goals."
Through
his classes and personal experiences, Jesus has
discovered a significant interest in immigration
law. He is currently an immigration services
intern for the International
Rescue Committee, where he assists refugees
with their residency and citizenship
applications. He also works as a Spanish
interpreter for a local Tucson business.
Even
before taking law classes, he knew the College of
Law well. Jesus worked as office assistance in the
Alumni and Development Office, welcoming college
visitors and assisting in our outreach events.
One
of Jesus' most interesting talents is boxing. He
describes it as his way to release stress and keep
healthy. In fact, in his first amateur boxing
match he was awarded the "Best Fighter of the
Night." He also enjoys archery and target
shooting.
He
plans on attending law school after
graduation. We are confident that the skills
and knowledge he gains from the BA in Law will
enable Jesus to excel in any law school
environment.
Connect with Jesus on
LinkedIn
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Ruben recognized for
making the Dean's List |
For
Ruben Canastillo, the entrepreneurial spirit is
his north star. He has worked in a variety of
business and law-related positions that will shape
his future. He plans to use this momentum by
attending law school, studying business law, and
ultimately opening his own firm.
Like
Jesus, he is also a senior and one of our all-star
BA in Law students.
"I
decided to major in law because I want to have a
positive impact on peoples' lives. Once the law
major was announced, I felt like it was a great
opportunity to get exposure to the legal system
before attending law school."
Ruben
has wasted no time making the most of his
undergraduate law experience. This semester he is
conducting an independent study with Jim Diamond
(see below) and taking a legal writing course with
Master of Legal Studies students. He explains that
he decided to major in law "because the courses
are actually taught by law faculty that could help
guide my path towards law school." He is also
volunteering at a private law firm specializing in
criminal and immigration law.
In
the spring, Ruben will be interning at the Pima
County Legal Defender's Office. And in the realm
of most childhood dreams, he spent last summer
working for the professional staff at the Reid
Park Zoo.
For
fun, he likes to participate in or watch boxing,
football, track and field, mountain-biking,
basketball, and outdoor events. He also likes to
hang out with friends and family, go to church,
read mystery books involving criminal cases, and
go to the Pima County Superior Court to watch
trials. Ruben is right -- why watch trials on TV
when real trials are taking place all the time,
and just down the street?
Connect with Ruben on
LinkedIn
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Jim and Marian in
Arabian Desert |
The
undergraduate law program moves forward with a
dedicated team of talented professionals. One of
the team's crucial members is Jim Diamond, who
serves as a teaching fellow at the college.
Jim
has had a varied and distinguished path to Arizona
Law. He started as a speechwriter for the New York
State Attorney General, and worked for nearly a
decade as a state prosecutor. He then switched
sides and was a criminal defense attorney for 20
years, becoming a noted advocate for clients and
mental health services.
"Over
the years I have been increasingly moved by the
topic of mental health and criminal behavior. We
need to move beyond simply warehousing and
punishing offenders and need to look to make
individuals and communities healthier."
After
a successful career, he decided to return to law
school to advance new skills by joining our LLM,
and then our SJD program. His SJD
dissertation looks at healing in the aftermath of
mass shootings. He is studying the history of mass
shootings, incorporating indigenous practices
aimed at diffusing rampage killers before they
kill.
As
part of the undergraduate law program, he will be
teaching practical skills workshops in a
two-semester core course, Introduction to the
American Common Law System, starting in January.
Jim will teach practical advocacy skills in small,
highly interactive sessions. His vast experience
will animate the material, along with real-world
exercises: formulating case strategies, conducting
negotiations, critiquing trial transcripts, and
drafting documents.
|
Jim with his sons, Aaron and
Reuben |
Jim
is thrilled to return to the head of the
classroom.
"Teaching is my
professional love -- I taught part-time for 15
years at Western Connecticut State while
practicing law -- and I am excited to be a
full-time teacher and completely engaged in the
academic side of the law. Returning to school for
an SJD re-booted my passion for law and legal
scholarship."
His partner,
Marian Salzman, and two of his four children,
Reuben and Isabelle, are slowly taking root in
Tucson after many years in Connecticut. They plan
to become more involved in the broader Tucson
community and are starting to meet people beyond
the law school.
Jim enjoys music
(he was a college DJ), freshwater fishing, history
and genealogy. He loves to travel, and in recent
years has spent time in Paris, London, Milan,
Venice, Zurich, Cannes, Amsterdam, and even Dubai,
by tagging along on Marian's work travels. In
Connecticut, Jim and Marian have regularly opened
their home to exchange students and foreign
visitors -- guests from China, Spain, the UK, the
Netherlands and France.
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TONIGHT
- "The Mind & the Law" Lecture
Series: Memory
Factory
Wednesday,
October 22, 2014
7
pm Ares
Auditorium (Room 164)
Cognitive
psychologist Elizabeth Loftus, known as one of
the world's leading experts on human memory,
will speak about how memory research is used in
legal settings at an upcoming public lecture.
Loftus is the Distinguished Professor of Social
Ecology and Professor of Law and Cognitive
Science at the University of California, Irvine.
She is known internationally for groundbreaking
work in memory research generally, as well as
study and scholarship in the nature of false
memories. No RSVP
required. Future dates in the
series: November 5, November 19, and December
3.
Click here to learn
more.
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Elizabeth
Loftus
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Lacee Collins ('16) and benefactor, Bev
Rogers |
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The
Honorable Barney Frank meets with members
of
Arizona
Law's student organization Pride
Law.
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The Class of 1984 -- 30
year Reunion
Dinner
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* *
We
are approaching Homecoming and the season for
reunions. The class of 1984 organized a
reunion dinner in Phoenix last Friday night.
It was great to hear their stories -- their
passion for their professors and their classmates,
and for the careers they have built and lives they
have lived. They were very interested in our
changing law school, and committed to helping this
generation of law students succeed.
Warmly,
Marc L. Miller
Dean & Ralph W. Bilby Professor of
Law
James E. Rogers College of
Law
alumni@law.arizona.edu
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impact?
Make a donation to our student
scholarship fund. Every dollar invested produces a
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student.
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