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March 26,
2014 | |
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Greetings,
Spring
break is over, classes have resumed, and the Cats
are headed to the Sweet 16!
In
this week's newsletter we feature alumnus Paul
Charlton, 3L student Julia Kent Palfreyman, and
our February Bar Project.
Until
the footnotes,
Marc |
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Paul
Charlton '88
 On Friday, April
4th, the Law College Association will honor
alumnus Paul Charlton for his
many years of public service. Paul, a two-time
Wildcat ('83,'88), served six years as the US
Attorney for the District of Arizona, ten years as
an Assistant US Attorney, and two years as an
Assistant Arizona Attorney General.
One
of Paul's many achievements as the US attorney was
establishing the Anti-Terrorism Advisory Council.
It's a program designed to create more effective
communication among law enforcement agencies.
Additionally, Paul expanded the staff in his
office to better advocate for the rights of crime
victims.
When
asked about his favorite memories from his time as
US Attorney, Paul reminisced, "There are
many great memories, but perhaps my proudest
achievement might be working with and following in
the footsteps of great prosecutors like Mike
Cudahy and Stephen
McNamee."
These
days, Paul is a partner in the Phoenix office of
Steptoe
& Johnson, LLP where he concentrates on
high-profile and complex litigation, internal
investigations, and white-collar criminal
defense.
Paul
has been married to his wife and best friend
Susan (Arizona Law '89) for 28 years.
They have two sons ages 21 and 18. As
a family, this group enjoys both traditional and
unusual hobbies. Paul describes one of each:
"We've climbed Kilimanjaro and Rainier, as a
family, but are now, for something completely
different, learning to rope cattle."
I
hope many of you will join me at the LCA Annual Appreciation
Dinner as we thank Paul for his eighteen years
of public service.
|
Julia
Kent Palfreyman '14
When 3L student Julia Kent Palfreyman began to
think about law school, her approach had a
singular focus. "To be honest, I didn't apply
to any other law schools because I didn't want to
go anywhere else."
Julia,
like so many of our students, is both a student
and a parent -- in Julia's case, she is a single
parent. While challenging, she believes the
experience of juggling parenthood and law school
has taught her many valuable skills that will
serve her well in practice.
"In
general, being a parent in law school means that
you have less time than everyone else to
accomplish the same tasks, so time management
skills are key. You also have to get used to
sleeping very little, and be excellent at
multi-tasking. I think all of those things will be
valuable in our careers, so to some extent, even
though it is very difficult, it's valuable
preparation for the rigors of a demanding law
career."
Julia
also credits the experience of being both a
student and a parent experience for helping to
keep her grounded. "My evenings are Lincoln's
time, so even if I need to be working, it's more
important that I spend that time playing chutes
and ladders. For those hours I don't have to be a
student, I can just relax and be a
mom."
Recently,
Julia was part of a group of 24 students who chose
to take the February bar exam. (You can read more
about the February Bar exam below.) Like Julia,
many of the February bar takers were parents.
"Having to wait until October to work is a huge
financial challenge for all students, especially
those who have families to support. Taking the
early bar allows me to potentially avoid/alleviate
some of the stress of having to wait." In
addition to the financial advantages, Julia
decided to take the bar early in the hopes of
getting a leg up on the job market.
The
February bar exam takers may enter the market
fully barred immediately after graduation --
months ahead of the majority of law school
graduates nation-wide. The advantage
for Arizona bar takers is magnified by Arizona's
leadership as one of the early Uniform Bar Exam
(UBE) states -- now 14 states, a majority in the
West. See
http://www.nvbex.org/about-ncbe-exams/ube/.
While
the February Bar exam has many advantages,
studying for the exam was no less grueling than
during the normal July cycle. When asked about her
experience Julia was very honest about the
challenge.
"It
is a really difficult prep period, mentally and
emotionally, and the exam was also really hard.
There were many times when I felt like I couldn't
do it all, and I even considered not testing and
waiting for July. But thanks to awesome people
like fellow February bar taker Matt Randle and
Assistant Dean Nancy Stanley, I was talked off my
ledge. They encouraged me to just bear down, keep
working, and do my best."
Many
of the February bar takers studied together --
providing one another mental and emotional
support. While Julia admits the experience was
challenging she is glad to have had the
opportunity. "I am grateful for my fellow February
bar takers and everyone else who was so
supportive, helpful, and encouraging through that
time."
Julia,
we are proud of you and all the trailblazers who
sat for the February bar exam.
|
As Julia's story
illustrates, our first cohort of early
bar students recently competed the February
exam.
In
December of 2012, the Arizona Supreme Court
authorized, on a two-year pilot basis, law
students to sit for the bar exam in February of
their third year. To be eligible for the February
bar exam, among other requirements, the students
may have no more than eight remaining credits
toward graduation at the time of the exam, and ten
credits in the final semester.
We had 24
students in this year's 3L class who opted
to sit for the February exam. These students
returned to a special set of "Feb bar" classes on
the Monday following the exam. The Feb bar classes
run the gamut from "Advanced Professionalism and
Law Practice" to "Trade Secrets" and are open to
all students. All the post-exam
courses focus on experiential learning,
encouraging the students to apply the wide variety
of skills and knowledge they have acquired. On
successful completion of the remaining eight
credits, the February bar exam takers will
graduate on May 17th with their
classmates.
The
February bar initiative has provoked deep
rethinking about the purpose and goals of the
third year of law school.
These changes include:
- Giving
a more coherent focus to the 3L year as the
transition from theory to practice.
- Providing
a series of courses, clinics, and externships in
the third year, and especially in the spring
term, all of which have an experiential
focus.
- Providing
broad pre-exam skill and knowledge assessments
to all February bar exam takers, and making the
same detailed assessments available to all
members of the 3L class.
Leadership
for this innovation has come from many people in
and outside of the law school.
Those who have taken formal roles in
developing the initial proposal, framing the
potential for new educational and curricular
options, developing the new curriculum and
courses, and working through the
administrative challenges of this kind of major
reform include Professors Rob Williams and Susie
Salmon, Deans Sally Rider and Kirsten Engel, and
staff members Lissette Calderon and Seanna
Howard. The College of Law partnered with
Kaplan Bar Review to design our own intensive
2-unit pre-bar course and assessment
tools.
Our
February bar takers will receive their bar
examination results in May. Some have opted not to
receive results until after graduation. Students
passing the exam will have the opportunity to
graduate from law school with a bar card in hand
and immediately enter the market.
We
are proud of the students who made history last
month by sitting for the February bar exam. Being
a trailblazer often includes a higher degree of
pressure and stress than selecting the more
routine course. While it is
always hard to predict the future, I expect over
the years that future students will look back at
the students who took the February bar as bold
pioneers.
The
February bar pilot project has already drawn
attention from other courts, state bars, and law
schools. While still a pilot project, this
initiative represents an exciting opportunity for
Arizona Law students and the
College.
|
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.
*
* *
Networking
Nosh
The
next Networking Nosh is Thursday, March 27th. All
students and alumni are welcome. To RSVP: mwhite@email.arizona.edu.
*
* *
Volunteer
Lawyers Program
The
Volunteer Lawyers Program
will celebrate the 15th anniversary of the VLP
Advocates Student Program on Tuesday, April 1,
2014 here at the College, and it's an auspicious
occasion. VLP's nationally regarded programs allow
our students to get important client counseling
experiences and to learn from (and network with)
the cadre of volunteer local lawyers who supervise
them.
VLP's
Stacy Rupprecht Butler ('02) and Randi Barnett
('07) do a remarkable job in making the experience
meaningful to our students. We're very thankful
for their efforts.
The
celebration will feature keynote speaker Gene
Nichol of the University of North Carolina School
of Law. All law students who have participated in
the VLP are invited to attend the event. Please RSVP here by
March 26.
*
* *
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:
- Will
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.
Bear
Down -- and leave the Aztecs in San
Diego! 
Marc L.
Miller
Dean & Ralph W. Bilby Professor of
Law
James E. Rogers College of Law
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