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Greetings,

Welcome to the first Letter of the Law in
our "alumni takeover" series. For the next few weeks you
will hear from alumni around the country as they take
over the newsletter and tell us about things happening
at Arizona Law from their point of view.
Summertime in Arizona brings, among other things,
swimming pools, Independence Day, barbecues, the College
World Series (way to go Cats!), the Arizona Bar
Convention, wild weather, and -- for our students-- new
professional experiences. This week, we bring you
profiles of two rising 3L students, Wes Stiner and Zac
Cohen.
Summer also brings alumni receptions all around the
country. Last week, alumni in Seattle enjoyed breakfast
with Dean Miller. Next week, Arizona Law alumni will
gather in Coronado, California, for the annual CLE by
the Sea event and a reception welcoming Professor
Barbara Bergman, the new Director of our Advocacy
Program.
If you have ideas for an alumni reception or an
event at which Arizona Law should have a presence,
please let us know.
Until the footnotes,
Senior Director of Alumni and
Development at Arizona
Law
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Wes Stiner ('17) Named
Pat Tillman Scholar |
In June, rising 3L Wesley ("Wes") Stiner was named a 2016 Tillman Scholar in a
cohort representing 60 U.S. service members, veterans
and military spouses across the nation. The newly named
class, funded by the Pat Tillman Foundation, will
receive more than $1.8 million in scholarships to pursue
higher education degrees.
As the son of a U.S.
Marine, Wes Stiner was raised with the motto "America
needs warriors." However, it was the events
of Sept. 11, 2001 and his family's legacy
that compelled him to serve in the Marine
Corps.
Too young to enlist at the time of the
attacks, Stiner watched the war come home as his older
brother deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi
Freedom. Four years later, inspired by the example
of his father and brother, he earned his own commission
as a Marine.
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Wes and his wife,
Kristi. | After
deploying in support of Operation Enduring Freedom,
which began in 2001, Wes became intimately acquainted
with the stressors and difficulties faced by service
members returning from combat deployment. This motivated
him to develop an anonymous referral system within his
unit. The system allowed Marines to identify those
struggling with their combat experiences so that they
could receive help without divulging their identity and
condition to the entire unit.
Wes
explained,
"The most important
lesson I learned from my service is a lesson that has
guided me in difficult times and is how I articulate the
tenacity of the human spirit. When
faced with difficult times, it's necessary to look
beyond the struggle, because we are stronger than we
think. There will be greater challenges ahead, so stick
with your commitment and don't avoid challenges. Take
them on and power through. You will come out stronger
and more capable for persevering."
At the UA, Wes
collaborated with the Humane Society to create Pets and
Their Heroes, or PATHs, which engages veterans as
volunteers to socialize and teach shelter dogs basic
commands with the goal of a quick adoption.
He also serves in the Veterans' Advocacy Law Clinic, where he
has represented nearly 80 veterans charged with
misdemeanors. Wes,
who was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder,
also is working to upgrade disability ratings for
veterans with the disorder and other service-related
injuries.
Wes spends time drafting appeals to upgrade the
discharges of other veterans so that they can receive
the health care and education benefits they earned.
Eventually, he intends to organize a co-op of lawyers in
the community to serve as a free resource for veterans
in need of discharge upgrades, disability rating
upgrades and disability appeals and said:
"As a lawyer, my
goal is to effect change in veteran reintegration policy
that will provide for improved screening, evaluation,
recovery and, most importantly, suicide
prevention."
Of his time with the Marines, Wes said military
service introduced him to new experiences, opportunities
and people:
"Every person is
different. However, everyone looks the same because the
uniform camouflages the colors of the
individual. The
focus is on the unit and duties. Witnessing
this devotion to duty changed my life. I thought I was
selfless and a giving person, but [not] until serving
did I realize what selfless was."
In addition to his commitments at the law
school, Wes is married to his best friend Kristin. They
have two daughters Madison (3) and Hannah (2) and two
golden retrievers Pete and Daisy.
Other UA Law Tillman Scholars include
Stiner's fellow Arizona Law peers Joshua Sparling ('17),
Angela Menard ('16), Kris Carlson ('11),
and Matthew
Randle ('14).
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Zac Cohen ('17) Interning at
Fender |
Rising 3L Zachary ("Zac") Cohen is the
immediate past president of the Jewish Law Students
Association, and a writer for the Arizona Journal of
International and Comparative Law. He also volunteers
with Wills for Heroes.
Zac
was born in California and spent time living in
Australia and China before moving to Tucson at age 9.
This summer, he is trying Phoenix on for size as an
intern in the legal department of Fender Musical
Instruments. He
says,
"This opportunity represents the
ideal next step in my career development. As an
undergraduate I learned that I really enjoy working in
the corporate environment through various internships
with corporations like Estee Lauder and Comcast. Now, I
am excited to be able to apply the skills that I have
developed through my legal education to this type of
environment. Fender is legendary in the music industry,
and, coming from a musical family, I consider myself
lucky to have the opportunity to work with and represent
such an iconic brand."
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Zac also celebrated his
wedding
this summer, to
Katherine
Fox. |
Zac has focused his education at the College of Law in
two specific ar eas, both
applicable to his work at Fender. He is on track to
graduate with a certificate from the International
Economic Law and Policy program led by Professor Puig,
learning about the issues affecting companies that
conduct business across global
markets.
Zac also has an
interest in employment law, developed through his
coursework and an internship with a small local
employment firm
during his 1L summer. He says that, in addition to
deepening his understanding of global business and
employment law, his internship will also expose him to
the broad scope of legal issues that affect
corporations, and the ways in which they are analyzed
in-house.
Zac is grateful to his supervisor at
Fender, Chief Legal Officer and Arizona Law alumnus Mark
Van Vleet
('91), for
giving him this opportunity, saying,
"It is truly a
privilege to work with and learn from someone who is so
knowledgeable and experienced in corporate law and the
intersection between business interests and legal
issues, as well as an alumnus who shows such care for
and interest in the law school."
He also expresses his thanks to Arizona Law's
Career Development Office, and Virginia Clarke in
particular, for helping him to secure this invaluable
career opportunity.
"I really appreciate
that the College has such a strong network of companies,
agencies, and law firms in Arizona willing to provide
opportunities to law
students." |
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Summer
Alumni Receptions
This listing includes details on our summer
alumni receptions -- with locations and details being
updated each week. Alumni, students, family, and friends
are all welcome. If you live or work near one of our
receptions or will be in the area, please stop by to say
hello. We would love to see you.
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Recent breakfast with Seattle alums.
Thanks for joining
us! |
Mon., July 11
Arizona Law
by the Sea Alumni Reception in Coronado,
California, at
Mc P's Irish Pub, 1107 Orange Ave., Coronado,
California, 2 - 4 p.m.
*Join us to meet our new head of Advocacy,
Barbara Bergman.*
Tues., July 26, and Weds., July
27
Lunch for the
Arizona Bar Takers at Steptoe, 201 E Washington,
Suite 1600, Phoenix. For all Arizona Law alumni taking
the Arizona Bar.
No registration required.
Weds., July
27
Downtown Phoenix
Alumni Reception at
Copper Blues 50 W Jefferson Street, Phoenix, 5 - 7
p.m. Register here.
Fri., August 19
New Mexico
Alumni Reception in conjunction with the New
Mexico State Bar Convention, at Buffalo Thunder Resort
in Santa Fe, New Mexico, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Save the date -- registration details coming
soon.
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Creating a strong alumni community is an important
part of the work of the Alumni and Development
office.
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Alumni
Receptions keep you connected to the
college.
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As an office, we strive to create a deeply
connected network available to students and alumni
throughout their careers. Here are a few simple things
you can do to help.
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Our Leaders in the Law lunch time
series
connects alumni to
our students.
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First, join the alumni directory. This is
the best way to connect with other Arizona Law
alumni.
Second, if you make a job or geographic
move, please let us know your new contact
information.
Third, tell us about your good news. We
love hearing from you, and we are always looking for
interesting stories to tell in the newsletter. If you
have one, please share.
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Events throughout the
year, like Red & Blue BBQ during
Homecoming, allow us stay in
touch. | The
Alumni and Development office is here for you. If we can
be of service to you, please contact
us.
Bear Down!
Jonelle
Shaping
the next century of legal
education
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