Wildcat Wednesday -- Letter of the Law

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James E. Rogers College of Law

July 6, 2016

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,

Jonelle Frazee Vold ('01)

Senior Director of Alumni and Development at Arizona Law

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.


	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).

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."


	Zac also celebrated his wedding this summer, to Katherine Fox.

Zac has focused his education at the College of Law in two specific areas, 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."

Footnotes

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.


	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.

Creating a strong alumni community is an important part of the work of the Alumni and Development office.

Alumni Receptions keep you connected to the college.

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.

Our Leaders in the Law lunch time series

connects alumni to our students.

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.