| UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
JAMES E. ROGERS COLLEGE OF LAW |
APRIL 17, 2024 | | |
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Greetings,
This week’s newsletter is packed with celebrations!
We reached a major milestone in the progress of “A New Day in Court,” we reconnected with alumni and friends at the first-ever Law Alumni Weekend and we welcomed potential future LawCats for Admitted Students Weekend. Plus, US News recently recognized our excellent legal writing program among its top grad school rankings.
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Until the footnotes,
Marc
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LawCat Community Leaves their Mark During ‘A New Day in Court’ Construction Celebration | |
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Fueling Progress: An Update on Fuel Wonder Initiatives
On March 27, the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law celebrated a major milestone for the “A New Day in Court” renovation project, which includes the construction of new state-of-the-art courtrooms, classrooms and lobby spaces. The upgraded spaces are expected to be completed in the fall of 2024. The event welcomed donors, alumni, students and friends to sign steel plates to be welded to the 37-foot, 9,000-pound support beam that arrived the following week.
| Speakers at the event included Dean Miller, donors Ted Schmidt (’77) and Kevin Boyle (’97), Jimmy Svhela from DPR Construction, third-year law student Allison Weber and John Michael Filippone, a current undergraduate senior at the University of Arizona and grandson of J. Michael Hennigan (JD ’70, BA ’66). | |
In the early hours of April 3, the beam was transported by crane down Speedway Avenue and into the College of Law building.
For more project updates and to see 360-degree tours of key construction areas in process, see the A New Day in Court web page.
For the full article on the construction celebration event, see here.
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First-Ever Law Alumni Weekend Brings Together Generations of LawCats | |
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On Friday, April 5, and Saturday, April 6, alumni came together for a variety of events during the first dedicated Law Alumni Weekend. Events included everything from the Short Story Club led by Prof. Sylvia Lett to a gathering of the newly-created LawCat Legend Society, alumni who graduated at least 50 years ago.
We are sharing just some of the photo highlights from the weekend’s festivities. To view and download more photos, see the Law Alumni Weekend webpage.
We are also seeking input on Law Alumni Weekend in this survey. Thanks in advance for your feedback!
LawCat Legend 50 Year+ Reunion Breakfast Celebrating the Classes of 1973 & 1974
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Arizona Law All-Class Reunion Celebration
All alumni that graduated in a year ending in 3, 4, 8 or 9 gathered to reconnect with classmates in a casual setting.
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LawCat Spring Fling
In the last official event of the weekend, alumni and families gathered at the University of Arizona Football Stadium. They also had a chance to meet future LawCats attending Admitted Students Weekend.
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Arizona Law Ambassadors Greet Admitted Students | |
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The first weekend in April was not just Law Alumni Weekend. It was also Admitted Students Weekend!
Prospective future LawCats met with faculty, staff, current students and our Arizona Law Ambassadors. Admitted students also met with alumni visiting campus for Law Alumni Weekend, including at the LawCat Spring Fling and a reception at the historic downtown Tucson courthouse, which now houses the University of Arizona’s Alfie Norville Gem & Mineral Museum.
The Arizona Law Ambassadors took over our social media to spotlight the event.
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UArizona Grad Programs Earn Top Marks in Legal Writing and More in Latest US News Ranking | |
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Several University of Arizona graduate programs across a variety of disciplines have once again been recognized as among the best in the nation in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Graduate Schools rankings.
In the publication’s annual ranking, released April 9, the James E. Rogers College of Law tied for No. 8 overall in legal writing and tied for No. 5 in the specialty among public universities.
“I am thrilled to see so many different fields of study rightfully recognized among the nation’s very best graduate programs,” said University of Arizona President Robert C. Robbins. “Those who choose to pursue their graduate studies at the University of Arizona do so with the knowledge that they will have a world-class learning experience with faculty who produce cutting-edge scholarship and creative expression, preparing them for incredible careers in the academy and beyond.”
To learn more about rankings at the law school and around the university, see the full story here.
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Save the Date: Homecoming October 18-19 | |
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Can’t wait to see your fellow alumni again? Or did you miss Law Alumni Weekend?
Either way, save the date for Homecoming Weekend 2024, which will be October 18 and 19, 2024. It’s six months away but will be here before you know it!
See the University’s Homecoming page for more information and to sign up for updates.
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Legal expert on what you need to know about Arizona's near-total abortion ban
KJZZ, featuring Barbara Atwood
Answering ABC15 viewer questions about abortion decision
ABC15, featuring Chris Griffin
How the G.O.P. Molded the Arizona Court That Upheld the Abortion Ban
The New York Times, featuring Barbara Atwood
Balance of Power Podcast: Biden-Kishida meet
Bloomberg, featuring Barbara Atwood
Will Arizona enforce a Civil War-era law banning nearly all abortions in the state?
CNN, featuring Susie Salmon
Critics of the Arizona Supreme Court's Abortion Ruling Seem Confused About What Judges Are Supposed To Do
MSN.com, featuring Barbara Atwood
Reactions to the abortion ban in Arizona
RTVI, featuring Susie Salmon
Former Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey says the abortion ruling from justices he chose goes too far
Associated Press, featuring Barbara Atwood
Arizona's 1864 abortion ban was mostly a result of power struggles, historians say
NBC, featuring Chris Griffin
Florida blocks heat protections for workers right before summer
NPR, featuring Shefali Milczarek-Desai
The Civil War raged and fortune-seekers hunted for gold. This era produced Arizona's abortion ban
Associated Press, featuring Barbara Atwood
Ex Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey: Justices he chose went too far in abortion ruling
Arizona Daily Star, featuring Barbara Atwood
Tim Steller’s column: Abortion ruling defensible, but 1864 ban must go
Arizona Daily Star, featuring Chris Griffin
UArizona law professor answers questions about abortion ruling
KVOA, featuring Chris Griffin
How an Arizona school's response to a perceived gun threat upended a boy's life
Arizona Republic, featuring Diana Newmark
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Do You Have News?
Your success is the college’s success and we want to celebrate with you! If you have landed a new job, received an award or recognition, stepped into a leadership role or have good news in general, let us know.
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A New Day in Court continues to move forward on schedule – and we are … beaming! (See above.)
We are also fast heading towards the final rush of this academic year. That means familiar steps in the academic cycle – exams, graduation, the bar, summer jobs and continued recruitment of the next great class of Wildcats.
But this year we have added what we expect will become a new spring tradition. By separating Alumni Weekend from Homecoming, we have created a second point during the year when alumni are broadly – collectively and communally – welcomed back on campus.
Homecoming remains a great university event, for law and all alumni. But Homecoming is … hectic. With a Law Alumni Weekend in the spring we have created a calmer setting for more conversations and more engagement with classmates, and more chances to meet with our amazing current students. Aligning Alumni Weekend with Admitted Students Weekend created opportunity for Wildcats past and future to connect, and they did so, to the benefit and joy of all.
We hope alumni across Arizona and across the country and across the world have both Homecoming and Law Alumni Weekend on your calendars for next year…
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