Distinguished Legal Scholar Award: Andrew Coan

Andrew Coan is the associate dean for research, Milton O. Riepe Chair in Constitutional Law, and director of the William H. Rehnquist Center on the Constitutional Structures of Government. Andrew’s current scholarship focuses on constitutional change, particularly through the lens of the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. He has written “What Is the Matter with Dobbs?,” which looks at the role of moral judgments that often underlie cases involving private decision; “Dobbs v. Brown,” which examines the analogies drawn by both sides in Dobbs to the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision; and “Too Much, Too Quickly?,” which addresses the critique that the Supreme Court is changing too much, too quickly. 

His recent work also explores the doctrine of “enumerationism,” which limits Congress’s powers to those specifically mentioned in the Constitution. This project includes articles on “The Original Meaning of Enumerated Powers” and “Interpreting Ratification.” He is working on a book on the subject under contract with Oxford University Press.  

Finally, Andrew is wrapping up a new article on artificial intelligence and constitutional interpretation called “The Interpretation Machine.”

Distinguished Early Career Legal Scholar Award: Eunice Lee

Associate Professor of Law Eunice Lee’s research centers on migration, citizenship and borders. As both a legal scholar and anthropologist, she draws upon social theory and ethnography in her work. 

In the past year, Eunice published an article titled “Immigration in the Shadow of Death,” which explores how immigration law places differing values on immigrant lives and normalizes death as part of the process. She also contributed a chapter in Feminist Judgments: Immigration Law Opinions Rewritten, published by Cambridge University Press.  

In early summer 2024, Eunice was awarded a Capacity Building Grant from the University of Arizona Office of the Provost, Research Leadership Institute to support research on immigration law in the U.S. territories. 

Distinguished Public Service Scholar Award: Diana Newmark

Diana Newmark is an associate clinical professor of law and director of the Education Advocacy Clinic.

In her recent article, “The Illusion of Due Process in School Discipline,” Diana argues that due process is poorly defined and overly deferential to school officials in cases involving exclusionary student discipline (e.g., suspension and expulsion) that often have far-reaching consequences. “As we see in the Education Advocacy Clinic, school disciplinary proceedings appear unfair to many students and their families,” said Diana. “Because education is so important to every child, courts and legislatures should recognize more robust legal protections for students whose schools seek to exclude them.” 

Under Diana’s leadership, the Education Advocacy Clinic recently brought a successful petition to the Arizona Supreme Court for a rule permitting broader advocacy by non-lawyer advocates in education dispute resolution. This rule opened up opportunities for more representation at informal settings, i.e., outside of hearings, where disputes are often resolved. 

Faculty Research Fellowship Award: Barak Orbach

Barak Orbach is the Robert H. Mundheim Professor of Law & Business and founding director of the Business Law Program. He is recognized globally as an expert in antitrust and corporate governance and periodically advises government agencies, companies, boards of directors, investors and trade associations.  

Barak has written prolifically in recent years on antitrust and competition policy for the current technological age. This work includes a series of short papers on topics including “anti-bigness” sentiments by both progressives and conservatives suspicious of large businesses and institutions, as well as populist public policies and the strikingly different goals among bipartisan coalitions of would-be antitrust reformers.

Other topics include greedflation, shrinkflation and AI-powered cartels, in which AI-based revenue management systems may decrease competition. These papers reached large global audiences of enforcement agencies, lawyers, economists, scholars and specialized reporters. 

To learn more about the awardees, see the full story here.

Don’t forget to RSVP for the Arizona Law 2024 Phoenix Summer Mixer at the new University of Arizona Scottsdale Center next week, on Monday, July 29 from 5:30–7:30 p.m. 

Come meet current students participating in the Career Development Office’s summer interview program, as well as alumni and friends.

Thousands of new Wildcats will arrive at the University next month, including on the law school campus. The U of A Alumni Office wants to welcome them in style with short (15–20 second) video messages from alumni that will be shown during Wildcat Today, Wildcat Forever: New Beginnings Convocation.

See the link below to learn about how you can share your advice on how to be successful at the University of Arizona and your favorite thing about being a Wildcat.