| UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
JAMES E. ROGERS COLLEGE OF LAW |
MARCH 12, 2025 | | |
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Greetings,
Over the next month, we are pleased to invite you to attend two of our signature lecture series: the Neumann Lecture and Bacon Speaker Series.
These events offer much variety in subject matter: attorney Josh Koskoff, who represented Sandy Hook families, on high-profile litigation, and visiting Fulbright Lecturer Leah Ndimurwimo on asylum in Africa. What they have in common is the intellectual curiosity and eagerness to tackle relevant topics that is evident at Arizona Law.
This week, we also highlight some of the extraordinary alumni and faculty who have participated in the Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy Program.
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Legal Challenges in Mass Tragedy Litigation: Attorney Josh Koskoff to Share Insights from Litigating High-Profile Cases in 2025 Neumann Lecture | |
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Attorney Josh Koskoff will deliver this year’s Peter Chase Neumann Lecture on Civil Justice on Thursday, March 27.
In his talk, “Guns, Greed, and Grooming: What Sandy Hook and Uvalde Have Taught Me About the Making of an American Epidemic,” Koskoff will share insights from his extensive legal experience, discussing the complexities and challenges of litigating high-profile cases related to mass shootings while exploring the broader implications of these cases on public safety and corporate responsibility.
When: Thursday, March 27, 2025, from 12:15-1:15 p.m. (MST)
Where: The University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, Room 168, 1201 E. Speedway
Who may attend: This event is free and open to the public. Seating is limited and available to those who have registered prior to the event.
About Josh Koskoff:
Josh Koskoff represents the third generation of Koskoffs leading the Connecticut firm Koskoff Koskoff & Bieder. For nearly 25 years he has won tough courtroom battles throughout Connecticut establishing record verdicts in medical malpractice and other cases.
In February 2022, after a nearly ten-year battle, Koskoff won a $73 million settlement for nine Sandy Hook families against Remington Arms Company, the manufacturer and marketer of the Bushmaster AR-15 assault rifle used in the shooting. Along the way, Koskoff was able to overcome what was previously thought to be an immunity for gunmakers by winning a landmark decision from the Connecticut Supreme Court paving the way to discovery.
On October 12, 2022, he secured a verdict of nearly $1.4 billion on behalf of 14 Sandy Hook family members against Alex Jones for peddling and profiting from false claims that the Sandy Hook shooting was a hoax, that the families were actors, and that nobody died in the shooting. The verdict is believed to be the largest defamation verdict in American history.
See the full story to learn more.
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Bacon Speaker Series to Address “The Future of Asylum in Africa and Beyond” | |
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There are over 120 million forcibly displaced people worldwide, 43.4 million of whom the United Nations considers to be “refugees.” Climate change is also a major contributor to the problem. At the same time, anti-immigrant and immigration restrictionism is on the rise. Can existing legal frameworks withstand these growing pressures and political shifts?
On April 7, Associate Professor Leah Ndimurwimo of Nelson Mandela University, a visiting Fulbright Research Scholar at Arizona Law, will address this question as part of the Bacon Immigration Law & Policy Program Speaker Series. The discussion will focus on developments in South Africa, Tanzania and Malawi. Professor Lynn Marcus will moderate and provide information on similar issues and trends in the United States.
When: Monday, April 7, 2025, 12:00-1:15 p.m. (MST)
Where: The University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, Room 164, 1201 E. Speedway, or via Zoom
Who may attend: This event is free and open to the public. Lunch will be provided. Please register to attend in-person by noon on Thursday, April 3, 2025.
About Leah Ndimurwimo:
Leah Ndimurwimo is a Visiting Fulbright Research Scholar at the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law and an Associate Professor at Nelson Mandela University in Gqeberha, South Africa. She teaches various subjects, including refugee law. She has written a book on post-conflict reconciliation and transitional justice, using human rights violations in Burundi as a case study; authored a book chapter; and published 19 peer-reviewed articles as both author and co-author, most focusing on the impact of forced displacement. Her research interests span international human rights, humanitarian law, refugee law, transitional justice in Africa, constitutional law and labor law.
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IPLP Alumni and Faculty Leading, Writing and Speaking | |
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The Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy (IPLP) Program has a strong and active community. Over the past couple of months, we have received news of the accomplishments of Arizona Law alumni who participated in IPLP, as well as program faculty. We are pleased to share the highlights below:
Wizipan Little Elk Garriott (’08) (Sicangu Lakota) was recently named president of Indigenous-led nonprofit NDN Collective, which creates sustainable solutions on Indigenous terms.
Wizipan comes to NDN Collective from the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs, where he served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary beginning in 2021.
“The opportunity to continue to work on behalf of Indian country at NDN Collective is a blessing,” said Wizipan in an NDN Collective press release about his new position. “I’m honored to join such an amazing team driving and connecting grassroots, on-the-ground work with national movements and policies.”
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The Navajo Nation Office of the President has hired Darrah Blackwater (’20) (pictured left) as legal counsel.
Darrah is an attorney, consultant and artist from Farmington, New Mexico. She is a citizen of the Navajo Nation and has extensive experience advocating for Indigenous spectrum sovereignty, or the right for Indigenous people to own their radio waves. Most recently, she was the CEO of Blackwater Consulting.
“I went to law school with the intention to better serve my people. So, to be in a position to now serve the Diné, my people, is something I’m truly proud of,” Darrah said in an announcement from Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren.
In January, Michelle Paulene Abeyta (’21) was sworn in as a member of the New Mexico State Legislature. Paulene, a member of the Navajo Nation, represents House District 69, west of Albuquerque.
Shortly after the term began, she co-sponsored a bill that would add a new alert system for missing people who are enrolled Native Americans. The bill passed unanimously in the state senate and is now in the House Government, Elections & Indian Affairs Committee.
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An op-ed by Professor of Practice Jim Diamond recently appeared in Newsweek. The article, “#LandBack Offers Common Ground for Native Tribes, Trump Administration,” advocates for a return of lands and responsibilities to Indian Tribes.
“At this critical moment in history, #LandBack is a powerful solution that meets shared goals,” the article concludes. “We should embrace it, for the fate of future generations and the urgent needs of today.”
Currently, Jim is a visiting lecturer at Yale Law School. Yale Professor Gerald Torres and Director of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission Aja DeCoteau co-authored the op-ed. Jim has previously been IPLP interim director and the inaugural director of the Tribal Justice Clinic.
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Regents Professor and E. Thomas Sullivan Professor of Law Rob Williams recently appeared on the All My Relations Podcast. On the episode, “Sacred Promises: Truth and Treaty,” Rob discussed the significance of treaties and how they impact both Native and non-Native people.
The All My Relations Podcast discusses a range of topics facing Native American peoples.
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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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I look forward to seeing members of our community on campus and online in the coming weeks and months for our speaker series and other events. | | | | |
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