| UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
JAMES E. ROGERS COLLEGE OF LAW |
OCTOBER 5, 2022 | | |
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Greetings,
We look forward to the Homecoming Weekend festivities approaching at the end of the month, including the Lifetime Achievement Awards Reception.
This week, we spotlight one of the three awardees, Bob Hirsch. Keep reading in the coming weeks for Bob’s fellow honorees the Honorable Margaret Houghton and Daisy Jenkins.
And if you haven’t done so already, please register for this and other events of Homecoming Weekend – three weeks away! We’ve been enjoying “fall” in Tucson and hope you’re making plans to be here on campus with us.
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Until the footnotes,
Marc
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Celebrating 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Bob Hirsch | |
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This year, the University of Arizona Law James E. Rogers College of Law will honor Robert J. Hirsh (’64), the Honorable Margaret Houghton (’76) and Daisy Jenkins (’96) with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Lifetime Achievement Award recipients are selected by faculty for their distinguished and exemplary careers, contributions to the legal profession, support for public causes and law reform and commitment to the pursuit of justice. In the weeks leading up to the Lifetime Achievement Awards Reception on October 28, we will highlight the life and work of the recipients.
This week, we honor Robert “Bob” J. Hirsh. Bob was one of the leading criminal defense attorneys in Arizona for many years and is described as a “champion of the underdog and a justice fighter who sees the best in people and believes that everyone is entitled to the best representation possible.”
Bob was born in Shamokin, a small mining town in central Pennsylvania, the youngest of three children. In 1945, when he was 10, his family moved to Tucson. He served in the Army and upon his return from a tour in Germany he attended University of Arizona completing his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in 1960 and his JD in 1964.
Bob worked for 45 years as a criminal defense attorney in private practice. He was an enormously talented and effective trial lawyer, commanding the courtroom with his intelligence and persuasive resolve. Many important and sometimes notorious clients came his way from members of the mafia to volunteers of the Sanctuary Movement. Through one of his cases, he gained national prominence in his use of the insanity defense. Some of his cases became the subject of popular books.
Upon retirement from a successful private practice, Bob joined the Pima County Public Defender’s Office where he provided leadership and inspiration for a cadre of young attorneys. He served as Pima County’s Public Defender from 2005-2012. He is most proud of this period in his career, where he had the opportunity to effectively advocate for criminal justice reform.
Bob’s honors include being father to his three children and grandfather to his four grandchildren, as well as receiving the Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice Vanguard Leadership Award, the Tom Karas Criminal Justice Award, the Pima County Bar Association Robert Hooker Criminal Justice Award and University of Arizona Alumni Association Professional Achievement Award. Bob is a founding member and former president of Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice and is a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers.
We look forward to recognizing the achievements of Bob, Daisy, and Margaret during the Lifetime Achievement Award Reception:
Date: Friday, October 28, 2022
Time: 4:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Where: James E. Rogers College of Law, Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie Lobby & Snell & Wilmer Courtyard
This event and free and open to all alumni, family, and students.
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We are looking forward to seeing alumni and other friends October 27-29 for Homecoming events planned for the LawCat Community:
Friday, October 28
Arizona Law’s Lifetime Achievement Awards
Honoring:
Robert J. Hirsh, Class of 1964
Hon. Margaret Houghton, Class of 1976
Daisy Jenkins, Class of 1996
Location: James E. Rogers College of Law, Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie Lobby & Snell & Wilmer Courtyard, or virtually
Time: 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Register for the Lifetime Achievement Awards
Arizona Law’s Alumni Reunion Celebration
Celebrating the reunion classes of: 1972, 1977, 1982, 1987, 1992 , 1997, 2002, 2007, 2012, and 2017
Location: Culinary Dropout, 2543 E. Grant Road
Time: 7-10 p.m.
Register for the Reunion Celebration
Saturday, October 29
Arizona Law Red & Blue BBQ
Location: James E. Rogers College of Law, Snell & Wilmer Courtyard
Time: 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. (time may change based on football game kickoff)
Register for the BBQ
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Incoming Classes Take Many Paths Offered by Arizona Law | |
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One of the strengths of the University of Arizona Law is the many paths we offer to be educated in the law. We offer more options than any other institution to help students become legal professionals.
This week, we are pleased to introduce our incoming 2022 class of MLS, MPS, SJD, and LLM students.
Graduate education at University of Arizona Law continued to expand this year, attracting students from around the world looking to advance their skills.
The Master of Laws (LLM) program welcomed five students to the General LLM and five to the International Trade and Business Law LLM. In addition, six new students joined the Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy LLM, as well as five new students to the Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Indigenous Governance program and one dual JD and MPS.
Two new students are also working to obtain their Doctor of Juridical Science from the IPLP program in addition to a new SJD student in the International Trade and Business Law program.
The college also welcomed a strong and diverse class of new Master of Legal Studies (MLS) students, admitting 137 students with the majority – 110 to be exact – receiving their education through the online program. 64% of the new MLS students identify as female, and just under 50% are racially or ethnically diverse, with an average age of 37.
Over the summer, the program also welcomed a cohort of 45 students with 39 online, and 6 on the main campus. Combined, the College now has 430 MLS students studying in Tucson, Phoenix, and throughout the nation.
Twenty-six members of the fall MLS cohort and seven from the summer cohort are participating in the the Legal Paraprofessional (LP) concentration, one of three educational pathways the college offers to qualify for Arizona’s LP licensing exam.
Graduate certificates in Health Law saw an increase in enrollment, with 56 students admitted so far in 2022. With the inclusion of this semester’s new cohort, more than 225 students are in the process of completing one of Health Law’s four graduate certificates – a significant increase from the previous year. In total, more than 1,200 students have enrolled in the Health Law & Policy Program since its launch in 2019.
We are excited to see what these new Arizona Law students will contribute to the legal profession.
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LAWtina Students Visit D.C. | |
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Last week, a group of BA in Law students, accompanied by Director of Bar & Academic Success and Professor of Practice Jessica Findley (JD ’06, MA ’09, PhD ’10), visited Washington, D.C. as part of the LAWtina Program.
The students met with alumna including Nancy Kelly (’77), Anna Maria Chávez (’94), Emilie Hyams (’06), Nikia Gray (’07), Rebecca Stahl (’08) and Alla Goldman Seiffert (’14).
The trip started at two museums, the Holocaust Museum and National Museum of African American History & Culture. At these museums, students experienced diverse stories contending with the difficult American and global history of oppression and violence. Students also toured the National Monuments and the National Archives.
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The students found the conversations with University of Arizona alumnae, who work in D.C. or the nearby region, particularly helpful. Many of those graduates started out in D.C. as interns or in entry-level positions. Alumnae shared their experiences navigating the path to law school and their current professions, and were open about the challenges that students may face.
The alumnae gave valuable advice on negotiating salaries, advancing equity in the work place, and harmonizing personal and professional obligations. Alumnae encouraged students to support each other and rely on mentors. The experience allowed students to start envisioning themselves as professionals, perhaps working at the Capitol one day.
The group also enjoyed a tour of the U.S. Capitol hosted by Senator Kyrsten Sinema’s office.
The trip was made possible by the Melody S. Robidoux Foundation Fund as well as University of Arizona’s D.C. Center for Outreach & Collaboration.
Piloted in spring 2020, LAWtina pairs BA in Law undergraduate students with mentors working in the legal field, and serves as a go-to resource for what to expect when applying to and navigating law school. The LAWtina pilot was funded by the AccessLex Institute, which provides support to law students.
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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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In the long, prominent and passionate career of Bob Hirsch; in the diversity of legal studies reflected in our vibrant graduate programs outside the traditional JD; and in the explorations, questions and engagement by leading alumnae and broad hope of the students in the LAWtina program, we get a glimpse of the full arc and increasingly rich textures of careers in the law. | | | | |
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