| UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
JAMES E. ROGERS COLLEGE OF LAW |
SEPTEMBER 11, 2024 | | |
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Greetings,
A few weeks ago we welcomed the incoming class of legal scholars to campus, in Tucson, online and at microcampuses around the world. This week, I am delighted to introduce this strong new class to you.
The breadth of backgrounds and life experience among our students, across degree programs, illustrates what makes our law school unique, as does the variety of degree options we offer to pursue a legal education.
We have only begun getting to know this remarkable new group of students. I look forward to seeing what they will accomplish during their time with us, and beyond.
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Until the footnotes,
Marc
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University of Arizona Law Welcomes Notable New Class of LawCats | |
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The University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law welcomed new faces to campus this August – in Arizona, online and abroad – kicking off the college’s 109th academic year.
A diverse group, the combined JD and Advanced JD entering class includes 111 students representing 53 undergraduate institutions, 23 states, three Native Nations and eight countries.
Women make up half of the incoming JD class, and 32% of the class are students of color. This year’s entering JD class is also among the strongest academically in the college’s history with a median LSAT score of 163 and a median GPA of 3.78. The incoming JD class also reflects changes in legal education, with students admitted on the basis of GRE and JD-Next scores, in addition to the traditional LSAT. And, thanks to the continued growth of the Navajo Law Fellowship Program, which offers support to Navajo students attending the college, this year’s JD class includes three students from the Navajo Nation.
The JD class is joined by more than 1,800 undergraduate students who are pursuing a BA in Law degree, the first undergraduate law program in the U.S.
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The reach of the BA program extends well beyond the U.S. borders. This fall there are more than 600 students working towards the BA in Law at our microcampuses — Ocean University in Qingdao China (pictured), American University Phnom Penh and Hanoi Law University. Students in each of those programs will earn a BA in Law from the University of Arizona and a law degree from their home institution.
Graduate education at University of Arizona Law continued to expand this year, attracting students from around the world to advance their skills. The Master of Laws (LLM) program welcomed seven students to the General LLM and four to the International Trade and Business Law LLM. One of these new LLM students is already a double University of Arizona Wildcat, having graduated from the BA in Law program at American University, Phnom Penh and also completed her JD.
In addition, two LLM students, five Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) students, and five Native JD students joined the Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy (IPLP) program. The LLM and SJD IPLP students join us from five different countries (U.S., Tanzania, Kazakhstan, Taiwan and New Zealand) and three different Indigenous communities (Maasai, Māori and Paiwan).
The college also welcomed a strong and diverse class of new Master of Legal Studies (MLS) students, admitting 123. The vast majority of these students will be pursuing the degree online, while 20 will join us on main campus here in Tucson. Among the MLS class, 70% are women and 66% identify as diverse. Thirty members of the class hold prior graduate degrees. Twenty-seven members of the fall MLS cohort and 11 from the summer cohort are participating in the Legal Paraprofessional (LP) concentration.
Graduate certificates in Health Law admitted 19 new students for fall 2024. With the inclusions of this semester’s new cohort, more than 381 students have pursued their certificate. In total, more than 1,650 students have enrolled in the Health Law & Policy program since its launch in 2019.
Special thanks to all of the alumni and other leaders in our profession who volunteered during Orientation:
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Hon. Bunkye Olson (’99)
Dale Regelman (’92)
Joel England (’02)
Hon. Christopher Staring
Hon. Lisa Abrams (’93)
Emily Danies (’90)
Christine Melton
Soo Conatser
Mark Casciari
Jody Corrales (’06)
Hon. Joan Wagener (’87)
Robin Quarrier (’08)
Kayla Bernays (’18)
Joseph Williams
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Rick Palmatier Jr. (’80)
Justin Cluck
Ryan DeJoe
Heidi Krauss (’13)
Molly Fox (’15)
Isaac Rothschild (’07)
Matthew Walker (’13)
Joan Casciari
Hon. Helena Seymour (’99)
Hon. Nathan Wade (’13)
Anshul Krishn
Chris Curran
Hon. Raner Collins (’75)
Chief Justice Thomas Zlaket (ret.) (’65)
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Student Jennifer Shim Awarded Prestigious Scholarship from The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association | |
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University of Arizona Law second-year student Jennifer Shim was awarded the Sharon and Ivan Leadership (SAIL) scholarship by the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) Law Foundation (NLF) for her outstanding professional promise and leadership potential.
The national SAIL Scholarship is awarded to an individual with academic excellence, demonstrated leadership and commitment to community.
“I feel so honored to have been selected for such a prestigious scholarship,” said Jennifer. “Being named a SAIL scholar is such a great boost to my confidence because it’s recognition of my accomplishments and potential as a future lawyer and leader. As a nontraditional student, with law school marking a significant career change, this milestone is an impactful reminder that I made the right decision to pursue a career in law.”
Jennifer, a New York City native and first-generation Korean American, credits her journey to law school to her desire to be a role model for her son.
“Becoming a mother was a transformative experience that led me to deeply reflect on my future. I wanted to be a role model for my son, showing him the importance of pursuing your goals with determination and resilience,” said Jennifer. “It wasn’t just about me anymore—it was about creating a future that I could be proud of and that my son could look up to. Law school became the path through which I could achieve this and make a meaningful impact.”
Jennifer is a member of the Arizona Law Review, president of the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association and an Arizona Law Ambassador. She established the JAG Vanguard Society at University of Arizona Law.
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Fueling Progress: An Update on Fuel Wonder Initiatives
It seems like only yesterday that we broke ground on “A New Day in Court,” our transformative initiative to update student courtrooms, classrooms and lobby spaces.
Next month, during Arizona Law’s Red & Blue BBQ over Homecoming weekend, we are excited to take members of the LawCat community on tours around the courtrooms and other spaces. We hope to see you then!
Until we see you in person, keep checking the “A New Day in Court” web page, where you can get 360 degree photo updates, like this one from the Kevin R. Boyle Courtroom. The bench, witness stand and jury box are in place!
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Tamir Discusses End of Chevron Deference | |
Sklar Speaking, Writing on Digital Healthcare | |
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A new episode of the “Speaking of Health Law” podcast features Tara Sklar, faculty director of the Health Law & Policy Program. On the podcast episode, Tara, along with co-author Kathryn Huber, a University of Arizona Law professor of practice and graduate of the University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson, discussed their article on “Regulating Digital Health Care for the Cognitively Impaired.” The article covers some of the legal and regulatory hurdles preventing older adults with cognitive impairments from taking advantage of digital healthcare technologies.
Harvard Law School also recently released Tara’s article on “Pursuing an Interstate Medical Telemedicine Registration Compact,” which she wrote for The Future of Telehealth Regulation 2024 Digital Symposium. During the symposium, Tara advocated for an interstate registration compact to allow out-of-state physicians to provide telehealth services across state lines.
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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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Law is a people profession — even as we make use of more and more technology, including generative AI, in research, policy and legal practice. Each new class — each new student — is a critical addition to our community. And reflecting the deep values of the University of Arizona, each new student is, as they start, already a Wildcat for Life.
Our new students across programs have come in with the kind of energy, engagement and optimism that has defined generations of Wildcats. We look forward to sharing their individual and collective stories with you in the weeks, months and years ahead.
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