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UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA

JAMES E. ROGERS COLLEGE OF LAW


SEPTEMBER 25, 2024

UPCOMING EVENTS

September 26

From Biden to Harris: The Future of the Election System

September 26

Tucson FBA and Law Student Fall Social

October 19

Homecoming

Greetings,


Every fall, I have the opportunity to share what’s going on around campus in a Q&A with Arizona Attorney magazine. This week, we feature some of that discussion.


In addition, this week’s newsletter includes a preview of some of the events at the law school this fall. From the ever-popular Red & Blue BBQ to engaging speakers on a range of topics, I hope to see those of you who are in Tucson or visiting on campus in the coming months.

Until the footnotes,


Marc

FEATURE

Arizona Attorney Q&A Covers “A New Day in Court,” Space Law and Policy, JD-Next and More

In the excerpts below from my annual Q&A with Arizona Attorney magazine, I share some of the initiatives and accomplishments of University of Arizona Law.


The following has been edited for length. Read more on the law school news page, or see the full article in the Arizona Attorney.


What are some significant developments you’d like to share about your law school? 


University of Arizona Law’s “A New Day in Court” renovation project, which will transform our Advocacy program, kicked off in January 2024 and will be completed this fall. The renovation project includes the construction of new state-of-the-art court rooms, classrooms and lobby spaces that will literally put advocacy skills front and center at University of Arizona Law.


In making this project a reality, the University of Arizona Law community has raised more than $4.8 million for building renovations, entirely through donor contributions, and plans to raise another $4 million for an endowed chair of advocacy, an endowed professorship and an endowment fund to support student experiential advocacy activities such as travel to advocacy competitions. 


For the third year in a row, the quality of our students and the breadth and depth of their training are reflected in the fact that our recent graduates at the University of Arizona Law have hit record employment numbers. The class of 2023’s full-time, long-term, rate of employment for bar passage required and JD-Advantage jobs was 90.35 percent, the highest ever, exceeding the national 2023 class rate of 85.6 percent reported to the ABA. 


What choices are you seeing prospective students make in regard to admissions criteria? Are more students opting for something besides the LSAT? 


We are seeing prospective students make choices based on what works for them. Although the LSAT remains the most common choice for applicants, we are seeing more and more students explore other avenues such as the GRE and JD-Next. 


In 2006, University of Arizona Law became the first law school in the country to accept the GRE for admission to our JD program. Now more than 115 law schools accept the GRE as an alternative basis for admission. 


JD-Next was our next and even deeper foray into expanding JD admissions and reducing the disparities in access to legal education and the legal profession. Over the last five years, with significant funding from the AccessLex Foundation and the ETS Foundation, we developed JD-Next


JD-Next uses a testing theory sometimes referred to as “proximal testing” which focuses on training an individual and then assessing those skills. It is focused on assessing potential, not past endowments. We then proved the validity and reliability of the JD-Next exam through formal experimentation, and with the help of dozens of law schools and thousands of law students around the country. 


The U.S. Supreme Court decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard has made a testing option that reduces or eliminates racial disparities even more timely. 


Law schools often play the role of legal innovation laboratory. Can you share new practice areas the school is excited to instruct in? 


This past year we launched a new course, Space Law and Policy, in collaboration with the College of Science. This initiative leverages the university’s renowned strengths in astronomy and space exploration to propel our students into the exciting and rapidly evolving field of space law.


Professor Vishnu Reddy, a world-renowned planetary sciences expert, co-taught this course alongside Milton O. Riepe Professor of Law & Distinguished Legal Scholar Andrew Keane Woods. Professor Reddy’s hands-on approach, incorporating laboratory experiences and night sky observations, enriches the learning experience for our students. 


In addition, University of Arizona Law and the Attorney General Alliance partnered to launch a new online concentration in Cannabis Law and Regulation, addressing the need for accredited legal training in the rapidly growing U.S. intrastate cannabis market.


Do you have any news about creation or expansion of clinics? 


We have one of the most vibrant and diverse clinical programs in the country, repeatedly recognized in rankings for clinical and experiential learning. 


Students in University of Arizona Law’s Education Advocacy Clinic—which works to enforce public school students’ rights by providing information, support and legal services to children in Tucson’s K-12 schools—will now be able to better serve students and their families after petitioning the Arizona Supreme Court to change a rule regarding the practice of nonlawyer education advocates


Working alongside the Arizona Center for Disability Law, Diana Newmark, Associate Clinical Professor of Law and Director of the Education Advocacy Clinic, and clinic students drafted a proposed order that would allow nonlawyer educated advocates to engage in informal advocacy measures without violating the prohibition on the unauthorized practice of law. Such measures include attending meetings or mediation and conducting outreach to school officials. 


The clinic accepts students from the JD, Master of Legal Studies (MLS), and BA in Law programs and focuses on serving children who are involved in juvenile delinquency, child welfare, or immigration matters. Clinic legal services include representation in school discipline and special education matters. Students in the clinic work together on education advocacy cases, supervised by Professor Newmark. 


This summer, the Veterans’ Advocacy Law Clinic (VALC), brilliantly directed by Professor Kristine Huskey, received a two year gift from Philip Morris International to support military veterans in their transition to civilian life. The additional funds will help us reach more veterans and increase our ability to train more law students on veterans’ issues. 


Later this year, the IP and Entrepreneurship Clinic, helmed by Professor (and Doctor) Gavin Milczarek-Desai, is expected to culminate in the issuance of their 100th registration. The clinic is focused exclusively on direct client representation in transactional matters involving intellectual property and provides a unique training experience for law students while making a difference in the economic lives of under-resourced Arizonans. 

AROUND THE COLLEGE

Fall ’24 Event Preview at University of Arizona Law

This fall’s University of Arizona Law events highlight the diverse scholarship within the college, covering topics such as immigration, criminal justice and mining law. Fall events feature signature lectures and the traditional Homecoming Red & Blue BBQ. 


Check out a snapshot of upcoming events and be sure to visit the events calendar and news page for updates and announcements on forthcoming events: 

Homecoming 2024 


Event: Arizona Law’s Red & Blue BBQ  

When: Saturday, Oct.19, 2024, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. (BBQ time may change depending on football game kickoff) 

Where: The University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, 1201 E. Speedway Blvd., Snell & Wilmer Courtyard  


All are invited to this family-friendly annual homecoming tradition before Arizona Football takes on Colorado. During the BBQ, we are excited to give tours of the new practice courtrooms and other spaces as part of “A New Day In Court.” 


RSVP for BBQ

Bacon Immigration Law and Policy Speaker Series 


Event: Bacon Immigration Law and Policy Speaker Series – “Exposing and Combating Enforced Disappearances in the Context of U.S. Immigration Law Enforcement” 

When: Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, 12–1:15 p.m. 

Where: The University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, 1201 E. Speedway Blvd. 


The Bacon Immigration Lawn and Policy Speaker Series for October will feature Dr. Diego Leal (pictured above) and Natalie Cadwalader speaking on the topic of “Exposing and Combating Enforced Disappearances in the Context of U.S. Immigration Law Enforcement.” 


Leal is an Associate Professor in the School of Sociology and a faculty affiliate of the Binational Migration Institute at the University of Arizona. Cadwalader is the Manager Attorney of the Family Reunification Project at Al Otro Lado in Southern California.


Moderated by Associate Professor Eunice Lee, the speakers will discuss enforced disappearances in U.S. immigration enforcement through in-custody deaths, Border Patrol and ICE detention, family separation and more. They will share recent research results on enforced disappearances of families in Border Patrol custody. They will also describe ongoing advocacy efforts to document and eliminate enforced disappearances of international migrants and asylum seekers in the U.S. Finally, the presenters will offer practical tools for immigration lawyers searching for clients held incommunicado. 


This event may qualify for up to 1.0 hour toward the annual CLE requirement for the State Bar of Arizona.  

Mining Law Summit 


Event: Ninth Annual Mining Law Summit, The Mining-Water Interface: The Role of Good Neighbor or Impact-Benefit Agreements

When: Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024 

Where: via Zoom 


The prospect of mineral development and the potential impact on water availability for neighboring uses can be a divisive issue. The social license for mining operations has, indeed, generated significant attention in the past decade. The 2024 Mining Law Summit looks at these concerns and the use, and limits, of voluntary company/community agreements. This year’s Summit aims to situate integrated perspectives on notions of (good) neighborliness in the context of water and mining for an improved, comprehensive risk assessment and concomitant of stakeholder engagement. Further, when “best laid plans” come to naught, what practical guidance can be brought to bear in the vein of responsible and sustainable mining. 


This free virtual conference will combine recorded presentations from internationally recognized authorities with live participation in answering questions and providing commentary. 

RSVP for Mining Law Summit

Darrow K. Soll Memorial Criminal Law and Justice Lecture 


Event: Darrow K. Soll Memorial Criminal Law and Justice Lecture featuring Sarah Gersten 

When: Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, 12:15-1:30 p.m. 

Where: The University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, 1201 E. Speedway Blvd., Room 164 


Sarah Gersten is the executive director and general counsel of the Last Prisoner Project (LPP), a nonprofit organization dedicated to reforming the criminal justice system through progressive drug policy. During her time at LPP, Sarah has built and led advocacy campaigns aimed at ending criminal penalties for cannabis, releasing those incarcerated for cannabis, and clearing cannabis criminal convictions. 


The annual Darrow K. Soll Memorial Criminal Law and Justice Lecture is made possible through the generosity of alumna Jennifer Woods (’99).  


Jenckes Closing Argument Competition 


Event: Jenckes Closing Argument Competition 

When: Friday, Nov. 22, 2024 

Where: Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law 


The annual Joseph Jenckes Competition is a closing arguments competition between students of the University of Arizona College of Law and the Arizona State University College of Law. 


Sponsored by the American College of Trial Lawyers, the competition alternates location each year between the two colleges. Each college selects two students for the final competition, which is judged by Arizona members of the American College of Trial Lawyers, an honorary society of trial lawyers whose membership is limited to 1 percent of the practicing bar. The competition is named after Joseph S. Jenckes, a University of Arizona Law graduate and alumnus of the American College of Trial Lawyers.

IN THE NEWS

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.

Share Your News Here

X, @uarizonalaw

In this issue we highlight just a few of the great events this fall – and, with the 2025 Rehnquist Center National Conference of Constitutional Law Scholars, into the spring. Join us!

Warmly,

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