EVENTS

Law School Survey of Student Engagement (LSSSE) to be Discussed at Special Forum with Dean Garth

Did you know that 72 percent of first year students at Southwestern attended campus events and activities, and 66 percent did so their third year? Or that they average between 5.6 and 6.6 hours per week commuting to school? And that the quality of Southwestern students' relationships with faculty members has increased significantly during the last three years?

 

Constitutional Law Film Festival

 

• Key Constitutional Concepts: Creating a Constitution
• Key Constitutional Concepts: One Man Changes the Constitution - Gideon v. Wainwright
• Key Constitutional Concepts: Checks and Balances - Youngstown v. Sawyer
• Our Constitution: A Conversation (with Justices Sandra Day O'Connor and Stephen G. Breyer)
• Equal Justice Under Law: Marbury vs. Madison
• Equal Justice Under Law: Gibbons vs. Ogden
• Equal Justice Under Law: U.S. vs. Aaron Burr
• Equal Justice Under Law: McCulloch vs. Maryland
• That Delicate Balance II: Our Bill of Rights - The First Amendment and Hate Speech
• That Delicate Balance II: Our Bill of Rights - Life and Choice After Roe v. Wade

For more information, visit the Reference Desk in the Law Library.

Southwestern Helps You Beat the Bar Exam

Graduating students are invited to attend a "Beat the Bar Examination" workshop on Tuesday, October 2 at 12:30 p.m. in W511 and at 6:00 p.m. in BW370. Refreshments will be provided. The law school has designed the workshop to help students effectively prepare to take the California Bar Examination. The workshop will also help anticipate events that may hinder that preparation (including family emergencies that take time and concentration away from studying), offer advice on the difficulties of working full-time or even part-time in another job while preparing for the bar, and provide guidance on managing child care responsibilities. The program will help everyone avoid risks, and will be of particular value to those who have experienced academic challenges at Southwestern.

 

Renowned Music Attorney to Speak at Southwestern

 

Are They Rumors or Is It True?

Find out if the rumors about law school are true ... or not at Dean Cameron's 9th Annual seminar, "Dispelling Myths and Rumors About Law School in General and Southwestern in Particular" on Thursday, September 20 at 12:30 and 5:45 pm in W311. Bring your myths and look out for the explosions!

Public Interest Open House

Public Counsel invites law school students from Southwestern and other Southern California area law schools to its annual open house on Thursday, September 20 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. 610 S. Ardmore Ave., Los Angeles (1 block NE of Wilshire Blvd. and Normandie Ave.). Law students at all levels of their education are invited to learn how they can volunteer to offer legal services to some of Los Angeles' most needy residents. Students will have an opportunity to meet Public Counsel's staff and to learn about the critical legal services being offered by all six of its law projects: Child Care Law, Children's Rights, Consumer Law, Community Development, Homelessness Prevention, and Immigrants' Rights Projects. Students may get involved as a volunteer intern or extern right away or can start planning for Spring or Summer 2008. To attend the September 20 event, RSVP no later than September 18 by calling (213) 385-2977 x825. More information is available at www.publiccounsel.org.

IPELS Presents "Let's Get Digital - Emerging Trends in New Media Deals"

Southwestern's Biederman Institute and the Los Angeles County Bar Association are co-sponsoring the 31st Annual Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law Symposium (IPELS) on Saturday, October 6. This year's conference is called "Let's Get Digital - Emerging Trends in New Media Deals," featuring keynote speaker, entertainment attorney Jay L. Cooper, a shareholder in the Los Angeles office of Greenberg Traurig. Panels will cover a variety of topics from new media to digital rights management and licensing. Law students may register for a discounted price of $125. The Symposium will be held from 8:15 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. at the Bel-Air Hotel (701 Stone Canyon Road, Los Angeles - valet parking is available, and there is additional free self-parking across from the hotel). To register for the conference or get more information, click here.

Save the Date for Family, Friends and Partners Day

 

BAP to Hear Cases at Southwestern

The Ninth Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panel (BAP) will hold a session in Southwestern's Julian Dixon Courtroom on Wednesday, October 24. One of the members of the three-person panel is Southwestern alumnus, the Hon. Robert S. Bardwil, ’79, who sits on the bankruptcy court in the Eastern District of California, located in Sacramento. Cases will begin at approximately 9 a.m., and are scheduled to run until 12 p.m. Students are welcome to attend. Case materials will be available in the library prior to the event.

Help Promote Public Interest Activities

The always-popular Live Auction.

CAREER CORNER

On Wednesday, October 10, the Environmental Law Forum in conjunction with the CSO, Professor Aronovsky, and the LACBA Section on Environmental Law will host a panel presentation on Careers in Environmental Law at 12:30 pm in W311. A variety of panelists, including Southwestern alumni Marie Palladini of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and Keith Pritsker of the L.A. City Attorney's Office, will discuss a variety of career options within environmental law. Lunch will be served.

On Tuesday, October 16, the Career Services Office (CSO) will hold a workshop for first-year students at 12:30 and 5:00 pm in W311. Learn what the CSO has to offer, including available resources to support your career development.
 
On Thursday, October 18, CSO will present "How to Become a District Attorney" at 12:30 pm in W311. A panel of Deputy District Attorneys will discuss their careers and provide practical advice for students interested in becoming prosecutors.
 
On Friday, October 19, Southwestern is co-sponsoring the 9th Annual Intellectual Property Associate Job Search event at Whittier Law School. There are approximately 30 law firms from all over the country looking for 2Ls for summer positions and 3Ls for post-graduate attorney positions. Some employers will be interviewing at the event, while others will collect resumes ahead of time and call students for interviews. For those law firms interviewing at the event, specific interview times will be assigned beforehand.

In order to participate, students must submit their resumes and the Registration Form to the Career Services Office no later than 6:00 p.m. on Monday, September 24. The following will be required by the deadline:

1) Pick up a Registration Form from the CSO
2) Check the event binder (available in the CSO) which lists the participating employers and each employer's hiring criteria
3) Make sure you meet an employer's qualifications, fill out the Registration Form and circle and initial the name of each employer where a resume is to be sent
4) Attach one resume for each circled employer PLUS one additional resume
5) Submit the Registration Form and appropriate number of resumes to the CSO by 6 p.m. on September 24.

AROUND CAMPUS

2007-2008 Security Workshops

October 17 - Emergency Preparedness
November 14 - Online Shopping/ATM Safety
December 5 - Holiday Safety
January 16 - Apartment and Residential Safety
February 13 - Drug and Alcohol Abuse
March 12 - Sexual Assault Prevention
April 16 - Fraud and Identity Theft
May 7 - Personal Safety
June 18 - Keeping Kids Safe

All security workshops are held on the Westmoreland Steps at 12:30 & 5 p.m. Southwestern's 2007 Campus Security and Safety brochure is now available online. Copies are also available in the Administrative Services Office.

Staff Additions and Transitions

Southwestern welcomes its newest staff members:

Kelly Greer - Assistant Director, Admissions
Prior to joining Southwestern, Ms. Greer served n the Los Angeles Public Defender's Office. She received her J.D. degree from Loyola Law School in 2006, where she was active in BLSA. Ms. Greer earned a B.A. in Japanese and International Developmental Studies from UCLA.

Nancy Hanna - Part-time SOS Help Assistant, Administrative Services
Ms. Hanna has rejoined Southwestern’s staff after working in the Dean’s Office as a Dean’s Assistant from 2003-2004. She has held subsequent positions in legal and translation services as a Legal Assistant for Sparks Law Corporation, Project Manager for TransPerfect Translations, Inc. and Assistant Project Manager/Proofreader for Merrill Translations. Ms. Hanna earned her B.A. degree in Women’s Studies and Politics from Pomona College.

My-Lan Huynh - Admissions Counselor, Admissions
Prior to joining Southwestern, Ms. Huynh worked for the UCLA Anderson Graduate School where she gained experience performing admissions-related work. She earned her B.A. in Economics with an Accounting emphasis and a minor in Southeast Asian Studies from UCLA.

Suhn Lee - Student Services Assistant, Dean of Students Office
Prior to joining Southwestern, Ms. Lee worked as an administrative assistant, a paralegal and legal clerk in various law offices. She earned her B.A. in Communications and minored in Economics and Psychology at the University of California, San Diego.

Sharon Malolot - SOS Help Assistant, Administrative Services
Prior to joining Southwestern, Ms. Malolot worked as a Special Events Logistics Coordinator at the House of Blues. While attending college, she held positions in New Student Programs as an Information Specialist and a New Student Orientation Leader. Ms. Malolot earned her B.A. degree in Communications with an emphasis in Entertainment Studies and minor in Business Administration from California State University, Fullerton. 

Transitions

Samantha Albright - Student Services Assistant, SCALE Office
Marissa Rodriguez - Student Services Assistant, Office of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs

ALUMNI

Dean's Black Advisory Council Established

In an effort to continue its longstanding commitment to diversity, Southwestern has established the Dean's Black Advisory Council, a group dedicated to fostering the success of current students and alums in the legal profession. Professor Nyree Gray, Southwestern's newly-appointed Director of Diversity Affairs, has also been selected to spearhead the Council.

In August the Council held its first meeting and included Los Angeles Deputy City Attorney Gordon Turner '02 (featured in Sicko and working on high profile patient-dumping cases); Robert McNeill '79 of Ivie, McNeill & Wyatt, one of the largest and most prestigious minority-owned law firms in California, the Hon. Allen Webster, Jr. '71 of Los Angeles Superior Court, and Professors Tara Walters, Kemba Taylor and Karen Smith. "The consensus was that we wanted to better support African American alumni and connect with current African American students to help them thrive in the law school community," Professor Gray said.

The Council is already working to implement the ideas proposed at the meeting, including: providing BLSA students with alumni mentors, creating a directory of African American alums, planning workshops on how to establish a law firm and networking, and creating mock interview programs to provide students with more interviewing practice opportunities. "Southwestern, for almost one hundred years, has been a vital resource for Los Angeles and other communities by providing the tools of a legal education to talented African Americans who then went on to assume major leadership positions in government, the judiciary, and private practice," Dean Garth said. "This Advisory Council reflects our commitment to sustain and indeed improve our ability to play that vital role so central to our identity and history."

Southwestern Represented by Large Contingent in New Class of Deputy DAs

Southwestern graduates represent more than a third (8) of the 22 new Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorneys appointed this summer, one of the largest contingents of any law school. The alumni in the June 2007 Deputy District Attorney I class include: Miriam Avalos, Miriam Kang, Anthony Kong, Kenneth Meyer, Adan Montalban, Sylvia Moore, Amy Murphy, and Adrian Roxas. They are joined by graduates of Harvard, Hastings, Illinois, Loyola, Pepperdine, USC, UCLA and USD, among other law schools.

FACULTY ACTIVITIES

• Interviewed regarding the child labor law implications of the reality show Kid Nation, "Air Talk," KPCC

• Presenter, "Remember to Stay Past 6:00 p.m. and other Guiding Principles: Conducting a Dual Division Site Visit," Chairs' Workshop, ABA Section on Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar, Chicago, IL

• Lecturer (with Professor Paul Bateman), Judicial Opinion Writing Seminar, National Judicial College, Reno, NV
  

- CLICK HERE FOR MORE FACULTY ACTIVITIES -

FACULTY

Professor Sobel to Head ABA Entertainment Forum Committee

STUDENTS

Marc Baranov Elected Division Delegate to the ABA House of Delegates

At last month's American Bar Association (ABA) Annual Conference in San Francisco, Southwestern student Marc Baranov was elected to serve as a Division Delegate to the ABA House of Delegates, representing the Law Student Division. Baranov, a third-year day student, is one of an elite group of three law students nationwide selected to serve in this capacity. He was elected by SBA presidents from throughout the United States.

The big issue he will be working on this year is LRAP (loan repayment assistance programs) - trying to get the federal government to forgive loans for students who work in public interest. "I want to help make law students' voices heard on issues distinctly important to them, both in Congress and within the ABA," Baranov said. "In particular, I hope to play a vital role in convincing state legislatures and the federal government to listen to law students and finally pass and fund Loan Repayment Assistance Programs. There is no reason why students who choose to work in the public interest arena should suffer financially in terms of their loans, and I hope to help bring about positive change." To find out more about this position, click here.

Hannah Lee Named Governor of ABA/LSD 9th Circuit

A Southwestern student has been chosen to represent law schools in the American Bar Association - third-year day student Hannah Lee serves as ABA Governor of the 9th Circuit. Every year the ABA Law Student Division selects 15 regional circuit governors to serve on the Division's Board of Governors - the 9th Circuit Governor represents all ABA approved law schools in Southern California and Hawaii.

Lee's responsibilities will include overseeing ABA Law Student Division activities at every ABA-approved law school within the circuit; representing the interests and communicating the needs of law students attending the law schools in the 9th circuit; communicating information about the national concerns, interests and activities of the Division's Board of Governors, Division programs, activities, and leadership positions to circuit members, and encouraging participation in the same; developing a plan of action for the circuit to include public interest initiatives, programming, membership outreach, etc.; and planning and developing programming, training, and social activities for the fall and spring circuit meetings; among other tasks. For more information on the position, click here; for more information on the 9th Circuit, click here.

Moot Court, Law Review and Law Journal Staff Appointed

The Moot Court Honors Program is proud to announce its members for the 2007-2008 school year. They are Mark Abell, Hildy Aguinaldo, Astineh Arakelian, Jennifer Bandlow, Celia Beckwith, Linet Bidrossian, Chelsea Blatt, Emily Casso, Tom Cassaro, Leah Cohen-Mays, Shara Davenport, Rosemary Do, Sara Dresser, Jennifer Faitro, Annette Guzman, Chad Haes, Nathan Hanning, Susannah Howland, John Hynes, Michael Keating, Roger Kirnos, Mary Lindsay, Rachelle Merhinfar, Gevork Mkhsyan, Mike Montgomery, Jessica Munoz, Danielle Ochi, Andy Owen, Tigran Palyan, Lee Previant, Carlo Reyes, Rebecca Reyes, Tara Rose, Michael Sacchetto, Jillian Savani, Lindsay Schwartz, Erika Shao, Matt Soroky, Mary Trinh, Matthew Weiner, and Chris Wheeler.

The Southwestern University Law Review welcomes 2007-2008 associate editors Zhenia Agadzhanova, Vivian Bodey, Tyler Clark, Ellen Cohen, Anna Cole, Agnes Huang, Chad Holley, Sudhir Lay, and Gilbert Saucedo, and staff members Mark Abell, Evan Anziska, Jose Arambulo, Mark Burns, Daniel Csillag, Charles Fairchild, Ann Hendrix, Tracy Hughes, Hakop Keshishyan , Nicole Lomibao, Tigran Palyan, Hunter Rodriguez, Arby Aiwazian, Astineh Arakelian, Josh Buck, Brian Chang, Elmira Danelyan, Nathan Hanning, Kalinda Howard, John Hynes, Joyce Ann Lee, Kyle McCormick, Romboud Rahmanian, Michael Sacchetto, and Erika Shao.

The Southwestern Journal of Law and Trade in the Americas welcomes 2007-2008 staff members Sanaz Aryanpanah, Heather L. Blaise, Rudolph E. Brandes, Chad C. Chen, James J. Chyau, Alex K. DiBona, Jordan S. Esensten, Jennifer Faitro, Juan Gil, John R. Greenwall, Jeffrey Hui, Christina Y. Hsu, Adam M. Lee, Hillary B. Levun, Violet Mayo, Mohammad Parvand, Matin Rajabov, Andrew Rawcliffe, Kevin Rosenberg, Jack D. Ross, Matthew E. Roston, Vartan J. Saravia, Jonathan M. Turco, Michael J. Vener, Jeffrey C. Walker, Sanam Yasseri, and Vickie Yiannoulou.

Students Take on Positions to Assist SBA

The Student Bar Association is proud to announce the Commissioners and Support Staff for the 2007-2008 school year. The Board has worked hard to create an extensive network of support and additional positions have been assigned to assist all of the efforts put forth by the SBA this year.

Commissioners

Student Affairs (Day) - Lindsay Gardner
Student Welfare - Sara Dresser
Academic Affairs - Allan Holzer
Activities/Ethnic Affairs - Danielle Daroca
Community Affairs - Romy Rahmanian & Neda Farah
Alumni Affairs - Rachelle Mehrinfar

Support Staff

Alumni Affairs - Tyler Chasez
Business Affairs - Paul Rorie & Aaron Case
Parliamentarian - Michael Sacchetto
Student Activities - Lorraine Davidovics
Student Affairs (Evening) - Aleksandra Urban
Webmaster - Alex Kidd

Southwestern Student Participates in LASA Conference

 

71 Students Participate in Fall Externships

GETTING TO KNOW YOU

 

Q: What was the most important thing you learned about legal research and writing when you served on the Georgetown Immigration Law Journal?
A: To accurately cite to your sources. Inaccurate quotes and citations cause readers to question the writer's credibility. If readers question a writer's credibility, they will not trust the arguments that are made in the article or brief. The writer's reputation as a lawyer or scholar could be damaged, and in a practical setting, the client's case could be compromised.

Q: As a Legal Research and Writing fellow at Georgetown, were you teaching law students while you were still in law school? What was that experience like?
A: Yes, as a second-year law student at Georgetown, I taught legal research and writing to first-year students. I was responsible for teaching the material that was not covered in the professor's large lecture, commenting on student papers, and holding conferences with each student to discuss their progress. I absolutely loved my job as a Law Fellow. It was wonderful to see my students' writing improve throughout the year and to know that I had played a significant role in helping them develop into effective lawyers.

Q: With a B.A. in International Relations from Stanford, did you always want to work in the legal profession?
A: Sort of. When I decided to pursue International Relations, I intended to use my degree to pursue a career in diplomacy or international business. So, although I had not always aspired to be a practicing attorney, I did think that knowledge of the law was something that would be important to my career goals. However, during law school I interned at both corporate and public interest law firms. Based on those experiences, I decided that practicing law was an ideal fit for me.

Q: Are you originally from California? What is your favorite thing about living in Los Angeles?
A: Yes, I am a Los Angeles native. My favorite things about living in Los Angeles are my extended family, the weather, and Mexican food.

Q: As a litigator, your cases ranged from insurance coverage disputes to products liability to complex commercial litigation. What was one of the most memorable cases you worked on?
A: Because I worked for a fairly large firm, I normally spent my time representing defendants. However, one of my most memorable cases was a case where we represented the plaintiffs. Although we were successful in getting our clients a very large monetary award, it wasn't the money that made the case memorable. Rather, it was watching how our success positively impacted some of the more intangible aspects of our clients' lives. Our work on the case ultimately restored our clients' professional reputation and revived their careers, which I understood to be much more important than the monetary award that they received. My work had an incredibly personal and life-changing impact on my clients, and from that point on, I approached my cases from a different perspective.

Q: Why were you drawn to Southwestern?
A: I wanted to teach at a school that embraced skills-based and practice-oriented courses such as LAWS. When I learned that Southwestern's legal research and writing course played such a crucial role in the first-year curriculum, I knew that Southwestern was the perfect place for me.

Q: If your students could only take away one piece of knowledge from your classes, what would you want it to be?
A: To always maintain the highest professional and ethical standards. As we discuss in class, those standards include a duty to represent your client honestly and thoroughly, to complete memos and briefs accurately and in a timely fashion, and to treat the bench, your colleagues, clients, and opposing counsel with respect.

Q: What are some of the most important things law students need to do when preparing for their Moot Court and Trial Advocacy experiences?
A: The first piece of advice is to prepare, prepare, prepare. I think that first-year students would be surprised to know how much time and preparation goes into successfully competing in either the Moot Court or Trial Advocacy competitions. Successful competitors must know their arguments inside and out, and therefore must research extensively, read relevant cases more times than they care to remember, and practice their oral arguments or closing statements in front of family members, friends, and anyone else who might lend an ear. My second piece of advice is to be open to criticism. No one is perfect when they start the competition. So, being able to use your professors' criticism during class and during the competition to improve your writing and oral presentations is crucial to success.

Q: What do you think is the most beneficial aspect of the new LAWS course that Southwestern implemented last year?
A: It's hard to choose just one. However, I think the addition of LAWS Week has had the greatest impact on the first-year experience. My students seemed to enjoy it and to appreciate the chance to focus on basic analytical and class preparation skills before their other classes began. And many doctrinal professors noticed a positive difference in the students' level of preparation for their classes.

Q: What are you favorite legal-themed TV shows and movies?
A: I am not a big fan of legal-themed TV shows because they are usually so unrealistic. My favorite legal-themed movies are 12 Angry Men, A Civil Action, and Philadelphia. Oh, and my "guilty pleasure" movie is Legally Blonde.

Q: What do you like to do in your free time?
A: I'm happy to say that my 11-month-old daughter has hijacked almost all of my free time. However, I also love sports (especially playing softball and tennis, and following the Dodgers) and salsa dancing.

Q: If you knew you could not fail, what would you do?
A: It would be something monumental, like ending world hunger, or finding a cure for cancer or AIDS.

"W.A.Y." - Who Are You & Why Are You here?

 

ESSAYS & SCHOLARSHIPS

A selection of scholarships and essay contests are available in the Financial Aid Office (W102), on the bulletin board in the Westmoreland basement and online.

Please note: The information regarding scholarships and essay contests on Southwestern's website provides a list for informational purposes only. Students interested in applying for any scholarship should contact the sponsoring organization directly for specific details and deadlines. External sites are provided for informational purposes only and are not endorsed by Southwestern.