Law School News Archives

12/18/2006 - Washington and Lee Law Faculty to Present at AALS Annual Meeting
Washington and Lee University School of Law faculty members Dorothy Brown and Doug Rendleman will participate in several sessions at the annual meeting of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS). The conference will take place Jan. 3 through Jan. 6, 2007 in Washington, D.C.

12/11/2006 - Black Lung Clinic Awaits Decision in Recent Fourth Circuit Case
On Nov. 30, Kate Speiker ('07L) argued before the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Terry v. Hobet Mining Company. Speiker, who has participated in both the Black Lung Clinic and Public Prosecutors program at the Washington and Lee University School of Law, argued on behalf of the late Harold Terry and his wife, who have been fighting the mining company with the assistance of the Black Lung Clinic for nearly ten years.

11/30/2006 - Law Student Takes on Coal Company in U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals
On Nov. 30, law student Kate Speiker ('07) will argue before the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Terry v. Hobet Mining Company. Unfortunately, win or lose, Harold Terry has already lost--he died in 2002.

If Speiker is successful, and if the coal company chooses not to petition the U.S. Supreme Court, then Terry's benefits will go to his widow.

11/20/2006 - 2006 Phi Alpha Delta Charity Auction Raises over $16,000 for Local Child Care Program
On Thursday, November 9, students at the Washington and Lee School of Law once again showed their generosity, raising over $16,000 during the 2006 Phi Alpha Delta (PAD) charity auction. This amount surpassed the 2005 auction total, which was itself a record-setting amount.

11/13/2006 - Fall 2006 Moot Court Competition Winners Announced: Negotiations Team Headed to National Championships
The Moot Court Board at the Washington and Lee University School of Law completed its busy fall schedule on Friday, November 10, 2006 as the Mock Trial competition drew to a close. Other competitions decided this fall included the Robert J. Grey, Jr. Negotiation competition and the John W. Davis Appellate Advocacy Moot Court competition.

11/3/2006 - 2006 Mock Trial Competition Underway
Mock Trial, the third competition sponsored by the Moot Court Board at the Washington and Lee University School of Law, is now underway. The competition began on Sunday, October 29, 2006 and will conclude on November 10, 2006.

The administrators for this year's competition are third-year students Sarah Floyd and Diana Grimes.

10/27/2006 - W&L Professor Takes on Duke Energy before United States Supreme Court
Update: Argument Transcript Available

How does a lawyer prepare to argue a case for the first time before the highest court in the land? Washington and Lee University School of Law Visiting Professor Sean Donahue, an experienced appellate litigator who has argued 30 federal cases and appeared before the highest state courts in Idaho and Maryland, admits this time things are a little more intense.

"I'm taking advice, doing a lot of reading and a few moot courts. Trying to anticipate the tough questions the justices will ask," says Donahue. "I have to condense this case into three of four key points I want to get across, which will be tough to do. I only have 15 minutes."

10/23/2006 - Miners Turn to W&L Legal Clinic for Help
The Black Lung Legal Clinic at the Washington and Lee University School of Law was featured in the Richmond Times-Dispatch. The article includes interviews with faculty and students who participate in the clinic and with miners who have received benefits because of the work of the clinic.

10/23/2006 - Transnational Law Institute Welcomes Visiting Scholar
The Transnational Law Institute is pleased to welcome Aneta Spaic, associate professor on the law faculty at the University of Montenegro, as an Institute Visiting Scholar. Spaic will be visiting at the Washington and Lee University School of Law from October 23 to November 18.

Spaic is visiting the School of Law in order to pursue scholarship on her Ph.D. thesis titled "Fundamental Breach under the United Nations Convention on the International Sale of Goods". Spaic, whose research interests include international contract law, will also give an academic presentation on her thesis.

10/20/2006 - W&L School of Law Professor Mark Drumbl Featured on C-Span Coverage of Symposium on the New 2006 Military Commissions Act
Washington and Lee School of Law Professor Mark Drumbl spoke at a symposium on Friday, October 20th, at the George Washington University Law School in Washington D.C. on the new 2006 Military Commissions Act.

The Act, just signed by President Bush, was in response to the June 2006 judgment of the Supreme Court in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld that struck down the previous system of military commissions.

10/12/2006 - British Lord to Discuss Cornwallis Family History in Lee Chapel
Fiennes Stanley Wykeham Cornwallis, the Right Honorable Lord Cornwallis, will discuss the history of the Cornwallis family during a lecture on Monday, Oct. 23, at 6:00 p.m. in Lee Chapel. Lord Cornwallis is a descendent of General Charles Cornwallis, whose surrender to General George Washington at Yorktown on Oct. 19, 1781 marked the end of the Revolutionary War.

10/10/2006 - Slate Magazine Editor and Columnist to Discuss the Roberts Court for 2006 Tucker Lecture
Dahlia Lithwick, senior editor and legal correspondent for Slate magazine, will offer some initial impressions on the Roberts Court for this year's Tucker Lecture. Lithwick writes the columns "Supreme Court Dispatches" and "Jurisprudence" for Slate and has covered everything from the Microsoft trial to the calculus of capital punishment.

The lecture is scheduled for Friday, October 20 at 12:00 p.m. in the Millhiser Moot Court Room in Sydney Lewis Hall.

10/10/2006 - 2007 Rankings from Princeton Review Place School of Law Professors on Top for Third Straight Year
The Princeton Review has again placed the faculty at the Washington and Lee University School of Law first in it annual rankings of law schools. The 2007 results placed Washington and Lee at the top of the "Professors Rock (Legally Speaking)" category and sixth in "Best Overall Academic Experience". The School of Law was seventh in the academic experience category last year.

9/28/2006 - Law School Faculty Preview Key Cases from Upcoming Supreme Court Docket
Professors from the Washington and Lee University School of Law will preview several key cases to be argued before the Supreme Court during the Court's 2006-2007 session.

Faculty will frame the important issues of the case, discuss case facts, and explain the routes the cases took through the lower courts before being accepted by the Supreme Court. Scheduled to coincide with the opening of the Court's session, this event is set for Wednesday, October 4 from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm in the Stackhouse Theater, Elrod Commons. All are welcome to attend.

9/25/2006 - Students Argue before Mock United States Supreme Court in the 27th Annual John W. Davis Appellate Advocacy Competition
The Moot Court Board at the Washington and Lee University School of Law is well into the second Moot Court competition of the year, the John W. Davis Appellate Advocacy Competition. The Davis Competition, named in honor of alumnus John W. Davis, began on Wednesday, September 20, 2006 and will conclude with the Final Round on October 27, 2006. The administrators for this year's competition are third-year students Mini Kaur and Matthew Morrison.

9/22/2006 - Global Justice and Freedom of the Press Topics for Inaugural Lectures at the School of Law
The Washington and Lee University School of Law is pleased to announce the speakers for two inaugural lectures to be delivered the last week of September.

On Tuesday, September 26, Professor Anne-Marie Slaughter, Dean of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University will be the first invited speaker for the newly created Transnational Law Institute. Then, on Friday, September 29, Professor Mary-Rose Papandrea of the Boston College Law School will deliver the inaugural Charles S. Rowe First Amendment Lecture.

9/18/2006 - School of Law to Host Law and Literature Seminar featuring In Cold Blood
The Washington and Lee University School of Law will host the 14th annual Law and Literature Seminar, beginning Friday, October 6, at 3:00 p.m. and ending Saturday, October 7, at 2:00 p.m. Co-sponsored with the Alumni College program, the seminar has been approved for two hours of CLE ethics credit and is open to anyone interested in law and literature.

9/12/2006 - Ahmed Younis 04L Discusses American Muslims and the War on Terror
Law Alumnus Ahmed Younis, National Director of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, was featured in the "Free Speech" segment on the CBS Evening News.

9/1/2006 - Moot Court Board Kicks Off Busy Year with Robert J. Grey Negotiation Competition
Just two weeks into the start of the school year, the Moot Court Board at the Washington and Lee University School of Law has already initiated its first competition. The Negotiation Competition, newly named in honor of alumnus Robert J. Grey Jr., began Tuesday, August 30, 2006 and will conclude with the finals on September 15, 2006. The administrators for this year’s competition are third-year students Rob Rivers-Benaicha and Adam Hull.

8/25/2006 - Journal of Civil Rights and Social Justice Announces 2006-2007 Staff Writers
The editorial board of the Journal of Civil Rights and Social Justice at the Washington and Lee University School of Law has announced the winners of the annual writing competition to determine which students will be selected as staff writers. The 14 students join a staff that includes editor-in-chief Yousri Omar, executive editor Stephanie Yost, and managing editor Molly Donnelly.

8/14/2006 - W&L Law Professor Adam Scales to Address Insurance Issues Resulting from Hurricane Katrina at Legal Symposium
Professor Adam Scales will join other legal experts in examining the impact of America’s largest natural disaster at a legal symposium hosted by the Mississippi College of Law in Jackson, Mississippi on Tuesday, August 29.

Topics will include disaster response within the framework of the constitution, insurance and allocating the costs of recovery, and land use issues during rebuilding.

7/28/2006 - W&L Law Review Names New Staff Writers
Twenty-four students at Washington and Lee University's School of Law have been named staff writers for the Law Review, completing the staff for the upcoming year's edition, Volume 64. They join an editorial board comprised of 15 third-year students, including Editor-in-Chief Donald Houser and Executive Editor Meredith Abernathy.

7/17/2006 - Law Alumnus Edward Neufville '03 Takes On the Patriot Act
The Patriot Act says one of Edward Neufville’s clients, who is seeking asylum in the U.S. from Myanmar (Burma), is a terrorist. He disagrees.

7/13/2006 - President Announces Law Dean Search Committee
Washington and Lee University President Ken Ruscio has announced the membership of the committee that will participate in the search to replace Law Dean David Partlett, who departed the School of Law to head the law school at Emory University. Professor Brian Murchison is serving as interim dean during the search.

6/20/2006 - Transnational Law Institute Announces New Internship and Inaugural Lecture
Already off to a busy start, the newly formed Transnational Law Institute at the Washington and Lee University School of Law made several announcements this week, including the sponsorship of a third student internship and the naming of the speaker for the Institute’s inaugural lecture. A board of advisors was also named.

6/12/2006 - School of Law Alumnus Among New Trustees
Washington and Lee University will swear in four new members of the Board of Trustees in October, including Robert J. Grey '76L.

5/29/2006 - School of Law Announces Faculty Fellowships for 2006-07
The committees established to award faculty fellowships for teaching excellence and for excellence in scholarship have announced the recipients of fellowships for next academic year.

5/15/2006 - School of Law Honors Graduates at 151st Commencement Ceremony
The Washington and Lee University School of Law celebrated its 151st commencement exercises on Saturday, May 12 as 128 J.D. degrees and two LL.M degrees were awarded. In addition to its many academic and public service achievements, this class is notable for its ethnic and geographic diversity. 16 percent of the students in this year's graduating class are ethnic minorities, and graduates represent 29 U.S. states and 7 foreign countries.

5/11/2006 - W&L Law Professor Margaret Howard Elected to Board of American Bankruptcy Institute
Margaret Howard, the Law Alumni Association Professor of Law at the Washington and Lee University School of Law, has been elected to the Board of Directors of the American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI).

5/9/2006 - Three Law Students Receive Public Service Awards from Virginia Law Foundation
Washington and Lee School of Law students Chaitra Gokul ('08L), David Knight ('08L), and Apryl Whitaker ('08L) have been selected as the 2006 recipients of Virginia Law Foundation Public Service Internship awards that will enable them to work at law-related public service jobs this summer.

5/8/2006 - W&L Law Professor Lyman Johnson’s Scholarship Garners Award
The Corporate Practice Commentator has named Professor Lyman Johnson’s article on corporate officers and business judgment rule one of the ten best corporate and securities articles published in 2005. Published four times a year and reprinting a selection of articles about corporate law, the Corporate Practice Commentator conducts an annual survey of legal scholars teaching in this area to determine this award. Survey participants chose from among 430 articles in selecting the ten best.

5/5/2006 - W&L School of Law Establishes Transnational Law Institute
Dean David Partlett has announced the establishment of the Transnational Law Institute, to be housed in the School of Law and to begin limited activities and planning next academic year. The Institute will have a rotating directorship and a board of advisers that includes faculty within and outside the School of Law. Professor Mark Drumbl will be the Institute’s first director.

5/4/2006 - W&L Law Professor David Bruck On NPR's Morning Edition
W&L Law Professor and VCCC Director David Bruck was interviewed Thursday, May 4 on NPR's Morning Edition, commenting on the Moussaoui jury's descision to reject the death penalty.

4/27/2006 - Larry Sabato to Deliver Law School Commencement Address
Dr. Larry J. Sabato, The Robert Kent Gooch Professor of Politics and Director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia will deliver this year’s address during the Washington and Lee University School of Law commencement exercises on Saturday, May 13.

4/19/2006 - Murchison Named Acting Dean of W&L School of Law
Provost Tom Williams has announced the appointment of Brian Murchison as Acting Dean of the School of Law for the 2006-07 academic year. He will begin his term in July, when Dean David Partlett departs to assume the deanship of Emory University Law School.

4/13/2006 - W&L School of Law to Celebrate the Life of Roger D. Groot during Reunion Weekend
On Saturday, May 6, the School of Law will host a celebration of the life of Roger D. Groot, longtime faculty member and Class of 1975 Alumni Professor of Law who passed away in November 2005.

4/7/2006 - David Partlett Named Law Dean at Emory University
David F. Partlett, vice president and dean of the Washington and Lee University School of Law since July 1, 2000, has been named the new dean of Emory Law School at Emory University in Atlanta, Ga. Partlett will assume his new position on July 1, 2006.

4/4/2006 - School of Law Again Ranked 22 among Best Law Schools Nationally
Washington and Lee University's School of Law is ranked the 22nd best legal program in the country among the 180 ABA-accredited law schools, according to new rankings released Friday (March 31) by U.S. News and World Report.

4/2/2006 - W&L Law School's Scholar-in-Residence to Give Public Lecture
Jeremy Sarkin, Washington and Lee University School of Law's Scholar-in-Residence, will give a public lecture on Wednesday, April 5, at 12:30 p.m. in Classroom D of Lewis Hall.

3/29/2006 - W&L Law Professor Offers Testimony on Death Penalty Reform before House Judiciary Subcommittee
Washington and Lee School of Law Professor David Bruck testified before a House Judiciary subcommittee on Thursday, March 30. The Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security will hold a hearing on the "Death Penalty Reform Act of 2006".

3/27/2006 - Law Review Editorial Board, Moot Court Executive Board Announce Selection of New Members
The Editorial Board of the Washington and Lee Law Review and the Moot Court Executive Board have announced new membership for 2006-2007.

3/16/2006 - School of Law's Mark Drumbl Comments on Milosevic's Death in Richmond Times-Dispatch
'Deep Emptiness': Milosevic's Easy Death Denies Justice to His Victims

3/2/2006 - Law Center Symposium: Understanding Corporate Law Through History
Over the last five years, companies such as Enron,WorldCom and Tyco corporations have pushed the limits of corporate responsibility with questionable accounting practices and outrageous executive compensation packages, leaving shareholders scratching their heads and wallets. Can examining corporate law through a historical perspective shed new light on some of the current controversies?

3/2/2006 - “I Was Certain, But I Was Wrong.” Speakers to Address Eyewitness Testimony and Wrongful Conviction
In July 1984, police investigated two rapes in the Burlington, NC area. After one of the victims identified him, both by photo and in a lineup, Ronald Cotton was prosecuted and convicted of one of the rapes in 1985. On retrial two years later, a jury convicted him of both rapes. He was innocent of both crimes.

2/27/2006 - Washington and Lee Law Students Win Regional Negotiation Competition
For the second straight year, Washington and Lee School of Law is a national finalist in the ABA Representation in Mediation Competition.

2/17/2006 - School of Law Raises $1,000,000 for Moot Court Room Renovation
Thanks to the generosity of its alumni, the School of Law has raised sufficient funds for the Moot Court Room renovation to proceed this year, beginning in May and scheduled for completion in October 2006.

2/16/2006 - Journal of Civil Rights and Social Justice to Hold Symposium on Immigration Rights
The Washington and Lee Journal of Civil Rights and Social Justice presents it annual symposium, "Are you a Terrorist or an American?: An Analysis of Immigration Law & Policy Post 9/11" on Thursday, Feb. 23, at 2 p.m., in the W&L School of Law Moot Courtroom.

2/13/2006 - School of Law Professor’s Scholarship at Center of Walt Disney Lawsuit
The scholarship of Professor Lyman Johnson, the Robert O. Bentley Professor of Law at Washington and Lee University School of Law, has emerged as central to the most important corporate law case in America in many years.

1/30/2006 - W&L Law Professor Melissa Waters Interviewed On Strengthening Iraq's Legal System
W&L Assistant Professor of Law Melissa Waters has been to Iraq five times in the past eighteen months on an exciting and important mission with several other American attorneys.

1/20/2006 - School of Law to Sponsor Group Admission to the United States Supreme Court
Again this year, the Washington and Lee University School of Law is pleased to sponsor a group admission to the Bar of the United States Supreme Court for law alumni.

1/12/2006 - The School of Law Welcomes Visiting Faculty Members for Spring 2006
The School of Law is pleased to welcome five visiting faculty members this semester. Jeffrey Lubbers, Bruce Boyden, and Chistopher Whelan are all returning for another semester, having served previously as visiting faculty, adjunct faculty, and scholar-in-residence, respectively. New to the School of Law are Jeremy Sarkin, who will serve as Lewis Law Center Scholar-in-Residence, and Jose Marcos Domingues-de-Oliviera, who will serve as visiting professor of law.

1/6/2006 - Law Alumnus Named Executive Director of Alumni Affairs at Washington and Lee University
Waller Dudley, a partner in the prestigious Virginia law firm of McGuire Woods and a trustee of the University, has been named Executive Director of Alumni Affairs at Washington and Lee University.