EVENTS & NEWS
1L Moot Court Tournament
Pictured from left to right: Sara Duffy, Mr. William Wasden, Hon. Harold See, Hon. William Pryor, Hon. William Cassady, Mr. Matthew Bell, and Danielle Miller
First year law students competed in the annual 1L Moot Court Tournament in late April. The law school congratulates Sara Duffy for becoming the 2009 Moot Court Champion. Congratulations are also extended to Danielle Miller for finishing as tournament finalist and to Lindzy Mehan for winning the Best Brief award. The quarter-final, semi-final, and final rounds were held in the chambers of the Supreme Court of Alabama in downtown Montgomery.
The School of Law extends its gratitude to the following individuals who judged the tournament's final round: The Hon. William Cassady, U.S. Magistrate Judge for the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Alabama; the Hon. William Pryor, U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit; the Hon. Harold See, former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama; Mr. William Wasden, Partner with the law firm of Burr & Forman, L.L.P.; and Mr. Matthew Bell, past president of the Board of Advocates.
The Board of Advocates organized the tournament and they did a magnificent job.
Don Garner Charity Golf Tournament
On April 13th, students and faculty enjoyed a day of leisure at the law school's annual Don Garner Charity Golf Tournament. The Event is named in honor of Professor Don Garner and was held at the Robert Trent Jones Capitol Hill course in Prattville, Alabama. The tournament is sponsored by the Student Bar Association and it raises money for the law school's Student Relief Account.
At the tournament luncheon, the president of the American Bar Association, Thomas Wells, addressed the students and congratulated the moot court team of Katie Langer, Ashley Penhale, and Clayton Tartt on their second place finish in the ABA's National Appellate Advocacy Competition. Also, Professor Luevonda Ross was recognized by the SBA as the Most Outstanding Professor for the 2008-09 academic year. Congratulations to Professor Ross for this honor.
Professor John Garman, last year's Most Outstanding Professor, congratulates Professor Ross adorning her with the traditional light-green jacket and plaque.
Alabama Bar Exam Results
Graduates who took the February 2009 Alabama State Bar Exam passed at a rate of 83.3%. This is the highest passage rate for first time takers among all Alabama law schools and the composite of out-of-state law schools. The law school congratulates its alumni on this achievement.
Moot Court National Finalists
Katie, Ashley, and Clayton with Championship Round Judges
After winning the St. Louis regional three weeks prior, the Faulkner moot court team of Katie Langer, Ashley Penhale, and Clayton Tartt made it all the way to the National Championship round of the ABA's National Appellate Advocacy Competition (NAAC). Katie Langer was named the fifth best advocate and Clayton Tartt the eighth in the national competition. This marks the second time in the last three years that the law school has made it to the national rounds finishing in 2007 as national quarter-finalists.
The National Championship round on Saturday, April 4, 2009, was at the Chicago courtroom of the Illinois Supreme Court with the Chief Justice, Thomas R. Fitzgerald presiding. The ABA's NAAC is the largest moot court competition in the nation with 187 teams from 111 law schools participating in the 2009 tournament. The 2008 champion was Harvard. The team, coached by Professor John Garman, defeated many schools that are known to have quality moot court programs. The law school congratulates these students on another outstanding performance.
Katie and Ashley at the NAAC Awards Banquet
Regional Champions
Pictured from left to right: Ashley Penhale, Katie Langer, and Clayton Tartt
The School of Law congratulates the moot court team of Katie Langer, Ashley Penhale, and Clayton Tartt for finishing as Regional Champions in the St. Louis Region of the ABA National Appellate Advocacy Competition. The team is coached by Professor John Garman. With this win, they advance to the national round in Chicago.
Congratulations are also extended to the team of Tray Richardson, Blaire Wood, and Dee Worshek who finished as Regional Finalists. This team was coached by Professor Charles Campbell.
There were 23 law schools that competed in this region and some with multiple teams (including our law school). Out of 100 advocates in the regional, Katie Langer was named the 8th best advocate and Clayton Tartt was named the 7th best advocate.
The School of Law appreciates the hard work of these students and coaches.
Advocacy Programs Update
Mediation Team earns trip to New York: Congratulations to Stephanie Joppeck and Reid Strickland as they earned a spot at the National Finals of the ABA Mediation Competition in April. Stephanie and Reid were the top seeds entering the finals of the ABA Regional Mediation Competition held in New Orleans, Louisiana. Our other team, Coe Baxter and Teri Breloski, did very well but fell just short losing only to the eventual regional champion. The teams were coached by Professor Ken Dunham.
Trial Team finalist at National Trial Competition: The law school congratulates the team of Bruce Nessler, Beau Womack, Kristy Peoples, and Steven Wilson as they finished as Regional Finalists at the National Trial Competition in Tallahassee, Florida. This makes the tenth straight trial competition in which the law school advanced out of the preliminary rounds. The team was coached by Professor Joe Lester.
New Scholarship Honoring "Extreme Makeover" Family
The School of Law announces the establishment of The Monica Jordan Public Interest Law Scholarship. Mrs. Jordan and her family were selected for the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition program in Montgomery and the show's theme is "Heroes at Home." The Jordans have shown dedication to community service through projects like Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) and the state's Crime Victims Advocacy Program. Monica and Brady Jordan lost their daughter to a domestic violence situation and their son was killed by a drunk driver. Click here for a biography provided by Aronov Homes who built the house for the Jordan family.
The law firm Beasley Allen, a sponsor of the show, along with Extreme Makeover producers contacted the law school after learning that Mrs. Jordan and her deceased daughter both had aspirations to attend law school. To honor the Jordans' dedication to community service and to inspire members of the bench and bar to give back to their communities the law school named the scholarship after Monica Jordan. The law school hopes that Mrs. Jordan will be the scholarship's first recipient.
The scholarship is scheduled to be awarded for the fall semester of 2011 and will be awarded each year thereafter. It will be awarded to a law student who has demonstrated community service and plans to practice in the area of public interest law upon graduation.
You can watch the February 24th press conference and read related articles by clicking here.
BLSA Trial Team Success
For the second year in a row a trial team from the law school will compete for a National Championship at the Thurgood Marshall National Mock Trial Competition. After winning all four trials in the BLSA Regional Competition in Nashville, Tennessee, the 2008 National Champions earned a chance to defend their title at the national tournament in Irvine, California, March 18-22. The 2009 teams consists of one 3L, George Bulls, and three 2L's, April Houston, Melissa Knight and Anwar Taylor. Professor Luevonda Ross coaches the team.
Going back to last year our BLSA trial team has now won 14 consecutive trials. This makes the ninth consecutive trial competition that the law school has advanced out of the preliminary rounds. Congratulations are extended to these trial teams for their success.
Barrister's Dinner 2009
The Student Bar Association hosted its annual Barrister's Dinner on February 7. The SBA's honorable guest and keynote speaker was Dean Kenneth W. Starr of Pepperdine University School of Law. Dean Starr delivered an inspirational speech addressing why the religious voice should not be silenced in the public square. The law school extends its gratitude to him for his visit and participation.
Dean Starr spoke to a sold out crowd and the media. The SBA extends its many thanks to the law firm of Webster, Henry, Lyons & White, P.C. and the Faulkner University Office of Student Activities for their support of the 2009 Barrister's Dinner.
Montgomery Advertiser's King Spirit Honors
The Montgomery Advertiser created the King Spirit Honors to recognize young adults in the community who show hope that Dr. Martin Luther King's dream will continue for generations to come. A tradition now in its ninth year recipients of this award represent the vision, dedication, and selfless spirit that have become Dr. King's legacy.
One of this year's recipients is our very own Professor Jeff Baker. The law school commends Professor Baker for his service to the community through the legal clinics. Click here for his Spirit profile.
Beat Cumberland/Beat Hunger Food Drive
The Student Bar Association initiated a friendly competition with Cumberland School of Law to help raise donations of food for the needy this Christmas season. Our students, faculty, and staff contributed 3,187 intems of nonperishable food and this generosity will go a long way to defeat hunger in our community.
Congratulations to the SBA for organizing this wonderful charity. Particularly, our gratitude is extended to Chris Richardson and the Public Service Committee for their leadership in this endeavor.
Pictured from left to right (SBA Executive Board): Justin Aday, Jessica Fair, Reid Strickland, Chris Richardson, George Bulls, Jason Isbell, Matthew Smith, Kristy Peoples, and Laura Eubank
SBA Faith & Politics Forum
On October 28th, the law school hosted the 2008 Faith and Politics Summit featuring U.S. Representative Artur Davis and Dr. Randy Brinson of the Alabama Christian Coaltion. The event featured questions from a distinguished panel: Ken Hare of the Montgomery Advertiser, Bob Martin of the Montgomery Independent, and Professor Andy Olree. SBA President Reid Strickland moderated the discussion.
The law school appreciates Representative Davis' and Dr. Brinson's insight on how people of faith should approach political decisions. Furthermore, the law school extends it gratitude to the panel who offered excellent questions and to the Student Bar Association for organizing the forum.
Public Service Day 2008
On Saturday, October 25, JSL students and faculty put down their pens and laptops and picked up hammers and paint brushes. In conjunction with "Make a Difference Day," the law school partnered with Rebuilding Together of Central Alabama to help area residents with much needed home repairs.
Rebuilding Together is a national volunteer organization that assists low-income homeowners, particularly the elderly and disabled, with home repair. Formerly known as Christmas in April, the organization has assisted in the repair of more than 31,000 homes across the nation. Rebuilding Together of Central Alabama assists residents of Montgomery, Elmore, and Autauga counties.
The law school appreciates all who participated in this worthy cause. You may click here to view more photographs of the day.
National Pre-Trial Advocacy Competition
2nd Place Finish
Pictured from left to right: Professor Rob McFarland, Matthew Huggins, Justin Seamon, Steven Wilson, Blaire Wood and Professor Matt Vega
Congratulations to Matthew Huggins, Justin Seamon, Steven Wilson and Blaire Wood for finishing in second place at the National Pre-Trial Advocacy Competition. The event was held at Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, Florida on October 3-4. Professor Matt Vega coached the team. The team bested Baylor, Mississippi College and South Texas before losing to LSU in the final round. Students in the Advocacy Programs continue to perform brilliantly and this is a great start to our inter-school advocacy competition schedule.
Alabama Supreme Court Justice Patricia M. Smith Visits Law School
The SBA's Seminar Committee and Board of Advocates hosted its first speaker series featuring Justice Patricia Smith on October 1. Justice Smith is serving her first term as Associate Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court and she is a 1976 graduate of Thomas Goode Jones School of Law. In 1980, Governor Fob James appointed her as District Court Judge in Shelby County and she was re-elected to the Bench in 1986, 1992, and 1998. She won election to the Alabama Supreme Court in 2004.
Alabama Bar Pass Rate
The law school congratulates its recent graduates for achieving a 93.5% bar passage rate for first time takers on the Alabama State Bar Examination. Graduates continue to perform brilliantly on the exam.
4th Annual Fred Gray Sr., Civil Rights Symposium
The Ernestine S. Sapp Chapter of the Black Law Students Association together with the American Constitution Society and the Jones Law Review will host the 4th Annual Fred Gray Sr., Civil Rights Symposium on Wednesday, October 22. The topic of the symposium is entitled Immigration: How Illegal Immigration Impacts Public Policy in the United States and Alabama.
Participants in the symposium will be: Fred Gray, Sr. – Senior Partner for Gray, Langford, Sapp, McGowan, Gray & Nathanson; Congressman Artur Davis; Mickey Pledger – I.C.E. Director for Middle and Southern Alabama; Roosevelt Freeman – Regional Manager for the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Region IV (Atlanta); Gayle DeJong – State Coordinator for English Language Learners at the Alabama State Department of Education; Andrew Turner – Southern Poverty Law Center; Shay Farley – Alabama Appleseed; and Charles Campbell – Former Deputy Chief Counsel to Senator Jeff Sessions and Associate Professor of Law at Thomas Goode Jones School of Law.
J. Greg Allen Mock Trial Competition
Pictured from left to right: Allen Howell, Mr. Greg Allen and Stephen Frisby
On August 22-25, the School of Law hosted the 5th Annual J. Greg Allen Intra-School Mock Trial Competition. Congratulations are extended to Stephen Frisby and Allen Howell for finishing as 2008 Champions. Katie Langer and Alfred Norris were tournament finalists and Roland Salloum was named the Best Advocate for accumulating the highest individual scores during the competition. Alabama Court of Civil Appeals Judge Tommy Bryan served as the bench judge during the final round with ten other distinguished attorneys serving as scoring judges.
The law school recognizes the hard work of the Board of Advocates for organizing this event. Further congratulations are extended to all of the guest judges who served throughout the tournament as well as to all of the students that participated.
The Greg Allen tournament kicks off the Advocacy Program's competition season. Students in their second and third year will compete in numerous inter-school trial advocacy, mediation and moot court tournaments in 2008-09.
