News Archive

Save the Date for the Small Firm and Public Interest Expo

The Office of Admissions, Career Development, and Student Services will host its 4th Annual Small Firm and Public Interest Expo on Friday, March 13, 2009. This event is designed to expose law students to legal careers in government offices, not-for-profits and public interest agencies, the judiciary, and firms of 25 or fewer attorneys. All lawyers from these practice areas are invited to join us for this popular event. A networking reception with students will be held from 12:30-2:00 p.m., and a complimentary 2-hour CLE will begin at 2:10 p.m. More information, including RSVP details, will be issued in January. We hope to see you there!

Professor llhyung Lee Shares his Expertise at Harvard Law and the Columbia Independent School

Professor llhyung Lee recently gave a presentation at Harvard Law for the school's East Asian Legal Studies Program (EALS). EALS is the country's oldest and most extensive academic program devoted to the study of law and legal history of East Asia and the region's interaction with the United States. The program was created in 1965 because of a growing interest in the legal cultures of China, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia. Professor Lee is perfectly suited to speak on this area since he has extensive knowledge and interest in the law, society and culture of contemporary Korea, along with his expertise in cross-cultural dispute resolution. Lee's presentation was entitled "Legislating Equality in Korean Law and Policy" which is also the topic of some of his most recent articles.

Shortly after the Harvard presentation, Professor Lee lectured at the Columbia Independent School to high school juniors and seniors in their "Global Issues" class. The presentation focused on cross-cultural dispute resolution, which is a class Professor Lee teaches here at MU Law. Professor Lee's other involvements in this subject include being in the roster of neutrals for the International Centre for Dispute Resolution, the Korean Commercial Arbitration Board and membership in the Institute for Transnational Arbitration, among several others.

Student Ambassadors Connect with Prospective MU Law Students

The Student Ambassadors Program at the University of Missouri School of Law started several years ago as a way to recruit new students into the school. Michelle Heck, the Coordinator of Admissions and Recruitment, is in charge of the program. Their goal is to attract the best student body possible and provide assistance to prospective students. The Ambassadors are made up of an assortment of law students from many backgrounds. The program encourages this assortment in order to have a broad range of ages, backgrounds, undergrad majors, and interests so that it is easy for a potential student to find someone they can relate to. The students that are in the program are involved with recruiting both on the Mizzou campus and at other college campuses; they are also engaged in various alumni activities.

The major yearly event the program is involved in is Open House; this is a chance for prospective students to socialize with each other and with current students, while also getting a chance to take a tour of the school. Although this is a major event for the program this is by no means the only opportunity to take a tour and learn more about the school. The Ambassadors can give tours any weekday to students that are interested. Ambassadors often keep in contact with newly admitted students and lasting friendships are sometimes formed.

Any law student may apply to become part of the program. There are usually around 30 to 35 Ambassadors at a given time but many more apply. This results in the need for an interview process, which includes an informal interview that determines how well the student can think on their feet in a variety of situations. The main thing that the program aims for when selecting students is a broad range of experiences and expertise. For example, dual degree students could be helpful in recruiting other dual degree seeking students and would be better able to inform them of what to expect from such an experience, while someone who is married and has children can help someone in a similar situation understand the impact law school will have on their lifestyle.

Most Ambassadors remain a part of the team for their full three years of school. Many students who become Ambassadors do so because they had a positive experience with the program when they were prospective and new students themselves. It is also these students who are most likely to know about the program, but more and more students are learning of and applying for the program. This increase in interest is due mainly to their increasing involvement in activities, not only at the law school but also in other areas of the Mizzou campus and when recruiting at other colleges.

Prospective students who would like to learn more about admissions or current students who would like to apply for the program can visit their website at http://law.missouri.edu/admissions/ambassadors/. The admissions website also allows prospective students to schedule a visit, learn about financial aid, contact an ambassador and offers other relevant and useful information for those interested in law school.

Professor Lande to Give Teleconference on Cooperative Practice

Professor John Lande will give a teleconference entitled, "Cooperative Law: A New Technique to Negotiate Cases More Successfully." The teleconference, sponsored by the New York Dispute Resolution Association, will take place on Tues., Nov. 18, from 2-3 Central Time. For more information, see http://www.nysdra.org/calendar/calendar.aspx?action=details&eventid=108.

Students Compete in ABA Arbitration Competition

The Law School was ably represented by two teams at the November 8-9 ABA Regional Arbitration Competition in Jackson, Mississippi. Cole Bradbury, Carly Duvall, Jeff McCarther, Claire McGuire, and Chelsea Mitchell's team finished in 2nd place overall and will advance to the national competition in San Antonio, Texas in January 2009. Carolyn Hamilton, Katherine Jackson, Joshua Jones, RJ Morrison, and Joe Schlotzhauer's team placed 5th overall.

Professor Lande Attended International Mediation Leadership Summit in the Hague

On Oct. 31, Professor John Lande attended the International Mediation Leadership Summit sponsored by the ABA Section of Dispute Resolution in collaboration with 12 other ADR organizations. The meeting took place at the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands, with the goal of developing relationships between ADR leaders from around the world. Lande was one of 80 participants from 29 different countries. He presented his latest scholarly work and led small-group discussions. Prof. Lande commented that "It was very flattering to discover that mediation professionals in other countries have been reading my work, as experts from Israel, Hungary, Belgium, Austria, Italy, and the Netherlands told me that they found it useful."

Women of the Missouri Supreme Court Nov. 12

The WLA presents a judicial panel of the four women who have served as Judges on the Missouri Supreme Court: Chief Justice Laura Denvir Stith, Judge Mary Russell, Judge Patricia Breckenridge, and Judge Ann Covington. The panel discussion will be held on Nov. 12th at 5:00 pm in the Courtroom.

Professor Hunvald Recognized by Missouri Lawyers Weekly

2008 Missouri's Best Of
Best Law Professor
Ed Hunvald
Criminal Law, University of Missouri School of Law

This isn't the first time Ed Hunvald's students have voted for him in great numbers.

"Back when Lyndon Johnson was running for president, my students found out that there was an open seat for Boone County surveyor," Hunvald recalled. "They got the idea that I would be perfect for the job. I ended up winning on write-in votes. Having very little qualifications for the job, I never took office."Perhaps, but he certainly has the qualifications for his elected office as Best Law Professor in Missouri. He taught for 50 years at the University of Missouri-Columbia until 2007, when he retired.

"I've had a lot of time to meet attorneys," Hunvald said from his on-campus office. "I'm sure a lot of MU grads know me because I have taught required classes."

Hunvald, 80, was hired at Mizzou to teach criminal law in 1957. He later taught criminal procedure and evidence.

Hunvald's teaching style makes students think.

"I've been accused of being a Socratic teacher," he said. "I like to give a lot of questions and not a lot of answers. Some of my students have said I won't give them any."

Although Hunvald has recently retired, he's still involved in various committees at MU. He also sits in on the Missouri Supreme Court Criminal Procedure Committee, which drafts jury instructions.

While he is enjoying his retirement, Hunvald hasn't quite given up the idea of teaching.

"If [MU] needs me, I'm available," he said.

© 2008 Lawyers Weekly Inc., All Rights Reserved.

Professor Bailey Speaking on Arbitration

Professor Bob Bailey, CSDR director and assistant dean, recently spoke on "the business of arbitration" to the National Academy of Arbitrators Fall Education Conference, where he was appointed chair of the nominating committee. He also recently spoke to the Missouri Department of Transportation on arbitration of highway disputes and to MU Extension and Commerce Bank on "Effective Community Board Leadership."

Noted Attorneys and Journalists to Discuss Civil Litigation Coverage

On October 24th at 1:00 in the Courtroom, the Missouri Center for the Study of Conflict, Law & the Media will sponsor a panel discussion entitled Media Coverage of Civil Litigation: Is the Media Getting it Right? Panelists will include journalists Dan Margolies and Robert Patrick (of the Kansas City Star and St. Louis Post-Dispatch, respectively), and attorneys Dale Doerhoff (of Cook, Vetter, Doerhoff and Landwehr) and Jon Haden (of Lathrop & Gage). Michael Grinfeld from the Missouri School of Journalism and MU Law Professor Richard Reuben will moderate.

Distinguished Guests Discuss Upcoming Election and Future of the Supreme Court

On October 23rd, the Federalist Society and the American Constitution Society are co-sponsoring a discussion, organized by Professor Frank Bowman, on how the upcoming presidential election may influence the Supreme Court. The presenters will be Stephen McAllister, former dean of KU Law School and current Solicitor General of Kansas, and David Frederick, former Deputy Solicitor General of the United States and a frequent advocate before the U.S. Supreme Court. McAllister and Frederick clerked for Justice Byron White at the same time. The discussion will be held at 1:00 in the Courtroom.

Professor Easton's New Book Targets Expert Witnesses

Professor Stephen D. Easton, C.A. Leedy Professor of Law, has authored "Attacking Adverse Experts." Published by the American Bar Association, Section of Litigation, the book "is a step-by-step guide to investigating, evaluating and attacking the adverse expert in civil cases." Read the complete ABA announcement here. Professor Easton, an accomplished trial lawyer, has won both University and national teaching and writing awards since joining the MU Law faculty in 1998. His articles on expert witnesses have been published in the Indiana Law Journal, Nebraska Law Review, and SMU Law Review.

Law Professors Compete in Kansas City Marathon

Professor Stephen D. Easton, C.A. Leedy Professor of Law, successfully completed the Kansas City Marathon on Saturday, October 18. He becomes the second member of the full professor faculty in MU Law's recorded history to have completed the 26.2 mile running event, and the first ever to have done so during the academic year as a member of the faculty.

"It was just a perfect day for a run," Professor Easton commented modestly, minutes after crossing the finish line, in the shadows of Union Station. The race began before sunrise, with temperatures in the low 40s, and the conditions allowed Professor Easton to complete the course in the official time of 4 hours, 42 minutes, and 2 seconds.

Professor Easton acknowledged that he was unsuccessful in his two previous attempts at the marathon, making success in Kansas City quite special. "The first was when I was 19. I thought I knew everything then, but the marathon was truly humbling." This past summer, "to mark my ten years on the faculty at MU, my daughter starting as a freshman at MU, and other reasons, I decided to try again, and to start training more seriously." The second attempt came at the St. Charles Marathon near St. Louis last month. But the organizers were forced to cut short the race, due to impassable and dangerous conditions forced by Hurricane Ike. For a video clip, see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=betEjKxajdM

Undaunted, Professor Easton found another Missouri marathon, adjusted his training schedule, and hoped that three would be a charm. "It's nearly impossible to train during the semester, in my opinion. But I demand a lot from my students, so personal sacrifice and hitting the wall were the least I could do."

Professor Ilhyung Lee, who also joined the MU faculty ten years ago this fall, participated in the Kansas City Half Marathon, held in the same day, completing the shorter course in 1 hour, 47 minutes, and 48 seconds.

Both Professors Easton and Lee declined comment on whether they would consider filing a claim with the University administration regarding the newly implemented physical fitness requirements for faculty members with ten years of experience.

Professor Mitchell on the Economic Crisis and Disenfranchisement

On October 9th, Professor S. David Mitchell was interviewed on KFRU 1400 AM and ABC-17 News about ordinary citizens increasingly at risk of losing the right to vote along with their homes. With the rise in foreclosures, former homeowners are finding themselves ineligible to vote because they no longer have a permanent address and failed to notify their local election boards that they have moved. Similar to ex-offenders who were registered to vote before being incarcerated, those who are disenfranchised because of a foreclosure or other economic disaster need knowledge and direction to protect their right to vote. Read about Professor's Mitchell's research and expertise on felon disenfranchisement and more about his concern on the impact that the current economic crisis will have on fundamental voting rights in the MU News Bureau press release here.

Professor Mitchell also gave an interview to KMOX 1120 of St. Louis on Friday and to KBIA 91.3.

Student Organizations to Present Bailout Panel Discussion on October 15

The American Constitution Society for Law and Policy and the Federalist Society have teamed up to present a panel discussion on the current financial situation in the U.S. and around the globe. Panelists will discuss the multitude of possible results that the decisions of the Congress and Wall Street will have on the economy in the long term. The event will be on Wednesday, October 15 at 5:00 PM in room 7.

Panel participants include Dean Thom Lambert, Professor Phil Harter, Professor John Howe from the Trulaske School of Business, and Matt Johnson from the Reynolds Journalism Institute.

Professor Bowman Responds to Reaction on Recent Corporate Crime Piece

Professor Frank Bowman's recent Legal Times article "Somebody Has to Cry Foul" drew commentary on the White Collar Crime blog from Stephanie Martz of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Bowman responds to Martz here.

Professor Bowman was also recently interviewed in the Corporate Crime Reporter. Read the interview summary here.

Professor Lande Publishes Two Articles

Professor John Lande, Director of Masters in Law in Dispute Resolution and Isidor Loeb Professor of Law, has published "Doing the Best Mediation You Can," 14 Dispute Resolution Magazine 43 (Spring/Summer 2008). The article summarizes research by the Task Force on Improving Mediation Quality of the ABA Section of Dispute Resolution. Professor Lande has also published "An Appreciation of Marc Galanter's Scholarship," 71 Law and Contemporary Problems 147 (Spring 2008). These articles are available at http://law.missouri.edu/lande/publications.htm#mtp and http://law.missouri.edu/lande/publications.htm.

Professor Abrams on Thomas Jefferson (and Editing)

Professor Douglas Abrams' "Writing it Right" is a regular feature of Precedent, the Missouri Bar's quarterly magazine. His latest article treats the editing that the Second Continental Congress did on Thomas Jefferson's draft of the Declaration of Independence. The superb editing helped make Jefferson an American icon, but Jefferson resented the editing for the rest of his life. Read the article here (PDF). Professor Abrams' article has been referenced on the Legal History Blog by Professor Mary Dudziak, a legal historian and law professor at USC.

Professor Lee Distinguished Scholar-in-Residence at Case Western

Professor Ilhyung Lee will give the Distinguished Scholar-in-Residence Lecture, "Culture and the Dispute Resolution Process" at Case Western Reserve University School of Law on Sept. 24. The lecture is presented by the Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Conflict and Dispute Resolution.

Law School Announces $1.1 Million Leadership Gift

Read Press Release

Professor Reuben Delivers Conference Keynote

Professor Richard Reuben will give the keynote address at a conference of the Arizona Chapter of the Association for Conflict Resolution (PDF) on Sept. 18 in Phoenix. His address is titled: Deliberative Democracy & Dispute Resolution.

Devine Recognized for Contributions to the Administration of Justice

The Missouri Bar Foundation has announced Associate Dean James Devine, Judge Gene Hamilton, class of '67 and Doreen D. Dodson of St. Louis as this year's Spurgeon Smithson Award winners. The Foundation will honor the recipients at the Missouri Bar Annual Meeting Awards Banquet on September 19 in Kansas City.

Professors Bailey, Peters, and Wells Recognized at Law Day

The Law School was proud to honor outstanding faculty teaching, scholarship and service at Law Day on September 13.

Christina E. Wells, Enoch H. Crowder Professor of Law, received the Husch Blackwell Sanders Distinguished Faculty Award. Professor Wells was awarded for her outstanding teaching in the areas of Administrative Law, Freedom of Speech, Gender and the Law, and Remedies. Philip G. Peters, Jr., Ruth L. Hulston Professor of Law, received the Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP Excellence in Research Award. Professor Peters, a leading scholar in the field of medical malpractice standard of care and reform, was awarded for his article Health Courts?, 88 Boston University Law Review 227 (2008) available here. Robert G. Bailey, Director of the Center for the Study of Dispute Resolution, received the Loyd E. Roberts Memorial Prize awarded for significant contribution to improving the administration of justice. In addition to directing the CSDR, Dean Bailey is on the governing board of the National Academy of Arbitrators, and is a commissioner of the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws.

MU Law Library Presents Lloyd L. Gaines Digital Collection

View the Lloyd L. Gaines Digital Collection

Lloyd Lionel Gaines applied to the University of Missouri School of Law in 1936. In spite of an outstanding scholastic record, Gaines was denied admission based solely on the grounds that Missouri's Constitution called for "separate education of the races." By state law, Missouri would have been required to pay for Gaines to attend the universities in Iowa, Kansas or Nebraska, but Gaines was determined to fight for the right to attend law school in his own state. He sought legal assistance from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), which had been working systematically to overturn the ignominious precedent of "separate but equal" established in Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896. Together, they challenged the University of Missouri's admissions policies. In 1938, Gaines won his case before the United States Supreme Court in State of Missouri ex rel Gaines v. Canada, paving the way for a series of cases that would lead to the decision in Brown v. Board of Education that outlawed segregation in public education. In March 1939, only three months after his Supreme Court victory, Lloyd Gaines was last seen in Chicago, IL. He disappeared at age 28 with his promise of attending law school in Missouri unfulfilled. Lloyd Gaines was never to be seen or heard from again.

This project seeks to illuminate Lloyd Gaines' life, document his pioneering pursuit of true equal rights to a legal education, and memorialize the long overdue, posthumous recognition of his personal sacrifice in the advancement of civil rights. The digital collection is made up of family letters that shed light on the economic difficulties that Lloyd and his family faced in working to provide him with an advanced education; family photographs; case materials; sections of the Missouri constitutions and laws that pertain to the education of African-Americans in Missouri; dissertations by scholars studying the Gaines case and the African-American educational experience in Missouri; newspaper articles that demonstrate the thoughts of students and others through the years regarding de-segregation and the Gaines case; and the efforts made by the University of Missouri and the School of Law to recognize Lloyd Gaines' contributions to history. By gathering together these primary and secondary source materials pertinent to his life and his case, we hope to tell more of Lloyd Gaines' story to the world. The University of Missouri School of Law Library is pleased to make these resources freely available for scholars, researchers and others to advance their knowledge and understanding of the struggle for civil rights in Missouri in the early twentieth century.

For questions or suggestions about this project, contact us at (573) 884-6362.

Law Day Welcomes Distinguished Jurists and Awardees

Magistrate Judge Wayne Brazil from the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California will receive the Law School's Distinguished Non-Alumnus Award at Law Day on Saturday, September 13th. Judge Brazil, a leader and prolific author in the field of dispute resolution, has written several books about settlement and the use of special masters. His more than 30 articles focus on case management, dispute resolution, and other aspects of the civil litigation process. The DR program he designed in California is a model for such programs across the nation. Judge Brazil will also visit the Law School on Friday, September 12th, as the James D. Ellis Lawyer in Residence, and will present the Ellis Lecture at 1:30 in the Courtroom.

Judge Scott O. Wright, '50, and Larry M. Schumaker, '84, will discuss writing Wright's memoir, "Never in Doubt: Memoirs of an Uncommon Judge," at a CLE presentation on Friday, September 12th at 5:00 in the Courtroom. Judge Wright, a long time benefactor of the Law School, pledged $100,000 to fund a new scholarship in September 2007. Read more about Judge Wright and his memoir in this Columbia Tribune article.

Mizzou Athletic Director Mike Alden will be a special guest at Friday's Distinguished Alumni Luncheon.

Christina E. Wells, Enoch H. Crowder Professor of Law, will receive the Husch Blackwell Sanders Distinguished Faculty Award. Professor Wells is being awarded for her outstanding teaching in the areas of Administrative Law, Freedom of Speech, Gender and the Law, and Remedies. Philip G. Peters, Jr., Ruth L. Hulston Professor of Law, will receive the Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP Excellence in Research Award. Professor Peters, a leading scholar in the field of medical malpractice standard of care and reform, was selected for his article Health Courts?, 88 Boston University Law Review 227 (2008) available here. Robert G. Bailey, Director of the Center for the Study of Dispute Resolution, will receive the Loyd E. Roberts Memorial Prize awarded for significant contribution to improving the administration of justice. In addition to directing the CSDR, Dean Bailey is on the governing board of the National Academy of Arbitrators, and is a commissioner of the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws.

Law Day honorees will also include Roger C. Geary, '83, and Janet M. Thompson, '84, LL.M. '02, (Citation of Merit); Michael A. Williams, '98, (Distinguished Recent Graduate); Rachel L. Bringer, '95, (Honorary Initiate Order of the Coif); and James C. Morrow, '83, (Honorary Initiate Order of Barristers).

View the Law Day brochure for a complete listing of events. There's still time to register by calling the School of Law Office of Development at 573-882-4374!

Prof. Bowman on Increase in Federal Prosecution of Business Crime

"Somebody Has to Cry Foul" by Professor Frank Bowman reports on the Justice Department's growing presence in the corporate arena and the business community's response. The article published in the Legal Times and American Lawyer is available here (may require free registration).

Prof. Reuben on "Covering Conflict"

As part of the Missouri School of Journalism 2008 Centennial and Dedication, the MU Center for the Study of Conflict Law and the Media is sponsoring "Covering Conflict: Can Interest-based Reporting Help Journalists Get it Right?" Professor Richard Reuben will be one of the Discussion Leaders for this program on Sept. 11th at 9:00 at 110 Lee Hills Hall. Also on Sept. 11th, there will be a candidate forum for the Missouri Attorney General race at 1:30 in the Fisher Auditorium, 87 Gannett Hall. View the complete listing of the Centennial and Dedication events (Sept. 9-13) here.

MU Law Welcomes New Faculty

Four new law faculty members possessing broad expertise and diverse ranges of experience bring further depth to the school's nationally acclaimed Center for the Study of Dispute Resolution and to its core first year and commercial law courses. Rafael Gely is the new James E. Campbell Missouri Endowed Professor of Law. We also welcome, as Visiting Associate Professors of Law, Erika Fadel, a former adjunct professor in the legal research and writing program; Jennifer Reynolds who teaches and writes in the area of dispute resolution; and Marc Roark, most recently a visiting law professor at Tulsa.

New Assistant Dean Appointed

Tracy Gonzalez has joined the law school as Assistant Dean of Admissions, Career Development, and Student Services. Gonzalez has extensive legal practice experience having served as both a public defender and prosecuting attorney. Most recently she taught pre-law courses at Lincoln University and is a former Director of the Child Protection Clinic and Teaching Fellow within the Family Violence Clinic at MU Law.

Faculty Blogging Shaping Public Conversations

Professors Dennis Crouch and Peggy McGuinness and Associate Dean Thom Lambert continue to contribute to and spark far-reaching discussions in their respective fields of expertise: patents; international law and international relations; and antitrust, business and economics. In July, Cincinnati's Paul Caron reported quarterly "traffic rankings" (Visitors & Page Views from July 2007-June 2008) of the top 35 blogs edited by law professors available here. Crouch's Patently-O ranked 6th in Visitors, 5th in Page Views. McGuinness and her fellow Contributors' Opinio Juris ranked 19th in Visitors, 16th in Page Views.

Patently-O (11th), Opinio Juris (19th), and Lambert's and his fellow contributor's Truth on the Market (31st ) were all recognized among the top 50 most influential law blogs for 2007 in rankings by the popular legal blog Race to the Bottom reported here.