To all you thousands of 1L’s, welcome to law school.  I’m sure you’re finding that the rest of us continuing students are nothing but the nicest, most helpful, non-surlyiest, most jubilant people you’ve probably ever run across.

You should see us around Christmas when finals come along, and we are so ensconced in the Christmas spirit that many of us forgo shaving in order to grow our own Santa beards and consume enough frozen pizzas and $6 bottles of ____ that our bellies jiggle like bowls full of jelly.  You too can look forward to this type of care free lifestyle if you take our advice.

Steps to Success:

1.    Read the dissenting and concurring opinions.  No ifs ands or buts about this one folks.  Ask anyone.  And if you believe this one, I have a Toyota that was supposed to be recalled on four separate occasions that I can sell you.  But seriously, if anyone asks you about a dissenting opinion just stand up and quote Reece Bobby from the film “Talladega Nights” and say “If you ain’t first, you’re last”.  Then explain that you live your life a quarter mile at a time and sprint out of the class.  Professor Lind will love that and won’t yell at you at all.

2.    ABC method to classroom participation.  Always Be Contributing.  Seriously.  No matter how banal or irrelevant of a contribution you can make, make it.  You 1Ls and 2Ls are naturally amazing at this and predisposed to wow not only your professors, who are very, very interested in what you have to teach them about the law, but your fellow students as well, who would much rather hear about your own personal stories than learn about the class.  After all, the majority of our 1L Criminal Law final  covered what Jerry saw on an episode of “The First 48” and why it was all wrong.

3.   Work as hard as you possibly can.  Then work harder.  Prior to undertaking a study of the law, a mentor to one of the writers posed the question to him, “Mr. [Future Writer of Barely Legal], do you want to be stupid for the rest of your life?”  The wisdom that was later gained from the above quotation- and gained only after throwing-up during the very first final, after grades were given and on the first day of ASP- is that law school is hard.  To succeed admirably will demand a great amount of work.  And no truer words could be spoken after reading the 2010 Entering Class Profile.  Which brings us to our next point:  Law school is competitive.

According to the Office Admissions publication the 2010 Entering Class has an individual that performed as a background dancer to Jerry Springer on “Dancing with the Stars.”  Another individual was a background vocalist for a Grammy award winning singer.  If you think for a second that such gifts will secure you a trophy come time for the SELA Talent Show, well then surprise!  The 2010 Entering Class also includes a Blue Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ready to roundhouse you off the stage.

A quote by Coach Jack Reilly probably better and more succinctly conveys the point we are trying to make, that is, “It’s not worth winning if you can’t win big!”

(editing comment, don’t publish: Brazillian Jiu Jitzu is a grappling discipline that wouldn’t teach you how to roundhouse anyone.  Please adjust accordingly.)

Look around. How many of your classmates have or are using a computer while you are reading this article. Most, right? And how many of those computers have Word as the installed word processor. Again, most, right? But, how many of those computer users know how to save time and effort by using Word shortcuts and other time saving tools. Not many, right?

Let’s start with the basics and begin with some of the shortcut keys. BTW, these tips are designed for PCs but might work in a Mac by substituting the command key for the control <ctrl>key. If I used a Mac I could tell you more…but I don’t. Almost all are also designed for use in any Windows program and not just to Word.

Copying, pasting and cutting: to copy – highlight your text and use <ctrl> c. (For the real basics, this means hold down the control key and press the c key at the same time.) To paste, put your cursor where you want the copied text to go and <ctrl> v. To cut, highlight the text and <ctrl> x. Once cut, text can be pasted other places with <ctrl> v. Want to copy or cut an entire document, <ctrl> a to highlight the entire document, then copy or cut.

Finding and replacing: with an open document, <ctrl> f opens a box where you can type in what you are looking for. <ctrl> h allows you to not only find but replace. Forgot to italicize a case name throughout a document? <ctrl> h allows you to find and italicize normal text, using the format button and choosing italics from the font list that comes up. <ctrl> z will undo your last action, BUT only the last action. So if you accidently delete your entire document don’t do anything else before <ctrl> z.

Want to format, bold, underline or italicize while typing. Use <ctrl> b, <ctrl> u, or <ctrl> i respectively. And everybody knows a double click with the left mouse key will highlight a single word and triple clicking will highlight an entire paragraph so I won’t mention that one. Change your font, try <ctrl> <shift> f. Pick the font you want to use.

How many times have you wanted to copy something from a website and paste it into your document, only to find the formatting is completely messed up. You can solve this by using the paste special command from the RIBBON menu. Home tab, paste icon, then paste special. This will open up a dialog box where you will choose unformatted Unicode text. Everything you copied is now in the same typeface and style of your original document. Works great for importing text from the web or when copying and pasting information from Westlaw or Lexis into your writing assignments. Helps avoid those messy font differences!

Using the newest versions of Office? Use the customize feature to set up your Quick Access Toolbar. Why try to remember under what tab page setup appears. Put it in the QA toolbar. Same with the save as icon, so you can save your appellate briefs in more than one place easily. In 2007, click on the Office button and select the Word options button, then customize. Choose All Commands and add all the commands you need. In Office 2010, use the File button, then customize and again add any commands you use constantly. BTW, the paste special command mentioned above can easily be added to the QA toolbar.

For 1Ls, consider creating a template for legal research. Easy enough to do. Open a new document, add a header, then a footer with the honor code, save as a template document. Next assignment, open the template, save as a document. Now all you have to do is remember to sign the honor code.

All of these commands can be accessed through the tabs at the top or icons within each tab. But, why take the time to search for the footnote command (under the references tab, then insert footnote) when you can add it to your toolbar.

So, these shortcuts won’t save you hours, but they will all save you seconds which add up to minutes, which make you more efficient and more cost effective, and ultimately, a better law student and a better lawyer.

The Property Law Society hosted a successful panel discussion on September 22 at the Harre Union. Speakers for the event were Valpo Law Professors, David Hollenbeck (Land Use, Municipal Finance, Local Government, and Workers Compensation Law) and David Myers (teaches Property, Entertainment, and Media law). The two presented an in depth analysis on 5th Amendment Takings Jurisprudence, including discussion on 14th Amendment Jurisprudence in takings analysis. In addition to the legal opinions on major takings cases, the two also provided multiple perspectives on takings issues from both a private property owners position and a government entity looking to exercise its police and regulatory power. Students from all years in law school were present and actively participated in the discussion. The students also provided unique perspectives from their experiences living in other portions of the country were takings issues impacted their communities.

By Dan D. Hallberg

It’s week 2 of the 2010-11 NFL season on Sunday night.  As a Colts fan, there is no other place that I would rather be then lounging on my couch ready to take in Manning Bowl II live in prime time.  Those who remember the game most likely will recall that it was the Colt’s running game that did the bulk of the work, but that didn’t stop Peyton Manning from throwing three touchdown passes.  The praise from Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth was high, and who could blame them?  It’s Peyton Manning, first ballot future hall of famer and arguably the best of all time, he deserves the praise.

The next night it’s New Orleans vs. Frisco on Monday night.  Here you have Drew Brees, consummate professional and no doubt one of the most talented passers in the league.  Often spoken in the same breath as the Manning, Brady, and Favre’s of the world.  Again, praise was high and deservedly so.  I don’t think any team except the Colts, Patriots, or Chargers (only because they didn’t want him not too long ago) would pass on having Drew Brees lead their team.

And then we have Alex Smith.  There are rarely sentences that mention Alex Smith and Peyton Manning that don’t have a “he’s no” in between their names.  But he has one good drive down the field and the announce team acts like he’s the second coming of Joe Montana.  During the drive they could do nothing but gush about how Alex Smith was the future of the organization, and how this drive shows just how mature he is.  Alex Smith finished the game with one touchdown and 2 interceptions and a respectable but not great 82.2 passer rating, but if you were reading the transcript from the coverage you’d think that he outgunned John Elway that night.

This is just one example of the football press making it it’s job to place any quarterback who has a good play on a pedestal for all the world to worship.  I read a column in the off season that ranked quarterbacks in three different classes and in the elite class there were 10 people…10 ELITE quarterbacks!  I’m no expert wordsmith, but I’m pretty sure that being elite means that there aren’t a lot of people in that class.  It’s not very elite if a third of the league has quarterbacks of that caliber on their team.

I’m not saying that they aren’t good.  Certainly guys like Joe Flacco and Matt Shaub deserve recognition for their talents and successes, but they’re still young.  They don’t need the added pressure of being put in the same category as Tom Brady.  So people should stop doing that until they’ve actually earned it.  Elite is not some word that you just hand out to anybody who throws a 30 yard pass.  It’s something you have to earn through years of constant excellence.  Otherwise Jake Delhomme and Rick Mirer would be hall of famers, and I don’t think that’s something any broadcaster would recommend.

MMA Monthly Matchups: October

Dan D. Hallberg

Well, last month was a bad month for the UFC, but WEC did pretty good and they’re free to watch if you get VS, so that’s good!  It’s an all UFC month in October, and everyone’s favorite behemoth will be in action!  So lets hope that things get better this month!

5. Michael Bisping (19-3) vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama (13-2), UFC 120, 10/16/2010

The UFC is heading back to the UK and that means that Michael Bisping has to be in action.  He’s coming off of a quality win against a tough opponent so that definitely works in his favor.  He’ll also be on home turf, so that works in his favor.  And if that wasn’t enough Akiyama just lost to someone Bisping beat two years ago.  That being said, Akiyama is certainly not someone to be taken lightly and Bisping hasn’t fought anybody with the judo cred that Akiyama has.  Still Akiyama seems reluctant to game plan, and Bisping is the best in the UFC at coming up with a strategy (even though he doesn’t always follow it) and will probably be much more prepared then Akiyama.  That’s way too many positives in Bisping’s favor, so look to him for the win, by decision or early TKO.

4. Brendan Schaub (6-1) vs. Gabriel Gonzaga (11-5), UFC 121, 10/23/2010

It’s the new next big thing versus the former next big thing.  Since losing to Roy Nelson in the Ultimate Fighter Finale, Brendan Schaub has been on a tear; destroying his last two opponents in less then a combined two minutes.  He’s looking like the next great heavyweight that Gabriel Gonzaga was supposed to be.  Gonzaga burst onto the UFC Heavyweight scene when the heavyweight division was at arguably it’s lowest point, but he had a lot of promise.  After losing his bid at the title against Randy Couture he’s had a choppy record.  He’s beaten lesser opponents, but every time he goes against some of the UFC’s newer, high quality heavyweights he comes up short.  The heavyweight division needs a gatekeeper and that’s where Gonzaga best fits right now.   That makes him a good test for Schaub.  I think Schaub has the athleticism to become a top guy in the UFC and by beating Gonzaga he will show that he also has the developing skills to become a top guy in the UFC.

3. Carlos Condit (25-5) vs. Dan Hardy (23-7), UFC 120, 10/16/2010

This one is gonna be a war.  Both of these men have been in their share of wars and proven that they can take a lot of punishment.  I, like many people, didn’t take Dan Hardy seriously at all prior to his title fight with Georges St. Pierre, but the fact that he lasted to decision after the punishment he took is a testament to his toughness and durability.  That being said, he also showed that his take down defense is extremely lacking.  Luckily for him Carlos Condit isn’t exactly a wrestling machine.  His run in the WEC showed he has vicious submissions, but he was rarely the reason they got to the ground in the first place.  That means that more then likely this fight is going to be a stand up war.  Both fighters are scrappy, no quit kind of fighters and that means lots of entertainment for us watching at home.  My mind is telling me that Dan Hardy should win, but my love of the WEC has me picking Carlos Condit by rear naked choke in the second.

2. Jake Shields (25-5) vs. Martin Kampmann (17-3), UFC 121, 10/23/2010

It’s the kickboxer vs. the wrestler in a battle that essentially is just here to introduce Jake Shields to the UFC audience.  Kampmann is coming off of an impressive win over Paulo Thiago, where he showed a very much improved ground game.  That being said, Jake Shields is a considerably tougher fighter then Paulo Thiago.  Not too long ago, middleweight Dan Henderson was in line to fight Anderson Silva, now he owns a loss to Jake Shields, a natural welterweight.  So if Shields can hold down one of the top wrestling middleweights in the world, what chance does a non-wrestling welterweight have against him? Shields practices something he calls American Jiu Jitzu, which is essentially a blending of wrestling and submission techniques and it appears to be the kryptonite of strikers.  It doesn’t appear that Kampmann will be the aberration in this pattern, so I’m going with Shield by unanimous decision.

1. Champion Brock Lesnar (5-1) vs. Cain Velasquez (8-0), UFC 121, 10/23/2010

Brock Lesnar got sick and took pretty much an entire year off.  Now he’s making up for lost time.  Just three months after his inspiring win against Shane Carwin, Lesnar faces the toughest test of his career against fellow wrestler Cain Velasquez.  Though there is no doubt that Brock has the better wrestling pedigree between the two fighters, it appears from my observations that Cain has done a better job adjusting his style to MMA then Brock has.  Brock’s biggest flaw is that he relies completely on his power to get a take down rather then setting it up with his striking.  This has been fine when he’s fought guys with lesser take down defense or guys that have been gassed by a round of hitting his face, but against a guy like Velasquez who has proven cardio and great wrestling, this strategy will be problematic.  That is what I think will be the deciding factor in this fight.  Cain has a better record against more diverse fighters then Brock does, and that puts things in his favor.  I’m going with Cain by TKO in the second unless Brock picked up some better boxing in his short layover.

Bayard’s Bon Appetite
John Bayard
Food Critic

Upon beginning my position as the new food critic for The Forum, it is my honor to discuss a necessity that binds us all together no matter what background. That of course is eating. Now granted a person can take any boring form of nutrients and survive, but what separates us from the animals is our ability to turn food into art. Yes readers I am well aware that it might be possible to teach Apes to cook or that an Octopus has a notorious taste in food, or even that the movie Ratatouille’s main character is rat who is also a gourmet chef. Save those comments for the opinion page. But I digest…
I decided to start the first restaurant review of the new school year off in style by reviewing Bistro 157 on 157 E Lincolnway, Valparaiso. Bistro 157 is one of several restaurants that participate in Eat Up, Wind Down every first Thursday of the month. On that day Bistro 157, Bon Femme, Paparazzi, Pike’s, and Don Quijote participate in discount drink specials and meals. Bistro 157 serves a rich menu of French, Asian, and American cuisine prepared by its head chief Nicole Bissonnette, who study at Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute, in France.
Upon arriving at the restaurant, I first noticed that the service is a bit slow in the beginning of the evening around 5 but quality improved as the evening continued. For all potential visitors I would plan on eating after 6. The atmosphere was that of a relaxing Jazz club, close, but still comfortable. The staff was pleasant as well as knowledgeable about the menu. This is a must for any inquisitive dinner. As part of their Eat Up, Wind Down menu, Bistro 157 offers several drink specials including Asian Pear Martini’s, Chocolate Martini’s, Hang Time Chardonnay, and Bouchard Pinot Noir. Sampling the Pinot Noir, I found it refreshing and strong with earth flavors, good for a red wine, but very difficult to pair with any non-beef dish so I’m not quite sure why they didn’t place a Merlot on the drink special menu instead.
On the other hand, the food itself was superb. For an appetizer, the escargot with onion and herb seasoning was delicious and made even better with a little pepper and olive oil. The escargot was tender and not tough and the added tomatoes matched well with flavors of the rest of the dish. If you don’t enjoy eating invertebrates, Bistro 157 offers a variety of appetizers as part of its Eat Up, Wind Down menu including duck pot stickers, smoked salmon pizza, crispy polenta with lemon pepper goat cheese fonduta, and grilled lamb kefta pita.
The main course was Grouper in a Thai peanut sauce with cilantro and ginger. The visual appeal of the dish matched its taste, which is to say the dish was a sensation to the palate. You could taste all the flavors of the sauce and the taste of the ginger and cilantro paired well with the addition of Puerto Rican rice and asparagus that was also served with the Grouper. Further, the peanut sauce did not in itself overpower the natural flavors of the fish, which sauces often do.
Finally, for dessert I had the Sorbet that included wild berry, citrus melon, and coconut key lime. The dessert was delicious and light, although the coconut key lime was a bit too sweet for me. The total price of the dinner was $41, which makes more of a once in a semester dinning experience. However, the specials were all around $5 and the main course by itself was $24. It is perhaps more suitable dinner for a celebration or a romantic evening. Bistro 157 has seasonal outdoor dining with live music acts. In conclusion, Bistro 157 offers fine cuisine and a delightful dinning experience. In the Bon Appetite rating, I give it 4 out of 5 stars.
John Bayard can be reached at forum@valpo.edu

Lone Star Picture Courtesy of FOX

In just a few short weeks, the fall television season will be underway. Last year produced a wealth of new critical and commercial successes with Glee, Modern Family, Parenthood, and The Good Wife standing out from the pack. This season, the networks are unleashing a plethora of new shows and I am here to tell you which ones are worth your valuable time this semester.

Leading the pack is HBO’s titanic blockbuster Boardwalk Empire, created by former Sopranos executive producer Terrence and Academy Award winning director Martin Scorsese. If there is one show that has a chance at taking down three-time defending champion Mad Men in the Best Drama Emmy category next year, this is it. Starring incredible character-actor Steve Buscemi as Nucky Thompson, the corrupt treasurer of Atlantic City, this show will delve into the criminal underworld of the 1920s prohibition era that Nucky ran underneath the government’s nose. Making his return to television, Michael K. Williams plays Chalky White, the unofficial mayor of the black community in Atlantic City and the head of Nucky’s bootleg operation. Williams became famous for his sensational turn in The Wire as gay renegade outlaw Omar Little, one of the most quotable and charismatic characters in television history. Michael Shannon also stars in the show as a prohibition agent. With its collection of fantastic actors and producers, along with a huge budget (the pilot cost around $20 million), Boardwalk Empire will no doubt deliver when it premieres September 19th on HBO.

By far the best new network television show of the fall is FOX’s Lone Star. Starring newcomer James Wolk as complex conman Bob Allen, a guy with a wife and a girlfriend who steals money from people by bilking investors of their savings, the show focuses on how long he can lead a double-life and keep the walls from closing in around him. His wife Cat (the gorgeous Adrianne Palicki) is the daughter of Clint Thatcher (Jon Voight), the head of a hugely successful oil company. Clint offers Bob a job at the company not realizing that Bob intends to embezzle money from the family. Bob is conflicted and contemplates starting a new venture where he can keep the two women in his life while doing legitimate work for the oil company. His mentor and father John, a longtime conman, continuously prods Bob to keep his eyes focused on the price, taking the oil firm down for all it is worth. Having seen the pilot, there are several more surprises that have not been revealed here. Suffice to say, Wolk is brilliant in the role, making you root for him even when he is a criminal and cheater who has never made an honest dollar in his life. The supporting cast is stellar and the show looks beautiful. Give this show a shot when it premieres September 20th on FOX and you will not be disappointed if you love great drama.

Another new network show with great potential is ABC’s No Ordinary Family, a show that looks like a live action version of Disney’s “The Incredibles.” Created by Greg Berlanti, who worked on Eli Stone and Dirty Sexy Money previously, the show focuses on a family that acquires superpowers following an accident. The show stars action star Michael Chiklis (The Shield) and Julie Benz (Dexter) as Jim and Stephanie Powell. The Powells have a son and daughter that also gain a specific power as the result of the accident. Romany Malco plays George, the best friend and confidante of Jim who finally finds a passion in helping the Powells use their powers to stop evil around the world. Autumn Reeser (who has been doing great work this season as Ari’s friend turned rival on Entourage) is also in the cast as Katie Andrews, a co-worker and friend of Stephanie, who is highly regarded scientist and the Executive Vice President of Research at Global Tech. Berlanti’s vision is for the show to blend action, drama, and comedy into a compelling hour each week. Several guest stars will be coming in to play villains, with the potential of more prominent bad guy to enter the cast in the future. From the previews, the show looks well-shot and the premise should intrigue anybody who likes comic books or fantasy novels and movies. By those who have seen it, Malco’s character is the standout in the cast, which should be no surprise for anyone who saw his comedic work on Weeds. While in a tough timeslot opposite of FOX’s Glee starting September 28th, this should turn out to be one of the better and most original shows of the fall so long as enough people watch it and give it a chance to grow.

Hello Valpo Law!

After a long, relaxing summer, your Student Bar Association is ready for another great year with many exciting events planned for the year and the SBA is looking forward to all of them.  The first series of events the SBA has planned for this year includes VU Day of Caring (September 18), the Cardozo Cup (October 1), and the Halloween Party (October 30).  Later in the year will feature the Health and Wellness Fair, Law Week, and Barristers.

The SBA is once again making changes this year.  We have added a new Executive Board position: the Student Organization Administrator.  This position will allow the SBA to fully assist Student Organizations to reach their full potential.  The SOA will be the contact person for the Organizations and help them through the complexities of the Law School.

The SBA is transitioning from a party planning student council to that of a pseudo state bar organization where that we are primarily working with the students to better their time here and also provide them with the necessary tools to be able to find jobs upon graduation (for those 3Ls).  For the 1Ls and 2Ls, the SBA will provide networking opportunities through support of student organizations’ events and programs so they will have the ability to find jobs later.

We also now have the tools we need to be a successful SBA. We have a fun office, a great officer and representative corps, a new website, and a new officer position to work directly with student organizations. Throughout this year, we will be streamlining process and creating information packets for students, faculty, and deans so they can know and see what we have accomplished and where we are going.

The SBA is looking forward to helping every one of you – all you need to do is ask.  Your feedback will help up continue to strive for the highest.  On behalf of the Valpo Law SBA, good luck with everything you do this year and do not hesitate to stop in the SBA office and let us know what we can do for you.

Most music enthusiasts dread hearing that one of their favorite dismantled bands has chosen a new lead singer to bring them back on the road to play songs originally created nearly 15 years ago. The assumption is that this “new” band is going to be horrible and that a good thing shouldn’t be messed with, even if it means hearing “them” live again.   Another blow is to hear that the new lead singer is a 21-year old kid.  I will tell you, none of this crossed my mind when I heard that my favorite band, Sublime, found a new lead singer to form Sublime with Rome and was coming to the Riviera Theater in Chicago on my golden birthday in April.  (An interesting “law” side note:  The new band had to be renamed as part of a preliminary injunction in favor of the deceased original lead singer, Bradley Nowell’s estate.)  I jumped online ASAP and booked two general admission tickets.   I had been playing the hell out of 40 Oz to Freedom, Robbin’ the Hood, and any other album or import I could get my hand on ever since junior high.  I just wanted to see Sublime live because I never had the chance after the original band’s lead singer, Nowell, passed away in 1996, just as I began to listen to their music.  Sure, I saw Long Beach Dub All Stars at Warped Tour awhile back, and they were great, but that band was technically a spin-off and they had their own style and songs.  THIS was an opportunity to finally hear all the Sublime songs I love live.

This may be the time to tell you that not only did I see Sublime with Rome in April, but I also saw them in July when they played at Charter One’s Northerly Island Pavilion in Chicago and I also saw them again in July at Mandalay Bay’s Hotel Beach in Las Vegas.  When a band’s your favorite, they’re your FAVORITE.  I won’t waste space rating each show individually because they were all pretty awesome.  I will mention a few brief highlights, however.  The April show at the Riviera was part of the band’s spring tour, so I liked that the set list was different than the two July summer tour shows.  Between all three shows, I was happy to hear my favorite songs (”Greatest Hits,” “Under My VooDoo,” and “Don’t Push”), but was surprised to not hear “Caress Me Down.”  The band also encored each show with “Scarlet Begonias,” “Santeria,” and “What I Got,” which I thought were excellent choices.

Now, on to the band itself and the venues.  Bud and Eric (original members) delivered wonderfully – just as I’d expected – and I was pleasantly surprised to hear the new lead singer, Rome, channel Nowell in a respectful way that still kept with the original melody of the songs.  I was impressed with his powerful voice, confidence, and enthusiasm.  The venues that held each show were also out of this world.  I had been to the Riviera Theater before and for those of you who have also, you know that it is a great nostalgic, intimate place to see a show.  The sound resonated through every corner the nearly 100 year old place!  Northerly Island Pavilion was a sweet place too – its location on the old Miegs Field spot on Chicago’s lakefront was perfect for a summer night show.  Lastly, the show in Las Vegas was just out of this world.  I love Vegas in its own right, but to be at a small “beach” (with accompanying wading pool!) at the Mandalay Hotel 100 feet away from a spectacular dub-style band at the furtherest spot pretty much topped nearly every other Vegas experience I’ve had over the 10+ times I’ve been there. The laid back atmosphere made it feel as if you were watching a small local band at some Caribbean island hideaway, and I’ll never forget it.

So to sum up, Sublime with Rome, in my opinion, is just as great as the original band.  They made do with what was left after the tragic death of their original lead singer and it works.  The places chosen to play their “comeback” tour were absolutely awesome.  I hear they’re working on a new album right now, and I’m psyched to see what original creations they’ll come up with.

The purpose of this organization is to acquire, develop, and apply knowledge in the areas of business and law.  Our mission is to provide law students with access to alumni who are working in the area of business law and with access to information concerning business law courses, programs and information regarding the study of business law and future careers.  The Society offers a venue for discussion of relevant and current issues as they arise in the field of business law.  Through our events, meetings, and conferences, we not only plan to expound in areas of business law but plan to grow in areas such as professionalism, networking, and leadership qualities in the business world.

Our organization has dedicated itself to providing extensive benefits to BLS members each semester, including: (1)  Education on various aspects of business and corporate law;  and (2) Networking opportunities with transactional and litigation attorneys working within the field of business and corporate law, as well as corporate counsel and local business persons.

Business Law Society has some exciting and educational events coming up including an etiquette dinner to educate young lawyers on how to eat, drink, and dress professionally; a financial planner who will give advice on planning for your financial future; and a fashion show to learn how to dress for success in the work world.

Please contact our president: chelsey.sarason@valpo.edu, vice president: nataly.carrasco@valpo.edu, treasurer: shantae.landingham@valpo.edu  or our secretary: michelle.teems@valpo.edu for more information.  We would be more than happy to answer questions or accept suggestions to ensure this year is a success.