By:  Derrick Augustus Carter

Professor of Law

                In 2006, there were posters on the walls of the newly formed (New) Orleans Public Defenders’ office about justice and civil rights.  Now, in 2010, those posters are gone, and there is a large Everlast punching Bag and Speed Bag – reflecting the attorney’s frustrations in the pursuit of justice and civil rights.  As John Bayard’s article reflects, there were sixteen Valparaiso University School of Law (VUSL) students working in the Orleans Public Defenders’ office this spring break; four students working in the New Orleans Legal Aid office; and two students working at Juvenile Regional Services, the New Orleans juvenile public defenders’ office.   

                Our trips during spring break started after Hurricane Katrina.   Initially, some of us worked on gutting homes destroyed by the flood.  Soon thereafter, former VUSL student Anne Abrell (then a 1L) approached Professor Carter with a picture of a lone student working in the newly established and beleaguered public defender’s office.  Anne’s mother sent the picture to her.  Prof. Carter is a former public defender from the Michigan Appellate Defender Office.   So, Anne asked Prof. Carter, ‘’shouldn’t we do this?’’ 

                In 2006, a centralized public defenders’ office, Orleans Public Defenders, was created in New Orleans, ending the old contract attorney system.  The office was quite receptive to our approach.  There were only 22 public defenders and 87 prosecutors.  So, Prof. Carter organized a team of 10 students to work during spring break.  The students covered their entire expenses: travel, hotel, food and other incidentals.  

                Since 2006, over 95 students have attended during their law school spring breaks, with about 22 students attending each year.  Each year is different and each year leaves a legacy.  There are both many sad and funny stories.  The students see how the criminal justice system is aligned against the poor; how the criminal justice system is funded by the number of arrests; how people are hit with major sentences just for possessing drug paraphernalia.  The students see how many arrestees can’t make even the smallest bond and wait in jail for 45 to 60 days before their case proceeds.  Ultimately, many of the cases are dismissed for insufficient evidence or faulty evidence.    

                Students have seen inmates crying for help.  Former VUSL student Anthony Nwaneri felt the desperation of one inmate, who clung to Anthony and begged him for help.  Students have seen attentive jail guards and also those guards who could care less.  One guard was going to let a female prisoner defecate in her uniform, until Anne Abrell convincingly advised the guard that it would be in the guard’s best interest to avoid a stinking mess.  Another former student, Brian Bennett, held the head of an inmate as he suffered an epileptic seizure on the jail house floor.  One year, Heather Looby was determined to help an inmate dying from AIDS, who was isolated and without his medication. 

                VUSL students have written and filed wonderful briefs for the attorneys they have worked with on the trips.  Then, they have seen the attorneys win their arguments in court based on new ideas set forth by the students’ careful research and brainstorming with their peers.  Every year, the students attend death penalty trials and hearings.  The students interview the clients, and call the families.  The students meet the famous attorneys in the courthouse hallways during the trials.  The students work late into the night and become involved with the issues the trial attorneys will face for the next day.  Surrounding the Orleans Public Defenders’ office are dilapidated homes and abandoned factories.  The area is immersed in poverty, forlorned people walk the surrounding streets lined with ragged fast-food joints.  Ryan Rowan counted the number of people stopped by the police throughout the city:  every 5 minutes, someone is arrested.     

               Many students gain new friendships with each other on these life-changing trips.  We learn of individual talents:  students who are musicians, poker players, former bartenders, athletes and river dancers.  Last year, the Villanova students left their own group to hang with VUSL students - the Joe Bent effect.  After work, and late into the night, we remain together and have fun.  The laughs are memorable.  The times are precious.  Can you imagine going to a rockin’ city with 22 friends and some professors, working hard for justice, playing hard at night, and springing into action the next morning while waiting for the Love Taco to arrive?

                Some students found it exhilarating to do research in the beautiful library of the Louisiana Supreme Court.  There are monuments to critical cases in our nation’s history in that courthouse:  a monument to Plessy v. Ferguson.  Some students ran errands to the infamous 5^th Circuit Federal Court of Appeals. 

                VUSL students attended death penalty hearings and many hearings concerning prosecutorial misconduct in cases of withholding critical exculpatory evidence leading to wrongful convictions.  The students have seen some good attorneys, mediocre attorneys, and really bad attorneys.  The students discuss issues with the trial attorneys in the offices where they are assigned to work.   The students add to their portfolio. 

                Many professors come on the trip.  Prof. Carter organizes and reviews the each student’s research and writing before it is turned in to the attorneys.  For students working in the Orleans Public Defenders’ office, there is an orientation session led by attorney Benjamin Plener, that would make any legal writing program proud.  Students are introduced and simulated interviews are conducted.  There is much discussion about legal research. 

                Valpo Law Professor Paul Brietzke came twice and concentrated his efforts on the malfunctioning levees built by the Corps of Engineers.  A federal judge recently held that the Corps of Engineers is liable for their negligence.  Prof. Carter and Prof. Brietzke interviewed Chief Judge Hunter and news reporters for the New Orleans’ daily newspaper, The Times-Picayune (at a discreet, late party).

                VUSL always comes prepared.  Criminal Procedure students conduct creative and solid research within 24 hours, and then go to the next assignment.  Other law schools send students, but the students have little idea of what they are doing.  The trial attorneys have little time to explain the issues.  Our specialty brings experienced students to the table.  Prospective employers love to talk to students about their experiences in New Orleans. 

                A few years ago, Prof. Carter added a legal aid component where some 1L students could work in the New Orleans Legal Aid office.  This year, Prof. Alan White worked with the trial attorneys on foreclosure issues.  He addressed some of the faculty at Tulane Law School on similar issues.   Also, this year, Prof. Geneva Brown added a juvenile defender component, and two 3L students worked with her in that office. 

                We wish to thank Dean Conison, Associate Dean Mark Adams, and Ann Weigenant for substantial financial help this year.  Because of this help, many poor law students were able to attend this important program. 

                Students should know that the Orleans Public Defenders’ office and New Orleans Legal Aid office is hiring for the summer.  Last summer, VUSL student Korin Knutson worked in the Legal Aid Office. 

                The Orleans Public Defenders’ Office and the courthouse are about 3 miles from the French Quarter and this year we moved around in a beautiful, big, black, federal-lookin’ Chevy Tahoe, like the Secret Service.  Students crammed in the three rows, so we started calling it “the Love Tahoe.”  Of course, in the back, they couldn’t quite hear, and thought we said “the Love Taco.”  Just as fitting. 

                Many gorgeous memories:  The strange woman who fell in love with Joe D’Onofrio’s eyebrows (now, it’s impossible to ignore Joe’s eyebrows); Tony Howard’s muscles and deep laugh, including his sudden urges to hit the heavy bag in our research office and scare the living daylights out of every one – he hits like George Foreman; Melissa Macchia, who now knows what crimes against nature are – hint, it’s not littering; Sal’s Place bar across the street from the defenders’ office - dumpy on the outside, but shiny, big screen TVs and a nice pool table on the inside; the old cemetery – what better place to take a nap; the restaurants; the night clubs; the Hornets’ game; the casino – Shauna Lange’s skills at fast-track roulette; Praline, the amazing soul food restaurant we ate at; visiting the 9^th ward; and the play at the end of the week:  ‘’Ameriville,’’ a hip-hop jazz play about Hurrucane Katrina and current issues, and discussion with the cast after the play. 

                We have kept a brief bank of our legal issues filed with the attorneys.  And some students have written articles on New Orleans. 

                The following students attended this year’s trip and worked at the Orleans Public Defenders’ office at 2601 Tulane Avenue: Ryan Rowan, Tony Howard, Elizabeth Plank, Melissa Wartak, Melissa Macchia; Joe D’Onofrio, Waseem Mateen, Tim Scheiderer, Sonny Hodgin, Shauna Lange, Nicole Goheen, John Bayard, Colleen Price, Amanda Hires, Amale Booth. 

                Four students worked in the New Orleans Legal Aid office at 1010 Common Street:  Cristal Cabrera, Elizabeth Hollingsworth, Terri Quartucci, and Monica Jones.  Two students worked at Juvenile Regional Services, the juvenile defenders’ office on St. Charles Street: Heather Looby and Breanne Bucher.  

                All – Criminal Justice Warriors!    

Professor Carter can be reached at Derrick.Carter@valpo.edu.

By:  Christine Corral

Executive Director – Career Planning Center

Remaining connected is key.  Reconnect with individuals you met with over spring break, with old acquaintances and/or make new ones and keep the momentum going.  Continue to be proactive and review the monthly timelines for your career and job search provided by the Career Planning Center.  Outlines for the months of April/May and June/July follow: 

1L Points of Focus for the Job Search

April/May:

∙          Continue contacting potential employers and monitoring Strategy for career development opportunities, externship opportunities,  job postings, and job fairs

∙          Moot Court tryouts

∙          Law Review research packages distributed

∙          Continue monitoring Strategy for job fairs

 June/July:

∙          Make the most of your summer by expanding your network and actively engaging in networking events

∙          Perform Pro Bono work to build your legal resume

∙          Update your resume to include summer employment; send to CPC for review

∙          Prepare mailings for large firms who begin accepting resumes on August 1

∙          Read all e-mails from the Career Planning Center regarding upcoming events hosted before or soon after school begins and On-Campus Interviews (OCI).

 2L Points of Focus for the Job Search

April/May:

∙          Continue contacting potential employers and monitoring Strategy for career development opportunities

∙          Continue monitoring Strategy for externship opportunities, job postings, and job fairs

 June/July:

∙          Make the most of your summer by continuing to expand your network and actively engage in networking events

∙          Perform pro bono work to build your legal resume

∙          Update your resume to include summer employment; send to CPC for review

∙          Prepare mailings for large firms who begin accepting resumes August 1

∙          Read all e-mails from the Career Planning Center regarding upcoming events hosted prior to or soon after school begins and On-Campus Interviews (OCI).

∙          Schedule an appointment with a career advisor if you are interested in Federal or State Judicial Clerkships after graduation

3L Points of Focus for the Job Search

April/May:

∙          Continue contacting potential employers and monitoring Strategy for career development opportunities

∙          Continue monitoring Strategy for externship opportunities, job postings, and job fairs

∙          Update Career Planning Center on your employment status

 June/July:

∙          Make the most of your summer by continuing to expand your network and actively engage in networking events

∙          Study and sit for your State’s Bar Examination

 A comprehensive Career Development Timeline for each class can be found in the Student Resource Guide housed in the Document Library of Strategy (see the General Documents folder).  As always, if you have questions about your job search strategy, job search documents, or other job search resources, contact the Career Planning Center to schedule an advising appointment at:  219-465-7814 or visit Wesemann room 125.

Ms. Corral can be reached at Careerplanning.law@valpo.edu.

By:  Debbie Gleason and Linda Canada, On Behalf of the Law Registrar’s Office

BACCALAUREATE: A University Baccalaureate will be held at the Chapel of the Resurrection on Sunday, May 16 at 10:00 a.m.  Law students are welcome to attend but because our graduation is a week later it is not likely that you will have a cap and gown to march in the procession.  The School of Law does not have a separate Baccalaureate service.

EVENTS:  There will be a champagne reception at Strongbow Inn, 2405 US Highway 30, Valparaiso, on Friday, May 21 from 5-7 p.m. All graduates and family are invited.  Watch for further details from Associate Director of Facilities and Events Lisa Todd.

RECEPTION:  There will be a reception immediately following the Commencement ceremony in Ballroom B & C in the Harre Union, 1509 Chapel Drive (across the street from the Chapel of the Resurrection).

CAPS, GOWNS & HOODS: The 3L Steering Committee is paying for the rental of these items.  Measurements have been taken and the order has been placed.  If you have not given your measurements to Arriel Stevens of the 3L Steering Committee, please do so immediately.  Once the order has been received, information will be posted as to the time and place of distribution. Caps, gowns and hoods must be returned to Ballroom A in Harre Union immediately following the Commencement ceremony.  Please plan your photos accordingly.  If you have questions regarding the rental of caps/gowns/hoods contact Arriel Stevens before May 2, 2010, at arriel.stevens@valpo.edu.

COMMENCEMENT:  10:00 a.m. at the VU Chapel, Saturday, May 22.  Doors open at 9:00 a.m. and lineup is at 9:30 a.m. Attendance is mandatory and it is assumed that you will attend the ceremony.  If you are not attending the ceremony, please notify the Registrar’s office and request permission to be absent from Dean Adams by securing an absentee form from Director of Student Relations, Joseph Baruffi, room 267.  The alphabetical lineup list for the procession will be provided later. No tickets are required for the ceremony.  Seats are available on a first-come basis (the Chapel seats 1300 people).  If a guest is confined to a wheelchair, contact Kathy Stalbaum in the Office of Integrated Marketing and Communications, 219.464.6800, or IMC@valpo.edu, to reserve seating in the Chapel on a side aisle.

COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER:  John R. Hoehner, 1974 alumnus of Valpo Law and Vice President and Director of Global Litigation, Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc. of Pasadena, California, has accepted the 3L Steering Committee’s invitation to be the Commencement speaker.

DIPLOMAS:  Plain parchment paper with a congratulatory message inside is scrolled and distributed at the Commencement ceremony.  You will pick up your “real diploma” from us in Ballroom A in Harre Union following the ceremony after you have returned your cap, gown and hood (you keep the tassel).  August graduates do not receive a diploma until mid-August.  If you receive honors such as magna cum laude – your diploma will be professionally re-printed and available to you by the end of summer.  Please make sure you have left a forwarding address with Registrar Debbie Gleason if you want the reprinted diploma mailed to you.

TRANSCRIPTS FOR BAR APPLICATION:  You must request a final official transcript to be sent to the Board of Bar Admissions.  This request requires your signature and we cannot make this request for you.  All official transcripts requests must be made to the University Registrar’s office in Kretzmann Hall, 1700 Chapel Drive.  You will find their transcript request form online at http://www.valpo.edu/registrar/assets/pdfs/transreq.pdf .

WARNING: Please check for “restrictions” (holds) on DataVU.  Your transcript and diploma will be retained by our office if you owe money to the Finance Office, Campus Police, Christopher Center or Law Library, or the Law School Emergency Loan Fund.  All fees and tuition must be paid to the University and School of Law as of 5:00 p.m. Friday, May 21 (offices are closed on Saturday).

NOTE:  There will be no commencement mailings to parents or spouses, so please share this Commencement information with family and friends. There is no rehearsal for the commencement ceremony. Contact us if you have questions.

Debbie Gleason, Registrar, can be contacted at Debbie.Gleason@valpo.edu.

Linda Canada, Assistant Registrar, can be contacted at Linda.Canada@valpo.edu.

By Dean Mary Persyn

Sarah Glassmeyer joined the Law Library faculty on Thursday, April 1.  Her title is Faculty Services and Outreach Librarian.  While helping the faculty with their research is the primary goal of her position, Professor Glassmeyer will also be teaching in the legal research program.  Her office is in Room 262.

Professor Glassmeyer is coming to us from the Alvin E. Evans Law Library at the University of Kentucky School of Law where she has been a reference librarian since 2006.  Previous to that position she was a reference librarian at the University of Dayton.  Her particular areas of interest include Web 2.0 and the use of social media in law libraries.  She has given numerous presentations on social media to library and legal organizations.  You can find Professor Glassmeyer on the web at http://sarahglassmeyer.com/.

A native of Ohio, Professor Glassmeyer earned her B.A. in Anthropology and her M.L. S. from Indiana University-Bloomington, and her J.D. from the University of Cincinnati.

Dean Persyn can be reached at Mary.Persyn@valpo.edu.

By: Heather Looby

Editor-in-Chief

Graduation time is fast approaching. In just about a month and a half—May 22, 2010—the Class of 2010 will become Valparaiso University School of Law’s newest alumni. Unlike the end of college, which for many of us meant starting law school in the fall, most of us have no idea what the future holds. Not only are we are entering one of the worst legal markets in history, but the majority of us also have student loans, the monthly payments of which will probably match or exceed our monthly rent/mortgage payments. Personally, I cannot think of any other point in my life when I have been more excited, yet also more scared about what is to come. While I suspect that working into the early morning hours seems a little easier when you are being compensated for your legal expertise, leaving the “law student lifestyle” will be bittersweet, especially since countless former colleagues have forewarned me that studying for the upcoming bar examination (and then waiting to get the results) will make me “wish I was back in school.” With all of that being said, I’m going to take this opportunity to reminisce a little about my time here at VUSL. I now offer all of you what have been ten of the most memorable moments of my law school career, ones which I suspect many Forum readers can also relate to. In no particular order (although most of these events occur pretty sequentially):

(1) Getting into law school (at Valpo, of course). I’m counting this one because writing your personal statement, rounding up letters of recommendation, and preparing for/taking the LSAT is hard work!!! It’s nice to finally get an acceptance letter (or fifteen, as some students in this school have boasted about), saying that you have been admitted somewhere. Sadly, this is the easiest part of your law school career.

(2) The first time that you are “cold-called” on in class. Enter the infamous Socratic method of teaching. You’re in the professor’s hot seat and every eye in the classroom is on you. The pressure to say something brilliant is on! Some of us sink, some of us swim, and some of us are too tired/defeated to care. Regardless of your class rank, we’ve all been there and can relate to this terrifying feeling.

(3) Receiving your first semester grades. Good or bad, now you have the proof that you can survive this thing called law school!

(4) Turning in your 1L Appellate Brief. This is a monumental moment in the life of just about every law student across the USA. There is a short-lived high that comes from completing this law school “rite of initiation.” Then, if you are a Valpo student, you realize that you have a legal research assignment due the next day. Buzzkill!

(5) Receiving your first call for an interview. Externship or pro bono, private or public sector, paid or unpaid, the first time that someone is willing to take a chance on your legal knowledge and skill set is rewarding and provides that much needed boost of confidence after surviving 1(Hel)L year.

(6) The first day of 2L Year. You’ve survived the worst of it. Didn’t read for class because of all of your extra-curriculars (the preparation of which started before the summer was even over)? You’re not worried about getting called on because you (and the rest of the class) has that killer outline that says word-for-word what the professor is saying. Plus, you should have a better idea of how to study for exams and you know what works for you.

(7) Having someone come to you with a legal question and being able to be confident in the answer that you give them! DISCLAIMER: This only applies after advising this random person that you are not a licensed attorney and are not able to provide them with actual legal advice. I’m not sure if everyone’s experience has been the same, but almost daily or at least weekly throughout the past three years, everyone who I have encountered outside of Wesemann Hall expects me to be an expert in every area of the law. Once people hear that I am a law student, they just assume that I have the answers to all of their legal questions. Sometimes I’m not even sure about things that I tell my clinic clients, but don’t tell Dave Welter. However, I guess that this one could even apply to the first time that you give an answer in class that you were halfway confident in. Anyways, the point is that this moment is great because it makes you feel like some of the thousands of pages of reading that you have done might be starting to sink in. This in turn makes you feel a little better about all of the cash that you are currently spending (or will be paying back ) for your fine legal education here at VUSL.

(8) Turning in your 3L Seminar paper or completing your law review note. This one is still in progress for me. It is time-consuming and stressful, but it is also a requirement to graduate from VUSL, so it seems like something to be proud of. Major props to the people who have and will accomplish both of these things!

(9) 100 Day Party! You realize that you are graduating from law school in a little over 3 months! You can see the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s a cakewalk from here on out. Besides, we all know that no professor is heartless enough to fail a 3L, although I don’t want to be the person to test this theory out.

(10) GRADUATION (and all of the events surrounding it)! Still waiting for this one too. However, I’m pretty sure that this will be one of the best moments of my entire life.

Heather is a 3L and can be reached at forum@valpo.edu.

By:  Mike Duffy

Last week, Congressional Democrats reached a deal on healthcare wherein members of the party would personally provide medical services to reduce the cost of the healthcare bill.  Former President Bill Clinton was tapped to perform mammograms.  Clinton told The Forum that, “At first I wasn’t too sure about this, but once I got a feel for the job, I knew it was the right thing to do.  I’m very excited by all this hands-on experience.”  Congressman Barney Frank has turned his Massachusetts office into a prostate exam room.  Frank told reporters, “The men of Massachusetts should know that I have a firm grip on their well-being.”  Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi have opened an office adjoining Franks’ wherein they perform vasectomies.  Pelosi told the Affiliated Press that “With a snip here and a cut there, we’re going to save the taxpayers boatloads of money in healthcare costs.”  Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced that Guantanamo Bay will be reopened as a health spa.  Former inmates will be hired as masseuses and manicurists.  Spa director Khalid Sheikh Mohammed told PMSNBC, “I can’t wait to perform colon cleansings on all you infidel pigs!”  William Ayers and Reverend Jeremiah Wright have opened a mental health facility in Chicago called Democrats Against Mental Negativity (DAMN).  Wright quipped that “When America’s chickens come home to roost, they first stop here for a mental refresher.  I tell them, ‘Don’t worry, we’ll DAMN you, alright!’”  Ayers agreed, noting that “Just like I did to that New York police headquarters back in the ‘70s, I’ll blow your mental problems sky high.”  Ayers’ wife, Bernadine Dohrn, has given up her law professorship to become a surgeon.  She was overheard as saying, “My years of experience in making bombs have made my hands particularly adept at brain surgery.”  Yesterday, Vice President Joe Biden opened a baldness clinic.  During its opening ceremony, Biden pronounced, “Democrats chipping in to help the poor and sick is as natural as the hair on my head!”  Not to be outdone, President Barrack Obama is heading a nicotine addiction program.  Obama told The Forum, “The American people should know that Democrats are serious about healthcare reform.  We’re not just blowing smoke.”  Obama did admit to being disheartened by his sinking approval rating and the public backlash against the healthcare bill, but he was reassured by President Clinton, who told him, “Look, Barry, like I tell my patients, you’ve got to stay firm.”  Republicans have been highly skeptical of this initiative.  Former Vice President Dick Cheney told The Forum that “These Democrats ought to specialize in proctology because they’re all a bunch of asses.”  According to the Office of Budget Management, the Democratic plan should trim $872.57 off the $962 trillion dollar bill.  Obama said “We’re bringing America chains, uh, I mean change it can believe in.”

Mike is a 3L and can be reached at forum@valpo.edu.

Funnier Than You Might Expect

By:  Ross Brennan

Columnist

            Garry Marshall, the man who brought you Pretty Woman and who I guarantee you would recognize even if you cannot picture him right off the bat, now brings you Valentine’s Day.  Marshall’s latest take on the RomCom is a funny piece that tells the romantic stories of numerous of people and couples, all of which are nicely intertwined.  Think Crash, but with a much lighter subject matter.

            There really is not a main character in the film, despite the previews that make it appear as if Julia Roberts is the focal point.  Thus, I will try to give you a quick rundown of what is going on and what to expect.  Ashton Kutcher is in love with Jessica Alba.  Jennifer Garner is best friends with Kutcher, but is in love with the very married McDreamy, who plays a doctor (what a stretch).  McSteamy, who plays a pro football player whose story is not-so-loosely based on Brett Favre, is in love with a mystery guest, as are Julia Roberts and Bradley Cooper.  Jamie Foxx and Jessica Biel both hate Valentine’s Day, respectively.  Topher Grace is in love with Anne Hathaway.  Taylor Swift is in love with Taylor Lautner.  Hector Elizondo, another face you would recognize even though you do not know the name, is in love with Shirley MacLaine.  George Lopez is in love with his wife, although we do not get to know her.  And Queen Latifah and Kathy Bates are sprinkled in, but without objects of desire.

            If that was hard to follow, I apologize.  It was the best I could do.  While Valentine’s Day has some sappy moments that are cliché-ridden, there are some genuinely funny parts.  A particularly funny scene involves two high-schoolers who are planning to make this Valentine’s Day extremely special.  As expected, a parent comes home.  Obviously predictable, but still a fresh take on a funny scene.  Jamie Foxx has some good scenes, and Topher Grace shines as a native Hoosier who is now a L.A. transplant.  Viewer beware, there are some jokes that involve Indiana as a punch line.

            Overall I would recommend Valentine’s Day.  For the gentlemen out there, if you have the will power to walk past Edge of Darkness and actually have a seat in the Valentine’s Day theater, you will discover a few jokes you appreciate.  For the ladies, I do not have to tell you that the movie is geared towards your tastes.  Enjoy the 125 minutes of romance, and take it for what it is worth.

Ross is a 2L and can be reached at Ross.Brennan@valpo.edu.

NEWS FLASH:  1L, Adam Claudy is taking over as our Forum movie reviewer next month!!!

By:  Derrick Augustus Carter

Professor of Law

Twenty-four Valparaiso University Law students will accompany Professor Derrick Carter to the New Orleans Public Defenders’ Office during spring break. The students will conduct bond hearings, interviews, research, write briefs, and observe death penalty trials. 
Four students will work in the legal aid office with Professor Alan White and the legal aid attorneys.  Professor Geneva Brown will explore work in the Juvenile Defenders’ Office.

Professor Carter can be reached at Derrick.Carter@valpo.edu

By:  Joanna Lekkas and Erika Nelson

Moot Court Executive Board Members

Attention all 1L & 2L’s! Are you looking to become involved with a competitive team next year?  Are you looking to get more practical legal experience beyond the books?  Are you looking to shine and refine both your written and oral advocacy skills?  Then tryout for the Moot Court Society this Spring! Moot Court is a team comprised of second and third year law students who compete in both intraschool and national competitions.  It is an intense and competitive team that requires fine tuned oral argument skills as well as clear and concise writing at the appellate level.   A number of employers require or strongly recommend that potential applicants have this team or law review on their résumés.  

The highlight of the fall semester is the annual Swygert Competition where members receive a legal problem, write an appellate brief and then argue both on and off brief in front of panels of judges.  All members participate in the oral arguments, and judges advance competitors to subsequent rounds based on both their advocacy skills and written briefs.  The number of competitors then decreases for the Sweet Sixteen, Elite Eight, and Final Four rounds.  The final four competitors argue in the final round of competition.   The final round is judged by actual judges and justices.  In fact, two years ago Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia participated as a member of the panel for the final round!  

The second semester mostly involves preparation for national competitions. Team members travel to competitions across the country.  Teams write appellate briefs together, travel to their competition location, and compete against numerous other high profile law schools in the country.  This year, our team placed third in a Trademark competition in Chicago while outshining top law schools!

If you are interested in trying out and hopefully joining this team, please come to our informational meeting during Chapel Break on April 1, 2010 (date subject to change) to learn more and ask any additional questions.  Tryouts will take place April 19^th and April 21^st.  (times TBA). The first round of tryouts involves arguing for 10 minutes on brief.  There will be a cut after the first round of tryouts.  Those who make it to the second round of tryouts will argue 10 minutes off brief.  Those who are successful in the second round of tryouts will become members of the Moot Court Society.

Remember, all are encouraged to tryout and we look forward to seeing YOU at the informational meeting on April 1, 2010.  Please contact Joanna Lekkas (Joanna.Lekkas@valpo.edu) or Erika Nelson (Erika.Nelson@valpo.edu) with any further questions.

While you are worried about upcoming finals or getting job or internship interviews, Amelia Peterson not only shares your concerns but also prepares to help her home country of Zimbabwe and care for her newborn.

“This sounds crazy, but my brain seemed to work a lot better when I was pregnant,” says Peterson while laughing.

Peterson, 30, is a second-year student at Valparaiso Univer­sity School of Law in Indiana. With a successful first year un­der her belt, she had planned to try out for her school’s law journal, but giving birth to her daughter during the write-on period nixed that plan.

She says juggling her law school life with her home life is not as difficult as some may think.

“After 5 p.m., I’m a mom,” Peterson says. “I pretend I’m at work from 8 to 5 in the law school. I don’t study at home, which surprises a lot of my classmates. It’s discipline and a time-management thing, and so far it’s working for me.”

Peterson arrived in the United States in 2002 and earned her undergraduate degree in international busi­ness from Johnson & Wales University in Colorado, where she met her husband, who is also from Zimbabwe.

“When I started interna­tional business, I became very interested in globalization and the behavior of U.S. companies when they manufacture goods in third world countries, and my thesis was about that and sustainable development,” Peterson says. “I became interested in rights of people who were being profited off of by big U.S. companies and felt like those were the people who were being forgotten. I want to push for better working conditions for people like that.”

Peterson said she and her husband look forward to mov­ing back to Zimbabwe within the next decade but not too soon. “If we were to go back to Zimbabwe right now, we wouldn’t be able to get jobs,” she explains. “With the trade embargo against Zimbabwe right now, everything is in shambles, and it’s a difficult place to live in at the moment.”

So Peterson plans to finish law school and gain relevant job experience while her hus­band finishes his work to earn a Ph.D. before moving back to Zimbabwe. She dreams of using her law degree at the national level in her home country to help formulate policy with non­governmental organizations to address human rights issues.

“Back in Zimbabwe I want to help with establishing the rule of law,” Peterson says. “I’d like to work to establish a fair and balanced judiciary system that isn’t biased. Right now people are being murdered in Zimbabwe, and victims’ family members have no legal recourse that is working.” In addition to helping people gain better working conditions and have access to a reliable judicial system, Peterson says she also wants to work with charities to provide meals to thousands of children before their school days begin.

Growing up in Zimbabwe with a father who was a road engineer and a mother who was a nurse, Peterson says she and her five siblings had the “best childhood anyone could’ve ever asked for,” even though there was a lot of unrest in the country.

Peterson says there are still relatively safe places left in Zimbabwe, and she looks forward to having her daughter experience the same school systems in which she flourished.

“People in Zimbabwe have a strong sense of community,” she says. “Neighbors love your kids like their own. My husband and I attended boarding school in Zimbabwe, and the educa­tion I received there is compa­rable to good U.S. schools.”

Peterson says she and her husband are hopeful that Zimbabwe will emerge from its economic collapse a bet­ter country in terms of more opportunities for its people, and that its government will provide the basics for its citizens—such as security.

“I’d like for people to know that I was born at the height of my country’s war for indepen­dence, so things like gunfire and burning villages… I’m familiar with those things,” Peterson says. “Living now in a small American town where it’s safe and kids are running around everywhere—it feels like an alternate universe.”

Peterson says she appreci­ates everything the United States has to offer, including its system of institutions of higher learning and its friendly people.

“I really appreciate this country and its people for expanding my mind and helping me to help my home country,” Peterson says.   •

Hays Burchfield

Hays Burchfield is a third-year law student at the University of Mississippi School of Law.

Do you know a distin­guished law student who would make an interest­ing subject for Spotlight? E-mail suggestions and contact information to studentlawyer@abanet.org (subject line: Spotlight).

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