The Forum

Jolene Cieniawski,

Editor in Chief

Ok, so chances are that at least 80% of the students AND professors here at VUSL have some sort of online social networking account, whether it be Facebook, MySpace, or something else.  Chances also are that those who have an account check it at least once a day, but probably more like five to ten.  I bet most of us check our online account more in one day than we check our email or our online bank account.  So what is the attraction?  And furthermore, are these sites a good thing or a bad thing for us as future lawyers?

Many of us would agree that online social networking sites are just that – online social networking.  They are a fun way to network with other people without having the hassle of picking up the phone or seeing people in person.  But, are we really networking through these sites?  When I think of networking, I think of reaching out to prospective employers or current or past colleagues who may be able to offer me something or vice versa in this professional world.  That being said, those professional types of people are the ones who most of us deliberately try to keep off our page.  We change our privacy settings to make us undiscoverable or at the very least , uninteresting with just a profile picture and current location.  And God forbid someone in our professional network ask to be our “friend” – we don’t want them seeing our Wall or pictures!  It’s arguable that the “networking” we really gain entails silly banter with friends, showing our friends what we are “Fans” of, and stalking old lovers or schoolmates.  This may be more of distraction that an actual networking tool, as it claims to be.  Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the online world of “social networking,” but every time I see a “Farmville” or “Mafia Wars” post, I feel more and more as if the networking intent is slowly disappearing. 

Yeah, so I share my life with my friends on my online social networking page and preclude all professional relationships by hiding myself – what does this have to do with the world of lawyering?  Well, it’s a somewhat scary thought to imagine that people are trending toward favoring a more informal, electronic way of keeping in touch, rather than a face-to-face approach.  Sure, a huge part of a lawyer’s job is to maintain contact with a client in the most convenient way possible, and this may not be face-to-face, i.e. via phone or email, but has the door been opened to a slow loss of actual human communication?  If we are used to the nuances of online social communication, will we freeze up when we have to actually see people in person?  If we become too engulfed in a world of convenience and short-cuts, our clients can suffer and we may not even know it unless you have that outspoken client who will explicitly demand your attention and human correspondence.  Other clients will slip through the cracks and will likely never return to you if you don’t know how to be warm and open to them in person.  You may even lose clients by being put into an unwanted situation.  For example, a few years back when I was selling real estate, a client of mine “Friended” me on Facebook.  Needless to say, I was shocked – I remember thinking, who does that?  Why would he possibly want to be my “Friend” online?  Aside from my shock, anxiety set it.  If I “Friend” him, he’ll see my entire personal world.  If I don’t, I may offend him and lose him as a client.  It seemed like a lose-lose situation to me, but I had to choose something.  I decided to ignore the request, and luckily our business together soon ended and he moved on.  I still think about it, though, and hope it never happens again. 

Online social networking has other implications in the legal world aside from client relationships.  In law school, we learn about the continuing evolution of case law and statutes accepting emails and electronic communications as hard copy paper.  Will online social networking sites fit in this realm?  As lawyers, we’ll have to continually check our jurisdictions to make sure we are on top of what’s going on.  Our courts are new to the concept, but Australia and New Zealand are making headway in this area.  Their courts have found in 2008 and 2009 that Facebook is a valid protocol to send notice to defendants and it is also an acceptable avenue to send and receive legal papers/filings.  A site that we see as fun and time-wasting is suddenly now a serious avenue for correspondence in every day legal life.

So, what’s the point of the article?  Be aware of the implications online social networking can have on your professional life.   I know you’re thinking ‘yeah, yeah, yeah,’ but I sure wasn’t thinking that when one of my clients hunted me down.   It may be the fun, hip thing to do, but always expect the unexpected.  You never know who your clients will be and you never know when and how your online social networking world will collide with your professional one.               

Jolene Cieniawski is a 2L and can be reached at forum@valpo.edu.   874 words

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.

The 1L Chronicles: May Edition

By Dan D. Hallberg

Managing Editor

I remember when I was in high school thinking as I entered my sophomore year, “Wow, there is no better feeling then not being a freshman anymore.” Well I was wrong, because I am quite sure that there is no better feeling in the world then not being a 1L anymore.

If I remember correctly from orientation, there were a lot of copies of The Forum lying around and to kill the time many of us read through them several times. Well, I hope some of you incoming 1Ls are reading this column now because this column is for you. In fact this column could even be yours next year. I mean, I can’t write it, so someone has to. So here you go, a little advice for you just cutting your teeth in the law school world from someone who just finished the year.

Words of Wisdom for the Valpo Law School Class of 2013

1.  Don’t hoard books.

This won’t make any sense to you right now, but in a week or so you’ll have your first legal research assignment. First off, I’m sorry. Second off, if you need a book, don’t take it to your desk; just write down the answer or the info you need in a notebook or something in the stacks where you found it. If you don’t, everyone will hate you.

2. Make outlines, don’t collect them.

The whole reason you do outlines is so that you review the material as you write them. There’s nothing wrong with having a few others to compare with, or even well organized one from someone else for use on open book exams. However, you don’t need to start up a collection of them, there is such a thing as too much information.

3. Don’t be late to Civ Pro.

If you have Prof Lind she will kick you out. No joke. Other than that, she is a delightful person.

4. Don’t worry about grade normalization.

I know a lot of you have been getting A’s for the better part of your scholastic career. What you’re going to find out is that that’s not going to be the case here. We have a thing called grade normalization going on here and it kind of works like a bell curve. Other law schools will have a curve or something like that, but a grade system like this is not that uncommon. You won’t ever understand it, it won’t affect your grade too much, and you have have absolutely no control over it, so don’t worry about it.

5. Everyone’s first writing grade sucks, just take a deep breath and deal with it.

You’ll be getting your first writing assignment soon, and you’re going to work very hard on it. You’ll put in tons of effort and try to work in things you learned from writing in undergrad and think that you did a good job adjusting to the new writing system that we use in law school. Then, about a month later when your prof finally grades it, you’ll see that your paper is hemorrhaging pen ink. Don’t be discouraged, it happened to all of us, and we’re still here. Also, don’t forget the honor code, that’s 10 points right there.

So that’s it guys, for those of you leaving good luck getting jobs, and for those of you coming in, heed my words. Trust me, they’ll do you a lot of good.

Dan is a 1L and can be reached at forum@valpo.edu.

Well, another baseball season is upon us. Being a Cubs fan, I tend to get excited about another year of baseball, hanging my hat on previous years where we “almost made it.” This year my playoff hopes may be fleeting, but they’re still alive, as they are for any Cubs fan. Although my loyalty is true and true, I have my eye on a few other teams that may go farther than everyone expects, but let’s start with a preview of the Cubs season.
Two years ago, the Cubs won 97 games – the second most in baseball behind the Angels and tied with the Rays. Then last year, they infected themselves with Milton Bradley, Geovanny Soto had his “sophomore slump,” and injuries really screwed Aramis Ramirez and Alfonso Soriano. This year, the Bradley infection has cleared and Soto has vowed to rebound from his slump excuse. Ramirez has been my guy since 2003, and if he can stay healthy, I think he can team up with Derrek Lee, Ryan Theriot, and Mike Fontenot to make some magic happen. I have nothing to say about Soriano. He has started off the season already with three errors and he was never the “superstar” we thought he was after he joined the team. As far as pitching is concerned, we’ve got Carlos Zambrano for a long time, so hopefully his comfort with this team will keep him in solid pitching mode and Carlos Silva may be revived now that he’s on a this new. The Cubs have their flaws, but they also have the makings of a solid club and could sneak up on teams this season. They have a huge challenge with the Cardinals, but hey, anything can happen.
Another sneak team this season will be (and I hate to say it) the Chicago White Sox. Being a Cubs fan, I am quite pleased that Jim Thome is gone and the chants of “Thome’s Home-eys” are a thing of the past, but the team’s still got a few heavy hitters. Jake Peavy is their main man and Paul Konerko is always a favorite with Alex Rios, Mark Teahen, and Mark Kotsay are all there to back him up. The addition of Juan Pierre is a hit or miss – he sure didn’t do anything spectacular for the Cubs, but then again almost everyone the Cubs get ends up being a superstar somewhere else after they leave.
Going along with this “leave the Cubs become a superstar” trend, the Seattle Mariners may be a team to watch out for with the addition of Cliff Lee. Again, he didn’t do anything notable for the Cubs, but this may be his time to really shine. The Mariners also have Felix Hernandez and the always popular Ichiro Suzuki, but time will tell if these two are enough to carry an entire team through seven months. This uncertainty may be the advantage they need to creep up to the top of the league in the next few months.
The Atlanta Braves are another team I have a feeling will go pretty far, but I say this because of their impressive roster, not necessarily any action I’ve seen come out of Hot-lanta. Chipper Jones, Troy Glaus, and Nate McLouth are easy compliments to Jason Heyward, Yunel Escobar, and Melky Cabrera. If this roster can turn out runs and Heyward can prove that he deserves Rookie of the Year glorification, the Braves may be set. They gotta stay humble though – with a roster of big names, it’s sink or swim.
Well, that rounds out my top four sleeper picks for this 2010 season. My loyalty is and has always been with the Cubbies, and I hate to even mention the White Sox in this article if I’m not trash-talking about them, but I like to think that this could be a possible inflation of their ego, hopefully causing a crash and burn mid-season. I have no qualms about the other teams, they gotta make that pay-pah, too, boo boo. You may or may not see me in next year’s August issue – if these predictions pan out, I’ll likely leave law school to pursue an oh-so-rewarding career in MLB futures.

Jolene Cieniawski is a 2L and can be reached at jolene.cieniawski@valpo.edu.   669 words

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:  John Bayard

Staff Writer

This month I met with Professor Vandercoy and discussed many aspects of his law career and life.

John: So Professor Vandercoy why did you decide to give up your flourishing career as a folk singer and become a law professor?
Professor Vandercoy: I found it was easier to lip sync to a class of law students than to sing real music in front of a live audience. I also heard that you get higher admission prices with law students than concert attendees. It was a natural move since most of songs are about legal ethics anyway.

John: While you were here at Valparaiso University School of Law, you created a new sport involving Law Students. Can you tell our readers more about it?
Professor Vandercoy: While I actually created two sports. The first involves not placing enough seats in the law library and than watching as students struggle to find a place to sit. The second is actually a running bet between the faculty in which I place answers to exams in several of the tort books in the law library and see how long it takes for students to find them. As of this date, no students have even opened those books.

John: Can you describe the time you managed to take down a 500 lb Grizzly Bear using only the rules of evidence?
Professor Vandercoy: What a fun time that was. First I confined the bear with hearsay evidence rules and then smothered him with the new pocket part of Title 16 of the United States Code. However I realized that the statute I was smothering the bear with was a new subsection of 16 U.S.C. §1538 which prohibits smothering of Grizzly Bears with the United States Code. Fortunately enough for myself I was walking my man-eating shark at the time (I was a bio-engineer before becoming a great folk singing legend and had been able to engineer a shark that can breath out of water) and the shark fought off the bear for me. Congress is currently amending the statute to prohibit law professors from bio-engineering man-eating sharks. What’s next, prohibiting law students from bio-engineering man-eating sharks?

John: What do you feel is the best teaching method? Teaching students while scuba-diving or while sky-diving?
Professor Vandercoy: Personally, I prefer scuba-diving. The oxygen rich breathing suits really help the students focus more. Further, they are more incline to answer questions quickly when surrounded by my bio-engineered man-eating sharks.

I like to give my thanks again to Professor Vandercoy for agreeing to have this interview.

John Bayard is a 2L and can be reached at forum@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.