law b riefs
Faculty Spotlight
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aw Professor Cynthia Mertens was named a 2010 Woman of Influence by the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal. The honor is given to exceptional Silicon Valley women who make a difference in the community and are leaders in the private, public, or not-for-profit sectors. Professor Gerald Uelmen’s client in a medical marijuana case prevailed at the California Supreme Court, in a January decision that made national headlines. Uelmen represented Patrick Kelly in seeking to overturn legislative limits on how much marijuana a patient can possess. The state high court upheld a lower court ruling that tossed out the conviction of Kelly, who was arrested for possession of 12 ounces of dried marijuana and seven plants. A 2003 state law had allowed for a maximum of eight ounces.
Cynthia Mertens
Margaret Russell
Professor Margaret Russell has been appointed to the U.S. Magistrate Selection Committee by Chief Judge Vaughn Walker of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. This work involves reviewing U.S. magistrates whose terms are up for renewal, as well as filling new vacancies in the Northern District. Russell continues to serve on Senator Barbara Boxer’s Judicial Nomination Advisory Committee, which makes recommendations for federal district judges and the U.S. attorney for the Northern District. For more news on faculty activities, check the faculty spotlight page: law.scu.edu/faculty/faculty-spotlight.cfm.
Conferences and Symposiums QQ
On April 16, Santa Clara Law hosted the second Women and Law Stories Conference, which focused on women’s stories which led to legal changes, and what they can teach about law and social change.
On March 12 and 13, the Santa Clara Journal of International Law and the Center for Global Law and Policy sponsored Corporations and International Law, a symposium which focused on the implications of both American and international law for regulating, protecting, and holding corporations accountable for their operations around the world.
conference. Speakers included San Jose Congressman Mike Honda, Jane Kim of the San Francisco Board of Education, and Justice Nathan Mihara of the California Court of Appeal. Angelo Ancheta and Anna Han were among the speakers from Santa Clara Law. QQ
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Members of eight Northern California law schools gathered at Santa Clara Law on Jan. 31 for the Asian Pacific American Law Student Association’s 10th annual
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A symposium, “The Clean Technology Revolution: Developing Solutions for Tomorrow’s Legal Challenges,” was sponsored by Santa Clara Law's Computer and High Tech Law Journal at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View on Jan. 29. On Jan. 22, the Santa Clara Law Review sponsored a symposium that examined policy, policing, and incorporation after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on the right to bear arms in D.C. v. Heller.
Patricia Mahan ’80, the current mayor of Santa Clara, spoke to law students in February during a Law Career Services event. She discussed careers in government and reflected on her own work in city government.
For links to more information on these events, see law.scu.edu/sclaw.