W&L Law Discovery - Winter 2024

Discovery Winter 2024 % Volume 10, No. 1

the newsletter from washington and lee university school of law

THE W&L LAW CLASSROOM TODAY:

Connections Still Make the Difference

C

old calls. Open memos. Office hour debates. Seminar papers. That first client phone call. These are just a few of the milestones on the student journey from law student to lawyer-to-be. And while the faces in the classroom have changed over the years, the student experience at W&L Law today would seem very familiar even to those who graduated decades ago.

Of course, the curriculum is not frozen in time. W&L has increased experimental education requirements through additional clinics, externships and practice-based capstone classes

know as practicums. The law school also revamped the legal writing curriculum, hiring full-time legal writing instructors to teach the 1L small sections.

At the same time, today’s 1L Torts students are still greeted by a flourish of judicial robes as Professor Brian Murchison enters the classroom for the first time, and later in the semester, they huddle around him in the hallway outside his office for exam review.

It is this connection between faculty and students inside and outside the classroom that sets the W&L Law experience apart.

The Class: Legal Writing The Professor: Catlin Meade The Student: Spencer Thomas ’25L Meade: I think the most challenging thing for students is that this is not really a class about writing. Although we do discuss grammar, how to structure a legal analysis, and writing style strategies, the class is really about how to properly engage in legal analysis and how to communicate that analysis to a variety of audiences. It’s often through the work they do in Legal Writing that they realize that practicing law often means working in the gray areas on novel or complicated issues.

As a result, the first writing assignment is usually a challenge because it is so unlike the papers and exams they wrote for their undergraduate degree.

In college, papers and exams generally summarize research or class topics. However, in law school, the students are asked — usually for the first time — to make an important decision by extrapolating from the results of similar, but not the same, facts.

Summarizing the law isn’t enough.

Thomas: Legal writing does not come naturally to me (or, I don’t think, most people) in the way that expository writing does. When I first started law school, this was a frustrating reality to accept. But the fact of the matter is that being good at anything as complex and nuanced as the law requires a lot of hard work, plain and simple. I was the closest I had ever been to having a real-life panic attack the morning a draft of our open memo was due during the 1L fall semester. (I was an officer in the Army before law school — it was not that I do not cope well with stress generally.) Working at 5:30 the morning the draft was due was the first time in law school I felt tears welling up in my face. Later that morning I went to Professor Meade to profess my incompetence and apologize for submitting horribly incomplete work. She was kind, encouraging, and she reassured me that I was a competent student who was simply learning a challenging new skill.

I kept at it. Like everything else, it got better with time and effort. My final draft was, I think, at least competent. It was undoubtedly leaps and bounds ahead of what I had originally turned in.

Meade: I mostly interact with my current students during office hours. In addition to working through whatever class-related questions they have, I try to get to know them better as individuals. I believe that the more I know who a student is outside of law school, the better I can teach them. I like to share my experiences with my students as well, as continued on page 2

Top: Professor Catlin Meade catches up with her former legal writing student Spencer Thomas ’25L, now a staff writer on Law Review. Above: 1L students gather outside the faculty offices to review their open memos with their legal writing instructor.

I find that being open with them shows that I am a safe sounding board if they need someone to talk to about the stresses of law school or any personal matters that they are dealing with. I also interact with my prior students all of the time. I’ve heard from a lot of my students about how they applied many of the skills they learned in Legal Writing to their summer internships, and many reported they felt prepared to tackle the assignments. I continue to assist my students in their 2L job searches. I am currently advising many students from last year on their law review notes this year and am looking forward to the interesting notes they are writing. I love when they stop by to say hello and really enjoy supporting them at various events from moot court competitions to flag football Fridays.

Thomas: I think after a year of law school everyone feels a bit more human, but I am still impressed every day by the intellect and drive of some of my classmates. I think we understand that iron sharpens iron. In Professor Meade’s class and in others, it was helpful for each of us to bounce ideas and challenge one another when preparing for writing assignments, exams, etc. There’s a collegiality to W&L that supplements, but never detracts from, the very real challenge of being a successful law student.

More importantly though, we tend to be kind to one

another outside of the classroom. I obviously have not been a student at any other law school, but from my sense at least, this is a uniquely friendly place to still be an extremely demanding professional school.

I have made friends for life here.

their client in front of three experienced attorneys. I don’t know how many of my students do this, but I always encourage them to read their first memo and then their appellate brief at the end of the year so they can see just how far they’ve come.

“There’s a collegiality to W&L that supplements, but never detracts from, the very real challenge of being a successful law student.”

Thomas: Effective legal writing is difficult. It is also likely the most important skill a lawyer can cultivate. It takes a long time to understand a foreign piece of substantive law. It takes a long time to craft a novel or semi-novel argument from that substantive law that fits the given fact pattern you’re working with. And it takes a long time to parse that argument into an efficient, simple, elegant piece of writing. I suspect practice will be harder than law school. A client will arrive with no legal training whatsoever, and it will be up to me to distill their problems, which may be vast and complicated, into distinct legal issues. Or, alternatively, a partner at a law firm will give me a large assignment and say, “Go figure it out.” I have no doubt that on some of those future occasions I will feel inadequate and overwhelmed. When that happens, I’ll think of lessons learned in Professor Meade’s class: When the task feels so daunting that even sitting down to try to begin feels impossible, there is no alternative but to break it into chunks, start reading, and then start writing.

—Spencer Thomas ’25L Meade: My favorite time of the year is the last week of the spring semester when the students do their appellate oral arguments. Whether they realize it or not, it is a 15-minute exhibition of how far they have come in such a short time. I am constantly impressed with how prepared they are and how well they handle the pressure of a usually hot bench.

How lucky I am to get to witness their progress from their first week, when most of them have never read a judicial opinion, to the last week of the spring semester when they are debating the nuances of a Supreme Court opinion to advocate on behalf of

The Class: Torts The Professor: Brian Murchison The Student: Lesley Alvarado-Millan ’26L Murchison: Torts is all about zeroing in on the precise question presented in the assigned cases.

It’s quite an undertaking: digging through all the facts of a particular lawsuit, isolating the two or three important ones, then locating the legal rule, observing its application, and then stepping back to consider how convincing the outcome was, and what questions were left unanswered. The unanswered ones are often more compelling than the answered ones! In studying torts, one of the most challenging concepts for students is the idea that plaintiffs don’t always win a judgment, usually because they haven’t proven something called “fault,” conduct that didn’t meet a certain legal threshold. I encourage the students to compare the successful suits to the unsuccessful ones, and to begin developing their powers to evaluate a claim and predict its chances of success.

Alvarado-Millan: This course was from start to finish remarkably interesting because of the breadth of cases covered, and the sometimes impossible-seeming situations plaintiffs found themselves in. I found the concept of contributory negligence the most thought-provoking. The use of contributory negligence to bar plaintiffs from having their case tried by a court because the plaintiff had played a part in their injury seemed innately unfair. However, as we learned about other concepts tied to contributory negligence it

Year after year, students like Lesley Alvarado-Millan ‘26L, left, take advantage of Professor Brian Murchison’s hallway Torts exam review sessions.

90-minute class, when the students and I can put everything else in life aside for a while and jointly explore a compelling idea, or a policy, or a line of cases from all angles. It’s all about striving to get the most out of the classroom experience.

“I love seeing alums when they come through Lexington or attend alumni events, especially when they remember some of the crazy Torts cases that we studied. Who could forget the wild first case of a lady run down by a 3-year-old cyclist on a public sidewalk?

Chaos all around! ” –Professor Brian Murchison became clear that each jurisdiction balances its own interests and only a few states apply pure contributory negligence.

Murchison: I can see growth when the students start asking questions about the connection between substance and procedure, i.e., which cases are thrown out early, which cases survive pre-trial motions, etc. It’s great when they want to talk about not only the rules of torts but also the distinct roles of judge and jury. The best part for me is that 60- or 2

W&L

Law

Discovery

Alvarado-Millan: The lesson I will take from Torts into practice is to not be afraid to innovate in the courtroom — within reason, of course. In the words of Judge Cardozo, “Every new case is an experiment; and if the accepted rule . . . yields a result which is felt to be unjust . . . [and] continues to work injustice, it will eventually be reformulated.” In the course, we encountered several cases that involved attorneys crafting innovative legal arguments, and while few succeeded, they served as examples of client

advocacy which I aspire to emulate.

Murchison: I try to schedule fairly regular office hours for my 1Ls, and I always enjoy fielding their questions. But it’s also fun to get to know the students personally, to hear about their pre-lawschool lives, and to gauge how things are going for them in their first semester. I love seeing alums when they come through Lexington or attend alumni events, especially when they remember some of the crazy Torts cases that we studied. Who could forget the wild first case of a lady run down by a 3-year-old cyclist on a public sidewalk? Chaos all around! It’s also great to hear their own stories of practice, their own challenges and discoveries, the twists and turns of their own careers.

Alvarado-Millan: Throughout my first semester at W&L Law, I found the student community to be not only tight-knit due to its small class size but also remarkably collaborative inside and outside the classroom. The way W&L Law scheduled activities and events throughout the semester facilitated meeting other 1L students not in my class section, making it so I could put faces to names. I highly recommend 1Ls join a flag football team in the fall; it was a fun way to decompress!

The Class: Immigrant Rights Clinic The Professor: Matt Boaz The Student: Jo Shin ’24L Boaz: Immigration law is notoriously complex.

While it is civil in nature, it draws on many aspects of criminal law. While the common parlance refers to immigration “courts” and “judges,” our clients’ cases are actually governed by administrative law decisions. Students must interpret how different circuit courts, administrative agencies, and even the attorney general have applied immigration law in order to advocate on behalf of their clients.

Equally challenging is the process of building rapport and trust with clients, many of whom have suffered significant traumas before coming to, or in transit to, the United States. In our seminar class, students participate in “case rounds,” in which they present a challenging case issue to their peers and solicit feedback and insight for how they might proceed toward a solution. This provides an opportunity for all of the students to learn about both the substantive and procedural challenges that others might be facing. The students work in pairs and are the primary representatives of their clients. Projects have included filing a 1,000page evidentiary submission and brief with the Annandale Immigration Court, preparing a writ of mandamus for filing in the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of Virginia for an Afghan client seeking an asylum decision, and delivery of a Know Your Rights presentation about U.S. and Mexican asylum law to migrants.

Shin: While the clinic is only five credits, the work required to complete far exceeds the credits given.

There are two-hour seminars each week which require three to five hours of readings to prepare for the class, and weekly one-hour supervision that asks for a supervision agenda and exit memo, which takes about one to two hours to write. On top of that, the work in client representation takes up a lot of time. For example, my partner and I have a client who is detained in the Farmville detention center.

We had to visit the client every second week, which is about seven-hour round trip. I had a client whom I helped last summer, who needed a response to a Request for Evidence (RFE) from the DHS for her application to adjustment of status to LPR (legal permanent residence). The representation entailed meeting the client twice in person, and I learned a lot about her personal life — the ups and downs, her family, and her dreams. So, when Professor Boaz later told me that the response to RFE successfully supported her case and that she was granted an LPR status, it was the happiest moment for me at the clinic.

Boaz: Many of my students have never appeared in court, represented a client, or visited a detention center. By the end of the clinic, the vast majority of students will have done all three. I can tell a student “gets it,” when they reflect upon their performance without prompting. One of the main goals of the clinic is to build a practice of reflection by doing the following: (1) Preparing for client interview/conversation with opposing counsel/ closing argument, (2) Actually conducting the interview/conversation/closing argument, and (3) Reflecting upon the experience — What went well?

What challenges did I encounter? How might I approach this differently next time? When students start to execute this three-step process on their own, I know they’ve mastered a skill that will serve them well in practice.

Shin: The clinic had a policy of timely responding to emails. Personally, it was a great habit to develop and one that I know will benefit me in the future. I also learned a lot about client interviewing, client counseling (helping clients to make legal decisions), filling out immigration forms, responding to DHS’ requests, sending PD (prosecutorial discretion) requests, and representing a client in a removal proceeding in front of an immigration judge. While many things I learned are immigration law specific, many skills

Professor Matt Boaz works with students in Mexico to advise migrants on immigration issues. Above: Jo Shin ’24L taking part in class “rounds” with the Immigrant Rights Clinic.

I learned can be transferred to other practices as a lawyer, such as client communication and trial practice, including writing a brief and doing direct and cross examinations. I am excited to practice the skills I learned from the clinic in practicing as

extremely gratifying to observe this development over time, and to stay in touch with students after they graduate. I am lucky to say that two alumni are current immigration practitioners in the Charlottesville area, and that several others are

“While many things I learned are immigration law specific, many skills I learned can be transferred to other practices as a lawyer, such as client communication and trial practice, including writing a brief and doing direct and cross examinations. I am excited to practice the skills I learned from the clinic ...”

–Jo Shin ’24L an immigration lawyer or a litigation lawyer. I am currently exploring both fields.

Boaz: Because students are always working on their cases, the contours of “in class” vs. “outside of class” disappear quickly. However, one of the benefits of having a year-long course is that it provides ample opportunity for us to get to know each other. Many students have decided during the course of the clinic that they would like to practice immigration law full-time, or in a pro bono capacity. It is

practicing in the NYC/DC regions. Last year, one of my former students who works at a law firm reached out to me about speaking to the current clinic students about her experiences. She was excited to share how the lessons she had learned in the clinic were directly transferrable to her work at the law firm. I am obviously thrilled when that happens. continued on page 4 Winter

2024

law.wlu.edu

3

“Many students have decided during the course of the clinic that they would like to practice immigration law full-time, or in a pro bono capacity.”

—Professor Matt Boaz Shin: The clinic requires us to practice as student attorneys in a pair. It means we ask for each other’s feedback before any submission, and work together for every important decision-making process. The clinic also has “rounds” once a week, which give us chances to share our cases and their issues and to seek each other’s advice. In addition, Professor

Boaz holds beginning-of-semester, mid-semester, and end-of-semester clinic gatherings. For this semester, we went to Seasons Yield café to have coffee and bread together in a group of four students who are not your partners. It gave me a chance to get to know other students who you are not directly working with at the beginning of the

class. For the mid-semester gathering, we went to Heliotrope to share beer and pizzas with everyone in the class and had a casual gathering outside of class or work setting. We cracked jokes and built friendships. At the end-of-semester gathering we had a cookie decoration party at Professor Boaz’s home.

An Overview of the Curriculum First-Year Required Courses

Second-Year Required Courses

Civil Procedure Constitutional Law Contracts Criminal Law Legal Research Legal Writing I and II Property Torts Transnational Law

Professional Responsibility Evidence Most Popular Upper-Level Courses Business Associations Civil Litigation Practicum Criminal Procedure Investigations Decedents Estates and Trusts

Family Law Federal Jurisdiction and Procedure Financial Literacy for Lawyers Negotiations and Conflict Resolution Practicum Statutory Interpretation Practicum Trial Advocacy Practicum

A FOCUS ON ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE:

Lawlor Named Director of New Program Leila Lawlor joined W&L this fall as the director of the new Academic Excellence Program and a Professor of Practice at W&L Law. Leila comes to W&L after teaching law at Georgia State University since 2008, where she directed the LL.M. program, the academic success program, and ran the study-abroad exchange. At Georgia State, Leila taught Lawyering Skills, Introduction to U.S. Law, Constitutional Law, Evidence, Civil Procedure, and Business Law. Leila was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, where she and her husband Joe raised their two sons — now in their 20s.

Q. As the first director of W&L Law’s Academic Excellence Program, what goals do you have in mind for the program and law students?

Leila Lawlor, director of academic excellence, leads an exam prep session for 1Ls with Professors Drumbl, Pfeffer-Gillett, Fairfield, and Eggert.

For 1L students, we are developing a series of academic excellence workshops. We have already held workshops on briefing cases, time management, outlining, and best practices for study groups. Upcoming workshops will address how to confront a final exam, issue spotting, and how to maximize points when taking essay exams. These workshops have proven to be popular because 1L students don’t just hear from me; they also receive practical advice from upper-year students who serve on panels to discuss their own overcoming of pitfalls to attain success at W&L Law. Our new Academic Excellence Program will also host speakers who can share advice and teach techniques to enable law school success.

Stress reduction, wellness, and mapping a plan for law school and beyond are topics that I hope to emphasize. One scheduled speaker is the founder of the Mindfulness in Law Society.

Other speakers will focus on overcoming the imposter syndrome, professional identity formation, and the power of a law degree to effect societal change.

During summer of 2024, I hope to debut a pre-law school program, Jumpstart Your J.D. at W&L. My goal is to position students for a

4

W&L

Law

Discovery

successful trajectory, even before they enter W&L Law for their 1L studies.

Q. What is your favorite part of the law school experience?

My favorite part of the law school experience at W&L is something that I have found to be

wonderfully unique to this institution: our students truly support each other’s success in law school and in their future practice of law. Law school is, by its nature, a competitive experience, but at our law school the sense of community is palpable, and the students seem to compete with themselves – focusing on developing their own potential – rather than trying to outdo each other.

FACULTY FOCUS:

Josh Fairfield to Lead Law School Artificial Intelligence Strategy

W

&L Law Dean Melanie Wilson has announced the appointment of Professor Josh Fairfield as the law school’s inaugural director of Artificial Intelligence Legal Innovation Strategy. In this role, Fairfield will lead efforts within the law school to create policies, initiatives, and programming to support faculty, staff, and students as AI use grows and evolves.

Fairfield joined the law school in 2007 and holds the William Donald Bain Family faculty chair. He is an internationally recognized law and technology scholar, specializing in digital property, electronic contracts, big data privacy, and virtual communities.

He is the author of two books, “Runaway Technology: Can Law Keep Up?” and “Owned: Property, Privacy and the New Digital Serfdom,” as well as numerous law review articles examining the nexus of law and technology.

Fairfield sees his primary task in this new role as helping the law school and the University more broadly adopt an approach to AI that balances the benefit and the risk of the new technology. He has already hosted two workshops at the law school on artificial intelligence, including one titled “The Last Human Question,” which examined the role AI will play in the development of common law, and “Prompt Engineering for Academics,” which addressed how to use artificial intelligence to accelerate scholarship while avoiding ethical quandaries. A top priority

even if it doesn’t actually exist. And a lawyer who uses such a case in court will get sanctioned, putting their career at risk.”

Fairfield will also work with other campus partners to develop a policy for AI use that can withstand the reflexive desire to ban it for educational purposes, instead infusing the use of

“Our role as lawyers will be to curate the rapid use of the very best cases by intelligent agents so we can make the best argument that we can for our clients. But we must also understand that all AI can do is recreate our normative legal universe. It will be up to humans to make sure that law continues to reflect our actual desires as society evolves.” for him will be teaching students what AI is, how it works, and best practices for its use.

“Students need to understand that an AI technology like ChatGPT is not like other legal research tools,” says Fairfield. “When you search for legal documents on Google or Lexus, you can have confidence that it is producing something that courts will recognize as law. But if you ask ChatGPT to find a case where X-Y-Z happens, it will give you that case

these tools with an honorable ethic.

“The use of AI in work product is largely undetectable — even by generative AI itself — so we don’t really have the option to not train our students on this technology,” says Fairfield. “We’re also an institution deeply grounded in principles of honor and the highest aspirations of what it means to be a lawyer — to develop the law to advance human purpose.”

Fairfield notes that fear often accompanies the arrival of new and disruptive technologies, and that in the case of AI, this fear is justified — if misplaced.

“The threat is not that the toasters will rise up against us,” says Fairfield. “The threat is that AI is going to become competent at performing many human tasks but remain indifferent to our welfare.”

As such, Fairfield argues that is essential to engage with the technology in order to manage the social disruption that it will inevitably bring. With respect to the legal profession, Fairfield believes AI will be a booster and accelerator for people who adopt the technology, but it will also cause real problems with how law is created.

“Lawyers create the law with briefs and talking to judges,” says Fairfield. “As lawyers begin to use AI to create briefs and judges use those briefs to write opinions, more and more of what law is will not be created by people, and that is a problem.”

The legal profession has already experienced one major AI revolution with the emergence of E-Discovery software. Document review by armies of new associates that once took months now occurs in a matter of minutes. Even now, companies like Lexus/ Nexus and Westlaw are feverishly integrating AI into search technology in order to generate more accurate legal research and analysis. This, in turn, will create additional disruption within the legal profession as firms and other organizations seize on cost savings gained by greater efficiency, says Fairfield.

“Finding the law has always been more than half of our job as lawyers. In the future, our job will be only to evolve the law, which is one thing AI cannot do.”

To understand what this means to future lawyers, Fairfield uses chess as an example. Human chess masters easily defeated the first computer systems, but eventually, computers advanced to the point where they were the better players. Now, teams of humans curating the actions of powerful computing systems have overtaken the purely automated programs because the humans in control can change and evolve the rules of the system in ways the computer programs cannot. Fairfield says the relationship of lawyers to AI in the production of legal work will follow a similar model.

“Our role as lawyers will be to curate the rapid use of the very best cases by intelligent agents so we can make the best argument that we can for our clients,” says Fairfield. “But we must also understand that all AI can do is recreate our normative legal universe. It will be up to humans to make sure that law continues to reflect our actual desires as society evolves.”

Winter

2024

law.wlu.edu

5

FACULTY PUBLICATIONS:

ALAN TRAMMELL

“The False Promise of Judicial Stripping” Columbia Law Review

BRANDON HASBROUCK

“Democratizing Abolition” UCLA Law Review From the abstract: Remedying our country’s history of subordination will not be complete without establishing abolition democracy. While our classical conception of a liberal republic asks us to strike a balance between liberty and security — as if more of one requires less of the other — an abolition democracy acknowledges that people are not free if they are insecure in their necessities. Reconstructing American society into this lifeand democracy-affirming order will come only with great effort and cooperation.

From the abstract: Whatever the scope of Congress’s Article III power to limit the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and other federal courts, jurisdiction stripping is unlikely to succeed as a practical strategy. At least beyond the very short term, Congress cannot use it to effectuate policy in the face of judicial opposition. Its consequences are chaotic and unpredictable, courts have tools they can use to push back on jurisdiction strips if they desire, and the active participation of the judiciary is ultimately necessary for Congress to achieve many of its goals.

KAREN WOODY

KISH PARELLA

“International Law in the Boardroom” Cornell Law Review From the abstract: Conventional wisdom expects that international law will proceed through a “state pathway” before regulating corporations: it binds national governments that then bind corporations. But recent corporate practices confound this story. American corporations complied with international laws even when the state pathway broke down. This unexpected compliance leads to three questions: How did corporations comply? Why did they do so? Who enforced international law?

For more, visit columns.wlu.edu/tag/law-faculty/

“Caremark’s Butterfly Effect” American University Law Review From the abstract: The landmark Caremark decision held that directors would not face liability for a breach of fiduciary duties unless they failed to implement a system of controls and compliance, or knowingly failed to monitor that system. In order to bring a successful Caremark claim, plaintiffs must prove that the board operated in bad faith by failing to exercise oversight in a sustained or systemic way. The Delaware Court of Chancery opinion noted that the theory underpinning a Caremark claim is one of the most difficult for plaintiffs to prove. As a result, boards have enjoyed nearly unlimited protection, regardless of events occurring at the company on their watch. However, this longstanding protection has begun to wane in the past four years.

SCENE ON CAMPUS

1

2

3

4

5

6 1. 3L students participating in Immersion in August with alumna and Board of Trustees member Laurie Rachford ’84L. 2. New students learn about the more than 30 student organizations they can join at the annual activities fair.

3. Another season for the ages — the Law School Football League.

4. The Black Law Students Association enjoy a bonfire outside the Outing Club pavilion in October.

5. The view across the ravine along the footbridge leading to Wilson Field.

6. Law families visited High Five Farms just outside of Lexington in November.

7. Davis Competition judges: Justice Thomas P. Mann (Supreme Court of Virginia), Justice Anita Earls (Supreme Court of North Carolina), and Judge Elizabeth W. Hanes (U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Virginia).

7 6

8 W&L

Law

Discovery

8. Jack Perryman ’25L was the winner of this year’s John W. Davis Appellate Advocacy Competition.

La

Law Class of 2026

31%

2,022 Applications

Acceptance Rate

Percentages

125

Medians

24

AGE

41

20

165

LSAT

Enrolled

Diversity

19%

Pell Grant Eligible as Undergrads

Virginia Residents

29

Graphic by Emmaline Nelsen

First Generation College Graduates

3.72

GPA

Languages Spoken

Why W&L Law First-year law students discuss why they chose W&L.

ADNAN KAJOSHI

AYA HOBEIKA

JASMIN OOMMEN

EMILIO AVILA

Hometown: Tuckahoe, New York Undergraduate Institution:

Hometown: Charleston, West Virginia Undergraduate Institution:

Hometown: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Undergraduate Institution:

Hometown: Laguna Niguel, California Undergraduate Institution:

New York University The emphasis on community ultimately made me so excited to attend W&L. The employment outcomes and national alumni network of W&L Law had already impressed me, but environment and feel were aspects that were just as important to me. These are aspects that can only be experienced in person.

When I finally visited Lexington and got a tangible feel of the environment, it did not take me long to decide that this was a community that I wanted to be a part of and actively involved in.

Texas A&M University I was born and raised in Charleston, West Virginia, and I have always been familiar with W&L as a school close to home. When beginning my law school research, I couldn’t help but to fall in love with the uplifting environment and top-tier education provided

by W&L Law. After my first visit to campus, I knew this was the right place for me. I look forward to making a positive impact during my time here and beyond.

La Salle University I chose W&L Law because of its strong reputation for fostering a close-knit, supportive community of faculty and law students. I have experienced firsthand the beauty of having one-to-one support during college as well as in my role working as a tax accountant. As such, I knew that I just had to be at a law school where that same kind of support is available to me and I’m seen as a name, not simply a number. W&L Law stands out as that place.

San Francisco State University When I began to research W&L Law, I learned that their alumni had a reputation for being extremely supportive of one another, and I loved that they were frequently described online as “fanatics.” I initially applied because of W&L Law’s reputation for its incredibly supportive community and high-quality legal education, but my decision to attend was sealed as soon as my tour of the campus concluded. The admissions office was incredible and genuinely interested in me as a person.

Winter

2024

law.wlu.edu

7

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT:

Looking Ahead Freedi Friedfeld steers ClearVision Optical through COVID and beyond.

BY JEFF HANNA

D

avid “Freedi” Friedfeld ’83L admits he was a fish out of water at W&L Law. He remembers people asking, politely, “How the heck did you get here?”

The question didn’t offend him. Friedfeld hadn’t known many lawyers growing up and confesses that he didn’t know much about the law. But he had a promise to keep.

“My great-grandfather came to this country in 1892 from what today would be Ukraine,” said Friedfeld. “He was about 90 years old, and I was 13 when he came up to me at my bar mitzvah and said, in broken English, ‘Promise me you’ll be a lawyer.’”

Friedfeld’s father was a licensed optician, and his parents owned an optical company on Long Island.

As a 6-year-old, Friedfeld’s first job in the family business was sorting the tiny screws into packages of 100. Later, he tested lenses for safety by dropping a metal ball on them to see if the glass would shatter.

“Part of having a family business is that your father gets to employ your friends,” Friedfeld said.

“During summer vacations, holiday vacations, and weekends, I’d always have my friends at our company doing different things that my dad needed us to do.

I found those jobs interesting, but they also got me familiar and comfortable with the business.”

After graduating from Lehigh University with a degree in government, Friedfeld took a year off and traveled overseas before pursuing his greatgrandfather’s wish by enrolling at W&L. He chose W&L over larger schools in big cities because he thought there would be fewer distractions and more attention from professors—plus it was a great place to run.

“All things were true,” he said. “I enjoyed my time at school meeting people from all over the country

high school reunion. The couple has been married 39 years and have four children.

When he rejoined the company, ClearVision had 15 employees and was distributing eyewear in a four-state area. Today it’s one of the largest familyowned eyewear distributors in North America with 180 employees and 12 different brands being sold to customers throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and half of South America with new markets opening in the Middle East and Europe.

Friedfeld said his law school background paid

“I’m particularly proud that during this period we were still able to be recognized as one of the best companies to work for in New York state. Having said that, I wouldn’t want to do it again.” and with different backgrounds, and I loved the academic environment. If I could have stayed for an extra year of law school, I would have been happy to do that.”

At W&L, he was on Law Review and represented the law school on the University’s Student Activities Board. As president of the Phi Alpha Delta law fraternity, he led the chapter’s Juvenile Justice Program, which worked with students in the Rockbridge County schools. He also coached the undergraduate track and cross-country teams for several seasons.

Friedfeld has lasting memories of his professors and, even now, will quote them in conversations.

He still remembers sitting in Professor Bill Geimer’s backyard after graduation when Geimer told him, “You should be a businessman. You know that, right?”

“I didn’t think he was saying I shouldn’t be an attorney, but he knew, as did several other of my professors, that I organized myself differently and approached law school from a less typical point of view,” Friedfeld said.

After graduation, Friedfeld handled mostly real estate transactions for 18 months at a small Long Island law firm. The fact that he can’t remember the firm’s name is telling. In December 1985, he entered the family business and is now partner with his brother Peter and president of ClearVision Optical.

The year 1985 was auspicious in another way. That is when Friedfeld met his wife Vicki Seltzer at a 10-year 8

W&L

Law

Discovery

immediate dividends, from tax law with the late Tim Philipps to contract law with Sam Calhoun, to courses in property law and labor law and international law.

“Some people who enter a business may have a learning curve on legal issues,” he said. “W&L gave me not only specific knowledge but also the methodology of studying, writing, speaking, time management, teamwork, research, and on and on.”

The eyewear business has been transformed during Friedfeld’s 39-year tenure, and he now calls ClearVision “a technology company that happens to sell frames, lenses, reading glasses and sunglasses.

We are a classic distributor model but our approach to business is through technology, robotics, software development and AI.” A prime example of technology’s impact is 3D printing. Friedfeld has been studying 3D printing for more than 20 years and watched it become both less complex and less expensive. Today ClearVision’s in-house designers can print working prototypes of frames in less than an hour, email files to factories and also send working models to clients all over the world.

More recently Friedfeld and his brother formed Tech Print Industries with a Dutch partner, Marc Notenboom. The company developed proprietary CAD software and uses that software to design and produce 3D printed eyewear. The software will enable manufacturers to produce locally, thereby reducing transportation time and decreasing the carbon footprint generally

associated with eyewear production.

“We’ve been in the R&D phase for six years, and we’ll be fully commercial in 2024. It’s been an exciting project. Our team is fully remote. We work in different time zones, and the skills and backgrounds on the team are completely a new experience for me,” Friedfeld said.

Friedfeld considers himself the steward of the family business, and the COVID pandemic tested his stewardship with an existential threat. When the governor of New York shut down all businesses on March 13, 2020, ClearVision was left with millions in unpaid bills and no income stream. The company had a disaster recovery plan, but it had never imagined COVID. “I had no revenue coming in. I owed millions to vendors. My employees were all furloughed by no choice of mine,” said Friedfeld. “There was the thought that, ‘Hey, we might go out of business’.”

The company had enough cash to exist on life support from March to November. Friedfeld and his team developed payment plans with vendors, asked senior staff to take a small reduction in pay, and set up a remote training and customer engagement plan, among other initiatives. Although 2020 sales were down 30 percent—a massive drop—the company came out of the year better than Friedfeld had hoped and was able to regain all the lost ground in the following year with assistance from a PPP loan and a larger than expected rebound in sales.

At the same time, Friedfeld used the crisis as an opportunity to make major changes. For instance, all but 25 of the 180 employees continue to work remotely. Senior executives have revised roles.

There is better interdepartmental communication and more collaboration. The company focused on internal efficiencies and doing more with less.

ClearVision eyewear designers quickly pivoted to create a secondary product offering in personal protective equipment, from face shields and masks to countertop sneeze guards. And the company went direct to the consumer for the first time.

“We retooled the entire company during the four months when we were shut down,” Friedfeld said. “In a business environment, you would never get the opportunity to take 16 weeks to stop and rethink your operation. We emerged from COVID a very different company. I became a better leader, delegating more and learning I didn’t have to do everything myself. Our leadership blossomed and staff stepped up to difficult new tasks. Today, the company is more agile, which is paramount for business in the 21st century.”

He added, “I’m particularly proud that during this period we were still able to be recognized as one of the best companies to work for in New York state.

Having said that, I wouldn’t want to do it again.”

Friedfeld credits the company’s values-driven approach with holding the company together. He said that ClearVision has long emphasized open and honest communication, respect, integrity, compassion, service innovation performance, and fun.

Those characteristics, Friedfeld said, often surprise clients when they discover that the company is based on Long Island. “They thought we were Midwesterners — nice, in other words — as opposed to what you might expect from New Yorkers,” he said.

Friedfeld’s goal is for the company to be in business, privately held, for 100 years. That’s 26 years away.

“I’d be 93,” he said, “and I think it would be a great testament for a family business like ours to reach 100. This will require a third generation of Friedfelds, and that will be another challenge to approach.”

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT:

Making a Difference Eugene Butler ’98L becomes first Black judge in Virginia’s 24th District.

BY JEFF HANNA

E

ugene Butler ’98L was a teenager growing up in Roanoke when he set his sights on becoming a lawyer. The law, he thought, would afford him an opportunity to help people.

Then he told his grandmother his plans.

“And my grandmother, God rest her soul, said, ‘Baby, why do you want to be a lawyer? All they do is lie.’” Butler said. “And I was like, ‘Wow. I don’t want to do that. I don’t want to lie.’”

But rather than dissuading him, his grandmother’s admonition about lying lawyers strengthened his desire to pursue the law.

“What she said created this kind of ambition in me to be not just a lawyer, but to be a good lawyer,” said Butler. “My father was a Methodist minister; my mother was a high school teacher.

They were the first generation of college students on both sides of their families. They’d always pushed us to good deeds, to make a difference.”

Butler is working to make a difference as a juvenile and domestic relations judge for Virginia’s 24th Judicial District, which encompasses the city of Lynchburg and the counties of Amherst, Bedford, Campbell, and Nelson. When the Virginia General Assembly elected him this past February, Butler made history by becoming the first Black judge in the 24th district.

When Butler reflects on the historic significance of his election, he said he is less interested in being the first Black judge and more interested in not being the last. That’s the same way he felt about getting to law school.

“There were no lawyers in my family. I chose the road less traveled, and it wasn’t always easy,” Butler said. “But I figured that if I can do this, then I might be able to make it easier for those who came after me.”

After Butler earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Randolph-Macon College, he chose W&L Law where he hoped to get the same small classes, close community, and personal attention he’d had at RMC. Furthermore, Butler’s family was now living in Lexington since his father had become minister of Randolph Street United Methodist Church four years earlier.

Consequently, Butler found community not only inside the law school but also in the wider Lexington community because of his parents’ presence.

“I became a kind of local guide for classmates since so many of them were new to Virginia and Lexington, and I knew my way around,” Butler said. “What I remember most about W&L was the students’ camaraderie. There was a deep sense of community, which was punctuated by lots of lively discussions.”

In his 1L year, Butler recalled, many of the liveliest discussions happened in the Lewis Hall hallways and centered on the O.J. Simpson trial, which was wrapping up in Los Angeles that fall.

“It was an interesting time to be starting law school,” Butler said. “Here we are trying to develop that lawyer mindset, and so much of the talk was about the Simpson case. When the verdict came down, it led to some interesting conversations, let me tell you.”

In addition, one of Butler’s favorite courses was Constitutional Law because classroom discussions, especially when the Commerce Clause was the subject, were every bit as passionate as those hallway arguments about the Simpson’s innocence or guilt. What Butler found particularly valuable about the give-and-take was the breadth

of opinions because of what he described as a “smorgasbord of different people with different experiences.”

“I was one of those students who’d gone straight through — high school, undergrad, law school,” Butler said. “All I’d ever known was school. At W&L, I was among a lot of folks who’d been out working, professional women and men.

It made for a well-rounded experience.”

After W&L, Butler interviewed at several firms before joining an insurance defense firm in Alexandria, Virginia. “All due respect to anybody who does insurance defense, but it was very boring,” he said.

A W&L classmate, Lisa Woods Vogel, rescued him by suggesting he move to Lynchburg, where she was practicing and where Butler’s father was now preaching at Jackson Street Methodist Church.

He took her suggestion and put out his shingle. He took on a variety of court-appointed cases, which included serving as guardian ad litem.

Then, in 2006, he joined the child support section of the Virginia Attorney General’s office

right temperament for a judge but that he is also suited for the sorts of cases he adjudicates in the JDR court.

“You are dealing with heartbreaking stories,” said Boone. “It takes a tremendous amount of fortitude and a great deal of compassion. That’s Eugene’s strength.”

Mary Chamberlin, an attorney for Petty, Livingston, Dawson and Richards, agrees with Boone’s assessment. She said that Butler, who served as president of the Lynchburg Bar Association from 2019 to 2020, has been a mentor to her and other younger members of the bar association.

“In JDR Court, emotions can, and often do, run really high. It’s a high conflict environment, but all the strengths Eugene had as a lawyer, he displays on the bench,” she said. “He has both the knowledge and experience to rule on cases effectively, but he also has the demeanor that allows litigants, lawyers, witnesses, and other stakeholders to feel heard and respected during a trial. His calm nature and his unfailing kindness have made him an asset to the community.”

One thing Butler quickly learned about the JDR court is that issues are rarely black and white. Instead, matters are almost always gray — “completely gray,” he said. A great many of the cases that come before Butler are, as both Boone and Chamberlin acknowledged, highly charged and often heartbreaking.

“It is the type of court where you have to prepare yourself for disappointment,” Butler said. “I had no illusion that there were any easy answers. A lot of judges, if they don’t know that, they’ll get burned out just like that.”

Yet, this is precisely where Butler believes he should be, where he can fulfill his ambition to make a difference.

“I know that, for a lot of people, JDR would be their last choice for a judgeship,” Butler said.

“Yes, I’m dealing with a whole lot of personal problems, terrible situations, horrific stuff. But I felt that this is the court where I could make the biggest impact.

“The foundation my parents gave me makes me believe, that when it comes to these juveniles

“There were no lawyers in my family. I chose the road less traveled, and it wasn’t always easy,” Butler said. “But I figured that if I can do this, then I might be able to make it easier for those who came after me.” as an assistant attorney general. He worked in 10 courts and routinely handled between 200 and 250 cases a month, though each case may have lasted only five to 10 to 15 minutes. He worked in that capacity for 13 years before getting an assignment as a substitute JDR court judge in 2021 and was then elected to his judgeship in 2023.

“I was not surprised that Eugene was elected to the bench,” said Aaron Boone, Lynchburg public defender. “Regrettably, it took much longer than it should have. I’ve known Eugene for 20 years and have had a front row seat to watching his ascendancy. There is nobody who is more qualified and even-handed than Eugene.”

Boone and others who have watched Butler at work over the years believe he has not only the

and families and what they’re dealing with, that it doesn’t have to be this way,” Butler said.

“Having two parents who are on meth or living in a household with domestic abuse — that’s not everybody’s reality. It doesn’t have to be like that.”

And as the first Black judge in the district, his very presence symbolizes change. When he saw the smiles on so many faces at his investiture, Butler realized that his addition to the bench was a moment of pride for the community.

“I had to step back and realize this is bigger than just me because I’m an old introvert,” Butler said. “I’m not interested in getting a lot of pats on the back. But I will say that if my presence makes someone else think that they can do it, too, then that’s a good thing.”

Winter

2024

law.wlu.edu

9

CLASS UPDATES AND SUCCESS STORIES

W&L Law Receives $2 Million Gift for Student Financial Aid An anonymous donor will match up to $2 million for student scholarship funds raised during the Leading Lives of Consequence campaign.

60s 1964 Stanley Fink was awarded the Legal Services of New Jersey Equal Justice Medal for 2023 “in recognition and appreciation of major Pro Bono contributions.”

1967 Ray LaJeunesse retired from the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, a nonprofit that provides free legal aid to workers subjected to compulsory unionism arrangements, for which he was a staff attorney for 30 years and vice president and legal director for 22 years. He 10

W&L

Law

Discovery

argued four cases in the U.S. Supreme Court.

80s 1983

The American Arbitration Association—International Centre for Dispute Resolution, the world’s leading provider of conflict management and dispute resolution services, announced the election of Linda A. Klein as a new member of the AAA-ICDR Council. Klein is a past president for the American Bar Association and was the first woman president of the State Bar of Georgia. She is a member of the American Law Institute.

we must continue to build on our strengths,” said Wilson.

“Recruiting top students allows us to preserve the reputation for excellence that has longed defined the W&L Law community.”

The $2 Million Financial Aid Challenge will contribute to a goal of $20 million that the law school is seeking for financial aid as part of the Leading Lives of Consequence campaign. The anonymous donor will match dollar for dollar every new gift toward student scholarship endowments that the law school receives between October 2023 and the conclusion of the campaign on June 30, 2027. Alumni and friends of W&L Law can establish their own scholarship with a minimum gift of $100,000 or contribute to one of the school’s existing scholarships. The law school currently has 127 named scholarships.

“We are incredibly grateful for this anonymous donor and to all who answer the call and contribute to our financial aid resources that will be matched during the challenge,” said Wilson. ▲

A generous donor who wishes to remain anonymous has pledged $2 million to support student financial aid at Washington and Lee University School of Law. The donor will match every new dollar given or pledged for scholarships during the remainder of the University’s capital campaign, Leading Lives of Consequence.

Melanie Wilson, dean of W&L Law, has prioritized support for students as a pillar of her tenure, and reducing student debt is a large part of her focus. While W&L Law was recently named the top best value private law school based on income-to-debt ratio, students still graduate with average debt of about $100,000.

“It is critical that we support students with grants and scholarships so that upon graduation, they have the option to choose not only high-paying corporate and law firm positions, but also work in nonprofit organizations and in government agencies and other public interest work,” Wilson said.

Increasing financial aid resources is also critical in the law school marketplace. Cost is a pivotal factor for students when choosing a law school, and competition is fierce between W&L Law and top competitors for outstanding students.

“While W&L Law has enjoyed great success on this front, having just enrolled our strongest class academically in well over a decade,

To learn more about the challenge or how to fund a scholarship, contact Sarah Hughes, assistant dean of Law School Advancement, at shughes@wlu.edu or (540) 458-8191.

1987 Rodney Moore joined Winston & Strawn in Dallas as a partner. He represents private equity firms and public and private companies in M&A, joint venture, financing and other commercial transactions across the energy spectrum, including the upstream and midstream sectors as well as in the evolving transitional energy sectors such as hydrogen, renewable fuels and carbon capture.

Mark Yacano joined Unbiased Consulting, LLC, in Richmond, Virginia, as a senior consultant.

1989 Judge Richard “Ricky” Sandy was named county administrative judge for the Circuit Court for Fredrick County.

90s

1988

1993

Jack Holleran joined BDO USA in New York as managing director in the Forensics practice and part of the Legal, Monitorships, and Investigations team. Jack married Meg Szabo on August 19, 2023, at The Cliff House in Cape Neddick, Maine.

Monika Jaensson opened Jaensson Law in Charleston, West Virginia. The firm focuses on Intellectual Property and Business Law. Lori Jarvis joined Wilson Elser LLP in McLean as Of Counsel.

Her practice focuses on environmental litigation, product liability, toxic torts, mass torts, class actions, multidistrict litigation, general commercial litigation and appellate advocacy.

1996 Brian Dowhower was promoted to Head of Truist Wealth in Atlanta.

Kristen Konrad Johnstone opened Johnston Law PLC in Roanoke. Johnstone and her associate Michael V. Darmante 16L provide legal representation to both individuals and families in all areas of family law.

1997 Tina Clark Beamon joined Epikast in New York as chief legal officer and chief compliance officer.

Sarah Hughes Returns to W&L Law As Assistant Dean of Law Advancement Hughes will succeed Elizabeth Outland Branner, who is stepping down from the role after nearly 25 years working in fundraising at the law school. goals,” said Wilson. “Her expertise in fundraising and her deep connection to both legal education and our institution make Sarah an ideal choice. We are excited to welcome her back to W&L Law.” Hughes’ journey in development and fundraising commenced at W&L Law, where she served in various capacities within the offices of Advancement and Admissions for 13 years. She left W&L in 2016 to lead development efforts at the University of South Carolina

“Her expertise in fundraising and her deep connection to both legal education and our institution make Sarah an ideal choice. We are excited to welcome her back to W&L Law.”

W&L Law Dean Melanie Wilson has announced the appointment of SARAH HUGHES as the next assistant dean of Law School Advancement.

Hughes will succeed Elizabeth Outland Branner, who is stepping down from the role after nearly 25 years working in fundraising at the law school.

With over 16 years of experience in fundraising and development within the education sector, including a number of years at W&L Law earlier in her career, Hughes brings a wealth of knowledge and a proven track record to her new role at the institution.

“Sarah’s appointment to lead our fundraising efforts represents a critical step forward as we roll out a capital campaign with ambitious

1998 Scott Schneider is the founding partner of Schneider Education and Employment Law PLLC in Austin, Texas. He advises companies, educational institutions, and individuals nationwide on a variety of complex legal issues with a focus on particularly sensitive matters like institutional response to sexual misconduct.

1999 Mona Raza was promoted to general counsel and executive director at Legal Aid Society of Roanoke Valley.

00s 2000

School of Law, serving as both the chief fundraising officer for the law school and as interim executive director of Development at USC, overseeing the fundraising operations at several academic units, including the College of Education.

Most recently, Hughes has served as the executive director of Institutional Philanthropy at Heathwood Hall Episcopal School in Columbia, South Carolina. Beginning in 2020, she spearheaded philanthropic initiatives, contributing to the institution’s growth and development. During her tenure, Heathwood saw increased giving to its annual fund and raised close to $8 million in gifts and pledges.

“It is a true honor to be coming back to W&L Law,” said Hughes.

“I am excited to be working with Dean Wilson and the leadership team to ensure our students have the best legal education. I’m looking forward also to sharing the vision of the School of Law with our alumni and reconnecting with them.”

2002

2005

Tara Mooney joined the Prince William County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office as senior assistant county attorney.

Olubunmi Kusimo-Frazier was honored for Advancing Civil Rights Through Advocacy by the West Virginia Human Rights Commission on West Virginia Civil Rights Day.

John Nichols joined Global Lending Services LLC in Greenville, South Carolina, as senior corporate counsel.

Michael Phelps joined Culhane Meadows PLLC in Philadelphia as a partner in the Intellectual Property Group.

2003 Nick Bonarrigo was promoted to vice president, Legal & Environmental & General Counsel, at Carmeuse in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

2004

2001 Grant Waterkotte is shareholder/CEO with Waterkotte Mullis Moreno & Garles, PC in Los Angeles.

Jennifer Nelson Andrews returned to SITA in Atlanta as senior legal counsel.

Charlotte McAfee was promoted to assistant general counsel at Dominion Energy in Richmond.

David McKay Powell is dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Union College in Barbourville, Kentucky. His book “Cather and Opera” (LSU Press) was published in 2022.

Matthew L. Roberts has joined the Labor & Employment Department of Steptoe & Johnson PLLC as a member in the firm’s Columbus, Ohio, office. He assists clients with employment counseling and litigation as well as traditional labor matters.

Patrick Bolling ’14L: Combatting Lawyer Loneliness Patrick Bolling ’14L is a principal at Woods Rogers in Lynchburg and advises a variety of employers on traditional labor and employment matters.

He is wrapping up a stint as chair of the Young Lawyers Division for the Virginia Bar Association. Reflecting on this experience, he said, “For all of the public and bar service we

did and awards we won during my time in YLD leadership, I think the most important thing we did was to combat lawyer loneliness through conscious community-building. We did this primarily through our quarterly meetings where we took time out of our busy lives to go away for weekends of making life-long friends among

CLEs, professional development programming, and social events. Community is the antidote to lawyer loneliness, but you need to get out of your office to be part of it.”

More online at columns.wlu.edu

Winter

2024

law.wlu.edu

11

2006 Michael Bauer joined Versar, Inc. in Atlanta as general counsel.

Shannon Borromeo Goldsmith joined Sprout Social as senior corporate counsel.

Joseph Tino joined EY in Philadelphia as a manager, business consulting.

2007 Adam Hull joined Polsinelli in Dallas as a shareholder in the Venture Capital and Emerging Growth Companies Practice.

Mini Kaur was promoted to director of Business & Legal Affairs, Sweden, for Warner Bros. Discovery in Stockholm, Sweden.

2008 Christen Church founded Church Legal, PLLC in Roanoke. Her firm focuses on intellectual property, health care regulation and compliance, outside general counsel and subject matter counsel, mergers and acquisitions, and protected health information data privacy and security.

Matt Kelly joined Duke Corporate Education in Washington, D.C., as managing director.

2009 Berit Everhart was named deputy general counsel at Roseburg Forest Products in Eugene, Oregon.

Russell Kruse joined Propelled Brands in Dallas as general counsel.

Michael Lombardino joined Haynes and Boone in Houston as a partner in the Labor and Employment Practice Group.

10s

Previously Sherrill served as a deputy commonwealth’s attorney in Waynesboro.

Tabby Waqar Zeb joined the U.S. Consumer Protection Safety Commission in Washington, D.C., as an attorney.

2011 Lauren Snyder Corva was promoted to associate general counsel and legal director at Amazon in Seattle.

Sheila-Marie Finkelstein joined Klinedinst, P.C., in Irvine, California, as a senior counsel, certified in estate planning, trust and probate law. Prior to this in 2018, she established her own firm AHAVA Law, P.C., focusing on estate planning work. In addition, in 2017 she founded the pro bono Estate Clinic for veterans at the Veterans Legal Institute.

Neil Millhiser joined Journey Medical Corporation in Richmond, Virginia, as associate general counsel.

2012 Ferrell Alman joined Bookoff McAndrews in Washington, D.C., as a patent attorney. He will be working remotely from Asheville, North Carolina.

Patrick Becker was promoted to director, Compensation & Corporate Governance, at Southern Company in Atlanta.

Ellis Pretlow joined Bessemer Trust in Norfolk as a senior estate administrator.

Ernest Hammond was named associate general gounsel, AI at Meta in San Francisco.

2014 Brian Buckmire joined Hamilton Clarke LLP in New York as trial counsel.

Maggie Burrus joined Weil Gotshal & Manges in NYC as an associate.

2010 Josh Coleman joined Mortenson in Minneapolis as counsel.

Richard Hallenback joined the Suffolk Commonwealth Attorney’s office in Suffolk, Virginia, as a VSTOP domestic violence prosecutor.

Shannon Sherrill was appointed a circuit court judge in the 25th Circuit by the Virginia General Assembly.

David Freeman joined Centra Health in Lynchburg as senior counsel and director of Legal Services.

Chrishon McManus was promoted to senior counsel at Allspring Global Investments in Charlotte.

2015 Stephanie Tanzi Barry joined AKAM in Stony Brook, NY, as senior corporate counsel.

Lauren Brown joined K&L Gates in Nashville as an associate in the Corporate/ Capital Markets practice group.

Joseph Connor joined the American Bankers Association in Washington, D.C., as vice president of tax policy.

Alison Leary joined the Natural Resource Management division of Cal Fire in Sacramento as an attorney. She will provide legal advice on Cal Fire’s programs to promote greenhouse gas emissions reductions, including the Grants Unit, Urban and Community Forestry, Demonstration State Forests, Vegetation Management, Forestry Assistance, Forest Legacy, and Forest Pest Management.

Brittany Love joined Hall Booth Smith in Jacksonville, Florida, as an associate.

Sukhmani Rekhi was promoted to director, Data Governance and Privacy Counsel, at AppFolio, Inc. in Santa Barbara, California.

2016 Brittany Dunn-Pirio joined the U. S. Attorney’s Office in Lexington, Kentucky, as an assistant U.S. attorney.

Jefferson Smythe joined McKesson in Dallas as counsel, PSAS GPO.

2017 Solomon Gonzalez joined the McLennan County District Attorney’s Office in Waco, Texas, as an assistant district attorney.

Tamra Harris joined Holland & Knight as life sciences and healthcare attorney in its Chattanooga and Nashville offices.

Gretchen Panchik was named co-office chair of Eckert Seamans in Pittsburgh, Pa. Peter Szeremeta joined Novelis in Atlanta as legal counsel.

2018 Christopher Brewer joined Paul Hastings in D.C. in an associate on the Antitrust and Competition team.

Matt Donahue joined the San Franciso Distract Attorney’s office as an assistant district attorney.

Joshua Everard joined New Kent County in New Kent, Virginia, as county attorney.

Thomas Griffin joined MidFirst Bank in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, as assistant general counsel.

Colt Justice joined Western Union in Denver, Colorado, as senior manager, Global IT Procurement.

Elizabeth Ellington Kemp serves as the executive assistant to Commissioner Sean J. Cooksey with the Federal Election Commission in Washington, D.C. Taylor Rafaly joined the chambers of the Honorable William “Chip” Johnson 85L, chief judge of the United States District Court for the Tenth Circuit in Albuquerque, as a clerk.

Maria Rossi serves as a solicitor of Westmoreland County in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, with a focus on the Westmoreland County Children’s Bureau. She also operates the firm Rossi Legal Co. Her practice focuses on corporate/contract law, orphan’s court litigation, estate planning, and real estate law.

2019 Elisa Leighton joined Brown & James, P.C. in St. Louis, Missouri, as an associate.

20s 2020

Krzysztof Bozentka joined MacElree Harvey in Philadelphia as an associate.

Mahalia Hall joined Hudson Lambert Parrott in Atlanta as an associate. Her practice focuses on construction defect and commercial general liability.

Courtney Iverson Howard joined Golencock Eiseman Assor Bell & Peskoe LLP in New York City as an associate attorney.

Georgianna Pisano-Goetz joined the Refugee and Immigration Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES) in Houston as a staff attorney.

Manning Russell joined Fortif Law Partners, LLC in Birmingham as a partner.

Brittany Ryers-Hindbaugh serves as the law clerk for the Honorable Frank K. Friedman with Virginia Court of Appeals in Roanoke.

Wilson Named to List of Most Influential in Legal Education Melanie D. Wilson, dean and Roy L. Steinheimer Jr. Professor of Law, has been named to the National Jurist’s 2024 list of the 20 Most Influential People in Legal Education. Wilson is number 14 on the list.

National Jurist describes the list of 20 people as those who “are major forces shaping 12

W&L

Law

Discovery

legal education.” To compile its list, the legal publication requests nominations from every law school in the nation. Its editorial team then narrows the list down and asks several hundred people in legal education, including every law school dean, to rate each nominee based on how much they influenced

them in the past 12 months.

For the last year, Wilson served as president-elect of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS). On January 6, she assumed the presidency of the flagship legal education association, kicking off her year in office with the launch of her theme, “Courage in Action.”

2021 Charles Bonani joined Berenzweig Leonard, LLP in McLean, Virginia, as an associate attorney.

Julia Kerr joined the Immigration Law Unit at the Legal Aid Society in New York City as a staff attorney where she practices detained removal defense.

Alysa Montemayor joined Invitation Homes in Dallas as counsel, Regulatory and Litigation.

Molly Payne Pugh joined the offices of McClung and Pugh Law in Lexington, Virginia.

Christian Reese joined Millbank in New York as leveraged finance associate.

Ruta Trivedi joined Crowell & Moring in Washington, D.C., as an associate.

2022 Matt Kaminer serves as a law clerk to the Honorable Julio M. Fuentes with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in Newark, New Jersey.

Lauren Lanzon joined Brown Law, PLLC, in Washington, D.C., as an associate immigration attorney.

Kylan Memminger joined HMB Legal Counsel in Chicago as an associate.

Katherine Nelson-Sayers was sworn in as a magistrate judge for the Commonwealth of Virginia in Roanoke.

Laurel Rodewald joined the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission in Washington, D.C., as an assistant public defender.

Elena Schiefele joined the U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit, as a law clerk to the Honorable Roger L. Gregory.

2023 Audrey Curelop Gregory serves as a law clerk for the Honorable John M. Train of the Fairfax County Circuit Court.

Sophia Henderson serves as a law clerk for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky in Frankfort, Kentucky.

Christopher Jablonski joined McEwan, Martinez, Dukes & Hall in Orlando, Florida, as an associate.

Adam Kimelman joined Shulte Roth + Zabel LLP in New York City as an associate.

Lidia Kurganova joined Weil, Gotshal & Manges in New York City as an associate.

Melissa May joined Scott+Scott in New York as a litigation associate.

Samuel Romano joined in Denver District Attorney’s Office in Denver as a deputy district attorney.

Leeden Rukstalis serves as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Randy I. Bellows of the Fairfax County Circuit Court in Fairfax.

Before the Supreme Court For a Veteran Carson Cox and Trey Smith,

both members of the Law Class of 2022, participated with other Troutman Peppers attorneys on a pro bono case on behalf of James R. Rudisill, a decorated U.S. Army veteran, in Rudisill v.

WEDDINGS Ralph Clements ’00L to the former Dr. Tiffany J. Lewis on October 29, 2022. He relocated to Mountain Brook, Alabama, along with son R. Turner Clements, and continues to work for the Alabama Department of Revenue’s Legal Division as Assistant Counsel.

Stephanie Tanzi ’15L to Thomas Barry on January 1, 2020, in Woodbury, NY.

Lauren Howard ’20L to Drew Rose on September 3, 2023, in Hudson, Ohio. W&L Law alumni in attendance included Sean Moran ’20L, Helen Gray Dunnavant ’20L, Whitney (Lambeth) Barton ’20L, Joe Barton ’20L, and Georgi Pisano-Goetz ’20L.

Courtney Iverson ’20L to Chad Howard ’20L on September 16, 2023, in New York, N.Y. W&L Law groomsmen included Flynn Madden ’20L, Tom Petersen ’20L, Charlie Richards ’20L, John Dorsey ’20L, Preston Glasscock ’20L, and John Milani ’20L. The couple resides in Brooklyn, N.Y.

BIRTHS AND ADOPTIONS Nick Brooks ’12L and his wife Abigale, a daughter, Clara Margot, on June 22, 2023. The family lives in Dallas.

Jamison Shabanowitz ’15L and Kerriann Shabanowitz ’13, ’16L, a daughter, Sydney, on July 28, 2023.

Madison Peace Nye ’20L and Ben Nye ’18L, a son, Arthur Jarrett Nye, on June 14, 2023.

DEATHS Gene Marable ’44, ’48L of Richmond, Virginia, died on September 11, 2023.

Howard Adams ’51L of Shenandoah Junction, West Virginia, died on July 5, 2023.

He belonged to Phi Delta Phi. George Kostel ’51L of Clifton Forge died on June 21, 2023.

George served in the JAG Corps with United States Marine Corps for two years. He practiced law in Covington and served in the Virginia House of Delegates. He was co-sponsor of the bill establishing the Community College System in Virginia.

Sam Davidson ’54, ’57L of Dallas, Texas, died on September 13, 2023. He served as president of Zeta Beta Tau. Sam was a patent attorney for a number of years before entering the fiberglass and aluminum boat manufacturing. Her served as the 57L Law class agent and was a member of the Law Council.

Reese Stipes ’55L from Grand Blanc, Michigan, died on October 10, 2023. He was a member of Alpha Tau Omega.

He served in the United States Navy and as a JAG officer.

Reese served as the 55L class agent for a number of years.

Warren Welsh ’57, ’61L of Scottsdale, Arizona, died on November 10, 2023. Warren was a member of Delta Tau Delta and a class officer. After graduating from W&L, he joined the FBI and worked as a special agent. He worked in security for NBC, ITT, Playboy Enterprises, and the NFL. Warren served a class agent for both his undergraduate and law classes and served on both undergraduate and law reunion class committees. He received the Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2017.

Dick Lang ’62L from Northport, Michigan, died June 24, 2023. He was a member of Phi Delta Phi. He was in private practice in Michigan for a number of years and served as general counsel for Wolverine Power Cooperative.

Jay Johnson ’63L of Akron, Ohio, died on September 24, 2023.

Bill Euwer ’64L of Fenton, Missouri, died on July 13, 2022. He served in the U.S. Army in Vietnam. He practiced law in Kirkwood, Missouri.

Bill Keens ’64L from Arlington, Virginia, died on August 7, 2023. Bill served in the U.S. Army, retiring as a captain. He held several positions at the Department of Justice.

Parker Denaco ’68L of Dover, New Hampshire, died on November 9, 2023. He was the first executive director of the Maine Labor Relations Board, executive director of the New Hampshire Public Employee Labor Relations Board; a colonel (JAG) in the Air Guard/ Air Reserve, and a self-employed arbitrator/ mediator. In addition, he was active in the American Bar Association and for many years served as the neutral chair of the Public Sector Labor Law Committee. He was a member of Phi Delta Phi and served on the Law Council. In 2018 he received the Outstanding Law Alumnus award.

Mike Lowry ’68L of Atlanta, Georgia, died on July 15, 2023.

He practiced labor and employment law in Atlanta with Ford, Harrison, Sullivan and Lowry, which grew into the national firm FordHarrison.

Mike was editor of the W&L Law Review and served as ’68L Law class agent.

Steve Echols ’69L of Tucker, Georgia, died on September 10, 2023. He served in the U.S. Army. Steve worked for the IRS and BB&T Bank as vice president in the trust department.

Dan Hall ’69L of West Palm Beach, Florida, died on July 21, 2023.

McDonough before the U.S. Supreme Court. Cox and Smith, both associates in the Regulatory, Investigations, Strategy + Enforcement group in Richmond, assisted with legal research and drafting briefs, and were able

to attend the oral argument in November. The Court will now decide whether millions of veterans are eligible to receive expanded educational benefits. More online at columns.wlu.edu

Wayne Bell ’70L of Bristol, Virginia, died on August 18, 2023. He practiced law in Bristol, Virginia, served as a circuit court judge for the 28th Judicial Circuit, and worked as general counsel and executive vice president for The United Company, a diversified energy company.

Bob Basco ’79L of Lambertville, New Jersey, died October 9, 2022.

Whit Thornton ’68, ’70L of Bluffton, South Carolina, died on August 8, 2023. He worked in the Department of the Navy, in private practice, with Continental Maritime, Seyfarth Shaw, and finally with Lockheed Martin as general counsel of the Strategic and Missile Defense Sector. Whit wrote a book entitled “Strange Wonders — Searching for My Youth in America’s National Parks.” He served as 70L Law class agent and on several reunion committees.

Kent Anderson ’73L of Beavercreek, Ohio, died on August 8, 2023.

Mike Campilongo ’73L of Alexandria, Virginia, died on June 9, 2023. He co-chaired the Democratic Mock Convention in 1972. Mike served as the assistant attorney general of Virginia, as assistant general counsel of the National Pain & Coatings Association, as special counsel to the city of Alexandria, and, for 20 years, as attorney advisor with the Small Business Administration. He served on several reunion committees and on the D.C. Alumni Chapter Board.

Mayo Gravatt ’75L of Blackstone, Virginia, died on October 15, 2023. He served in the U.S. Army. He practiced law with Gravatt & Gravatt.

Terry Jackson ’75L of Alexandria, Virginia, died on November 8, 2023. He worked for U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the General Counsel.

John Crecink ’77L of Starkville, Mississippi, died on June 17, 2023. He practiced oil and gas, real estate, real estate development, corporate and commercial law in Jackson and Starkville, Mississippi.

Winter

Michael Unti ’72, ’81L of Raleigh, North Carolina, died on July 24, 2023. He served in the U.S. Army as a captain in the 101st Airborne Division. He was a partner at Hunton & Williams, working in civil litigation and specializing in the complex field of nuclear power plant construction.

Later he formed his own firm where he represented longtime civil clients as well as capital clients at the request of North Carolina’s Center for Death Penalty Litigation. He is survived by Brenda Crocker Unit ‘80L. Tom Patterson ’83L of Beckley, West Virginia, died on July 14, 2023. He practiced law in Beckley.

Jim Falk ’81, ’84L of Charleston, South Carolina, died on May 9, 2023. He served on the W&L Law Review and was a member of Phi Delta Phi. He practiced law in Kentucky and South Carolina. He worked in the injection mold industry with his father at Plastic Parts and eventually as owner and president of Persimmon Manufacturing. He served as president of the Louisville Alumni Chapter and as 84L class agent.

Wayne Withers ’88L of Collinsville, Virginia, died on April 26, 2023. After serving as a clerk in the federal courts and as a private attorney, he worked for the next 29 years as an assistant commonwealth’s attorney, representing the people of Pittsylvania County, Martinsville, and Henry County. He belonged to Phi Alpha Delta.

Nathan Chaney ’04L of Little Rock, Arkansas, died on August 27, 2023. He practiced law in Fayetteville, worked as a research contracts attorney at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, and as senior counsel for Artificial Intelligence at Walmart. He is survived by Hilary Martin Chaney ’04L.

2024

law.wlu.edu

13

The W&L Law Classroom Today, p. 1

Josh Fairfield Leading Law AI Strategy, p. 5

Meet the 1Ls, p. 7

Freedi Friedfeld ’83L: Steers ClearVision Optical, p. 8

Discovery

Eugene Butler ’98L: Making a Difference, p. 9

THE NEWSLETTER FROM WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW LAW.WLU.EDU

Non-Profit Org

Washington and Lee University School of Law 204 W. Washington Street Lexington, VA 24450-2116

U. S. P o s t a g e a nd Fees

P

a

i

d

W a s h i n g t o n a nd Lee University