Duke Law Magazine Centennial 2024

Centennial Issue 2024 | Volume 43 Number 1

Congratulations to the 2024 Law Alumni Association Award recipients

The Law Alumni Association and Dean Kerry Abrams are pleased to honor the following members of the Duke Law community for their career accomplishments, service, and dedication to the Law School.

CHARLES S. MURPHY AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN CIVIC SERVICE

Darcy Walker Krause ’04 Founder and CEO of Good Grief Gal Former executive director of Uplift Center for Grieving Children in Philadelphia

A. KENNETH PYE AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION

Stella Boswell T ’90 Associate Dean, Office of Public Interest and Pro Bono

CHARLES S. RYNE AWARD FOR PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT

Valecia McDowell ’98 T ’95

INTERNATIONAL ALUMNI AWARD

Co-head of White Collar, Regulatory Defense & Investigations and Co-head of DEI Advice, Audits & Assessment, Moore & Van Allen

Paul Van den Bulck LLM ’93

YOUNG ALUMNI AWARD

OUTSTANDING VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD

Britton Sellers JD/LLM ’09 Vice President & Assistant General Counsel, National Basketball Association

Partner and Attorney-At-Law, AKD Former Inaugural Independent Chairman, Royal Belgian Football Association

Michael Dockterman ’78 Partner, Steptoe (Chicago) and Senior Lecturing Fellow, Duke Law

Contents

Centennial Issue 2024 Volume 43 Number 1

DEAN

Kerry Abrams INTERIM ASSOCIATE DEAN, COMMUNICATIONS, MARKETING, AND EVENTS

Valerie Marino EDITORS

10

Valerie Marino Jeannie Naujeck

Duke at 100

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Hayley Foran Valerie Marino Jeannie Naujeck Andrew Park Sean Rowe Melinda Vaughn ART DIRECTION & DESIGN

Looking back on the past 100 years at the Law School as Duke University celebrates its centennial

Marc Harkness FRONT COVER ART

Caitlin Cary PHOTOGRAPHY

Colin Huth Ken Huth Valerie Marino Denise Nation Sean Rowe Les Todd DIGITAL PRODUCTION

John Bigelow Marc Harkness Valerie Marino Sean Rowe Michael Wright ALUMNI NOTES COORDINATORS

Hayley Foran Jenny Light

Duke Law Magazine is published under the auspices of the Office of the Dean, Duke University Law School, 210 Science Drive, Box 90362, Durham, NC 27708 CMYK Color verified by MH 7/27/2019

2

8

Bolch Prize

23 Years

32

34

Justice Sandra Day O’Connor posthumously receives award for her judiciary legacy

Wrongful Convictions Clinic secures its 11th exoneration with Quincy Amerson’s release

Faculty books

Full circle

New books explore sex and gender, the origins of American law, and the future of personhood

Evan Zucker ’79 has a knack for being at the right place and time to capture history

21 The Duke Endowment Challenge

Donors boost financial aid and public interest support

24 Pro Bono

1Ls arrive with a passion for service

26 Distinguished professorships

Five faculty members recognized

This publication was produced using paper which supports Duke’s commitment to sustaining our environment.

31 New faculty

Corporate law scholar Yaron Nili joins Duke Law

About our cover image: We asked Raleigh artist Caitlin Cary to capture the color and vibrancy of the Duke Law School community in this needleprint. The original piece is 24" X 30" and will be on display in the Law School.

2 The Commons 26 Faculty Focus 34 Profiles 39 Alumni Notes 47 In Memoriam 48 Sua Sponte

The Commons Ideas, achievements, and events from around Duke Law School

Justice O’Connor awarded Bolch Prize

CHIEF JUSTICE ROBERTS HONORS JUSTICE SANDRA DAY O’CONNOR DURING CEREMONY AT DUKE

2

Duke Law Magazine • Centennial Issue 2024

A

SSOCIATE JUSTICE SANDRA DAY O’CONNOR was celebrated as the 2024 recipient of the Bolch Prize for the Rule of Law during a private ceremony held at Duke University on April 4, 2024. John G. Roberts Jr., Chief Justice of the United States, delivered remarks honoring Justice O’Connor’s life and legacy, and Scott O’Connor accepted the prize on behalf of his late mother.

The Bolch Prize is awarded annually by the Bolch Judicial Institute of Duke Law School to honor an individual or organization’s extraordinary efforts to advance and protect the rule of law. The Bolch Prize ceremony highlighted Justice O’Connor’s dedication to advancing civic education in the United States through iCivics, a nonprofit she founded in 2009.

“Justice O’Connor retired as an active justice in 2006, but she really just kept going,” Chief Justice Roberts said. “She flew the flag by sitting on federal courts around the country to an extent few justices have since the earliest days of the Republic. She traveled the world to inspire others. She expanded her reach by going digital and launching iCivics in 2009, observing that the practice of democ-

“... [T]he practice of democracy is not passed down through the gene pool. It must be taught and learned by each new generation.”

— Chief Justice John Roberts

Chief Justice of the United States John G. Roberts Jr.

Scott O’Connor, right, accepts the Bolch Prize on behalf of his mother from Paul W. Grimm, director of the Bolch Institute.

racy is not passed down through the gene pool. It must be taught and learned by each new generation. Today the Bolch Prize is so fittingly bestowed on Justice O’Connor because she lived so much of her life getting that done.”

“Sandra Day O’Connor expanded the public image of what it meant to look like a judge,” the Chief Justice continued. “She sounded the alarm about the growing lack of appreciation of what it means to be a citizen. She launched iCivics to do something about that.”

In addition to Chief Justice Roberts and Mr. O’Connor, the ceremony featured remarks from Kerry Abrams, the James B. Duke and Benjamin N. Duke Dean of the School of Law; Susan Bass Bolch, cofounder of the Bolch Judicial Institute; Lisa Kern Griffin, a Duke Law professor and former law clerk to Justice O’Connor; Paul W. Grimm, director of the Bolch Judicial Institute and a retired federal judge; and David F. Levi, president of The American Law Institute.

“Justice O’Connor was a dear friend, colleague, and mentor to many in this room — and she was an inspiration to all of us,” said Dean Abrams. “Tonight we celebrate her impact as a pathbreaking public servant and justice of our highest court, a model of civility and bipartisanship, and a founding force behind a civic education renaissance in our country.”

Judge Grimm spoke of Justice O’Connor’s creativity in launching iCivics, which offers free games, lesson plans, and other resources designed to educate young people about the founding principles of the United States government. It now reaches nearly 10 million students each year.

“Justice O’Connor realized better than most of us that without a civically informed public, the rule of law cannot thrive,” Judge Grimm said. “And, in order for the public to have faith in our judicial system, which is essential to maintaining our democratic form of government, people must first understand how all three branches of government work together. We are so proud to honor Justice Sandra Day O’Connor’s lifelong devotion to advancing and protecting the rule of law, both as a political and judicial leader and as the architect of a renewal of civics education within our country.”

Scott O’Connor offered his family’s thanks for the prize and shared personal stories about his mother.

“Our deepest thanks from the O’Connor family go to Susan and Carl Bolch,” O’Connor said to Susan Bolch during the ceremony. “The description of the Bolch Institute and its goals appears to me as having possibly been written by mom as her dream for a legacy institute to carry on her most important interests. Your gift creating the Institute was made the same year that mom’s dementia caused her to Duke Law Magazine • Centennial Issue 2024

3

The Commons

(above) Dean Abrams moderated a Q&A on O’Connor’s legacy with three of her clerks: Professors Lisa Kern Griffin and Matthew Adler, and Sarah Boyce ’12. The event took place at the Law School prior to the Bolch Prize ceremony.

withdraw from the public eye. Otherwise, she would’ve happily traveled to Durham to meet you and thank you personally for what you’re doing. I’m honored to accept the award for her.”

O’Connor explained that Justice O’Connor worked tirelessly after her retirement from the Court to speak to groups in the United States and around the world about the ideals of democracy. “She carried the message here and abroad that we need to treasure the rights that are guaranteed by our Constitution and recognize that judicial independence and the rule of law are, in her words, tremendously hard to create — and easier than most people imagine to damage or destroy.”

Through her work with the American Bar Association’s Central and Eastern European Law Initiative, she frequently met with judges, leaders, and citizens of other countries, carrying the prestige of her position as a retired justice of the United States Supreme Court as well as her deep belief in the rule of law.

“Her impact depended as much on her personal warmth and ability to relate to others as on her professional expertise,” O’Connor said.

“She traveled not to lecture but to discuss and learn together. During meetings she listened intently, questioned effectively, took copious notes and gave advice, not directives. She understood that the judicial approach and practices that work best here in the U.S. may not be the best for others and she conveyed that understanding and its acceptance.”

Griffin, who clerked for Justice O’Connor in the 1997-98 term, spoke of the justice’s warmth and care for her clerks — even as she held the highest expectations for 4

Duke Law Magazine • Centennial Issue 2024

their work. “She was disciplined and precise, but she was never dour in any way,” Griffin said. “She was warm and joyful with a mischievous sense of humor.

She loved a wicked joke or a silly skit. She laughed often, and she smiled with a sparkle in her eyes.”

Griffin also recalled Justice O’Connor’s optimism, faith in her country, and respect and empathy for others. “She was always moving forward, and she carried other people along with her,” Griffin said, adding that Justice O’Connor’s “parting message was that we should all try to help others along the way.”

“At perhaps a dispiriting moment in our civic discourse, a spark of her optimism is a light that she left on — and that is iCivics,” Griffin said. “She founded this online resource to teach about the protections in our Constitution. She wanted schoolchildren to become committed citizens and not to take democracy for granted. I think the Bolch Prize is an especially fitting honor because it recognizes how she advanced the rule of law by modeling for us civil discourse and by continuing to teach citizenship even now.” — Melinda Vaughn

On clerking for O’Connor

“At the end of the [clerkship] interview, she said, ‘What do you think is the worst decision of this court?’ And I blurted ‘Bowers v.

Hardwick,’ a 1986 decision holding that there was no constitutional objection to criminalizing same-sex sexual relations. She had joined that opinion. I think that shows, even though she was very firm in her own views, her willingness to listen to others, including the views of a pipsqueak 3L.” — Matt Adler, Richard A. Horvitz Professor of Law and Professor of Economics, Philosophy and Public Policy (clerked for O’Connor 1992–1993)

Macy ’22 and Stone ’20 serving as Supreme Court clerks “The dignity and capacity that she displayed at all times made it possible for not just judges but politicians and lawyers and women in every profession to see themselves. She changed our collective consciousness about what women can do. She was the most powerful woman in the country when she was on the court.

People sometimes called it the O’Connor Court. And that sort of discourse changes not only how women see themselves but how men see what women can do.”

— Lisa Kern Griffin, Candace M. Carroll and Leonard B. Simon Distinguished Professor of Law (clerked for O’Connor 1997–1998). Griffin (above) said the justice sent “O’Connor Grandclerk” t-shirts on the birth of her children.

“iCivics was her favorite thing to talk about. It was perhaps the thing she was the most proud of. Even beyond being the first woman on the court, she was so proud that she had built this remarkable organization that was helping high school students, and even younger, understand our democracy. At the time I don’t think I really understood why she cared so much, or what she clearly could see in the distance. But I certainly think she was prescient, and that her message that this work has to be ongoing, and that we need to take it seriously and elevate it, is really important, particularly so today.”

— Sarah Boyce ’12, Deputy Solicitor General of the North Carolina Department of Justice (clerked for O’Connor 2015– 2016 [post-retirement] along with Justice Stephen Breyer)

J

OHN MACY ’22 AND DONOVAN STONE ’20 are serving as Supreme Court clerks for the October 2024 term.

Macy is clerking for Associate Justice Samuel Alito and Stone is clerking for Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. They are the twelfth and thirteenth Duke Law graduates since 2010 to serve in clerkships for the nation’s highest court.

“Both Donovan and John were standouts at Duke Law School, excelling in their academic and extracurricular endeavors, and went on to clerkships where they earned the esteem of federal judges,” said Kerry Abrams, the James B. Duke and Benjamin N. Duke Dean of the School of Law. “I am thrilled to have these exceptional alumni representing the Law School at the nation’s highest court this fall. We wish Donovan and John the very best and look forward to following their remarkable careers.”

Macy, formerly an associate at Susman Godfrey, called working for Justice Alito “an extraordinary privilege.” John Macy ’22 Donovan Stone ’20 “I could not have done it without all the resources and help from Duke Law School,” he said. “It’s a huge part of my life forever.”

Stone, formerly an associate at Williams & Connolly, said he is “incredibly excited” about clerking for Justice Jackson and credited numerous Law School faculty and staff members with guiding him through the clerkship process.

“It’s definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and to say that I feel blessed would be an understatement,” he said. “I am fortunate to have a very strong community of mentors and supporters.”

Duke Law Magazine • Centennial Issue 2024

5

insignes

The Commons

Recognizing significant legal clerkships, fellowships, and honors

6

Nick Opoku LLM ’24, a corporate lawyer from Ghana, is the first international LLM graduate to be awarded the Farrin Fellowship.

Funded by James Farrin ’90 and the North Carolina law firm bearing his name, the fellowship will support Opoku’s work for the next year on the redistricting and representation policy team at Common Cause in Washington, D.C. “In the recent past, some state legislatures have instituted laws intended to politicize election administration and foreclose electoral competition via extreme gerrymandering,” Opoku said.

“As lawyers, there are many ways in which we can channel our skills and talents to addressing some of these issues. Working to support the efforts of pro-democracy institutions like Common Cause is one of them.”

While his home country is a stable democracy, Opoku noted that Ghana has experienced challenges similar to the U.S. in manipulation of redistricting processes.

“I have seen the impact it has on inclusive development and people’s abilities to equally participate in the democratic process, and it’s a privilege to be a part of this effort,” Opoku said.

Opoku earned his law degree from Ghana School of Law and worked at a corporate law firm in Accra advising local and international clients including a major oil corporation and the fourth largest U.S. bank. He also has a strong interest in constitutional, legislative, and policy reform, and has consulted on policy and governance projects for multilateral and civil society organizations and written on comparative constitutional law and legal reform.

At Duke Law, Opoku served as a research assistant for the Bolch Judicial Institute, participated in pro bono projects, and was the LLM representative for the Black Law Students Association. He received the 2024 Justin Miller LLM Award for Leadership and Community Participation.

“I am grateful to James Farrin and his law firm for this opportunity that allows Duke Law graduates to support individuals and groups who have historically faced discrimination,” Opoku said. “Serving as a fellow at Common Cause … directly serves the purpose of this fellowship.”

Duke Law Magazine • Centennial Issue 2024

Madison Pinckney ’24 was awarded the Keller Fellowship to work for the next year at New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, where she will focus on increasing access to higher education for people with disabilities.

The project, which she designed, is personal to Pinckney: Prior to arriving at Duke Law, she had been diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease, a poorly-understood bacterial infection, after contracting it as a child and suffering with symptoms for years.

“I went undiagnosed with Lyme and tick-borne illness for about 10 years. I had been sick for most of my life while [doctors] were trying to figure out why, and that’s a very common experience for people with those diseases,” she said.

At Duke Law Pinckney worked in the Health Justice Clinic and the Children’s Law Clinic. During her 1L summer she interned with the Community Health Law Project, which provides legal representation and direct services advocacy for low-income and elderly people with disabilities and as a 2L she worked on impact litigation for employment discrimination and special education reform in the Disability Rights Section of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. She also co-founded, in 2022, the pro bono Lyme Disease Advocacy Project at Duke Law with classmate and fellow Lyme sufferer Luke Mears ’24.

The fellowship is named in honor of John Keller ’87, a lawyer with Legal Aid of North Carolina for more than 35 years, and was initially funded by members of his graduating class.

“The opportunity to pursue this work at a nonprofit that I’m very passionate about is an incredibly valuable thing,” said Pinckney, who plans to continue working in disability rights.

“It’s a great way to launch yourself into a career, and I’m so grateful that the Law School has that opportunity, and for receiving it.”

The City of Concord, N.C., admitted “significant errors in judgment and willful misconduct” that resulted in Long being imprisoned for more than 44 years.

Ronnie Long and Clinical Professor Jamie Lau ’09 following Long’s release from prison on Aug. 27, 2020. (Photo: Denise Nation)

WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS CLINIC

Ronnie Long receives $25 million settlement

R

ONNIE LONG, a client of Duke Law School’s Wrongful Convictions Clinic who spent more than 44 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, settled a civil lawsuit against the City of Concord, North Carolina, and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation for $25 million.

Long’s total settlement, which includes a $22 million payment from the City of Concord and a previous $3 million settlement with the SBI, is the second largest wrongful conviction settlement ever recorded.

In a Jan. 9 statement, the City accepted responsibility for “significant errors in judgement and willful misconduct by previous [C]ity employees that led to Long’s wrongful conviction and imprisonment.”

“We are deeply remorseful for the past wrongs that caused tremendous harm to Mr. Long, his family, friends, and our community,” the statement read. “We are hopeful this can begin the healing process for Mr. Long, his family, and our community, and that together we can move forward while learning valuable lessons and ensuring nothing like this ever happens again.”

The civil lawsuits were handled by Pfeiffer Rudolf of Charlotte.

“No amount of money will ever compensate Ronnie Long for the 44 years he spent incarcerated and the indifference of numerous elected officials who fought to keep him incarcerated despite overwhelming evidence of his innocence,” said Clinical Professor Jamie Lau ’09, the clinic’s supervising attorney, who served as Long’s lead attorney during his appeal.

But, he said, “I applaud the City for taking responsibility and making it possible for Mr. Long to move on from the nightmare he lived for more than half his life.”

Long, who is Black, was convicted by an all-white jury on Oct. 1, 1976, for the rape of a prominent white woman in Concord. The Chief of Police and County

Sheriff inexplicably removed nearly all of the Black potential jurors from the jury pool before summonses were issued. No physical evidence tied Long to the rape and burglary, his attorneys said, and the prosecution’s main piece of evidence — the victim’s identification of Long weeks after the attack — was the product of a suggestive identification procedure arranged by the police to target Long, who did not match her original description of the assailant as a “yellow or really light-skinned Black male.”

Numerous pieces of forensic evidence that could have helped exonerate Long, including 43 fingerprints and a suspect hair collected at the crime scene, none of which were from Long, were tested by investigators but not disclosed, and officers with the Concord Police Department gave false testimony about the evidence at trial. In addition, a rape kit collected at a local hospital and provided to the Concord police went missing and has never been found.

The Wrongful Convictions Clinic took Long’s case in 2015. In 2020, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled 9-6 that Long’s due process rights were violated at his trial and remanded the case to the district court to decide the question of innocence.

That opinion was issued after a rare en banc hearing in May 2020 during Jamie Lau ’09 which the State argued that the withheld evidence and misleading testimony at Long’s trial did not prejudice the outcome.

Long was released from prison on Aug. 27, 2020.

At the time, only two other exonerated defendants in U.S. history had spent longer behind bars. His conviction was subsequently vacated and he later received a pardon of innocence from Gov. Roy Cooper.

During a Feb. 6 appearance with Long on CNN’s Laura Coates Live, Lau highlighted the work yet to be done.

“Ronnie’s case was a racially charged case in the South in 1976 and he was just released in August of 2020,” Lau said.

“To the extent that racism was alive and well in the South following the dismantling of Jim Crow, that legacy lives on with regards to people who are in prison dating back to that time.” — Andrew Park Duke Law Magazine • Centennial Issue 2024

7

The Commons

Q

UINCY MARQUIES AMERSON, a client of the Duke Law School Wrongful Convictions Clinic, walked free for the first time in more than two decades after the clinic presented exculpatory evidence in his 2001 murder conviction and the state dismissed its case.

Amerson, 49 at the time of release, spent nearly 23 years in prison after being convicted of first-degree murder in the 1999 death of a child in Harnett County and sentenced to life without parole. He was effectively exonerated of the crime on Feb. 16, after a Superior Court judge found that prejudicial evidence and testimony had denied him a fair trial and vacated his conviction and sentence.

But he had to wait in jail until District Attorney Suzanne Matthews signed and filed a dismissal ending the case on March 13, upon which Amerson was released and went home to his parents.

“We are very happy for Quincy and his family. However, there was never any doubt that he was innocent,” said James E. Coleman Jr., the John S. Bradway Distinguished Professor of the Practice of Law and director of the Wrongful Convictions Clinic, who had been working to exonerate Amerson since 2006.

“When the prosecutor finally had to address the irrefutable facts demonstrating his innocence, she was forced to concede that the evidence on which the State relied to convict Quincy of murder in 2001 was, in the words of her own expert, ‘invalid’ and did not support the conclusion Quincy had killed the young victim.”

Amerson spent his first full day of freedom enjoying time with his family and savoring simple pleasures like getting into a car with his father and driving around together.

Free after 23 years

WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS CLINIC SECURES EXONERATION FOR QUINCY AMERSON

8

Duke Law Magazine • Centennial Issue 2024

“It was overwhelming. To be in the house with my family was a wonderful feeling,” Amerson said of the reunion. “I have never felt anything as good.”

While he missed meeting his nieces and seeing his children grow up, Amerson said he remained optimistic throughout his long ordeal, passing time by reading, writing, and reaching out to anyone who might be able to help.

“I never gave up hope,” he said. “I had loved ones who were along for the whole ride.”

Now, he said, he hopes to use his case to shine a light on injustice in the criminal legal system.

Clinic member Luke Mears ’24 called the outcome “25 years too long” to achieve.

“To steal so much of someone’s life purposelessly and without evidence is just heartbreaking, but we are, of course, happy and relieved with the result,” Mears said. “We are incredibly grateful to Quincy, his family, and his friends for their patience and support as we navigated the frustrations of this case.”

Samuel de Sousa Dias Martins Bettini ’24, who also worked on Amerson’s claim, noted that his release came after years of effort by Duke Law faculty, students, and alumni.

“While it was extremely frustrating the way the State handled this case from beginning to end, from the initial investigation to the DA’s overdue dismissal, we are immensely happy for Quincy and his family,” Bettini said.

“Working on this case has been the most rewarding experience I have had in law school — and perhaps in my life so far.”

“To steal so much of someone’s life purposelessly and without evidence is just heartbreaking.”

— Luke Mears ’24

Samuel de Sousa Dias Martins Bettini ’24, Luke Mears ’24, Quincy Amerson, his parents Valjean and Quinton Amerson; Professor Jim Coleman, and Clinical Fellow Evan Glasner ’16

The Wrongful Convictions Clinic investigates plausible claims of innocence made by people incarcerated for felonies in North Carolina. Amerson is the 11th man to be exonerated since its founding in 2008 by Coleman and Charles S. Rhyne Clinical Professor Emerita of Law Theresa Newman ’88.

Convicted by “speculation, aided by junk science”

Amerson was wrongfully convicted in April 2001 for the death of Sharita Rivera, a 7-year-old girl whose body was found on a country road in Johnsonville, North Carolina, in the early morning hours of Aug. 7, 1999. By the time police arrived, her body had been struck by several vehicles, according to witness reports and court testimony. Her mother, Patrice Rivera, was found dead at their home several miles away.

Police quickly formed a belief that the girl had been hit and killed intentionally, based on their assessment of elements of the scene including blood spray around the child’s body, tire imprints near the road, and the remains of a wheel well liner found a quarter of a mile away.

They arrested Amerson, then 24, who lived two houses from the Riveras, after he told police he had driven the same route that evening in his girlfriend’s car.

That vehicle was found to have blood and tissue on the underside and was missing a wheel well liner like the one found. No other physical evidence connecting Amerson to the crime was found, and debris from other cars was at the site.

But Amerson was convicted of first-degree murder for the child’s death, based in part on the testimony of a state trooper who conducted an initial accident reconstruction that appeared to be focused solely on Amerson.

During his investigation, Coleman learned that the jury was never provided with significant evidence showing that the child was struck after fleeing her home during or after her mother’s murder. Evidence suggested that at least five different vehicles, two of them the same model as the car Amerson was driving, hit her body over the course of the night.

Coleman sent multiple letters over the years to the district attorney’s office and Attorney General Josh Stein asking the state to hire its own expert to review the original report. He never received a reply.

In January 2020 Coleman hired accident reconstruction expert Shawn Harrington to examine the collision site and the evidence presented at trial.

Harrington concluded that the state trooper whose initial reconstruction helped convict Amerson had reached erroneous and far-fetched conclusions unsupported by any legitimate methodology.

“His opinions and conclusions are nothing more than speculation aided by junk science,” Harrington said in his report. It is far more likely that the child died after

multiple drivers inadvertently struck her on the unlit back road and left the scene, Harrington told Popular Mechanics in a story about the case, calling the trooper’s 1999 reconstruction work “embarrassing.”

The state eventually did hire an expert who essentially reiterated Harrington’s findings during testimony in Superior Court in January, calling the 1999 report unsupported and invalid. With that, the state lost evidence “absolutely necessary” to establish probable cause in Amerson’s conviction and offered no additional evidence to support it.

On Feb. 16, a Superior Court judge vacated Amerson’s conviction and sentence in Sharita Rivera’s death. Neither Amerson nor anyone else has ever been arrested in Patrice Rivera’s death.

“This case illustrates the troubling indifference of prosecutors, including the North Carolina Attorney General, who refuse to address the facts of these cases while blindly defending indefensible conduct by state actors, sometimes for decades, as in Quincy’s case,” Coleman said.

“Until the public demands more from these elected officials, innocent people will continue to languish in North Carolina prisons solely because the men and women who have the power to free them are indifferent to miscarriages of justice. That is what urgently needs to change.”

Daniel Becker ’09, who was one of the first students to work on Amerson’s innocence claim and remained involved throughout, said he was honored to be part of a successful outcome.

“This case is a reminder that sometimes the system gets it wrong, creating a serious injustice that takes years to untangle,” Becker said. “I’ve been amazed by the dedication of the Wrongful Convictions Clinic and its students over the years, and this favorable result is just the latest example of the incredible work it does.” — Jeannie A. Naujeck

Hear from Amerson on the Duke Law Podcast. https://duke.is/amerson

Duke Law Magazine • Centennial Issue 2024

9

100 YEARS AS DUKE UNIVERSITY CELEBRATES ITS CENTENNIAL, WE’RE REFLECTING ON THE LAST 100 YEARS AT THE LAW SCHOOL

10 Duke Law Magazine • Centennial Issue 2024

1924

1927

1929

1930

Duke University is established when James B. Duke, through the Indenture of Trust, designates a gift that transformed Trinity College into a comprehensive research university.

The School of Law moves into renovated quarters in the Carr Building on East Campus.

Duke Law adds a third year to the LLB curriculum in 1928-1929.

The School of Law moves into a new building on the Main Quadrangle of the West Campus.

Miriam Cox, a Duke Woman’s College graduate and court reporter, is the first woman student admitted to Duke Law School.

of

DUKE

Justin Miller is appointed dean. During Miller’s tenure, the Law School faculty grows substantially.

LAW Duke Law Magazine • Centennial Issue 2024

11

1931 The Duke Bar Association, modeled on the American Bar Association, is established by the law students.

The Duke Legal Aid Clinic, one of the first law schoolconnected programs of its kind in the country, is established by Professor John S. Bradway.

ON COMMUNITY This essay was originally published in Duke Magazine, Spring 2024.

Reprinted with permission.

Community. That’s the word that Duke Law alumni invariably use when I ask them what makes Duke Law special. It doesn’t seem to matter whether they graduated 50 years ago or just received their diplomas.

The reason they loved law school, and continue to love Duke, wasn’t the rigorous academic experience or the incredible professional opportunities they were offered — although those aspects of Duke Law are certainly worth celebrating! Instead, it is the friendships forged with classmates, the close relationships with faculty that last well after graduation, and the incredibly supportive alumni — in short, community — that is the most distinctive feature of the Duke Law experience.

Despite enormous change in legal education, the legal profession, and the law, this vibrant and supportive culture has endured for over a century. When James B. Duke signed the Indenture of Trust that created Duke University a century ago, he identified law as one of four professions, along with preaching, teaching, and medicine, that “by precept and example can do most to uplift mankind.” Mr. Duke recognized that being a lawyer is more than just a job. Lawyers are problem solvers. They are trained to see issues from multiple perspectives and help people to resolve seemingly intractable conflicts. They uphold the “rule of law,” which enables individuals to coexist, businesses to flourish, victims to obtain compensation, and government to be held accountable. They protect the institutions that support our democracy — and seek to reform those institutions when they fail to live up to our collective ideals. Our students, faculty, and staff have always understood that the study and practice of law is not about individual achievement. Law is a community enterprise that contributes to the common good.

As we celebrate Duke’s Centennial, it’s worth considering the many ways in which the Law School has grown and changed while maintaining the sense of community that has always been its hallmark.

In the 1930s, we established the first law school clinic in the nation to provide free legal services to clients who could not otherwise afford a lawyer and hands-on, experiential education to students. In the 1950s and 1960s, a new dean barnstormed the country recruiting promising students, one of the first steps in transforming us from a regional to

12

Duke Law Magazine • Centennial Issue 2024

1938 To alleviate a housing shortage for law students, Dean H. Claude Horack oversees the construction of five log cabins on the northern edge of the West Campus.

a national school. In the 1980s, we went from being a national school to a truly global one, by launching our first international programs and welcoming students from China for the first time. In the 1990s and 2000s, our faculty were pioneers in studying and teaching about the legal and ethical implications of the Internet and we became the national leader in embracing open access to legal scholarship through digitization. In the 2000s and 2010s, we expanded funding, mentorship, and experiential opportunities for students aspiring to careers in public service.

Even as we celebrate the accomplishments of our community, we can also acknowledge that our concept of community has needed to expand — and must continue to do so. In 1927, we admitted our first woman student, Miriam Cox, but it would take nearly a century for women to reach parity in the student body, and they are still fighting for equity in the profession our students join upon graduation. We did not admit a Black student until 1961, when Walter Thaniel Johnson Jr., and David Robinson were two of the first three African Americans to enroll at Duke; the first Black women, Brenda Becton, Karen Bethea-Shields, and Evelyn Cannon, were not admitted for another decade. Over the past decade, we’ve seen a significant increase in students who identify as LGBTQ, multiracial, disabled, or neurodiverse. Our Duke Law community is coming closer to reflecting the diversity of perspectives and experiences of the clients our graduates serve.

Today, Duke Law graduates are leaders in business, government, and public service across the globe. Experiential learning and community service are no longer an innovative experiment but instead an integral part of each student’s education at the Law School. Our faculty are exploring new scholarly terrain, confronting the opportunities and challenges to privacy, liberty, justice, and democracy presented by new technologies such as generative artificial intelligence.

As we move into our next century, Duke Law School is sure to grow and change in ways we cannot begin to imagine. It’s my hope and aspiration that we will meet the challenge of the future with the same sense of common purpose and mutual respect that has served us so well in the past. I like to think that James B. Duke would be amazed and inspired by the Duke Law community we are today, and eager to find out all we will do to “uplift humankind” in the century ahead.

Kerry Abrams is James B. Duke and Benjamin N. Duke Dean and Distinguished Professor of Law.

Class of 1941

1942-1946

1947

1951

Many faculty members leave for wartime service; student enrollment drops precipitously. The law schools of Duke and Wake Forest combine as a unified operation for the duration of the war.

Returning veterans enroll in numbers that swell the student population for the next five years.

The first issue of the Duke Bar Journal is published. Published twice a year, it is completely student written and edited until 1953 when faculty scholarship is included.

In 1957, the Duke Bar Journal is renamed Duke Law Journal.

Duke Law Magazine • Centennial Issue 2024

13

1968 The JD replaces the LLB as the most common professional degree in law.

1961

Walter Thaniel Johnson Jr. and David Robinson II are the first Black students admitted to Duke Law School. Both men graduate in 1964.

1963 The Law School moves into a new building at Towerview Road and Science Drive. The Honorable Earl Warren, Chief Justice of the United States, is the principal speaker at the dedication ceremony.

14

Duke Law Magazine • Centennial Issue 2024

1966 To protest the North Carolina Bar Association’s denial of membership to an African American graduate of the Law School, the faculty approves a resolution to sever ties with the Bar Association until applicants are accepted without discrimination based on race. The Law School re-establishes its connection with the Bar Association in 1969.

(Read more, page 16)

1972

Patricia H. Marschall becomes Duke Law’s first female faculty member, teaching family law and consumer protection.

1982 An LLM program for foreigntrained lawyers is established.

Shi Xi-min ’85, the law school’s first Chinese JD student, is admitted and is designated a Nixon Scholar.

International students with Judy Horowitz, Paul Carrington, and James Cox, 1984

ON GLOBALIZATION The growth of international and comparative law at Duke Law School can be traced to Paul Carrington, who after arriving as dean in 1978 developed the Master of Laws (LLM) program, a one-year degree for lawyers who had previously studied law outside the United States.

While a small number of foreign lawyers had studied informally at Duke, by 1985 the LLM program enrolled ten students from countries including Denmark, Pakistan, and Taiwan.

Dean Carrington established a foundation for international and comparative law teaching and research at Duke Law by hiring international faculty including German-and-U.S.-trained Herbert Bernstein, who along with new faculty member Donald Horowitz supervised the first international graduate of the Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) in 1985. Carrington brought to Duke noted scholars from across the globe, who helped recruit others and reshaped the SJD program to mirror PhD degrees in other disciplines. Today, Duke SJD graduates serve as law faculty members at institutions far and wide.

A key figure in the expansion of international programs was Judy Horowitz, Duke Law’s first associate dean for international studies, who recruited, admitted, and advised international LLM students, helped design their academic program, and launched new international and comparative law programs for JD students.

With Dean Carrington and Don Horowitz (her husband), she crafted the innovative JD/LLM degree and launched the Law School’s first overseas summer institute in Copenhagen in 1986. The month-long program moved to Brussels, Geneva, and finally to The Hague, where it has operated since 2018 as the Duke-Leiden Institute in Global and Transnational Law. International expansion continued with Pamela Gann’s appointment as dean in 1988. Along with Judy Horowitz, Dean Gann made a landmark trip to Asia in 1994 to vet partners for a second summer institute in Hong Kong that operated for 20 years. They visited alumni and law firms, established collaborations with foreign law faculties, and added study abroad exchanges for JD students.

As the LLM program grew, there was a need to give international students a grounding in U.S. law and legal analysis, research, and writing (LARW). I joined the faculty in 1987 to develop that course and taught it for many years. In 1990, Thomas Metzloff began teaching the wellloved class Distinctive Aspects of U.S. Law, which he still teaches today.

International law and programs are now woven into every aspect of Duke Law. This year’s LLM class has 85 students from 35 countries and territories; 13% of students in the JD Class of 2026 are from outside the U.S.; and judges from other countries bring unique perspectives to each new class of the Bolch Judicial Institute’s Master of Laws in Judicial Studies. International and American students exchange cultures and develop their global networks through social events, student groups, and the LLM Ambassadors program that pairs JDs with LLMs. Mixing talented lawyers from overseas with American JD students brings comparative law discussions into classrooms and broadens Durham’s international population. It also gives LLM students a challenging legal education and a classic American university experience — and they love it. Our international alumni are our best recruiters, helping Duke Law to enroll LLM students from a wide variety of backgrounds through generous donations that include an endowed scholarship in honor of Judy Horowitz and a current-use fund in my name.

It was enormously satisfying, as both teacher and administrator, to contribute to the growth in international studies and programs at Duke Law, and a special privilege to succeed Judy Horowitz for ten years as associate dean.

In May, my successor, Oleg Kobelev, traveled with Dean Kerry Abrams to Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Seoul. They renewed old ties forged on that trip to Asia 30 years ago and established new ones, ensuring Duke Law’s global community will continue to grow for the next 30 years — and beyond.

Jennifer D’Arcy Maher ’83 is associate dean emerita for International Studies at Duke Law School, where she was a principal architect and steward of international programs for more than 30 years.

Duke Law Magazine • Centennial Issue 2024

15

1986 1985 The JD/LLM in International and Comparative Law, the first combined degree program of its kind in the country, is inaugurated. The first student graduates from the SJD program, a doctoral degree in law designed for academics from other countries. International programs grow to include the international visiting scholars program, a variety of exchange programs and externship opportunities.

ON LEADERSHIP Professional and civic leadership is a cornerstone of Duke University and its Duke Law School, but I wasn’t aware of any of this when I entered my freshman year at Duke in 1980 or my first year at the law school in the fall of 1984. I learned of many of the events that reflect the university’s and the Law School’s aspirations of leadership well after graduation. As a law student, I knew only that I had enjoyed my years at Duke and had come to appreciate the university community and its history.

That history includes a revealing example of leadership from the Law School community that I recently learned about while working on a project with the North Carolina Bar Association The bar association was established in 1899 as an expressly segregated organization, with membership limited to “any white person.” That language survived until 1965, and the association did not admit its first Black members until 1967. Two leaders in the integration of the bar association were Eric Michaux ’66 and Dean Hodge O’Neal.

Michaux came to the law school in 1965 as a transfer from North Carolina Central University’s law school. In 1966, immediately after the bar association revised its constitution to remove the whites-only restriction, Michaux and his brother Henry “Mickey” Michaux sought membership. The association rejected both of their applications in 1966, and multiple subsequent times.

In an interview with the bar association’s board of governors, Eric Michaux told the members, “We [attorneys] have the training, the

16

Duke Law Magazine • Centennial Issue 2024

Summer Institute is inaugurated in Copenhagen. It later relocates to Brussels, then Geneva. A second institute is held in Hong Kong from 1995 to 2015. Today, the Duke-Leiden Institute in Global and Transnational Law is held each summer in The Hague, The Netherlands.

1988

Professor Pamela B. Gann ’73 is named dean. She is the first woman, as well as the first Duke Law graduate, to serve as dean.

Law faculty approve the Loan Repayment Assistance Program to assist students who are employed in public interest or government after graduation.

foresight, the dedicated mind, the sworn and solemn confirmation and conviction to engineer society in a better place in which to live.

Therefore, if you are slow to take this step, then society will follow at a snowball pace in either direction.”

In December 1966, in response to Eric Michaux’s rejection, the law school, under Dean O’Neal’s leadership, withdrew its affiliation with the bar association, “until such time as all applicants are accepted for membership … without discrimination based upon race.” In June 1969, Eric Michaux was admitted to membership in the bar association (Mickey Michaux having been admitted in 1968). Two days after Eric Michaux’s admission, the bar association announced that the law school had restored its relationship with the association. Eric Michaux went on to serve as a JAG lawyer in Vietnam and later as a respected North Carolina lawyer and longtime member of the North Carolina Board of Law Examiners.

The Law School’s history is replete with leaders, many of whom I’ve had the good fortune to interact with. Eric Michaux’s leadership in the fight for membership in the North Carolina Bar Association and Duke’s support of his effort mark a little known, but inspiring chapter in the story of Duke Law School.

Rob Harrington ’87 is a shareholder at Robinson Bradshaw, president elect of the North Carolina Bar Association, and member of the Duke Law Board of Visitors.

2000 1995 The Law School website is launched at law.duke.edu.

Professor Katharine T. (Kate) Bartlett is appointed dean. During her tenure, she recruits 17 scholars, establishes new research centers, expands the clinical program, and presides over significant facilities upgrades.

2004 Phase I of an ambitious building construction and renovation project, the reconstruction of two large classrooms and the replacement of the building’s brick façade to match the campus color palette, is completed.

Members of the Class of ’94 with Professor Sara Sun Beale

Duke Law Magazine • Centennial Issue 2024

17

2008

2007

David F. Levi, a former U.S. attorney and federal judge, is appointed dean. During his tenure, Levi presides over major expansions of faculty, research, academic programs, and fundraising, including a threefold increase in student aid.

ON INNOVATION Innovation at Duke Law has taken many forms over the last century.

As a result, not everyone may immediately associate the Goodson Law Library with “innovation,” despite a longstanding recognition of libraries’ importance in legal education: Christopher Columbus Langdell, the first dean of Harvard Law, famously (at least to law librarians) observed in 1874 that “[t]he Library is to us what a laboratory is to the chemist.”

Our own “laboratory” began modestly, with 1920s Law School administrators lamenting the library’s inadequate collection and funding. Thanks to the efforts of its first full-time director, William Roalfe, Duke’s Law Library became known as the largest in the South by 1932. Over the decades, the library adapted to changes in legal publishing and technology, moving beyond long shelves of books and journals to today’s combination of e-books, databases, and physical materials, in a space now designed to meet 21st-century scholarly and instructional needs.

This intersection of information and technology positioned Duke on the vanguard of the open access movement for legal scholarship, with many of its successes due at least in part to the late Senior Associate Dean for Information Services Richard A. (“Dick”) Danner (1947–2018).

During his 36 years as the director of the Law Library, Danner oversaw a number of initiatives to make legal information more freely accessible online, many of which continue to be managed by the Law Library and Academic Technologies staff today.

In 1998, Duke Law made the full text of its student-edited journals freely accessible online, building upon recommendations by a facultystudent committee. It may be difficult for today’s reader to envision just how forward-thinking this change was in the early years of the World Wide Web, when paid print subscriptions formed the bulk of law journal readership and sites like the Social Sciences Research Network were still new and growing.

18

Duke Law Magazine • Centennial Issue 2024

Two centerpieces of the Law School — Star Commons, a soaring, glass-enclosed gathering space funded by a gift from Stanley and Elizabeth Star, and the J. Michael Goodson Law Library — are dedicated in November.

2011 Duke LLM in Law and Entrepreneurship is launched in 2011. The first students for the JD/ LLMLE dual degree enroll in 2013.

Less than a decade later in 2005, Duke Law launched the Faculty Scholarship Repository, another first for American law schools.

Providing broader full-text access to the research of our faculty and affiliates through a permanent online archive, the Repository includes final versions of record when permitted by copyright, in addition to the complete archive of student journal publications and their latest issues. Today, the Repository reaches readers around the globe and has surpassed 23 million downloads.

During the Law School’s dedication week in November 2008, Danner organized a meeting of prominent law library directors to discuss open access and other priorities for the future of legal education. The group released the Durham Statement on Open Access to Legal Scholarship in February 2009. The Statement aimed to improve the dissemination of legal scholarly information through formal commitments to open access and free, permanent, electronic publication and archiving. Its impact continues to be relevant today, as noted by the work of a recent Durham Statement Review Task Force, whose Final Report on the status of the Statement’s adoption was released in August 2021 and can be found in (where else?) the Repository.

The Law Library continues its open access efforts today, maintaining the Repository and regularly expanding its collections to include other Duke Law content. Library services and instruction similarly adapt to changing times: early efforts to support the growth of faculty empirical research have evolved into today’s sophisticated Data Lab, while firstyear and specialized legal research courses now incorporate generative artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies. Although the Goodson Law Library of today may not bear much physical resemblance to its 1920s version, our innovative “laboratory” spirit endures into the next one hundred years.

Jennifer L. Behrens is associate director for administration and scholarship and a senior lecturing fellow at Duke Law, where she has worked since 2006.

2012

2018

Kerry Abrams, a leading scholar of family law and immigration law and member of the University of Virginia law faculty, is appointed dean.

The Master of Judicial Studies Program enrolls its first class. Through the two-year degree, active judges study issues relating to judicial institutions, judicial behavior, and decisionmaking.

2014 Duke Law faculty approve a new dual degree, the JD/MA in Bioethics and Science Policy.

2017

The Bolch Judicial Institute is established with a gift from Carl Bolch Jr. and Susan Bass Bolch to provide educational opportunities for judges, develop civic education initiatives, and conduct research and support teaching and scholarship.

The PreLaw Fellowship program welcomes its inaugural cohort. The goal of the program is to introduce undergraduate students, many from traditionally underrepresented communities, to the study of law and the benefits of a legal education.

Certificate in Public Interest and Public Service Law (PIPS) enrolls its first students. More than 200 students have since earned this credential by completing curricular and service requirements.

Duke Law Magazine • Centennial Issue 2024

19

2024 2020

2022

Teaching and learning go online in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Law School returns to in-person operations in the fall of 2021.

A record number of new faculty join Duke Law in the 2022-23 academic year.

“We have gone from being a small, regional law school with six faculty and a handful of students in 1924 to the highly influential and global law school we are today. That success and growth was the result of the committed members of the Duke Law community — students, faculty, staff, and alumni — who have always prioritized excellence in everything we’ve done.” — Dean Kerry Abrams

20 Duke Law Magazine • Centennial Issue 2024

The entering JD class is among the most selective in the school’s history and admissions trends demonstrate how much prospective students value a Duke Law education.

The Duke Endowment Challenge broadens donor base, bolsters financial aid and public interest support

I

N 2022, THE DUKE ENDOWMENT awarded Duke Law School a $10 million grant to bolster financial aid and public interest assistance funds for students to study and launch careers in law. The grant came with a challenge: Match the commitment with gifts and pledges from other donors by the end of five years.

Set in four tiered stages, the challenge provided an opportunity for donors to receive a 1:1 match up to $1 million, starting March 2022. By December 2023, the entire $10 million match had been exhausted.

Through the generous contributions of 46 donors, The Duke Endowment Financial Aid and Public Interest Assistance Challenge [the “TDE Challenge”] has not only motivated existing scholarship donors to enhance the values of their named scholarship endowments, providing significant additional aid for current and future students, but encouraged a new and notably more diverse group of alumni to create new scholarship endowments, according to Associate Dean for Alumni & Development Geoff Krouse.

“Within just 20 months, we found several alumni donors who were eager to take advantage of the generous match opportunity from The Duke Endowment and add significant funds to existing scholarships,” said Krouse.

“We also discovered even more donors who were enticed to establish new scholarship endowments, knowing their giving would be matched and the scholarship value significantly enhanced. These donors represented, collectively, a broader cross-section of our alumni base, which introduces our diverse student population to a more diverse group of advocates and mentors.”

The beneficiaries of these scholarship funds are students from across socioeconomic backgrounds, including students who wish to pursue careers in the public interest sector upon graduation. These scholarships will continue to grow and, as of December 2023, the Law School has been able to provide 25 half and 17 full-rate tuition scholarships, up from 20 and 6, respectively, just five years ago.

Duke Law Magazine • Centennial Issue 2024

21

The Commons

Duke Law School donors, board members, faculty, named scholars, and fellows gathered in October 2023 for the Scholarship & Fellowship Brunch.

Students had the opportunity to meet and thank the donors whose support of financial aid has helped make their Duke Law education possible.

“I know what it’s like to graduate with a large student loan balance. Donating is a way to help others experience that less severely,” said Miguel Eaton ’06, partner and practice leader at Jones Day in Washington D.C., who recently joined the Law School’s Board of Visitors. “I began donating as a student. It was a modest amount, but I wanted to start a habit of giving back. I knew how much the Law School depends on donations to maintain its standards.”

The TDE Challenge gave donors like Eaton a chance to make a statement about their commitment to supporting Duke Law, as well as ensure the school’s competitiveness in attracting the most talented and accomplished students to its community — one that prides itself on continued support far beyond graduation.

“There are so many ways to be connected to Duke Law and be part of the alumni body that’s contributing to Duke Law. It feels good when the Law School is successful and growing. It’s a leader in some cutting-edge fields, like AI and IP, but it takes a lot of work, talent, and resources at the faculty, student, and staff level,” said Lila Hope ’02, partner at Cooley LLP in Palo Alto, California.

“I feel lucky to be able to contribute my time and resources. It’s something I wouldn’t be able to do without my education at Duke 22

Duke Law Magazine • Centennial Issue 2024

Law, so it felt like a very natural thing to do when offered an opportunity to pay that forward.”

Duke Law has a long tradition of producing public-spirited graduates.

But with strong competition for many government and public interest positions, many of which do not provide the level of salary and other financial resources offered by law firms, there is a pressing need to ensure the Law School can support students in targeted ways, such as post-graduate fellowships, summer internship funding, and bar grants.

For Donna Cochener JD/LLM ’99, a longtime donor and member of the Alumnae Leadership Council at the Law School, the TDE Challenge provided an opportunity to directly benefit students seeking public interest careers.

“I gave to help take away the financial challenge of that career decision, and to help those who otherwise might not go to Duke because of the difficulty of offsetting the cost of their education,” said Cochener, general counsel for Neurogene Inc., a Seattle-based biotech company.

As a student, Cochener worked closely with Professor Emerita of Law Madeline Morris in her scholarship on the 1994 Rwanda genocide, an experience that has still informed much of her giving to the

“I know what it’s like to graduate with a large student loan balance.

Donating is a way to help others experience that less severely.”

— Miguel Eaton ’06

Donors to The Duke Endowment Challenge

Law School. By investing in public interest work through the match program, Cochener said, she can continue to be involved in that legal arena.

“Investing in that work through philanthropy is important to me, as I believe we are all part of this process of moving good forward, and I chose Duke because of that connection and that deliberateness to how the school approaches stewardship in the legal community,” she said.

Duke Law School is committed to expanding the accessibility of legal education, and The TDE Challenge and its conferrers have enhanced its leadership position by increasing students’ financial aid opportunities and expanding their ability to choose meaningful careers that best suit their abilities and passions.

“The principal reason that I have contributed to the Law School over the years is the gratitude I have for the various opportunities my Duke Law degree has afforded me,” said Mario Ponce ’88, a partner at Simpson Thacher in New York.

“I met my wife [Irene Bruynes Ponce ’89] at Duke Law, and The TDE Challenge was an excellent opportunity to enhance the impact of our giving.

“I would like to see the Law School continue to be regarded as one of the most elite law schools in the country, and one that attracts the brightest faculty and most qualified students.” — Hayley Foran

Anonymous (2) Alfred Green Adams Jr. ’74 and Sarah H. Adams ’73 William Madison Boyd ’98 and Robyn L. Boyd Leslie Philip Carnegie ’99 and Theresa Mary Carnegie ’99 Donna M. Cochener ’99/Bruce G. Cochener Foundation Collin Joe Cox ’01 and Jacquelyn Cox Jim and Bonnie Cox Robert Norman Davies ’61 Dara Lyn DeHaven ’80 Abby L. Dennis ’08 Joseph Porter Durham Jr. ’85 and Victoria Childres Durham Christopher Dean Dusseault ’94 and Sarah Christina Dusseault Miguel F. Eaton ’06 and Jennifer Eaton Gail Winter Feagles ’76 and Prentiss Eric Feagles ’76 Kodwo Ghartey-Tagoe ’88 and Phyllis Ghartey-Tagoe Robert R. Ghoorah ’97 and Sarah Kathleen Solum ’98 Caroline Bergman Gottschalk ’90 John Louis Hardiman ’82 Craig Alan Hoover ’83 and Julie A. Grohovsky Lila Weiqiao Hope ’02 Eve Noonberg Howard ’87 and Jasper Alan Howard ’87 Jocelyn Janine Hunter ’87 David W. Ichel ’78 and Jan Ichel Michael S. Immordino ’86 and Katharina Jordis-Immordino Glenn E. Ketner Jr. ’63 and Susan H. Ketner George R. Krouse Jr. ’70 and Susan N. Krouse Stephen Arnold Labaton ’86 and Miriam Sapiro David Jason Lender ’93 and Stacey Beth Lender Traci (Jones) Lovitt ’97 and Ara Lovitt Lei Mei ’05 James Robert Moxley III ’85 and Ann Moore Moxley Nathan E. (Nat) Nason ’85 and Mary Lou Nason Paul Joseph Pantano Jr. ’80 and Cheryl L. Keamy David Anderson Payne ’88 and Katherine Strozier Payne ’87 Irene Wilhelmine Bruynes Ponce ’89 and Mario Alberto Ponce ’88 Mark David Reeth ’86 and Laura Reeth Jason Mitchell Satsky ’96 and Mindy Beran Satsky Cheryl Williams Scarboro ’89 and Frederick Scarboro David Abba Schwarz ’88 and Julie A. Schwarz Steven R. Shoemate ’88 and Noelle Shoemate Leonard Bruce Simon ’73 and Candace Mattoon Carroll ’74* Roger H. Stein ’88 and Elena Stein Heather Marie Ward ’03 and Sean Ward ’03 Kim W. West ’77 C. Thomas Work ’77 and Dianne C. Work *deceased

Duke Law Magazine • Centennial Issue 2024

23

The Commons

‘Going Gangbusters’ PRO BONO HOURS SOAR AS 1LS ARRIVE WITH A PASSION FOR SERVICE

T

HE FIRST SEMESTER OF LAW SCHOOL is packed with new faces, places, and experiences, not to mention a rigorous curriculum and challenging workload.

But that hasn’t stopped 1Ls from adding pro bono work to their plates. Whether they make public service a career or not, pro bono hours show a continuing trend of high engagement among entering students. During the 2023-2024 academic year, the JD class of 2026 recorded nearly 3,000 hours of pro bono work — 48% of the total hours recorded by all classes.

“Anecdotally, the 1L class is far more engaged in pro bono than in previous years,” said Director of Pro Bono Daniel (D.J.) Dore.

“For whatever reason, whether it’s our messaging, the students’ own interests, or they’re all more committed to pro bono, a lot more students have been involved. The 1Ls are doing a great job.”

When Dore joined Duke Law from Legal Aid of North Carolina, where he oversaw pro bono projects with Triangle-area law schools, he set out to revitalize and expand the program after two years of pandemic-related restrictions.

That effort is paying off: Excluding clinics and externships, Duke Law students recorded 6,040 hours of pro bono service in the 20232024 academic year through more than a dozen student-run pro bono groups, pop-up, virtual, and recurring clinics, participation in long-term community programs, and other opportunities.

Including clinics and externships, students logged 55,800 public service hours.

“There have been a ton of projects going on with a lot of impact,” Dore said. “Everything is going gangbusters.”

Building a habit of pro bono service starts in the first week at Duke Law. 1Ls learn about pro bono work during a professional development class and are challenged to volunteer at least two hours through a class competition called “A Taste of Pro Bono.”

“As a law student, I knew I would only be in this area for a few years and I felt that it was my

Pro Bono Roundup

24 Duke Law Magazine • Centennial Issue 2024

responsibility to try to give something back to the local community,” said Zeke Tobin ’25, who began pro bono work as a 1L, joining the Durham County guardian ad litem program last spring to advocate for abused and neglected children. “It’s easy to exist in a Duke or Duke Law bubble and become detached from the realities that so many of our neighbors experience.”

“My involvement in pro bono ensured I was practicing actual legal skills and interacting with clients starting in my 1L fall semester,” said Lucy Walton ’24.

“This not only helped me develop my abilities like research, writing, and project management, but it also reminded me why I came to law school – to do good. I encourage every law student to get involved with pro bono as soon as they can.”

Walton is one of ten graduating JDs and four LLMs recognized as Class of 2024 Pro Bono All Stars. Collectively, the group contributed more than 6,400 hours of pro bono service during their time at Duke Law, including hours earned in clinics and externships. Now they are pursuing a wide range of career paths, from public defense to corporate law.

“It demonstrates that the legal skills, and perhaps more importantly, the humanizing experiences gained from working with vulnerable clients and communities, helps develop a competency that translates to any career a student may be interested in pursuing,” Dore said.

“I’m confident — and grateful — that each All Star will stay involved with pro bono work as they transition from Duke Law graduate to successful attorney.”

Following are highlights of some of the pro bono projects Duke Law students engaged in this year.

2024 Pro Bono All-Star Award Winners

(Back row, from left) D.J. Dore, Director of Pro Bono; Lucas Mears ’24; Brendan Hogan ’24; Maati Ech Chaibi El Hidaoui LLM ’24; Andres Pulido Matallana LLM ’24; Stella Boswell, Associate Dean, Office of Public Interest & Pro Bono. (Front row, from left) Madison Pinckney ’24; Lucy Walton ’24; Nur Shukrina Binte Abdul Salam LLM ’24; Courtney Schrater ’24; Tatiana Chumachenko LLM ‘24; Hannah Bloom ’24; Hannah IsraelMarie ’24. Not pictured: Kathy Zhou ’24; Sam Lawrence ’24; Jackson Samples ’24.

Advocacy results in maximum award Dore and Tobin secured a maximum award from the North Carolina Crime Victims Compensation program, which helps pay medical, dental, and counseling services for victims of violent crimes, for a teenager who had suffered repeated sexual assaults as a child.

The case had significant challenges: The client lives in eastern North Carolina, her parents speak limited English, and there were sensitivities involving gender and the nature of the crimes.

Acting as attorney guardian ad litem, Dore recruited Tobin to assist him in appealing her teen’s claim, which had been denied due to untimely filing.

To build trust, they brought a Spanish-speaking woman as an interpreter on their visits. Thanks to their strong representation, the client was granted a five-figure sum that will help her recover from the trauma that visibly affected her.

“I am happy we were able to secure that maximum award, but that doesn’t begin to truly compensate her for what she went through,” Tobin said. “I know that the money she receives will help her, but I also walk away knowing that she deserves more. And by more, I mean she deserves peace and to be able to fully enjoy her childhood and adolescent years.”

Dore said the case illustrates the importance of introducing law students to pro bono work early.

“It’s one person out of probably thousands, but if each student can help one person, it adds up,” he said.

“That’s why it’s so important to get 1Ls on this track, so that they see these problems and continue to use their privilege to help. Zeke got involved in pro bono as a 1L, and then when an issue presented itself he didn’t hesitate to say yes.

“The takeaway for students is that you don’t have to be an expert to help.

An attorney who’s caring and works hard can be the difference between a good outcome or a bad outcome, eviction or no eviction, a five-figure judgment or nothing at all. And it’s just showing up and being present. That, to me, is the definition of pro bono.”

Nine first-year students join Durham Guardian ad Litem program During the 2023-2024 academic year, nine 1Ls completed a 30-hour immersive training program to become a non-attorney guardian ad litem (GAL).

Maame Adu JD/LLM ’26, Emily Bass ’26, Madison Detweiler ’26, Arielle Roos ’26, and Ryan Welch ’26 were sworn in as GALs in the fall, and Lauren Beizer JD/MA ’26, Katherine Mayer ’26, Dylan Palmer ’26, and Sarah Rosenbloum ’26 were sworn in this spring. District Court Judge Kendra Montgomery-Blinn ’03 performed both ceremonies.

GALs are trained community volunteers who investigate and advocate on behalf of abused and neglected children, many in foster care, whose cases are referred to the court by the Durham County Department of Social Services. Duties include monthly visits to a child or children, interviewing people in their lives, drafting court reports, and sometimes testifying about their findings and recommendations. The program requires a significant time commitment, and GALs are expected to serve until a permanent plan is approved for the client.

“Growing up with a family who provided everything for me, I have recognized the privileged position I am in — to be a reliable person of support for children who need someone they can count on through some of their hardest times,” Beizer said.

“I was drawn to GAL because I have a passion for helping those in need, espe-

cially children,” Rosenbloum said. “I am looking forward to making a difference in a child’s life by advocating for his or her best interest in the court system.”

GAL work provides students with an opportunity to hone their investigative and people skills by collaborating with social workers, therapists, and foster parents to determine a child’s best interests, said Jungi Hong ’25, student executive director for the GAL Pro Bono Project, whose enthusiasm Dore credits with helping build the program.

“I’ve always enjoyed working with children, and the most rewarding experience has been building a relationship with the kids. Although I want to work at a federal agency, I hope I can become a GAL in D.C. because I have enjoyed this experience so much.”

Broad Street Law relaunches Broad Street Law was recognized for greatest service to the outside community at the student-voted D.O.N.E. Awards in April. Formerly known as Street Law, the program relaunched after a pandemic-related hiatus and offers 2Ls and 3Ls the opportunity to teach, mentor, and motivate young people in detention at the Durham Youth Home.

Student facilitators visited the home twice each week to lead an interactive pre-law lesson designed by the group’s curriculum builders on topics such as the criminal justice system, children’s rights, the political system, and constitutional issues.

“The goal is to make it comprehensive yet digestible, engaging yet not daunting — to build enthusiasm for legal education and learning in general,” said Ceren Ege JD/MA ’25, who co-directed the program with Walton.

Students repeatedly surprised facilitators with their candor, curiosity, and willingness to engage, Ege said, wanting to learn about specific areas of the law such as self-defense rights, adoption rights, marriage, and marriage equality. They reflected meaningfully on questions like who should decide laws, what qualities a judge should possess, and the power juries hold.

“Every week we ask our students, ‘What was your favorite thing that happened today?’ and many state it was talking to us,” Ege said. “We love that they enjoy us coming every week and that we can be a safe space for them to speak, learn, and grow. It is a privilege to get to meet these youths and share in their enthusiasm for their future.”

New partnerships help seniors and veterans with vital legal documents Duke Law began a new partnership in fall 2023 with the North Carolina Central University School of Law Elder Law Project Wills Clinic. Once a month, students and volunteer attorneys visited the Durham Center for Senior Life to complete wills, advance directives, and durable power of attorney documents for low-income senior citizens.

“Participating in the Elder Law Project allowed me to gain valuable experience working with clients while also giving back to the Durham community,” said Anne Hicks ’24. “Moreover, I enjoyed meeting the NCCU law students involved in the Elder Law Project and connecting over our shared experiences.”

Duke Law also began a new partnership in the spring with San Franciscobased veterans assistance organization Swords to Plowshares. Student volunteers helped homeless and low-income veterans in California with VA benefits claims and military discharge upgrade applications under the supervision of Olivia Cole Stanwyck ’17, the organization’s deputy legal director, who is based in North Carolina.

Duke Law Magazine • Centennial Issue 2024

25

Faculty Focus

Distinguished Professorships

P

rofessors Doriane Lambelet Coleman, Elisabeth de Fontenay, Sara Sternberg Greene, Veronica Root Martinez, and Emily Ryo have been awarded distinguished professorships from Duke University. They are among 32 faculty from across the university who were recognized this year. The appointments went into effect on July 1, except for de Fontenay who received her professorship in October 2023.

Dean Kerry Abrams nominated the Duke Law professors on the recommendation of those members of the Duke Law faculty who already hold distinguished professorships. To qualify for a distinguished professorship at Duke Law, a faculty member must demonstrate a substantial record of intellectual achievement and the likelihood of continued future excellence as a scholar.

26 Duke Law Magazine • Centennial Issue 2024

L-R: Professors Veronica Root Martinez, Doriane Lambelet Coleman, Sara Sternberg Greene, Emily Ryo, and Elisabeth de Fontenay.

Coleman named Thomas L. Perkins Distinguished Professor

Coleman, who joined the faculty in 1996, was named the Thomas L. Perkins Distinguished Professor. She is an interdisciplinary scholar whose work focuses on women, sports, children, and law. Her most recent scholarship centers on biological sex and the implications of its definition on law and society, on which she has written numerous articles, provided expert testimony, and is frequently cited in the press. Her book on the subject, On Sex and Gender: A Commonsense Approach, was released in May by Simon & Schuster.

“Doriane Coleman is a prolific scholar whose approach to every subject she investigates is comprehensive and rigorously analytical,” said Abrams.

“Professor Coleman engages some of the thorniest questions the intersection of law and medicine with clarity and honesty.”

Coleman, a former national collegiate track champion who competed internationally, began her academic career at the Howard University School of Law and practiced in the litigation group at Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering. At Duke, she is co-director of the Center for Sports Law and Policy at Duke Law, a faculty fellow and member of the advisory council of the Kenan Institute for Ethics, and a faculty associate of the Trent Center for Bioethics, Humanities & History of Medicine at the School of Medicine, and the University’s Initiative for Science & Society. She is also a member of the University’s Athletic Council.

She received her JD from Georgetown Law and BA from Cornell University.

The Perkins professorship was established by the Duke Endowment in 1973 as the first faculty chair at the Law School and in 1977 was modified to be named for both William R. and Thomas L. Perkins.

Thomas, the son of William, was an attorney, Duke University trustee, and chair of the Endowment board. The endowment was split in 2023 to form two separate professorships.

“I’m deeply honored by the confidence of my colleagues and the university,” Coleman said. “I’m especially honored by the award of the Thomas L. Perkins Professorship, associated as it is with Duke and the Duke Endowment which continues to do extraordinary philanthropic work throughout the Carolinas in areas of special interest to me: child and family wellbeing, healthcare, and higher education.”

De Fontenay named Karl W. Leo Distinguished Professor

De Fontenay, a scholar of corporate law and corporate finance, was named the Karl W. Leo Distinguished Professor. She writes on private and public finance and corporate governance, including corporate debt

The Law School faculty members were recognized by Duke University for establishing a substantial record of intellectual achievement and being leading thinkers in their fields. and private equity, sovereign debt, mergers and acquisitions, and the roles of lawyers in these transactions. Her research focuses on how market actors behave in the less-regulated spaces of the financial markets and has examined questions such as the ongoing decline in U.S. public companies and the rise of private capital, private equity firms’ role in the debt markets and in corporate governance, public versus private financial markets, complexity in financial contracting, and value creation by transactional lawyers and elite law firms. Earlier this year, de Fontenay was named an associate reporter on The American Law Institute’s Restatement of the Law, Corporate Governance project. She has testified before Congress and presented to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on current topics in corporate finance.

“Elisabeth de Fontenay is a dynamic scholar and teacher who has long been a standout on our corporate law faculty,” Abrams said. “Her application of sophisticated methodologies to emerging issues in the financial markets, especially the private equity industry, have made her one of the most listened-to voices in her field.”

De Fontenay joined the Duke Law faculty in 2013 after serving as a Climenko Fellow and lecturer on law at Harvard Law School. Before entering academia, she spent six years in practice as a corporate associate at Ropes & Gray, where she specialized in mergers and acquisitions, debt financing, and private investment funds.

“I am deeply honored to receive a distinguished professorship at Duke University and especially delighted that it bears Karl Leo’s name,” de Fontenay said. “Karl’s career in private practice is a perfect model for our students who are interested in business law and one that I hope many will try to emulate.

“This professorship is emblematic of the deep connections between Duke Law and corporate practice, which I aim to strengthen. I am immensely grateful to Karl Leo for the opportunity to do so.”

Greene named Katharine T. Bartlett Distinguished Professor

Greene, a sociologist and legal scholar, is the Katharine T. Bartlett Distinguished Professor. Her research employs qualitative empirical methods to study the relationship between law, poverty, and inequality, and ultimately optimize the impact of financial laws on law- and moderate-income families. One recent project focused on the deceitful and aggressive practices used by hospital systems to collect medical debt and recommendations to policymakers to limit the consequences to patients.

“Sara Sternberg Greene brings rigor and creativity to the empirical study of legal institutions and their effect on low-income people,” Abrams said. “The combination of her training in sociology and understanding of the law allows her

Duke Law Magazine • Centennial Issue 2024

27

Faculty Focus to conduct qualitative research that uncovers sometimes unintended negative consequences of legal processes in further entrenching economic insecurity and inequality.”

Greene joined the faculty in 2014 and received her BA from Yale University and her JD from Yale Law School, where she received the Stephen J. Massey Prize for excellence in advocacy, and served as notes editor for the Yale Law Journal and articles editor for the Yale Law and Policy Review. Greene clerked for Judge Richard Cudahy on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and went on to work in housing law and tax credit at Klein Hornig in Boston before receiving her PhD in social policy and sociology from Harvard University.

The Bartlett professorship honors former dean and Professor Emerita Katharine T. Bartlett. The chair was named for her parents, Edward P. and Elizabeth C. Bartlett, while she was an active faculty member and became the Katharine T. Bartlett Professorship upon her retirement in 2019. Bartlett is a preeminent scholar in family law, employment law, feminist theory, and gender law, and her tenure as dean from 2000 to 2007 cemented Duke’s position as a top-tier law school.

“I am deeply honored to be named the Katharine T. Bartlett professor. Kate Bartlett was the entry-level hiring chair the year I was hired by Duke, so this honor is particularly special to me,” Greene said.

“Kate is an inspiration for me and so many others — her scholarship, service, teaching, and mentorship are remarkable. Somehow Kate found a way to be a brilliant scholar, transforming the fields of family law and gender, all the while being an extraordinary teacher, dean, and mentor. I could not be more pleased for my professorship to bear her name.”

Martinez named Simpson Thacher & Bartlett Distinguished Professor of Law

Martinez, the Simpson Thacher & Bartlett Distinguished Professor of Law, is one of the nation’s foremost experts on corporate misconduct and compliance and the leading national academic expert on the role of monitors and monitorships.

Her interdisciplinary approach draws insights from ethics, compliance, corporate and securities law, and workplace law to develop strategies that will empower organizations to shape their compliance with law. Her forthcoming book, Building an Effective Ethics and Compliance Program, will be published by Edward Elgar.

“Veronica Root Martinez’s expertise and innovative research have established her as a leading academic authority in corporate compliance and the role of monitors,” said Abrams. “Her distinctive approach

28 Duke Law Magazine • Centennial Issue 2024

to understanding internal structures and processes has shaped the emerging academic field of compliance.”

Martinez joined the Duke Law faculty in 2022 after directing the Program on Ethics, Compliance & Inclusion at Notre Dame Law School, where she was the Robert & Marion Short Scholar, professor of law, and the first Black woman to receive tenure. Prior to joining academia, Martinez clerked on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and practiced at Gibson Dunn in Washington, D.C. She received her JD from the University of Chicago Law School and her BS in business administration from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business.

The Simpson Thacher & Bartlett professorship was established in 2002 by a group of Duke Law alumni who were partners at the firm, spearheaded by George R. Krouse Jr. ’70 and David W. Ichel ’78 T’75. It was the first gift of its kind at the Law School, involving multiple pledges by a group of alumni practicing together at one firm.

“I am both humbled and thrilled to receive an appointment as a distinguished professor,” Martinez said. “I work very hard to keep my scholarship related to and informed by those in private practice, so I am particularly honored to receive a professorship associated with Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, LLP, which is one of the world’s preeminent large law firms. I look forward to continuing to foster a strong relationship between the Law School and the attorneys at the firm. And, most importantly, I look forward to learning from them for many years to come.”

Ryo named Charles L. B. Lowndes Distinguished Professor of Law

Ryo, an interdisciplinary scholar and social scientist, is the Charles L. B. Lowndes Distinguished Professor of Law. Her research is focused on the intersection of immigration law and criminal justice, and she has done groundbreaking research on immigration compliance and enforcement, access to justice in immigration proceedings, and judicial decision-making in immigration adjudication. Ryo’s work is frequently cited by advocates, policymakers and scholars engaged in immigration reform and she has made significant contributions with her subject matter expertise.

“Emily Ryo deploys both qualitative and quantitative methodologies to investigate important but understudied issues in immigration law and policy,” Abrams said. “Her research shows disturbing disparities in the way that immigration cases are adjudicated and provides insight into how conditions of detention isolate migrants from legal advocacy networks.”

Ryo joined the faculty in 2023 from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law. She received an Andrew Carnegie Fellowship in 2017 and an American Bar Foundation/JPB Foundation Access to Justice Fellowship in 2020, as well as a three-year research grant in 2022 from the National Science Foundation Law & Science Program. Ryo received her JD from Harvard Law School and a PhD in sociology from Stanford University. She served as a law clerk to Judge Margaret McKeown of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Before entering graduate school, she worked at Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton in Washington.

The Charles L. B. Lowndes Professorship was established in 1989 by Rita A. Lowndes and John F. Lowndes ’58 T’53 in memory of John’s father, who was a professor at Duke Law School from 1932 until his death in 1967. Professor Lowndes was the first James B. Duke Professor of Law and the author of many articles and books, principally in the field of federal taxation.

“I am so honored to have been awarded the Charles L. B. Lowndes endowed chair,” said Ryo. “Professor Lowndes taught at Duke Law for over thirty years and was widely known as a renowned scholar and an exceptional teacher. I very much look forward to carrying on that legacy and making a difference for our Duke community and beyond.”

Inaugural Duke Law Faculty Awards

Adler, Rich, Foster, and Grant were nominated by their peers for excellence in scholarship, teaching, institutional service, and community engagement.

Matthew Adler

P

ROFESSORS Matthew Adler, Rebecca Rich, Andrew Foster, and Crystal Grant were honored in December as the inaugural recipients of the Duke Law Faculty Awards.

Dean Kerry Abrams and Professor Neil Siegel, who served as associate dean for intellectual life from 2023-24, established the awards to publicly recognize faculty excellence and celebrate extraordinary contributions of Duke Law faculty in scholarship, teaching, institution building, and professional service. Recipients were nominated by their peers and selected by a faculty committee.

“I’m proud to announce the inauguration of this new set of awards that reflect such an impressive range of faculty achievement,” said Abrams. “In a faculty of superstars, these professors stand out.” — Hayley Foran

Rebecca Rich

Andrew Foster

Crystal Grant

Excellence in Scholarly Research

Excellence in Teaching and Learning

Excellence in Institutional Service

Excellence in Community and Public Service

Matthew Adler, the Richard A. Horvitz Distinguished Professor of Law and professor of economics, philosophy, and public policy, received the award for Excellence in Scholarly Research.

Adler is one of the leading proponents of prioritarianism, an ethical theory that the well-being of the worse off merits extra weight in the moral calculus.

His highly interdisciplinary work applies this theory, a refinement of utilitarianism, to the evaluation of government policies in areas including taxation, health care, risk regulation, education, climate change, and pandemic response, and Adler is a contributor to significant scholarly conversations across the academy, as well as in internal workshops and events at the Law School.

Rebecca Rich ‘06, clinical professor of law and assistant director of legal writing, was honored for Excellence in Teaching and Learning.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Rich’s leadership of the Teaching and Learning Committee helped the entire Law School pivot to a completely new way of teaching as she invested countless hours in organizing resources and thinking about how to best accommodate a faculty with diverse needs and desires.

An exemplary teacher who received the student-voted Distinguished Teaching Award in 2020, Rich is also noted for her connection with students, balancing a sensitivity toward those experiencing adverse circumstances while also maintaining high standards for student work.

Andrew Foster, the Kathrine Robinson Everett Clinical Professor and founding director of the Community Enterprise Clinic, received the award for Excellence in Institutional Service. During Foster’s 15 year tenure as director of Experiential Education and Clinical Programs, Duke Law’s clinical program expanded from three courses to 11 (now 12) and the number of clinical faculty members quadrupled. He also led the creation of the Law & Entrepreneurship Program and served as its inaugural director.

Among many other contributions to the Law School, Foster chairs two faculty committees and has helped implement revisions to rules on security of position for full-time, non-tenure track faculty, leading to new processes that facilitate the mentoring of junior faculty.

Crystal Grant, associate clinical professor and director of the Children’s Law Clinic, was presented with the award for Excellence in Community and Public Service.

A social worker and attorney, Grant has broadened the clinic’s community partnerships and added a social work intern to consult on cases with Duke Law students. The new focus on interprofessional practice allows the clinic to assist families with vital non-legal needs such as applying for public benefits and accessing community services, and gives students experience in communicating and collaborating with other professionals.

In addition to her teaching and advocacy, Grant is also a leader in promoting and supporting the development of clinical legal education, both at the national level and within the Law School.

Duke Law Magazine • Centennial Issue 2024

29

Faculty Focus

Professorship Dinner Duke Law School held a Professorship Dinner on October 26, 2023, to honor named professors and celebrate donors of endowed professorships.

The event provided an opportunity to express gratitude and celebrate our wonderful donors and professors who play a vital role in fulfilling the academic mission of the Law School. Whether through teaching, leadership, research, financial contributions, or other forms of support that enhance our exceptional educational experience, our supporters and professors are foundational to the special community that is Duke Law.

30 Duke Law Magazine • Centennial Issue 2024

Yaron Nili, scholar of corporate and securities law, joins faculty

Y

ARON NILI, A SCHOLAR AND TEACHER of corporate law, corporate governance, and securities law, joined Duke Law School on July 1 as a professor of law.

Most recently, Nili was a professor of law and the Smith-Rowe Faculty Fellow in Business Law at the University of Wisconsin Law School. His research is focused on traditional corporate governance, boards of directors, and hedge funds and private equity.

In the fall semester he is teaching Securities Regulation and Governance, Leadership, and Diversity in the Boardroom, and in the spring he will teach Mergers & Acquisitions and the Corporate Governance and Deals Lab. “We are incredibly lucky to have Yaron Nili join our faculty. He is one of the world’s leading scholars of corporate governance, and his work is read and cited by everyone in the field,” said Elisabeth de Fontenay, the Karl W. Leo Distinguished Professor of Law. “Yaron is brilliant at identifying patterns and developments in corporate governance that others have missed, and I learn something new and important every time I read his work. And given his experience and collegiality, he will be a wonderful resource for our students.”

Nili already has strong ties to Duke. In 2021, he was a visiting professor at Duke Law, and he and de Fontenay collaborated on Side Letter Governance, 100 Washington University Law Review 107 (2023).

“I’m excited to join the ranks of so many people doing important work on corporate law and securities law. Joining a faculty that has so many people doing work

that’s either directly what I do or adjacent to what I do is really exciting,” Nili said.

Nili earned his LLB and an MBA in finance from The Hebrew University in Jerusalem, where he was editor-in-chief of the Hebrew University Law Review. He clerked for Justice Ayala Procaccia on the Supreme Court of Israel before attending Harvard Law School, where he studied as a Fulbright Fellow, receiving his LLM degree. Nili spent two years at Simpson Thacher in New York as a corporate associate, representing financial institutions and other companies in commercial lending transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and securities, before completing his SJD at Harvard.

“I’ve really enjoyed getting to know some of the students and the passion that students at Duke have for corporate law,” Nili said.

Nili said he looks forward to the interdisciplinary opportunities at Duke, including potential collaborations with colleagues at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business.

“I’m definitely excited for the fact that Duke has such a great business school that does a lot of work in my wheelhouse,” Nili said.

Nili said his work in private practice was crucial to making him a more effective researcher. Five of his recent articles have appeared among the top 10 corporate and securities law articles of the year, as selected by scholars in the field.

“Both my research and teaching are heavily influenced by what’s on the ground,” Nili said. “We call it ‘law in action.’ Good research cannot just be about notions that don’t really translate to what’s going on — either because that’s not the case on the ground or it’s not going to be practical. So my work is really always connected to what is going on and trying to understand how things are happening on the ground.”

His law firm experience also opened his eyes to gaps in legal education that he could help fill. Nili is passionate about teaching and educating the next generation of lawyers, incorporating technology into his classes and focusing on connecting legal theory to practice.

“When I went on the academic job market, I was really intent on making sure that my classes are not just steeped in theory, but also have lots of practical elements to it,” he said.

“It’s important to understand how that theory translates to actual day-to-day work of an attorney because that’s what most of the students will do.

They’re not going to be professors, they’re going to be lawyers, in-house counsel. And I feel like our job as professors is to prepare them for that role.”

Duke Law Magazine • Centennial Issue 2024

31

Faculty Focus

Thomas L. Perkins Distinguished Professor of Law Doriane Lambelet Coleman published On Sex and Gender: A Commonsense Approach (Simon & Schuster, May 2024), in which she charts a middle path through one of the most hotly debated issues in American culture and politics, arguing for a “sex smart” – not “sex blind” – approach that respects and supports the needs and rights of women, men, and transgender people while acknowledging the scientific basis of biological sex differences.

Aimed at readers caught between ideological extremes, those who Coleman describes as “inclined to be both inclusive and true to the science,” On Sex and Gender addresses fundamental questions on the definition of sex as opposed to gender, the role of sex in our everyday lives, and how sex should be reflected in law and policy.

It is based on Coleman’s 2002 article Sex Neutrality as well as her earlier writings on sex classifications in competitive sport and collaborations with scientists and policymakers in medical research and sport.

An interdisciplinary scholar whose work focuses on women, sports, children, and law, Coleman co-directs the Center for Sports Law and Policy at Duke Law. She is also a former national collegiate track champion who writes and speaks frequently on issues including sex-based eligibility in female competition.

32

Duke Law Magazine • Centennial Issue 2024

Joseph Blocher, Darrell A. H. Miller, and Jacob D. Charles ’13, editors, published New Histories of Gun Rights and Regulation: Essays on the Place of Guns in American Law and Society (Oxford University Press, Oct. 2023), in which social scientists, historians, and legal scholars bring varying methodologies to topics such as feminism and armed self-defense, the consequences of brandishing weapons in public, the history of private militias employed by corporations, and gun regulations targeting “dangerous” groups.

In their introduction, Firearms Law and History in a New Doctrinal Era, the editors place the essays in the context of the Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling in Bruen establishing a new historical tradition test for firearms regulations. By shining a light into less-examined corners of American history, they write, the authors offer new insights on the place of guns in American law and society.

Blocher, the Lanty L. Smith ’67 Distinguished Professor of Law, and Miller, professor of law at the University of Chicago, are co-founders of the Duke Center for Firearms Law. Charles, the center’s former executive director, is an associate professor at Pepperdine University Caruso School of Law.

Professor of Law H. Jefferson Powell has published his 15th book, The Foundations of American Law: A Companion to the 1L Year (Carolina Academic Press, March 2024).

Written for both first-year law students and laypersons, the book introduces readers to the assumptions about American law and legal argument that inform how lawyers and judges read legal documents and consider legal problems.

Through discussions of the origins of American law, how English common law influenced its development, and its evolution from the founding era on, Powell, a leading scholar and practitioner of constitutional law, examines the presuppositions behind modern legal thought and illustrates the ways lawyers use language to deploy legal questions and authority in answering legal questions.

The idea for the book originated in a series of lectures Powell gave to 1Ls that Duke Law colleagues suggested might form the basis for a book, he writes. The book, he says, “attempts to … inform the reader of what, speaking personally, I wish someone had simply told me in my first year of law school.”

Faculty Notes

Professor James Boyle explores how artificial intelligence is challenging our concept of who — or what — is a person in The Line: AI & the Future of Personhood (MIT Press, Oct. 2024).

Boyle writes that emergence of technologically created artificial entities — such as chatbots with their often startling ability to emulate human language and transgenic species — will force a reexamination of what it means to be human, and compel society to defend or redefine the “line” we believe separates Homo sapiens from the rest of the world – and also separates “persons” with legal and moral rights from objects.

Boyle says he began the book asking whether artificially created entities, including transgenic species, would ever be considered legal and moral persons. “And then I realized, about five years into the project, that it was just as likely that we would learn an enormous amount — looking at AI — about ourselves. That, in fact, the mirror would be looking back at us.”

Boyle is the William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor of Law and founder of the Duke Center for the Study of the Public Domain. A longtime proponent of open access, he has made The Line available free to download under a Creative Commons license.

C

linical Professor of Law Jennifer Jenkins JD/MA ’97 was featured in a CBS News Sunday Morning segment on copyright and the public domain on April 14. Jenkins, director of Duke Law’s Center for the Study of the Public Domain, told correspondent Lee Cowan that allowing works into the public domain inspires new art and can revive forgotten books, music, and movies.

Filming took place at campus locations including a movie theater at the Rubenstein Arts Center, where Jenkins and Cowan watched Steamboat Willie, a 1928 Disney short film with the first earliest versions of Mickey and Minnie Mouse that entered the public domain on Jan. 1. Other such works whose copyright expired included D.H. Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Virginia Woolf’s Orlando, and Cole Porter’s composition Let’s Do It (Let’s Fall in Love) from the musical Paris. “The public domain doesn’t represent the death of copyright,” Jenkins said. “It’s just the second part of copyright’s life cycle.”

Lee Cowan and Professor Jennifer Jenkins watch Steamboat Willie at Duke’s Rubenstein Arts Center.

Duke Law Magazine • Centennial Issue 2024

33

Profiles

Profiles

ALUMNI PROFILE

Full Circle Umbraphile Evan Zucker ’79 has spent a lifetime documenting solar eclipses

34 Duke Law Magazine • Centennial Issue 2024

“One does not just see or watch a total eclipse. One experiences it, and words are simply inadequate to describe the experience.”

Evan Zucker ’79 traveled from his home in San Diego to Sherbrooke, Canada, two hours east of Montréal, to capture the April 2024 total solar eclipse.

F

OR EVAN ZUCKER ’79, time can’t blot out memories of his first solar eclipse.

“It was 1963, I was 8, and I was playing outside in upstate New York,” Zucker says. “I knew the eclipse was coming, and I could see the crescent sun through broken clouds before my mother ushered me inside. That was my first one, and I’ve been following them ever since.”

Many moons have passed since that first glimpse, but Zucker’s fascination has never waned. Zucker — also known as “Mr. Totality” — is an umbraphile (eclipse chaser) who has spent decades studying, tracking, and photographing the celestial phenomenon.

Now retired, he used his Duke Law degree during various stints in practice, and as a longtime business owner, during a career that also included serving as an Air Force fighter pilot and creating software programs.

“While I did practice law a little, I mostly did other things. I get bored every few years,” Zucker explains.

Taking to the skies

In many ways, it is the laws of nature — not the laws of man — that have defined Zucker’s life’s trajectory. From childhood, he displayed an uncommon interest in astronomy, riding the subway alone on weekends from his family’s home in Queens to the original Hayden Planetarium on New York’s Upper West Side. When he was 14, Zucker persuaded a high school teacher to drive him and a friend to Virginia to see the March 7, 1970, eclipse — his first full viewing. At 17, he and friends chartered a bus to Quebec for his second.

Zucker developed his interests in photography and writing as an undergraduate at the University of Rochester. As a freshman, he traveled to Washington and wangled a press pass to the July 1973 Senate Watergate hearings, publishing several photos in the campus newspaper that earned him a national collegiate photojournalism award.

He pursued those interests at Duke Law, serving as executive editor of the Duke Law Journal. While his studies prevented him from Duke Law Magazine • Centennial Issue 2024

35

Profiles “The most spectacular natural sight”

Evan Zucker ’79 in the office of the Duke Law Journal, where he was executive editor. His photos of the Watergate hearings and of the 1979 solar eclipse hang over the desk.

viewing the Feb. 21, 1979, total solar eclipse during his 3L year, he wrote about his 1970 eclipse sighting for the campus magazine Aeolus: “Totality! I couldn’t believe it. Just as in the pictures, but infinitely better. The hush of nature’s spectacle was interrupted by the incessant clicking of camera shutters and I murmured ‘Oh wow. Oh wow.’ … One does not just see or watch a total eclipse, one experiences it, and words are simply inadequate to describe the experience.”

Following graduation, Zucker embarked on a civil litigation career in San Diego that was interrupted when he saw the televised landing of the space shuttle Columbia and set out to become a pilot, squeaking under the Air Force’s enlistment age cutoff.

“There were these little white fighter jets escorting the shuttle, and I thought to myself, ‘That looks interesting. I think I might like to do that,’” Zucker recalls.

“Not many lawyers become fighter pilots, but by the end of that week I had begun the application process, and the following spring I told my firm I was out.”

Zucker finished second in his class as a weapon systems officer and deployed to Naval Air Station Keflavik, Iceland, doing what he calls “real flying” in an F-4E Phantom II on a mission to identify, escort, and, if necessary, take down Soviet bombers in its airspace. He also served as the squadron’s camera officer and public affairs officer.

He then flew the F-4G Wild Weasel fighter jet as an electronic warfare officer based at Spangdahlem Air Base in West Germany, training to suppress a possible Soviet invasion of western Europe.

In all, Zucker spent six years in the Air Force. After his discharge, he dipped back into law for a few years at a San Diego firm, then launched a civil litigation practice with a partner. Again, he didn’t linger in practice very long. Zucker had written and sold two astronomy programs after leaving the Air Force, and in 1995 he incorporated his company as Totality Software and sold debt collection software to law firms for the next 25 years until retiring in December 2019.

36 Duke Law Magazine • Centennial Issue 2024

Retiring did leave him time to pursue travel, birding, and nature photography, avocations he shares with his wife, physician Paula Eisenhart. The couple made a trip to Antarctica in early 2020, just before they were temporarily grounded by the COVID-19 pandemic. Eisenhart worked through the first year of the pandemic before retiring in 2021.

Now back on the road and in the air, the couple are indulging their interests in such far-flung locations as Alaska, Iceland, the Falkland Islands, Key West, and Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. This spring, they embarked on a cross-country road trip from their California home to eastern Canada with an SUV packed with camera and electronic equipment. Their mission: to capture the total solar eclipse of April 8, 2024, the tenth of Zucker’s life and his second in Quebec.

After scouting locations for two days they set up their gear in a farm field near Sherbrooke, Quebec, and captured stunning images of the eclipse — “the most spectacular natural sight you can see on Earth” — as it reached totality at 3:28 p.m.

Sharing the experience with others, Zucker notes, is part of what makes an eclipse so meaningful, and they were joined by a small group of locals from the Frenchspeaking province.

By the time they returned to California, Zucker and Eisenhart had covered 6,500 miles, 22 states and two provinces, encountering tornadoes and hailstorms along the way. And they were already planning a trip to Spain for the next total solar eclipse on August 12, 2026.

Just what is it about an eclipse that accounts for his lifelong obsession? For Zucker, it’s a rhetorical question.

“When you see one, you’ll know,” he says. “The real question is ‘When is the next one?’” — Hayley Foran

Photos taken by Evan Zucker and Paula Eisenhart can be viewed at www.EvanZucker.com. Videos of the total solar eclipse, the aurora borealis (northern lights), and other events are on youtube.com/@ezucker.

ALUMNI Q&A

Alla Lefkowitz JD/LLM ’10

I

N DECEMBER 2012, 20 CHILDREN AND SIX ADULTS DIED from gunshots at Sandy Hook Elementary School, the fourth deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.

Prior to that day, Alla Lefkowitz JD/LLM ’10 hadn’t given much thought to guns. But as she watched the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, unfold, something changed.

“When I saw what happened at Sandy Hook, it was just so devastating and so shocking that I thought, ‘I’ve got to do something about this,’” she recalls. Shortly after, Lefkowitz left her job at a top corporate law firm to join the Brady Campaign & Center to Prevent Gun Violence (now Brady).

Since then, U.S. gun-related fatalities have risen from more than 33,000 in 2012 to more than 48,000 in 2022, according to CDC data. Tens of thousands more suffer non-fatal injuries each year, while countless others live with the aftereffects or fear of gun violence.

As senior director of affirmative litigation at Everytown Law, Lefkowitz works to hold the gun industry accountable for gun violence through enforcement of laws governing manufacturers and dealers. She spoke with Duke Law Magazine about her impressive record of success and hopes for change.

DUKE LAW MAGAZINE: How do the cases you litigate fit into the gun violence prevention movement?

LEFKOWITZ: When most people think about gun violence, they look at a particular shooting and they look at the perpetrator and his motivations. But what we look at is the sources of illegal guns that are coming into neighborhoods: Where and how did that perpetrator get their gun, when they never should have had one in the first place?

Frequently, illegal guns are coming from the same few gun stores. One of my earliest cases at Everytown was in Kansas

Duke Law Magazine • Centennial Issue 2024

37

Profiles

City, Missouri, where a young man named Alvino Dwight Crawford had been shot by a 14-year-old. We started looking into how he was able to get a firearm, and it turned out there was a trafficking ring illegally funneling guns into Kansas City, and a trafficker was utilizing gun stores who were willing to illegally sell guns through straw purchases. The owner of the store that sold that gun agreed to surrender his license, and federal regulators ultimately issued a notice of license revocation to the gun manufacturer that made and distributed the gun. So the gun industry definitely notices when this stuff is going on.

DLM: Do Second Amendment arguments at the Supreme Court in cases like Heller, Bruen, and Rahimi filter down to your work?

LEFKOWITZ: We see defendants in our lawsuits bring it up, but courts understand that we’re not talking about preventing law-abiding individuals from having guns. We’re talking about businesses exercising reasonable precautions in the way they sell guns. Even in the Supreme Court rulings there’s widespread agreement that regulation of commercial transactions is constitutional.

As an example, we represented the family of Sabika Sheikh, an exchange student from Pakistan who was killed at Santa Fe High School in Texas by a 17-year-old classmate who was able to get ammunition online without any age verification whatsoever. It’s illegal for someone under the age of 18 to get certain ammunition, so a company has to do something to prevent minors from getting it. We litigated that case at every level of court in Texas and we won at every level, because even though litigating a gun case in Texas is difficult, everyone understood that if it is illegal for someone under 18 to get ammunition, then a company should be taking basic steps to not sell to minors.

People have different views on firearms, but we can all agree that they’re restricted products and they are risky products. They’re products that can kill. Other risky products like alcohol and tobacco come with warnings. There’s nothing like that in firearms marketing. Instead, it seems to be how far they can push the boundaries.

Some of the ads out there are just beyond the pale. They’re just horrible and irresponsible.

DLM: Some of the Sandy Hook families sued Remington over such marketing practices under a Connecticut consumer law and reached a $73 million settlement. Will that legal strategy have an impact?

LEFKOWITZ: Since 2005, a federal immunity law called the Protection of Lawful Commerce and Arms Act (PLCAA) has immunized the industry from the vast majority of lawsuits. It really unshackled the industry, because there was this feeling of impunity, that they can do whatever they want and they won’t get punished for it. Since that was enacted, not a single gun manufacturer has been brought to trial for facilitating one of these shootings.

That’s why the Sandy Hook settlement and the landmark decision from the Connecticut Supreme Court was so important, and that’s why other cases are using a similar approach. There are exceptions to PLCAA, and I do think that these lawsuits will be able to rely on those exceptions, so I am hopeful that the strategy will succeed, both

38 Duke Law Magazine • Centennial Issue 2024

in the court of law and in making gun companies look at their marketing practices and really think about what they’re doing.

DLM: Polls show most Americans support measures like stronger background checks, safety regulations, even bans of certain classes of firearms. It sounds like there’s also common ground in your area of litigation.

LEFKOWITZ: The analogy that I use is the opioid epidemic. At a certain point, we as a country realized that the people who were distributing opioids at such a large volume and in such an irresponsible way needed to be held accountable. I think it’s the same thing here.

People are starting to understand that we need to look at the industry’s contribution to the gun violence epidemic.

I have clients who were kids when they were shot. I represent parents who have lost children as well, and it can get overwhelming when you think about how it has impacted their lives and how unfair and preventable it is. But we have people now applying to work for us who went to law school for the purpose of going into the gun violence prevention movement and bringing this kind of litigation. I don’t think that existed when I was in law school, so that’s really inspiring.

DLM: When did you first feel that the sacrifices you made to pursue this work were worth it?

LEFKOWITZ: On my first week at the Brady Center, I was assigned an amicus brief to help defend an assault weapon ban passed in Highland Park (Illinois) and that’s how I learned how to litigate the Second Amendment. It was so interesting, and it felt so worthwhile.

So I knew right away.One of the things I really love about what I do is that I get to see cases from the beginning to the end and they really make an impact on the people we’re working with. Early on, I represented a woman by the name of Janet Delana, whose daughter was suffering from acute paranoid schizophrenia and wanted to purchase a firearm. She was in her thirties. They lived in a small town in Missouri and Janet called the one gun store in town, gave them all her daughter’s information and said, ‘My daughter is sick. I am begging you as a mother, please do not sell a gun to her.’ And the guy said, ‘If she comes in and she passes the background check, I have to sell her the gun.’ Which is not true.

The daughter did exactly what her mom worried she was going to do. She went to the store, they sold her the gun, and within an hour she had killed her father. It was just so devastating and so preventable.

Because of PLCAA, there was only one claim that could be brought, but Missouri did not recognize it at the time because there was case law against it. So I was literally looking for cases from 1800s England, because I knew that a gun store that is put on notice that someone has a severe mental illness should not sell them a gun.

We went to the Missouri Supreme Court and got a unanimous decision that the gun store could be held liable, resulting in a multimillion-dollar settlement for the client. That really mattered a lot to me, because I took that case from the beginning to the end and got a good result for the client and helped change the law in the state.

That’s a matter of personal pride for me.

Alumni Notes This section reflects notifications received July 1, 2023 to February 29, 2024

Hubert Grissom ’67 published Flawed Good People: Civil Rights Era Plays from Alabama, a collection based in the racial politics and cultural climate of Alabama during the two terms of populist progressive governor James “Big Jim” Folsom.

1961

Llewelyn Pritchard, chair of the lifetime directors of the Seattle Symphony, was honored for his 40 years of service on October 7, 2023, when the symphony dedicated its masterworks concert to him. The Symphony celebrated its 120th anniversary in 2023 and is the oldest cultural institution in the city.

Rodney Dillman ’78 published Flowers Are Better than Bullets, a novel set amid the Vietnam War protests at Kent State, where he earned two degrees before receiving his JD and working as an investment lawyer and corporate executive.

1962

David L. (Dusty) Maynard has been appointed to the board of ambassadors of High Point University Board of Trustees. Dusty practiced law at Robinson, Haworth and Reese in High Point for 50 years until his retirement in 2009. Also a Trinity College graduate (1959), he is a former member of the Trinity Board of Visitors.

Steven Wasserman ’79 has published America’s Jewish Violin Sensation: The Life of Joyce Renée.

Steven is a nephew of the late violin prodigy and daughter of Ukrainian and Belarussian immigrants whose talent transcended the prejudice of her time.

Robert Markowitz ’84 published his first novel, Clown Shoes (Heliotrope) based on his own career turn from attorney to professional musician and children’s entertainer.

His children’s book Don’t Sneeze Choo Choo Train! will be released this fall.

1978

1979

Douglas Ebenstein, president and CEO of Capital Commercial Properties, partnered with philanthropic initiative AASuccess to sponsor the Douglas Ebenstein and Norman Ebenstein scholarships for Vietnamese-American students in the AASuccess life skill and leadership programs.

Nita L. Stormes, formerly with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, has joined Judicate West, a leading provider of dispute resolution services, as mediator, arbitrator, and private judge.

Duke Law Magazine • Centennial Issue 2024

39

Alumni Notes

1981

John Yates has been appointed co-chairman of Morris, Manning & Martin. John has been with the firm for 37 years and founded its corporate technology practice that now represents more than 600 clients across 45 states and 11 countries. He is a philanthropic and civic leader in Atlanta and in 2023 was honored with the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Leaders in Corporate Citizenship Ann Cramer Lifetime Achievement Award.

1982

Thomas Logue was elected chief judge of the Third District Court of Appeals of Florida, where he will hear appeals from trial courts and administrative bodies located in Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties.

Photo: Thorne Anderson

1984 Ben Fountain ’83 was selected as the recipient of the 2024 Joyce Carol Oates Prize. The annual award of $50,000 is given to a mid-career fiction author of major consequence.

Ben has won numerous awards for his novels, short fiction, and non-fiction writing since leaving his real estate law practice in 1988 to focus on writing.

They include the National Book Critics Circle Award for his 2012 debut novel Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, which was made into a 2016 film directed by Ang Lee and starring Joe Alwyn, Vin Diesel, Garrett Hedlund, Steve Martin, Kristen Stewart, and Chris Tucker. His most recent novel, Devil Makes Three (Flatiron, 2023) was named one of Washington Post’s 50 notable books of the year and an Editors’ Choice selection by the New York Times Book Review.

» Rmagazine.law.duke.edu ead our online edition at 40 Duke Law Magazine • Centennial Issue 2024

Wilson Adam Schooley was named pro bono manager and supervising attorney for San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program, Inc., which works to provide equal access to justice for low-income, disadvantaged, and marginalized groups.

1985

J. Porter Durham Jr. was elected board chair of the National Humanities Center. Porter recently retired as managing partner of Global Endowment Management. He is a member of the Board of Visitors,

most recently serving as chair. Porter also was honored at the 2023 Duke Alumni Awards for outstanding volunteerism and services to the university.

Mindy McNichols was selected as chair of the Florida Board of Bar Examiners.

Mindy serves on the Florida Bar Education Law Certification Committee and works as a policy consultant for public school districts and state colleges.

Michael Rennock has joined Dentons as partner in its Venture Technology and Emerging Growth Companies practice in the New York Meatpacking District office.

Darrell VanDeusen, president of Kollman & Saucier in Timonium, was named one of Maryland’s most influential employment lawyers in Business Today. A labor and employment lawyer for more than 35 years, Darrell’s treatise on the Family and Medical Leave Act was published by LexisNexis last year and has been cited as authoritative by appellate courts.

1987

Rob Harrington was elected in June to serve as president-elect of the North Carolina Bar Association (NCBA) and the NCBA Foundation for the 2024-2025 term. He will be installed in June 2025 as the NCBA’s 131st president. As chair of the NCBA’s Task Force on Integration, Equity, and Equal Justice, Rob wrote an article for the Nov. 2023 issue of North Carolina Lawyer Magazine reporting on the bar’s efforts to

advance equity and equal justice among its membership, and the work that remains. A shareholder at Robinson Bradshaw who co-chairs the firm’s litigation department, Rob is a member of the Duke Law Board of Visitors and serves on its executive committee. [See p. 16 for Rob’s essay “On Leadership.”]

Jocelyn Hunter was included in Briefcase Coach’s 2023 list of “50 Inspirational Leaders in Atlanta.”

Jocelyn is currently serving as vice president and deputy counsel at The Home Depot.

Christopher J. Petrini was named a 2023 Lawyer of the Year

by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly in recognition of a $27 million judgment he secured as lead counsel for the Town of Holden, Mass. against the City of Worcester, Mass. in wastewater transport litigation that lasted more than a decade.

1988

Kirk Halpern, CEO of Farmers & Fishermen, was named a Most Admired CEO for 2023 in the FamilyOwned Business category by the Atlanta Business Chronicle.

Michael Scharf has stepped down as co-dean of Case Western Reserve School of Law after serving in the position for ten years. He remains the Joseph C. HostetlerBakerHostetler Professor of Law at the school and is managing director of the Public International Law & Policy Group, which he co-founded.

1989

Gary Pilnick was named chairman and CEO of WK Kellogg Co., an independent publicly-traded company spun off from Kellogg Co. in Oct. 2023 to focus on its cereal brands. Gary is a 23-year veteran of Kellogg, most recently serving for seven years as its chief legal counsel.

U.S. District Court Judge Robin L. Rosenberg was honored, along with fellow federal judge Beth Bloom, with the 2024 Florida Distinguished Federal Judicial Service Award for developing Civil Discourse and Difficult Decisions, a program that brings high school, college, and law students into federal courthouses to experience mock legal proceedings.

1991

Caryn McNeill, an employee benefits lawyer at Smith Anderson, was named to North Carolina Lawyers Weekly’s Icons Class of 2024. Caryn leads Smith Anderson’s employee benefits and executive compensation practice group and is an elected member of The American Law Institute and a past president of the North Carolina Bar Association.

1992

Robert E. Kaelin has been elected to Murtha Cullina’s executive committee, the firm’s governing body. He is co-chair of the Bankruptcy & Creditors’ Rights practice and chairs the Retail & Hospitality practice.

Mike Dowling ’10 is serving as plaintiffs’ co-lead counsel in the Camp Lejeune Justice Act water litigation in the Eastern District of North Carolina. Mike is one of seven attorneys managing settlement talks, discovery, case selection, and communication with the public regarding claims by veterans, their dependents, and civilians injured as a result of exposure to contaminated water at the Marine Corps base between 1953 and 1987. Two other alumni, Janet Ward Black ’85 and Gary Jackson ’79, were selected to serve on the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee.

Thomas George William Telfer, a professor of law at Western University in London, Ontario, was admitted to the International Academy of Commercial and Consumer Law.

1993

Charles Grandy was sworn in as the Berrien County (Mich.)

Public Administrator in April. Previously, Charles was of counsel at Jennings Law Office in St. Joseph, Mich., and corporate counsel at Eli Lilly. Prior to practicing law, he was an engineer for GE Aircraft Engines.

Duke Law Magazine • Centennial Issue 2024

41

Alumni Notes

Dreeben

Lovitt

Stevenson

Arguing at the highest level

S

EVERAL DUKE LAW ALUMNI advocated before the Supreme Court in its October 2023 term. Michael R. Dreeben ’81 argued the government’s case in Trump v.

United States. Dreeben, who served for 24 years as Deputy Solicitor General and has argued more than 100 cases in the Supreme Court, served as Counselor to Special Counsel Jack Smith, whose team also included Assistant Special Counsel James Pearce JD/LLM ’11.

Traci L. Lovitt ’97, Practice Leader Issues & Appeals at Jones Day, argued for the respondents in Bissonnette v.

LePage Bakeries Park St. And Colorado Solicitor General Shannon W. Stevenson ’02 argued on behalf of Colorado’s secretary of state, a respondent in Trump v. Anderson.

Steven Sauro joined Barnes & Thornburg as of counsel in its Atlanta office.

Steven concentrates his practice on transactional matters with a focus on real estate and finance.

1994

Christy Brown was named one of Wisconsin’s “Most Influential Black Leaders” by Madison 365.

Christy became president of Alverno College last year. Prior to her appointment, she was CEO of Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast and vice chancellor for finance and administrative affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Adam Safwat, a former deputy chief of the fraud section of the Department of Justice’s criminal division, has joined Foley Hoag as partner in the firm’s white collar crime and government investigations practice in Washington, D.C. Most recently, he was a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Nelson Mullins.

1995

Frank Rudy Cooper was awarded the 2024 AALS Minority Section’s C. Clyde Ferguson, Jr. Award for his scholarship and service in the legal education sector.

42 Duke Law Magazine • Centennial Issue 2024

Frank is the William S. Boyd Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Patent Litigation Division. He was recognized as one of the top five IP lawyers under 40 in the country by Law360.

Connie Shoemaker was appointed to the board of directors of Anchorage Digital Bank.

Connie is COO and CFO of Bridgewater Associates Holdings, Bridgewater’s parent company.

Previously she was chief administrative officer for Goldman Sachs Bank USA and has also held a senior leadership role at Macquarie Asset Management.

1998

1996

Reed Hollander has been appointed chair of the North Carolina Bar Association Tax Section for the 2024-2025 term. At Young Moore, Reed represents clients in matters involving tax strategy, administrative challenges and appeals, and contested cases before state agencies.

1997

Teri Dobbins Baxter received the 2024 L. R. Hesler Award for Excellence in Teaching and Service from the University of Tennessee Knoxville. Teri is the Williford Gragg Distinguished Professor of Law and interim associate dean for faculty development at UT College of Law, where she teaches secured transactions, a family and privacy seminar, constitutional law, and torts. She joined the faculty in 2013.

Matthew C. Gaudet was appointed vice chair of the intellectual property practice group at Duane Morris. Matthew, a partner in Atlanta, serves as co-chair of the

Bobby Sharma was appointed to the board of Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey. He is founder and managing partner of Bluestone Equity Partners, which launched last year and focuses on the sports, media, and entertainment industries, in which Bobby has long been involved.

2000

Gregg Behr, founder of Remake Learning, a peer network for educators and innovators in Pittsburgh, was honored as HundrED’s 2023 Champion of the Year.

David Szekeres was appointed president of Connect Biopharma Holdings Limited, a global clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing therapies for chronic inflammatory diseases. David was most recently executive vice president and chief operating officer of Heron Therapeutics.

2001

Collin Cox was named chair of the Duke Law Board of Visitors. A business trial lawyer who represents clients in high-stakes commercial cases, Collin is co-partner in charge of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher’s

Houston office. He has been a member of Duke Law’s board since 2017 and teaches Hearings Practice during Wintersession each year.

Gideon Moore was named chief legal officer of Clearwater-based AmeriLife in January. Moore worked in senior legal roles at AmeriLife for more than seven years and rejoins the company after serving as general counsel and secretary for two years at Apex Service Partners.

Ellie Steiner joined Clark Hill as a member of its intellectual property practice group in the firm’s San Diego office. Ellie is a life sciences litigator and has represented clients in complex patent disputes.

2002

Robert H. Bell has joined the trial practice group at Duane Morris in New York as special counsel. He advises global companies on government regulatory and enforcement matters brought by federal, state, and local agencies.

Nate Christensen has joined Norton Rose Fulbright’s Dallas office as a partner in its corporate, M&A, and securities practice. Nate represents private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies, alternative asset managers, public and private companies, project developers, and entrepreneurs.

Aaron Futch has been appointed executive vice president, general counsel, and secretary of Redwire Corporation, a global space infrastructure company based in Jacksonville, Florida. Aaron is a longtime aerospace executive and corporate attorney in the space industry.

David Grenardo was awarded the national Warren E. Burger prize for his essay “Debunking the Major Myths Surrounding Mandatory Civility for Lawyers Plus Five Mandatory Civility Rules That Will Work,” which was published in the Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics.

2003

Kendra Montgomery-Blinn was appointed district court judge for North Carolina Judicial District 14 by Governor Roy Cooper. She was formerly an assistant district attorney and the Special Victims Unit team lead in the Durham County District Attorney’s Office.

2004

Krista Barnes was named chief corporate compliance and privacy officer of UVA Health. She was formerly the associate vice president and deputy chief compliance officer at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

Carrie Michaelis has joined the Private Client & Trust Group at Goulston & Storrs in New York as director.

She was previously partner at a boutique trusts and estates law firm in New York and spent more than a decade in the private client groups of large law firms.

Jennifer M. Tenney was awarded Affiliate of the Year by the Marco Island Area Board of Realtors. Jennifer started her law career at Woodward,

Pires & Lombardo and in 2020 opened her own practice, Tenney Law, focusing on real estate, estate planning and probate, and elder law.

Terry Tucker has been named president and CEO of Frontline Response International, an Atlanta-based nonprofit. Prior to his appointment, Terry was the CEO of Families First, chief strategy officer for the City of Refuge, and COO and general counsel for the Georgia Center for Opportunity.

2005

Brandon Long was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Louisiana, which encompasses 13 parishes and is based in New Orleans. Prior to his appointment, Brandon was an assistant U.S. attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana.

2006

Michelle Chiu was honored at the 2023 Duke Alumni Awards for outstanding volunteerism and services to the university. Michelle is an antitrust litigator at Morgan Lewis in San Francisco.

Mark Chorazak has joined Skadden’s New York office as a partner and co-head of its financial institutions regulatory group. Chorazak advises U.S. and international banks, nonbank financial institutions and fintech companies on regulatory, governance, enforcement, and compliance issues.

Anna Rips moved from Skadden to Paul Hastings, where she is a partner in the Investment Funds and Private Capital Practice of the firm’s New York office.

Sara Trickett has been elevated to chief legal officer and corporate secretary at Portland, Maine-based WEX, overseeing legal functions and managing a team of in-house counsel across multiple office locations in the U.S. and globally. Prior to joining WEX in 2021, she was senior managing counsel at Visa.

2007

Venroy K. July has been appointed to the Baltimore City Trial Court Judicial Nominating Commission by Maryland Gov. Wes Moore. Venroy is a member of Dickinson Wright in Washington, D.C., and serves on the board of directors of Sinai Hospital, Grace Medical Center, and the Green Street Academy in Baltimore.

Christian Dysart has sold the Raleigh boutique firm he co-founded with Ryan Willis to Maynard Nexsen and joined the larger firm as a shareholder. Christian, who served as Dysart Willis’ managing partner since its launch in 2010, practices white collar criminal defense and government investigations throughout North Carolina and in federal courts across the country.

Duke Law Magazine • Centennial Issue 2024

43

Alumni Notes Jared Manse was recognized by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office with a 2023 Patent Pro Bono Achievement Certificate for his work in assisting under-resourced inventors and small businesses with the protection of their ideas. Jared is a molecular microbiologist and patent attorney in the intellectual property group at UB Greensfelder.

2009

Meredith French Reedy was named one of Charlotte Business Journal’s “Women in Business” honorees for her career accomplishments and community involvement.

Meredith is a member of the Financial Services group at Moore & Van Allen and is co-head of the Farm Credit Lending group.

Margot Laporte joined Dorsey & Whitney LLP as a partner in the Government Solutions & Investigations group in Washington, D.C. A French citizen, Margot advises global clients on cross-border internal and regulatory investigations, white collar criminal defense, securities enforcement matters, and regulatory compliance.

2010

Emily Johnson, partner in Restructuring and Finance at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz in New York, was named in Bloomberg Law’s “They’ve Got Next: The 40 Under 40” list.

2011

Kristin Bacchus has joined Holland & Knight’s Financial Services team as a partner, moving from Loeb & Loeb. Kristin represents financial institutions in connection with secured and unsecured loans to private equity sponsors and principals, corporate entities, investment vehicles and individuals.

Andrea Dinamarco has joined Squire Patton Boggs as a partner in its Atlanta Financial Services practice, moving from Reed Smith.

Previously, she was corporate counsel at Tesla and lead counsel for international treasury operations at GM Financial.

Anthony Del Rio was named a Law360 Health Care MVP for his work as the lead attorney advising Oak Street Health in its $10.6 billion sale to CVS and for advising Envision Healthcare on its Chapter 11 bankruptcy. He is a corporate partner in Kirkland & Ellis’s Chicago office and previously was president and executive director of Rush Health.

Ryan Stoa joined the faculty of the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University at the start of the fall 2024 semester.

Stoa, an environmental, natural resources, and cannabis law scholar, moves to LSU Law from Southern University Law Center, where he has been a faculty member since 2020.

Stoa, the author of Craft Weed: Family Farming and the Future of the Marijuana Industry (MIT Press, 2018), is frequently quoted in consumer media on cannabis regulation and environmental issues.

Katherine Shea Dowling was elected to the American Law Institute.

Katherine is a federal public defender in the Eastern District of North Carolina.

44 Duke Law Magazine • Centennial Issue 2024

Andrew Thurmond was named partner at Troutman Pepper. He is in the Capital Projects and Infrastructure Practice Group in the firm’s Washington, D.C., office.

2012

Justin Becker, a trade disputes attorney, joined Baker McKenzie as a partner in its trade secrets practice in Washington, D.C. He has extensive experience with trade remedy proceedings and has led major investigations and reviews before the U.S. Department of Commerce and the International Trade Commission.

Justin previously worked at the DOC as an attorney within its Office of Chief Counsel for Trade Enforcement & Compliance.

Col. Stephen Strickey (LLM) was appointed military judge by Canadian Minister of National Defence Bill Blair.

He is one of five judges who preside at courts martial and other judicial proceedings as part of a federal organization that acts independently of the Canadian government. Steve joined the Office of the Judge Advocate General (JAG) in 2002 and was the first Vice JAG in the history of the Canadian Armed Forces.

Philip Weissman has joined the board of directors of the Advanced Air Mobility Institute. He is the founder of Advanced Air Mobility Professionals, serves as co-chair of the New York City Bar Aviation and Space Law Committee, and is on the Leadership Board of the International Bar Association Aviation Committee.

Morgan Whitworth was elected partner at Latham & Watkins.

Morgan is a member of the Securities Litigation & Professional Liability Practice and Litigation & Trial Department in the Bay Area.

2013

Brandon Myers was named to Modern Counsel’s 35 Under 35 list for 2024. Brandon was promoted to Legal Director, Mobility & Marketplace Product Counsel Team at Uber. He has been with the ride-share company for more than five years and is based in Washington, D.C. Serena Agaba Rwejuna was honored at the 2023 Duke Alumni Awards for outstanding volunteerism and services to the university, and at Corporate Counsel’s 2024 Women, Influence and Power in Law Awards for her sponsorship, allyship and mentorship of young diverse professionals. Serena is a partner in the Energy, Infrastructure, Project and Asset Finance Group at White & Case and is on the Board of Advisors of the Nicholas Institute.

Daniel Tola joined O’Melveny’s Los Angeles and Century City offices as a partner in its corporate finance practice. He is experienced in representing alternative lenders, commercial banks, investment banks, finance companies, equity groups, hedge funds, and private companies in US and cross-border working capital facilities, acquisition financings, subscription line financings, and other leveraged finance transactions.

2015

Taylor Bartholomew was promoted to partner at Troutman Pepper and is based in its Wilmington office, where he works with private equity clients.

Erin Bergey was elected partner at Latham & Watkins. Erin is a member of the Investment Funds Practice and Corporate Department at the firm’s New York office.

Tessa Bernhardt was elected partner at Latham & Watkins. She is a member of the Mergers & Acquisitions and Private Equity Practice and Corporate Department in the firm’s Bay Area office.

Alissa Kelso has joined Bodman’s Detroit office as a conflicts attorney and a member of the firm’s loss prevention team.

Previously, Alissa was in-house compliance counsel to a health services organization and worked in complex commercial litigation.

Jana Kovich was elected partner at Latham & Watkins. Kovich is a member of the Emerging Companies & Growth Practice and Corporate Department in Chicago.

William E. Leister has been promoted to partner at Mayer Brown.

He is a member of the Banking and Finance Practice in the firm’s Charlotte office, where he focuses his practice on fund finance.

Paulina Stanfel has been named partner at Debevoise & Plimpton. Paulina is based in the New York office and a member of the firm’s financial institutions group, where her practice focuses on advising on mergers and acquisitions, reinsurance transactions and other complex transactions in the insurance industry.

Edward Tang was promoted to counsel at Latham & Watkins.

He is a member of the Emerging Companies & Growth Practice and Corporate Department in the firm’s Hong Kong office.

Paulina Stanfel has been named partner at Debevoise & Plimpton in New York. Paulina is a member of the firm’s financial institutions group, where her practice focuses on advising on mergers and acquisitions, reinsurance transactions and other complex transactions in the insurance industry.

Nathan Yang was promoted to partner in the Finance, Real Estate, and Corporate Department at Cades Schutte. He is based in the firm’s Honolulu office.

2016

H. Hunter Bruton has joined Smith Anderson as a litigation partner in its Raleigh office, moving from Robinson Bradshaw. Hunter was a Bristow Fellow in the DOJ’s Office of the Solicitor General and clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito in the 2019-2020 term.

Jeb Dennis received the Kentucky Association of Criminal Defense Lawyer’s 2023 Clarence Darrow Prodigy” Award. Jeb is an assistant public defender in Bowling Green.

Nathaniel Jones was promoted to counsel at Hunton Andrews Kurth in Charlotte, where he focuses his corporate practice on transactional, securities, and corporate governance matters involving banks, bank holding companies and other financial institutions.

Asghar Leghari has been appointed Assistant Advocates General at the Office of the Advocate General, Punjab, where he represents the government in environmental cases. Asghar is a founding partner at PrimeLegalCo., Advocates and Corporate Counsel in Lahore, Pakistan. His practice encompasses constitutional and environmental law, and he has served as an independent director on the board of a state-owned power distribution company.

2017

2019

Cpt. Gabrielle Lucero was named Outstanding Young Military Lawyer by the American Bar Association. Gabrielle entered active duty in the U.S. Army JAG Corps in May 2017 and currently serves as Special Trial Counsel at Fort Liberty

2018

Former Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court Cheri Beasley joined Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd in Raleigh as a shareholder.

Cheri joined the court in 2012 and served as chief justice from March 2019 to December 2020. She was previously a resident fellow of the Institute of Politics at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

Zachary S. Buckheit has joined Williams Mullen’s litigation section in the firm’s Raleigh office.

Zach focuses his practice on complex commercial disputes and represents clients in cases involving fraud, misrepresentation, unfair and deceptive trade practices, and misappropriation of trade secrets.

Andrew Lane has joined Maynard Nexsen’s Complex & Commercial Litigation practice group in its Austin office. Andrew previously served as a defense attorney with the Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps, the legal arm of the U.S. Army. Andrew has experience representing clients in a wide variety of actions, supporting federal criminal litigation and administrative law issues and writing and arguing complex legal motions. He also advises on contract and fiscal law, cyber warfare, military justice and national security law issues.

Duke Law Magazine • Centennial Issue 2024

45

Alumni Notes

2020

Samuel A. Thumma has been elected trustee of the National Judicial College. Judge Thumma has served on the Arizona Court of Appeals in Phoenix since 2012 and was chief judge from 2017-19.

2021

Caitlan Carberry joined Robinson Bradshaw as an associate in its Research Triangle office. Catie clerked for Judge Louise Flanagan, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. While at Duke Law, Catie was senior notes editor for Duke Law Journal. An essay she co-wrote with Joseph Blocher, “Historical Gun Laws Targeting ‘Dangerous’ Groups and Outsiders,” was cited in a Fifth Circuit decision last year.

2022

Shrayan Shetty is serving as a Leslie J. Winner Public Interest and Civil Rights Fellow at the North Carolina Justice Center in Raleigh. Previously, Shrayan was an Ervin Fellow at the Morganton office of Legal Aid of North Carolina.

2023

C. Reed Cowart joined Bradley Arant Boult Cummings as an associate in the firm’s corporate and securities practice group. At Duke Law, Reed was a student-attorney in the Community Enterprise Clinic and was articles editor for Law & Contemporary Problems.

Peter (Tae) Hong has joined Fish & Richardson’s litigation practice group in the Atlanta office. At Duke Law, Tae

was staff editor for Duke Law & Technology Review and won first place in the Law School’s Transactional Law competition. He is also co-founder of a renewable energy startup and the co-inventor on three patents for energy storage technologies.

Nicholas Langford has joined Lightfoot, Franklin & White as an associate in its Birmingham office. At Duke Law, Nick served as articles editor for Law & Contemporary Problems and worked as a research assistant for the Duke Center for Firearms Law. Clara Nieman has joined Robinson Bradshaw as an associate in its Research Triangle office. While at Duke Law, Clara was Year-in-Review editor of the Alaska Law Review and was elected a member of the Order of the Coif. Clara is also a classical mezzo-soprano who performed with opera companies and orchestras throughout the United States prior to entering law school.

Caleb V. Strawn has joined Robinson Bradshaw as an associate in its Charlotte office.

While at Duke Law, Caleb was senior research editor of Law & Contemporary Problems and a student-attorney with the school’s Community Enterprise Clinic. Caleb simultaneously earned a master’s degree in theological studies from Duke Divinity School.

i

James Ennis Street joined Robinson Bradshaw as an associate in its Charlotte office.

While at Duke Law, James was executive editor of the Duke Journal of Comparative & International Law and content editor of the Duke Law & Technology Review, and also founded the Native American Law Students Association at Duke Law.

New position?

Promotion?

Life changes?

Awards?

Adventures?

Let your classmates know how you’ve been!

46 Duke Law Magazine • Centennial Issue 2024

» Drop us a line at law.duke.edu/alumni

In Memoriam

Reflecting notifications received between September 21, 2023 and April 30, 2024

1954 Thayer E. Brickman

1968 Thomas McKee

1959 Leif C. Beck

1969 Alvis E. Campbell

February 1, 2024

March 20, 2024

1960 Robert W. Rudas October 28, 2023

1961 Thomas Brissey April 16, 2024

1962 James Moorman April 23, 2024

Sandra Strebel Peavey February 7, 2023

Nathan Richard Skipper Jr. December 22, 2023

1963 Gary Carl Furin

November 30, 2023

April 30, 2024

March 19, 2024

Michael J. Kane March 8, 2024

1972 Roberts O. Bennett October 12, 2023

David A. Drake

December 10, 2023

1974 Candace M. Carroll January 24, 2024

1975 Robert Warren Kievit April 6, 2024

David Matthew Wiesenfeld February 28, 2024

John Bowen Ross Jr.

1976 Harry Joseph Smith

1965 James C. Hickey

1977 Reggie A. Christensen

April 11, 2024

December 1, 2023

Raymond A. McGeary November 14, 2023

Jay E. Moyer March 21, 2024

John Jacob Rufe November 18, 2023

February 14, 2024

September 24, 2023

1982 Nina Collins Merten March 12, 2024

1987 Joseph McHugh April 29, 2024

1967 Robert J. Hackett October 17, 2023

Duke Law Magazine • Centennial Issue 2024

47

Sua Sponte

R

OBERT CHANG JD/MA ’92 returned to Duke Law School to deliver the inaugural Jerome M. Culp, Jr. Critical Theory Lecture on Feb. 1 before students, faculty, and members of Culp’s family.

Chang, a professor of law and executive director of the Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law and Equality at Seattle University School of Law, was a friend and colleague of Culp, a member of the Duke Law faculty from 1985 until his death on Feb. 5, 2004, and the school’s first tenured professor of color. A prolific scholar, Culp was internationally known for his work on race and the law and was the author of numerous books and articles on critical race theory, justice and equality, law and economics, and labor economics.

Chang titled his lecture, “How Do We Come to Participate in the Struggles of Those Who Are Not Us?,” after words he first heard from Culp. He was introduced by Trina Jones, the Jerome

48 Duke Law Magazine • Centennial Issue 2024

M. Culp Distinguished Professor of Law and director of the Center on Law, Race & Policy, which sponsored the event.

Born in Korea and raised in a small midwestern town, Chang said he endured name-calling and racial slurs by staying silent and focusing on academic achievement.

“Although I would never claim to know what it is to be Black in America, I do know what it is like to be an ‘other,’” Chang recalled. “I wasn’t equipped to deal with racism so I put that experience and those feelings in a box and I just put them away in the closet.”

It wasn’t until law school that he began to find a language and lens to understand racism through exposure to Culp and other scholars at events like the annual Duke Law Journal Frontiers of Legal Thought symposium.

“He wrote that who we are matters as much as what we are and what we think,” Chang said. “He gave me the courage to speak.”

Karen and Clark Havighurst

T

HE FAMILY OF CLARK HAVIGHURST, the William Neal Reynolds Professor Emeritus of Law, former interim dean, and longtime faculty member at the Law School, gifted the Law School a painting by noted artist Martin Canin in celebration of Havighurst’s 90th birthday.

A team from the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University uncrated the piece and installed it in room 4047 during a special gathering attended by the Havighurst family, friends, and Duke Law faculty, including Professors Tom Metzloff, Doriane Coleman, and Joseph Blocher, and Professor Emerita Theresa Newman.

Professor Deborah DeMott, an art law scholar, made brief remarks about the untitled oil on canvas work and the effect of its large color field of vivid ultramarine blue on the viewer and the space. The horizontal color-field painting dates back to the 1970s and is reminiscent of color field artists like Barnett Newman or Jack Bush, though it enhances pure geometry with distinctive lyrical and subtle psychological effects.

Canin’s work is part of the permanent collections at London’s Tate Modern and the Yale University Art Gallery.

Professor Deborah DeMott

N O N-P R O F I T O R G .

Duke Law Magazine Duke University School of Law 210 Science Drive Box 90389 Durham, NC 27708-0389

U.S. P O STAG E

PAID

CMYK Color verified by MH 7/27/2019

D UR HA M , NC P E R M I T NO. 6 0

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

» Read our online edition at magazine.law.duke.edu

Page 34

Full Circle