In Brief
Emory Law Appoints Two New Clinic Directors
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mory Law has appointed new leadership for its clinical programs in international humanitarian law and environmental law. Laurie Blank assumes the helm of Emory Law’s newest clinic, the International Humanitarian Law Clinic, for the 2008 – 2009 academic year. She replaces Charles D. Swift, former visiting associate professor and acting director, who ably put the clinic on firm foundations. Commander Swift’s one-year appointment ended August 31. Blank has extensive experience in international humanitarian law and played a key role in establishing the ihl Clinic. She served as its program Blank director last year and has been a research and teaching assistant for Emory Law Professor Charles Shanor. The goal of the ihl Clinic is to pair Emory Law students with groups who need assistance in cases and projects involving international humanitarian law, allowing students to gain firsthand experience and make significant contributions to this increasingly important area of law. “In the clinic, we work every day with organizations, law firms, tribunals, and other entities to assist in prosecuting or defending individuals, raising public awareness of past, present, and future atrocities, and ensuring the protection of civilians and combatants in conflict regions around the world,” Blank said. “I am delighted to have this opportunity to help students engage in real-world, meaningful work in the field of international humanitarian law and, at the same time, to provide practical assistance to these organizations so they can better achieve their goals.”
Prior to Emory Law, Blank spent four years with the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C., focusing on international humanitarian law, transitional justice, war crimes tribunals, and human rights projects. She earned her jd from New York University School of Law, where she served as the Henry L. Boudin Fellow for Human Rights. Blank also worked as an associate at Shearman & Sterling. Larry Sanders heads Emory Law’s Turner Environmental Law Clinic, after serving as staff attorney for six years. He has worked with Emory Law students on a variety of environmental cases important to the protection of Georgia’s natural resources during his tenure. Established in 1998 with a Turner Foundation grant, the Turner Clinic provides free legal assistance to individuals, community groups, and nonprofit organizations seeking to protect and restore the natural environment for the benefit of the public. The clinic trains students to be effective environmental attorneys with high ethical standards and a sensitivity to the natural environment. Sanders “Over the next year, the Turner Clinic’s ongoing work on nuclear power will continue as our primary focus,” Sanders said. “I also hope to continue working on cutting edge environmental law issues like global climate change, energy, water rights, and protection of endangered species. Prior to Emory Law, Sanders served as director and founder of the RiverLaw Project for the South Yuba River Citizens League in Nevada City, California. He also has worked as an associate for the Berliner Law Offices. He received his jd from University of Oregon Law School and his bachelor’s degree from University of Chicago.
Mock Trial Team Wins Regional Labor and Employment Law Competition
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embers of Emory Law’s Mock Trial Society won the Southeast regional title at the fifth annual Labor and Employment Law Trial Advocacy Competition November 15 –16 in Miami, Florida. The winning team of Andrews Robbins 09L, Danielle Barbour 09L, Rhani Lott 10L, and Jonathan Wright 10L travels to Chicago, Illinois, for the national competition January 24 –25. The team is coached by Robert Kaufman 75L and Kirsten Widner, a postgraduate fellow for the Barton Child Law and Policy Clinic. During the two-day competition hosted by the Labor and Employment Law Section of the American Bar Association, teams argued whether the actions or inactions of a government organization constituted sexual harassment resulting in the discharge of a female employee. Each round was judged by local practitioners in labor and employment law, with the final round presided over by a judge from the U.S. Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. The winning team (from left): Barbour, Robbins, Lott, and Wright
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