SWLAW Magazine Fall 2014

SW FALL 2014

LAW S O U T H W E S T E R N L AW S C H O O L

LOS ANGELES’

LAW SCHOOL Southwestern has long shaped—and been shaped by—the City of Angels

STUDENT RESIDENCES TR ANSFORM C AMPUS / THE PREMIER ACCELER ATED J.D.

STEVE KING ARCHITECTURAL IMAGING

A view of the central courtyard of The Residences at 7th, Southwestern’s new on-campus student apartment complex.

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FRO M T H E DE A N

SW FALL 2014

DEAR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS, Southwestern has been a trail-

LAW

blazing law school for more than 100 years, with an unparalleled record of inclusiveness and innovation. The law school’s forward momentum is especially

S O U T H W E S T E R N L AW S C H O O L

exciting to witness today, at a time when legal education is faced with countless challenges.

This issue of SW Law encourages us to consider how much Southwestern has to be proud of—brilliant faculty members, who enhance the legal discourse and our students’ academic experience through rigorous scholarship and inspired teaching; a stunning campus with spectacular new student residences; passionate students; and dedicated alumni. It also reminds us of the omnipresence of the law school and our graduates in the leadership of Los Angeles and beyond.

It is a great privilege for me to join this groundbreaking institution as Dean. I look forward to building on the accomplishments of my predecessors, Interim Dean Austen Parrish, who was recently named Dean of Indiana University Maurer School of Law, and Deans Bryant Garth and Leigh Taylor, all of whose visionary leadership contributed to the developments highlighted in these pages.

Susan Westerberg Prager

T O P T O B O T T O M : M AT T H E W F R I E D, ADAM EMPEROR SOUTHARD

Dean

Southwestern Law School deans of the past 35 years gathered at the “double milestone” event to welcome Dean Susan Westerberg Prager and dedicate the new on-campus student residences. From left: Dean Leigh H. Taylor (1978–2005), Dean Susan Prager (2013+), Dean Bryant G. Garth (2005–2012) and Interim Dean Austen L. Parrish (2012–2013). To view videos from the event, visit www.swlaw.edu/doublemilestone.

SOUTHWESTERN’S 11TH DEAN AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Susan Westerberg Prager came to Southwestern after five years as Executive Director of the Association of American Law Schools. Her previous leadership roles include Dean of UCLA School of Law, where she was the longest-serving dean; President of Occidental College; and Provost of Dartmouth College. She is a graduate of Stanford University and UCLA Law School. Already a trailblazer many times over, Dean Prager is the first woman to serve as Dean of Southwestern.

For more information, visit www.swlaw.edu/news/newdean.

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CO N T EN T S

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DEPA RTMENT S 4 LEADERS IN ADVOCACY

Students take First Place in regional, national and international competitions.

38 ADVANCEMENT

Visionary donors invest in Southwestern’s future.

40 APPRECIATION

A tribute to former Interim Dean Austen Parrish.

41 CONNECTIONS Southwestern news 24/7.

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PRODUCED BY THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE Leslie R. Steinberg, editor publicaffairs@swlaw.edu DESIGN AND PRODUCTION www.dcpubs.com

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FE ATURES

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6 LOS ANGELES’ LAW SCHOOL

Southwestern has played a major role in the development and leadership of the region through its graduates, students, faculty, programs, innovation and campus.

12 IT TAKES A VILLAGE

Award-winning student residence complex adds a new dimension to the campus and fosters community.

18 SCALE: THE PREMIER ACCELERATED J.D.

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he nation’s longest-running two-year J.D. program has been T on the cutting edge for four decades.

24 NURTURING LEGAL SCHOLARSHIP Southwestern’s one-of-a-kind culture supports groundbreaking faculty research.

34 STANDOUTS IN TEACHING EXCELLENCE Students honor their professors for being extraordinary mentors and inspiring instructors.

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36 IN MEMORIAM

Professor Myrna Raeder and Professor Karen Smith are remembered with the greatest respect and affection.

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L E A DER S I N A DVOCACY

SEASON OF FIRSTS FOR STUDENT ADVOCATES Southwestern students continued to demonstrate their outstanding advocacy skills in 2013 and 2014, earning an impressive record of First Place awards in regional, national and international competitions.

Students in Southwestern’s nationally recognized honors programs have given stellar performances in recent seasons, culminating in an extraordinary number of First Place team, brief and oralist awards. Teams representing the Moot Court Honors Program, the Negotiation Honors Program, the Trial Advocacy Honors Program and the Black Law Students Association participate in about 20 local, regional, national and international interscholastic competitions annually. Their recent triumphs prompted Professor Alexandra D’Italia, faculty advisor to the Moot Court Honors Program, to say, “These students model the professionalism we teach at Southwestern. They demand the best work from one another in a supportive and professional way. They were gracious winners, and a joy to coach.”

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MOOT COURT HONORS PROGRAM

NEGOTIATION HONORS PROGRAM

TRIAL ADVOCACY HONORS PROGRAM

1 Billings, Exum and Frye National Moot Court Competition First Place Team: (left to right) Candace Rodriguez, David Jones and Jessica Nadler Best Brief: Jessica Nadler Best Oral Advocate: Candace Rodriguez

3 ABA Regional Client Counseling Competition First Place Team: Nina Dangourian (left) and April Macaraeg (right)

5 American Association for Justice (AAJ) Regional Student Trial Advocacy Competition First Place Team: (left to right) Christine Wood, Mackenzie Brown, Michelle Henderson and Jahmy Graham

Howard University School of Law Bryant-Moore Moot Court Competition First Place Team: Kenneth Korosi (center) and Talia Leibovic (left) Best Brief: Yi-Hsuan Lin (right) 2

Monroe E. Price Media Law Moot Court Competition International Round (Oxford, England) First Place Brief: Matthew Alsberg, Isaiah CostasBarofsky, Christopher Lloyd and Almara Sepanian Americas Regional Round Best Memorial (Brief): Matthew Alsberg and Almara Sepanian Outstanding Oral Advocacy Awards: Isaiah Costas-Barofsky and Christopher Lloyd LIZ REINHARDT

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ABA Regional Negotiation Competition First Place Team: Jonathan Evans and Imran Rahman ABA Regional Representation in Mediation Competition First Place Team: Diana Shaginian (left) and Imran Rahman (right) 4

BLACK LAW STUDENTS ASSOCIATION National Black Law Students Association (NBLSA) Western Regional Mock Trial Competition First Place Team: (left to right) Davetta Selma, Justin Rabi, Alex Hobson and Shani Harris 6

A Unique Three-Track Approach to Training Champion Advocates All first-year students at Southwestern are required to take a yearlong course called Legal Analysis, Writing, and Skills (LAWS), which introduces them to key lawyering skills and offers a groundbreaking approach in which students can choose to focus on one of three areas in their spring semester: Appellate Advocacy, Negotiation or Trial Practice. Each LAWS track feeds into its respective honors program intramural competition. And, as the recent spate of First Place wins attests, these students benefit from the strong foundation they receive as 1Ls. “Students’ experiences in the first year can affect how they approach law school in their upper-division years and the choices they consider for their careers,” says Professor Tracy Turner, Director of the LAWS program. “By broadening their exposure to skills in the first year, we hope to open up new viewpoints and options for them.”

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A LANDMARK CAMPUS Through the restoration of a treasured historic icon and award-winning new construction, Southwestern has been a leader in the revitalization of Los Angeles’ Wilshire Center The Bullocks Wilshire Building, one of Los Angeles’ treasured landmarks, has been sensitively and meticulously restored

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A unique historic venue for hundreds of local community, nonprofit, professional, civic and cultural organizations

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Only LA law school located within a block of a Los Angeles Metro Rail station

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Only LA law school with on-campus residences exclusively for law students

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Only law school to be replicated in a Disney theme park and a Smithsonian exhibit

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Los Angeles’

LAW SCHOOL When you examine the facts, the picture is clear—from the Mayor’s office to the Presiding Judge’s chambers to the executive suites at major entertainment conglomerates and the largest law firms in the city—Southwestern Law School has produced many of the most extraordinary and influential leaders in Los Angeles and Southern California of the past century.

Beginning in 1915 with the law school’s first graduate, who became the first woman to serve as a public defender in Los Angeles—and in the nation—Southwestern has played a major role in the development of the greater Los Angeles area through its graduates, students, faculty, programs and campus, as well as its emphasis on innovation and opportunity.

40 YEARS Number of consecutive years that the office of LOS ANGELES MAYOR was held

by Southwestern alumni (1953–1993)

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PUBLIC SERVICE LEADERSHIP

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Southwestern’s graduates break new ground in all levels of government and law enforcement

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LA County Bar Association’s Prosecutors of the Year

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California State Bar Public Lawyer of the Year

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California Lawyer Criminal Attorney of the Year

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ost represented law school in the Los Angeles County Public M Defender’s Office—120 More graduates than almost any other law school in the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office—230

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umber of consecutive years the office of Los Angeles County N District Attorney was held by a Southwestern graduate—11

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Number of consecutive years the

office of LOS ANGELES COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY was held by a Southwestern graduate

Number of seats alumni have held in the California state Legisla†ure—4 Alumni elected officials include former California Attorney General, Secretary of State and State Treasurer, as well as a member of the U.S. Congress from California

1ST Female public defender in Los Angeles

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ON THE BENCH Southwestern graduates are well represented throughout the judiciary and include The current Presiding Judge of the Los Angeles Superior Court, the largest trial court system in the United States

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Female commander in the Los Angeles Police Department

Government attorney and woman of color elected President of the State Bar of California

80 currently sitting judges in Southern California

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Number of seats alumni have held in the CALIFORNIA STATE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, including Speaker of the Assembly

Consecutive years on the CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT (three graduates, 1942–2001), including the longestserving California Supreme Court justice in state history

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NOTE: Recent facts and figures represent statistics from 2012–2014

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59 consecutive years on the California Supreme Court (three graduates, 1942–2001), including the longest-serving justice in state history

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Latina trial judge in California

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Native-American judge in California

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Female African-American judge in California

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Chinese-American federal judge in the continental United States (Central District of California)

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Female African-American appellate court justice in the country

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PRIVATE SECTOR PROMINENCE Southwestern’s graduates have made their mark as litigators and negotiators at the top law firms in LA 8th in the nation for number of graduates who are partners in the top 100 largest law firms in LA

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California Lawyer Personal Injury Lawyer of the Year

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LA County Bar Association’s Defense Lawyer of the Year 4th for number of graduates named Southern California Super Lawyers

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1 Most students chosen for prestigious American Board of Trial Attorneys fellowships of any LA law school

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in the nation for number of graduates who are PARTNERS IN THE TOP 100 LARGEST LAW FIRMS IN LA

IN THE MAYOR’S OFFICE Southwestern alumni have led several municipalities in Southern California 1st African-American and longest-serving Mayor of Los Angeles

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40 years as Mayor of Los Angeles (three mayors from 1953 to 1993)

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Former and current mayors of Arcadia, Calabasas, Culver City, Lancaster, Pasadena, Temple City and Tustin

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TOM BRADLEY: MR. LOS ANGELES Tom Bradley ’56 served Los Angeles for five decades as a police officer, city councilman and mayor: Los Angeles Police Department (1940–1962)

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First African-American elected to LA City Council (1963)

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Mayor for unprecedented five terms (1973–1993), during which he:

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– built a strong multiethnic coalition – brought 1984 Olympics to LA – spearheaded construction of LA’s subway/light rail system – promoted expansion of the airport and development of Century City and Warner Center Among places named in his honor are the Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX and the LA City Hall Tom Bradley Tower

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COMMUNITY RESOURCE Southwestern faculty and students provide essential legal assistance to thousands of Los Angeles residents in need 150+ indigent and underserved children and families receive free legal services through Southwestern’s Children’s Rights Clinic and Immigration Law Clinic annually

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200+ at-risk and foster care youth learn about essential life skills and legal rights and responsibilities in courses and counseling provided by Southwestern’s Street Law Clinic annually

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25+ years of affiliation with Hoover Elementary School providing mock trial and ADR programs and annual food, clothing and holiday toy drives

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law school to receive the California State Bar Organizational DIVERSITY AWARD

IN GOOD COMPANY Southwestern has partnered with several of Southern California’s most prestigious academic institutions

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10,000 hours of pro bono law-related services provided annually by student volunteers to the local community

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Faculty and students provide pro bono legal services through the Amicus Project, Ninth Circuit Appellate and Immigration Appeals practicums

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1st Small Claims Court Clinic in a law school

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Teen Court venue with law students providing guidance

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Faculty have served in leadership posts in nonprofit organizations from the ACLU of Southern California to the Valley Community Clinic

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Faculty are frequent op-ed contributors and quoted experts in the print, online and broadcast news media

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10,000 hours of PRO BONO LAW-RELATED SERVICES provided annually by student volunteers to the local community

NOTE: Recent facts and figures represent statistics from 2012–2014

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1ST SOUTHWESTERN IS THE FIRST LAW SCHOOL TO OFFER: Concurrent J.D./M.B.A. programs with the Drucker Graduate School of Management of Claremont Graduate University (including the first three-year J.D./M.B.A. program on the West Coast)

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A certificate program with Pardee RAND Graduate School (public policy)

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A certificate program with the Keck Graduate Institute (bioscience industry law and practice)

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A 3+3 B.A./J.D. program with California State University, Dominguez Hills

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A 3+3 B.A./J.D. program with California State University, Northridge

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25+

years of affiliation with Hoover Elementary School providing mock trial and ADR programs and annual food, clothing and holiday toy drives

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION Southwestern reflects and celebrates the diversity of the region

+ 50

alumni serve as General Counsel or Executive Vice President in the entertainment industry

1 Largest enrollment of African-American students of any California law school

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2nd largest enrollment of Latino students of any California law school

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Listed in Top 10 Law Schools for Hispanic Students (enrollment and degrees awarded)

by Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education 1 Most students awarded scholarships by the Mexican-American Bar Foundation of any LA law school

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1st law school to receive the California State Bar Organizational Diversity Award

ENTERTAINMENT AND MEDIA CONNECTIONS Southwestern’s alumni and curriculum reflect the law school’s strong ties to the “Entertainment Capital of the World”

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15 among all law schools in the country on the Diversity Honor Roll of The National Jurist

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One of only two law schools to receive the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) award from INSIGHT Into Diversity three years in a row

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In the top 10 of The Hollywood Reporter’s roster of America’s Top Entertainment Law Schools three years running

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Prominently represented in The Hollywood Reporter’s Top 100 Entertainment Lawyers

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2nd most represented law school in Los Angeles Business Journal‘s list of Los Angeles’ Top 40 Intellectual Property Lawyers

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Variety’s Legal Leadership Honoree

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50+ alumni serve as General Counsel or Executive Vice President in the entertainment industry

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LEGAL LEADERSHIP FOOTNOTES LACBA Prosecutors of the Year: Deborah Brazil ’96, Natalie Adomian ’94 and Stephanie Sparagna ’86 California State Bar Public Lawyer of the Year: Phyllis Cheng ’93 California Lawyer Criminal Attorney of the Year: Deborah Brazil ’96 Los Angeles County District Attorneys: Robert Philibosian ’67 and Ira Reiner ’64 California State Senator: Denise Moreno Ducheny ’79 California State Assembly members: Edwin Chau ’92, Denise Moreno Ducheny ’79, Paul Peek ’30 (Speaker of the Assembly) California Attorney General: Stanley Mosk ’35 California Secretary of State: Paul Peek ’30 California State Treasurer: Matthew Fong ’85 U.S. Congressman (CA): Julian Dixon ’67 First female public defender: Betty Trier Berry ’15 First female commander in the Los Angeles Police Department: Betty Kelepecz ’90 First government attorney and woman of color elected President of the State Bar of California: Karen Nobumoto ’89 Presiding Judge of the Los Angeles Superior Court: David Wesley ’72 California Supreme Court justices: B. Rey Schauer ’16, Paul Peek ’30, Stanley Mosk ’35 First Latina trial judge in California: Frances Munoz ’71 First Native American judge in California: Fred Gabourie ’63 First female African-American judge in California: Vaino Spencer ’52 First Chinese-American federal judge in the continental U.S.: Ron Lew ’71 First female African-American appellate justice in the country: Arleigh Woods ’53 Past mayors: Gary Kovacic ’76, Arcadia; Barry Groveman ’78, Calabasas; Edward Wolkowitz ’75, Culver City; Raymond Parris ’80 (current), Lancaster; William Paparian ’77, Pasadena; Thomas Chavez ’85, Temple City; Jerome Amante ’82, Tustin California Lawyer Personal Injury Lawyer of the Year: Brian Panish ’84 LACBA Defense Attorney of the Year: Robert Schwartz ’76 Variety’s Legal Leadership Honoree: Wayne Levin ’88

1ST LAW SCHOOL TO: Establish an Entertainment and Media Law Institute

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Offer an Entertainment and Media Law LL.M. program

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Publish a comprehensive student-produced entertainment law blog (www.biedermanblog.com), listed as a top blog by the ABA Journal (Blawg 100)

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Offer summer programs on entertainment law in both LA and London

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Produce the Journal of International Media & Entertainment Law with the Forums on Communications Law and the Entertainment and Sports Industries of the ABA

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Launch a major Entertainment Production Practicum providing free legal assistance to independent filmmakers

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Offer an Entertainment Law Firm Practicum

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“This architecturally significant facility has fulfilled our vision of creating an exceptional living-learning experience for our students. It is yet another standout Southwestern accomplishment.”

—Thomas H. Hoberman, Chair, Southwestern Board of Trustees

L A R R Y FA L K E

S T U DEN T L I FE

IT TAKES A VILLAGE

SOUTHWESTERN’S NEW STUDENT RESIDENCES TRANSFORM AN URBAN CAMPUS

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THE FIRST RESIDENTS OF SOUTHWESTERN’S NEW STUDENT RESIDENCES, which opened in August 2013, have discovered—much to their delight—the many benefits of on-campus housing.

Melissa Hanna, a student in the SCALE J.D./M.B.A. program, says the new complex

is a complete “game changer.” Not only do The Residences at 7th help create a cohesive campus community, they make it possible for students to find more time to pursue their interests. “There are so many benefits, but at the end of the day, it’s all about accessibility—having access to the professors, the library and the surrounding community,” Hanna says. “By eliminating my one-and-a-half-hour daily commute, it makes volunteering in the community much more feasible, while still keeping up with my studies.”

Thomas H. Hoberman, Chair of Southwestern’s Board of Trustees, is delighted

that this extraordinary addition to the campus is already making a difference. “This architecturally significant facility has fulfilled our vision of creating an exceptional living-learning experience for our students,” he says. “It is yet another standout Southwestern accomplishment that will facilitate our students’ legal education, training and

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L A R R Y FA L K E

development well into the future.”

L E F T T O R I G H T: L A R R Y FA L K E , A D A M E M P E R O R S O U T H A R D

Above: Southwestern’s new Dean and CEO, Susan Westerberg Prager (center), presides over the ribbon-cutting ceremony during the official dedication of The Residences at 7th. She is joined by (from left) Michael J. Downer ’82, Vice Chair of Southwestern’s Board of Trustees; Thomas H. Hoberman ’75, Chair of the Board of Trustees; Los Angeles Superior Court Presiding Judge David Wesley ’72; and Los Angeles City Council President Herb J. Wesson Jr.

A TRUE LIVING-LEARNING VILLAGE

42-inch high-definition television, complimentary basic ca-

It was with students like Melissa Hanna in mind that The

ble and high-speed wireless Internet, and secure digital key

Residences at 7th, Southwestern’s first on-campus student

entry. Student Freddie Young describes the look of his new

housing facility, was conceived. The unique design of the

home as “ultramodern and low maintenance, with plenty of

133-unit “living-learning village” complements the law

spaces to tuck or store things away to prevent clutter.”

school’s landmark Bullocks Wilshire Building and pro-

Amenities include a student lounge with a 65-inch

vides an inviting social space for the entire law school

flat-screen TV, a business center, study rooms, a barbecue

community.

station, a rooftop sundeck and numerous informal seating

“Thanks to the foresight and fortitude of Dean Bryant

areas. The 170 reserved parking spaces beneath the struc-

Garth and the Board of Trustees, these striking residences

ture include electrical vehicle charging stations. Views

provide a safe, affordable and beautiful place for students

from apartments and common areas overlook the down-

to live, study and engage in the creative exchanges and sup-

town skyline, the landscaped courtyard and the Bullocks

portive friendships that help them become effective lawyers

Wilshire Building.

and leaders,” says Dean Susan Westerberg Prager.

The studio and one- and two-bedroom units can accom-

Resident Daniel Kadin is enjoying the amenities, particularly the rooftop sundeck, with its lounges, white walls,

modate 153 students with rents starting at about $1,200 and

and views of the city and the central courtyard several

averaging $1,400, priced below comparably appointed apart-

floors below. “There are tables where I can work while get-

ment buildings in the adjacent downtown area. Each apart-

ting some sun and fresh air,” he says. “It’s a nice place to

ment features a full kitchen, an in-unit washer/dryer, a

decompress and get a little change of scenery.”

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The Residences at 7th, a LEED-certified project, achieved Platinum Level certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. The rating was earned for green construction practices as well as elements in the finished project, such as proximity to public transit systems; site waste management and recycling; off-site fabrication during construction; reduced irrigation; and high-efficiency plumbing, appliances and lighting fixtures.

The LEED Certification Mark is a registered trademark owned by the U.S. Green Building Council and is used with permission.

DESIGNING A STUDENT-CENTERED ENVIRONMENT

surrounding environment was also an important factor.

Four years in planning, the project was developed

“The goal was to create a true academic community

by Southwestern in collaboration with Corsini Stark

while maintaining and enhancing the law school’s

Architects, Matt Construction and Symphony Develop-

public presence in a revitalizing historic urban district,”

ment. The design process included student and market

he says. “We wanted to enhance Southwestern’s inspir-

surveys as well as visits to graduate housing complexes

ing, positive influence in the neighborhood.”

Stark’s partner, Richard Corsini, explains that the

in California and New York.

AN ANCHOR IN CENTRAL LOS ANGELES

living and study needs of Southwestern law students,”

According to James Camp, Assistant Dean for Property

explains Janice Manis, Chief Operating Officer and

Administration and Development, the team worked

project team leader. “Each residential unit was carefully

closely with neighborhood groups and city agencies as

designed to be move-in ready, with excellent lighting;

the project moved forward. “It was a collaborative pro-

practical layouts with marvelous views; complementary

cess from the beginning,” he says. “We engaged every

furnishings; and state-of-the art, energy-efficient appli-

affected constituency that we could identify, internal

ances.” The “green” building design recently received a

and external, and did our homework. It didn’t hurt

LEED Platinum Level certification.

that it was a great project that both reduced traffic by

According to resident Niki Azim, the careful plan-

allowing students to live where they attend school and

ning has paid off. “Living on campus has definitely

transformed a surface parking lot into an architectural

impacted my quality of life,” she says. “Everyone here

building with a nice scale for the neighborhood. Every-

feels at home and part of a community. It helps to stay

one ended up enthusiastically supporting the project.”

motivated when you live with your fellow classmates

Tom Hoberman points out, “The Residences are part

who are going through the same experiences as you are.

of Southwestern’s continuing commitment to the revi-

I feel relaxed and balanced because I live on campus.”

talization of this great Los Angeles neighborhood and

Architect Anthony Stark indicated that the Bullocks Wilshire Building influenced the design of elements such as “the linear, streamlined 7th Street facade that recalls

symbolic of the pivotal role our school and our alumni have played in the city for more than a century.”

Melissa Siefer ’79, whose daughter, Lauren, lives in

the wonderful passenger vessels depicted in the iconic

The Residences, was impressed by the “real campus

Bullocks Wilshire porte cochere mural, Spirit of Trans-

feel” enhanced by the residential community. “We

portation.” The project and property were also conducive

felt so comfortable about Lauren’s living situation,”

to incorporating the Los Angeles tradition of a large

she says. “Few law schools offer this enticing option.

central courtyard and other open-air features. He says,

While my own experience at Southwestern was posi-

“The walled building perimeter is purposely porous [with

tive, I thought how much better it will be for Lauren.

framed views] to allow the prevailing Pacific trade winds

For the first time, I found myself wishing I were back

to naturally cool the courtyard and open public spaces.”

in law school!”

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“The Residences were created to meet the unique

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S T U DEN T L I FE

Reinventing Campus Life Students and other members of the Southwestern community enjoy the complex’s state-of-the-art amenities and appealing common areas.

YOUR NAME HERE! Examples of prominent naming opportunities in The Residences include the student lounge, courtyard, basketball court, rooftop sundeck, business center, study lounge and group study rooms.

Contact Associate Dean Debra Leathers at dleathers@swlaw.edu for information.

M AT T H E W F R I E D

Visit www.swlaw.edu/studenthousing.

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SCALE TWO-YEAR J.D.

SCALE: The Premier Accelerated J.D.

RALPH GONZALES

Southwestern’s pioneering SCALE® two-year J.D. program has been on the cutting edge of legal education for four decades

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the school’s three- and four-year programs and, with a carefully structured curriculum, allows students to complete the 87 units of course credit required for the J.D. within a two-year period. SCALE alumni have gone

IN

on to successful careers ranging

the summer of 2013,

from elected office and the

while addressing a

bench to private practice and

crowd of academ-

entertainment law.

ics and legal scholars, President

What sets the SCALE program

Obama suggested law schools

apart from other schools’ two-

consider reducing J.D. programs

year programs is its unique

from three years to two. One of

model, combining small class

the questions was whether it is

sizes—30 to 40 students—and a

possible for law schools to design

commitment to practical, skills-

two-year programs that still give

based education, rather than

students all the necessary skills

simply condensing a typical

and knowledge to become suc-

three-year curriculum into two

cessful lawyers.

years. The small class sizes, the

If you ask any of the 1,000-

close interaction with faculty

plus graduates of Southwestern

and the year-round curriculum

Law School’s two-year SCALE

provide students the opportunity

program, the answer is a clear

to obtain a well-rounded legal

and resounding “Yes!”

education in two years.

Long before the concept of a two-year J.D. came into focus, Southwestern became a pioneer in the field by creating the nation’s first alternative two-year law degree program,

RALPH GONZALES

called SCALE, in 1974. The program is offered in addition to

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SCALE TWO-YEAR J.D.

Mackenzie Brown

Melissa Hanna

As the longest-running accelerated J.D. program, the SCALE curriculum and structure have evolved over 40 years to meet the changing needs of the profession that new SCALE

Michael Maguire

Michael Maguire: I was a performer, but had always wanted to go to law school. I had been on Broadway in Les

Misérables and also had a wonderful career singing with symphonies.

graduates will be entering.

SW Law spoke with several recent graduates and current

After winning a Tony Award, I started thinking about law school [again],

students to find out how their experiences in the SCALE pro-

as strange as that may seem. SCALE

gram have translated in the real world. They included second-

was the perfect program. I had young

year SCALE students Orly Ravid ’14 and Carly Sanchez ’14,

children and I wanted to get through law school quickly, and I felt that I was

first-year SCALE J.D./M.B.A. student Melissa Hanna ’15, new

up to the task of doing it in a concen-

attorney Mackenzie Brown ’13, family law attorney Michael

trated way.

Maguire ’08, television executive Noah Solomon ’01, and corporate and health care law attorney Stephen Sullivan ’06.

Stephen Sullivan: I had just graduated from college and wasn’t quite ready to enter the business world yet. I thought law school would probably be the next best challenge. I was looking for something that wasn’t just the typical

about students’ experiences and I met

fascinating about SCALE was that you

the faculty, I knew it was the right fit for

Melissa Hanna: I was working in aca-

could finish in two years, get all the

me. [And] I decided to pursue the SCALE

same material—but in a different for-

demia and business strategy develop-

J.D./M.B.A. so I would have both the legal

mat—and be part of a close-knit group

ment for tech companies and felt like I

and business skills that I need for the

of students for the whole program.

was hitting a ceiling. I decided to pursue

career I want to have.

a legal education to develop skills so I

Carly Sanchez: I was working for a

could make a greater impact. I chose

small personal injury firm and had a

SCALE after sitting in on a few classes

great experience there. My employ-

WHAT WERE SOME OF THE PROFESSIONAL SKILLS YOU LEARNED IN THE PROGRAM?

and speaking with alums. Right away, I

ers encouraged me to come to SCALE,

Noah Solomon: You have to think on

knew that these were the kind of people

knowing that I would get a compre-

your feet in SCALE. That’s not to say

I wanted to be in school with. The SCALE

hensive legal education with a lot of

you don’t in traditional programs,

program is intense, but once I heard

practical experience.

but when you’re called upon to talk

20 FA L L 2 014

RALPH GONZALES

three-year program. What I found

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THE SCALE PROGRAM?

“SCALE has exceeded my expectations.

It’s been incredibly in-depth learning with top-notch professors. Truly, it’s people from the best schools in the country who are super-committed to teaching, with a class size that’s intimate but also diverse and compelling.”

—Orly Ravid Orly Ravid

about a legal issue, you can prepare

I had developed all those critical

well in advance. In SCALE, you have

skills by the time I graduated, which

HOW DID YOUR SCALE EXTERNSHIP PREPARE YOU FOR PRACTICE?

many opportunities to speak in a

really put me ahead.

Michael Maguire: One of the best parts of the program came at the end, when

real-world setting, or a real court setting—a real context—which allows you to think quickly. It prepares you so much more.

Orly Ravid: In addition to the classwork, we’ve had a lot of practice labs: We’ve done a lot of evidence training like role-playing in court, practicing writing complaints—all sorts of civil litigation practice. I’ve done everything I could have imagined doing, and I can’t think of any opportunity that SCALE hasn’t afforded me.

Mackenzie Brown: SCALE is more of a nontraditional program, and you can really get hands-on experience. In class, we would read cases and learn legal concepts and theories, but we would also learn how to argue appellate briefs and draft motions.

Stephen Sullivan: When I was part of the SCALE program, the second year was all about developing professional skills —for example, there was a required course about how to put on RALPH GONZALES

a trial. We had Appellate Advocacy, Negotiation and Alternative Dispute Resolution—all different ways of resolving the types of legal conflicts that are out there once you graduate.

DID YOU PARTICIPATE IN ANY HONORS PROGRAMS OR OTHER COCURRICULAR ACTIVITIES WHILE IN THE SCALE PROGRAM? Mackenzie Brown: Southwestern is known for trial advocacy, and the Trial Advocacy Honors Program (TAHP) is a testament to our success. I was on a TAHP team that won a regional competition and then went on to the national level where we placed in the top four out of 250 teams. Through TAHP, I was able to do a trial from start to finish, so I was prepared to walk into a courtroom when I graduated.

Stephen Sullivan: I participated in both Law Review and Moot Court. One of my best memories of the entire two years was participating in the Moot Court program. I got to take a trip to New York; we advocated there on a very interesting problem that was based on a Seinfeld episode. It was engaging, and we made the semifinals.

Orly Ravid: I’m on Law Review, and I hope to be published. I’m involved in launching the school’s Amicus Project and will be writing an amicus brief for the Ninth Circuit.

we were about to graduate. We were sent out into the real world as externs.

Some people went to law firms; some worked for law clinics. I worked for a Superior Court judge in Santa Monica who is now one of the primary probate judges in Los Angeles.

Mackenzie Brown: I did two externships: for the Screen Actors Guild, which is now SAG/AFTRA, and for the District Attorney’s Office. The externships prepared me to practice because I got to work side by side with attorneys.

Orly Ravid: This summer, I externed for the judge presiding over the highprofile Jackson v. AEG trial. I got to not only watch the trial, but watch the morning calendar, go to the back for sidebar discussions, go to the chambers, and then research and write memos—maybe 10 or 15 of them, all of which have been converted to ruling orders. Being at such a high level so early into my legal studies was amazing. Also, I just received my official acceptance letter from the California Supreme Court for my final SCALE 10-week externship!

SOU T H W ES T ER N L AW SCHOO L

21

SCALE TWO-YEAR J.D.

Carly Sanchez

Noah Solomon

Stephen Sullivan

Noah Solomon: The externship that I

THE BEST OF ALL WORLDS

BY HARRIET ROLNICK, ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR SCALE Each year, we welcome a select cohort of about 35 diverse and talented students to our two-year SCALE program. And we have been doing so for 40 years—decades longer than any law school in the country! SCALE not only offers an accelerated route to a J.D., it features a carefully designed skill-centered curriculum that teaches core legal concepts and key lawyering skills. The program includes a required set of courses and an externship, as well as flexibility that allows each student to create a “mini focus area.” By participating in an additional externship, taking summer electives, working in a legal setting or attending a summer-abroad program, a student can explore a particular interest. A threeyear SCALE J.D./M.B.A. option with the Drucker School of Management is also available. I’m proud to be part of this trailblazing program that encourages cohesion, collaboration and collegiality with access to all honors programs and activities that Southwestern offers.

did with the general counsel of a major website company was a great experience. It helped prepare me to pass the bar and get my first job. I went from my externship with my first job into traditional entertainment law where you get a wide variety—employment law, labor law, issues with the guilds and unions. Copyright and IP is also paramount to what I do. There are so many aspects of it that started in the SCALE program, and you find that you can apply all the things you learn along the way to your everyday work.

WHAT WAS YOUR RELATIONSHIP LIKE WITH THE OTHER STUDENTS? Stephen Sullivan: The experience was great from the get-go. The people who tend to sign up for the SCALE program are energetic and enthusiastic about going to law school. I immediately built relationships with a number of my classmates, and we were a close

A Southwestern alumna, Dean Rolnick

group. We were all in it together.

was a civil litigator and an Assistant

Carly Sanchez: I cannot say enough

U.S. Attorney before joining the faculty

about the camaraderie I have with my

in 1999. She has directed the SCALE

classmates. Our schedule is obviously

program since 2006.

grueling, but it’s great to be in the trenches with my brothers and sisters.

Orly Ravid: We’re a family. SCALE attracts a certain kind of person, and

22 FA L L 2 014

TOP ROW: RALPH GONZALES; BOT TOM: JOEL MARASIGAN

SCALE IN A NUTSHELL

FLEXIBLE AND INNOVATIVE J.D. PROGRAMS Southwestern is the only American Bar Association-approved law school offering four programs of study leading to a J.D. degree that differ in scheduling and instructional approach. In addition to the accelerated two-year SCALE program, Southwestern has developed a second innovative option: PLEAS, one of the only part-time day programs in the country designed to meet the needs of students with child or elder-care responsibilities.

FOUR J.D. OPTIONS • Full-time day • Part-time evening • Part-time day/PLEAS • SCALE

To learn more, visit www.swlaw.edu/academics/jd and www.swlaw.edu/scalestories.

really click. The class that I’m in,

HOW ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STUDENTS AND FACULTY?

we’ve had [students] as young as

Carly Sanchez: Because of the small

WHAT KIND OF PERSON DO YOU THINK FITS BEST IN THE SCALE PROGRAM?

20 and as old as 50-something. It’s

class size, the faculty members know

Michael Maguire: I would recommend

a broad range, and everyone’s con-

each person in our class by name. We’re

the program to people who have a

nected. There’s something great and

able to have great relationships with

sense of who they are and what they

enhancing about the mixture.

the professors, whether we need help

want to do. Not that they would have

Michael Maguire: There’s a wide diver-

with our classes or just want to talk

to choose the type of law they want

sity, and yet within that diversity there

about what it’s like to be a lawyer—

to go into, but people who know that

are common denominators. Almost

even if we have personal problems that

they want to apply themselves and be

everybody is a self-starter and inspired

are affecting our ability to concentrate

challenged. Everybody in my pro-

to be there. It’s the difference between

on law school. The faculty are always

gram was creative, everybody was

being drafted in the Army and join-

available to help us. They really care

a hard worker, and they weren’t put

ing the Marines. You’re deliberately

and invest in our lives.

off by assignments that they weren’t

choosing a program that may be more

Stephen Sullivan: The professors

familiar with. They could quickly and

difficult, but the challenge is inspiring.

really wanted to teach in this pro-

efficiently find out what they needed

We were a very concentrated group of

gram, so I felt we were getting the

to know and get the job done on time.

people who had all passed through this

best of the best. We had energetic

Carly Sanchez: I think a person who is

certain ring of fire.

professors who wanted to present the

motivated to do well would be great

Melissa Hanna: I participate in study

material in engaging ways and not

for SCALE. Anyone who wants to gain

groups twice a week. I was really

necessarily just follow a textbook. It

practical experience in law school

against it at first. I thought, ‘No, I’m

was a very personal curriculum that

and gain lifelong friends would be a

much better on my own; I just want to

the professors clearly had put a lot of

great candidate.

read quietly and take my own notes.’

time and thought into developing.

Melissa Hanna: The SCALE program is

When I finally showed up at a study

Orly Ravid: SCALE has exceeded my ex-

for people who are passionate about

group, I thought, ‘What have I been

pectations. It’s been incredibly in-depth

their career and their education. You

missing? This is great!’ In a study

learning with top-notch professors.

might think in two years maybe we’re

group, you really get all the differ-

Truly, it’s people from the best schools

going to skim over a lot of the topics

ent perspectives on a case and on

in the country who are super-commit-

a three-year program would offer. But

the lessons in class. I’m completely

ted to teaching, with a class size that’s

it’s the opposite: The SCALE program

immersed in this environment, and I

intimate, but also diverse and compel-

is for people who want to dig into the

totally enjoy spending time with these

ling. I feel really challenged and at the

nuances and explore all the things

students and the professors.

same time really comforted.

that legal education has to offer.

those people come together and

SOU T H W ES T ER N L AW SCHOO L

23

Politically Correct Speech

Witness Protection Women’s Issues

Contracts

Entertainment Law

Journalism Affirmative Action Church-State Relations Museum Law Legal Issues Affecting Children Addiction Effects on Legal Profession Acquisitions and Mergers Negotiation RICO Abortion

Bu

Mass Torts

Biotechnology Law

Bankruptcy

Law and Technology Children and the Law

Partnerships

Probate Postmodern Legal Theory

Indian Law

Art Law

Sentencing Guidelines Federal Budget Issues Estate and Gift Planning Secession Movements Premises Liability Juries

Civil Rights

Complementary and Alternative Medicine Law and the Emotions Community Property Ethics Right of Privacy Living Wills Family Law Domain Names Unconscious Bias Law Firms Legislation Civil Duty to Rescue

Legal Education

Intellectual Property

Wills

Practical Legal Education Canadian Constitutional Law

Battered Person Syndrome Defense

Self-Ownership/Determination

Government

Complex Litigation

Civil Procedures

Nurturing Legal Schol

Islamic Law Constitutional Law Hostile Takeovers Cameras in the Courtroom Arbitration Independent Prosecutor/Counsel Lesbian Issues Regulatory Law

Globalization of Law

International Law Employment Law Civil Rights/Hate Crimes Unfair Competition Juvenile Delinquency

ents ation

Housing and Community Development

Election Disputes Reapportionment/Redistricting Eminent Domain Emotional Distress Damages

Tort Reform Legal Theory

Law and Society

Judicial

International Trade Cyber Law

Comparative Law

Copyright

FACULTY FOCUS

Southwestern’s faculty produce leading-edge legal research that fosters a stimulating intellectual climate on campus

Insurance Law Latin American Legal Issues

siness Law

arship

Drug Testing

Evidence

Patents

CERTAINLY, THERE IS NO MAGIC BULLET WHEN IT COMES TO producing first-rate legal scholarship. Many factors must align—a stimulating intellectual environment, access to resources, insightful colleagues—to help scholars be on the cutting edge of legal inquiry.

Southwestern is exceptionally well positioned to offer faculty the support they need to facilitate scholarship and, in turn, enhance the curriculum, invigorate classroom discussions and foster a lively intellectual climate on campus.

Indeed, one need only witness the popular standing-room–only Faculty Research Series Lectures—such as Vice Dean Catherine Carpenter on the constitutionality

Conflict of Laws E-Commerce Opinion Writing

Criminal Law Procedure Land Use Planning Trade Regulations nternational

Ideological Influences ofonsextheoffender Law registration laws, or Professor Christopher Cameron on the impact of unionization on the rule of law—to see how faculty scholarship is highly valEuropean Economic Community ued by the entire Southwestern community.

The school’s unique culture plays a big role in its faculty’s studies. Professor Judicial Confimation Hearings David Fagundes, for one, appreciates the intellectual freedom that Southwestern

Popular Sovereignty

affords him. “The academic environment here is blessedly free of dogma,” he says, “and there is no sense that you have to write about a particular subject or deploy a favored methodology to fit in.”

Further, the scholarship of the Southwestern faculty effects real change: Their work is regularly cited in judicial opinions and contributes to the legal debate on many of the biggest local, national and global issues.

Professor Arthur McEvoy, former Associate Dean for Research, encouraged peer review and regular meetings with faculty members to discuss their projects and provide guidance. “There is no commodification of the work output here, and nobody tells you that your work is not good enough, or that you need to put it out faster,” he says. “This is why Southwestern’s approach to scholarship is so refreshingly constructive.”

On the following pages, seven professors discuss their research, providing a glimpse into the wide range of original, cutting-edge scholarship being produced at Southwestern.

SOU T H W ES T ER N L AW SCHOO L

25

FACULTY FOCUS

T

he mind-boggling rate at which CEO compensation has risen in recent decades

has been a source of both scholarly fascination and real-world concern for Professor Michael B. Dorff. Consider this: According to the Economic Policy Institute, in 2013 the average CEO compensation was $15.2 million, making the CEO-to-worker pay ratio 295.9-to-1.

How did this happen? And why has no one put the brakes on these skyrocketing pay packages? In his eye-opening new book, Indispensable

and Other Myths: Why the CEO Pay Experiment Failed and How to Fix It (UC Press), Professor Dorff, a leading expert on corporate law, not only attempts to answer these questions but also offers solutions for reform.

The problem, he says, is that the prevailing model of CEO compensation is performance pay, which ties salaries of executives to their companies’ bottom line. Introduced in the late 1970s,

QUESTIONING CEO PAY In his thoughtful new book, PROFESSOR MICHAEL B. DORFF examines ways to address today’s skyrocketing executive compensation structures

performance pay has caused many dysfunctions in corporate governance, he says, including reduced board worry about the personal consequenc-

and unnecessary distractions for CEOs.

es and penalties of their actions rather

“You’d expect that performance pay

than the mission of the company.”

would be an effective tool for improv-

Professor Dorff’s recommendation

of myriad variables.”

Professor Dorff’s provocative analysis of one of the great conundrums of corporate governance is the

ing corporate returns,” he says, “but

to fix this broken system is to return

result of nearly 10 years of research.

that’s not the case. We have seen a

to guaranteed salaries for CEOs, the

He credits Southwestern with provid-

sharp rise in CEO pay but not a propor-

model that predates performance

ing a supportive and stimulating

tional return on that investment.”

pay. However, he acknowledges that

environment, which helped bring

there are many legal, tax-related and

Indispensable to fruition. “I could

CEOs don’t usually need “extrinsic mo-

culturally ingrained obstacles to doing

not have gotten through this process

tivation,” like, well, huge piles of money,

so. He therefore proposes a nuanced

without the encouragement of my

to do a good job. “CEOs in general are

re-engineering of how performance

colleagues,” he says. And that sup-

driven, intrinsically motivated people,”

pay is calibrated. “I’d like to see it tied

port will no doubt be there when he

he explains. “It’s not necessary to

to things that a CEO can actually influ-

embarks on his next equally timely

dangle a carrot in front of them. Perfor-

ence, like employee retention,” he says,

project: a study of companies that

mance pay can shift their focus away

“as opposed to bottom-line earnings

seek to balance profit-making with

from the tasks at hand and make them

and share price, which are byproducts

serving the greater good.

One reason for this, he says, is that

26 FA L L 2 014

M AT T H E W F R I E D

control of compensation structures

ADVISE AND DISSENT As Associate Dean for Research, GOWRI RAMACHANDRAN enjoys assisting her fellow scholars with their work while also pursuing her own inquiries into the legal treatment of dissenters

I

n her new position as Associ-

differ in protecting an individual’s

and human rights law led to her work

right to dissent. “I don’t think that

Ramachandran looks forward to

on appearance discrimination, an area

anybody has ever identified a prin-

providing a wide range of support to

she found neglected by the courts as

cipled reason for the different treat-

the faculty at Southwestern—from

well as scholars when she began re-

ment of different groups by courts,

brainstorming ideas to helping with

searching it a decade ago. “Some were

statutes and other sources of law,”

practical aspects of publishing. And

writing on the topic, but not many,

she says. “There are probably good

she plans on using some of the law

and almost nobody embraced the idea

reasons to treat some of these groups

school’s unique strengths to do that.

that tattoos, piercings and the like

differently from each other, but they

were worthy of legal scholarship,” she

haven’t been identified.”

“Part of scholarship is networking with others in your field,” she says.

says. But she argued that appearance

“Being a free-standing law school is a

manipulation serves unique functions

ect that will combine law and anthro-

great benefit. You have more freedom

in society and thus requires unique

pology to probe the concept that being

to connect with people at other insti-

legal protection.

open to internal dissent actually pro-

tutions, instead of just the one person

Dean Ramachandran’s articles

She is also planning a larger proj-

tects and strengthens a culture rather

in your area at your institution. I’m ex-

have been published in the Yale Law

than rupturing it. “As we are faced

cited to help faculty members expand

Journal and the Connecticut, DePaul,

with seismic shifts like environmen-

their networks.”

Denver, Maryland, Penn State and

tal change, we want to be adaptable,”

A member of the faculty since

Seattle law reviews, among others.

Dean Ramachandran says. “A society

2006, Dean Ramachandran also

She is currently researching how and

where people dissent and have di-

hopes to help her colleagues use their

why groups, such as religious orga-

verse lifestyles is better able to make

research to fuel the law school’s com-

nizations, families and corporations,

big changes when it needs to.”

mitment to its students. “Scholarship can make you a much better teacher,” she says. “I want to support research, effective teaching, service to the institution and every faculty member’s ability to integrate these things.”

Had she followed her original path in college, Southwestern would have missed out on the energy and passion Dean Ramachandran brings to her role. While earning a B.A. in mathematics at Yale (where she later completed her J.D.) and an M.A. in statistics at Harvard, she was also an activist for LGBT rights. But at some point, she was searching for a way to integrate her political activism with M AT T H E W F R I E D

Her interest in anti-discrimination

ate Dean for Research, Gowri

her academic pursuits. “Law is an ideal field for integrating the two,” she says, “so I’m happy I made the switch.”

FACULTY FOCUS

RETHINKING TORT LAW PROFESSOR ALAN CALNAN calls for a more balanced theory of civil justice

defendants facing arrest and prosecu-

tort system is that it gives

tion. According to Professor Calnan,

in his book, The Right to Civil Defense

plaintiffs “civilized recourse”

however, due process applies to any

in Torts, published last year by

against wrongdoers, says Professor

person significantly impacted by state

Carolina Academic Press. The book

Alan Calnan, for whom tort law is a

action, including tort defendants

builds upon his prodigious scholarship

deep-seated obsession. But that benefit

subject to the compulsory procedures

on tort theory, which has included

comes with an underappreciated cost.

and enforcement mechanisms of the

three acclaimed books and numerous

Regardless of their merit, all tort ac-

civil justice system. “While these

articles in top law journals. Given the

tions inevitably cause financial dam-

defendants may not be guaranteed

book’s broad reach and practical sig-

age, emotional upset, inconvenience,

the same rights as criminal suspects,”

nificance, Professor Calnan believes

loss of privacy and relational strain

he says, “they deserve at least pre-

it could have sweeping effects on our

to the parties being sued. In criminal

liminary proof that the claims against

system of civil justice.

cases, defendants are protected from

them are justified.”

such litigation harms, since the state cannot prosecute unless it first establishes probable cause of their guilt.

In the civil justice system, Professor Calnan observes, defendants enjoy no such protection. “Unlike state prosecutors, civil plaintiffs need not substantiate their claims at the outset,” he says. “Instead, defendants must establish grounds to stop such actions from going forward.”

According to Professor Calnan, this disparity raises two types of fairness concerns. Most obviously, the law places civil defendants at a strategic disadvantage. While a civil plaintiff generally pays her lawyer only if she prevails, the defendant incurs legal fees from the moment she retains counsel. Because the defense bears the burden of discrediting an action, the defendant often feels pressure to settle questionable claims just to avoid the accumulating costs of finding a viable escape route.

On a deeper level, the current practice may threaten defendants’ constitutional right to due process.

Historically, due process has been reserved primarily for criminal

28 FA L L 2 014

He presents this call for balance

M AT T H E W F R I E D

T

he primary benefit of our

HISTORIAN OF DEMOCRACY PROFESSOR ROMAN HOYOS’ long-standing interest in 19th-century history informs his scholarship on the evolution of the democratic state

I

n the mid-’90s, Professor Roman

Professor Hoyos has written

they wanted things that the federal

extensively about the Civil War,

working for Senator Barbara

government was producing, mostly

which he considers a major turning

Boxer. The budding historian had not

information,” Professor Hoyos says.

point in the history of democracy. In

yet entered law school, but working

“This correspondence is what his-

an essay in Signposts: New Directions

for California’s junior senator would

torian John Brewer calls ‘a sinew of

in Southern Legal History, he argues

serve as a proving ground for his

power.’ As a mode of representation,

that the decision of the slaveholding

interests in law and democracy.

correspondence stimulated activity

states to secede was a constitutional

“Initially, I worked in the mail-

by the government, leading to the ex-

exercise of popular sovereignty. In

room in Boxer’s office,” Professor

pansion of the federal state. If there

his forthcoming book, The Rise and

Hoyos recalls. “I was responsible for

are any lessons to be gained from this

Fall of Popular Sovereignty: Constitu-

coding and distributing constituent

study, it is perhaps that modern

tional Conventions, Law, and Democ-

correspondence. As I read through

democratization efforts should look

racy in Nineteenth-Century America,

the letters, I remember thinking that

for ways to build connections

Professor Hoyos uses secession as the

one day, someone should do a study

between representatives and constit-

centerpiece for understanding the

of constituent correspondence. I just

uents beyond and between elections.”

impact of popular sovereignty.

didn’t realize it would be me.”

Twenty years later, Professor

Professor Hoyos’ emphasis on the

“The 19th century was America’s

need to fortify these connections

great period of democratization,”

Hoyos published an article in Law

has a resounding timeliness today.

he says. “A great deal of energy

and History Review that did just

In this era when lobbyists’ and big

was spent thinking about how to

that. Titled “The People’s Privilege:

corporations’ influence on legislators

incorporate ordinary people into the

The Franking Privilege, Constituent

often eclipses that of individuals, his

governing process as well as actually

Correspondence, and Political

research serves as a reminder that

incorporating them into that process.

Representation in Mid-Nineteenth

this wasn’t always the case.

Today’s democracy builders need

Century America,” his piece anaM AT T H E W F R I E D

“People wrote to Douglas because

Hoyos spent a couple of years

In his scholarship, he returns

to think more about building and

lyzes letters that constituents sent

again and again to 19th-century

strengthening the sinews, not just

to Illinois senator and presidential

American history. “The 19th century

oiling the joints.”

candidate Stephen A. Douglas in the

is my ‘data,’ if you will, for exploring

mid-1800s.

the history of democracy.”

SOU T H W ES T ER N L AW SCHOO L

29

FACULTY FOCUS

I

t’s no overstatement to characterize the past few years as an “information revolution,”

given that an estimated 90 percent of the world’s data was produced in that time alone. That’s affected a broad swath of society, says Professor Ryan Abbott, adding that the sheer volume of information has transformed everything from labor markets to social relationships while generating entire new industries.

Professor Abbott, who is both an intellectual property attorney and a licensed physician, sees big data’s potential in health care as well, especially with regard to the Food and Drug Administration’s oversight of prescription drugs. Under our current system, the FDA relies largely on clinical trials to determine which drugs are safe to go on the market— a practice with serious limitations.

Meaningful surveillance may stop there since drug companies have

HARNESSING BIG DATA TO REVOLUTIONIZE HEALTH CARE

little reason to continue testing a drug’s efficacy, and consumers have

PROFESSOR RYAN ABBOTT’S recent scholarship focuses on using the

few avenues to challenge it. Despite

massive amount of digital information now available to improve the

all the data that health care profes-

regulatory policies for prescription drugs

sionals now collect about a drug’s usage and safety, as well as patient outcomes, regulators still cling to the old way of doing things. To some

medical field. His proposal includes

doctors, it’s maddening.

legal proceedings for third parties to

big data proposal may raise eyebrows

submit evidence to the FDA as well as

in the pharmaceutical industry, even

financial carrots for the private sector.

if it finds favor among health care

alarm. In “Big Data and Pharmacovigilance: Using Health Information

He also suggests that regulators

professionals and insurance provid-

Exchanges to Revolutionize Drug Safe-

gather data through electronic health

ers. He also anticipates criticism

ty,” published in the Iowa Law Review,

information exchanges. This tech-

from privacy advocates who have

he lays out a plan for employing big

nology has the potential to combat

concerns about personal information

data in “postmarket” regulatory pro-

macro-level problems but is in danger

being aggregated and passed along

cesses. While others have broached

of being vastly underutilized, says

electronically. Nonetheless, he hopes

the issue, Professor Abbott conceives

Professor Abbott, who also writes

these ideas will ultimately reach a

a unique methodology that has the

extensively on patent law and its

much larger audience and perhaps

potential to significantly change the

ramifications for health care access.

usher in policy change.

30 FA L L 2 014

M AT T H E W F R I E D

To Professor Abbott, it’s cause for

Professor Abbott admits that his

EXPLORING UNCONSCIOUS BIAS PROFESSOR DEBRA LYN BASSETT examines how our perceptions and prejudices stand in the way of justice being served

T

hroughout her career,

Review in 2006, she notes how nega-

California Legal Ethics, Cases and

Professor Debra Lyn Bassett

tive rural stereotypes are sometimes

Materials on Civil Procedure, Federal

has been fascinated by the

seen in lawyers’ motions for changes

Courts: Cases and Materials, and

of venue as well as in efforts to dismiss

Problems in Legal Ethics —as well

prospective jurors from rural back-

as a treatise on civil procedure.

intersection of law and psychology.

“Psychology is about human behavior, and law is about govern-

grounds. She has continued to explore

ing human behavior,” says Professor

the issue of bias in recent pieces for top

law review articles just in the area of

Bassett. “I realized I could unite these

law journals such as the UC Davis Law

unconscious bias and the law, she is

two interests through my scholarly

Review, Iowa Law Review, and Fordham

now ready to pursue another aspect

writing, which has been most satisfy-

International Law Journal.

of how psychology and the law are

ing for me.”

Professor Bassett has focused

A prolific writer with many interests, Professor Bassett has focused

Having published more than 10

interrelated.

“I am fascinated by the power of

much of her recent scholarly

much of her research to date on fed-

silence,” she says. “That’s the direc-

research on how unconscious bias

eral litigation and legal ethics. She

tion my scholarship is headed for the

can adversely impact the legal

has co-authored four casebooks—

next several articles.”

process. Judges and lawyers are as susceptible to this form of bias as anyone else, she says, but “because of the power they wield, it can be very pernicious if they don’t recuse or disqualify themselves” from cases that elicit these prejudices.

In addition to researching unconscious bias in the context of judicial recusal, she has chosen to explore unconscious bias toward people from rural backgrounds. “Most people would never admit to bias toward people from rural areas,” says Professor Bassett, who grew up in a small town in Vermont, and thus has a personal affinity for the subject. “But look at the many disparaging words that exist for them—hillbillies, rednecks,

M AT T H E W F R I E D

hayseeds, bumpkins—and when these terms appear in courtroom settings, it is especially invidious.”

In an article titled “The Rural Venue,” published in the Alabama Law

SOU T H W ES T ER N L AW SCHOO L

31

FACULTY FOCUS

BRINGING COPYBLIGHT TO LIGHT In his scholarly writings, PROFESSOR JOHN TEHRANIAN looks at two widespread problems: online copyright infringement and demographic invisibility

with the Beatles or Star Trek because

and the particular racial conundrum

piracy, Professor John Tehranian

you’ll be sued by multimillion-dollar

facing Middle Eastern Americans in

believes that copyright law has

conglomerates,” Professor Tehranian

his first book, Whitewashed: Ameri-

actually tipped too heavily in favor of

says. “It’s the small individual co-

ca’s Invisible Middle Eastern Minority,

big business. It’s a phenomenon that

creators that get the short end of the

published by New York University

the IP expert refers to as “copyblight.”

stick.”

Press in 2009, and most recently in a

Professor Tehranian didn’t seek to

One of the entertainment in-

forthcoming article for University of

Colorado Law Review.

copyright the term, “though that

dustry’s top litigators, according to

would be the height of irony if I did,”

Variety, Professor Tehranian has

he jokes.

represented both sides in cases

this one just as he does his cases

In his 2011 book, Infringement

He strives to address issues like

over the rights to such pop cultural

and other scholarly research. “That’s

Nation: Copyright 2.0 and You, pub-

artifacts as photos of Britney Spears,

one of the wonderful things about

lished by Oxford University Press, and

Winston Churchill’s speeches and

lawyering: As an advocate, you have

article in Vanderbilt Journal of Enter-

Jimi Hendrix’s last live recording. He

to be able to put on whatever hat you

tainment and Technology Law (repub-

was part of the team that won the

need to make the most vigorous case

lished in Intellectual Property Law

precedent-setting case Mavrix Photo,

for your client and to anticipate the

Review), he examines the pervasive-

Inc. v. Brand Technologies, Inc., which

other side’s best points. This requires

ness of copyright, the limited options

established the right of content

an understanding and appreciation

for individuals charged with infringe-

owners to sue in their home jurisdic-

of all sides of an argument,” Pro-

ment, and the need for reform. Most

tion for copyright infringement on

fessor Tehranian adds. “I think it’s

often, he says, a company’s cease-

the Internet. It has been cited in more

invaluable as an academic to have

and-desist letter threatening up to

than 80 federal court decisions.

that background since it only helps

$150,000 in statutory damages for

Professor Tehranian’s expertise

strengthen your analysis when you

each act of copyright infringement is

isn’t limited to intellectual property.

advocate for the positions you believe

enough for the average citizen to fold,

He has long been engaged in race

would best serve society.”

whether the individual is in fair use

studies and has tackled the history

of material or not. “You can’t mess

and legal construction of whiteness

32 FA L L 2 014

M AT T H E W F R I E D

I

n this era of outcry about online

NEWS MEDIA LOOK TO SOUTHWESTERN’S EXPERTS A sampling of recent faculty commentary on legal issues in the news

LABOR LAW

UNIVERSITY CAN TAKE FOOTBALL CASE TO NLRB, BUT COURTS MAY MAKE CALL ON PLAYER RIGHTS Bloomberg BNA

LEADERSHIP PROFILE

HOMELAND SECURITY

DEAN LIMELIGHT: SOUTHWESTERN LAW’S SUSAN WESTERBERG PRAGER

IS TRANSLATING JIHADIST TEXTS A CRIME? SCOTUS MIGHT TAKE UP CASE THIS TERM

LawDragon Campus “What Prager eventually decided on, after earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history at Stanford University—where an adviser warned that women generally didn’t get jobs in history departments—was the law. It’s a field where she’s built a career doing things no woman had done before: In the 1980s she was the first female dean at the University of California, Los Angeles law school, her alma mater; most recently, she became the first woman to serve as dean and chief executive officer of Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles.”

AirTalk | KPCC Southern California Public Radio “We don’t prosecute individuals in this country for having bad thoughts or evil thoughts or what we would describe as opinions we don’t agree with. The Supreme Court clearly says that there has to be a link between that speech and the fact you’re doing it on behalf of a known terrorist organization.”

—Professor Rachel VanLandingham MEDIA LAW

WILL CABLE SERVICE IMPROVE?

AEREO INTERNET SERVICE VS. TV BROADCASTERS: U.S. SUPREME COURT TO DECIDE

Los Angeles Times /David Lazarus

Christian Science Monitor

“‘The villains are also the broadcasters,’ said Warren Grimes, a Southwestern Law School professor who specializes in antitrust and telecom issues. He said programming heavyweights such as Viacom, Fox and Disney force cable and satellite companies to pay for fat packages of channels, the costs of which are passed along to pay-TV subscribers ... Grimes said the current system is unsustainable. At some point, he said, pay-TV industry players will have to accept—likely at the prodding of lawmakers—that they can no longer get away with charging consumers for products they don’t want. ‘But until then,’ Grimes said, ‘they’ll try to make as much profit as they can.’”

“A friend of the court brief filed by students and professors at Southwestern Law School argues that the Aereo innovation ‘is a healthy free-market response to a dysfunctional and anticompetitive television distribution system.’ As long as the broadcast companies continue to use the public airwaves, they must uphold their end of the bargain by supporting the wide accessibility of broadcast television, Michael Epstein, a law professor at Southwestern Law School, says in his brief ... ‘Dissatisfied with their dual government-granted monopolies in the broadcast spectrum and copyrighted programming, [the broadcast companies] invoke a strained interpretation of copyright law to further their stranglehold on television distribution,’ he says.”

ANTITRUST LAW

PROPERTY LAW

SURFERS BEST BILLIONAIRE IN LANDMARK CALIFORNIA BEACH CASE Time and Fortune “The commission will often only grant development permits, typically to build a home or another structure, if the public gets an established right of way in return.

‘Because they’re in charge of beach development, they’re allowed to do this quid pro quo,’ says Arthur McEvoy, a professor at Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles. ‘They can ask you in trade to dedicate a little easement, if the development threatens to impede public access.’”

“Christopher David Ruiz Cameron, a professor of law at Southwestern Law School, told Bloomberg BNA that the NLRB regional director ‘made a pretty strong case’ for directing an election among the Northwestern scholarship players…. The law professor noted, however, that the extensive control exercised over college athletes resembles the control that may be exercised over professional athletes, while the detailed handbook given to Northwestern players ‘looks an awful lot like an employee handbook or manual.’ Cameron said the regional office decision made ‘a formidable case that the university will have to beat.’”

FEDERAL INDIAN LAW

WYOMING TO FIGHT UNITED STATES OVER INDIAN RESERVATION LAND GRANT Reuters/New York Times/Chicago Tribune, others “‘What the decision does show is a willingness on the EPA’s part—and perhaps by the Obama administration more broadly—to take the side of the tribes in a dispute of this magnitude, knowing it would almost certainly be challenged,’ said William Wood, a visiting professor at Southwestern Law School and specialist in Indian law and policy.”

PROFESSOR ROBERT E. LUTZ HONORED BY STATE BAR The International Law Section of the State Bar of California selected Professor Robert E. Lutz as the recipient of the 2014 Warren M. Christopher International Lawyer of the Year Award in recognition of his “long and distinguished service as a practitioner and teacher of best practices in international legal matters and a stalwart promoter of the international rule of law.” One of legal education’s foremost authorities on international public and private law studies, Professor Lutz has held the top posts in the most influential organizations in the international law community, including Chair of the International Law Sections of the American Bar Association, Association of American Law Schools and Los Angeles County Bar Association, and was co-founder of the State Bar’s International Law Section.

SOU T H W ES T ER N L AW SCHOO L

33

FACULTY FOCUS

Standouts in Teaching Excellence Each year, students honor their professors for being inspirations in the classroom. Professors Danielle Hart, John Heilman and Janet Philibosian are three recent recipients of this special recognition.

P

rofessor John Heilman is known for getting first-year students off to a great start. “Professor Heilman is an exceptional teacher,” says first-year law student Ani Khodaverdian. “He enjoys teaching, and

it’s obvious because of the way he smiles and jokes with us while trying to express complicated areas of the law. His dedication makes us more willing to prepare and pay attention in class because the presence of such a wonderful professor demands reciprocity from students, just by the nature of his character. Professor Heilman makes us feel like we can conquer any subject matter.”

With sentiments like these from many student admirers, it is not surprising that Professor Heilman was recognized with the law school’s Excellence in Teaching Award for two consecutive years. A member of the faculty since 2012, he teaches Contracts, Criminal Law, Evidence and Principles of Legal Analysis. He is also the co-director of Academic Support and Bar-Related Programs.

Professor John Heilman

Professor Heilman brings a unique perspective and talent for engaging constituents, having also served a total of seven terms as Mayor of West Hollywood, and he loves bringing his real-life experience into the classroom. “My background in local government is a good fit for a law school like Southwestern, which understands that it is a vital part of the community around it,” he says. He enjoys teaching, he adds, “because I feel like I am helping people achieve their dreams and their potential. Teaching also allows me to explore new ideas on a regular basis, and I like helping students learn how to succeed in law school and pass the bar exam.”

Professor Janet Philibosian ’04 was also honored in 2014 with an Excellence in Teaching Award in the Adjunct Professor category. An attorney at ics in American Law. According to Golak Nadery ’14, “Professor Philibosian goes above and beyond to help her students. She is always available and really cares about our success. Her command of the material combined

Professor Janet Philibosian

34 FA L L 2 014

with practical experience really helps students learn.”

TOP: ED CARREON

Byrne & Associates PC, she teaches Defenses in the Law and Selected Top-

Professor Danielle Hart

Being selected for the award is a special honor, Professor Philibosian says, “because it comes directly from

Division Professor Excellence in Teach-

a process of learning.” In fact, her

ing Award.

teaching strategy focuses on the

One of the most popular veterans

learning process itself, rather than

our students. I enjoy witnessing the

of the awards is Professor Danielle

‘aha!’ moments as my students grasp

Hart, who has received the honor

a new concept, as well as watching

three times in recent years. Professor

law school is like being told, ‘Go build

their confidence grow as they learn

Hart has a highly distinctive teaching

a boat,’ but no one gives you a blue-

skills that will help them not only

style and “really high expectations of

print,” she says. “Here, we work on the

pass the bar exam, but succeed as

students,” she acknowledges.

blueprint. And unless students engage

attorneys. It is both humbling and

“You can’t escape from her radar,”

just memorizing the facts.

“I’ve always thought that going to

with it, they won’t learn the process.”

gratifying to know that my students

says recent graduate Stephanie Peat-

appreciate the effort I put forth.”

man. “She’s not trying to embarrass

berg Prager, “It is truly gratifying to

Established in 1997, the Excel-

According to Dean Susan Wester-

you; she wants to make sure you

learn from students about the many

lence in Teaching Awards are designed

understand the material. She’s like a

ways faculty have enriched their

to celebrate and reinforce that the

stern mother, and you know it’s com-

law school experience. The teaching

day-to-day teaching of students is of

ing from a good place.”

awards provide a wonderful opportu-

primary importance at Southwestern.

Professor Hart says that “being

nity for our students to recognize and

The recipients are nominated and

prepared doesn’t mean students

celebrate their professors’ dedication

selected by the students. Members of

always have to be correct. This is

to outstanding teaching.”

the Southwestern community submit names for the First-Year, Upper

ADAM EMPEROR SOUTHARD

Division and Adjunct categories. The Student Bar Association Board selects the top nominees, and winners are determined by a vote of the student body.

In addition to Professors Heilman and Philibosian, Professor Michael Dorff was recognized in 2014 with the Upper

“I’ve always thought that going to law school is like being told, ‘Go build a boat,’ but no one gives you a blueprint. Here, we work on the blueprint.”

—Professor Danielle Hart

SOU T H W ES T ER N L AW SCHOO L

35

IN MEMORIAM

REMEMBERING TWO PILLARS OF THE SOUTHWESTERN COMMUNITY CRIMINAL JUSTICE ADVOCATE MYRNA RAEDER, A CHAMPION FOR EQUALITY

P

rofessor Myrna Raeder, an esteemed member of the Southwestern faculty for nearly 35 years, passed away on November 16, 2013, after a long battle with cancer. A prominent expert on evidence and criminal justice, Profes-

sor Raeder was also a leading advocate for juvenile justice, gender equality in the criminal justice system and the legal profession, and the rights of incarcerated women and their children.

“She was an amazingly warm friend and colleague, a consummate professional, a leader and tireless worker for her ideal of making the world a better, fairer and more just place,” says Dean Emeritus Leigh Taylor. “Perhaps her most significant body of work involved women offenders and, especially, their children. Not only did that scholarship make us aware of the significant problems that women offenders face, but it proposed realistic and compassionate solutions.”

A graduate of Hunter College, Professor Raeder earned her J.D. at New York University and her LL.M. in trial advocacy at Georgetown. She focused on advancing women’s roles as lawyers and educators from the time she was in law school in the 1960s. Some of her more prominent positions included two terms as President of the National Association of Women Lawyers and as Chair of the ABA Criminal Justice Section and the Association of American Law Schools Section on Women in Legal Education.

“For women in legal education, Myrna helped create paths where none existed,” says Vice Dean and Professor Catherine Carpenter. “She helped to make our journey easier.”

Professor Raeder joined the Southwestern faculty in 1979, after serving as a litigator with O’Melveny & Myers. A prolific scholar, she was the author of Federal Pretrial Practice and co-author of Evidence: Cases,

Materials and Problems, as well as more than 80 articles. Professor Raeder received the ABA’s prestigious Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award in 2002, the Women Lawyers of Los Angeles Ernestine Stahlhut Award in 2003, and the ABA Criminal Justice Section’s Charles R. English Award in 2013.

In presenting the English Award, Matthew Redle, Chair of the award selection committee, said, “In a career marked by service to the criminal justice community in ways literally too numerous to mention, Myrna is a shining example of the value of subordinating the parochial interests of prosecution and defense in favor of the broader interests of justice and fairness.”

Professor Raeder and her husband, Terry Kelly, recently provided a generous pledge of $100,000 to establish the Myrna Raeder Scholarship Endowment Fund at Southwestern. The endowment will provide scholarships for

To read a full biography and memorial tributes from friends and family, as well as donation information for the scholarship fund, visit www.swlaw.edu/faculty/mraeder.

36 FA L L 2 014

LIZ REINHARDT

students who grew up in kinship or foster care, or as the child of an incarcerated parent.

Southwestern recently suffered the devastating loss of two giants of the faculty. Professor Myrna Raeder and Professor Karen Smith left an indelible impact on the lives of their students and created an unparalleled legacy.

KAREN SMITH, A CRIMINAL LAW PIONEER KNOWN FOR HER WISDOM, GRIT AND GRACE

P

rofessor Karen Smith, known for her extraordinary teaching talent and her long-standing reputation as a brilliant criminal defense lawyer, passed away on December 5, 2013. Having taught at Southwestern for more than 30

years, Professor Smith is remembered by her colleagues and former students for her superb eloquence, her wisdom and her genuine—and deeply affecting—laugh.

“Karen was a dedicated and talented teacher, a caring mentor, and an incredibly wise person,” says fellow Professor Tara Walters. “She challenged her students to be the best lawyers that they could be and inspired us to be better colleagues and professors.”

After earning her B.A. and J.D. degrees at the University of California, Berkeley, Professor Smith began her career as a prosecutor in the Criminal Division of the California Attorney General’s Office in 1973. Several years later, she transferred to the State Public Defender’s Office and eventually to the Federal Public Defender’s Office, where she was appointed Senior Deputy Federal Public Defender.

She joined the Southwestern faculty in 1982 as a clinical professor, and went on to teach courses in criminal procedure and criminal law, as well as special courses for the Academic Support Program, which she helped create. She served as faculty advisor to the PLEAS part-time day program, the Black Law Students Association, and moot court and trial advocacy teams, and was instrumental in building the law school’s Trial Advocacy Honors Program. In 1991, she was appointed Director of SCALE, Southwestern’s two-year J.D. program, and worked tirelessly for more than a decade to ensure the success of the program and its graduates.

Professor Smith was named the Irwin R. Buchalter Professor of Law in 1994, the Irving D. and Florence Rosenberg Professor of Law in 2003, and the Paul E. Treusch Professor of Law in 2006. She received the law school’s Excellence in Teaching Award five times and in 2007 was presented with the Outstanding Friend award by the Southwestern Alumni Association.

“I have to think that no student ever sat through her class without coming to respect her deeply,” says Professor Kelly Strader. “She balanced firmness and compassion in the classroom like no one I’ve ever seen. She was extraordinary.”

After entering academia, Professor Smith remained active in public service in numerous capacities. She served on the Federal Indigent Defense Panel and the Magistrate Judge Merit Selection Panel, and the ABA Criminal Justice Section’s Standards Committee, among many other committees and organizations.

The Professor Karen R. Smith Scholarship Endowment Fund has been established in her memory to support outstanding female students of color at Southwestern.

Echoing many who knew Professor Smith, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Deborah Brazil ’96 says, “Words

LIZ REINHARDT

cannot describe my gratitude for having her voice in my heart and in my mind. Our school community and the legal community are far better because she shared herself with us.”

To read a full biography and memorial tributes from friends and family, as well as donation information for the scholarship fund, visit www.swlaw.edu/faculty/ksmith.

SOU T H W ES T ER N L AW SCHOO L

37

Investing in the Future These transformative leadership gifts from dedicated alumni will provide scholarships and open doors for enterprising law students and establish three endowed faculty chairs.

P

RENOWNED LEGAL EDUCATOR BEVERLY RUBENS GORDON DESIGNATES HISTORIC $3 MILLION PLANNED GIFT PROFESSOR BEVERLY RUBENS GORDON ‘54, a major force in legal education for more than 40 years, has

as the law school’s first Professor Emerita.

In the greater higher education community, Professor

designated an unprecedented planned gift to South-

Gordon chaired or served as a member of evaluation

western. The Beverly Rubens Gordon Endowment Fund

teams for the Western Association of Schools and

will provide a principal amount of $3 million to estab-

Colleges, the California State Department of Educa-

lish three Beverly Rubens Gordon Endowed Chairs. The

tion, the State Bar Select Committee on Accreditation

bequest represents the largest gift from an individual

Standards, and the American Bar Association Section

ever received by the law school and caps off a series

on Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar.

of extraordinary donations that Dean Emeritus Bryant Garth secured for Southwestern during his tenure.

“This is a gift of historic proportions for Southwest-

Professor Gordon has received numerous awards for teaching excellence from Southwestern, the Beverly Law School and Whittier Law School. She was

ern,” said Thomas H. Hoberman, Chair of Southwestern’s

honored as Southwestern’s Alumna of the Year in 1980

Board of Trustees, “both in terms of its value and in the

and was presented with an honorary Doctor of Laws

stature of our esteemed donor within legal education

degree in 2007.

in California. Professor Gordon has been a trailblazer

“Beverly Rubens Gordon has been a cherished

throughout a career distinguished by outstanding

friend and advisor to Southwestern for many decades,”

leadership, inspiring passion for the law, and steadfast

Dean Susan Westerberg Prager commented. “We are

dedication to her students and colleagues.”

tremendously grateful for her extraordinary invest-

After graduating first in her law class at Southwestern in 1954, Professor Gordon served on the law school’s faculty for 10 years and founded one of the leading bar review courses. In 1964, she was appointed as the first Dean of Orange University School of Law in Santa Ana, which would eventually become Pepperdine University School of Law. Two years later, she was instrumental in the formation of the Beverly Law School in the Beverly/ Larchmont area of Los Angeles, where she served as Dean of Administration and a Professor of Law. The school became affiliated with Whittier College in 1975 and is now Whittier Law School. In the early 1980s, Professor Gordon served as a Visiting Professor at McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento, and in 1986 she was honored by the Whittier College Board of Trustees

38 FA L L 2 014

ment in the law school’s future.”

SW

A DVA N CEM EN T

”A gift that comes from outstanding individuals who are so well regarded in their field and who know Southwestern intimately is truly invaluable.”

—Dean Susan Westerberg Prager

S

BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY LEADER LAUREN LEICHTMAN ’77 CREATES $1 MILLION SCHOLARSHIP FUND SOUTHWESTERN TRUSTEE LAUREN B. LEICHTMAN ‘77, and her husband, Arthur E. Levine, co-founders of Levine Leichtman Capital Partners, have established a new scholarship fund with a pledge of $1 million.

The Lauren B. Leichtman and Arthur E. Levine Family Foundation Scholarship Endowment Fund will provide financial assistance for outstanding students with a demonstrated interest in business, finance and entrepreneurship. In addition to receiving financial support, students selected for this award will be assigned a mentor at Levine Leichtman Capital Partners, which manages in excess of $7 billion in institutional investments.

“This is the largest single gift to establish a scholar-

ship in Southwestern’s long history,” said Thomas H. Hoberman, Chair of Southwestern’s Board of Trustees.

“We are truly grateful for Lauren and Arthur’s exceptional generosity, which underscores the thoughtful na-

judge for moot court, and provided a leadership gift to

ture of Lauren’s leadership on the Southwestern board

fund the restoration of the historic Cactus Lounge in

and her extraordinary commitment to the law school.”

the Bullocks Wilshire Building. She was honored by the

A highly respected member of the investment community, Leichtman has had a distinguished career that has included working in the legal division of the

Year in 2006.

“The establishment of the Lauren B. Leichtman and

United States Securities and Exchange Commission

Arthur E. Levine Family Foundation Scholarship Endow-

and co-founding a billion-dollar private equity firm.

ment Fund comes at such an important time for South-

“Southwestern gave me an opportunity to develop as a

western and for our students who aspire to careers in

professional,” Leichtman explained. “Arthur and I are

the business world,” Dean Susan Westerberg Prager said.

pleased to be able to give back to the institution that

“In addition to setting a precedent for scholarship funds

has had such an important effect on my life.”

of this magnitude, it will provide even more than much-

Leichtman, a prominent philanthropist, has always LARA PORZACK

Southwestern Alumni Association as Alumna of the

needed financial awards and precious advice to student

been active with her alma mater. She has served as

recipients. A gift that comes from outstanding individu-

a trustee since 2006 and been a longtime member of

als who are so well regarded in their field and who know

the Dean’s Circle. She has also served as a volunteer

Southwestern intimately is truly invaluable.”

SOU T H W ES T ER N L AW SCHOO L

39

SW

A PPRECI AT I O N

A Tribute to Interim Dean Austen Parrish

HE DIDN’T GET THE MEMO, AND SOUTHWESTERN IS A BETTER PLACE FOR IT

T

BY VICE DEAN CATHERINE L. CARPENTER

There is kind of a rule of thumb about interim deans.

Some would say that the main objective is to maintain the status quo, take no risks, institute no new programs until the new dean arrives. I think this

OUTSTANDING TEACHER, LEADER AND FRIEND

philosophy may even be in some memo somewhere. exactly that.

We are so grateful that Austen never received that

particular memo. As Interim Dean, Austen worked tirelessly 24/7 for Southwestern. He focused on the budget; worked closely with all our administrative departments, faculty and students; and reached out to donors and alums. He worked with our next Dean, Susan Westerberg Prager, so that the transition was seamless. Everyone here is committed to Southwestern. But nobody thought about it each and every day, day in and day out, the way Austen did for us.

Interim deans don’t fundraise. We are grateful

Austen did not get that part of the memo, either.

Austen and [Associate Dean] Debra Leathers hit the road, and Austen showed that he is a fearless fundraiser. Away more than at home, Austen was responsible for continued fundraising.

Interim deans don’t create new branding or new programs. We are grateful that Austen did not get that part of the memo, either. As most know, I bleed Southwestern purple for my school. I think that Austen bled purple on steroids. It is cheerleading with a purpose. The message “LA’s Law School” was Austen’s idea, and it has resonated with graduates around the country. He instituted new 3+3 programs, new admissions strategies, and other outreach efforts that had not been in existence before his becoming interim dean.

Austen, we are grateful for your stewardship— and we are grateful you never got the memo.

40 FA L L 2 014

Appointed in January 2014 as Dean of Indiana University Maurer School of Law, Austen Parrish is a highly respected administrator, teacher and scholar whose dedication and entrepreneurial foresight had a tremendous impact on the advancement of Southwestern for more than a decade. He joined the faculty in 2002, teaching civil procedure, constitutional law, federal courts and international law, and directing the Summer Program in Vancouver for many years.

He served as Vice Dean from 2008 to 2012 and as Interim Dean and CEO from July 2012 to November 2013. He spearheaded initiatives that brought Southwestern national recognition for curricular reform, professionalism and skills training; oversaw the completion of the student residences; established strategic partnerships with leading academic institutions locally and abroad; and advanced the New Era campaign.

He was named as the Buchalter Professor of Law, received the Excellence in Teaching Award and was elected numerous times as Commencement Grand Marshal—most recently by the class of 2014. He was also named 2014 Outstanding Friend by Southwestern’s Alumni Association. Austen Parrish will always be a beloved member of the Southwestern community.

LIZ REINHARDT

And it is certainly true that many interim deans do

SW

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Through Southwestern’s websites, blogs and social media pages, you can keep up-to-date on: • student, alumni and faculty achievements • program and campus developments • events and celebrations • other news and points of pride For a complete set of links, visit www.swlaw.edu/news/socialmedia.

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Southwestern’s Nickel Club

A Network for Young Alumni

“Not only was the outcome satisfying for our clients and firms,” Glassman says, “but it kickstarted a professional relationship between us. Dan and I used the relationship we formed through Southwestern’s Nickel Club and turned it into a career-building operation.”

For more information about Southwestern’s Nickel Club, visit www.swlaw.edu/nickelclub, or contact alumni@swlaw.edu.

42 FA L L 2 014

LIZ REINHARDT

After graduating from Southwestern, Robert Glassman ’09 (left) and Daniel Kramer ’08 (right) joined the Nickel Club, an alumni group for graduates up to five years out of law school. Although they barely knew each other as students, they became good friends through the club and began looking for opportunities to work together. When Kramer, a partner in Kramer Holcomb Sheik in Century City, approached Glassman, an associate at Panish Shea & Boyle in Los Angeles, about a potential wrongful death case, they jumped at the chance.

Several months after filing the lawsuit, they reached a multimillion-dollar settlement.