USC Law Magazine Spring-Summer 2023

USC Law

GLOBAL IMPRINT

Impacting law — and our world — for the better

In this special issue of USC Law Magazine, it is our privilege to address the Gould Trojan Family together, as the outgoing and incoming deans, respectively. Our leadership transition comes at an exciting time for the law school, not only in terms of our rising national prominence but also our growing international imprint.

Among the stories focusing on USC Gould’s global reach: our Graduate and International Programs office celebrates 20 years of innovative educational opportunities; alumni bring their expertise to the bench in international courts; and LLM grads are making their mark in Bollywood.

The USC Law Family section shares scenes from our commencement ceremonies in May, along with spotlights on three outstanding Class of 2023 graduates who earned prestigious fellowships and awards.

Faculty Focus features tributes to the decades-long careers of Alex Capron, a giant in the field of bioethics and health policy, and Mike Brennan, a champion for justice and an icon in clinical education — both of whom retired this past year. We highlight new research on SCOTUS decision-making trends by Lee Epstein and Rebecca Brown and tribal water rights by Robin Craig, as well as Greg Keating’s new book arguing for a moral view of tort law. You can also read more about the installation of our six new endowed professorships and the global engagement of our Center for Transnational Law and Business.

This issue includes a section on Clinical Perspectives, which encompasses the life-changing work of our clinics. To share a few examples of the stories you’ll find, our International Human Rights Clinic helped arrange humanitarian parole for a Ukrainian family, including two young children — helping them escape war and find safe passage to the U.S.; the Housing Law and Policy Clinic is partnering with local community organizations and helping clients navigate complex housing laws, amid expiring pandemic protections; the Post-Conviction Justice Project is working to bring parole readiness workshops to more people deserving of justice; and the Small Business Clinic assists a small Los Angeles symphony.

In addition, this magazine showcases the commitment of our alumni community. We invite you to read about the alumni support of need-based scholarships to make law students’ dreams come true; how small-to-midsize firms led by Gould alumni are enhancing their ranks with fellow Trojans; and how a new student scholarship honors the memory of Frank Solís (JD 1949).

From the groundbreaking work of our Legislative Policy Practicum to a book talk featuring Judge Dorothy Nelson (LLM 1956) and Lisa Kloppenberg (JD 1987), we hope you explore and enjoy all of the rich content in this latest issue.

In closing, we want to express how grateful both of us are to be part of such an exceptional scholarly community and how much we look forward to the wonderful things that lie ahead in USC Gould’s next chapter.

Warmly,

USC Provost Andrew T. Guzman and Interim Dean Franita Tolson

SPRING | SUMMER 2023

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Ben Dimapindan

Melissa Masatani

Leslie Ridgeway

Heidi Ried-Gonzaga

WRITERS

Ben Dimapindan

Greg Hardesty

Carren Jao

Ted B. Kissell

Matthew Kredell

Diane Krieger

Melissa Masatani

Kaitlyn McQuown

Nina Raffio

Leslie Ridgeway

Julie Riggott

Becca Speier

ART DIRECTION & DESIGN

ETCH Creative

PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY

Chris Flynn

David Giannamore

Ethan Go

Larissa Puro

Tom Queally

Beth Schor

Andrew Zvistunov

OTHER PHOTOS COURTESY OF

Darren Aitken

Chandra Arval

Bryce Bark

Michael Bazyler

Emma Burgoon

Matt Cave

Deanna Detchemendy

Jerusha D’Souza

Mohamed Elgaly

Eric Fram

Andrew Freire

Walter Gonzalez

Caven Hamilton

USC

Lisa Klerman

Kristina Lockwood

Masahisa Mitsunaga

Jimmy Nguyen

Heidi Rummel

Carson Scott

Deepika Sharma

Katherine Sims

Peter Steinwachs

Susana Thurber

Pēteris Zilgalvis

Melody Wang

Danielle Wilkins

USC GOULD BY THE NUMBERS

USC GOULD TEAM EARNS IMPRESSIVE FINISH AT U.S. PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE COMPETITION

A team of four USC Gould School of Law JD and LLM students earned a second-place finish among 53 law schools in the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s 2023 National Patent Application Drafting Competition, which took place mid-April at the USPTO headquarters in Alexandria, Va.

Team members, coached by Professor Marc E. Brown, included 2L Dalton Couch, 2L Michael Salamy, LLM student Chen-yun “Larry” Weng, and 3L Sophia Zahn. The team first won the Silicon Valley regional competition against nine other law schools and then faced off against the winning teams of the four other regional competitions from the law schools at George Washington University (first place), University of Detroit, University of Missouri-Kansas City, and University of Wisconsin.

“The team is incredibly proud of our second-place win,” said team captain Zahn, who begins work in the fall at Knobbe Martens LLP in San Diego, focusing on patent prosecution in the areas of chemical and medical devices. “We could not have done this without Professor Brown. He was passionate about the competition, met with us weekly over the six months while we were preparing, and is a great mentor.”

As part of the competition, the teams researched which aspects of a bicycle rack invention might be patentable, prepared a complete patent application targeting these aspects, and presented their application and strategies to a panel of judges. The teams also had a chance to network with leaders in the intellectual property community.

“The team worked very well together and dedicated themselves to the competition during a period when they had many other commitments as law students,” said Brown. “I’m very proud of each of them.”

The team competed as part of a new opportunity in the Media, Entertainment and Technology program at USC Gould, said Professor Jonathan Barnett, MET director.

“This is only the second year a USC Gould team has competed, so it is an impressive finish,” said Barnett.

—Leslie Ridgeway

From left: Michael Salamy, Dalton Couch, Professor Marc E. Brown, Team Captain Sophia Zahn, Chen-yun “Larry” Weng

ALUMNI SHARE EXPERIENCES AT RUTH J. LAVINE ’43 WOMEN IN LAW SYMPOSIUM

The second annual Ruth J. Lavine ’43 Women in Law Symposium took place Tuesday, Feb. 28, featuring four panelists sharing their experiences in the legal profession. Panelists included the Hon. Candace Cooper (JD 1973), Amber Finch (JD 2001), Francesca Harewood (JD 1998) and Thai Viet Phan (JD 2015). The event was hosted by the Women’s Law Association.

Cooper, whose 29-year career in the California judiciary included serving as presiding justice of Division Eight and is now a full-time mediator and arbitrator with JAMS, shared how student demographics have changed, with women making up 66% of today’s 1L class, compared to her years at Gould, when there were 10% of women in the law school.

“The progress that’s been made thus far, which is evident in this room, a lot of that has come about because women have remained supportive of women… We just need to understand that gains made can be lost,” she said.

Finch, managing partner of the Los Angeles office of Reed Smith and a member of the Insurance Recovery Group, said, “There are no barriers; it is up to you to make the best of your career and your journey. No one is going to give you any handouts or remove obstacles for you, you need to bust through them.”

As senior vice president of business affairs at NBCUniversal, leading BA for specials and live events, as well as negotiating for scripted series for broadcast, cable and streaming platforms,

Harewood recommended creative approaches to seeking leadership opportunities.

“You can start your leadership even if you’re not in a leadership position,” she said. “I remember times when I’d be leading a meeting full of people with titles higher than mine, and by being in that room, I was seen as a leader, which opened the door to higher positions.”

Phan, a municipal law attorney at Ruttan & Tucker, LLP whose roles include City Attorney for the City of Duarte and Assistant City Attorney for the City of Menifee, as well as being the first Asian American woman elected to Santa Ana City Council, suggested keeping an open mind about mentorship.

“Your mentor doesn’t need to look like you or have the same background as you, they just need to be as interested in your success as they are in their own success,” Phan said.

The Ruth J. Lavine ’43 Women in Law Symposium is named for Lavine, a Gould alumna and a pioneer in the legal field who endowed the annual event to highlight the accomplishments of extraordinary women alumnae.

—Melissa Masatani

JURIST-IN-RESIDENCE 2023

Judge Kevin C. Newsom of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit gave a lecture, “On Being Predictably Predictable” in early February as part of USC Gould School of Law’s Jurist-inResidence program. The judge also sat in on a course taught by Professor Erin Miller and met with students, faculty and administrators to share career advice and talk about the value of clerkships. “You’re writing all kinds of things — memos to the judge to help him or her understand a case, getting to write first drafts of opinions and going back and forth in the writing process …. If managed properly, it can be an amazing teaching tool,” he said. “And you’re helping to solve problems of real people.”

COMPLIANCE MATTERS

The USC Gould School of Law’s Center for Transnational Law and Business hosted its second annual symposium on “White Collar Corporate Enforcement and Individual Accountability: Compliance Matters.” The event took place at the law school in February.

Lisa H. Miller (pictured), Deputy Assistant Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, delivered the keynote address.

The program, which featured federal government officials as well as leading practitioner experts, included two panel discussions on corporate enforcement and compliance and procurement collusion and fraud.

Ruth Lavine’s daughter, Cathy Unger (third from right), with (from left) 2L Madeline Goossen (Women’s Law Association) and panelists Thai Viet Phan (JD 2015), Amber Finch (JD 2001) Francesca Harewood (JD 1998) and Hon. Candace Cooper (JD 1973).

TRIAL TEAM TRIUMPHS

USC Gould School of Law’s Trial Team won second place at the 2022 Martin Luther King, Jr. National Civil Rights Trial Competition, besting nearly 20 other law schools from across the country Gould’s team, coached by Patrick O’Connor (JD 2017), from left: 3L Rohan Garg, 3L Mark Saleh, 3L Shauli Bar-On and 2L Enzo Bak-Boychuk.

USC GOULD BLACK ALUMNI BRUNCH

This year’s USC Gould Black Alumni Brunch, hosted by the USC Gould Alumni Association, took place on campus at the University Club. From left: Black Law Students Association President and 2L William “Jahi” Jenkins, Michael Butts (JD 2022), Joshua Moore (JD 2014) and Nickey Woods, associate dean for Student Affairs, Diversity, Equity and Belonging and dean of students for the JD program enjoy a light moment.

USC GOULD “CLERKS CLASS”

NIEMAN-SIEROTY LECTURE

Connie Chung Joe, CEO of Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California (AJSOCAL), was the featured speaker at USC Gould’s 2023 Neiman-Sieroty Lecture in Civil Liberties in March. AJSOCAL is the nation’s largest legal and civil rights organization for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. The conversation centered around “Protecting our Multiracial Democracy,” with Professor Emily Ryo serving as discussant. When asked about the most pressing social justice issues of the present time, Chung Joe emphasized racial justice and racial equity; voting rights; and the intersection of race and gender and LGBTQ identities. The lecture series was endowed by alumnus Allen Sieroty, and named after both Sieroty and Allen Neiman, his law partner and Gould colleague from the Class of 1956 (who passed away in 2017).

Congratulations to USC Gould School of Law’s newest “Clerks Class,” including current students and recent alumni who have secured clerkships in the previous year.

MORGAN BROCK-SMITH ’21

Hon. Daniel Calabretta (Eastern District of California)

JORDAN AL-RAWI '24

Hon. Kim Wardlaw (Ninth Circuit for the 2025-26 term)

SHAULI BAR-ON ’23

Hon. Sandra Ikuta (Ninth Circuit)

KATY CARLYLE ’19

Patent Program (Central District of California)

BENJAMIN DAVIES ’23

Hon. Willie Louis Sands (Middle District of Georgia)

BICHNGA DO ’22

Hon. Carolyn Lerner (Court of Federal Claims)

THOMAS DONOVAN ’23

Hon. Harris Hartz (Tenth Circuit)

CALEB DOWNS ’22

Hon. Janis Sammartino (Southern District of California)

KELSEY FALKENBERG ’20

Hon. Audrey Fleissig (Eastern District of Missouri)

CHRISTOPHER LOCASCIO ’23

Hon. James Selna (Central District of California)

NIKKI LONG ’21

Hon. Bridget Bade (Ninth Circuit)

DANIELLE LUCHETTA ’21

Hon. Marilyn Huff (Southern District of California)

GEORGE MACCABE ’22

Hon. Ronald Lew (Central District of California)

JESSE MENTZ ’21

Hon. Sandra Ikuta (Ninth Circuit)

ANDREW OJEDA ’18

Hon. Jay García-Gregory (District of Puerto Rico)

ANDREW OJEDA ’18

Hon. Jonathan Grey (Eastern District of Michigan)

JAY SIMMONS ’19

Hon. Philip Simon (Northern District of Indiana)

LEILANI STACY ’23

Hon. Mark Recktenwald (Supreme Court of Hawaii)

EMMA TEHRANI ’19

Hon. Fernando Olguin (Central District of California)

MAJA TOSIC ’21

Hon. Robert Jonker (Western District of Michigan)

KIEU MY (MINDY) VO ’22

Hon. James Selna (Central District of California)

ARNOLD ZAHN ’23

Hon. Julia Gibbons (Sixth Circuit)

KEON ZEMOUDEH ’21

Hon. William Alsup (Northern District of California)

TIGHTENING UP TAX STRATEGIES

2023 Tax Institute addresses changes in the industry and how corporations and individuals can adapt

The 2023 Tax Institute celebrated 75 years of educating tax professionals in late January with “Tightening Up Tax Strategies,” exploring industry trends and recent legislative and current events, and keynote speeches by a USC Gould School of Law alum and a professor.

The three-day institute, hosted by the USC Gould School of Law, took place at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel with 265 in-person participants and an additional 260 attending virtually, including tax lawyers, accountants and other professionals. Topics throughout the institute included recent developments in partnership and real estate guidance, changes in estate tax law, how tax law has adapted in response to fluctuations due to recent elections and global economic shifts.

Leading off the institute was Professor Kimberly Clausing of the UCLA School of Law, delivering a keynote lecture in honor of the late USC Gould Professor Edward Kleinbard, a noted tax expert. Clausing discussed the future of international tax cooperation and lessons from her experience at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. “Global problems benefit from cooperative solutions,” she said.

Day two keynote speaker Hon. Mary Ann Cohen (JD 1967), senior judge in the United States Tax Court, discussed how COVID-19 has caused more shifts in the U.S. Tax Court than anything in the last 40 years. “The last three years have seen more changes than any of the prior 37 — and that’s because of the pandemic, the establishment of our new case management system, and the allowing of limited entries of appearances by lawyers,” she said.

In a luncheon keynote on the third day, Gould Professor Ed McCaffery outlined the effectiveness of the estate tax on the fair distribution of wealth.

“The estate tax has always been a voluntary tax,” he said. “Why are we still talking about this thing that didn’t work when it looked on paper that it might work, and now it doesn’t even look on paper that it will work?”

Concurrent evening workshops offered attendees a deeper look into a particular area of tax law. They covered topics including S corporations, compensation tax issues in M&A, entertainment industry tax, tax issues for multistate businesses, planning for expatriation, and more.

—Kaitlyn McQuown

USC Gould School of Law offers continuing legal education opportunities for professionals who want to learn and network with leading experts in their industries. A fixture of the Los Angeles legal community since 1948, USC Gould Continuing Legal Education hosts six annual conferences for professionals at every level to learn from, and network with, the biggest players in entertainment, estate planning, business, tax and intellectual property. To learn more, visit or subscribe at gould.usc.edu/cle — and follow on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

GOULD QUOTABLES

When we think about competency or capacity standards — and how we balance liberty and paternalism — I come down on the side of liberty.”

ELYN SAKS on a proposed update of a California bill that would expand the conditions for detaining someone in a mental health crisis against their will, Los Angeles Times, April 9, 2023

The case for caution is especially strong given the absence of persuasive evidence for killer acquisitions in tech markets outside pharma.”

JONATHAN BARNETT wrote an op-ed titled “The antitrust assault on the startup economy” in The Hill, May 11, 2023

This year, the Tax Institute hosted by USC Gould’s Continuing Legal Education celebrated 75 years of educating tax professionals.

If you don’t know if you’re going to run afoul of them, you just avoid those conversations altogether.”

JODY ARMOUR

on

potential

pitfalls of

“vague”

language and definitions in Florida’s Parental Rights in Education bill, Dr. Phil, Oct. 19, 2022

USC GOULD CO-HOSTS Q&A WITH ROB BONTA, CALIFORNIA ATTORNEY GENERAL

The value of public service, the power of coalitions, and vigilance against racial discrimination and violence were among the topics of discussion at “Industry and Identity: A Conversation with California Attorney General Rob Bonta” presented Oct. 24 by the USC Asian Pacific Islander Faculty Staff Association during Pilipino American History Month.

The Q&A, co-hosted by the USC Gould School of Law, included an audience question about career advice for law students, aimed at both Bonta and moderator Beong-Soo Kim, USC General Counsel.

“When I was in law school there was a set of tracks that were wonderful opportunities: clerkships, work at private firms, teaching tracks,” Bonta said. “For a lot of students [those were] the right fit. For others, they felt pressure — those were the big ‘gets.’ Everyone comes to law school for a reason. It’s your life, your career. Go directly to what you want to do as soon as you know it.”

Kim recommended students use the entire law school experience as a learning opportunity.

“You’re there not just to learn from books,” he said. “You’re there to learn about your classmates and their experiences. It’s so important to engage with people around you.”

—Leslie Ridgeway

GOULD, LSAC SYMPOSIUM HIGHLIGHTS COALITION BUILDING TO ENCOURAGE DIVERSITY IN LEGAL PROFESSION

Continuing efforts to develop a culture of diversity and inclusion in law schools and the legal profession took center stage at “Intersectionality and Social Movements: A DEI Tool for Coalition Building in Legal Education,” a recent symposium co-sponsored by the USC Gould School of Law and the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) RISE Alliance. The Jan. 13 event at the law school was orchestrated by Dr. Nickey Woods, USC Gould’s associate dean for student affairs, diversity, inclusion and belonging.

The symposium came together after a discussion with Woods and Jay Austin, executive director of the RISE (Reaffirming Individuals Supporting Education) Alliance, a national center within LSAC. The symposium provided a broader perspective on diversity efforts within the legal profession and shed light on creative thinking about solutions, Woods said.

Speakers included USC Gould Dean Andrew Guzman and Dean Danielle Conway of the Pennsylvania State University’s Dickinson Law School.

—Leslie Ridgeway

PUBLIC INTEREST CAREER FAIR OFFERS A LOOK AT DIFFERENT CAREER PATHS

More than 40 public interest organizations logged on to connect with USC Gould School of Law students at the Public Interest Career Fair, held virtually in November. The annual event was sponsored by the law school’s Career Services Office, Office of Externships and the Barbara F. Bice Public Interest Law Foundation.

“Our goal is for students to see that there are many paths they could take in their careers,” said Rachel Kronick Rothbart, director of Career Services at USC Gould. “There is a broad swath of employers in

the public sector, not only in Los Angeles County but across the nation, and that could be in government, in nonprofits, in the court system and more.”

For several representatives, the career fair represented more than just an opportunity to talk to students about their work — it was a homecoming of sorts. Recent Gould alumni included Alex Tron (JD ’22), Stacy Wang (JD ’22) and Holly Fena (JD ’22).

“When I was a 1L, I got my first-year summer internship at this career fair for the Orange County Public Defender’s

Office, and now three years later I’m here representing them,” Fena said. “Since I was new to California, the career fair was a great way to learn about opportunities, priorities and dynamics in different offices around the region, like L.A. County versus Orange County and even San Diego County.”

Rothbart said that students should take advantage of the career fair as an early networking event, meeting with a variety of organizations to learn about what their office does and ask about hiring timelines.

—Melissa Masatani

USC Gould co-hosted a Q&A with California Attorney General Rob Bonta (on screen) moderated by USC General Counsel BeongSoo Kim.

The DEI symposium came together after a discussion with Associate Dean Nickey Woods (top) and Jay Austin of RISE Alliance (below left, with Dean Danielle Conway of Pennsylvania State University-Dickinson Law and Dean Andrew Guzman).

USC GOULD HOSTS CALIFORNIA LAW PATHWAYS 8TH ANNUAL SUMMIT

Law practitioners, educators discuss strategies to encourage, support and empower potential law students

Civic engagement, diversifying the legal profession and supporting law students and educators with strategic partnerships led the discussions at the California LAW Pathways 8th Annual Summit, hosted by the USC Gould School of Law. The summit — an award-winning pipeline program focused on introducing diverse audiences to the legal field — drew more than 100 students statewide from community colleges and four-year partner universities.

Notable leaders in politics and the legal profession took part in the event, including U.S. Congressman Lou Correa from California’s 46th Congressional District, Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court Tani Cantil-Sakauye (Ret.), American Bar Association President-Elect Mary Smith and California Attorney General Rob Bonta. Their presence underscored the importance of creating pathways to law school for underrepresented or economically challenged prospective students.

Correa, keynote speaker on the first day of the two-day summit, encouraged the sizable contingent of law students present by telling his own story of immigrating as a child from Mexico to Anaheim, Calif., eventually enrolling at Cal State Fullerton where his counselor responded to his goal of attending law school with gentle skepticism. He wound up at UCLA where he earned a joint JD/ MBA with a 3.9 GPA at graduation.

“I just want to emphasize to you, it doesn’t matter where you start,” he said. “Remember you live in the greatest country in the

world and never give up … and every time people say you can’t do it, prove them wrong.”

In opening remarks, USC Gould Dean Andrew Guzman highlighted Gould’s history of supporting a diverse student body, including the school’s first African American graduate in 1904, the first Chinese-American admitted to practice law in California, a law sorority founded in 1912, and being one of the first law schools to establish a program for first-generation students.

“The only way to diversify the legal profession is to diversify the people in law schools,” he said. “The idea of making the legal profession look like the community it serves can’t be achieved [otherwise].”

Panels included “The Importance of Civic Engagement for a Healthy Democracy,” “Developing Students Along the Pathway and Ensuring Seamless Transitions,” and insights from both college admissions directors and law school admissions directors. Panelist David Kirschner, associate dean of admissions and financial aid at USC Gould, came away impressed with the students’ eagerness to create connections to help pave their way toward law school.

“[Students] showed an eagerness to build relationships with individuals at all steps in legal education, from the admissions officials who make applicant decisions, to practicing attorneys who have dedicated their lives to making the world a more just place,” he said.

—Leslie Ridgeway

NETWORK CONNECTIONS

INSIDE PERSPECTIVES

USC Gould School of Law Professor

traveled to The Hague in December to meet with the International Criminal Court Office of the Prosecutor regarding a submission by the International Human Rights Clinic addressing the crisis in Cameroon. Students gained an inside perspective on how the ICC conducts its business, and watched court proceedings at several international tribunals. Then, in January, the IHRC along with the USC Shoah Foundation, the USC International Law & Relations Organization, and the USC International Refugee Assistance Project hosted a talk by Stephen J. Rapp, former U.S. Ambassador, Office of Global Criminal Justice, and former Chief Prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the Special Court for Sierra Leone, about the possibility of justice for international crimes in Ukraine.

Roger Buffington (JD 1997) chats with 1L Brett Jennings at the annual USC Gould School of Law Alumni Mentor Lunch, a tradition that brings Gould alumni back to campus to share their experiences with 1Ls and 2Ls, providing a valuable networking opportunity with members of the Trojan Family.

GOLD HONORS SCHOLARS RECEPTION

Stanley Gold (JD 1967) (center), founder with wife Ilene of the Gold Honors Scholars program, joined Provost Andrew Guzman, Vice Dean Donald Scotten and Honors Scholars at a reception at Guzman’s home in April. The Honors Scholars program combines financial support with mentoring and networking opportunities for select, highly ranked incoming JD students — approximately 20 students in each class. In addition to any general merit-based scholarship, every Honors Scholar has opportunities to engage in activities designed around social, academic, and professional networking.

Hannah Garry, as well as (pictured, from left) Senior Supervising Attorney Kelsey McGregor (JD 2015), 2L Graham Smith, 3L Harut Margaryan, 2L Jesse Eaton-Luria and 3L Addison Morris

Congressman Lou Correa delivers a keynote speech on the first day of the two-day California LAW Pathways Summit.

GOING PLACES

Dean Andrew Guzman is named USC Provost and Interim Dean Franita Tolson

Andrew T. Guzman, noted international law and economics scholar and Gould dean, has been named USC’s next provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, USC President Carol L. Folt announced in April.

As provost, Guzman will become USC’s second highestranking official and the chief academic officer, responsible for ensuring the university’s excellence in teaching, research and scholarship. He will hold the Shelly and Ofer Nemirovsky Provost’s Chair.

“Andrew will be a terrific partner in supporting our outstanding faculty, staff and students,” Folt said. “He brings a spirit of compassion, a love of innovation and a depth of experience to his new role. He and I are looking forward to working together to achieve our grandest goals.”

Guzman assumes his new duties on July 1, succeeding interim Provost Elizabeth Graddy. He replaces Charles Zukoski, who stepped down in December.

Below:

Andrew T. Guzman

On page 9: Franita Tolson

“Carol has articulated a clear vision for USC through her moonshots — the health enterprise, advanced computing, academic excellence and athletic excellence,” Guzman said.

“Academic excellence is at the center of the provost’s job, and Carol’s vision of putting both students and faculty at the center of our academic efforts resonates with me — as well as her emphasis on sustainability and diversity, equity and inclusion. This is the right portfolio for the best universities in the country to be focused on.”

Guzman joined USC Gould in 2015 as dean, professor of law and political science, and Carl Mason Franklin Chair in Law. Previously, he was a law professor at the UC Berkeley School of Law, where he also served as associate dean for international and advanced programs from 2008-2015. He has a long record of scholarly publications and is a widely respected leader in the field of international law.

The Canadian-born Guzman says that his interest in international systems began with his multicultural upbringing. “My father was Dominican, and when I would visit family in the Dominican Republic, I would see poverty that I didn’t see in Canada,” he said. “So, I became very interested in international issues and global poverty, and that’s been a thread that has continued throughout my career.”

After graduating from the University of Toronto, he went on to earn his doctorate in economics from Harvard and his law degree from Harvard Law School. His fascination with the complexities of global law drew him to academia.

Guzman’s stint as dean of USC Gould has seen dynamic change at the school. He introduced a new bachelor’s degree in legal studies, one of only a handful of degrees of its kind nationwide. He expanded clinical learning and oversaw the establishment of the Center for Transnational Law and Business.

In support of students from all backgrounds, he launched the C. David Molina First Generation Professionals Program, one of the nation’s first administratively run support programs of its kind. He also appointed the law school’s first assistant dean of diversity, equity and inclusion.

Guzman has also served as interim dean of USC Libraries since July 2022.

Ted B. Kissell

Dean Franita Tolson looks forward to cultivating change, while carrying on USC Gould’s tradition of excellence

USC Gould School of Law Professor Franita Tolson is no stranger to making a big impact on the national stage.

One of the preeminent scholars in election law, Tolson has published research in nearly every top legal journal, has been featured widely as an election analyst on major networks, and has been invited numerous times to testify before the U.S. House and Senate on voting rights.

Now, as interim dean of USC Gould, Tolson is ready to make a positive imprint on the law school and its vibrant community.

“As the first African American to hold this position ever and the first woman to hold this position in over four decades, my deanship will be about creating a new legacy and standing on the shoulders of giants,” she says. “I have big shoes to fill, and I'm looking forward to all of the ways in which I can make changes that benefit this student body, this faculty and this school.”

Tolson previously served as vice dean of faculty and academic affairs from 2019 to 2022. “Her guidance and foresight were indispensable in the face of the pandemic, as we worked to prioritize community safety, while preserving our educational and research mission,” says Andrew Guzman, former dean and recently appointed USC provost. “Dean Tolson has the expertise and experience to accomplish extraordinary things as Gould’s leader.”

STUDENT-CENTERED PRIORITIES

In her view, the main quality that “sets Gould apart from other institutions is our students … students need to be at the center of any policy, any strategy on how to move the law school forward.”

Toward that goal, Tolson plans to focus on three student-centered priorities: deepening Gould’s faculty expertise, investing in student resources and improving the law school’s physical facilities.

“One of Gould’s strongest legacies is our tradition of hiring the best scholars, from corporate law to constitutional law … I plan to continue that tradition,” Tolson says. “We want to attract top legal minds, who can train our students and prepare them to be thought leaders as well.”

Another key area for Tolson is ensuring that students have the resources needed to thrive inside and outside of law school.

“Be it resources for mental health, for how to study, how to be a law student, how to make the transition to Gould, for making connections with alumni in L.A. and beyond — I am committed to expanding those types of opportunities,” she explains.

Her priorities also include advancing plans for a new law school building, to enhance the student experience through “state-of-the-art classrooms, facilities and dedicated study space.”

Tolson describes the journey through law school as a “life-changing experience,” underscoring the significance of her new role.

“Being dean at one of the best law schools in the country is an avenue for cultivating change,” she says. “I have the ability to affect so many lives in a positive way.”

—Ben Dimapindan

FULFILLING DREAMS AROUND THE WORLD

Gould Graduate and International Programs celebrate 20 years of innovative programming

By Carren Jao

The LLM degree is one of many milestones to celebrate as USC Gould’s Graduate & International Programs Office marks its 20th anniversary in 2023. In that time, more than 3,588 residential students and 713 online students from 92 countries have earned degrees or certificates in G&IP’s many programs, changing the trajectory of their lives and broadening the scope of their legal education.

Led in tandem by Associate Dean and Chief Programs Officer Deborah Call, and Associate Dean and Dean of Students for Graduate & International Programs Misa Shimotsu, the program has expanded educational opportunities for those seeking an understanding of the U.S. legal system, or specialized knowledge through certificate programs including business, media and entertainment and cybersecurity.

G&IP’s on-campus and online options make legal knowledge available to USC students and professionals anywhere in the world.

“Over the years, we have remained flexible to the changing landscape of graduate legal programs — from expanding our program modalities to include on-campus and online programs, to developing new specialized degrees and certificates,” says Shimotsu.

“We are thrilled to enroll exceptional students from around the world to provide a perspective on the American legal system and to enrich our community with diversity of thought.”

G&IP GETS OFF THE GROUND

Call was in on the ground floor of G&IP. As a business consultant, she was brought on by then-Dean Matthew Spitzer in 2000 to explore the best advanced program offerings to complement USC Gould’s breadth of courses and the university’s vast resources and services for international students. Dean Spitzer recommended a Master of Laws program as the initial program to launch, and Call was hired at USC Gould to develop the degree program.

In fall 2002, the one-year LLM officially launched with 12 students hailing mostly from the Pacific Rim. By 2003, class size doubled. As the LLM Program Office expanded and new programs were developed, the name “Graduate & International Programs” was chosen to more accurately reflect its rapid growth.

An important early program designed to complement the LLM was Summer Law and English (SLE), launched in 2004, anticipating the need for international LLM students to acclimate to their U.S. surroundings and receive an introduction to foundational legal English terminology and core legal topics before classes began.

“This program was an immediate success and continues to serve as a great opportunity for students to come to the U.S. ahead of their LLM studies to prepare for their U.S. law school experience, enhance their English skills and to enjoy LA in the summer,” G&IP Director Sarah Gruzas says. “SLE was a pivotal program for us as it has been so attractive to LLM students and has expanded our LLM enrollments every year.”

Graduate & International Students on a tour of the USC campus in 2019. Helping international students acclimate to their new U.S. surroundings is a hallmark of G&IP.

With the arrival of Dean Robert K. Rasmussen in 2007, G&IP continued the expansion of its LLM and SLE programs. As a result of increasing interest from students sponsored by their law firms or government agencies, G&IP’s Master of Comparative Law degree enabled students to extend their LLM curriculum for an additional year.

Through its many international connections, and under Dean Rasmussen’s leadership, the G&IP office launched several study-abroad programs. As a result, when Gould’s JD students want to expand their worldviews, they have the opportunity to enroll at universities across the globe including Brazil, France, India, Hong Kong, Italy and Australia. Ten years later, with online programming gaining favor, G&IP launched the online LLM program.

When Dean Andrew Guzman was hired in 2015, he encouraged the development of specialty programs, including the Master of Laws in International Business & Economic Law (IBEL), Master of Studies in Law (MSL), Master of Laws in Privacy Laws and Cybersecurity (PLCS), an LLM in Alternative Dispute Resolution and a Master of Dispute Resolution and a joint degree with USC Dornsife College, a Master of International Trade Law and Economics (MITLE).

With Guzman’s leadership and strong support, G&IP has also bolstered its degree programs by launching myriad certificate specializations for its on-campus and online programs.

“They have served to distinguish us from our peer schools and to drive enrollments into our Online MSL and Online LLM programs,” says Call.

Today, G&IP’s certificate offerings support trending career fields including Business Law, Media and Entertainment Law, and Technology and Entrepreneurship Law. G&IP also has developed standalone non-degree programs and a robust custom and corporate education program. Another popular offering is the Master of Studies in Law with its Progressive Degree Program option for current USC undergraduate students.

COLLEGIAL ATMOSPHERE ENHANCES LEARNING

For Peter Steinwachs (LLM 2008, JD 2010), a love of learning was nurtured by the collegial atmosphere he found in the on-campus LLM program.

“The classes were much smaller and everyone knew me — I couldn’t believe that professors would actually know their students,” says Steinwachs, who previously studied in Germany and Japan. Favorite professors and courses include Donald Scotten, from whom he learned how businesses are organized; Doug Levinson, who taught Steinwachs about financial statements, earnings reports and industry consultants; and syndicated lending in a weekend seminar taught by Professor Robert Rasmussen and Andrew Kaufman, a partner with Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Steinwachs, now the chief compliance officer and counsel at Willett Advisors LLC, was also one of the first students at USC to earn a JD following earning his LLM.

Peter Steinwachs (LLM 2008, JD 2010) (left) and Masahisa Mitsunaga (LLM 2007) appreciated the small class sizes and networking opportunities through the LLM program.

Masahisa Mitsunaga (LLM 2007) enrolled in G&IP’s LLM program to pursue interests in law and learning English, and wound up with the extra benefit of building his confidence. Prior to the program, he noted how speaking about himself “seems so difficult.”

At G&IP, he found opportunities to lean in, starting with the four-week SLE program, and G&IP networking events and workshops in resume writing, plus encouragement from Professor Steve Yamaguchi, who he says helped him navigate the job search process. With his courage bolstered, Mitsunaga asked one of his instructors, Stanton “Larry” Stein (JD 1969), a powerful entertainment and media lawyer, if he was hiring, and wound up working at his firms for eight years.

Mitsunaga works at Buchalter, a full-service business law firm as shareholder and chair of their Japan practice group, and he gives back to G&IP by welcoming incoming students to the LLM program every year and coaching LLM students on taking the bar exam.

Ensuring students feel a part of USC Gould is a priority at G&IP. Since 2018, G&IP has hosted its own commencement ceremony for masters students. In 2022, when in-person commencement resumed at USC, a record 653 G&IP graduates showed up to celebrate with classmates and walk across the stage for their diplomas.

EXCITING FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS

With USC Gould’s interdisciplinary focus as a guide, G&IP has established partnerships with other schools including the Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work and the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. USC Gould and Dornsife’s Department of Economics plan to launch a second joint degree, the Master of Science in Innovation Economics, Law and Regulation (MIELR) in fall 2023.

ONLINE EDUCATION HELPS FULFILL DREAMS

When Susana Thurber (LLM 2015) was working as a law clerk at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and considering how to advance in her career, going back to school seemed like a distant dream. As a mother of three children ages 3, 4 and 11, the logistics seemed almost impossible. Then she found the online LLM program offered by G&IP, and became part of the inaugural class in 2014.

“I knew of USC’s prestige and always wanted to pursue a degree there, so when I saw that USC was starting that program, I knew that was my opportunity,” says Thurber. “It furthered my career in many ways.” Today, she works as an attorney in the civil rights division of the U.S. Department of Labor in Washington, D.C.

“This program combines Dornsife’s courses in microeconomics, regulatory economics and econometrics, with Gould’s courses in antitrust law, intellectual property law, and information privacy and internet law,” says Anne Marlenga, G&IP’s director of special projects. “Our new program will equip students with the skills and knowledge needed to address the economic and regulatory complexities of innovation-intensive industries.”

In the next two years, G&IP plans to launch four new online graduate certificates in Technology & Entrepreneurship Law, Law & Government, Real Estate Law and Dispute Resolution.

“Our dedicated team of G&IP advisors communicate closely with our students to help us stay apprised of changes to trends in higher education and in the legal market,” says Gruzas. “We continually review and revise our programming to remain responsive to students’ needs and interests.”

“It [Gould’s online LLM program] furthered my career in many ways.”

Susana Thurber (LLM 2015) found Gould’s online LLM program a great way to advance her career.

The Best Beloved Thing is Justice’

New book by Lisa Kloppenberg (JD 1987 ) celebrates life of Judge and former Dean Dorothy

By Leslie Ridgeway

W. Nelson

The contributions, influence and legacy of USC Gould School of Law Dean Emeritus Dorothy Wright Nelson (LLM 1956) took center stage Nov. 3 at a special discussion of The Best Beloved Thing is Justice: The Life of Dorothy Nelson, a book written by her former law student and clerk Lisa Kloppenberg (JD 1987).

Moderated by Professor Camille Gear Rich, the conversation with Kloppenberg and Nelson — senior judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, who served as USC Gould faculty from 1957-1980 — touched on Nelson’s milestones and achievements, which include being named the first female dean of a major U.S. law school.

Nelson noted the challenges and opportunities that came with being one of just two women law students in her UCLA law school class in the late 1940s. When one professor condescendingly said he would only call on the women on “Ladies Day,” Nelson and her female colleague instead took the initiative to capitalize on the advance notice.

“We would go home and stay up all night long,” she said to audience laughter. “We knew every footnote of every case and always did very well in that class.”

The encouragement of legal legend Roscoe Pound, her professor at the time, kept her in law school after disappointing first-year grades. When he pointed out that her answers dutifully quoted the appropriate legal scholars but failed to answer the questions, the experience later led

her to institute practice exams for first-year law students when she became dean, giving law students a jump start on their legal education.

Kloppenberg emphasized the importance of the relationship with Pound and the value of mentorship, exhorting students to make the effort to find mentors to guide their progress.

“He helped her see what was important,” she said. “He helped her get her first job when jobs for women were not plentiful. She became this great court reformer… That’s a great thing about USC. People really do care, and it’s small enough where you can build those relationships. That’s one reason I wrote the book — because she’s been such a mentor to me and to thousands of other people.”

Kloppenberg is a professor and former dean of the Santa Clara School of Law, and she previously served as Santa Clara University’s provost and acting president.

Throughout her time at USC, Nelson advocated for equality, inspired by her Baha’i faith, and was a campus leader on affirmative action and outreach efforts.

Rich noted Nelson’s creative risks to champion affirmative action, and the example she provides for today’s diversity, equity and inclusion advocates.

“You were bold back then in an environment that really maybe wasn’t as conducive to achieving what you wanted to achieve, and we will have to be bold in the future as well,” said Rich, who holds the Dorothy W. Nelson Professor of Law and Sociology.

Dean Emeritus Dorothy Wright Nelson (right) and Lisa Kloppenberg (JD 1987), author of a book about Nelson’s influence and legacy, during a special discussion about the book and Nelson's experiences.

INTERNATIONAL TROJANS

Pēteris Zilgalvis (JD 1990) and Mohamed Elgaly (LLM 2023) bring depth to world courts

By Diane Krieger

Pēteris Zilgalvis (JD 1990) and Mohamed Elgaly (LLM 2023) are striking examples of judges shaping the legal landscape across the globe.

Zilgalvis, 59, is a judge representing Latvia at the General Court of the European Union in Luxembourg. Elgaly, 32, is a judge on the Head Court in Egypt’s Ministry of Justice. Both are relatively new to the bench — appointed in 2021. Their remarkable careers reflect the breadth of legal opportunities open to international Trojans.

Zilgalvis, the child of Latvian refugees, was born and raised in Los Angeles, majored in political science at UCLA, and earned his JD at USC Gould School of Law in 1990.

He was interested in environmental law and took every elective he could with renowned Professors Christopher Stone and Edwin “Rip” Smith.

But after passing the California Bar in 1991, Zilgalvis left for Latvia, which had just regained its independence, to help rebuild his parents’ homeland. He was one of the first hires in the newly formed legal department of Latvia’s post-Soviet Ministry of Environment.

Zilgalvis had grown up bilingual, retaining a strong Latvian identity and dual citizenship. From the Ministry of Environment, he moved to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and a few years later, to the World Bank. His early career took Zilgalvis from Rīga to Moscow to Strasbourg, where he spent eight years at the Council of Europe, the continent’s leading human rights organization. In 2005, he went to work for the European Commission’s directorate in Brussels, where Zilgalvis helmed a succession of departments responsible for governance and ethics, infectious diseases, and health and wellbeing. His most

recent assignment was running the EC’s digital innovation and blockchain unit and co-chairing its fintech task force.

In 2021, Zilgalvis left Brussels for Luxembourg, headquarters of the Court of Justice of the European Union, where he now serves as a judge at the General Court. His appointment hinged on a labyrinthine nomination process involving the Latvian president and parliament, the high court and the national bar, a committee of past European Court judges, and confirmation by EU member states.

It’s an interesting job, says Zilgalvis, whose six-year terms ends in 2027, when he’ll be eligible for renomination.

The European Court includes the Court of Justice, which hears disputes involving national-level courts; and the General Court, which makes preliminary rulings on disputes brought by individuals. The skyscrapers house about 2,000 employees, including hundreds of interpreters and translators.

“We’re unique among courts in that we work in 24 languages,” Zilgalvis explains.

Pēteris Zilgalvis (JD 1990) enjoys the diversity of cases he hears at the General Court of the European Union in Luxembourg.

While deliberations, written exchanges between judges and rulings are conducted in French (the official language of the European Court), attorneys from any member state may plead their case in one of 24 official EU languages.

“That naturally slows us down,” Zilgalvis says. “If the languages of procedure are Bulgarian and Greek, which I don’t speak, then everything being submitted by the parties needs to be translated into French.”

Zilgalvis already knew some French from his years with the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, and he’s ramped-up his fluency to meet the demands of a busy docket.

Unlike the U.S. federal court system, judges at the European Court don’t have discretion to deny certiorari. Any matter brought before them must be adjudicated. That amounts to roughly 3,000 cases a year, divided among 81 judges. Each of the 27-member states — representing 450 million EU citizens — sends three judges to Luxembourg.

Asked what he likes best about his job, Zilgalvis points to the diversity of cases he hears.

“We’re generalists,” he says. “I can get a case on trademark, or on competition or antitrust. Then I can get something on the environment — climate change — or allowable state aid. It’s a constant challenge. You have to get up-to-speed on new issues, like whether it’s legal to prohibit a chemical if the plaintiff claims there’s been an error in the scientific evaluation of its toxicity. That’s really exciting.”

Before he was a judge, Mohamed Elgaly used to be a cop in Cairo. His first assignment, upon graduating from Mubarak Police Academy in 2011, was to guard the Ministry of Interior, a short walk from Tahrir Square, which was at the center of the Arab Spring demonstrations. He learned first-hand how proper police procedure is crucial to obtaining convictions.

Elgaly’s bachelor of law degree is from the police academy; in Egypt, all police officers must have law degrees. However, making a career change from law enforcement to legal practice is rare, in part because graduates from better law schools compete for prestigious Ministry of Justice posts.

After two years in the Central Security Forces, Elgaly applied for an opening as a prosecutor. The odds were daunting, but his spotless police service record and top academic ranking from the academy helped him win the role. He spent the next seven years prosecuting both street crime and white-collar offenses.

Prosecutors in Egypt become eligible for judgeships at age 30. Elgaly applied and, in 2021, was promoted to the bench.

Assigned to criminal court, he hears misdemeanor cases and juvenile felonies as part of a three-judge panel.

For the last two years, however, Elgaly has been on a leave of absence from the bench while advancing his legal skills at USC.

“I wanted to understand business law, how transactions happen. How international contracts between two investors work,” says Elgaly, who hopes to transfer from criminal to commercial court when he returns to Egypt.

Last year, he earned a graduate certificate in legal studies through the two-year extended track, which provides a firm grounding in the American system. In May 2023, he earned his LLM in International Business and Economic Law.

His favorite courses were “Legal Professions” taught by Anitha Cadambi (JD 2011) and John Ham’s “Topics in American Law.” A spring 2023 course in international arbitration was especially eye-opening.

“This will save time and money,” Elgaly says, of alternative dispute resolution. Egypt has thousands of judges and prosecutors, but it isn’t nearly enough. “We have over 100 million people. Each court has thousands of cases,” he says.

Elgaly envisions major systemic overhauls to make better use of the court’s precious time.

“When I think about Egyptian law, I ask myself: ‘Why not take advantage of systems that work better than ours and leave the disadvantages behind?’ I believe I can make a difference in our judicial system by getting a deep understanding of how other systems manage cases.”

Judge Mohamed Elgaly is gaining skills in business law during a two-year leave of absence from the Head Court in Egypt’s Ministry of Justice.

Trojan family

Small-to-midsize firms helmed by USC Gould alumni enhance their ranks with students, graduates

By Matthew Kredell

Small and midsize law firms can offer unique openings for growth and training early in an attorney’s career. Three such law firms led by USC Gould School of Law alumni also demonstrate the Trojan Family in action by choosing to hire USC Gould students and alumni.

Matt Cave (JD 2011) co-founded the litigation and trial boutique firm Kibler, Fowler & Cave LLP in January 2020, which represents clients in complex business disputes. Three of the firm’s 13 lawyers are USC Gould alums, including Kevin Kroll (JD 2014) and Shiqi (Sara) Borjigin (JD 2017).

“I wouldn’t be doing the job I love today without my experience at USC Gould and the incredible support of the Trojan Family,” Cave says. “The alumni are a remarkable part of our school. Beyond supporting each other professionally and referring cases to each other, some of my best friends are from my law school class.”

Cave keeps close ties with USC Gould as a mentor and serves on the USC Gould Board of Councilors Clerkship Committee.

“I’m constantly in touch with current students,

and I do that because I got a lot of help when I was in their shoes,” Cave says. “But I also do it for the networking. I build relationships with USC Gould students to help them wherever they go, but with the idea — and hope — that some will someday choose to work at my firm. I know that USC Gould alumni are among the best lawyers out there.”

Mark Feldman (JD 1990) has hired at least one first- or second-year law student, mostly from USC Gould, as a summer associate for the past 18 years. His firm Feldman & Associates focuses on litigation with an emphasis on construction.

Two current USC law students, Blake Colquitt (3L) and Blake LaClaire (2L) worked with Feldman & Associates as summer associates. And Elise Eckert (1L) will work for the firm, which offers paid internships, this summer.

Three of the eight attorneys at Feldman & Associates are graduates of USC Gould, including Kevin Heravi (JD 2016) and Andrew Monge (JD 2019), who previously served as a summer associate. Many other summer associates have gone on to prestigious careers elsewhere.

“You’re not just going to do document review for us like you would at some bigger firms,” Feldman says. “You’re going to draft pleadings and write discovery, and you’re going to communicate with clients. I’m very proud of the students who have worked here as summer associates who have gone on to do fantastic things.”

Feldman models the experience after his summer job at a personal injury firm in the first year of law school. He came away with 30 writing samples from different motions and oppositions, which beefed up his portfolio for on-campus interviews during his second year. He wants every summer associate at Feldman & Associates to get the same advantage.

Matt Cave (JD 2011) builds relationships with USC Gould students in hopes of hiring them to work at his law firm.

val ues

Steve Mindel (JD 1985) serves as managing partner at Feinberg, Mindel, Brandt & Klein, which specializes in family law.

FMBK has a summer program that hires two to three law school students, typically drawing several hundred applicants. Five of the past six summer hires have come from USC Gould.

at USC Gould and the incredible support of the Trojan Family.”

Mindel admits that his compensation packages can’t keep up with big firms. He tries to make up for it with the experience he provides.

“We have a motto at FMBK — we build lawyers,” Mindel says. “USC Gould trains people on how to learn the law. Learning different specialties, how to go out and find clients, bill them and collect from them, that’s what the Trojan Network does at a level of no other law school in Southern California.”

Mindel met Alex Grager (JD 2004) at a USC Gould event. Mindel hired Grager shortly after he graduated and he’s been at the firm for nearly 20 years.

The Trojan Network extends to Mindel’s personal life. He met his wife, Nancy (JD 1986), at USC Gould. His partner Jerry Klein was in his law school class. In addition to becoming his

business partner, Klein married Mindel’s sister, becoming part of his family. Speaking of which, Steve and Nancy’s son Jake Mindel is on track to graduate this year from USC Gould.

Mindel praised the networking opportunities USC offers, bringing students and alumni together for support.

“The first-year mentor lunch is just an incredible opportunity for students and alums,” Mindel says. “The Dean’s Speaker Series brings alumni back and gives them value and networking opportunities. And, of course, it never hurts when you have a winning football team for people to come together around with tailgate parties. Everybody knows each other in the Trojan Family and they’re all working together.”

“ I wouldn’t be doing the job I love today without my experience

—MATT CAVE

Steve Mindel (with wife Nancy Mindel [JD 1986]) has hired many USC Gould graduates because of their high level of training.

THE GIFT OF A LAW SCHOOL EDUCATION

By Leslie Ridgeway

Deanna Detchemendy (JD 1990) remembers learning when she had been accepted at the USC Gould School of Law, and that moment of hesitation after the joy.

“At a time when I was on my own financially, I was not sure I could make it work,” says Detchemendy, assistant general counsel at the Walt Disney Company. “I remember the conversation with the law school and they made it

work. I wouldn’t have been able to attend USC without the scholarship funds.”

That memory motivates Detchemendy and many other USC Gould alumni to give the gift of a law school education to other talented, hard-working students whose goals wait only for the door of opportunity to swing wide.

Gould alumni recognize the power of a helping hand, especially through the recently established need-based

USC Gould alumni see need-based scholarship donations as opportunity to make law students’ dreams come true

USC Gould alumni see the value of need-based scholarships in ensuring that high caliber students of diverse backgrounds have an opportunity to earn their degree at Gould.

scholarship fund (for current use) and the need-based scholarship endowment fund.

The new need-based funds within financial aid supplement the core of merit-based funds earned by 97% of Gould students and reduce the debt that students carry upon graduation. The generosity of Gould alumni is making that happen. Need-based scholarships help to level the playing field for accomplished students and increases diversification of the legal profession.

Darren Aitken (JD 1989), partner at Aitken, Aitken and Cohn LLP, is a member of the USC Gould Law Leadership Society, a great engagement opportunity for alumni who meet at premier USC Gould, USC and Law Leadership Society events.

“I’ve been supporting need-based scholarships for 1012 years,” says Aitken, a member of the Law Leadership Society. “You want the best people to join the profession, people whose personal circumstances are wholly

“We’re grateful that so many of our alumni see the value of granting students access to a first-class legal education, which many of them were able to obtain through the largesse of someone who believed in their capabilities,” says Dean Franita Tolson. “Our alumni understand that the legal profession only gets better when gifted students have a chance to pursue their dreams of law school.”

That’s never far from the minds of Kristina Lockwood (JD 1994) and Mark Brubaker (JD 1997). They give to need-based scholarships in recognition of how Lockwood benefited from a scholarship that led to more than 30 years in the legal profession. Kristina served as general counsel for Green Dot Corporation, a Texasbased financial technology company, and Mark was senior counsel at the Los Angeles-based Capital Group Companies. They both recently retired.

“Without a merit scholarship, I wouldn’t have been able to attend law school,” Lockwood says. “Mark and I support need-based scholarships to ensure that deserving students have the opportunity to benefit from the highquality education at USC.”

unrelated to the caliber of their performance. We don’t want financial obstacles to get in the way of [admitting] the best class of 1Ls.”

LLS members have a chance to network with fellow alumni at special events, are recognized at their membership level in the USC Law Donor Report in the fall USC Law Magazine and receive a copy of the LLS annual impact report, demonstrating how their donations boost excellence at USC Gould.

For information on supporting USC Gould law students by giving toward current use need-based scholarship funding or by adding to the need-based scholarship endowment, please contact the USC Gould Development Office at (213) 821-3560 or give online at https://gould.usc.edu/alumni/student-scholarshipsaid/. For information about membership in the Law Leadership Society, contact Allison Edinger, director of Annual Giving: aedinger@law.usc.edu or visit https:// gould.usc.edu/alumni/law-leadership/

Left: Deanna Detchemendy; Center: Kristina Lockwood and Mark Brubaker; Right: Darren Aitken

“ Our alumni understand that the legal profession only gets better when gifted students have a chance to pursue their dreams of law school.”

DEAN FRANITA TOLSON

HOOR AY FOR BOLLYWOOD

USC Gould LLM graduates make their mark in South Asian entertainment law

By Diane Krieger

India is considered one of the fastest growing media and entertainment markets. Today “Bollywood” produces more movies than any other place on earth — 1,700 feature films in 2021 according to Film Federation India, down from a pre-pandemic rate of around 4,000 movies annually.

“There’s a lot of Indian fandom and fascination for movies,” says Mumbaibased entertainment attorney Nikita Shankar (LLM 2019). “We have a huge population — 1.4 billion of us are watching.”

There’s tremendous opportunity for legal professionals like Shankar, a recent graduate of USC Gould School’s LLM program with a focus on media and entertainment.

Shankar works for Mumbai-based TINNUTS, which bills itself as “a new-age intellectual property firm offering non-conventional solutions to conventional problems.” (TINNUTS stands for “there is nothing new under the sun”). It’s a fascinating time to be in this field, she says.

“Media and entertainment law is still very nascent in India. There’s no concept of estates. The jurisprudence is still developing around publicity rights. Netflix only came to India in 2016,” she says.

Being well-versed in American law gives Indian attorneys a clear edge, adds Chandana Arval (LLM 2018), an associate with Mumbai-based TMT Law. ”It’s very helpful to have an understanding of an entire other system where media and entertainment law is so developed,” she says.

Before joining TMT last spring, Arval worked for Netflix India and a couple of smaller entertainment law firms in Mumbai. As a “clearance analyst” at Netflix, Arval read scripts and reviewed production reels for landmines, either in possible civil litigation or government censorship. This work is in high demand in India, where product placements are commonplace while the law around them is still developing and unclear.

Copyright and trademark infringements, brand issues and privacy rights are the tip of the iceberg. The greatest legal peril lies in defamation and falling afoul of government censors.

Under Indian entertainment law, Arval says, “you have a very, very high chance of hurting religious sentiments, and anything to do with nationalism is very touchy.”

Nikita Shankar (LLM 2009) is one of many legal professionals finding opportunity in India’s burgeoning media and entertainment scene.

CLOSE-KNIT ALUMNI TOUT NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES

When looking for an LLM program, USC Gould — with its location in the world’s entertainment capital and deep industry ties — topped the list for both Shankar and Arval.

“It puts me first in line at every interview,” says Arval of her USC Gould credential.

Arval first learned about USC’s strong media and entertainment focus from her supervisor while interning at a Mumbai IP firm. At the time, she was an undergraduate at Jindal Global Law School. After finishing her BA/ LLB in 2017, Arval came straight to USC. Her former

When she and Arval first met, they were on opposite sides of a deal. “There was no hedge, no argument,” D’Souza recalls. “It was just the two of us talking. We have the same education. We understand the same things. And it went beautifully.” Today, Arval and Shankar frequently refer clients, a fair number of whom are also fellow Trojans, to D’Souza.

A VARIED FIELD

At USC, D’Souza completed the two-year extended LLM program, which provides a firm grounding in the U.S. legal system as prelude to the master of laws curriculum. She stayed on for an optional training (OPT) year, as in-house

supervisor, Niyati Shah (LLM 2022) also ended up studying at USC Gould. Shah is now an entertainment attorney with Amazon Prime-India.

India’s USC Gould alumni network is comprised of 107 LLMs, and growing fast. Another 29 Bharati Trojans are in the Class of 2023.

“A lot of us are great friends,” says Jerusha D’Souza (LLM 2020). “We’ll be negotiating contracts one day, and the next day we’re having drinks. We meet up, we keep helping each other.”

D’Souza, who is in solo practice, takes full advantage of the Trojan network. She and Shankar are international co-chairs of the USC Gould Alumni Association. Both women are also active in the Trojan Entertainment Network, an affinity group for alumni involved in the entertainment industry across many USC schools — law, business, cinema, engineering and music, to name a few.

counsel for a tech startup — dipping her toes into the crypto currency and non-fungible token space. D’Souza’s current practice spans the music, television and film industries, social media and publicity, blockchain and book publishing.

Arval found a course on TV and digital media taught by Adam Hime (JD 2004) particularly helpful. An L.A.–based entertainment executive, Hime brought the class on set and showed students how to secure waivers, notices and clearances.

“Choosing to work in this field is definitely interesting,” says Shankar. In February, she was back in Los Angeles to take the California bar. Shankar doesn’t rule out the possibility of someday returning for good. Either way, in today’s global entertainment marketplace, California bar membership will be helpful wherever she lands.

Chandra Arval (LLM 2018) (left) and Jerusha D’Souza (LLM 2020) chose USC Gould because of the Los Angeles location and great networking opportunities at Gould.

A powerful partnership

ByJulie Riggott

About two months after Dara Yin, a client of the USC Gould School of Law’s Post-Conviction Justice Project (PCJP), was released from a life without parole (LWOP) sentence, he was sitting in a classroom on the USC campus, participating in Professor Heidi Rummel and Professor Elizabeth Calvin’s Legislative Policy Practicum. The practicum, in its eighth year, engages students in real-world advocacy on criminal and juvenile justice

with personal experience of a problem, and work together to shape change.”

Yin, convicted at age 18 on gang-related homicide charges, served 20 years before his release on Nov. 23, 2022. Yin is thankful to PCJP, led by Professors Rummel and Michael Brennan. The practicum is his way to give back.

“Being represented by USC really gave me a lot of confidence in my recovery and the work I was doing when I was incarcerated,” Yin says. “So, with everything [professors

issues, bringing in participants with lived experience in the area targeted for legislative reform.

“This course is a model for powerful policy work,” says Calvin, a lecturer in law at USC Gould and senior advocate for children’s rights with Human Rights Watch (HRW). “Law students learn how to listen to people

and students at USC] have done, whatever they want me to do, sharing my story, I’m there. I know that I was given a second chance to do something purposeful.”

The Legislative Policy Practicum involves students with strategic policy advocacy, including identifying areas for reform and evaluating legislative solutions. It also involves

In Gould’s Legislative Policy Practicum students and participants with lived experience ‘fight on’ for criminal, juvenile justice reform

“This course is a model for powerful policy work. Law students learn how to listen to people with personal experience of a problem, and work together to shape change.”

—PROFESSOR ELIZABETH CALVIN

students in the legislative process, including drafting legislative language and collaborating with stakeholders. The students work during the California legislative term, sometimes co-sponsoring legislation, sometimes working on legislation that has been introduced.

This year, the class is working on a bill related to LWOP, a sentence approximately 5,300 people are serving in California. Along with Yin, two others who were released from LWOP sentences participate in person, and 11 incarcerated men serving life without parole at Calipatria State Prison participate via Zoom. And for the first time in California history, incarcerated people will take part in meetings with legislators and staff to advocate for reform.

“I love teaching this practicum,” Rummel says. “Law students move from answering the question ‘How does the law apply in this case?’ to asking ‘What should the law be to achieve a just result?’ And then they do the hard work of navigating the political process to pass legislation. They partner with people with lived experience, learning from them and raising up their voices to create real-world change.”

Since 2008, Rummel and Calvin’s legislative advocacy has resulted in passage of landmark youth justice reforms. Together with HRW, PCJP has written or co-sponsored most justice bills in California, and practicum students have worked on the majority, including SB 394 (providing youth offender parole hearings for all juvenile LWOP inmates), SB 1391 (precluding transfer of 14- and 15-year-olds to the adult system) and AB 2417 (Youth Bill of Rights for incarcerated youth).

2L Claire Hagan is in this year’s practicum. Through the PCJP clinic, she helped Yin prepare for his parole hearing and represented him at the hearing where he was granted parole following a commutation of sentence by the California governor.

“They tell you that you don’t learn how to be a lawyer as a student; you learn it by practicing, and it is really true,” Hagan says. “I think for both of us it was something that you don’t realize you’re capable of doing until you’re in the situation. Dara was so deserving of his freedom.”

Hagan signed up for the practicum to broaden her impact.

“I really liked working with Professor Rummel and the people I met through PCJP like Dara. You get to make a difference one case at a time, but if there’s a possibility to make a difference on a broader scale, through legislation, I wanted to do that,” she says.

Though Hagan is interested in private practice litigation, her experience with criminal law in the clinic and classroom has made a lasting impression. “I want to be able to continue this kind of advocacy, at least in a pro bono way,” she says. “This is something I’m really passionate about.”

Meanwhile, Yin wants to work to keep young people out of gangs. He was accepted to the USC Rossier School of Education’s online master’s program in Learning Design and Technology and is seeking funding to attend. “I want to learn how to implement social and emotional learning into curriculums, educational tech and other programs to help kids,” he says. “I applied to other schools as well. But I want to be a Trojan.”

The Legislative Policy Practicum on a visit to Calipatria State Prison.

KNOWLEDGE IN ACTION

Delegation from Philippines seeks guidance from USC Gould on clinical education, externships

Several members of a Philippine delegation of judges, law school deans and attorneys visited the USC Gould School of Law on Oct. 10 to learn more about Gould’s externship and clinical programs, in response to recently revised curriculum requirements handed down by the Supreme Court of the Philippines.

The full delegation of 16 visited the California area for a conference that brought together leading professionals in externships. The delegation reserved an extra day to meet with Professor Niels Frenzen, director of the USC Gould Immigration Clinic and clinical director, and Preston Ascherin, director of externships at USC Gould. Visiting Clinical Assistant Professor Henna Pithia also met with the group to share her experience with the USC Gould International Human Rights Clinic. The delegation also briefly joined a seminar with Professor Deepika Sharma and students from the USC Gould Housing Law and Policy Clinic.

“They asked lots of questions, and they were interested in how students engage with the community,” said Ascherin, who spoke with the delegation about the options for pro bono work that often emerge for students who participate in externships and clinical work. “That seemed to resonate with the delegation. The thrust of their experiential component seems to get law students out to do good in the world, to make them competent lawyers with an emphasis on community.”

—Leslie Ridgeway

Mugambi Jouet discusses American criminal justice with delegation from Mexico

USC Gould Professor Mugambi Jouet presented his findings on American criminal justice to a visiting delegation of public defenders from Mexico City in December.

Jouet’s presentation compared criminal justice outcomes in America and the rest of the world, highlighting America’s high incarceration rate – three times higher than Mexico’s – and the historical context of that and other aspects of American criminal justice. The delegation was visiting Southern California as part of a continuing legal education opportunity offered by a nonprofit organization in Mexico.

“Their questions and observations reflected a keen understanding of the value of human dignity and how penal systems should strive to protect it,” Jouet says. “We likewise discussed how societies must tackle root social causes of crime and how penal reform should fit within a wider reform agenda. Societies that face less socioeconomic and wealth inequality tend to have healthier criminal justice systems.”

—Becca Speier

HONORING HER FATHER

Terry Solís recognizes impact of Frank Solís (JD 1949) with new scholarship

By Leslie Ridgeway

When Terry Solís attended the USC Gould School of Law all-class reunion last fall with her husband David Flores (JD 1981), she realized an opportunity to commemorate the impact of her father on her life and her work.

Francisco “Frank” Solís (JD 1949) was active in Los Angeles politics and an officer in the Mexican American Bar Association in Los Angeles. He had a strong influence on Solís who recently retired from leading the company she founded, The Solís Group, which provides project management services for public and private construction projects. At the reunion, she and her husband picked up the spring 2022 issue of USC Law Magazine, and as they flipped through it, they spotted an article about several alumni creating an endowment in support of need-based scholarships.

Solís considered her father’s legacy, the lessons she had learned from him that she’d been applying all of her life, and the law school that set her father on the path to an accomplished career.

“I remembered the impact of education on my father, and what it meant to me — the first in my family since my dad to go to college,” says Solís. “I knew the moment I read that story that I was going to do something to honor my father.”

That spark set into motion a $100,000 scholarship endowment named for Francisco Fernandez Solís. The scholarship will support students for whom affordability may be an obstacle and positive consideration will be given to students who advocate and/or promote Hispanic communities.

“We are grateful to Terry Solís for memorializing the legacy of her father with this generous gift,” says Dean Andrew Guzman. “We’re honored to accept this donation symbolizing Frank Solís’ grit and determination. It will serve as an inspiration to our students.”

Frank Solís (1918-1991), a veteran of the United States Army, earned an undergraduate degree in Spanish with a minor in religion at USC in 1940. After graduation, he worked in an office in East Los Angeles as a criminal defense lawyer, sometimes traveling as far as Tulare and Fresno to meet with his clients. “He cared about the people he represented,” says Solís.

Flores never met Frank Solís but puts Solís’ achievements in perspective with the racial barriers to success in Los Angeles during the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. “He had been a teenager in the late ’30s in Los Angeles surrounded by discrimination and yet he graduated from USC law school,” says Flores.

Terry Solís’ company has thrived for more than 30 years, with her daughter Elizabeth now the CEO and owner and her grandsons working there as analysts. With her decision to endow a scholarship, she shares the good fortune she credits to her father. “I hope students who receive the scholarship will be inspired by him,” she says.

Terry Solís, with husband David Flores (JD 1981), was inspired to create a scholarship endowment to memorialize the impact of her father, Francisco “Frank” Solís (JD 1949) on her life and work.

WHERE IN THE

… are USC Gould School of Law faculty?

ALEX CAPRON

 Switzerland: Speaker at symposium on the “Culture of Collaboration” in honor of Prof. P.J. Meier-Abt, former President of the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences, University of Basel, Basel

 Switzerland: Panelist, plenary session on “Mentorship and Leadership,” World Congress of Bioethics

 Argentina: Speaker, “The ‘Global Kidney Exchange’ Proposal is Impractical and not Financially Neutral” and “Family voucher programs: an ethical way to increase nondirected kidney donation,” 29th International Congress of The Transplantation Society

 Australia: Speaker, “The Legal ‘Definition’ of Death: Deciphering Signals from the US,” 26th World Congress of Medical Law

ROBIN CRAIG

 Canada: Served as legal consultant, Council on Environmental Cooperation, Montreal, Quebec

 China: Virtual keynote speech: “Water Law Allocation, Reallocation, and Trading in the United States,” International Workshop on Ecological Protection Compensation in the Yellow River Basin; Asian Development Bank & National Development and Reform Commission of the People’s Republic of China; Peking University

 Switzerland: Judge, international Frontiers Planet Prize given by Frontiers Research Foundation

LEE EPSTEIN

 Israel: Distinguished Visiting Professor; presented two conference papers and received honorary degree from Hebrew University

 Norway: Guest researcher and co-teacher of online course, University of Bergen in Norway

 Italy: Delivered keynote address online at conference at the European University Institute

NIELS FRENZEN

 France: Taught short courses on U.S. law to French law students at the Université Jean Moulin-Lyon 3

HANNAH GARRY

 Norway: U.S. Fulbright Scholar, University of Oslo Faculty of Law, Centre for the Study of the Legitimacy of the Global Judiciary (PluriCourts); participant, University of Oslo Faculty of Law PluriCourts Centre Workshop

 Netherlands: Panelist, “Implementing the Duty to Prevent Genocide under International Law: Cameroon, Armenia & Ukraine” State of Luxembourg Side Event to the 21st Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court

 England: “From Policy Back to Principles? Refugee Protection under International Law & State (Non)-Compliance”

ARIELA GROSS

 Netherlands: Sat on a commission “opposing” a dissertation defense; lectured on new book project, Erasing Slavery

 France: Lectured on 2022 book Becoming Free, Becoming Black and new book project

 Spain: Gave a keynote speech at a conference on Comparative Law of Slavery about Becoming Free, Becoming Black

 Portugal: Presented a paper at a conference on “Reinventing The Social”

 Israel: Symposium on Becoming Free, Becoming Black

SOFIA GRUSKIN

 The Hague: speaking engagement

 Johannesburg, South Africa: speaking engagement; project launch

 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: speaking engagement (virtual)

 London: speaking engagement

 Turkey: speaking engagement (virtual)

 Switzerland: speaking engagement (virtual)

 Thailand: speaking engagement (virtual)

 Kenya: project launch

 Uganda: project launch

Since last year, our faculty experts have engaged with scholarly audiences across the globe as visiting professors, keynote speakers, panelists, consultants and even virtual presenters, sharing their research and spreading their influence.

THE WORLD

FELIPE JIMÉNEZ

 Germany: Presented paper on private law theory at conference on private law methodology; Bucerius Law School

 Chile: Virtual presentation of book project on contract theory at conference on philosophy of contract law; Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez

 Spain: Virtual presentation of paper on the rule of law and legal obligation to the Law and Philosophy graduate student group at University Pompeu Fabra

DAN KLERMAN

 France: Invited professor, University of Paris II (Panthéon Assas), Summer 2022; paper presentation: “Legal Origin from Outer Space (and on Foot),” Law & Economics Workshop, University of Paris II Panthéon-Assas Center for Research in Law & Economics (CRED); comment on Simon Poux & Simona Ramos, “A Unified Framework for the Governance of the Commons with Blockchain-Based Tools: An Application to Customary Land Commons in Ghana,” Law & Economics Workshop, University of Paris II Panthéon-Assas Center for Research in Law & Economics (CRED)

 Germany: Paper presentation: “Bias in Choice of Law: New Empirical and Experimental Evidence,” 38th International Seminar on the New Institutional Economics, Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods

THOMAS LYON

 Japan: Speaker, conference on prevention of child abuse, Japanese Professional Society

 Netherlands: Panelist, virtual conference, Maastricht University

JEESOO NAM

 Portugal: Participant, Law & Society Association global meeting

CLARE PASTORE

 Germany: Invited panelist on “Freedom of Movement Within the EU” at conference

 France: Teaching an American Civil Rights course at the Université Jean Moulin-Lyon 3

ROBERT RASMUSSEN

 Singapore: Invited to participate in the Inaugural Global Restructuring Conference in Singapore in November 2022; spoke on a panel discussing his scholarship arguing that businesses should be able to commit to file for restructuring in a particular jurisdiction

EMILY RYO

 South Korea: Invited speaker, Cooperation (or Lack Thereof) in Immigration Law: Cooperation, Why Now? Conference, Sungkyunkwan University, South Korea

 Portugal: Law & Society Association Annual Meeting

• Invited participant, Roundtable: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Citizenship and Race

• Invited panelist, Professional Development Panel: Being an Interdisciplinary Scholar

• Non-presenting author, A Study of Pandemic and Stigma Effects on Removal Proceedings

MICHAEL SIMKOVIC

 France: Presented at Association for Public Economic Theory international conference

DAN SIMON

 Portugal: Panelist, Global Law & Society Association annual meeting:

“The Bias of Adversarial Prosecution — An Experimental Inquiry”

 Germany: Invited discussant (virtual), Experimental Methods in Legal Scholarship workshop panel: Reasonableness on the Clapham Omnibus: Exploring the outcome-sensitive folk concept of reasonable. Max Planck Institute

 Canada: Invited discussant, Empirical Legal Studies Society annual conference:

“How to Communicate the Nudge (Oren Bar-Gill & Alma Cohen);” “Simulating Adversarial Prosecutorial Decision Making,” University of Toronto

D. DANIEL SOKOL

 UK

 Mexico

 Singapore

 Australia

 Canada

 Brazil (virtual)

 India (virtual)

 France (virtual)

 Belgium (virtual)

 Japan (virtual)

 Colombia (virtual)

FRANITA TOLSON

 Portugal: Presented on USC

Gould’s Race and the Law course at Law & Society Association global meeting

DEAN ANDREW GUZMAN IN INDIA

USC

Gould School

of

Law Dean Andrew Guzman and Professor

Anitha Cadambi, Associate Director of Graduate

Curriculum

& Instruction

and

Adjunct

Assistant Professor

Law, traveled to India in March to further the global reach of Gould’s renowned LLM program, meeting with alumni, admitted students and prospective students from across India. As part of the trip, Dean Guzman visited OP Jindal University in New Delhi, where he took part in a roundtable and met with deans, faculty and founding Vice Chancellor Dr. C. Raj Kumar. OP Jindal has a partnership with USC Gould, facilitating a study abroad program for students from both universities. The trip also included a visit in Mumbai with a consortium of California law schools. For Guzman, the trip underscored the value of studying abroad for both American and international law students, in exposing them to the different ways that law is practiced in other countries. “There are many benefits to seeing other side of things,” he said. “Understanding other legal systems equips students to be more successful in cultural competence, and it expands their horizons.”

of

Understanding the “Imperial Court”

Research by Professors Rebecca Brown and Lee Epstein reveals troubling trend in SCOTUS decisions

By Leslie Ridgeway

If a president overreaches, will the U.S. Supreme Court check their power? It depends on whether the president shares the Court’s views, according to a forthcoming paper by Professor Rebecca Brown and Professor Lee Epstein.

The paper, “Is the U.S. Supreme Court a Reliable Backstop for an Overreaching U.S. President? Maybe, but is an Overreaching (Partisan) Court Worse?” will be published in late 2023 in Presidential Studies Quarterly, as part of a symposium on presidents who exceed their authority. Brown and Epstein studied voting data and doctrine in SCOTUS cases going all the way back to 1937 to determine whether and how the current Court differs from other courts. The findings left them concerned.

“[Americans] could once count on [SCOTUS] to step up in cases of overreaches — for example, when the Court ruled unanimously against [President Richard] Nixon [in 1974] — but in this study, we were not able to conclude that this Court would be a backstop against a president sympathetic to its own views,” Brown says. “The Court has shown a real inclination to take on the role of ultimate policy-maker in the country, and that leads us to worry that their willingness to curb an overreaching president would likely depend on whether they like what the president did or not, rather than standing up more neutrally for principles based in the rule of law.”

“Someone called it ‘the Imperial Court,’” says Epstein. “There is nothing checking the justices and they are taking full advantage to do whatever they want.”

The paper was highlighted in a December story in The New York Times on legal research indicating SCOTUS has been consolidating power from federal and state branches of government. Also, “there are increasingly frequent indications that the Court is establishing a position of judicial supremacy over the president and Congress,” they wrote. Brown noted that when the Court deferred in the past to a president, it did not

declare whether the president was right or wrong. The study indicates the Roberts Court has been less deferential.

“The current Court more often says, ‘We support you because we think you did the right thing,’” Brown says. “It sounds like a minor difference, because the president might win either way, but it’s the difference between a court that preserves a government of co-equal branches and one that takes all decisions to itself.”

Brown and Epstein didn’t necessarily find the results of their research surprising, considering the fraught political climate in America.

“We are in this place that is rare in American history, with such a polarized public and polarized partisan elected institutions,” Epstein says. “If the Court gets way out of line with public opinion or democracy, how will you get laws passed? How do you threaten the Court to get back to business?”

Brown and Epstein are both excited about their new collaboration, an enriching blend of data and constitutional theory. They hope their research gets the attention of Congress and results in some sort of regulation of SCOTUS, though any kind of legislative reform is unlikely to happen in the current climate, they noted.

Lee Epstein and Rebecca Brown

SIX DISTINGUISHED USC GOULD FACULTY INSTALLED AS ENDOWED CHAIRS

Professors Jordan Barry, Lee Epstein, Stephen Rich, Michael Simkovic, D. Daniel Sokol and Franita Tolson were installed March 28 as holders of distinguished endowed chairs at the USC Gould School of Law.

Dean Andrew Guzman lauded the honorees as “dedicated educators, thought leaders, and highly regarded scholars.”

PROFESSOR JORDAN BARRY

A leading scholar in tax law, business law, and law and economics, Barry was installed as the John B. Milliken Professor of Law and Taxation.

Barry’s research has been published in leading journals, including the Journal of Political Economy, Tax Law Review, and Stanford Law Review, among others.

Since joining the Gould faculty in 2021, Barry said, “I’ve found it to be an extremely friendly and welcoming community, one that strives toward the highest ideals of our profession, and one I’m very proud to be a part of.”

PROFESSOR LEE EPSTEIN

Epstein, the University Professor of Law and Political Science, was installed as the Charles L. and Ramona I. Hilliard Distinguished Professor of Law.

Epstein studies the intersection of law and politics. She is widely recognized as a pioneer in the study of judicial behavior and a preeminent scholar on judicial politics. Epstein has earned numerous National Science Foundation grants and interdisciplinary accolades, including the Lasting Contribution Award for research

from the American Political Science Association last summer.

“It’s fair to say that the entire field of statistics entails assessing our uncertainty about whatever it is we’re studying. That may sound unsatisfying; even a little scary. But actually, it’s a very good thing because it keeps us researchers humble,” Epstein said.

PROFESSOR STEPHEN RICH

A national expert in antidiscrimination law, Rich was installed as the Maurice Jones, Jr. - Class of 1925 Professor of Law. He focuses a multidisciplinary lens on critical issues involving educational and workplace diversity, political and social equality, affirmative action, and procedural fairness.

He teaches employment discrimination law, constitutional equality law, and civil procedure and was the first instructor for Gould’s new “Race, Racism, and the Law” course, a first-of-its-kind required course among the top law schools nationwide.

“It’s an unexpected gift to be honored in this way, and it made me reflect on the significance of unexpected gifts,” Rich said. “If today were an unexpected gift, and every day after an unexpected gift, then being a teacher — at a university like USC — is something to do and enjoy today, tomorrow, and the next day.”

Simkovic is a professor of law and accounting, whose research focuses on the intersection between law and finance, with a particular emphasis on credit markets,

PROFESSOR MICHAEL SIMKOVIC

Jordan Barry, Lee Epstein, Stephen Rich, Michael Simkovic, D. Daniel Sokol and Franita Tolson honored for scholarly contributions

financial regulation and taxation. He was installed as the Leon Benwell Professor of Law.

His research has been published in University of Chicago Law Review, the Journal of Corporate Finance, the Journal of Legal Studies and other top journals. His work has been cited by both federal regulators and the national news media.

“Many policymakers, economists, and legal scholars think that we face a fundamental tradeoff between equity and efficiency,” he said in his address. “To have more of one, we must tolerate having less of the other. What if that’s not necessarily true? What if there are opportunities to increase efficiency while also increasing equity?”

PROFESSOR D. DANIEL SOKOL

Sokol is one of the 10 most-cited antitrust faculty nationwide. He was installed as the Carolyn Craig Franklin Chair in Law.

Sokol also serves as faculty director of Gould’s Center for Transnational Law and Business, teaches in the marketing department at the USC Marshall School of Business and serves as co-director of Marshall Initiative on Digital Competition. Sokol is the recipient of a 2022 Antitrust Writing Award from Concurrences. He also

regularly presents his research at academic institutions in the United States and internationally.

“Our value-add (as the academy) is to help frame the critical issues, to analyze the pros and cons of particular ways forward, and in part to also provide a better understanding empirically of where things are and where things may need to go.”

PROFESSOR FRANITA TOLSON

One of the foremost scholars in election law, Tolson was installed as the George T. and Harriet E. Pfleger Chair in Law. Now interim dean of the law school, Tolson served as the law school’s vice dean from 2019 to 2022. Her research — examining critical topics such as the Voting Rights Act, the 14th and 15th Amendments, the Elections Clause, gerrymandering and other constitutional issues — has been published in nearly every top law journal across the country.

“My core reason for doing this work and being in this space: I help people vote,” Tolson said in her address. She explained that her efforts — as an educator, administrator and scholar — are “all in service to a higher purpose, really the highest purpose — being in service to others.”

Dean Andrew Guzman lauded the honorees as “dedicated educators, thought leaders, and highly regarded scholars.”

From left: Dean Andrew Guzman, Professor Michael Simkovic, Professor Jordan Barry, Professor Franita Tolson and Professor Lee Epstein (Professor Stephen Rich and Professor D. Daniel Sokol appeared virtually).

From civil rights to health care rights

to an acclaimed

By Leslie Ridgeway

Professor Alex Capron’s career is marked by some opportune twists. As an economics major at Swarthmore College, he was drawn to civil rights activism, and after landing in jail for a week, was impressed with the civil rights lawyers defending him and his fellow activists, leading to a change in focus.

While at Yale Law School, he worked a summer internship in Mississippi with renowned civil rights champion Marian Wright, then with the NAACP, researching school segregation and local efforts at marginalizing Black families at a tumultuous, dangerous time in the South. Capron seemed destined for a career concerned with justice, choice and human rights, and that’s what happened — just not in the way he expected.

“It wasn’t the study of law as such that led me into health care law, ethics and policy,” he says. “It was serendipity.”

AN EXCITING NEW FIELD

The next twist came when his second clerkship opportunity fizzled out, and encouraged by friends, he returned to Yale to teach and work with

Jay Katz, a psychoanalyst and law school professor, on a pioneering casebook about experimentation with human beings.

That led to an NIH-funded research project on the ethical and legal issues raised by what he and Katz called “catastrophic diseases,” namely, end-stage kidney and heart failure, and by their treatment with organ transplantation and kidney dialysis.

“I found myself fascinated with all this,” he says. “I hadn’t been a biology major, and I’d never given thought to a career in medicine, but these issues, which involved questions of fairness and justice, access to resources, people being able to make choices, and basic human rights, resonated deeply with me.”

In 1971, Capron became a founding fellow of The Hastings Center, the world’s first bioethics institute, and participated with academics from other universities in research groups focusing on a wide range of topics in medicine and research. This new, interdisciplinary area of inquiry combined philosophy, religion, law, the social and behavioral sciences, biology and medicine — something he never imagined in law school.

When Congress created the President’s Commission for the Study of Ethical Problems in Medicine and Biomedical and Behavioral Research in 1978, Capron was well positioned to be appointed as its executive director. The commission developed 10 reports during its three-year tenure, on topics ranging from equitable access to health care and compensation for injuries in clinical trials, to death and informed consent in medical care.

“It’s very gratifying that many of our conclusions were adopted in federal regulations and state laws and helped shape judicial decisions,” Capron says.

Professor Alex Capron takes a road less traveled

career in bioethics and health care policy law

Professor Alex Capron’s expertise in bioethics made him the choice to lead the President’s Commission for the Study of Ethical Problems in Medicine and Biomedical Behavioral Research in 1978

COLLABORATION AND CREATIVE THINKING AT USC

In 1984, Capron was hired by USC Law School as the inaugural Norman Topping Chair in Law, Medicine and Policy at USC, a joint appointment in the law school and Keck School of Medicine of USC. He quickly found a kindred spirit in David Goldstein, M.D., then head of the LAC+USC residency program in internal medicine. They worked to help medical students navigate ethical and legal issues in patient care and appreciate the collaborative nature of medicine. With the partnership came the launch in 1991 of the Pacific Center for Health Policy and Ethics, a campuswide organized research unit that Capron co-directed with Goldstein until the latter’s death in 2017. The center carried out sponsored research projects, held national and international conferences on medical and research ethics, and organized public policy initiatives, such as the California Consortium on Patient SelfDetermination.

As a member of the USC Gould faculty, Capron admires colleagues’ scholarly and professional achievements, as well as their collegiality and

enthusiasm to help each other refine their scholarship and teaching.

“The emphasis we have had for 60 years on interdisciplinarity went beyond what existed at most other law faculties, so outstanding, original thinkers with many kinds of interests have been drawn to USC Gould,” he says.

Capron has authored or co-authored 17 books; testified 10 times before Congress on ethical and legal issues in medicine; served twice as vice dean for faculty and academic affairs and won numerous accolades, including selection by Phi Kappa Phil as its National Scholar for 2022-24. He also took a four-year leave from 2002-2006 to serve as the first director of Ethics, Trade, Human Rights and Health Law at the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland.

Even in retirement, he continues to participate in research projects and is on a National Academy of Medicine committee examining specific obstacles in clinical trials. He’s also keeping his eye on the growing concerns about avian influenza. “Nature has many surprises,” he says. And, so do careers.

Alex Capron (front row, right, at an event celebrating his retirement) admires colleagues’ achievements, collegiality and enthusiasm.

“Outstanding, original thinkers with many kinds of interests have been drawn to USC Gould.”

—ALEX CAPRON

A LEGEND’S LEGACY

Professor Michael Brennan lauded for passion for justice and commitment to educating, empowering young lawyers

By Jenifer Kasten and Heidi Rummel

Ask Professor Michael Brennan, who retired in 2023, what he takes away from his career at USC Gould School of Law, and with typical humility, he does not focus on himself.

“I’m most proud of what the Post-Conviction Justice Project has been able to do over the last 25 years,” he says. That includes winning the release of more than 200 clients, fighting for changes in juvenile sentencing laws and training hundreds of young lawyers like Michael Parente (JD 2012), who steps into Brennan’s shoes this spring as co-director of PCJP.

“My time with Mike in PCJP was the highlight of my law school education and played a huge role in my decision to become a public defender,” Parente explains. “He never made me feel like I was just assisting him on his cases. He was supportive but always gave me primary responsibility. More than anything else in law school, that dynamic helped me grow as a lawyer.”

FROM THE FIELDS TO THE FEDERAL PUBLIC DEFENDER

Brennan’s legal ambitions sparked at UC Berkeley in the 1960s where, as an undergraduate and law student, he fought for justice for farmworkers. Brennan worked alongside Cesar Chavez, and as directing attorney of California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA), represented migrant farmworkers challenging inhumane working conditions.

Brennan later launched a storied criminal career with the Federal Public Defender’s Office in Los Angeles, defending indigent clients at trial and in death penalty appeals, including two cases in which the death sentence was set aside. After a short stint in private practice and as a clinical professor at Emory

Professor Michael Brennan with PCJP students.

Law School, Brennan joined the faculty at USC Gould as director of PCJP.

At PCJP, he supervised students representing clients in federal prisons on parole and habeas corpus. Many clients were Mariel Cuban refugees indefinitely detained in federal custody simply because they could not be deported to Cuba.

In the mid-90s, in response to changes in federal law, PCJP shifted focus to advocate for clients serving lifeterm sentences at the California Institution for Women. Brennan recalls the early challenges, including the prison administration blocking access to clients and a broken and political parole process resulting in very few releases. But Brennan and PCJP students brought hope where there was none.

Maryann, whose last name is being withheld for privacy, was twice convicted in California and Hawaii for the crimes of her abuser; Brennan fought for over a decade for her freedom. When her parole in California was denied based on the Hawaii conviction, Brennan and the PCJP team challenged multiple legal errors in the Hawaii trial, winning an appeal for a new trial. Maryann was convicted as an accomplice, leading to her parole in California. Following her extradition to Hawaii, Brennan successfully challenged the Hawaii parole board and Maryann was released in 2014.

“Mike’s continued belief and support and fight for me meant the world. I don’t think anyone else would have done all that work pro bono. I absolutely owe my freedom to him,” she says.

A CHANCE TO EFFECT CHANGE

When Brennan brought Professor Heidi Rummel on board in 2006 as co-director, PCJP’s focus changed to juveniles sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.

“Mike gave me a chance,” says Rummel, who came to USC from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. “We had been on opposite sides of the courtroom, but he brought me into this work, mentored and supported me, and most of all he believed in me. I wanted to work on the issue of juveniles being sentenced to life without possibility of parole — legislative policy advocacy and direct representation. Mike said, ‘Let’s do it’ and never looked back.”

One of those young clients, Tommy, whose last name is being withheld, remembers a simple gesture from Brennan telling him he deserved a second chance. Sentenced to die in prison for a crime he committed at 17 the judge at his parole hearing 23 years later told him she believed he was capable of rehabilitation and ruled for his release. Sobbing, Tommy felt a hand, “like a big paw,” on his shoulder.

“Mike was always in the background, but when I finally met him, we were able to get on the same page right away,” Tommy says. “I could feel his calm and confidence; I knew I was in good hands.”

Parente, who followed Brennan’s example by joining the Federal Public Defender’s Office, says his mentor is seen as a “legend” there, serving as a career guidepost for numerous attorneys.

“In our own ways, we all want to be like Mike,” he says.

“Mike gave me a chance. We had been on opposite sides of the courtroom, but he brought me into this work, mentored and supported me, and most of all he believed in me.”—HEIDI RUMMEL

PCJP Co-Director Heidi Rummel, left, with Mike Brennan and Michael Parente (JD 2012), who joins PCJP this year as co-director.

AS THE WORLD TURNS

Center for Transnational Law and Business keeps pace with global changes in policy, education

By Leslie Ridgeway

Since its founding in 2016, the Center for Transnational Law and Business’ mission has hinged on policy research, thought leadership and education with a focus on competition policy, innovation and intellectual property, international trade, and transnational business regulatory challenges. Led by Executive Director Brian Peck, CTLB develops and hosts symposia, panel discussions and webinars aimed at cross-border issues, including its signature event, the annual Global Competition Law Thought Leadership Conference. Its location within the USC Gould School of Law adds heft to CTLB’s reputation as an influence in global issues.

“California is the fourth largest economy in the world, and the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports are among the highest volume for trade in goods of all ports in the U.S.,” Peck says. “USC Gould is the perfect base for CTLB, and as a top 20 law school, it has the status to have a global impact.”

Under the guidance and support of CTLB’s faculty director D. Daniel Sokol, CTLB also demonstrates leadership through its research and policy analysis work, maintaining ongoing evaluations and study groups focused on global competition and antitrust policies in the tech sector and digital competition in the Americas and Asia. Educational opportunities established and overseen by CTLB include an LLM in International Business and Economic Law, a Master of International Trade Law and Economics, offered jointly with the USC Dornsife College of Arts, Letters and Sciences Department of Economics; and a Transnational Law and Business Certificate for JD and LLM students.

As priorities in the world change, CTLB changes along with them. Recognizing the challenges facing developing nations to maintain viable economies against a backdrop of technological, environmental and social upheaval, CTLB highlights inclusivity of markets, encouraging opportunities for the micro, small and medium sized businesses emerging as potential drivers of progress. That nimble focus makes CTLB unique among law schools.

“I’m not aware of many such centers at other law schools, especially not as comprehensive as ours,” says Peck. “Very few have the global perspective we do and engage in global activities and discussions within the World Trade Organization, and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), which is something new for us this year.”

Last year, Peck and Fangfei Dong, associate director for policy, research and programs were invited to present a panel discussion at the WTO Public Forum in Geneva on concerns of developing nations about discriminatory environmentrelated trade measures. Peck and Dong presented at the WTO for the first time in 2019, leading a panel discussion on harmonizing procedural standards for antitrust regulatory actions in different countries.

Peck looks forward to the upcoming annual meeting of APEC leaders in San Francisco in November, focusing on trade inclusivity-related topics including expanding export opportunities for micro, small and medium enterprises, gender equality in international trade and global rules for digital trade. CTLB plans to propose a pre-meeting workshop in August.

WITHOUT WATER, NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES HIT HARD BY PANDEMIC

By Nina Raffio

The Navajo Nation in Arizona — the largest and most populous reservation in the U.S. — was hit hard during the COVID-19 pandemic. Limited access to running water and basic infrastructure placed Navajo tribes at a heightened risk of disease, according to a USC legal analysis accepted for publication in the Saint Louis University Journal of Health Law & Policy.

“It’s becoming increasingly clear that part of this health disparity is due to lack of access to water, which all 574 federally recognized tribes in the U.S. are legally entitled to under the Supreme Court’s 1908 Winters doctrine. But their federally granted water rights have never been quantified and certainly never delivered,” says Robin Craig, professor of law at the USC Gould School of Law and author of the paper.

The paper is titled “Tribal Water Rights and Tribal Health: The Klamath Tribes and the Navajo Nation During the COVID-19 Pandemic.”

“We have people in the United States who don’t have running water in their homes and could not shelter in place during the pandemic because they had to get in their cars and drive miles to fill containers with water for drinking, hand-washing and cooking. The fact that that level of lack of infrastructure could still exist in the U.S. is a national shame.”

WATER RIGHTS AFFECT TRIBES’ PANDEMIC RESPONSE

Craig’s paper compares the pandemic experiences of the Navajo and the Klamath in Oregon to investigate how minimal access to potable water affected their respective capacities to address COVID-19.

The Klamath occupy a reservation within their traditional homelands in the Pacific Northwest’s Klamath River Basin. According to Craig, the Klamath Tribes entered the pandemic with the advantages of relative wealth and actualized water rights that granted tribes access to potable water. Tribes could practice water-based prevention measures like hand-washing and allowed members of the Klamath community to adhere to stay-at-home mandates.

The Navajo experience stands in stark contrast. Craig cited the sobering statistic that 1 in 3 Navajo homes lack access to running water, and 30% to 40% must haul water from communal wells and travel for food, leaving them vulnerable to exposure. Without running water to drink and practice basic hygiene, the Navajo Nation had some of the nation’s highest COVID-19 infection rates, Craig says.

The U.S. has yet to honor the Navajo Nation’s legitimate legal claim to water from the Colorado River. This is one of several water wars sowing tension in the American Southwest and the subject of a longrunning U.S. Supreme Court case filed by the Navajo Nation against the state of Arizona.

The Navajo Nation made oral arguments in late March before the high court, arguing that the state and federal governments have a responsibility to enforce the provisions of the 1908 Winters doctrine and deliver the Navajo Nation’s allotment of the Colorado River. A Supreme Court ruling is expected in June.

New research by Professor Robin Craig underscores health impacts as U.S. fails to honor legally recognized tribal water rights

Professor Robin Craig’s new paper compares how access to potable water affected the Navajo and Klamath tribes’ capacities to respond to COVID-19

SCholarship Research

A selection of recent scholarly work and honors of USC Gould faculty

SELECT RECENT PUBLICATIONS

SCOTT ALTMAN

“Why Parents’ Interests Matter”

Ethics: An International Journal of Social, Political, and Legal Philosophy (2023)

JONATHAN BARNETT

“Antitrust Mercantilism: The Strategic Devaluation of Intellectual Property Rights in Wireless Markets” Berkeley Technology Law Journal (forthcoming)

REBECCA BROWN and LEE EPSTEIN

“Is the U.S. Supreme Court a Reliable Backstop for an Overreaching U.S. President? Maybe, but is an Overreaching (Partisan) Court Worse?” Presidential Studies Quarterly (forthcoming)

ROBIN CRAIG

“Fish, Whales, and a Blue Ethics for the Anthropocene: How Do We Think About the Last Wild Food in the Twenty-First Century?” Southern California Law Review (2023)

ÁNGEL DÍAZ

“Online Racialization and the Myth of Colorblind Content Policy” Boston University Law Review (forthcoming 2023)

ERIK HOVENKAMP

“Platform Discrimination Against Rivals: An Economic Framework for Antitrust Enforcement”

Journal of Corporation Law (forthcoming)

MUGAMBI JOUET

“Guns, Mass Incarceration, and Bipartisan Reform: Beyond Vicious Circle and Social Polarization”

Arizona State Law Journal (forthcoming 2023)

AWARDS & NOTES

PROF. ALEXANDER CAPRON and PROF. MICHAEL BRENNAN, upon the recommendation of the law school, have been awarded emeritus faculty designation by USC. Capron was granted the status of University Professor Emeritus, Scott H. Bice Chair Emeritus in Healthcare Law, Policy and Ethics, and Professor Emeritus of Law and Medicine; and Brennan was granted the status of Clinical Professor Emeritus of Law.

PROF. ERIN MILLER received the 2023 Future Promise Award from the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) Section on Jurisprudence. Presented at the AALS annual meeting, the award is given to early tenure track academicians whose work reflects potential in both philosophy and law.

DANIEL KLERMAN (with YUN-CHIEN CHANG)

“Settlement Around the World: Settlement Rates in the Largest Economies” Journal of Legal Analysis (forthcoming)

THOMAS LYON (with VICTORIA DYKSTRA and ANGELA D. EVANS)

“Maltreated and Non-Maltreated Children's Truthful and Dishonest Reports: Linguistic and Syntactic Differences” Frontiers of Psychology (forthcoming)

EDWARD MCCAFFERY

“The Paradox of Taxing the Rich” Florida Tax Review (forthcoming)

ERIN MILLER

“Media Power Through Epistemic Funnels”

Georgetown Journal of Law & Public Policy (2022)

JEESOO NAM

“Just Taxation of Crime: Should the Commission of Crime Change One’s Tax Liability?”

Arizona State Law Journal (forthcoming 2023)

ROBERT K. RASMUSSEN

“Temporal Priority”

Berkeley Business Law Journal (2023)

D. DANIEL SOKOL

“Technology Driven Government Law and Regulation” Virginia Journal of Law and Technology Vol. 26 (2023)

To view the full list of articles, awards and presentations, visit: gould.usc.edu/faculty/scholarship/

PROF. NOMI STOLZENBERG’s book American Shtetl: The Making of Kiryas Joel, a Hasidic Village in Upstate New York (Princeton University Press, 2022), was named winner of the Celebrate 350 Award in the American Jewish Studies category of the 72nd annual National Jewish Book Awards.

PROF. ROBIN CRAIG’s paper published in the Minnesota Law Review — titled “4°C” (co-authored by J.B. Ruhl) — was named one of the top 5 environmental, natural resources, and energy law articles for 2021-2022 by the Environmental Law Institute.

AWARDS & NOTES continued

PROF. EDWARD MCCAFFERY (ranked No. 22), PROF. MIKE SIMKOVIC (ranked No. 25) and PROF. JORDAN BARRY (ranked No. 48) were among the nation’s 50 most downloaded tax law professors of 2022 , according to SSRN (Social Science Research Network).

PROF. D. DANIEL SOKOL has been invited to serve on the state’s antitrust law committee of the California Law Revision Commission.

PROF. HILARY SCHOR has received a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship for her book project, “Thinking Like a Lawyer in the Victorian Novel.”

PROF. ALLISON RENTELN co-authored International Human Rights: A Survey (Cambridge University Press, 2023) and co-edited The Ethical University: Transforming Higher Education (Rowman and Littlefield, 2023).

PROF. AMBER KENNEDY MADOLE authored a recent article in the American Association of Law Libraries publication, AALL Spectrum, on the importance of Indigenous-inclusive citation.

A CAREER-LONG CURIOSITY ABOUT TORT LAW

By Leslie Ridgeway

Professor Greg Keating became fascinated with tort law during his first semester as a student at Harvard Law School, when both law and economics and tort liability were rising forces in American law. Keating found the economic view of tort law as an instrument for minimizing the combined costs of paying for and avoiding accidents — thereby maximizing the wealth at society’s disposal — powerful but disturbing.

“To suppose that the infliction of severe harm on human beings should be treated as just another circumstance where the proper objective is to ensure that scarce resources are put to their highest uses, seemed wrongheaded,” says Keating.

Keating’s career-long interest in torts has culminated in the publication of Reasonableness and Risk: Right and Responsibility in the Law of Torts (Oxford University Press, 2022).

For Keating, the book is a chance to recast tort law as a matter of what people owe to each other in the way of responsibilities to avoid and repair harm. In developing this view, Reasonableness and Risk engages both the economic view of tort and the corrective justice and civil recourse views that arose to challenge the economic approach.

“Corrective justice and civil recourse theory think that the point of tort law is to repair or redress wrongs,” Keating says. “But repair and redress come into play only when

tort law’s primary norms are violated, and the role of those primary norms is to spell out what we owe to each other in the way of responsibilities not to impair or interfere with each other’s urgent interests as we go about our lives.”

Reasonableness and Risk is constructed around several fundamental ideas, including that tort law is about what people owe to each other in the way of obligations not to impair urgent interests. Another is the idea of reasonableness. Economic analysis reduces reasonableness to social rationality, making what people owe to each other a matter of what a single, self-interested rational actor would do. To Keating, this cuts the moral heart out of tort law.

“We are distinct persons with separate lives to lead, and what we owe to each other in the way of care and repair is tort law’s subject,” Keating says. “Tort law’s rhetoric of reasonableness signals that it takes our relations to one another to be a matter of morality, not prudence.”

Keating also posits that harms and benefits are not, as economic analysis supposes, pluses and minuses on the same scale, but fundamentally asymmetrical. Physical harm comes close to being unconditionally bad whereas most benefits are only contingently good. Keating therefore challenges the economic view that taking more than efficient precaution against physical harm is an irrational squandering of wealth. Keating argues there is good reason to go beyond efficient prevention of harm to persons and to embrace more stringent norms of “safe” and “feasible” precaution, as environmental and workplace safety regulations commonly do.

Professor Greg Keating makes arguments for a moral view of tort law in new book

Greg Keating

ON TOP OF THE WORLD

Commencement marks milestone for JD, Graduate & International Program grads

One hundred eighty-three JD degrees and 551 master's degrees were handed out Friday, May 12 at USC Gould School of Law Commencement ceremonies. Graduates and their families and friends shared hugs and bouquets and heard inspiring speeches from Sen. Mazie Hirono (JD keynote); Karen Wong (JD 1986), retired partner, Milbank LLP (G&IP keynote); Dean Andrew Guzman, recently named USC Provost; Interim Dean Franita Tolson, and student speakers Chris LoCascio (JD), Christina Mkrtchyan (JD) and Justin Hung (G&IP).

Onward and upward

Andrew Freire, Caven Hamilton and Katherine Sims look ahead to bright futures

By Melissa Masatani

With prestigious honors in hand, three USC Gould School of Law members of the Class of 2023 are launching into their careers as attorneys in public interest law and bankruptcy law.

ANDREW FREIRE took a somewhat unconventional path to law school, but his love for advocacy and public service is evident throughout his work. His career in the visual arts ignited a passion for advocacy, supporting artists and their work, while his time interpreting and translating for a tenants’ union further developed his interests.

Freire landed an Immigrant Justice Corps (IJC) Fellowship and will work at Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef), a nonprofit social justice law firm started by fellow Gould alumna Lindsay Toczylowski.

“I’m grateful to begin my legal career with IJC and ImmDef advocates because they both lead universal legal representation programs for children in immigration court and challenge our harsh immigration system in many ways,” he says. “Unaccompanied minors are uniquely disadvantaged in removal proceedings and other legal forms of relief. ... With ImmDef and IJC’s programs, I hope to learn from their holistic strategies that can help minors feel supported and succeed in a new environment.”

CAVEN HAMILTON was recently inducted as a Distinguished Bankruptcy Law Student by the Ninth Circuit fellows of the American College of Bankruptcy. He is the first Gould student to win the award and the first Black student chosen in the Ninth Circuit.

“This honor by the American College of Bankruptcy is really special,” Hamilton says. “This group is made up of people who have proven themselves to be among the best in bankruptcy law and to not only be among them, but to impress them and gain friends and new mentors means a lot.”

After studying criminology and political science at Florida State University, Hamilton switched to bankruptcy law after a class taught by Professor George Webster ignited his interest. After graduation, Hamilton will work at Buchalter in the bankruptcy department after spending the previous summer with them.

KATHERINE SIMS’ longtime dedication to legal advocacy and a career in government found a home at USC Gould when she was selected to be a Public Interest Scholar. She starts work after graduation at the California Department of Justice, in the Civil Division’s Health, Education and Welfare section in Los Angeles, a position earned as part of the California Attorney General Honors Program.

Sims is the third Gould graduate to win a place in the highly competitive program for recent law school graduates and newly admitted lawyers who are committed to a career in public service.

“I’m so grateful for the vast array of classes and experiences at Gould, which have shaped my career path and interests,” she says. “One of the highlights of my time here was gaining hands-on experience serving clients with the Medical-Legal Community Partnership Practicum, alongside attorneys at Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles.”

Gould education, global opportunity

Blockchain expert Jimmy Nguyen (JD 1995) uses law school as springboard to business possibilities

By Leslie Ridgeway

When Jimmy Nguyen (JD 1995) enrolled at USC Gould School of Law, his vision of the future was wide open. Today, as chief executive officer for Blockchain for All, a company he founded in late 2022 to encourage the adoption of blockchain around the world, his views only continue to expand.

“Blockchain will change how we make payments, business and consumer interactions, how we own our data, how governments manage data for their citizens … it has the potential as a data network to advance the world in ways you can’t imagine,” says Nguyen, who came to America from Vietnam with his family in 1975, with the first wave of postVietnam War refugees.

Nguyen travels the globe to speak to organizations and governments about the value of blockchain, and in a full circle moment, was invited in 2022 by the Ministry of

Communications and IT in Vietnam to speak about blockchain at the “Future of Internet” conference organized by the Vietnam Internet Network Information Center.

When applying to law school, Nguyen says he assumed he would enroll in a public school after attending public schools up to that point. He applied to USC Gould as an additional option, and was shocked when offered a full scholarship.

“It was unsettling in a good way,” says Nguyen, who entered law school at age 19. “That [acceptance] letter made me think, ‘What if I open myself up to this possibility?’ I don’t know exactly how it changed my life, but I know since then, my career has gone on an amazing trajectory.”

In law school, he saw promise in media and entertainment, and although Gould’s entertainment law program was in its early stages, courses in criminal law and especially the Hale Moot Court Honors Program, which he won as a 2L and chaired as a 3L, while also winning one of the national moot court competitions as a 3L, kept him interested in law as a career.

After graduation, at the height of the dot.com boom, Nguyen signed on as an associate at Foley & Lardner LLP. Digital entertainment was hot and Nguyen, sensing opportunity, was supported at a young age in creating an entertainment and media practice emphasizing digital technology. In 2016, while then a partner at Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, after working with more and more clients in fintech and the gaming space, the emergence of Bitcoin and blockchain technology inspired him to help launch a client’s blockchain R&D business in London and then become its CEO. That was the last time he worked in a legal practice.

“Lawyers need to be open to the idea that law school is a great educational and professional development opportunity …but you are more than a law degree,” he says. “After building a global profile in blockchain, I am now positioning myself more broadly to work in AI, the metaverse, ‘smart cities’ and the Internet of Things, and it’s time to go even bigger. There’s constant growth possible from a legal education, and I’m glad I got it at Gould.”

The career trajectory for Jimmy Nguyen (JD 1995) started with digital entertainment, moved to fintech, gaming and now, to blockchain advocacy.

RIGHTING HUMAN WRONGS

Holocaust and human rights scholar Michael Bazyler (JD 1978) takes international approach to scholarship, teaching

By Matthew Kredell

As a renowned scholar on the Holocaust and human rights at Chapman University’s Fowler School of Law, Michael Bazyler (JD 1978) takes a global approach to developing the next generation of lawyers.

Motivated in part by his parents’ experience fleeing Nazi persecution and moving to America as refugees when he was a child, Bazyler travels across the Atlantic to teach — and learn — important lessons about human rights. After a three-year break due to the pandemic, he is bringing American law students to Germany again as part of the “Nuremberg to the Hague” summer program at Chapman University, demonstrating for students how prosecuting Nazi war criminals at the Nuremberg Trials established modern international criminal law.

He believes prospective lawyers need to be aware that the law can be used both to protect human rights and enable some of the worst human rights violations. It’s one of the reasons he is a student again, working toward his PhD at the University of Englangen-Nuremberg.

“What I try to show, and this is a cautionary tale for my law students, is that your law degree does not immunize you from doing evil,” Bazyler says. “In fact, it makes it more possible to be part of the machinery of evil because the legal analyses and methodology we teach can be used to provide a legal veneer for mass atrocities, including genocide. Without Nazi law enacted by German lawyers, there would be no Holocaust.”

Bazyler explores how lawyers made the Holocaust possible in his thesis, and expects to complete his PhD in 2024. A colleague, Christoph Safferling, director of the Nuremberg Academy at the University of Englangen-Nuremberg and a scholar in criminal law and international criminal law, is his thesis advisor.

In another international effort, Bazyler organizes Chapman law students to assist Ukranian refugees seeking shelter in the United States — a personal matter, as his mother was forced to flee Ukraine from the Nazis as a teenager.

Bazyler’s international human rights work extends beyond the classroom. In 1982, when he was starting out as an associate professor at Whittier Law College, Bazyler and his USC Gould classmate Scott Wellman (JD 1978) set a legal precedent with Siderman v. Republic of Argentina (1996), which stipulates that U.S. courts have jurisdiction over countries that commit human rights abuses back home while doing business with the U.S.

“Forty years ago, when Mike told me he wanted to sue a foreign nation for human rights violations committed on its own citizens, I told him ‘You’re crazy, a U.S. court has no jurisdiction over these matters!’” Wellman says. “I was wrong. [The case] springboarded Mike into an illustrious and distinguished career where he is recognized as a foremost authority in global human rights redress.”

Bazyler says his Gould education inspires him as a scholar and educator. He credits then-Dean Dorothy Nelson for his clerkship with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals immediately after graduation, which led him to become a scholar and professor. Professor and later Dean Scott Bice recommended him for his first teaching job at Loyola Law School.

“Everything that I do stems from my education at USC Gould and the incredible professors that both taught me and motivated me to do this work,” Bazyler says. “My goal is to be the kind of professor and mentor to my students that they were to me.”

Michael Bazyler (JD 1978) says his Gould education inspires him as a scholar and educator.

Hope for harmony

USC Gould’s Alternative Dispute Resolution program has local, global impact

By Matthew Kredell

People come from far and wide to learn the skills of dispute resolution at USC Gould School of Law. Sarah Tamang enrolled in USC Gould’s Alternative Dispute Resolution program after seeing how local government in Nepal, where she’s from, has encouraged ADR in legal conflicts.

Tamang works as a legal advisor for the Nepalbased nonprofit Hands in Outreach, which empowers marginalized girls and women to lift themselves out of poverty.

“There was a very cross-cultural aspect to studying ADR at USC Gould,” Tamang says. “My classmates came from all over the world, sharing their own cultural aspects in this very multicultural city. Mediation involves understanding the issues of people from difficult cultures.”

For Melody Wang (MDR 2019), a mediation career lined up with her goals. She grew up in Taiwan, went to high school in Beijing and then double majored in psychology and political science at Southern Methodist University. She began looking at law schools but dispute resolution caught her attention.

“Nepal is a small country and many people don’t have the money to hire lawyers or much knowledge about court processes,” says Tamang, who graduates this year with an LLM in ADR. “Since I’m also a lawyer, I know how tedious, expensive and time-consuming litigation can be. I wanted to help people live happy lives through mediation instead of going to court and expanding tensions.”

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) can help parties in civil cases resolve conflicts quicker, cheaper and more amicably through mediation and arbitration. USC Gould offers two degree programs in ADR: a Master of Laws (LLM) for those with a law degree and a Master of Dispute Resolution (MDR) for non-lawyers, as well as a 12-unit certificate.

“What’s unique about dispute resolution is it applies to everybody,” says Richard Peterson, director of the USC Gould Center for Dispute Resolution. “We have students in our program from 40 different countries. We have students that are judges, longtime lawyers, business owners, from careers in human resources, medicine and education. It’s universal and it’s transformative. It changes the way people think and behave when they are in conflict. And conflict is a natural part of the human experience.”

“I’m pretty sure I would have enjoyed being an attorney but I’m not sure that kind of lifestyle was for me,” Wang says. “I think in this country that there’s always a solution if you can help the parties communicate with each other, so mediation seemed like the perfect fit for me.”

Wang is an example of the impact the program makes both on communities locally and around the world.

Through her own consulting company, Wang Mediation, she has worked as a mediator in federal court in Los Angeles and the New York Supreme Court (Queens County). She hopes to work in negotiation and conflict resolution for the United Nations.

“I’m really happy with the work I’m doing and think I’m making a really positive impact in my community,” Wang says. “Working with the Asian-American community and helping families really brings me joy and helps fulfill me as a person.”

Walter Gonzalez (MDR 2022) used experience as his guide as he proceeded through Gould’s ADR program. As someone with autism who grew up in an inner-city environment, Gonzalez faced conflicts with teachers and administrators in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

He felt a connection with Peterson, who spent 15 years directing a clinic at Pepperdine University on resolving

“I’m really happy with the work I’m doing and think I’m making a really positive impact in my community.”

—MELODY WANG

conflicts in connection to children with learning disabilities. That’s what Gonzalez hopes to do in his career.

“In my personal history with special education, I dealt with some teachers who were impatient in terms of helping me succeed,” Gonzalez says. “My mother and I had to fight with the school system. What made me want to get into special education dispute resolution is to try my best to prevent others from going through what I went through. If we get the right help and support, we can achieve great things just as people who don’t have learning disabilities.”

In the Practical Mediation Skills Clinic, LLM and MDR students take what they learned in classroom simulations into the real world to mediate actual cases in the California court system. Wang and Gonzalez say it was during this clinic that they fell in love with mediation.

Gonzalez found the clinic so valuable that he continues to volunteer as a mediator in Los Angeles Small Claims Court to build experience.

“It’s typical for people to come in angry,” Gonzalez says. “Often they just want to feel heard. I want them to see that I care, that I know what conflict feels like and I’m here to help. Mediation is incredibly important because it creates harmony between parties.”

“Often they [people] just want to feel heard. I want them to see that I care. Mediation is incredibly important because it creates harmony between parties.”

—WALTER GONZALEZ

Melody Wang (MDR 2019) and Walter Gonzalez (MDR 2022) are using their degrees to make a positive impact in their communities.

USC GOULD GRADUATES ATTEND ANNUAL BAR CEREMONY

Alumni Hon. David W. Swift (JD 2004) and Hon. Julia W. Brand (JD 1985) swear in graduates

By Leslie Ridgeway

More than 60 USC Gould School of Law graduates attended the annual Bar Admission Ceremony on Tuesday, Dec. 6 at Bovard Auditorium, celebrated by family and friends as they were formally sworn in to the California State Bar and the Federal courts.

Leading the swearing-in ceremony were two USC Gould alumni — for the state, Hon. David W. Swift (JD 2004) and for the federal courts, Hon. Julia W. Brand (JD 1985). Christina Mrktchyan, Student Bar Association president, called the swearing-in sessions to order as bailiff.

Dean Andrew Guzman congratulated the alumni on their achievement, completed in the face of numerous challenges.

“You have proven not only your thorough knowledge of the law, but also the discipline and character to become outstanding attorneys,” he said. “On top of that, you were able to complete your legal education amid a global pandemic.”

Guzman also encouraged the alumni to stay connected with USC Gould in the years ahead. “You will have the opportunity to inspire future classes of lawyers and leaders.”

Before signing the graduates’ oath cards, Judge Swift of the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, shared advice as they begin their legal careers, warning

against displaying a tough façade to accomplish their goals, as he has seen some young lawyers eager to fight for causes do.

“Recognize that kindness does not equal weakness and zealous advocacy does not mean being a jerk,” he said, following up with a recommendation that the new lawyers find opportunities for involvement in their communities. “If you show up, you will make connections and open doors … network before you need it.”

Judge Brand, who serves in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California, reminded graduates that despite the solid education they received in law school, there would be still much to learn, and that they would gain knowledge and experience by taking on challenging projects and assisting their colleagues. Referring to trends toward hybrid working situations, Judge Brand recommended that graduates take advantage of in-person working opportunities, which she said are of greater benefit to everyone in legal transactions.

“The practice of law is a collaborative process,” she said. “We all benefit and importantly, our clients benefit, too when we work together to create the most persuasive agreement that we can, and that happens best when you can talk about issues or strategies face to face.”

CLINICAL PERSPECTIVES 2023

The Post-Conviction Justice Project conducted parole readiness workshops at Calipatria State Prison.

“JUSTICE WARRIOR” FOR FREEDOM

PCJP’s Clinical Legal Fellow Danielle Wilkins (JD 2022) aims to bring parole readiness workshops to more people deserving of justice

By Julie Riggott

Since 1981, USC Gould’s Post-Conviction Justice Project (PCJP) has trained justice warriors to advocate for clients in state and federal prisons deserving of a second chance. Led by Director Heidi Rummel and Co-founder Michael Brennan, PCJP students have represented thousands of individuals at parole hearings and have helped pass landmark youth justice reforms.

One of those justice warriors is Danielle Wilkins (JD 2022), PCJP’s Clinical Legal Fellow for 2022-24, funded by the Kautz Family Foundation. Wilkins works with Rummel to bring more parole readiness workshops to California prisons, especially those farther from major cities, and offer consultations in Spanish.

The first workshops March 28 and 29 at Calipatria State Prison included a parole process overview, a mock parole hearing, one-on-one consultations with certified law students, and discussions with former PCJP clients who have been paroled. Eunice Bautista, PCJP senior case manager, conducted consultations in Spanish.

“With Eunice’s guidance, we are working toward capacity to present the entire program in Spanish because there are so few programs and rehabilitative opportunities for single-language Spanish speakers,” Wilkins says. “We want to reach people who are just beginning to think about the change necessary to be granted parole because it takes a lot of time to prepare for a hearing.”

Preparation includes understanding the parole process and working to rehabilitate through education, introspection, self-help programming and a commitment to nonviolence and sobriety — “so that when they are paroled, they will be ready for a new phase in life,” she says.

Partnering with Human Rights Watch and the AntiRecidivism Coalition, PCJP has conducted workshops

for several years. “In addition to working with one or two clients over the course of the year, students will work with three to four clients during the workshops,” Wilkins says. “It allows them to think, ‘I have an hour and a half to assist a client I have never met. What strategies can I employ during our meeting to advance their parole preparation?’ And I think that’s a different muscle than they’re used to exercising when they’re working with clients long-term.”

Wilkins chose USC Gould for its tight-knit community focused on public interest work, supportive faculty and their impressive work toward prison reform. While a student, she participated in PCJP and Prof. Rummel and Prof. Elizabeth Calvin’s Legislative Policy Practicum and served as the pro bono co-chair and 3L advisor to the Barbara F. Bice Public Interest Law Foundation. Wilkins was honored by faculty, staff and students with the Miller-Johnson Equal Justice Prize in 2022.

Wilkins, who plans to pursue a career in criminal justice and prison reform, praises the PCJP for giving students an opportunity to apply what they’ve learned in law school with guidance. “I believe clinical education is the best way to bridge the gap between being a law student and becoming a lawyer,” she says. “It was by far the most impactful experience I had as a student.”

Danielle Wilkins

A FAMILY’S SAFE PASSAGE TO AMER

Ukrainians escape war with help from students in USC Gould’s International Human Rights Clinic

By Leslie Ridgeway

The 2022 holidays were memorable to a Ukrainian family that escaped the ongoing war in Ukraine thanks in part to the USC Gould School of Law’s International Human Rights Clinic (IHRC) and two student attorneys who did the legwork to bring this family to the United States.

“One of the four focus areas of the IHRC is refugee rights,” says Pithia of the clinic, founded in 2011 by Director, Professor Hannah Garry. “Another is accountability for atrocity situations. Our clinic is always adjusting and acting upon what is most urgent in light of the most pressing human rights concerns of the day. Combining these two focus areas with what’s happening in Ukraine, it made sense to help this young family while another clinic team was simultaneously in The Hague at the International Criminal Court, with Professor Garry calling for accountability for the perpetration of atrocities that caused this family to flee.”

For this Ukrainian family, the way out began with Uniting for Ukraine, a U.S. government program launched in April 2022 to streamline the humanitarian parole process and help Ukrainians escape the ongoing war. Through this program, applicants with qualified U.S. sponsors can live in the U.S. as parolees for two years. In the past, the parole application process has often been interminable and sometimes only granted for one year. The clinic welcomed the U.S. government’s new program, which allowed the young family to escape the war in Ukraine in a timely manner. (The family is not being named for privacy concerns.)

The Ukrainian family of four (including two children ages 6 and 2) landed Dec. 10 at Los Angeles International Airport, greeted by Henna Pithia (JD 2015), visiting clinical assistant professor with the IHRC and supervising attorney on this matter. Also present were members of an Orange County church sponsoring the family, plus members of Home for Refugees, a faithbased organization in Irvine, Calif. that helped IHRC get in touch with the sponsors to arrange for humanitarian parole for the young family and help them escape the war, now in its second year as of Feb. 24.

2L Uma Fry Demetria and 3L Harutyun Margaryan worked with representatives at Home for Refugees who connected the clinic to U.S. sponsors that would eventually support the family through the parole process. Communicating across borders with the Ukrainian family, the students provided legal assistance by completing the online parole application form for each sponsor and each member of the family. Communication via Zoom was irregular, depending on what was happening in Kyiv, where the family was living amidst the ongoing war.

“

It’s such a meaningful experience... you’re making a difference in a family’s life, using the skills we are developing to make even a small impact on a larger scale.”

3L HARUTYUN MARGARYAN

“Our client was always unsure if he could make the meetings because he was often in bomb shelters with no electricity or Zoom connection,” says Demetria. “We decided to continue communication through a secure, encrypted platform to make sure that we had a private line of communication with our clients as they fled Ukraine.”

“It’s very dangerous on a large scale — we constantly worried about whether the family would be the next target of Russian drone, missile, or rocket strikes,” says Margaryan.

Relieved to remove his family from the war, the clinic’s client said he appreciated that he could trust Demetria and Margaryan to properly handle the application process and get him and his family out quickly and safely.

“Harut and Uma are true professionals,” he says. “I was very comfortable working with them on our case. The help I received from Harut and Uma on arranging humanitarian parole is invaluable. I thank them very much for that.”

The church has assisted the family with housing and basic needs through fundraising, Pithia says. Before the two years of parole are up, the family will explore whether they should

apply for other forms of immigration relief, including asylum or another government program that may be developed in the future to assist them.

For the students, the outcome demonstrates the power of clinical work to change the lives of people uprooted by war — people often forgotten as the daily news cycle explodes minute by minute with shocking headlines.

“It’s such a meaningful experience,” says Margaryan. “You’re making a difference in a family’s life, using the skills we are developing to make even a small impact on a larger scale.”

“When Russia’s invasion happened, it blew up in the media right away, but people forget it’s ongoing and has been impacting lives,” says Demetria. “There’s a stronger realization that they have jobs and family like everyone else when you’re on Zoom with someone who is in the dark with their daughter on their lap.”

Both Margaryan and Demetria plan to continue to work on important human rights issues after graduation.

IHRC

2L Uma Fry Demetria, left and 3L Harutyun Margaryan.

The family arrives at Los Angeles International Airport from Ukraine.

RELIEF FOR RENTERS

USC Gould Housing Policy and Law Clinic puts students into the community to deliver legal services to tenants at risk of losing their homes

By Adriana Maestas

With over 64% of households in the City of Los Angeles occupied by renters and the Southern California region impacted by a national housing crisis, the USC Housing Law and Policy Clinic (HLPC) is in an important position to give students experience with advocacy for tenants and working with community groups and others to address local housing issues.

Under the guidance of Deepika Sharma, clinical assistant professor and director of the HLPC, five 2Ls and 3Ls, two 1L volunteers and three undergraduate students who speak fluent Spanish staff the clinic. HLPC, launched in 2022, employs a community lawyering model that emphasizes building relationships with tenants and collaborating with community groups to empower and uplift indigent tenants.

HLPC students partner with Strategic Action for a Just Economy (SAJE), a South Los Angeles community-based organization dedicated to tenant rights advocacy and housing policy reform by serving clients at their weekly tenant action clinic, as well as supporting a monthly tenant harassment clinic. To date, HLPC has provided direct services to over 125 tenants, most of whom are monolingual Spanish speakers and families with children living in South LA.

2L Havyn Quigley says she appreciates the opportunity to be on the ground floor of a new clinic focused on one of the most critical public issues in Los Angeles.

“There’s a big need for help in the housing space in Los Angeles because most people have been or are renters,” she says. “Many tenants don’t know their rights and often face harassment.”

Housing Law and Policy Clinic Director Deepika Sharma with HLPC students at Homeboy Industries, where they conducted pop-up clinics for Homeboy trainees with housing issues.

HLPC students help their clients identify resources and understand complex housing laws, assist with drafting letters to landlords and, in some cases, make legal referrals. As the March 31 expiration date for COVID-19 protections approached, students worked on making tenants aware of the 12-month deadline to pay back rent and available resources to help them with payment.

For 2L Lo Wong, the one-on-one experience of working with a client — a man with a disability living in a West Hollywood apartment for the past 20 years — demonstrated the impact she and the legal profession can have on people’s lives.

“It’s been tough for him to gain employment, and he was unable to enroll in the Section 8 voucher program, as these programs are quite competitive due to high demand,” says Wong. “He was also having issues with his SSI application, so I helped link him to Disability Rights California and local resources available for rental assistance. But it was not until when I assured him that he doesn’t have to worry about the back rent until next February because of the city’s COVID emergency renter protections, that I heard him sigh with a real sense of relief.”

To further clarify the legal protections available to tenants, HLPC students are developing charts and templates in English and Spanish.

Like many clinics, the HPLC gives students an opportunity to exercise their passions for social justice.

For 3L Andrew Freire, that passion is language access. Freire, who speaks Spanish, plans to advocate for better language access within unjust systems after graduation.

“Before I went to law school, I volunteered as an interpreter for tenants,” he says. “Through that experience, I became aware of how language accessibility is an important part of creating access to justice. It’s been rewarding to translate housing law rights for tenants when they receive illegal eviction notices or coercive letters from their landlords. In response, we carefully draft bilingual letters or interpret government agency communications from English to Spanish so that tenants can learn about the specific housing issues they are confronting and effectively advocate for themselves.”

Other HLPC projects include Know Your Rights workshops on renter’s rights. The clinic has presented on two occasions to 130 students and community members, conducted pop-up clinics at Homeboy Industries, supporting Homeboy’s trainees with housing issues, and is working on housing policy reform at the local level. Sharma’s goal for the clinic is to expose students to the multiple factors affecting tenants, from language barriers to market pressures, discrimination, harassment, and public health emergencies — and to help students understand their impact as attorneys in advocating for housing justice.

“I hope to instill the idea of working alongside your client, rather than serving as an expert who is above them. In HLPC we are dedicated to supporting our client’s agency in a way that we hope allows them to use their own voice when asserting the law,” she says.

“

There’s a big need for help in the housing space in Los Angeles because most people have been or are renters. Many tenants don’t know their rights and often face harassment.”

—HAVYN QUIGLEY, 2L

BUILDING QUALITY LEGAL SKILLS

USC Immigration Clinic alumni reflect on career-shaping experiences

By Carren Jao

For more than 20 years, the USC Gould School of Law’s Immigration Clinic has represented individuals seeking asylum and other humanitarian protection in the United States. Professor Niels Frenzen and Professor Jean Reisz, the clinic’s co-directors, supervise law students in their second and third years to provide affordable, high-quality legal representation to clients, including USC students and staff, and immigrant children through a partnership with Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. The students’ work is a matter of ensuring a client’s safety.

“Immigration laws are complex and, regardless of who is president, immigration enforcement practices have been harsh in recent years,” says Frenzen. “Having an Immigration Clinic student represent a client under the supervision of a clinical faculty member frequently means that the client will not be deported to a place of danger, will not be separated from family and will be granted legal status in the United States.”

Two recent graduates are among the hundreds of law students whose ambitions led them to USC Gould and the Immigration Clinic. Carson Scott (JD 2020) and Emma Burgoon (JD 2022), whose mothers are from Mexico, have first-hand experience with assumptions about their parents’ backgrounds that prompted them to pursue law careers.

Scott works at Immigrant Defenders Law Center in Los Angeles, co-founded by Executive Director Lindsay Toczylowski (JD 2008), also an Immigration

Clinic alum. At ImmDef, Scott handles children’s immigration cases and impact litigation cases that give her an opportunity to work toward policy changes in immigration.

As a 1L, Scott worked weekends in the clinic’s naturalization programs, providing free legal support for those interested in becoming naturalized citizens. When she formally joined the clinic as a 2L, her work ranged from merit hearings, arguing on behalf of two women detained at Adelanto Detention Center, successfully representing a client during a bond hearing and winning the client’s release, and drafting a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals appellate brief application for a client’s deferral of removal under the Convention Against Torture.

“Getting that experience and being trained to provide a certain level of quality of representation is really special,” Scott says. “It is something I carry with me and expect to give each case, each filing I handle.”

Burgoon, who also volunteered with the clinic in her first year, says she gained important experience with juggling multiple cases, and enhanced her writing skills. Her work included writing briefs and motions, helping to write a Ninth Circuit petition for a client and filing Freedom of Information Act requests for clients.

“I got a lot of early exposure to great legal skills that I’m carrying over now to my job,” says Burgoon, now an associate at Morrison Foerster LLP working on privacy and data security cases with plans to use her Immigration Clinic skills on pro bono cases.

Emma Burgoon

Carson Scott

COMPOSING A CONTRACT

With Small Business Clinic, 3L Bryce Bark helps a small Los Angeles symphony with legal details

By Greg Hardesty

Helping a small symphony in Los Angeles legally form as a business in 2022 hit the right note for 3L Bryce Bark.

As a participant in USC Gould School of Law’s Small Business Clinic, Bark was assigned to assist South Side Symphony founder and songwriter/ composer/musician Marcus Norris form a company and draft independent contractor agreements with the musicians he hires to perform his works. For Bark, who begins her career after graduation at the San Diego office of Morrison Foerster LLP, the assignment was eyeopening in more ways than one.

“It was really interesting to learn about [Marcus’] work,” Bark says. “And he was great to work with because he was very responsive and asked the right questions.”

Under the mentorship of Michael Chasalow, clinical professor of law and director of the SBC, Bark worked with Norris to form an LLC with S corporation status — a designation that can be beneficial for small business owners responsible to pay large amounts of self-employment taxes, such as Social Security and Medicare taxes.

In forming the LLC, Bark had to understand the role of, and navigate filings with the California Secretary of State and the IRS. In drafting the contract for the symphony, Bark became familiar with the nuances of recent state law concerning independent contractors. The contract included some intellectual property concerns since Norris owns the music he composes. The work gave Bark experience with assessing a client’s needs and translating those needs into contractual provisions.

“You have to think about all the good and bad outcomes that might occur and the effects of the words you draft in the legal documents,” she says. “[Norris] brings in individuals to perform his music in large

settings, so it’s different from a normal band with everyone playing consistently. It comes with a lot of moving parts.”

The value of the SBC’s legal services range between $12,000 and $25,000 — a great deal for clients who could not otherwise afford the caliber of legal services provided by the clinic.

Chasalow says Bark succeeded by paying attention to the distinctive needs presented by Norris’ business.

“Bryce did a fantastic job on this matter,” he says. “There were a number of subtle and unique issues that needed to be addressed because a symphony is not a typical client and does not have typical needs. Bryce handled these issues with insight, creativity, expertise and great professionalism. Her work on this matter was at level of many second-year associates.”

As Bark sets off as an attorney, she can already count one happy client in Norris.

“Bryce was amazing and insightful,” he says. “She not only helped me with the things I went to her for, but identified other areas she could help me with that I didn’t even know I was in need of.”

Bryce Bark

AN EQUITABLE SOLUTION

Mediation Clinic students gain experience working on federal employee cases for Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

By Adriana Maestas

Along-standing partnership between USC Gould School of Law’s Mediation Clinic and the Los Angeles office of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission gives Gould students an opportunity to work with an influential alumna and helps the EEOC manage its workload.

experience of resolving actual discrimination cases and mediating real employment discrimination disputes.”

The Mediation Clinic’s work with the EEOC involves federal employees who have a special administrative process for their discrimination cases, most of them dealing with race, gender, sexual harassment, disability, age discrimination and retaliation. It is challenging work — administrative judges typically review investigative reports as long as 1,000 pages, including exhibits and affidavits, to understand the factual background. The Los Angeles office alone has hundreds of cases pending with federal employees and agencies seeking resolution.

“We appreciate how Judge Gross is letting us handle these higher-level cases, and we know that she’s appreciative that we are easing some of the workload. There’s a mutual respect and mutual gratitude in how we work with Judge Gross and the EEOC,” says 3L Danny Costandy.

3L Brian Lam says working with the EEOC has given him a clearer perspective of the resolution process in the federal government. While Lam is interested in pursuing a career in criminal law, mediating the EEOC cases has exposed him to the civil and administrative process, and, importantly, experience working directly with the disputants.

The Hon. Diane Gross (JD 1993), a supervising administrative judge for the L.A. office of the EEOC, has been assigning cases to students in the Mediation Clinic since 2018, as one of several pools of mediators. Under clinic supervision, the students pore through lengthy investigative reports to prepare for and then conduct the mediations.

“It has been a great partnership for us because we have such a high volume of cases, and we don’t always have the staffing needed to devote as much attention to mediation as would be optimal,” says Gross. “It’s wonderful to have this resource of USC law students to help us with our caseload. In turn, they gain the

“I’m learning a lot about how to listen to two parties who work in the same agency,” he says. “A lot of times, we’re dealing with clashing personalities, and people who aren’t communicating in the most straightforward way. Our job is to help the parties come to an equitable solution.”

Students work under the supervision of USC Gould Professor and Mediation Clinic Director Lisa Klerman, as well as Gould lecturers in law Martin Sullivan (JD 2010), Mark Lemke (JD 2000) and Angela Reddock-Wright.

Klerman is proud of what her students have accomplished. “The skills they gain that make them highly effective mediators are the same skills that give them a leg up as they begin their legal careers.”

Hon. Diane Gross (second from left) with (from left) Mark Lemke (JD 2000), Professor Lisa Klerman, Martin Sullivan (JD 2010) and Angela Reddock-Wright, who provide supervision to Mediation Clinic students.

CLINICAL CONNECTIONS

Intellectual Property and Technology Law Clinic brings student, alumnus together for employment opportunity

By Greg Hardesty

Eric Fram was in his third year at the USC Gould School of Law when he heard something that crystallized his vision of his future.

It was a talk by Chris Perez (JD 2009), a partner in the boutique entertainment law firm Donaldson Callif Perez LLP, which specializes in representing independent producers of film, TV and web-based content on such issues as copyright, trademark and personal rights issues. During the lecture, sponsored by the Latinx Law Student Association, Perez touched on his time at the Intellectual Property and Technology Law Clinic, which Fram belonged to, as well as the focus of his firm, on clients aspiring to make the world a better place through creative works.

Fram had explored public service with summer internships with Holocaust Survivor Services and Elder Justice team of Bet Tzedek Legal Services and the California Department of Justice’s civil division, but Perez’ firm sounded like a place where he could support efforts to improve society on the creative side.

“The more he talked, the more he sounded like me — what I wanted to do,” says Fram.

Last fall, after earning his JD and certificate in media and entertainment law (MET) from USC, he began reporting to one of his new bosses: Chris Perez. At DCP, Fram is now supporting independent creatives to execute their visions by protecting their expressive rights.

“This law firm really checked all the boxes for me,” he says. “And the experience I got in the clinic was a very close mirror to what I actually do day to day at the firm.”

A CHANCE TO MAKE AN IMPACT

Fram says his year in the IPTLC, which is run by Professor Jef Pearlman, gave him invaluable experience in providing a range of intellectual property-related services for the clinic’s clients – most of them documentary filmmakers, including one who made a film about a local theater company. Perez, too, not only gained important experience but also met his future business partner through IPTLC.

Back in 2008, Perez worked with then-IPTLC director Professor Jack Lerner on a long-term project with pro bono counsel Michael Donaldson (now Perez’s partner) to secure an exemption from the Digital Millennium Copyright Act for documentary filmmakers looking to take advantage of fair use.

“It was the most challenging project of my professional life, but it was by far the most rewarding,” Perez says. “Aside from landing a job with Donaldson, it also gave me the confidence that I could make a real, discernable impact with a law degree.”

Pearlman says he strives to make the clinic an opportunity for students to not only gain hands-on experience but to align themselves with the kind of work they hope to do after law school.

“Eric represents what we hope for in our clinic program: giving our clients great service, helping our students find their own path, and preparing them to do well by doing good as lawyers,” he says.

Eric Fram

HONO R R OLL

U.S. Rep. Nanette D. Barragán (JD 2005) was elected as the new chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, a legislative service organization of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Richard Briones-Colman (JD 1995) retired as deputy public defender from Riverside County Public Defender office this year after 20 years and has joined the San Diego Public Defender office.

Hilary Habib (JD 2013) was promoted to partner in the labor and employment practice group at SheppardMullin LLP’s Los Angeles office.

Robert L. Handler (JD 1979) joined Blank Rome LLP’s Corporate, M&A, and Securities group as senior counsel.

Sam Brown (JD 2015) was named partner at Hennig Kramer Ruiz & Singh LLP effective Jan. 1, where he practices plaintiff’s side employment law, civil rights law, and litigates false claims act cases.

Joan W. Howarth’s (JD 1980) book, Shaping the Bar, was published by Stanford University Press in December 2022

Mike Ludwig (BS 1991, JD 1994) recently launched Ludwig Mediation–Ludwig Law PC, an independent employment law mediation practice.

Scott Alan Burroughs, Esq. (JD 2004) of Doniger/Burroughs, co-owned by Stephen M. Doniger, Esq. (JD 1995) prevailed at the Supreme Court of the United States earlier this year, winning a 6-3 decision in the important copyright case Unicolors, Inc. v. H&M Hennes & Mauritz, L.P.

Steven Mednick (MPA 1975, JD 1980) was promoted to full professor of clinical entrepreneurship at USC Marshall School of Business. Mednick joined USC Marshall as an assistant professor of clinical entrepreneurship in 2007

Trevor Countryman (BA 2010, JD 2013) was elected partner at Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell LLP.

Alison Dundes Renteln (JD 1991) received the Raubenheimer Award from the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences. The award recognizes excellence in teaching, research, and service. Renteln also co-authored International Human Rights: A Survey (Cambridge University Press, 2023), and co-edited The Ethical University: Transforming Higher Education (Rowman & Littlefield, 2023).

Star Mishkel Tyner (JD 2006) was promoted to partner at Felker Toczek Suddleson Abramson McGinnis Ryan LLP. She negotiates television and film deals on behalf of actors, directors, writers, showrunners and producers.

Cynthia E. Organ (JD 2013) was promoted to partner in Glaser Weil, LLP’s litigation department.

Alan H. Sarkisian’s (JD 1980) article on E-1 treaty trader and E-2 treaty investor visas was selected as the feature article for the January 2023 issue of the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s magazine, Los Angeles Lawyer.

IN MEMO R IAM

Brandon Reilly (JD 2011) was elected equity partner in the Orange County office of Manatt, Phelps and Phillips, LLP.

Laura Riley (JD 2010) is the new director of clinical programs at University of California, Berkeley School of Law. Her new book, Homeless Advocacy, was published by Carolina Academic Press in March 2023

Victor Romero (JD 1992) was appointed interim dean of Penn State Law and the Pennsylvania State School of International Affairs.

Jeff Sklar (JD 2007) was appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey as a judge in Division 2 of the Arizona Court of Appeals.

Isaiah Weedn (BS 1999, JD 2003) was named SheppardMullin LLP’s director of litigation training. He has been an associate and special counsel in SheppardMullin’s Business Trials Practice Group since 2006

Chloe S. Wolman, Esq. (JD 2011) started her own boutique family law practice, Wolman Law, A Professional Corporation. Wolman handles complex custody and divorce matters as well as mediation counseling and pre- and post-marital agreements.

Sara Zollner (JD 2021) joined Weinberg, Roger & Rosenfeld as an associate working on arbitrations, litigation and National Labor Relations Board hearings.

HON. JUDY CHIRLIN (JD 1974) passed away on Nov. 11, 2022 .

Judge Chirlin served on the Los Angeles Superior Court from 1985 to 2009. She was deeply committed to improving the administration of justice in California and worldwide. She traveled to countries including Peru, Chile, Iraq, and Jordan to consult on court reform and teach programs for foreign judges, lawyers, and police officers.

NICHOLAS WOLPE STADMILLER (JD 2005), 41, died on May 21, 2020.

After earning his law degree from USC in 2005, Stadmiller worked for several different Southern California law firms in the fields of employment law and elder abuse.

At the time of his death, he had left the field of law and was exploring new opportunities, working in film and video. He is survived by his younger brother, Derek Stadmiller, as well as his mother and father.

JOSEPH (JOEY) STEVEN KLEIN (JD 1982), 67, died on March 7, 2023. Klein was an exceptional person in every way. He was a great son to Renny and Harry Klein, a wonderful brother to Debby and Jeff Klein, a loving husband to Wendy Klein, and an extraordinary dad to Rachel and Josh. He lived life to the fullest, and cherished every day as though it was his last.

KEVIN GLAUDIN (JD 2022), passed away on April 1, 2023.

Originally from Long Island, New York, Glaudin earned a bachelor’s degree in political science, summa cum laude, in 2018 from Queens College, in preparation for a career in law. He then made the move across the country to become a member of the Trojan Family.

At Gould, Glaudin was an active member of the Black Law Students Association and a graduate teaching assistant. During his 3L year he was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer. In spite of his challenges, Glaudin bravely fought through adversity, maintained his focus, and graduated alongside his colleagues last May.

Upon graduation, Glaudin’s sights were set on his newly accepted private equity specialist position at a prominent law firm. He considered this one of his greatest accomplishments and often talked about one day becoming a partner.

HALE MOOT COURT HONORS PROGRAM COMPETITION

2L Bryce Lourié was named the 2022-2023 Oral Advocate Champion in the 74th Hale Moot Court Honors program competition. Other finalists included 2Ls Jordan Al-Rawi, Natalie Bastawros and Rachel Stone. 3L MacKenzie Tobin, a finalist in last year’s competition, served as chair of the Hale Moot Court program. Competitors delivered their arguments before the presiding judges, including Hon. Daniel P. Collins, U. S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, Hon. Harris Hartz, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, and Hon. Cheryl Ann Krause, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Hale Moot Court program competition champion, finalists and some participants receive monetary gifts through generous donors including Barbri, Anthony and Susan Taylor, Phil and Charlene Bosl, and the E. Avery Crary award, named after the late Judge Crary.

A GIFT BORN OF RELATIONSHIPS

Victoria Jeanette Dodd (JD 1978) made substantial contributions as a professor of constitutional law, federal courts and educational law and policy for more than 40 years at Suffolk University Law School. Before her death in 2020 following a long illness, she shared the importance of her relationships with Gould colleagues, including former Dean Bob Rasmussen and retired Dean of Career Services Betsy Armour.

They, in turn, admired her passion for the legal education Gould gives its students and her fierce loyalty to her alma mater.

These relationships, and Victoria’s gratitude for her Gould education, led her to include the law school in her estate plans. She bequeathed funds from her retirement accounts (IRA and 403B) to support needbased scholarships for students entering the school in fall 2023.

To learn more about her gift, visit https://uscgould.giftplans.org/.

To join other generous alumni in the Gould Heritage Society, please contact the USC Gould Development and Alumni Relations Office to discuss how estate planning can support your family’s financial goals while leaving a legacy that benefits future students. Call (213) 821-3560 or email Margaret Kean, assistant dean of development at mkean@law.usc.edu.

USC Law Magazine

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California 90089-0071

Address Service Requested

calendar

GOULD ALUMNI REUNION

Classes of 1978, 1983, 1988, 1993, 1998, 2003, 2008, 2013 and 2018

Saturday, September 23, 2023

The Ebell of Los Angeles

6:00-9:00 p.m.

GOULD COMMUNITY CELEBRATION

Dean Franita Tolson welcomes alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends to the first-ever USC Gould Community Celebration.

Wednesday, September 13, 2023

Alumni Park, UPC Campus

5:30 p.m.

For details about these events and others, please visit: gould.usc.edu/events.

CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION

2023 INSTITUTE ON ENTERTAINMENT

LAW AND BUSINESS

October 14, 2023

USC University Park Campus

Hybrid Format (in-person & virtual)

49TH ANNUAL TRUST AND ESTATE CONFERENCE

November 17, 2023

Westin Bonaventure Hotel, Los Angeles

Hybrid Format (in-person & virtual)

2023 INSTITUTE FOR CORPORATE COUNSEL

December 6, 2023

The California Club, Los Angeles

In-Person (no video on-demand access)

Nonprofit Organization

U.S. Postage Paid

University of Southern California