A Traynor Triumph! for the First Time in History, San Joaquin College of Law Played Host to the Traynor Moot Court Competition This Year
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Summer 2013 2 Dean’s Message 3 UVisa Event 4 Co-op Degree with FPU 5 Spring Banquet 6 Alumni Corner 7 Graduation 10 Barpassers Volume XXIV, Number 2 11 Alumni Profiles 15 Advancement A Traynor Triumph! For the first time in history, San Joaquin College of Law played host to the Traynor Moot Court Competition this year. ourteen law schools competed, Magistrate Judge Boone!! The trophy is But that wasn’t the only win for the including teams from Berkeley, huge – we get to keep it for a year!” Law School. Professors Conklin and Hastings, McGeorge, and Davis. Boone have been trying to persuade FSan Joaquin College of Law was thrilled SJCL Moot Court Director Professor the organizers to use Fresno as a venue when Justice Marvin R. Baxter an- Jonathan Conklin, a Superior Court for years before having success landing nounced on the morning of April 14th Judge, and Professor Stanley Boone, a US this year’s competition. They managed the SJCL team had “edged out” Loyola Magistrate Judge, coached the team. to secure the Federal Courthouse as a to take the Roger J. Traynor trophy for venue, marking the first time in the 40- Best Oral Argument. While SJCL has had a number of victo- some year history of the event that it has ries at Traynor over the years, including ever been held in a courthouse. If the SJCL Dean Jan Pearson immediately winning the Bernard E. Witkin Award comments of the other law schools and sent out the good news, proclaiming in 2002 and Best Brief in 2001, 2002 officials from Continuing Education of “Congratulations to Amanda DeHart, and last year, this marks the first time Bar and the Rutter Group during this James Mugridge, and George Vasquez the Law School has won the Traynor year’s event weren’t enough to indicate as well as Coaches Judge Conklin and Trophy. its success, the comments of Witkin See Traynor Page 14 The Traynor Team poses with the Justices from the final round of the weekend competition. (L-R) Honorable Stanley Boone, students George Vasquez and Amanda DeHart, Honorable Lawrence O’Neill, Honorable Marvin R. Baxter, Honorable Brad Hill, student James Mugridge, and Honorable Jonathan Conklin. DEAN’S MESSAGE Volume XXIV, Number 2 Legal education is undergoing profound change. The State Editorial Staff Bar Task Force on Admissions Reform recently released a Janice Pearson proposal it hopes will require law schools to incorporate Sally Perring Missy McKai Cartier more practical skills training in the curriculum. This Joan Lassley Joyce Morodomi proposal has not been formally adopted, but the trend it Kasi Welte reflects is interesting. Contributing Writers he proposal calls a panoply of such classes, COBE accredited law school Missy McKai Cartier Joan Lassley for each student to including a pre-trial criminal like SJCL must include ev- Janice Pearson complete 15 semes- law skills class, a pre-trial ery bar-tested subject in its Kasi Welte Tter units in practical skills civil law skills class, Crimi- required curriculum. Add courses prior to admission nal Trial Practice, Civil Trial the need to provide funda- Design & Production to the bar. This could be ac- Practice, Family Law Media- mental first-year training in Mark Enns complished in courses after tion, Digital Research, and research and writing, and 60 the first year of law studies. Law Practice Management. of the 86 units required for Photography In the alternative, the student Several additional classes are graduation from SJCL are Missy McKai Cartier could complete six months planned. taken. With the 15 units of Kenny Gilman of full-time employment in practical skills training, SJCL Rick Rodriguez a Bar-approved apprentice- Ideally, the Task Force wants students would have only Ronald Webb ship. Many students would more live-client experiences. 11 units available for other Publication opt for the classroom compo- Units attained in extern- electives. Professional Print & Mail nent since the apprenticeship ships and law school clinics could mean delayed paid also count towards the 15 Independently, COBE pro- employment and such ap- unit proposed requirement. poses to reduce the Califor- prenticeships might not be Before the Task Force pro- nia bar examination to two readily available. posal was released, SJCL had days without reducing the already sought a waiver of number of subjects tested. For SJCL students, this pro- Committee of Bar Examin- In fact, Civil Procedure will posal is not as onerous as it ers (COBE) regulations that be added to the Multistate first appears. Included in the limited the number of units a Bar Examination in Febru- types of courses qualifying student could obtain in non- ary of 2015. If practical skills as “practical skills” courses classroom experiences. SJCL training is truly the priority, are advanced research and students now can obtain up perhaps the number of sub- writing, practical drafting to 8 units in externships and jects on the bar ought to be (such as contract drafting), law school clinics. These are re-examined. professional responsibility, the best experiences for train- and moot court. SJCL stu- ing in client interviewing and SJCL is undergoing a com- dents are already required to problem solving. prehensive review of its cur- take 8 such units to gradu- riculum. These are some of ate. Hence, each student There is a critical need for the issues with which it must would have to take 7 addi- practical training, but there grapple in that process. tional units in practical skills is a downside for COBE courses. SJCL already offers accredited law schools. A Board of Trustees San Joaquin College of Law Douglas Noll, J.D., Chair, Ross Borba, Jr., Vice Chair, John Loomis, J.D., Secretary/Treasurer, Richard Caglia, J.D., 901 5th Street Hon. Jane Cardoza, Deborah Ann Coe Hood, J.D., Michael Dias, J.D., Greg Durbin, J.D., Jan L. Kahn, J.D., Dianna Clovis, CA 93612 Madison, J.D., Anthony Mendes, J.D., Hon. Robert Oliver, Lisa Smittcamp, J.D. , Steven Spencer, J.D., Dennis T: 559/323-2100 Veeh, CPA, David Weiland, J.D., Bob Whalen, J.D., Melissa White, J.D., Nick Zinkin, J.D., Richard Cartier, J.D., F: 559/323-5566 Faculty Representative, Dede Agrava, J.D., Alumni Representative, Harout Bouldoukian, SBA Representative www.sjcl.edu 2 SJCL Inter Alia NALC Reaches Out to the Community On April 12, 2013, SJCL’s New American Legal Clinic (NALC) hosted an MCLE event to explore the details of the U-nonimmigrant status (U Visa). By Jessica Bobadilla, Professor & NALC Legal Director he event was cosponsored by UC Davis and the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC). TIt was directed towards practitioners and non-profit agencies who work with populations that may benefit from the U Visa. Professors Justin Atkinson and Jessica Smith Bobadilla were featured speakers at the MCLE. Attendance from the SJCL and broader legal community was significant and drew from non- profit representatives, officials from the Consulate of Mexico in Fresno and solo practitioners as well as SJCL students. The U Visa is available to victims of quali- (L-R) Sarah Kate Heilbrun, HaleyNelson & Heilbrun, LLP, Sally Kinoshita, ILRC, fying crimes who have suffered substantial Scott Mossman, Law Office of Scott A. Mossman, Janie Munoz-Tafoya, Central physical or mental abuse as a result of the California Legal Services, and Jessica Smith-Bobadilla, SJCL New American Legal Clinic. crime, and are helpful in the investigation or prosecution of the perpetrator. The visa while also protecting victims of crimes Obama on June 15, 2012. The DACA is valid for a period of four years during who have suffered substantial mental or process gives young people who arrived which time the applicant can live and work physical abuse due to the crime and are in the United States under 16 years old in the United States. After the third year in willing to help law enforcement authori- and have resided continuously since U Visa status the applicant can apply for ties in the investigation or prosecution June 15, 2007, the opportunity to Legal Permanent Residence in the United of the criminal activity. The legislation receive a stay of deportation and work States. Certain qualifying family members also helps law enforcement agencies to authorization for a period of two years may also be eligible to derive benefits from better serve victims of crimes. which is renewable for an additional two the U Visa applicant. years. Applicants must never have been Since the U Visa legislation only became convicted of a serious crime or multiple Congress created the U Visa with the a final rule in late 2007 there are many misdemeanors and must be under 31 passage of the Victims of Trafficking cutting edge legal topics related to years old as of June 15, 2012. Applicants and Violence Protection Act (includ- this new law. The U Visa legislation is must also have pursued an education ing the Battered Immigrant Women’s unique because many of the grounds of in the United States or currently be Protection Act) in October 2000. The inadmissibility (bars to receiving immi- enrolled in school. legislation was intended to strengthen gration status in the U.S.) are relaxed or the ability of law enforcement agen- entirely waived for U Visa applicants. The deferred action process is also new cies to investigate and prosecute cases and there are many unknowns about of domestic violence, sexual assault, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals this process as well. Since Congress has trafficking of aliens and other crimes, or DACA was announced by President Continued on Page 14 Full-Time Faculty Justin B. Atkinson, Andreas Borgeas, Richard M.