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Amicusil!~ CURIAE College of William & Mary Law School William & Mary Law School Scholarship Repository Student Newspaper (Amicus, Advocate...) Archives and Law School History 1978 Amicus Curiae (Vol. 10, Issue 3) Repository Citation "Amicus Curiae (Vol. 10, Issue 3)" (1978). Student Newspaper (Amicus, Advocate...). 218. https://scholarship.law.wm.edu/newspapers/218 Copyright c 1978 by the authors. This article is brought to you by the William & Mary Law School Scholarship Repository. https://scholarship.law.wm.edu/newspapers Prof. Waite Enioys "Visiting" Status At MW has been spending much more by David B. Kirby upon the cases. This committee­ free year was supposed to give time doing research in the Being a visiting professor at a him a chance to work on those library than he had expected. school has its advantages, the notes. For this reason, Waite said that best of which, according to G. Instead, Waite has found the the casebook he has begun will Graham Waite, Visiting need to prepare for a course he is probably remain on his Professor of Law, is " a year free teaching in future interests. He bookshelf this year. from any committee said that the Saturday before In addition, Waite also teaches assignments. " classes started he received a the year-long first year course in A year at a new school telephone call from the property and, next semester, a provides other opportunities, bookstore and was told that the course in trusts and estates. too, many that Waite, Professor casebook he had ordered for a If the casebook ever does get of Law at Catholic University, course he was to teach in water completed, its format will has already taken advantage of. rights, one of his fields of proba bly follow what first He has met new fellow law expertise, was no longer attracted him to property law. professors and students. His available. Soon after that at a Although " it was happenstance family, eager to see more of the conference with Dean William to some degree," Waite traces Williamsburg area from past B. Spong, Jr., Spong mentioned his interest in property to his visits, has already seen some of that several students had urged first exposure to it at the the local attractions. And, that a future interests course be University of Wisconsin Law although he denies active taught. " 1 sort of stumbled into School. He said the text he used pursuit of it this year a partially it. actually," Waite said of his there introduced the subject in a completed casebook on property decision to volunteer to teach the philosophical way; it did not law is silting on his bookcase. course. throw extensive cases at the The cases for the book are This gave him problems student from the beginning. already chosen, Waite said. because he left much of his The casebook he has assigned What remains to be done is to material on future interests at to his first year property class write the notes that will expand Catholic University. Thus, he also follows this format. Waite has been teaching law for twenty years. He was drawn into teaching by "the desire to Marshall-Wythe School of Law use the theory of law." In addition, Wa ite said he enjoys talking to people and teaching gives him that opportunity. Before teaching he held several jobs, mostly with the federal government. He was AMICUS il!'I-,/, ~ , . .,'> ~ CURIAE with the Atomic Energy Co mmission (AEC, now the Vol. X No.3 WilliamSburg, Virginia Published Fortnightly September 28, 1978 Nuclear Regulatory Commission) for two years and found it "sort of exciting." The AEC was then a young agency Honor Cou nci I and was making policy. This was Sa'ad EI-Amin To Lecture "good for my self esteem," Outlines Procedure Waite said. by Fred Becker Then, too. " I was thrilled to be Reactions to the recent part of the government." His At Marshall-Wythe Amicus Curiae report of last first job after mo'ving to Washington, D.C., was to attend bv Bessida White give an in-depth appraisal of the has led him from private spring's Honor Code violation ranged from disbelief that a a congressional hearing and Sa ' ad El-Amin (formerly efrectiveness of the courts as a practice in Richmond, to take notes on matters of interest Jeroyd X. Greene), will lecture vehicle for social change .. potential lawyer cheated to assistant professor at Howard to the AEC. It was thrilling, he here at Marshall-Wythe on surprise at the punishment Mr. EI-Amin holds a B.S. in University School of Law and said. to see such nationally­ Thursday, October 12 at 7: 30 Economics from the University adjunct professor at Virginia imposed. Although many students have not been exposed known figures as Hubert p.m . in the Moot Court Room . of Southern California, a M.S. in Commonwealth UniverSity, to Humphrey. Mr. El-Am in's topic will be Economics from Yale general counsel to the Nation of to an honor code before coming to Marshall-Wythe, the need for The AEC job led him to a "Judicial Conservatism vs. the University and a J .D. from Yale Islam, and finally back to position as a civilian attorney niversity. His brilliant and such a code in a professional Ri sing Expectations of private practice in Richmond. with the Navy's Bureau of Ships. Oppressed Minorities." He will often quite controversial career school should be apparent. In 1974 l\'lr. El-Amin received Lying, cheating, and stealing But there " it took you at least a and accepted an offer for a are all considered offenses year to see your place in the faculty position here at under the Honor Code, with scheme of things." He dealt with Marshall-Wythe. Routine appropriate penalties, including identical problems in contract approval generally given to such dismissal for offenses. law and administrative law each faculty appOintments was The primary responsibility for day until it became "hard to see . denied after State Senator enforcing the Honor Code rests the point of it all," he said . Edward Willey of Richmond with the students. Any student It was after leaving this job wrote a letter to the Dean of the who believes that a breach of the that Waite returned to the law school and the Board of Code has been committed must University of Wisconsin and Visitors threatening a cut-back challenge the offender in order completed a research-oriented of the law school's state funding to permit the accused to resign S.J.D. degree. He has been should such a " rabble-rouser ~' Crom the law school or report teaching almost exclusively be hired. himself-herself to the Judicial since then. Mr. El-Amin has been one of Council. If the accused takes no The Wichita-born professor the state's most outspoken action within twenty-four hours, has taught entirely in eastern opponents of racism and the accuser shall report his schools. " It was a question of hypocrisy both within and accusation to a Judicial Council gel ting a job," he said of his without the legal system. He member. In cases where a direct decision to come back east. He currently specializes in criminal Please see page seven spent two years at Catholic and civil rights trials and University and then taught at appeals, and many of his the University of Buffalo School colleagues have described him SBA Holds 1s t of Law (a then-private school as the best trial attorney in the that is now part of the State City of Richmond. His often Yeor Elections University .of New York at radical politics and quick tongue The Student Bar Association Buffalo >. Waite next taught at have led him to numerous will conduct elections for three the University of Maine School encounters with the judiciary, first year representatives of Law and, in 1966, returned to several of them ending in tomorrow, September 29, from Catholic University. \ contempt of court convictions. 10:00 a .m. until 1:00 p.m. The His experience at Maine was Mr. El-Amin's 1970 removal election will be held on the "interesting," Waite said. " It petition may have provided the second floor of the law school. was one situation where impetus which eventually led to First year representatives 'challenging' is more than just a the misconduct citation of represent the first year class on buzz-word." The state had Richmond Police Court Judge the Board of Directors of the purchased the facilities of a Harold Maurice (in September Student Bar Association and are small private law school and -- 1977 ). responsible for coordinating hired a dean. The dean hired Mr. EI-Amin's lecture is being Law Day activities. several faculty members and sponsored by the Black Pictures of the candidates and Waite was one of the first American Law Students texts of their platforms are on chosen. It gave him a chance to Association (BALSA). page four. Please see page three September 28, 1978 PAGE TWO Amicis Curiae _Gy~~!J91toslql Legal Pro: The Cons H~,( I ,.L . ~~1" ~o # ' ""T" I-\·S G",S <I.E ~"",i . An Open Letter to the Professional Responsibility Class: I';f OtWEY, C-H'EET"'" Y ~ After three weeks in Professional Responsibility class, I ~ ... I!oU\\4 ~L_ feel that it is time to voice my dismay at the direction the course is taking. Initially, I think fair to point out that my comments are certainly not intended to criticize Professor Walck or his style of teaching. I think Professor Walck is an excellent instructor and a knowledgeable lawyer. Nevertheless, the class itself leaves me troubled.
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