The Advocate, November 5, 1974
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George Washington University Law School Scholarly Commons The Advocate, 1974 The Advocate, 1960s-1970s 11-5-1974 The Advocate, November 5, 1974 Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarship.law.gwu.edu/the_advocate_1974 Recommended Citation George Washington University Law School, 6 The Advocate 6 (1974) This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the The Advocate, 1960s-1970s at Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Advocate, 1974 by an authorized administrator of Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. rSTUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE ~ATIONALnotaLAW CENTER November 5,1974r THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY SBA Plans Grade Reform Referendum Soon by Roy Baldwin plan, instead of each of the pro- 5. A proposal to continue the ber grade-percentile score or 'essay question asked on their Plans for a grade. reform fessors responsible for teaching present number-grade system as "CR" for each course passed. exams. (Proposals #7, 8, and 9 referendum were announced by sections of Torts, for example, it appears on the student's 7. A proposal that would add were passed by the SBA last the SBA Grade Reform Com- the course would be divided into transcript, but to add for each to the present number-letter year. but the Committee felt that mittee this week. The referen- three or four separate units and course for which a number grade grading system the grades of they should be re-submitted to dum will take place Nov. 20, and each Torts professor would pre- is shown the student's percentile A+, B+, C+, andD+ .. the student body this year to see ranking in that' section as if they continue to receive will measure student opinion on pare, teach and grade papers in 8. A proposal to establish a , a wide range of proposals formu- described in #3 above. support.) . only one of such units. Grade Review Board, to process lated by the Committee this fall, 6. The same proposal as in #5 In addition, two or three other 2. An opportunity for first- grade appeals. proposals which have not been as well as a number of proposals year students to choose credit-no above, but with the addition that "left over" from last year. the student be given the option 9. A proposal to require pro- acted upon by the Committee credit for some or all of their fessors to post model answers in may find their way onto the "The purpose of the refer- first-year courses. This option of having his or her transcript . prose or outline form for each referendum ballot. ' endum," said Committee mem- would be coupled with a liberal- show either the combined num- ber John Gunther, "is to find out ization of the passing require- which proposals among the half ment for receiving credit from dozen or so we've been looking the present 65 down to 55. at so far this year are the most Agnew May Face Private Suit important in the eyes of the NLC 3. A proposal to convert the students. We will submit to the grades in each course into stan- Faculty Scholarship Committee dardized percentile-scores.' Un- by Mark Brodsky from contractors were not .court to issue a writ of manda- those proposals that receive the der this proposal the student Three GW law school' stu- brought to court. mus to force Burch to bring civil most student support, and we'll would receive a score of from 0 dents are considering instituting Citing variousprecedents the suit against Agnew. Goldberg just table the rest." to 99 for each course, corres- a private, law suit on behalf of students argue that money paid said he viewedthe former course The following is a list of pro- ponding to the ranking that the citizens of Maryland against as bribes to a state public official of action as more likely. posals that will appear on the student achieved in the section. former Governor Spiro T. Ag- can be recovered by the state in The legal theory behind the referendum ballot. Students will Professors would be allowed to new and former Roads Commis- civil suits. suit would be, according to Gold- be asked to approve or' disap- give whatever grades they felt sion Chairman Jerome B. Wolff The students, Roy Baldwin, berg, that the mere acceptance prove' of each individual pro- the student deserved, but all to recover kickbacks and bribes Bruce Feder, and Richard Ten- of the bribe by a state official is a posal, and then indicate the pro- grades would be placed on this .alleged to have been paid to enbaum and their counsel Glenn breach of his duty to the state, posal or proposals they like the. percentile curve before appear- them during their tenure as of- A. Goldberg, recently asked and thus money unlawfully re- most. ing on the transcript. ficials of the State of Maryland. Attorney General Francis B. ceived bya state official must be 1. A "team-teaching" ap- 4. The same proposal as #3 Last October Agnew. pleaded Burch to institute a civil suit' returned to the public treasury. proach to the first year classes, above, with the addition of an nolo contendere to a charge of against Agnew and WoIff. In a letter to Burch the stu- that would expose students to option to the student to have his tax evasion. As part of the agree- The students complain that dents stated, "We submit that the teaching style of three or or her transcript show either the ment reached between the feder- Burch was asked last March to Spiro T. Agnew must not be al- four professors in each subject percentile-score or "CR" for al government and Agnew, al- . bring such a civil action against lowed to continue to enjoy the instead of just one. Under this each course passed. legations of the receipt of funds Agnew, but as yet has taken no benefits of the over $100,000 in action. , alleged unjust enrichment at the According to Goldberg, a law expense of the citizens and tax- instructor at GW, Burch was to payers of Maryland." Rehnquist Discusses Advocacy have replied to the students In their letter the' students by Steve Converse radicalized his hair length, but it never penetrated demand by Friday. Goldberg warned Burch that they might The setting was the inspiring surroundings of to his brain. The remark drew laughter from the said that he and the students institute private action against the Bacon Hall' Student Lounge, filled to audience, but not a blink ,from the waiting would meet this week to decide Agnew and Wolff or seek a writ brimming with students and faculty filling chairs, speaker. The scowl, however, disappeared as Mr. on what course of action to take of mandamus unless Burch tables, and leaving standing- room only. In his Justice Rehnquist took the podium firmly in hand on their own, since Burch has. brought civil suit. The letter introductory remarks,Professor Dixon recalled and commenced what turned out to be a very not replied to their demand. stated, " ... Legal action might the saying common among the speaker's former informal and informative talk on a very Goldberg said that the stu- be brought by appropriate pri- 'colleagues at the Department of Justice to the uri-controversial topic: The Art of Oral Advocacy. dents could either institute a vate parties to recover this effect that their liberalizing influence may have . It is rare that we students get a view from the private suit or ask a Maryland Please turn to p. 8, col. 4 more exalted side of the bench and that view may be even more worthy of our contemplation when it comes to us via a Justice of the United States Supreme Court. At any rate, the insights shared IRossDelston Electedl by Justice Rehnquist certainly captured one's attention more than those earnest lectures in by Diane Seeger The position was originally left Legal Research. Ross Delston is the winner of vacant when John Shapleigh, Despite his background of experiences ranging the special second year election who was elected as the· second from clerking for Justice Jackson through years of for SBA representative held year representative last spring, private practice and a stint with the Office of Thursday, October 31. did not return to the Law Center Legal Counsel at the Justice Department, the , Delston captured 34 votes. in in the fall. Honorable Justice confided that he has learned the election. His, closest com- more about the art of oral advocacy while on the petitor, Jim Sconyers, snared 20 bench than in all his previous years. votes. In afield of 33 write-in Justice Rehnquist characterized good oral candidates, Charles Burke won argument as simply successful communication 11 votes, Harry Skefos took 6 between counsel and the judges on the panel, votes and Mike Hagelberg closed employing the medium of the spoken word and an with 5 votes. essential physical presence on the part of counsel. Glancing at his notes, the Justice reiterated a Out of 350 eligible voters, 87 point which hopefully we all carry tattooed on our law students turned out to cast brains by now... Don't Read From Your Brief. their ballot. Emphasizing that the purpose of oral advocacy is The election was held after to accomplish what the brief alone cannot do, he Charles Blum, the write-in win- . cautioned that oral argument- should not merely ner in the first election held on Justice William Rehnquist Please turn to p. 6, col. 1 October 10, declined the post.