Golden Gate University School of Law GGU Law Digital Commons Golden Gate Lawyer Other Law School Publications 12-2013 Golden Gate Lawyer, Fall/Winter 2013-14 Lisa Lomba Golden Gate University School of Law, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.law.ggu.edu/ggulawyer Part of the Law Commons Recommended Citation Lomba, Lisa, "Golden Gate Lawyer, Fall/Winter 2013-14" (2013). Golden Gate Lawyer. Paper 15. http://digitalcommons.law.ggu.edu/ggulawyer/15 This Newsletter or Magazine is brought to you for free and open access by the Other Law School Publications at GGU Law Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Golden Gate Lawyer by an authorized administrator of GGU Law Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. GOLDEN GATE LAWYER TH& MACIAZIN&OF GOLDEN GAT& UNIVERSITY BCHOOL DFLAW GOLDEN GATE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW DEAN'S ADVISORY BOARD Chair: Hon. Lee D. Baxrer (JD 74, LLD 08)• (Retired) Superior Court, City and County of San Francisco Mark S. Anderson (JD 89)• Executive Vice President and Genera) Counsel Dolby Laboratories Mark E. Burton Jr. (JD 95)• 3 Cameron M. Carlson (JD 90)• President, Carlson Hammond Robert E. Cartwright Jr. (JD 82) Parmer, Cartwright & AleJ('3nder LLP Charles "Chip" Conradi Ill Hon. Thelton Henderson, p 10 Ill Hon. Ming W. Chin, p 16 Ill Mary Wright, p 25 (JD 78, MBA 81)• Vice President-Tax and Treasurer, The Clorox Company Daniel DeU'Osso (JD 84) FEATURES Attorney, The Brandi Law Fum Amy Eskin (JD 86) GGU LAW CLINIC 20TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION ofcounseJ, Levin Simes LLP 1 1 Twenty Years of Training Social Justice Advocates and Serving the Community Simona Farrise (JD 93) Founder, The Farrise Law Firm ASSOCIATE JUSTICE MING W. CHIN Bernard Gutow (JD 97, LLM 98) 16 Law Offices of Bernard Gutow 5th Annual Chief Justice Ronald M. George Distinguished Lecture Karen L. Hawkins (JD 79, MBA 81) STANDING TALL WITH VETERANS Director, Offioe of Professional Responsibility 22 Internal Revenue Service 2013 Veterans Law Conference Pamela E. Pierson (JD 75) Parmer, Piersoo Coats PaLasb & Paul LLP 24 VETERANS LAW NETWORKING EVENT Marjorie Randolph OD 77) Mentoring Mixer Allan H. Rappaport 00 85) Founder, NES Hold!"'':' Inc. Kathryn E. Ringgold (JD 70) Law Offioe of Kathryn E. Ringgold DEPARTMENTS Mitchell Shapson (JD 86, LLM 03) Attorney, California Public Utilities ~ LETTER FROM THE DEAN Commission Richard I. Sherman OD 74) 12 THEORY TO PRACTICE Attorney, DeGoff and Sherman Timothy H. Smallsreed (JD 77, M 78) 26 CLASS NOTES Parmer, Wendel, Ro.en, Black & Dean UP IN MEMORIAM Arthttr K. Wachtel (.ID 78) 28 Attorney at Law 35 CALENDAR OF EVENTS • GGU Board of Trustees IMfi!!!.!riWIFHJ!b @fi I I School of Law ~... 536 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94105-2968 p 415.442.6600 f 415.442.6609 [email protected] law.ggu.edu Dear Alumni and Friends, My grandfather did not speak much about his service during World War II, but he referenced it just enough that my own setbacks and disappointments were handily put into perspective. Indeed, the challenges and often ravages of war upon individuals, and their families, leave most of us speechless. After reading David Finkel's recent book, Thank You For Your Service, I have a better understanding of why my grandfather did not talk much about his service. Finkel's extraordinary narrative helps individuals like me, with no military experience, glimpse the visible and invisible wounds of war as well as the impact on the families of those who serve. Describing the complex experiences of heroes on the battlefield who return as veterans with immense obstacles and delays in obtaining the support they earned and require, Finkel helps us understand what veterans face and even how the justice system they defended through their service has sadly failed them in some ways. Veterans are at the center of this issue of our magazine. In our last issue we profiled some of our veteran students. In this issue, you will learn how GGU is just beginning to fill the justice gap for this deserving population by using our strengths in practice­ based education to serve veterans. I encourage you to read the lecture reprinted here, given by Associate Justice Ming Chin of the Supreme Court of California at this fall's Fifth Annual Chief Justice Ronald M. George Distinguished Lecture, the theme of which was Veterans in the Judiciary. In his very moving lecture, Chin discussed his experience in the Vietnam War as a soldier and as a returning soldier, and the valuable service rendered by our service men and women. In addition to our work supporting our veteran community, in the past two months, GGU Law students, faculty, and alumni have enjoyed an inspiring combination of public recognition, milestone community events, and key student victories. The 12th Annual IP Law & Policy Conference was attended by lawyers and students, the Clinics 20th Anniversary Celebration fundraiser was a wonderful tribute to the clinic founders, and the 2nd Annual Professor Bernie Segal National Mock Trial Competition: In Vino Veritas continues to garner rave reviews nationally. GGU Law's latest program innovations serving students, and record number of student victories in mock trial competitions, help our students hone the skills so critical to their professional success-so much of our work with students, alumni, and the legal community fill me with pride. I am grateful for the many ways each of you, our alumni and friends, participate with us to strengthen the experience and opportunities of the next generation of GGU alumni. Your continued support is especially important now, when legal education and the legal profession are undergoing significant transformations. Thank you, and happy new year to you, your family and friends. Sincerely, ~Ull~ Ra:chel Van Cleave Dean 5 Two ABA Teams From Left to Right: Lori Mullins, Lauren Whitted, Jacob Colvin, Dustin Helmer, Sun ita Popal, Coach Brandon Schantz OD 11), Coach Julia Levitskaia UD 12), Kassie Cardullo, Khushil Naik, Baxter Fellow Katya Salganick (JD 13) ATremendous Fall Season for GGU Litigation by Blair Pickus (]D 13), Baxter Fellow This fall, the GGU L1t1gation Center and our mock trial - all culminating in a final trial. Whether through STEP or teams showed the nation that GGU advocates are a force GGU Litigation's various trial courses, all students must to be reckoned with. Our litigation alumni share in this have taken or be enrolled in trial advocacy and evidence success, through their coaching, contributions, volunteerism, in order to compere in mock trial. Professor Porter focuses and other meaningful support of Litigation, one of GGU our competitors on advocacy skills, professionalism, and Law's greatest traditions and strengths. command of the facts and rules of evidence. The Fundamentals The Hard Work - Over the past three months, GGU has competed in five Practice and Preparation competitions and hosted a national competition of our own. After tryouts and selection, the teams get to work. The However, building championship mock trial teams starts commitment of all players is tremendous. Once case files are long before each semester begins. Professor Wes Porter's released, each team does 3x3's--three hours three times per Summer Trial and Evidence (1st STEP) program provides week, often Friday nights and Sunday mornings due to the 25 lL summer students with rhe foundation necessary to busy work and class schedules of coaches and students. Teams compete at a national level. This past summer, the third work tirelessly developing case theory and themes, tackling annual STEP class followed in the path of each previous evidentiary hurdles, and making sure courtroom demeanor class- going through a week-long boot camp led by becomes second nature. With hard work and preparation professors and judges from across the nation, followed by come championships and awards, but also important skills eight weeks of intensive trial advocacy and evidence training that translate directly to practice after graduation. ABA Labor Regional Champions from left ro right: Dustin Helmer, Stmira CACJ Finalists from left to righr: Brooke Perkins, Aseil Mohmoud, Popal, Coach Julia Levisrskaia (JD 12), Zoe Tellman, and Lauren Whitted Jaclyn Merkis, and Brent Kling. The Pay-Off- Competitions McGeorge Collaboration CACJ National Criminal Mock Our first competition was an innovative competition GGU Trial Competition Law created, Mock Trial Collaboration. Teams tried cases from jury selection (voir dire) through closing arguments, in One week after the Stetson competition, GGU fielded a round robin fashion. Four teams-McGeorge, Southern another 3L team to compete in a national criminal competition against 24 teams. Our team advanced to the finals. After a Illinois, GGU, and a hybrid team of GGU and Southern Illinois students-had just three weeks to prepare. Our hard fought final trial against Northwestern, our team took second place in the competition. This team was coached by students walked away with several individual awards, including Best Advocates, Best Voir Dire, Best Opening GGU alumna VJ Chetty (JD 10). Statement, and Best Direct Examination. Teams were coached by GGU Law alumnus and former Baxter Fellow Erik Knuppel (JD 10). Visit the Advocacy Teaching Blog at ABA Labor and Employment http:!/advocacyteaching. blogspot.corn/20 13/ National Trial Advocacy 10/more-on-mock-trial-collaborations.html?m=l for the full article about this collaborative idea that is sweeping the nation. Competition One week later, two GGU teams geared up for a civil competition-the regional championships for the ABA Stetson National Civil Pretrial Labor and Employment competition. For two days, our Competition teams fought it out against schools from all over the country (although this was a regional, schools from Texas and South In October, four 3Ls traveled to Florida to compete in the Dakota were somehow in the San Francisco region).