Spring 2016 Chancellor’s Scholars at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law SAVE THE DATE! Welcome to the Chancellor's Scholars first annual 25th Anniversary Chancellor’s newsletter, which highlights the accomplishments of Scholars Reception the program during this academic year. Wednesday October 5, 2016 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. GET INVOLVED! Interested in engaging with the Chancellor’s Gottesfeld Room, Ritchie Center Scholars community at Denver Law? 2440 Buchtel Blvd., Denver, CO 80210 Join us as we welcome our 25th Email Alexi Freeman, faculty advisor for the class of Chancellor’s Scholars, build Chancellor’s Scholars at afreeman@law. community between current and former Chancellor's Scholars, and celebrate du.edu or Haley DiRenzo, current C-Scholar this exciting milestone! serving as student liaison to C-Scholar alumni, at [email protected]. Be on the lookout for a formal invitation in your inbox soon! Who are the Chancellor’s Scholars? 3Ls 2Ls 1Ls Ashley Basta Lucy Butterfield Shirin Porbanderwala Rachel Banks Tessa Hausner David Coats Sujata Ramaiah Utsarga Bhattarai Michael Lagarde Haley DiRenzo Aurora Randolph Izzy Breit Allie Moore Sarah Flinn Stephanie Roberts Julia Davis Elie Zwiebel Mia Kontnik Ali Sheets Allison Dunlap Nick Lutz Katie Steefel Lanna Giauque Sarah Needham Elizabeth Weil Ashley Smith Elisa Marie Overall Sarah Spears Congratulations! Chancellor’s Scholars The Pledge for the Public Good Over the past year, the Chancellor's Scholars have were especially helpful in helping to create the Pledge, led the effort to pass and implement the Pledge for the as well as the other faculty, students, and administra- Public Good, a student-driven initiative that encour- tors that provided support. ages faculty to make explicit connections between the law and the public good within the classroom. Stoking Survey results of 260 students shared that 72% of the passions that many students bring to law school, students noticed their professors making connections the Pledge asks faculty to devote one half of a class to the public good, with up to 70% of students noticing period to connecting their subject to the public good, professors drawing explicit links between cases and host a practitioner guest speaker who works for the issues surrounding the public good. We know that the public good, or make explicit connections of how cases Pledge is already having an impact locally. covered in class relate to the larger public good. For the first year of implementation—2015-2016—more than With the hope that other schools launch similar efforts 60 professors signed on. to stoke public interest in their schools, Professor of the Practice Alexi Freeman, Chancellor's Scholars advisor, To get to this place, last and Katie Steefel, 2L, wrote a law review article about year, Chancellor's Scholars the Pledge. The Washington & Lee Journal of Civil met with other Denver Law Rights & Social Justice will publish The Pledge for the students to gauge their Public Good: A Student-Led Initiative to Incorporate interest in seeing more Morality & Justice in Every Classroom in its spring public interest in every 2016 issue. class, including their tradi- tional 1L classes. The student The Chancellor's Scholars look forward to many more response was huge. More Pledge celebrations in the years to come. The Pledge than twenty different student for the Public Good is an important step toward help- groups indicated that they ing Denver Law ensure that we fulfill our university’s supported the Pledge. With such widespread support, motto as a private university dedicated to the public students presented the Pledge to the Denver Law faculty. good. By signing the Pledge, professors promised to make a concerted effort to bring public interest into In April, the Chancellor's Scholars celebrated the their classrooms and we cannot wait to see what they Pledge for the Public Good’s first birthday. Students, will do. If you are interested in engaging with the teachers, and members of the administration came Pledge team, email [email protected]. together to recognize that this effort at Denver Law is unique and exciting for the future of DU. At this cel- – Katie Steefel, 2L ebration, the Pledge team recognized professors that Chancellor's Scholar Ashley Basta, 3L (far right), discusses the Pledge at the 1st year celebration and thanks Denver Law faculty members (l-r) Alexi Freeman, Nantiya Ruan, K.K. DuVivier, Celia Taylor, and Alan Chen (obscured) for their support. Chancellor’s Scholars 2016 Alternative Spring Break Trip For Denver Law’s annual Alternative Spring Break trip this year, seven students traveled to El Paso, Texas and Las Cruces, New Mexico to work with organizations in those areas that (L-r) Billy Husher, 1L, address immigration and criminal defense issues. Sarah Spears, 1L, Julia While Alternative Spring Break is traditionally Davis, 1L, and Ali Sheets, led by the Chancellor's Scholars at Denver 2L, in Cuidad Juárez, Law, the trip typically includes non-Chancellor's Mexico. Scholar students as well. Throughout the week, students researched issues for their organizations, observed court proceedings, spoke with attorneys and judges in the field, and went on a United States Border Patrol tour to learn (L-r) Kenneth Monington, more about the department and its responsibilities. 1L, Sarah Spears, 1L, Billy In addition, most of the students experienced Husher, 1L, Ali Sheets, 2L, crossing the border on foot into Mexico and back. Haley DiRenzo, 2L, Julia Davis, 1L, and Mackenzie Many students researched immigration issues, Shields, 2L, at the border some helped put together asylum requests, and between the United States others spent time learning about the criminal and Mexico on the U.S. repercussions of entering the United States un- Border Patrol tour. lawfully. The Border Patrol tour was particularly informative because it provided the opportunity to gain the perspective of those enforcing federal immigration laws while also dealing with the difficulty of seeing families and individuals suffer under those laws. (L-r) Sarah Spears, 1L, Visiting the southwest border of the United States and Haley DiRenzo, 2L, is informative in itself: By speaking with local with an attorney from the residents and seeing the landscape, students Federal Public Defenders learn what it's like to live in an area where im- Office in Las Cruces, migration issues permeate every facet of life. New Mexico. Even coming from Denver, where there is a large immigrant community, it is quite different to see the cars and agents patrolling the area, and to pass through immigration checkpoints, which are commonplace along the border. While every organization was thankful for the help Denver Law students were able to provide during the Alternative Spring Break, the true takeaways were the knowledge learned and the stories heard, which students can now take (L-r) Sarah Spears, 1L, back to their own communities and share. The Ali Sheets, 2L, and Julia C-Scholars are delighted to continue leading this Davis, 1L, crossing the tradition for many years to come. bridge from Cuidad Juárez, Mexico back into – Haley DiRenzo, 2L El Paso, Texas. Chancellor’s Scholars Cesar Chavez Social Justice Week This past March, the Chancellor's Scholars provided finan- projected the lyrics to Jay-Z’s hit song, “99 Problems,” cial support to Cesar Chavez Social Justice Week, which and explained that he could teach an entire law school was organized by the American Civil course using a single verse from Liberties Union and hosted in part- the song as it relates to a Supreme nership with the Black Law Students Court decision. In this verse, Jay-Z Association and the Education Policy raps about racial profiling, illegal and Outreach Group. The goal of the police searches, and dealing with week was to provide students with an rap critics. Dr. Tibbs discussed the opportunity to engage in a series of important role of hip hop and rap speakers, panels, interactive trainings, music in American race relations. film screenings, and conversations He gave countless examples of around social and racial justice. hip hop lyrics as accurate and (L-r) Jim Freeman and Alexi Freeman address honest accounts of systemic racism the group of students at the Social Justice The week began with a panel on in America. Students had the Lawyering training. juvenile justice where Brooke opportunity to speak with Dr. Tibbs Silverthorn (National Association of at a reception following his presentation. Counsel for Children) joined the co-founders of Learn Your Rights in Colorado (LYRIC), Michael Juba (Hardy & To end the week, Professor Tom Romero and Visiting Juba, LLC) and Hannah Seigel Proff (Colorado Juvenile Assistant Professor Brad Bartlett gave an extremely Defender Center), for a discussion about juvenile justice. detailed and informative presentation on the Students engaged with the panelists to examine a range Flint Water Crisis and the broader issue of water of topics including juvenile sentencing guidelines, the development, delivery, and quality in poor and indiscriminate shackling of youth, holistic approaches to underserved communities. The presentation covered juvenile defense, and restorative justice practices. the historical context of municipal water supplies, specific details about The next event was a the water crisis social justice lawyering in Flint, Mich., as training presented by well as instances of Assistant Professor water contamination of the Practice and and environmental Director of Public justice issues in other Interest Alexi Freeman communities. The and Jim Freeman, event was followed executive director of by a film screening the Grassroots Action of “A Civil Action” Support team. During as part of the Social this interactive training, Justice Film Series, students took time to Dr. Tibbs presenting "Hip Hop and the Law" organized by develop and reflect Professor Alan Chen. upon their personal theories of change.