News and Events @ American University Washington College of Law August 2009

Washington College of Law Professor Jonathan Baker Named Chief Economist at FCC

Professor Jonathan Baker has been named chief economist at the Federal Communications Commission. He will join the FCC's Office of Strategic Planning. "We are thrilled that Professor Baker has been appointed to this critical position, " said Dean Claudio Grossman. "His extensive experience in antitrust and economic regulation will greatly enrich the decision making process of the administration." MORE

WCL Celebrates 25th Anniversary of Israel-US Fellowship Program - Professor Herman Schwartz Honored

This summer, WCL proudly celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Israel-US Civil Liberties Law Program, a joint project of WCL and the New Israel Fund. The program was founded in 1984 by WCL Professor Herman Schwartz whose academic career has focused on issues of civil rights and civil liberties across the globe. A special celebration took place in Tel Aviv, Israel, at which Dr. Neta Ziv, director of the Cegla Clinical Law Program at Tel Aviv University Law School, was awarded the first annual Herman Schwartz Human Rights award. "I am extremely proud of the successful 25 years of the Israel-U.S. program, and I commend Herman Schwartz for his leadership and continuous positive impact on human rights law," said Dean Grossman. MORE

Lawyer Re-entry Participants Impact Legal Profession

The WCL Lawyer Re-entry Program will welcome its second class of lawyers preparing to re-enter the profession this October. After a successful launch of the program last year, Amy Bennett, one of last year's participants, has landed a full time associate position at a firm in downtown DC. MORE

Washington College of Law and the Pan American Health Organization to Collaborate on Human Rights and Health

WCL and the Pan American Health Organization have signed a memorandum of agreement under which the two organizations will work together to promote health as a human right in PAHO Member States. WCL will use its expertise in international human rights law, international environmental law, international protection of intellectual property, and gender and the law to strengthen efforts by PAHO and its Member States to advance health and reduce health inequities. MORE

S.J.D. Program Graduate Nominated to Supreme Court of Uganda

S.J.D. graduate Dr. Esther Kisaakye '09, has been nominated to the seven member Ugandan Supreme Court by Yoweri Museveni, president of Uganda.  Over the course of her career, Kisaakye has worked to address human rights, women's rights, family law, health law, and HIV/AIDS and the law.  She became the first African woman to graduate from the WCL S.J.D. Program in August, and her dissertation focused on the role of women judges and lawyers in Uganda's legal system.  MORE

Professor Brenda V. Smith Part of Congressional Commission that Proposed New Federal Standards to Address Prison Rape

The National Prison Rape Elimination Commission issued its final report on sexual abuse in U.S. correctional and detention facilities in June, along with a comprehensive set of proposed federal standards to address prison rape. Professor Brenda V. Smith, project director for the U.S. Department of Justice National Institute of Corrections Cooperative Agreement on Addressing Prison Rape, has served on this commission for the past five years. The commission is the first congressional commission to propose a comprehensive set of standards to detect, reduce, and punish prison rape in a wide range of facilities. Read the full report.

PIJIP Receives Open Society Institute Grant to Teach Health Activists in the Former Soviet Union

WCL's Program on Information Justice and Intellectual Property (PIJIP) has been awarded a grant from the Open Society Institute to foster leadership in access to medicines in the former Soviet Union. The grant will support the teaching of a new course on Intellectual Property, Human Rights and Access to Medicines to be held in Kiev, Ukraine, Sept. 14-18, 2009, and the provision of technical support and assistance to the Human Rights and Access to Medicines Legal Clinic formed by PIJIP and the University of Pretoria's Centre for Human Rights last year. MORE

Professor Nancy Polikoff Aids in Legislation for Parental Rights of Same-Sex Partners

WCL Professor Nancy Polikoff helped to draft an important piece of legislation on parental rights for same-sex couples in Washington, D.C. The law, called the Domestic Partnership Judicial Determination Parentage Act of 2009, is the first law of its kind, and puts the city out front when it comes to children born of same-sex parents. MORE