News & Announcements - October 2009

Program Addresses Obama, Community Organizing, and the Alinsky Centennial Celebration
Saul Alinsky is known as the father of community organizing, and he launched his career on Chicago's south side, where Barack Obama learned and applied his techniques many years later. This program on Wed., Nov. 4 at 4:30 p.m. will examine the legacies of both, and will look ahead to the future of community organizing. Professor Jamin Raskin is a featured speaker, and Practitioner-in-Residence Corrine Parver will moderate the discussion. The program is co-sponsored by the Program on Law and Government, Health Law and Policy, and the Office of Career & Professional Development.
Impact Litigation Project Hosts Training Course on Inter-American Litigation
The Impact Litigation Project is training 19 human rights defenders from over 10 countries in Latin America from Nov. 2 - 13. The training course, co-sponsored by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the University of Texas, seeks to train members of key NGOs in the field on international and Inter-American litigation procedure and strategies. The course is being held in conjunction with the IACHR sessions next week.
Dean Grossman Meets with LaLSA Students
Dean Claudio Grossman will meet with students from the Latina/o Law Students' Association (LaLSA) today for an informal discussion in Rm. 600 at 2:30 p.m. LaLSA provides a forum for Latino issues, both international and domestic, that are important to Washington College of Law students and promotes Latino awareness and participation in the legal community.
WCL Partners with DC Women's Bar and the Women's Bar Association Foundation to Discuss the Intersection of Immigration and Violence Against Women
On Oct. 29 at 6:30 p.m., the Women's Bar Association of the District of Columbia and WCL are coming together to discuss the intersection of immigration and violence against women with "Preserving the Past, Celebrating the Future, a Continuing Commemoration of Our Shared History." The event is sponsored by The Modern American and the Women's Law Association. The Hon. Vanessa Ruiz, associate judge at the DC Court of Appeals, will deliver the keynote address at the event, hosted by WCL.
WCL Hosts Baltimore Area Alumni Reception Friday Evening
On Friday, Oct. 30 from 6 - 8 p.m., the Washington College of Law Office of Development and Alumni Relations is hosting an alumni networking event at Pazo Restaurant in Baltimore. This free event is designed for all WCL alumni, regardless of where they live. Refreshments will be served.
Human Rights Film Series Continues with The Reckoning
The 10th Annual Human Rights Film Festival at WCL continues on Oct. 29 at 5:30 p.m. with The Reckoning, the film that follows ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo and his team as he battles crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide. The film series explores ways in which film and media can be used to promote and protect human rights, and is sponsored by the Washington College of Law Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law and the School of Communication's Center for Social Media. MORE
Dean's Advisory Council Meeting Hosted Tonight
The Dean's Advisory Council is comprised of alumni, donors, and friends of American University Washington College of Law. Chaired by graduate Kenneth Lore '73, tonight's meeting will give Council members the opportunity to be introduced to the current SBA President, Salua Baida, and learn more about the Program on Information Justice and Intellectual Property and the Summer Institute on Law and Government. In addition, three newly appointed members of the Advisory Council will be welcomed this evening.
Professor Nancy Polikoff Testifies Before DC City Council on Same-Sex Marriage Equality
WCL Professor Nancy Polikoff testified on Monday, Oct. 26 before the DC City Council during the hearings on a bill that would grant marriage equality to same-sex couples and is currently being debated in the District. View her full testimony.
WCL Hosts Panel on Impact of Ricci v. DeStefano Case
Sponsored by the Program on Law and Government at WCL, this discussion is Oct. 28 from noon - 2 p.m. and the conversation will focus on the effect of the Supreme Court's recent decision in Ricci v DeStefano, which curtailed the ability of employers to take voluntary steps to comply with the disparate impact standard of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Disparate impact litigation has been the principal vehicle for opening opportunity for minorities and women in our police and fire departments over the past 40 years. MORE
WCL Hosts Conference on Poverty and Economic Mobility
On Monday, Oct. 26 from 8:30 a.m. - 8 p.m., WCL is hosting a conference titled "Poverty and Economic Mobility". WCL Professors Daniela Kraiem, Ezra Rosser, and Ann Shalleck are among the presenters at the event, which will focus on the economic, legal, and social issues that face America's poor. Full Schedule
WCL Celebrates Publication of Andrew Popper's New Book
WCL Professor Andrew Popper recently published Rediscovering Lone Pine, a work of legal fiction and winner of the Maryland Writers Association Prize for Mainstream Fiction. Dean Claudio Grossman and the WCL community will celebrate with a reception and book signing on Tuesday, Oct. 27 at 5 p.m. in the third floor dean's suite.
WCL Hosts Conference on Modern Legal History of Sovereign Debt
This conference brings together eminent practitioners, current and former officials and academics from the United States, Europe and Latin America, who have been at the center of the legal and economic challenges of sovereign debt management, and are personally responsible for many of the leading innovations in the field. The conference features a presentations from Lee Buchheit, partner with Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, and Sean Hagan, general counsel of the International Monetary Fund, as well as opening remarks from Dean Claudio Grossman. The conference is co-sponsored with Duke University School of Law; the proceedings will be published in Law & Contemporary Problems.
David Jaffe Named Chair of DC Bar Lawyer Assistance Committee
David Jaffe, Associate Dean for Student Affairs, has been appointed to Chair the DC Bar Lawyer Assistance Committee, effective November 1. The Committee supports the DC Bar Lawyer Assistance Program, a free and confidential program assisting lawyers, judges, and law students who experience problems that interfere with their personal lives or their ability to serve as counsel or officers of the court. Jaffe has been a member of the Committee since 2007.
16th Annual Burton D. Wechsler First Amendment Moot Court Competition
WCL hosts the 16th Annual Burton D. Wechsler First Amendment Moot Court Competition on Oct. 23 - 24. The final round takes place Saturday Oct. 24, 4:15 PM at the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Among the final round judges is The Honorable Kim Wardlaw, WCL's second Jurist-in-Residence. MORE
WCL Jurist-in-Residence Program Welcomes Judge Kim McLane Wardlaw
The WCL Jurist-in-Residence Program brings a prominent judge to the law school each fall to meet with students, faculty, and alumni; share insights about the courts and judging; and discuss timely and important topics facing the nation's judiciary. This year, Judge Kim McLane Wardlaw is visiting campus Oct. 22-23. Judge Wardlaw, who will also be judging the final round of the Wechsler Moot Court Competition on Oct. 24 at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has been on the Ninth Circuit since 1998, and was the first Hispanic woman appointed to a federal appeals court.
Human Rights Film Festival Continues with New Muslim Cool
The 10th Annual Human Rights Film Festival at WCL continues on Oct. 22 at 5:30 p.m. with New Muslim Cool, the story of Hamza Pérez, a former drug dealing gang member turned devout Muslim father, anti-drug counselor, and rapper, and his struggle as a Muslim in a post-9/11 society. The film series explores ways in which film and media can be used to promote and protect human rights, and is sponsored by the Washington College of Law Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law and the School of Communication's Center for Social Media. MORE
Professor Angela Davis Named to The Root 100
On Oct. 20, WCL Professor Angela Davis was named to The Root 100 list, published by The Root, the Washington Post online magazine devoted to African-American commentary. The Root 100 recognizes emerging and established African-American leaders who are making extraordinary contributions. Professor Davis is joined on the list by Washington Mayor Adrian Fenty, Newark Mayor Cory Booker, media personality Tavis Smiley, and more. View the list.
WCL Professors File Brief Before the Supreme Court in Trademark Case
American University Washington College of Law Professors Christine Farley and Victoria Phillips filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of 33 law professors in Harjo v. Pro Football, the case in which seven Native Americans are seeking to cancel the Washington Redskins' trademark as being "disparaging" and therefore invalid under the trademark act. Their brief, in support of the plaintiffs, states that trademark law does not limit the timing of claims that protect the public's interest, such as this one, in which the public is harmed by the continued registration of the trademark. MORE
Dean Grossman to Address United Nations General Assembly
Dean Claudio Grossman, in his capacity as chair of the United Nations Committee against Torture, will present the Committee's work to the United Nations General Assembly, Tuesday at 10 a.m. This is the first time the chair of the Committee against Torture has addressed the General Assembly. Grossman will then participate in a roundtable event on "A United Front Against Torture: Challenges and the Way Forward" sponsored by the Association for the Prevention of Torture and the Permanent Mission of Denmark to the United Nations. He will speak alongside Manfred Nowak, UN Human Rights Council's Special Rapporteur on Torture, Victor Manual Rodriquez Rescia, chair of the UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture, H.E. Ambassador Carsten Staur, permanent representative of Denmark to the United Nations, and Mark Thomson, secretary general of the Association for the Prevention of Torture.
WCL Hosts Alumni Dinner in New York
Dean Claudio Grossman and the Office of Development and Alumni Relations will host a dinner for WCL alumni and Myers Society members Monday evening in New York. For more information about upcoming Alumni events, visit the WCL Alumni web page.
WCL Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law Convenes Panel of Experts on Recent Surge of Violence in Guinea

The WCL Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law assembled a panel discussion that took place Wednesday, Oct. 14. The panel included Jonathan Elliott, Africa Advocacy Director at Human Rights Watch, Adam Nossiter, the New York Times West Africa bureau chief, and Thierno Balde, WCL Alum and president of the board of directors of the Institute on Democracy and Rule of Law in Guinea. MORE
Pence Law Library Honors New Law Librarian of Congress
The Pence Law Library and the Law Librarians Society of Washington, DC are hosting an event this evening at Washington College of Law (5:30 p.m., 6^th Floor) to honor the new Law Librarian of Congress, Roberta Shaffer. Law librarians from local law schools, firms, legal publishers, and courts will be in attendance.
Dean Grossman Visits Dickstein Shapiro
Washington College of Law Dean Claudio Grossman, in conjunction with the Office of Development and Alumni Relations, will host an alumni luncheon at Dickstein Shapiro LLP today as part of the Dean's Firm Visit Program, which promotes continued excellence in legal education by engaging WCL alumni at law firms. Dean Grossman will update alumni on the state of the law school as well as highlight new academic programs, student accomplishments, and recent honors. The visit was coordinated by Deborah Kelly '88. For more information, contact the Office of Development and Alumni Relations.
WCL Hosts Event on Human Rights Crisis in Guinea
The Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law is hosting a panel discussion to address the recent surge of violence in Guinea. Titled "The Crisis in Guinea: Human Rights and Accountability," the panel will feature experts from Human Rights Watch, and the New York Times bureau chief for West Africa is scheduled to patch in via phone. The panel takes place today at noon in the 6th floor student lounges. MORE
WCL Reunion Weekend is Here
The Office of Development and Alumni Relations is proud to present a series of events for reunion weekend. There will be an open house on Friday, Oct. 16, from 7:00 - 9:00 PM open to all alumni, faculty, staff, and select 3L/4L students. On Saturday, Oct. 17, a class dinner for reunion year alumni will take place at The City Club of Washington, DC. MORE
PIJIP Finnegan Lecture on Intellectual Property to Address Patent Law
WCL's Program on Information Justice and Intellectual Property (PIJIP) presents the Fifth Annual Finnegan Distinguished Lecture on Intellectual Property on October 20, at 5 P.M. This year's program features a presentation by Rochelle C. Dreyfuss, Pauline Newman Professor of Law at New York University Law School, titled "What the Federal Circuit Court Can Learn from the Supreme Court - and Vice Versa." More information is available here, and you can view the webcast online here.
Center on International Commercial Arbitration Holds Sixth Annual Seminar
The Center on International Commercial Arbitration holds its Sixth Annual Seminar on Internation Commercial Arbitration Oct. 13-16. The seminar is based on a mock arbitration case. Through lectures and exercises, participants will have the opportunity to work in small groups in constant debate with international experts and will be taught skills, strategies, and tactics for successfully conducting a BIT arbitration. MORE
WCL Hosts Presentation on Indian Gaming Law
Dean Kathryn Rand of the University of North Dakota (UND) School of Law, and Dr. Steven Light of the UND Political Science & Public Administration department are the co-directors of the Institute for the Study of Tribal Gaming Law and Policy, and they will give a presentation on Indian Gaming Law on Monday, Oct. 12 at 12 p.m. The event is presented by the Native American Law Student Association at WCL. Click here to register.
WCL Student Elected as Student Representative to the Board of Directors of the National LGBT Bar Association
Samuel Pearson-Moore '11, has been elected to the national board of directors of the National LGBT Bar Association as a student representative. He is one of two student representatives nationwide to receive this honor. The LGBT Bar board of directors counts three WCL alumni as members. MORE
WCL Public Interest Loan Repayment Assistance Program Now Accepting Applications
The 2009-10 WCL Public Interest Loan Repayment Assistance Program (PILRAP) application is now available. PILRAP helps relieve the economic burden imposed by educational debt by providing loan repayment assistance for JD graduates who work full-time for a non-profit or government agency and are engaged in serving under-represented or traditionally marginalized populations. The 2009-10 PILRAP application window is October 1 - October 30, 2009, and the program is presented by the Office of Public Interest. MORE
Lawyer Re-entry Program Participants Share Success Stories
WCL's Lawyer Re-entry Program will welcome past participants during this weekend's session to discuss how the program allowed them to re-enter the profession after time away by helping them explore career options, update their knowledge and job search skills, and learn how to reestablish their professional networks. MORE
WCL Sponsors Conference on International and Domestic Litigation
WCL will host renowned trial attorney and Professor Emeritus Michael Tigar along with internationally recognized specialists to discuss strategic litigation in International and Domestic Fora on Oct. 12, 2 - 6 p.m. The lecture will be followed by a case study of two cutting edge cases led by the UNROW Human Rights Impact Litigation Clinic and WCL's Impact Litigation Project, which will include remarks from Dean Claudio Grossman. MORE
Reception Held for Alumni from Departments of Treasury and Justice
Washington College of Law Associate Dean Christine Haight Farley, in conjunction with the Office of Development and Alumni Relations, will host a reception for Department of Justice and Treasury alumni on Tuesday, Oct. 6. The reception is part of the Dean's Firm Visit Program, which promotes continued excellence in legal education by engaging WCL alumni, and was coordinated by alumnae Jackie Jackson '74, retiree of Department of Treasury, and Deborah Meland '83, Department of Justice. Dean Farley will update alumni on the state of the law school as well as highlight new academic programs, student accomplishments, and recent honors. For more information, contact the Office of Development and Alumni Relations.
WCL Kicks Off 10th Annual Human Rights Film Series
The 10th Annual Human Rights Film Series gets started on Thursday, Oct. 8 at the Katzen Arts Center, and the films will run every Thursday in October. The series explores ways in which film and media can be used to promote and protect human rights, and is sponsored by the Washington College of Law Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law and the School of Communication's Center for Social Media. MORE
Distinguished Fellowships Awarded to 17 2009 Graduates
WCL has awarded 17 JD Distinguished Fellowships to 2009 graduates. The Fellows will spend the coming months working for employers ranging from the ACLU to UC Davis to the American Bar Association. The Program was created to help recent graduates successfully navigate a challenging employment environment. MORE
WCL and Netherlands Embassy Co-host International Human Rights Event
WCL will co-host an event with the Royal Netherlands Embassy titled "Upholding International Human Rights: Shared History and Shared Challenges for the Netherlands and the United States." The seminar, held Monday, Oct. 5, 2 - 5:30 p.m. at WCL, will compare and contrast the approaches of two progressive democracies to upholding and encouraging international human rights standards around the world and at home. MORE
WCL Holds Second Annual Teaching International Humanitarian Law Workshop
Professors from more than 20 U.S. law schools will take part in the Second Annual Teaching International Humanitarian Law workshop at WCL, Oct. 2-3. The workshop, run jointly by the WCL Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law and the International Committee of the Red Cross, brings together noted faculty and a broad section of law teachers from around the U.S. to train and support a new cadre of teachers of the law of armed conflict. MORE
Dean Grossman Hosts Annual Grants Luncheon
On Thursday, Dean Claudio Grossman and the Office of Grants and Programs are holding their Annual Luncheon to recognize the efforts of faculty and staff who brought in grants over the past year. Twenty-nine grants brought in a total of $5,281,738 in grant commitments to support WCL programs and special projects.
Professor Diane Orentlicher Appointed to State Department Position
Professor Diane F. Orentlicher has been named Deputy, Office of War Crimes Issues for the U.S. Department of State. The Office of War Crimes Issues, led by Ambassador-at-Large Stephen Rapp, advises the Secretary of State directly and formulates U.S. policy responses to atrocities committed in areas of conflict and elsewhere throughout the world. Orentlicher, co-director of the Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law at WCL, is a leading authority on war crimes tribunals and has lectured and written extensively on the scope of states' obligations to address mass atrocities and on the law and policy issues relating to international criminal tribunals. MORE
Professor Phelps Receives Legal Writing Institute's Courage Award
Professor Teresa Godwin Phelps, director of WCL's Legal Rhetoric Program, has been selected as the 2009 recipient of the Legal Writing Institute's (LWI) Courage Award. The endowed award honors an LWI member who has demonstrated acts of personal, moral, or civil courage that required abandoning or overcoming fear. Phelps was selected based on her "extraordinary international humanitarian work and efforts to improve both the status of the legal writing profession as well as the stature and depth of the scholarly dialogue in [the legal writing] field." The award will be formally presented at the LWI 14th Biennial Conference next June.
WCL Lawyer Re-Entry Program Begins
The WCL Lawyer Re-entry Program begins its instructional sessions this weekend, and will continue for two more weekends until Oct. 18.The program prepares lawyers to re-enter the profession after time away by helping them explore career options, update their knowledge and job search skills, and learn how to reestablish their professional networks. MORE
LatCrit XIV Conference Comes to WCL
This year's conference theme is Outsiders Inside: Critical Outsider Theory and Praxis in the Policymaking of the New American Regime. The conference takes place Oct. 1-4, with the first day of the conference devoted to the LatCrit-Society for American Law Teachers jointly sponsored Faculty Development Workshop. Most of the Oct. 3 conference events, including a keynote luncheon, five panel rounds, and 27 work-in-progress colloquia, will take place at WCL. MORE

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