Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Corporate and Law Firm Diversity CO-DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE
Amy Deen Westbrook
Kurt M. Sager Memorial Distinguished Professor
of International and Commercial Law and
Co-Director of theBusiness and
Transactional Law Center
Th e Business and Transactional Law Center at Washburn University School of Law prepares students to be eff ective transactional lawyers able to operate in today’s dynamic business law environment.
SYMPOSIUM
2 0 1 5 - 1 6 A N N U A L R E P O R T
Th e American Bar Association and the American Association of Law Schools have recently re-invigorated their general mandate that the legal community work together to promote diversity in the law, in politics, and in business leadership. Even though numerous decades have passed since civil rights legislation paved the way to equal opportunities for all, our society still struggles with imbalance and under-representation of minorities in positions of power and authority.
Washburn University has long been a champion of societal diversity, and in fact the premise of open access to all populations was one of the primary values upon which the school was founded in 1865. Washburn Law and its Business and Transactional Law Center are committed to expanding upon this legacy by creating opportunities for robust
discussions regarding diversity and by showcasing successful strategies that can help make the legal and corporate worlds more inclusionary.
On March 9, 2016, the Center kicked off a series of symposia and presentations focusing on the important issue of diversity in law and leadership by co-sponsoring a nationally attended symposium entitled Corporate and Law Firm Diversity.
Former U.S. Ambassador to South Africa and current member of the Colgate-Palmolive Board of Directors, Delano Lewis, ’63, was the keynote speaker at this signifi cant event held at Bradbury Th ompson Alumni Center on the Washburn University Campus.
Th e Corporate and Law Firm Diversity symposium highlighted the problem of the lack of diversity in the upper echelons of business associations and law fi rms and brainstormed possible solutions.
ave
r-
isslabns
FormerS h Af i
Delano Lewis, ’63
- Diversity continued on page 3 -
Last year was another terrifi c year for the Business and Transactional Law Center. We focused on two main initiatives: exposing students to a wider variety of career paths, and broadening students’ understanding of business law and practice.
Th e Center brought in attorneys with expertise in, to name just a few, insurance, commercial real estate, banking, intellectual property, securities regulation, tax, and estate planning practices. Th e speakers’ experiences included sole practice, government positions, in-house practice, and work in multinational fi rms, in offi ces from Topeka to California to Australia. Students learned about many diff erent practice areas and ways to use their law degrees.
Th is year’s line-up promises to be just as strong. Our programs this fall will expose students to business law in the context of agriculture, collections, intellectual property, commercial mediation, trusts and estates, tax, and banking. Many of the speakers will
- Co-Director continued on page 5 -
2 WASHBURN LAW - BUSINESS AND TRANSACTIONAL LAW CENTER
Washburn’s annual Foulston Siefkin Lecture for 2015-2016 featured Professor Heidi Mandanis Schooner, an expert on the fi nancial services industry and professor of law at Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law. Professor Schooner spoke on the regulation of banks’ capital in the wake of the 2008 Financial Crisis.
In her lecture, Schooner explored the challenges that complicate regulatory eff orts to require minimum capital reserves for banks. Bank capital reserve levels must delicately balance effi cient bank operations with the proven mandate of ensuring bank safety and soundness. In her lecture, and in her follow-up article, “Top-Down Bank Capital Regulation,” published in Volume 55 of the Washburn Law Journal, Schooner proposes that fi nancial regulation specifi cally be approached from an ex ante perspective. Although free market advocates often criticize regulation
as economically harmful (an “enemy of markets”), Schooner explains that regulation should be viewed more agnostically, as “neither inherently good nor inherently bad,” but rather as a partner in today’s complex fi nancial system.
Schooner has extensive experience as a practitioner and a scholar in fi nancial regulation. As a practicing lawyer, she served as in-house counsel to a Washington, D.C., area bank holding company and in the General Counsel’s Offi ce of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
After devoting herself to legal academia, Schooner co-authored a book on international bank regulation, Global Bank Regulation: Principles and Policies (Elsevier 2010) (with Michael W. Taylor), and has written
Schooner: Managing Banks' Regulatory CapitalFOULSTON SIEFKEN LECTURE
Each year since 1978 the Wichita law fi rm of Foulston Siefkin has
generously sponsored the Foulston Siefkin Lecture Series. Th is lecture
series brings a prominent legal scholar to Washburn Law to
challenge and enhance the legal thinking of our students and faculty. Th e visiting scholar delivers a lecture and also provides an article for the
next volume of the Washburn Law Journal.
Schooner’s article can be found online in the Washburn Law Journal, Volume 55, No. 2 (spring 2016): http://contentdm.washburnlaw.edu/cdm/ref/collection/wlj/id/6635
her
numerous law review articles focusing on the fi nancial services industry. Schooner’s articles have explored bank director liability, the institutional structure of regulatory agencies, and the international regulation of bank capital. In one of her recent articles, “Big Banks and Business Methods
Patents,” 16 University of Pennsylvania Journal of Business Law 431 (2014) (with Megan La Belle), Schooner examined the patent activities of large fi nancial institutions.
Schooner’s most recent article is the featured publication in Volume 55, No. 2 of the Washburn Law Journal (Spring 2016), which also includes articles discussing regulation and regulatory capital arbitrage, bank and corporate directors’ duties, and the “promise and perils” of Schooner’s proposed top-down capital regulation of banks.
Heidi Mandanis Schooner (center) is joined by the Washburn Law Journal’s Volume 55 Board of Editors. To the left are: Bryan Kelly, ’16, Daniel Smith, ’16, and Benjamin
Carmichael, ’16. To the right are: Kevin Miller, ’16, Nathaniel Martens, ’16, Destiny Bounds, ’16, Kayla Bennett, ’16, Justin Cook, ’16, and Merideth Hogan.
WASHBURNLAW.EDU/TRANSACTIONAL 3
Panelists discussed strategies and plans to increase the hiring, inclusion, and promotion of people of color in leadership positions in both the corporate and legal worlds. Specifi c presentations addressed topics such as strategies to ensure greater diversity on corporate boards and specifi c methods of providing support, guidance, and mentorship for law students and attorneys of color in their school and work environments.
Panelists at the symposium included local and national attorneys and business people. Speakers and moderators included: Aïda Alaka, Washburn Law; Werten Bellamy, Stakeholders, Inc.; India Boulton, ’99, Sprint Corporation; Kori Carew, Shook, Hardy & Bacon, LLP; Susan Hamilton, Springboard Consulting; Marc Howze, John Deere; Dr. Norma
Juma, Washburn University; Rhonda Mason, ’96, GEICO; Ramona Palmer-Eason, Payless ShoeSource; Donald Prophete, Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP; Steven Ramirez, Loyola University of Chicago School of Law; Glenda Washington, GO Topeka Economic Partnership (Topeka Chamber of Commerce); Judy Yi, Polsinelli PC; Michelle Wimes,
CORPORATE AND LAW FIRM DIVERSITY SYMPOSIUM- continued from page 1 -
PANELISTS: India Webb Boulton, ’99
Senior Counsel, Sprint Corporation Michelle de la Isla
Director and Inclusion Representative, Westar EnergyMarcos Antonio Mendoza, ’89
Assistant Director, Legal and Regulatory Aff airs, Texas Association of School Boards
Patrick Woods Director of Talent Management and Diversity, Westar Energy
MODERATOR: Amanda Kiefer, ’03
First Vice President, Director of Human Resources and Minority and Women Inclusion, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Topeka
DESCRIPTION:Th is event will continue the conversation begun earlier this year about corporate and
law fi rm diversity. Aimed at attorneys, businesspersons, students, and anyone interested in creating a diverse business community, the panel will discuss the business and legal environments that refl ect a variety of viewpoints and life experiences. Discussion will
focus on how to foster a culture of inclusion in business and legal workplaces. A reception following the panel discussion will provide a networking opportunity for those attending.
SPONSORS:Washburn Law’s Business and Transactional Law Center, Washburn Law’s
Diversity Committee, GO Topeka Economic Partnership, and Westar Energy
Ogletree Deakins; and Patrick Woods, Westar Energy.
Both law and business students attended the symposium along with in-house counsel, law fi rm associates and partners, diversity personnel, corporate directors and offi cers, and interested members of the public.
Susan Hamilton, Glenda Washington, Neal Ward, J.D. Candidate,’17,
and Robert Moody, ’14.
Matt Pivarnik and Dr. Norma Juma.
DIVERSITY IN THE CORPORATE SECTOR:
BEYOND THE SYMPOSIUM
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2016
WASHBURN UNIVERSITY’S BRADBURY THOMPSON
ALUMNI CENTER
4:30 P.M. PANEL DISCUSSION6:00 P.M. RECEPTION
THIS EVENT IS FREE OF CHARGE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
PLEASE RSVP ONLINE:washburnlaw.edu/corporatediversity
4 WASHBURN LAW - BUSINESS AND TRANSACTIONAL LAW CENTER
WHAT PRACTICAL TRAINING/SKILLS THAT YOU LEARNED IN LAW SCHOOL DO YOU APPLY THE MOST IN YOUR JOB?
Bobby Chipman, ’16
Polsinelli PCAssociate Attorney
In 2015, after my 2L year, I interned at Polsinelli PC and worked on projects dealing with litigation, transactions, real estate, and fi nance, which helped me decide to focus on transactional law.
Starting in November 2016, I will be employed at Polsinelli PC in Kansas City as an associate in the Corporate and Transactional Practice Group of the Business Department.
I will practice corporate and transactional law and work on anything from corporate formation, to mergers and acquisitions, to dissolutions, in addition to other various business transactions.
Th ere were so many great classes that were part of the BLTC. Th e class and skills that I will apply most in my job are what I learned from Evolution of a Business Transaction. Th is course guided and challenged me to take an entire business transaction from start to fi nish. Th is is something that I will work on every day in my job. It laid a great foundation of understanding all of the documents, how to interact with clients, and how each transaction is diff erent depending on the parties and the context.
DESCRIBE THE TYPE OF LAW THAT YOU PRACTICE.
PROFILE:RECENT
GRADUATES
Th e best training and skills I learned were the courses I took relating to my interest, which was international business and international trade. By taking these classes, I was able to get fi rst-hand experience and examples of practical work. We reviewed forms and contracts used in actual transactions as opposed to the forms and theories of introductory classes. When interviewing, I was able to talk knowledgeably about U.S. Customs forms, and mergers and acquisitions documents that I had worked with in class, and I could demonstrate a working understanding of them. Th is went a long way in showing my experience with the job requirements and helped prepare me to be successful in the work when hired.
JoshMortensen, ’13
GarminInternational
Corporate Counsel
I have been working in the International Trade Compliance department at Garmin. We oversee all of the import, export, and supply chain security compliance in the U.S. as well as in all of our international offi ces. My work has been on many projects, which include compliance training for 2,500+ employees, implementing trade compliance programs across our offi ces, and assisting in International Trade Commission litigation.
As corporate counsel, I will continue to work with our international offi ces to ensure compliance with international and local legal requirements. I will also be working with international sales orders and contract review in addition to the general variety of in-house corporate legal work.
Anna Quinn, ’13
Lathrop & Gage, LLPAssociate Attorney
My practice is generally focused on transactional intellectual property, mainly patent prosecution, but I also do some trademark and copyright prosecution. Th is includes drafting patent, trademark, and copyright applications, and responding to offi cial communications from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Offi ce and the Copyright Offi ce. Occasionally, I am involved in defending or challenging trademark registrations and/or applications before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board in opposition or cancellation proceedings. My practice has a fairly signifi cant foreign component as well.
Without a doubt, legal writing, in all of its forms. It is so important to be able to communicate eff ectively (and concisely!), whether you’re dealing with a judge or opposing counsel, or even a client. Professor Pierce said one time in our Oil and Gas class that if you can’t fi t it into fi ve pages, it’s not worth saying. And while our documents are often much longer than fi ve pages, I certainly appreciate his point. Th ere are page limits on briefs; people have short attention spans; and clients (and opposing counsel) are only going to read what shows up on their smart phone screen. Be concise and be eff ective in your legal writing.
WASHBURNLAW.EDU/TRANSACTIONAL 5
On top of the academics, the most important thing I learned was about working with other people in the legal profession. Seldom in practice am I completely alone in making a decision on something. If I’m not sure on something, I can ask my boss or peers much like I was able to do with professors and classmates.
Working and studying in groups helped me get comfortable talking through my reasoning with others. Even if I have the best answer for what’s required, being able to explain why it’s the best answer helps my understanding and confi dence.
WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU LEARNED IN LAW SCHOOL?
How to be precise means not only explaining or answering a question thoroughly and concisely, but also being precise when reading or listening. Th is is incredibly important because it saves time and also ensures that you are completing the assigned task.
Time management is incredibly important. During law school, I also completed the MBA program and was a graduate assistant basketball coach. I had to make sure to fi nd time to study/prepare for class and also spend time with family and friends. Th is is something I will have to get even better at as I start my legal career, which will be even more demanding than law school.
Th ere were so many important things that I learned at Washburn Law, but I think one of the most important was how to think outside the box to solve a problem. Very rarely does an issue previously considered present itself in the exact same form. You must know how to do the legal research, but that’s expected of every lawyer.
It’s being able to extrapolate the legal principles and apply them to a new problem, or coming up with a unique solution that hasn’t necessarily been tried before that elevates you as an attorney and keeps the client coming back.
come to the law school, and in other cases our students will be able to attend presentations off campus and even out-of-state.
Th is past year, the Center also worked to foster a broader understanding of the practice of law in the business context. We helped sponsor the school’s March 2016 Corporate and Law Firm Diversity Symposium, a day-long conference dedicated to the topic of diversity in the corporate context, which included several of our own Washburn Law alumni as speakers.
Th e Center will continue to foster similar conversations this fall, including a panel presentation “Diversity in the Corporate Sector: Beyond the Symposium” on October 13, 2016 at 4:30 p.m. in Washburn University’s Bradbury Th ompson Alumni Center. Th is event, which will include panelists from Sprint Corporation, Westar Energy, and the Texas Association of School Boards, will provide an opportunity for students, alumni, and members of the public to learn more about fostering corporate and legal cultures of inclusion. Th e panel presentation will be followed by a reception, and the event is free and open to the public. (See page 3.)
As we work to prepare new attorneys for practice in the current and future legal environ ment, we are sincerely grateful for the generosity of our alumni and other members of the community who are willing to share their experiences with our students. We hope that all members of our Washburn Law extended family feel free to contact us with any suggestions or comments that may help us fulfi ll our mission.
CO-DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE- continued from page 1 -
9/7/16 – CENTERS INFORMATIONAL LUNCH & JOIN PRESENTATION
9/9/16 – THE LAW AND BUSINESS OF COLLECTING MONEY IN KANSAS (ANGEL ZIMMERMAN, ’06)
9/13/16 – INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LUNCH & LEARN (PROFESSOR PATRICIA JUDD )
10/13/16 – DIVERSITY IN CORPORATE LAW – BEYOND THE SYMPOSIUM (SEE PAGE 3)
10/17/16 TO 10/19/16 – DON RUPERT, '76 -PRACTITIONER IN RESIDENCE
10/24/16 – COMMERCIAL MEDIATION BASICS (PROFESSOR FREDDY SOURGENS)
11/7 – MARK MASTERS, '82 - TRUST AND ESTATES LAW
FALL 2016 CENTER EVENTS
6 WASHBURN LAW - BUSINESS AND TRANSACTIONAL LAW CENTER
Leichenko: Distinguished Practitioner in ResidenceIn April 2016, the Business and Transactional Law Center hosted Stuart Leichenko as its Distinguished Practitioner in Residence. Leichenko was director and associate general counsel, and partner in the fi rm Citadel LLC in Chicago, where he served as counsel for a broad range of mergers and acquisitions, capital markets transactions, new business ventures, and corporate initiatives for global fi nancial institutions.
Prior to joining Citadel, Leichenko was vice president and associate general counsel of Goldman, Sachs & Company in New York. He also practiced law with Sullivan & Cromwell in their New York, Hong Kong, and Melbourne offi ces.
Leichenko received a J.D. from Harvard Law School, and served
as a judicial clerk to the Honorable William H. Hoeveler in the Federal District Court, Southern District of Florida, after graduation. He received a B.A. from the University of Illinois, Urbana, and also holds an M.S. from Columbia University School of Journalism.
Submitted byMarcos Antonio Mendoza, ’89,Assistant Director of Legal and
Regulatory Aff airs for the Texas Association of School Boards
It was a privilege to be invited to Washburn Law to speak! My professional path since graduating from Washburn Law has been circuitous and exciting, and coming back to the start made for a very special time.
Th e day was wonderful — attending Professor Westbrook’s class, engaging throughout the day with small groups of students and faculty, and the tremendous opportunity to address the student body to discuss my thoughts on inside counsel, insurance, and risk management legal careers.
During his time at Washburn Law, Leichenko spoke to the students about the “Do’s and Don’ts of Law Practice.” At the lunch hour presentation, he provided students with some common sense advice about being a lawyer. Leichenko discussed his legal career and various ethical obstacles he encountered in his work. In particular, he urged students to be effi cient, timely, and practical with all clients. Leichenko reiterated the importance of knowing the law and abiding by the laws in order to insure longevity within the legal profession.
In addition to his lunchtime presentation, Leichenko met with students individually to provide advice on legal careers in large markets, and talked with students in small-group settings about marketing themselves to legal employers .
I ended the day with a collegial dinner (and tornado warning sirens!) with my Property professor, Myrl Duncan.
Although legal careers may have recently been portrayed by some as in decline, I strongly disagree. As I
emphasized to the law students that I met throughout the day, I fi rmly believe that the needs of businesses for practical solutions to their problems will grow greater in this increasingly complex environment. Based on my excellent conversations with the students, they have greatly benefi tted from the BTLC’s mission and goals!
While the path to success rapidly evolves for all of us, lawyers are well-positioned at this intersection of law, business, and social responsibility to play increasingly infl uential roles, if we continually avail ourselves of opportunities to do so. Th anks to Professors Westbrook and Boyack and the Business and Transactional Law Center for this extremely unique and rewarding experience!
Mendoza, ’89, Devotes a Day to Washburn Law
Stuart Leichenko
Marcos Antonio Mendoza, ’89
WASHBURNLAW.EDU/TRANSACTIONAL 72015-16 Center Events
September 10, 2015 – Lunch & Learn: “Insurance Law Industry” presented by Marcos Antonio Mendoza, ’89
October 1, 2015 – Business Transactional Lunch on business purchase and sale transactions with Brad Haddock, ’80
October 6, 2015 – Business Transactional Lunch with Paul Hoferer, ’75
October 16, 2015 – Lunch & Learn: “Marijuana Law Practice” presented by Jonathan Voegeli, ’11, with the Tax and Estate Planning Association
October 26, 2015 – Business Transactional Lunch on commercial real estate transactions with Dan Crow, ’93
October 28, 2015 – Lunch & Learn: “In-House Bayer Counsel” presented by Dr. Kimberly Honeycutt, ’10, hosted jointly with the Intellectual Property Society
November 5, 2015 – Women’s Legal Forum Meet & Greet with Foulston Siefken Lecturer, Professor Heidi Mandanis Schooner
November 12, 2015 – Lunch & Learn: “From Washburn Law to Legal Discovery Consulting” presented by Alumni Fellow Jeff rey Hewett, ’95
January 25, 2016 – Lunch & Learn: “What Do Business Lawyers Really Do?” presented by professors Westbrook and Boyack
February 11, 2016 – Lunch & Learn: “Leadership” presented by Bill Sampson
February 8, 2016 – Lunch & Learn: “Build Your Own Road to Travel: How to Use Your Law Degree” presented by Edward “Ed” Nichols, ’71, with the International and Comparative Law Center
February 26, 2016 – Lunch & Learn: “Banking Laws” presented by Kenneth Dotson, ’99
April 7, 2016 – Lunch & Learn: “Th e Challenge of Doing Your Job (Ethically) and Keeping Your Job” presented by Distinguished Practitioner in Residence, Stuart Leichenko
Jonathan Voegeli, ’11 Dr. Kimberly Honeycutt, ’10Dan Crow, ’93
Ed Nichols, ’71
Jeff rey Hewett, ’95
Kenneth Dotson, ’99
8 WASHBURN LAW - BUSINESS AND TRANSACTIONAL LAW CENTER
Andrea J. Boyack BTLC Co-Director and Professor of Law
ARTICLES IN LAW REVIEWS “Bankruptcy Weapons to Terminate a Zombie Mortgage,” 54 Washburn Law Journal 451 (2015) (co-authored with Robert D. Berger, ’86).
CHAPTERS IN BOOKS“Banking, Commercial & Contract Law,” (chapter 2), Kansas Annual Survey (Kansas Bar Association, 2016) (co-authored with Amy Deen Westbrook and Lori A. McMillan).
OTHER PUBLICATIONS“More Talking, More Writing,” 22:2 Th e Law Teacher 2 (Spring 2016).
Institute for Law Teaching and Learning (website and regular contributor)
Prawsblawg.com (guest blogger August-September 2015)
PRESENTATIONS“Bankruptcy Weapons to Terminate a Zombie Mortgage,” Wichita Bar Association Bankruptcy CLE, Wichita, June 23, 2016.
“Housing Law and Policy for (Almost) Half a Nation of Renters,” American Bar Association, Real Property Trusts and Estates Section Annual Meeting, Boston, May 13, 2016.
"Zombie Mortgages: Bankruptcy Alternatives and Strategies," Topeka Area Bankruptcy Council CLE, Topeka, March 23, 2016 (with Robert D. Berger, ’86).
“A New American Dream for Detroit,” University of Detroit Mercy Law Review Centennial Symposium, University of Detroit Mercy Riverfront Campus, Detroit, March 4, 2016.
“Integrated Communities, Housing Equities, and a New American Dream,” Symposium on Housing for Vulnerable Populations and the Middle Class: Revisiting Housing Rights and Policies in a Time of Expanding Crisis, University of San Francisco School of Law, San Francisco, January 29, 2016.
Faculty Scholarship and Activities Beyond the Center “Nudging Servitudes Into the 21st Century,” Central States Law Schools Association, 2015 Annual Scholarship Conference, Th e University of Toledo College of Law, Toledo, Ohio, October 10, 2015.
Amy Deen Westbrook BTLC Co-Director and Kurt M. Sager Memorial Distinguished Professor of International and Commercial Law
ARTICLES IN LAW REVIEWS“Does Banking Law Have Something to Teach Corporate Law about Directors’ Duties?,” 55 Washburn Law Journal 397 (Spring 2016).
CHAPTERS IN BOOKS“Banking, Commercial & Contract Law,” (chapter 2), Kansas Annual Survey (Kansas Bar Association, 2016) (co-authored with Lori A. McMillan and Andrea Boyack).
PRESENTATIONS“Recent Trends in FCPA Enforcement,” 2016 Lewis & Clark International Law Symposium, Managing Corruption Risks in International Business: Perspectives from the U.S. and Abroad, Lewis & Clark Law School, Portland, March 4, 2016.
Janet Th ompson JacksonProfessor of Law and Co-Director of Washburn Law Clinic
MEDIAHost, I’ve Got Issues (produced by Washburn University’s public broadcasting station KTWU)
PRESENTATIONS“Work/Life Balance as a Lawyering Skill,” Institute for Law Teaching and Learning Summer Conference, Washburn University School of Law, Topeka, June 11, 2016 (with John J. Francis).
Plenary Moderator, “Innovative and Sustainable Clinical Engagement with Community Needs,” 39th Association of American Law Schools Conference on Clinical Legal Education, Baltimore, May 2, 2016.
WASHBURNLAW.EDU/TRANSACTIONAL 9Presenter with Clinic Students, “How to Start and Maintain a Tax Exempt Organization,” Kansas Bar Association CLE, Topeka, November 12, 2015.
Co-Presenter, “Comparing the U.S. and European Experience in Business Law Clinics that Promote Social and Economic Justice,” European Network for Clinical Legal Education, Budapest, Hungary, October 26-27, 2015.
Co-Presenter, “Th e First and Last Days of Clinic,” Midwest Clinical Conference, Case Western Reserve University School of Law, Cleveland, October 1-3, 2015.
CONFERENCES PLANNEDOrganizer, “Corporate and Law Firm Diversity Symposium,” Washburn University School of Law, Topeka, March 9, 2016.
Aïda M. AlakaAssociate Dean for Academic Aff airs
PRESENTATIONSModerator, “Diversity in Leadership,” Corporate and Law Firm Diversity Symposium, Washburn University School of Law, Topeka, March 9, 2016.
“Advanced Case Law Literacy,” Course on Law Teaching Methods and Legal Writing – Th e Advanced Series, Tbilisi, Georgia, December 3-6, 2015.
“Scholarly Legal Writing for Translation,” Workshop on Law Teaching Techniques and Legal Writing, Kutaisi, Georgia, December 3-6, 2015.
Emily GrantAssociate Professor of Law
ARTICLES IN LAW REVIEWS“Th e Pink Tower Meets the Ivory Tower: Adapting Montessori Teaching Methods for Law School,” 68 Arkansas Law Review 603 (2015).
OTHER PUBLICATIONS“New Lawyer Surprises,” 85:2 Th e Journal of the Kansas Bar Association 10 (February 2016).
“Th e Commonplace Meets Th e Marketplace: Accessible Analogies For Transactional Drafting,” 16 Transactions: Th e Tennessee Journal of Business Law 397 (2015) (with William E. Foster).
PRESENTATIONS “Adapting the Montessori Method,” Th e Teaching Professor Conference, Washington, D.C., June 4, 2016.
“Identifying and Creating Institutional Outcomes,” Institute for Law Teaching and Learning Spring Conference on Responding to the New ABA Standards: Best Practices in Outcomes Assessment, Boston University School of Law, Boston, April 2, 2016 (with Sandra Simpson).
CONFERENCES PLANNEDConference Organizer, “Real-World Readiness, Institute for Law Teaching and Learning Summer Conference,” Washburn University School of Law, Topeka, June 9-11, 2016.
Workshop Organizer, “Washburn Junior Legal Writing Scholars Workshop,” Washburn University School of Law, Topeka, July 24-25, 2015.
OTHERProfi led, “Clerking in Paradise,” 2:4 LWI (Legal Writing Institute) Lives 1 (January 1, 2016).
L. Ali KhanProfessor of Law
BOOKS AND MONOGRAPHSPayment Systems: Prenotes, Cases, & Problems (Commercial Law Book 2), Kindle Edition (Amazon Digital Services, 2015).
Secured Transactions: Prenotes, Cases, & Problems (Commercial Law Book 1), Kindle Edition (Amazon Digital Services, 2015).
Rebuilding Muslim Communities, Kindle Edition (Amazon Digital Services, 2015).
MEDIA “Military Means Unhelpful in Solving Pakistan Militancy: Academic,” Press TV, December 14, 2015. Professor Khan comments on a recent bomb attack in a mainly Shia area of northwest Pakistan.
- Scholarship continued on next page -
10WASHBURN LAW - BUSINESS AND TRANSACTIONAL LAW CENTER
“OIC, HRC Should Support Rohingya Muslims: Academic,” Press TV, November 24, 2015. Professor Khan comments on the impact of political change in Myanmar on the fate of the country’s Rohingya Muslims.
“Mina Tragedy Needs International Investigation: Pundit,” Press TV, October 1, 2015. Professor Khan discusses the recent deadly crush during the Hajj rituals in which hundreds of people were killed near Saudi Arabia’s holy city of Mecca.
Th e Huffi ngton Post (regular contributor of legal commentaries, foreign aff airs commentaries, law, and literature)
Joseph P. Mastrosimone Associate Professor of Law
ESSAYS AND OTHER SHORTER WORKS“Beware of Ghost (Writing)!,” 84:8 Journal of the Kansas Bar Association 10 (September 2015).
MEDIA“President Obama’s Proposed Overtime Regulations Could Leave Workers Worse Off ,” Th e Huffi ngton Post, June 30, 2015.
Quoted, “Bothner and Bradley PR Firm Rejoining County Project it was Removed From,” Th e Wichita Eagle, May 2, 2016.
Quoted, “Judges’ Bullying Seen As Fuel For Bad Atty Behavior,” Law360, New York, March 30, 2016
Quoted, “Kansas Senate Bill Would Lower Welfare Lifetime Limit – Again,” KCUR, February 10, 2016.
Quoted, “Hunter Health Clinic Releases E-mails Detailing Fall into Financial Trouble,” Th e Wichita Eagle, January 16, 2016.
Quoted, “White Employee Settles Discrimination, Harassment Claim Against Topeka USD 501,” Th e Topeka Capital Journal, September 23, 2015.
Interview, Wade Beyond the Courtroom,” KHTS AM 1220, Santa Clarita, California, September 13, 2015 (discussing the labor law aspects of “Defl ategate” and the attempted unionization of college sports).
Quoted, “Department of Revenue Bans Employees from Electronic Recording, May Fire Violators,” Th e Topeka Capital
Journal, August 15, 2015.
Interview, “Wake Up with WURD,” 900AM-WURD Radio, Philadelphia, July 2, 2015 (discussing the Department of Labor’s proposed overtime regulations with Solomon Jones).
CONFERENCES PLANNEDWorkshop Organizer, “Washburn Junior Legal Writing Scholars Workshop,” Washburn University School of Law, Topeka, July 24-25, 2015.
PRESENTATIONS“Everything Employment Lawyers Need to Know About the NLRA But are Afraid to Ask,” 2015 Employment Law CLE, Kansas Bar Association, Topeka, October 2, 2015 (with Julie Covel).
PROFESSIONAL SERVICESecretary, Section on Labor Relations and Employment Law, Association of American Law Schools, January 2016 - January 2017.
Editor, Employment Law Handbook, 3rd Edition (Kansas Bar Association, 2016), 2015-2016.
Lori A. McMillanProfessor of Law
CHAPTERS IN BOOKS“Banking, Commercial & Contract Law,” (chapter 2), Kansas Annual Survey (Kansas Bar Association, 2016) (co-authored with Amy Deen Westbrook and Andrea Boyack).
PRESENTATIONS“Taxation Myths and Realities: What’s the Matter With Kansas?,” TEDx Event, Topeka Civic Th eatre and Academy, Topeka, December 8, 2015.
Mary Kreiner RamirezProfessor of Law
CHAPTERS IN BOOKS“Oversight and Rule Making as Political Confl ict” in Th e
FACULTY SCHOLARSHIP AND ACTIVITIES BEYOND THE CENTER - continued from page 9 -
WASHBURNLAW.EDU/TRANSACTIONAL 11
FOR A COMPLETE FACULTY LISTING VISIT:washburnlaw.edu/facultyscholarship
Oxford Handbook of White-Collar Crime (Shanna R. Van Slyke, et. al., eds.) (Oxford University Press, 2016).
MEDIAQuoted, “A Bank Too Big to Jail,” Th e New York Times, July 15, 2016.
Quoted, “Giglio Policy Creates Massive Burden for Shawnee County Prosecutor’s Offi ce,” Th e Topeka Capital Journal, May 8, 2016.
PRESENTATIONS“Memoirs of a Prosecutor,” Maryville University, St. Louis, November 30, 2015.
Frédéric SourgensAssociate Professor of Law
ARTICLES IN LAW REVIEWS“Th e Virtue of Path Dependence in the Law,” 56 Santa Clara Law Review 303 (2016).
“Th e End of Law: Th e ISIL Case Study for a Comprehensive Th eory of Lawlessness,” 39 Fordham International Law Journal 355 (2015).
“Functions of Freedom, Privacy, Autonomy, Dignity, and the Transnational Legal Process”, 48 Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law 471(2015).
“Reconstructing International Law as Common Law,” 47 George Washington International Law Review 1 (2015).
BOOKS AND MONOGRAPHSCo-editor, Evidence in International Investment Arbitration (with Ian A. Laird and Kabir Duggal) (Oxford University Press, forthcoming 2016).
Co-editor, Investment Treaty Arbitration and International Law - Volume 9 (with Ian A. Laird, Borzu Sabahi, and Todd J. Weiler) (Juris Publishing, 2016).
A Nascent Common Law: Th e Process of Decisionmaking in International Legal Disputes Between States and Foreign Investors. International Litigation in Practice Series. (Koninklijke Brill, 2015).
Co-editor, Investment Treaty Arbitration and International Law - Volume 8 (with Ian A. Laird, Borzu Sabahi, and Todd J. Weiler) (Juris Publishing, 2015).
CHAPTERS IN BOOKS“Administrative Law in the United States” (with Raymond Diamond) in Angloamerikanische Rechtssprache, Volume 3 p. 61 (edited by Franz J. Heidinger & Andrea Hubalek) (LexisNexis Verlag Wien, 2016).
“Constitutional Law in the United States” (with Raymond Diamond) in Angloamerikanische Rechtssprache, Volume 3 p. 1 (edited by Franz J. Heidinger & Andrea Hubalek) (LexisNexis Verlag Wien, 2016).
“International Investment Law and Arbitration: 2013 in Review” (with Ian A. Laird, Borzu Sabahi, Nicholas J. Birch, and Kabir Duggal) in Yearbook on International Investment Law & Policy 2013-2014 (edited by Andrea Bjorklund) (Oxford University Press, 2015).
OTHER PUBLICATIONSCreating Conduits: Summary Report of the First Annual Oxford Investment Claims Summer Academy, St. Anne’s College (Oxford) (with Diane Desierto & Ian Laird), EJIL: Talk! (August 12, 2015).
PRESENTATIONS“Internal Preparation of a Case in International Arbitration,” 2016 Selected Topics and Miscellany CLE, Washburn University School of Law, Topeka, June 24, 2016.
CONFERENCES PLANNEDCo-chair, Tenth Annual Investment Treaty Arbitration Conference, Washington, D.C., May 12-13, 2016.
Co-Chair, Oil and Gas Investment Arbitrations II: Celebrating 40 Years of Lex Petrolea, Second Houston Annual Conference Oil and Gas Investment Arbitration 2015, University of Houston Law Center, Georgetown International Law Institute & Washburn Oil and Gas Law Center, Houston, October 30, 2015.
Co-Chair, First Annual Oxford Investment Claims Summer Academy, Oxford University Press and Investment Claims, St. Anne’s College, Oxford, United Kingdom, July 13-14, 2015.
12WASHBURN LAW - BUSINESS AND TRANSACTIONAL LAW CENTER
Small Business & Nonprofit Transactional Law Clinic
Janet Th ompson Jackson Co-Director of the Law Clinic and Professor of Law
washburnlaw.edu/practicalexperience/transactional/clinic
Transactional Clinic Interns
Fall 2015Back row: David Cohen, ’16, and Sean McElwain, ’16.
Front row: Jorge De Hoyos, ’16, Lucy Hesse, ’16, and Morgan Johnson, ’16. Not pictured: Jessica Bailey, ’16.
Spring 2016Blair Loving, ’16, Katie Gerth, ’16, and Travis Ternes.
Pictured in photo at the left: David Cohen, ’16, (directed intern) and Morgan Johnson, ’16, (directed intern).
Washburn Law’s Small Business & Nonprofi t Transactional Law Clinic is one of the few transactional law clinics in the region. Upper-level law students selected for the Transactional Law Clinic provide business and legal assistance to small businesses and nonprofi t organizations in Topeka and surrounding areas. In this manner, the Transactional Law Clinic helps students develop skills in business counseling and transactional law, while also serving the legal needs of businesses and nonprofi t organizations that cannot aff ord to hire legal counsel.
All work in the Transactional Clinic is done under the supervision of Professor Janet Th ompson Jackson.
In 2015-2016, approximately 10 Washburn Law students benefi tted from the Transactional Law Clinic experience. Th e students did everything from drafting and reviewing business plans, to fi ling charter documents, to reviewing contracts for their clients.
As one of the students, Katie Gerth, ’16, explains, “Th e only way I can describe my experience in the Small Business
and Nonprofi t Transactional Law Clinic is INVALUABLE. My biggest fear going through law school was how to apply the knowledge I learned in class to real cases and working with clients, which my experience in the clinic has alleviated. While in clinic, I worked with multiple clients on trademark applications; set up a nonprofi t; drafted various documents, including a mortgage; and worked on other miscellaneous projects that clients came up with along the way. Additionally, we gave presentations at the Kansas Bar Association to practicing attorneys about nonprofi t issues and I made a presentation to local business owners about legal issues of creating and owning a small business.”
As we begin 2016-2017, another group of Washburn Law students is beginning their work for their clients, and earning valuable practice experience in the process.
“The only way I can describe my experience
in the Small Business and Nonprofi t
Transactional Law Clinic is
INVALUABLE.”Katie Gerth, ’16
WASHBURNLAW.EDU/TRANSACTIONAL 13Westbrook Selected as Professor of the Year
Washburn Law’s graduating class of 2016 has honored Center Co-Director and Professor Amy Deen Westbrook and Associate Professor Emily Grant as the 2015-16 William O. Douglas Professors of the Year. Th is award provides an opportunity to recognize outstanding instructors who motivate, challenge, and inspire excellence in students; who contribute to an understanding of and advancement in legal education; and who are respected by law students and peers alike.
Westbrook joined Washburn Law in 2009. Her teaching and research focus on fi nancial, international, and transactional subjects. Her current endeavors center on various anti-corruption initiatives, particularly whistleblower bounty programs. Westbrook continues her longstanding work relating to executive compensation, as well as her research into director fi duciary duties.
“I am honored to receive the Professor of the Year award,” said Westbrook. “Th e Class of 2016 is an amazing group of young lawyers who will make important contributions to the practicing bar. Th is class
includes students who have run large organizations, volunteered hundreds of hours, completed the demanding requirements to obtain certifi cates in nine diff erent areas of specialization, and obtained dual degrees with several of our graduate schools. It also includes two highly qualifi ed non-U.S. LL.M. students who have specialized in U.S. and International Corporate and Commercial Law.”
“Th anks to Washburn’s unique learning environment, I have had the opportunity to get to know many of these students,” said Westbrook. Westbrook credits Washburn Law’s strong commitment to teaching every student and to preparing them for the practice of law, for the reason she teaches here. “I am proud to say that I am confi dent in the abilities, the professionalism, and the commitment of these students to make the world a better place.”
Westbrook and Grant were honored for their achievements at Washburn Law’s Commencement on May 14, 2016, and a related article appears in the Washburn Law Journal, Volume 55, No. 3 (2016).
Matthew Wiebe, J.D. Candidate ’18, was selected as the 2016-17 BTLC Fellow. He attended Tabor College in
Hillsboro, Kan., earning a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting/Finance and Management with a minor in Music.
At Washburn Law, Wiebe participates in the Business and Transactional Law Center and serves as a staff writer for the Washburn Law Journal Volume 56. He is also concurrently pursuing a Masters of Business Administration through the Washburn Dual Degree Program.
Th is past summer, Wiebe interned with Judge Julie A. Robinson at the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas. Th e internship provided excellent opportunities to observe a variety of courtroom proceedings, as well as to research and write about a wide range of legal issues.
In the future, Wiebe plans to use his business knowledge to better understand his corporate clients’ needs and achieve their business goals.
2016-17 BTLC Fellow Announced
In Th e Case for the Corporate Death Penalty, Professor Mary Kreiner Ramirez and Steven A. Ramirez examine the best available evidence about the wrongdoing underlying the fi nancial crisis. Th ey reveal that the government failed to use its most powerful law enforcement tools despite overwhelming proof of wide-ranging and large-scale fraud on Wall Street before, during, and after the crisis. Pre-order for the book is available now on Amazon.com.
Inawf
14WASHBURN LAW - BUSINESS AND TRANSACTIONAL LAW CENTER
2016 VITA Clinic
Th e Washburn Intellectual Property Law Society (WIPLS) supports Washburn Law students interested in the practice of intellectual property (IP) law, which includes patent, copyright, trade secret, and trademark law.
WIPLS has recently hosted speakers on hot topics in trademark law and sessions on strategies for passing the patent bar.
Th e new offi cers for the 2016-17 academic year are brimming with enthusiasm and hope to build on previous years’ successes by facilitating networking opportunities with the local intellectual property bar, exploring the links between intellectual property protection and sports law, and supporting broader programming on transactional intellectual property practice.
Th e group is also keen to increase the number of IP-focused externships, building relationships with local IP-focused businesses and fi rms. With several recent graduates working in the fi eld — from large Kansas City fi rms to in-house counsel to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Offi ce — the time is ripe for growth in IP opportunities for Washburn Law students.
WIPLS ActivitiesWashburn Law once again enlisted law student volunteers who dedicated their Saturdays from January through April 15 to assisting low-income taxpayers with their tax returns. Th e Voluntary Income Tax Assistance (VITA) clinic off ered by Washburn Law is organized and managed by the Tax and Estate Planning Association (TEPA) under the supervision of Professor Lori McMillan.
During the semester, more than 25 volunteer students were trained and certifi ed, and were invaluable to VITA’s mission. Th ey helped more than 200 Topeka residents, generating more than $300,000 federal refunds and nearly $40,000 in state refunds.
Th e VITA clinic helps low-income taxpayers with federal tax returns as well as state tax returns in numerous states (Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Colorado, Indiana, Utah, Missouri, New York, New Jersey, and Arizona). Th e students working through the VITA Clinic give back to our community in a very real sense and provide low-income taxpayers signifi cant, quantifi able benefi ts.
In addition to having the opportunity to serve our community, Washburn Law’s student volunteers have the chance to practice client interview and management skills, engage in problem solving, and apply their knowledge of tax law. Th e VITA clinic is unique in that the students run and organize the clinic themselves, making it the only student-run clinic at Washburn Law.
Patricia JuddWIPLS Faculty Advisor and Professor of Law
Katie Gerth, ’16
Destiny Bounds, ’16
Lori A. McMillanTEPA Faculty Advisor and Professor of Law
Jose Hernandez (Washburn University undergraduate student)
WASHBURNLAW.EDU/TRANSACTIONAL 15Business and Transactional Law Certificate
CERTIFICATE OF CONCENTRATIONStudents who desire to concentrate their elective and extracurricular courses of study in business and transactional law can seek a Certifi cate in Business and Transactional Law. Th e Certifi cate is an acknowledgment by the faculty that the student has successfully completed a focused course of study to expand his or her knowledge in business law while developing essential skills of the transactional lawyer.
With the approval of the certifi cate advisor, the Certifi cate can include, when appropriate, a designation stating a particular area of concentration, such as: "Corporate Law," "Real Estate Law,” or other descriptive designation.
COURSE OF STUDYA student seeking the Certifi cate must complete 19 hours of approved coursework in business and transactional subjects, earning a grade point average of at least 3.0 in these classes.
EXTRACURRICULAR PROGRAMMINGTo earn the certifi cate, students must participate in 1,000 minutes of extracurricular programming related to business and transactional law. Th e programming may be sponsored by the Business and Transactional Law Center or any student organization presenting a program supported by the Center. Organizations include
Washburn’s Business Law Society, Intellectual Property Society, Real Estate Law Society, and Tax and Estate Planning Association. A majority of the minutes must be earned at Center-sponsored programs.
Student may also attend American Bar Association, Kansas Bar Association, or Continuing Legal Education programs in business and transactional law to satisfy the extracurricular requirement.
WRITING REQUIREMENT To earn the Certifi cate, students must complete the upper-level writing requirement (or equivalent writing project) on a pre-approved business and transactional law topic. Th ey may satisfy the Certifi cate writing requirement through Directed Research or other writing opportunity approved in advance by the student’s Certifi cate advisor.
LAWYERING EXPERIENCE REQUIREDStudents earning a Business and Transactional Law Certifi cate must complete a lawyering experience such as the Transactional Law Clinic or an externship that involves a lawyering experience related to business and transactional law.
Business and Transactional Law Certifi cate administrators, working together with the externship coordinator, will determine whether an externship meets the necessary criteria.
EXTERNSHIP BUSINESS PARTNERS
Most State Agencies, Entities, and BoardsBanking Entities and CorporationsChevron U.S.A.Disability Rights CenterEnvironmental Protection AgencyImmigration and Customs EnforcementInternal Revenue ServiceKansas Association of CountiesKansas Association of School Boards Kansas Attorney General’s Offi ceKansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic ViolenceKansas Corporation Commission Oil and Gas Conservation DivisionKansas Court of Tax Appeals Kansas Department for Children and Families Kansas Department of AgricultureKansas Department of Commerce Kansas Department of Health and Environment Kansas Department of Revenue Kansas Department of Revenue - Alcoholic Beverage ControlKansas Insurance Department Kansas League of Municipalities Kansas Legal ServicesKansas Soybean AssociationKansas State Bankers AssociationLocal Corporations Midwest Innocence ProjectNon-profi t Organizations Offi ce of the Kansas Securities Commissioner Payless ShoeSourcePrairie Band Potawatomi Court System Regional Federal Agencies Shawnee County Sheriff ’s Offi ceState and Federal Courts Statewide and Nationwide Courts and Prosecutors/Defenders Offi ces Statewide Board of Indigents’ Defense Services Topeka Metropolitan Transit AuthorityYWCA Center for Safety and Empowerment
Placement opportunities vary annually.Non-exhaustive list.
16WASHBURN LAW - BUSINESS AND TRANSACTIONAL LAW CENTER
Amy Deen WestbrookCo-Director, Business and Transactional Law Center, and Kurt M. Sager Memorial Distinguished Professor of International and Commercial Law
Andrea J. BoyackCo-Director, Business and Transactional Law Center, and Professor of Law
ABOUT US
Washburn Law’s Business and Transactional Law Center brings together faculty, alumni, business leaders, and government offi cials to provide Washburn Law’s students with the opportunity to develop their professional skills. Led by talented and innovative faculty and a distinguished, visionary Board of Advisors, the Center off ers programs that enhance students’ traditional legal education. Center-sponsored programs include many types of specialized educational and training opportunities designed to teach students the professional skills they must develop to be eff ective lawyers. Center faculty advise students wishing to obtain one of the four Certifi cates related to the Center.
Washburn University School of LawBusiness and Transactional Law Center
1700 SW College • Topeka, KS 66221785.670.1541 or 785.670.1664
WASHBURN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW SOCIETY
Katie Gerth, PresidentMatthew Shoger, Vice President
Maureen Hannen, SecretaryMorgan Simpson, Treasurer
Professor Patricia Judd, Faculty Advisor
2015-16 Student Organization LeadershipWASHBURN BUSINESS
LAW SOCIETYDevin Glasgow, President
Bailey Samuel, Vice PresidentAlosha Moore, TreasurerCaleb Hanes, Secretary
Joseph Falls, Business LiaisonJoseph Ramirez, Business Liaison
Professors Amy Deen Westbrook and Andrea Boyack, Faculty Advisors
TAX AND ESTATEPLANNING ASSOCIATION
Brock Roehler, PresidentKatie Gerth, Vice PresidentBobby Chipman, Secretary
Jordan Millholland, Treasurer
Merideth Hogan and Destiny Bounds, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Chairs
Professor Lori McMillan, Faculty Advisor
