Congratulations to our Bellow Scholars!

Congratulations to Professors Fatma Marouf & Mike Kagan and Elizabeth MacDowell & Criminal Justice Prof Emily Troshonsky for being named Bellow Scholars!  The Bellow is awarded to clinicians whose projects promise to improve justice for underserved communities.

Professor McAffee Publishes Op-Ed in Review-Journal

The Boyd School of Law is very pleased to announce that Professor Tom McAffee recently published an Op-Ed in the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

As background, on November 26, 2012, a federal district court ruled against a legal challenge brought on behalf of eight same-sex couples seeking the freedom to marry in Nevada. In the case, the plaintiffs argued that Nevada's current law, which excludes same-sex couples from marriage, while relegating them to the second-class status of domestic partnership, violates their right to equal treatment under the U.S. Constitution.

In a December 4, 2012, editorial, the Review-Journal defended the decision of Judge Robert Jones rejecting this challenge, adopting his assertion that the question "is not the wisdom of providing for or recognize same-sex marriage as a matter of policy." According to Professor McAffee in his December 16 editorial, the December 4 editorial "sets up a straw man argument that is easily rejected." Click here to read more of Professor McAffee's December 16 editorial.

Professor McAffee has published numerous articles in law journals including the Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy, Columbia Law Review, Brigham Young University Law Review, and Temple Law Review and was awarded the Faculty Achievement Award for Scholarship in 1997. His book, Inherent Rights, the Written Constitution, and Popular Sovereignty: The Founders’ Understanding, was published in 2000. At Boyd, Professor McAffee teaches American Legal History, First Amendment Rights, and Constitutional Law.

Congratulations, Tom!

Professor Lipman Featured in ABA Taxation Section Member Newsletter

The Boyd School of Law is very pleased to announce that Professor Francine Lipman has been featured on the front page in the 'Member Spotlight' column of the December 2012 issue of the ABA Taxation Section Member Newsletter.

Professor Lipman joined the faculty in July 2012, bringing an exceptional record as an accountant, a lawyer, a teacher, and a scholar. Professor Lipman is an elected member of the American Law Institute and a chair and editor for the Tax Section of the American Bar Association. She has written extensively on tax and accounting issues for legal journals, including the Wisconsin Law Review, Florida Tax Review, Virginia Tax Review, Nevada Law Journal, American University Law Review, Harvard Environmental Law Review, Harvard Latino Law Review, Harvard Journal on Legislation, The Tax Lawyer, The Practical Tax Lawyer, and Taxes and Tax Notes. Professor Lipman is a frequent speaker on tax subjects to law and business groups.

Congratulations, Francine!

Boyd to Host ACLU President Susan Herman

The Boyd School of Law is pleased to announce that it will host ACLU President Susan N. Herman for a talk entitled, "Myths and Missions: The ACLU's Agenda for the Obama Second Term and Beyond," on Friday, January 25, 2013, at 12:30 p.m.

In addition to her ACLU service, Herman also serves as the Centennial Professor of Law at Brooklyn Law School, where she teaches Constitutional Law, Criminal Procedure, Law and Literature, and Terrorism and Civil Liberties. A highly regarded authority in constitutional and criminal procedure topics, Herman is a prolific author in these areas. Her extensive writings have been published in scholarly and other publications, ranging from law reviews and books to periodicals and on-line publications. Herman's most recent book, Taking Liberties: The War on Terror and the Erosion of American Democracy (Oxford 2011) was awarded the 2012 Roy C. Palmer Civil Liberties Prize from the Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago-Kent College of Law. She is also author of The Right to a Speedy and Public Trial: A Reference Guide to the United States Constitution (Praeger Publishers 2006) and co-author of Terrorism, Government, and Law: National Authority and Local Autonomy in the War on Terror (Praeger Publishers 2008).

Boyd Representation at AALS Annual Meeting

The Boyd School of Law is very pleased to announce significant representation at the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) Annual Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, January 4 through 8, 2013.

On Friday, January 4, from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m., Professor Sylvia Lazos will participate in panel 4096 ("Hot Topic Workshop on Democracy and the Public Trust: Equality, Integrity, and Suppression in the 2012 Election"). At the same time, Professor Ann McGinley will participate in panel 4140 ("Workers After the Ascendancy of Global Financial Capital"). Later that day, Professor McGinley will participate in a second panel ("The End of Men? A Socio-Economic Examination of Women’s Advances in Education, Employment and Family").

On Saturday, January 5, from 8:30 to 10:15 a.m., Professor Jeff Stempel will participate in panel 5200 ("American Exceptionalism, Health Reform and the Persistence of Employer-Based Benefits"). Later that day, between 1:30 and 2:30 p.m., DeShun Harris, Assistant Director of Boyd's Academic Success Program, will display her poster, "Unraveling Hidden Clues: How Using Cues Helps Student Learning." Between 1:30 and 3:15 p.m., Associate Dean Ngai Pindell will participate in panel 5390 ("Cities in Recession"). Finally, Professor Sylvia Lazos will participate in panel 5460 ("Beyond 'Diversity': Negotiating Racial and Gender Identities on the Path to Tenure").

On Sunday, January 6, from 2:00 to 3:45 p.m., Professor Linda Edwards will participate in panel 6370 ("The Past, Present, and Future of Appellate Briefs"). At the same time, UNLV Executive Vice President and Provost John Valey White and Professor Stacey Tovino will participate in panel 6420 ("Tort and Compensation Principles in Related Fields"). That evening, from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m., Professor Ruben Garcia and Associate Dean Ngai Pindell will chair and host the Annual Dinner of the Society of American Law Teachers.

Congratulations, Boyd faculty members!

Legal Writing Prof Blog Named to 'ABA Journal Blawg 100 Hall of Fame'

The Boyd School of Law is very pleased to highlight Professor Lori Johnson's continuing service as Contributing Editor of the Legal Writing Prof Blog, which was recently named to the 'ABA Journal Blawg 100 Hall of Fame,' a list of the top 100 law blogs.

According to the ABA Journal, "The law professors who edit this blog offer the latest news from academia, whether it's a study about word usage, a YouTube video about case citations or a professorial job opening. The blog is updated almost daily and pulls from contributors with universities and law schools around the country. It's an excellent aggregator of legal writing news."

Congratulations to Lori and the other editors of the Legal Writing Prof Blog!

Professor Pollman Receives AALS Section Award

The Boyd School of Law is very pleased to announce that the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) Section on Legal Writing, Reasoning, and Research (Section) named Professor Terry Pollman as one of two recipients of this year's Section Award.

Identified as an outstanding leader in her field who has made significant contributions in the areas of teaching, scholarship, and service, Professor Pollman received the award together with University of Hawaii Professor Jill Ramsfield. Professors Pollman and Ramsfield will be honored at the Section lunch on Saturday, January 5, 2013, at the AALS Annual Meeting in New Orleans.

Professor Pollman serves as Director of Boyd's nationally-ranked Lawyering Process Program. A founding faculty member, Professor Pollman teaches in the areas of Lawyering Process, Persuasion, Negotiation, and Leadership and Law. A past president of the Association of Legal Writing Directors (ALWD) and editor of several journals, Professor Pollman's scholarship focuses on legal writing, pedagogy and rhetoric.

Congratulations, Terry!

Dean Rapoport Submits Comment to ABA Task Force on the Future of Legal Education

The Boyd School of Law is proud to announce that Interim Dean and Professor Nancy Rapoport has submitted an article that serves as a comment to the American Bar Association Task Force on the Future of Legal Education.

Entitled, "Rethinking U.S. Legal Education: No More 'Same Old, Same Old,'" Dean Rapoport's article argues that law schools should take a good, hard look at creating deliberate building blocks of skill sets. The article is forthcoming in a symposium issue ("Are Law Schools Passing the Bar: Examining the Demands and Limitations of the Legal Education Market") of the Connecticut Law Review.

Congratulations, Nancy!

November Issue of Boyd Briefs Released

The Boyd School of Law is very pleased to announce the release of Volume 1, Issue 4, of Boyd Briefs.

Issued on a monthly basis, Boyd Briefs provides information about the scholarly and other activities of Boyd faculty members during the previous month. Illustrative entries announce new faculty publications, the drafting of briefs and uniform legislation, submission to administrative agencies of comments on proposed regulations, Clinic victories, the organization and hosting of academic conferences, appointments and elections of Boyd faculty members to local, national, and international boards, offices, and societies, and other honors and awards.

The November 2012 issue of Boyd Briefs announces several new law review articles, panel presentations, and other faculty honors and awards. Congratulations, Boyd faculty members!

The Boyd Briefs archives may be accessed here.