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Friday, March 28, 2014

Professor Ruben Garcia Featured on FOX5 KVVU-TV

http://law.unlv.edu/faculty/ruben-garcia.htmlRuben J. Garcia is a Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

On March 26, he was quoted in the FOX5 KVVU-TV article Ex-college athlete: Unionizing 'step in the right direction.'

The article reads, "After being presented evidence that Northwestern's football players spend more time on the field playing and practicing than in the classroom, the National Labor Relations Board ruled Wednesday the student-athletes are, in fact, employees of the university and have the right to unionize."

In response, Professor Garcia said, "The facts, as I've seen them, really do point pretty significantly toward employee status."

A recognized expert in the field of labor and employment law, Professor Garcia teaches Labor Law, Employment Law, Constitutional Law, and Professional Responsibility at the Boyd School of Law. He has been quoted in the Los Angeles Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Las Vegas Review-Journal, among others, and has appeared on national and local radio and television programs.

Boyd Alumnus Jeremy Aguero '04 Featured on KNPR's State of Nevada

On March 26, Boyd alumnus Jeremy Aguero '04, Principal with Applied Analysis, was featured on KNPR's State of Nevada program.

In a segment titled Las Vegas Economic Perspective: Harvest Time?, Jeremy talks about what's in store for the Las Vegas economy in 2014, including businesses starting up, residential housing bouncing back, and Southern Nevada's population growing.

"The best and the biggest news has to be the reduction in our unemployment rate and the number of jobs we're creating. If you look at every sector of the economy, save one or two smaller sectors that are actually negative, every other sector of the economy is creating jobs. Our unemployment rate now is down below that nine percent level and dropping faster than anywhere else in the United States," he said during the interview.

Boyd Alumna Lisa Lynn Chapman Featured on KSNV News 3

Boyd alumna Lisa Lynn Chapman '07, Director of Community Relations at Safe Nest, was featured on KSNV News 3's Wake Up With the Wagners program.

In a segment titled Day of Giving (19:00-minute remaining mark), Lisa spoke on behalf on Safe Nest, a domestic violence crisis center, about the Day of Giving.  In March, Safe Nest joined forces with Las Vegas Jersey's Mike's Subs restaurants for the 4th annual March Month of Giving fundraising campaign. The campaign culminated March 26 with the Day of Giving, where 100 percent of sales at Jersey Mike's locations across the country went to more than 100 different charities.

"This is just a wonderful way of everyone being able to give to Safe Nest and give back to the community. As a consumer, you can get something great to eat. They're so generous that they're giving 100 percent, which will help provide shelter for women, it'll provide crisis line calls, all of these other things. That's what these donations bring to us, and that's what we can give back to the community," she said during the interview.

Thursday, March 27, 2014

March 27 Boyd Briefs Now Available

The March 27 edition of Boyd Briefs is now available.

This week's edition features Professor Eric Franklin, student Chandler Pohl, and alumnus Andrew Spalding '03.

Professor Franklin arrived at Boyd one year ago to launch the Small Business & Nonprofit Legal Clinic. The clinic is an important component of the law school's ongoing effort to benefit the City and State in concrete ways.

Pohl has an experiential portfolio that is both diverse and impressive. It includes his experience as an intern for the Nevada Attorney General and the UNLV Office of General Counsel, in addition to his participation in Boyd's International and Comparative Human Rights Law Practicum in New Delhi, India during the Winter 2011/2012 intersession.

Spalding currently works as an Assistant Professor at the University of Richmond School of Law. His fondest memory of Boyd is experiencing the synergy between teaching and scholarship demonstrated by a few of his favorite professors.

Boyd School of Law’s Work with Clark High School Students Culminates April 11 in Mock Trial

Street Law

On April 11, the UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law’s Minority Law Students Association (MLSA) will host more than 120 Clark High School students for a day of mock trials and campus tours in an effort to encourage the students to pursue higher education. The event is the culmination of a month-and-a-half-long partnership between the MLSA and Clark High School that had law students visiting the high school to teach about the law and the judicial process.

For the first time in the history of the program, called Street Law, the high school students will present their cases in front of four judges from Clark County courts. Judge Bill Gonzalez, Judge Nancy Allf, Judge Joanna Kishner, and Judge Frank Sullivan will each preside over one of the mock trials. Senator Ruben Kihuen and District Attorney Steve Wolfson will provide words of encouragement at the opening of the event.

“The Street Law Program places Boyd students in high school classrooms to teach students lessons in the law that will help them in their everyday lives and promote their civic awareness,” said Frank Durand, Associate Dean for Student Affairs at the Boyd School of Law. “In addition to helping high school students to become better, and better informed, citizens, the program endeavors to get them thinking more seriously about going to college... and perhaps considering a legal career.”

The program was created by Dean Durand and Professor Robert Correales, both from Boyd, along with Scott Beeten, a Clark High School teacher.

“The students of the William S. Boyd School of Law strive to make a difference. This program is one of the many ways the students seek to enrich the community,” said Rob Telles, President of the MLSA.

The mock trial event will be held April 11 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Boyd School of Law.

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Professor Ian Bartrum Appears on Live And Local With Kevin Wall

Ian Bartrum is an Associate Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

On March 24, he appeared on KXNT's Live And Local With Kevin Wall to discuss a few religious rights cases (Hour 2, 32:30 mark).

"The nonprofit organizations and the churches and the religious bodies, they clearly have rights that are related to their status as being religious organizations. They are autonomous in the exercise of their religion based on being churches. The question is whether a for-profit company, one that enters into the marketplace and incorporates so that it gets certain protections -- the owners get certain protections from lawsuits, etc. -- do they then, by incorporating, forfeit the right to act as people when exercising their religious rights?" he said in regard to the Affordable Care Act contraception mandate.

Professor Bartrum's research interests are in constitutional history and theory, the Establishment Clause, and constitutional education.

Monday, March 24, 2014

Professor Angela Morrison Testifies at Congressional Field Hearing for the House Committee on Education

Angela Morrison is a Visiting Assistant Professor at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

On March 18, Professor Morrison testified at a congressional field hearing for the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. Her testimony focused on the barriers to educational opportunities faced by children based on their own or their parents' immigration status.

Her testimony was quoted in the Democratic press release titled Congress Must Act on Comprehensive Immigration Reform and DREAM Act So All Students Have Opportunity to Succeed.

The press release reads, “'While programs like the Perkins Career and Technical Education Act provide a means for state and local leaders to develop programs that encourage successful transitions from secondary skills training to postsecondary skills training to careers for many young people, a substantial number of young people stall at secondary skills training due to their own immigration status or that of their parents,' testified Angela Morrison, a visiting professor at the University of Nevada Las Vegas's William S. Boyd School of Law. 'By not providing a method for these young people or their parents to regularize their immigration status, the United States is squandering the enormous contributions that these young people could make to the United States.'”

Professor Morrison graduated from the Boyd School of Law where she was the editor-in-chief of the Nevada Law Journal and was a student attorney in the Immigration Clinic. Professor Morrison teaches in the Immigration Clinic and Employment Discrimination.

Professor Fatma Marouf Testifies at Ad Hoc Congressional Hearing on Immigration

Fatma Marouf is the Co-Director of the Immigration Clinic and an Associate Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

On March 17, Professor Marouf testified at an ad hoc congressional hearing on immigration chaired by Congressman Steven Horsford about the detention conditions and attorney access problems at the Henderson Detention Center, amplifying findings of a report released by the Boyd School of Law's Immigration Clinic last November.

The hearing was covered by the Las Vegas Sun. Professor Marouf is featured in the article Horsford calls for executive action to halt deportations.

Drawing on her extensive experience representing individuals before the Immigration Courts, Board of Immigration Appeals, and U.S. Courts of Appeals, Professor Marouf's research probes various problems involved in adjudicating immigration cases at all levels.

Professor Leslie Griffin Launches Blog, Writes Article

Dr. Leslie C. Griffin is a William S. Boyd Professor of Law at UNLV.

On March 16, she wrote an article titled Scandal at Notre Dame (Justia.com). The article was posted on a new blog, Hamilton and Griffin on Rights, launched recently by Professor Griffin and Marci Hamilton, the Paul R. Verkuil Chair in Public Law at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University.

Filling a much needed gap in the coverage of constitutional law, the blog focuses on the intersection of religion, feminism, and reproductive rights.

In the Scandal at Notre Dame article, Professor Griffin wrote, "I am disappointed to see my alma mater, the University of Notre Dame, leading the litigation charge against the contraceptive mandate of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The mandate requires employer health care plans to contain preventive care coverage that includes FDA-approved contraceptive methods and sterilization procedures. The ACA originally exempted purely religious employers like houses of worship from its requirements, but otherwise applied the contraceptive regulations to religious employers like Notre Dame."

Professor Griffin, who teaches constitutional law, is known for her interdisciplinary work in law and religion.

The mission statement for the Hamilton and Griffin on Rights blog is: We are two constitutional law professors who want to bring women’s voices and issues to the forefront of constitutional law and law and religion debates. We celebrate the diversity of faith and non-faith in the United States and support laws that promote and protect such diversity. We challenge the accepted orthodoxy in constitutional law that too frequently keeps entrenched power structures in place at the expense of women, children and minorities. We seek to advance legal discourse that promotes religious toleration and brings the healthy separation of church and state back into the academic and political arena to ensure that the United States remains the peacefully diverse country it is. We recognize that the First Amendment protects beliefs absolutely, but subjects conduct to the rule of law. 

Professor Ruben Garcia Featured on KNPR's State of Nevada

http://law.unlv.edu/faculty/ruben-garcia.htmlRuben J. Garcia is a Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

On March 18, he was featured on KNPR's State of Nevada segment titled Workers Sue McDonald's.

"I think in many industries there has been a failure to pay the minimum wage, not just in Las Vegas but also throughout the country...," he said during the interview. "The fact that there have been many, many, many of these lawsuits filed is one indication. That doesn't necessarily mean that the businesses are at fault. It doesn't always mean, of course, that the plaintiffs are always right, but there are certainly enough of these cases to suggest that it is and has been a growing problem."

A recognized expert in the field of labor and employment law, Professor Garcia teaches Labor Law, Employment Law, Constitutional Law, and Professional Responsibility at the Boyd School of Law. He has been quoted in the Los Angeles Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Las Vegas Review-Journal, among others, and has appeared on national and local radio and television programs.

Boyd Alumnus Edgar Flores Featured in Las Vegas Review-Journal

On March 20, Boyd alumnus Edgar Flores '12 was featured in the Las Vegas Review-Journal article Newcomer Flores wins Las Vegas Assembly race without having to campaign.

The article reads, "The 27-year-old Democrat, first-year attorney and first-time candidate is Nevada’s newest state lawmaker. All he had to do was file to run for Assembly District 28, which Lucy Flores is giving up to run for lieutenant governor. No other candidate filed for the seat, handing Edgar Flores — no relation — an easy victory. His name will still appear on the Nov. 4 general election ballot; and if he gets even one vote, he will officially become an assemblyman, no fuss, no bother."

In the article, Flores said, "I’m still in awe, I suppose,” Flores said Tuesday night, vowing to walk door to door anyway to get to know his mostly Hispanic constituents better before next year’s state Legislature meets. “I feel very privileged that everything kind of fell into place. I can’t pretend I’m a perfect candidate. It’s my responsibility to prove the right thing happened."

Thursday, March 20, 2014

March 20 Boyd Briefs Now Available

The March 20 edition of Boyd Briefs is now available.

This week's edition features Professor Michael Kagan, student Kylee Gloeckner, and alumna Chelsie Campbell '05.

Since 2000, Professor Kagan has built a distinguished career in international refugee law by holding various positions in Cairo, Beirut, Ramallah, London and San Francisco. Now at Boyd, he serves as a Co-Director of the Immigration Clinic and teaches Administrative Law and Immigration Law.

Over the course of five summers, Gloeckner worked as a wildland firefighter in her hometown of Pioche, Nev. She’s currently finishing her second year at Boyd, while serving as a member of the Nevada Law Journal and Vice President for Business and Finance of the Sports and Entertainment Law Association.

Campbell works for NV Energy in Government Affairs, where she strengthens the company’s effectiveness at the local political level. She is also a current member of the Board of Directors for the William S. Boyd School of Law Alumni Chapter.

To subscribe to Boyd Briefs, visit law.unlv.edu/BoydBriefs.

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Created Equal: America's Civil Rights Struggle

Flyer
UNLV’s Office of Diversity Initiatives and the Wiener-Rogers Law Library at the William S. Boyd School of Law will sponsor a series of film screenings, community discussions, and other activities that explore the civil rights movement in the United States. UNLV is one of nearly 500 institutions across the country that were chosen to participate in Created Equal: America’s Civil Rights Struggle, a grant-funded program sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Created Equal centers on four films that bring the civil rights struggle to life. During the next three years, the NEH grant will support a variety of activities at UNLV and around the state, including discussions among students, scholars, and community members, film screenings, and displays and exhibits.

The first Created Equal event takes place on Tuesday, April 1, at UNLV’s Student Union. The program will feature excerpts from PBS’ Freedom Riders, a film that focuses on the Freedom Rides of 1961, when a group of volunteers traveled to the South to bring civil rights injustices to the attention of the nation. A group of scholars and community members will discuss with students and others the challenges facing civil rights workers in the 1960s. Panelists include Hannah Brown, local civic and community leader, Jean Childs, former director of Region IX Head Start, Joseph M. Neal, Jr., former Nevada State Senator, and David Tanenhaus, Chair of UNLV’s History Department and James E. Rogers Professor of History and Law.

Additional programming is planned throughout 2014 and 2015. During the Nevada legislative session in 2015, the Created Equal films (The Abolitionists, Slavery by Another Name, Freedom Riders, and The Loving Story) will be shown outside the State Senate Chambers in Carson City on four consecutive Fridays during the month of February 2015. In late spring 2015, Created Equal materials will be part of a multi-media installation in the State Legislative Building in Carson City.

For information about Created Equal programming, please contact Jose Melendrez, Assistant Vice President of UNLV’s Office of Diversity Initiatives (jose.melendrez@unlv.edu), or Jeanne Price, Director of the Wiener-Rogers Law Library, William S. Boyd School of Law, UNLV (jeanne.price@unlv.edu).

Monday, March 17, 2014

Associate Professor Fatma Marouf Featured on KNPR's State of Nevada

Fatma Marouf is the Co-Director of the Immigration Clinic and an Associate Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

On March 17, she spoke on KNPR's State of Nevada segment Immigrant Detainees Face Inhumane Treatment. She spoke about a report, "The Conditions of Immigration Detention in Nevada," she and Immigration Clinic students published late last year.

"In terms of the day-to-day running of the detention center, I think Henderson needs to ensure that medical care is accessible within a reasonable time period. Under the newer detention standards, sick calls should be responded to within 24 hours, and we heard from people who had been waiting months for medical care. The conduct of the HDC officers as well as ICE officers is an issue in terms of verbal abuse. I think we had more complaints about ICE officers in that respect, especially with physical coercion or some physical force. One of the biggest things that Henderson needs to do, I think, is improve the conditions of access for attorneys. We've tried to resolve this issue with ICE, and until recently we're still having problems with the guards at HDC," she said during the interview.

Drawing on her extensive experience representing individuals before the Immigration Courts, Board of Immigration Appeals, and U.S. Courts of Appeals, Professor Marouf's research probes various problems involved in adjudicating immigration cases at all levels.

Dean Dan Hamilton, Boyd Alumni Featured in Nevada Lawyer

(l-r) Dean Dan Hamilton, Adam Bowler, Terry Johnson, Kendelee Works
Dean Dan Hamilton and several Boyd School of Law alumni are featured in the March issue of Nevada Lawyer, the State Bar of Nevada's monthly publication.

Dean Dan Hamilton authored the Dean's Column: Boyd and Bankruptcy Law. "We are always looking for ways to expand our offerings and strengthen our already close connections to the bench and bar. I am delighted that U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judges Mike Nakagawa and Gregg Zive are teaching courses and seminars at Boyd on basic bankruptcy and bankruptcy litigation. Our students have served these and other bankruptcy judges as clerks and externs and, we are told, continually do us proud," Dean Hamilton wrote in the article.

Boyd alumnus Adam Bowler '03 co-authored What Every Attorney Needs to Know About Bankruptcy. "A great starting point in a search for bankruptcy information is the Nevada Bankruptcy Court’s website: www.nvb.uscourts.gov. The website includes copies of the Local Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure (which supplement the Bankruptcy Code and the national Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure), local forms, judicial procedures and court calendars," the article reads.

Boyd alumnus Terry Johnson '11 was featured in the Pro Bono Spotlight: ONE Focus article. "Terry Johnson works full time for the State of Nevada as a member of the Nevada Gaming Control Board, and very regularly does pro bono work in the form of taking cases and participating in outreach clinics. Johnson was Nevada Legal Services’ southern Nevada 2013 Volunteer Attorney of the Year," the article reads.

Boyd alumna Kendelee Works '05 wrote Young Lawyers: Things Every Young Lawyer Should Know About Bankruptcy. "Regardless of the area of law in which you practice, you will inevitably cross paths with an issue that touches upon the ever-elusive Bankruptcy Code," she wrote.

Several Boyd alumni are featured in the Pro Bono Honor Roll. The Honor Roll featured attorneys who accepted pro bono cases in December 2013 through the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada, Washoe Legal Services, Nevada Legal Services, and Volunteer Attorneys of Rural Nevada.

Professor Sylvia Lazos Appears on Jim Rogers' Nevada

Sylvia Lazos is the Justice Myron Leavitt Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

On March 14, she was featured on KSNV News 3's program Jim Rogers' Nevada

"I think it's still the case that we need to make sure that every legislator knows that the Nevada Constitution mandates that it's their constitutional duty, it's the duty and honor as a legislator, to fund a suitable education for every Nevada child. And right now, I don't think that we're quite there. We're making progress, but we haven't gotten there yet," she said during the interview.

Professor Lazos is a frequent op-ed contributor, and her expertise is sought by print and broadcast media on a wide range of subjects, including higher education, immigration, race relations, government, voting and initiatives.

Friday, March 14, 2014

Professor Sylvia Lazos a Guest on Jim Rogers' Nevada

Sylvia Lazos is the Justice Myron Leavitt Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

On March 13, she was featured on KSNV News 3's program Jim Rogers' Nevada

In regard to the low graduation rate in Nevada's higher education system, Professor Lazos said, "One way to cure it started with the last legislative session and that is to provide a new funding formula where you actually are going to get community colleges more support. I think the other piece of it might be that we have to break community colleges from the higher education system and have local governance, perhaps not elected, ... but appointed jointly by the Governor and the Legislature so there's more close monitoring of what's happening in the community colleges."

Professor Lazos is a frequent op-ed contributor, and her expertise is sought by print and broadcast media on a wide range of subjects, including higher education, immigration, race relations, government, voting and initiatives.

Thursday, March 13, 2014

Boyd Alumni Named to Rising Stars List

Boyd alumni Chelsie Campbell '05 and David Stoft '06 on March 9 were named to the Las Vegas Business Press' Rising Stars of Business 2014 list.

Campbell is a Government Affairs Attorney at NV Energy.

"I love the utilities industry. It's a constant challenge in that there's always something new to learn. It's always changing. And specifically with government affairs, I love that I get to be involved in the community. My job allows me to get out there and work with organizations and nonprofits," Campbell said in the article.

Stoft is an Associate at McDonald Carano Wilson.

"From a career perspective, I just think it's important to realize we all, I think, have the capacity to learn and grow and continue to do so in your professions. Being an attorney doesn't really provide an opportunity to get complacent," Stoft said in the article.

Professor Sylvia Lazos Featured on Jim Rogers' Nevada

Sylvia Lazos is the Justice Myron Leavitt Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

On March 12, she was featured on KSNV News 3's program Jim Rogers' Nevada

"Zoom Schools are an idea from our legislature in 2013 to really improve the performance of English language learner schools and schools that are poorly performing. We identified over 60 schools just in Clark County that needed extra help and had these high concentrations. The funding that Governor Sandoval for the first time provided ... now is distributed here in Clark County among 12 schools. ... A lot of that money is going to pre-k and kindergarten, that early childhood preparation that we know that children from poor families and immigrant families really need. We're spending money on early literacy, identifying those kids that are not at proficiency, intervening, helping, coaching, having extra staff, extra training for teachers to help them get on track," Professor Lazos said during the interview.

Professor Lazos is a frequent op-ed contributor, and her expertise is sought by print and broadcast media on a wide range of subjects, including higher education, immigration, race relations, government, voting and initiatives.

Dean Dan Hamilton, Student Ashveen Dhillon Featured on KSNV News 3

Dan Hamilton is the Dean and Richard J. Morgan Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

On March 12, he was featured on KSNV News 3's Nightly at 6 program (9:40 remaining mark). Boyd student Ashveen Dhillon was also featured in the same segment. 

"These rankings reflect national voting, so we have to make sure that the Boyd story, the UNLV law school story is told around the country," said Dean Hamilton.

Dean Hamilton researches and writes primarily on American property ideology and the legal and constitutional issues raised by the Civil War. He has written numerous articles and reviews on American legal history.

Associate Dean Ngai Pindell to Present at Associate Deans' Conference

Ngai Pindell is Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

On April 19, Dean Pindell will lead a session at the 2014 Associate Deans' Conference, being hosted by the University of Colorado Law School. Dean Pindell's session is titled Taking the Lessons of Critical Competencies into the Curriculum: Answering the How Questions.

The session will help answer the question of how to take advantage of the resources available to legal education, including adjunct and visiting faculty. The session will also focus on how to assess whether classes are teaching students effectively.

Associate Dean Pindell's research interests are in economic development and housing, and he teaches Property, Land Use Regulation, Local Government Law and Wills, Trusts & Estates.

March 13 Boyd Briefs Now Available

The March 13 edition of Boyd Briefs is now available.

This week's edition features Professor Sylvia Lazos, student Laura Guidry, and alumnus Michael Higdon '01.

Professor Lazos is a frequent commenter and collaborator on a wide range of subjects, including higher education, immigration, race relations, and election law. Much of her scholarship offers a cross-disciplinary perspective on contemporary questions of constitutional law.

Guidry recently chaired the Public Interest Law Association (PILA) Auction on Feb. 16 in the Cabaret Jazz Club at the Smith Center for the Performing Arts. In addition to her contributions to PILA, Guidry serves as the Secretary of the Federalist Society and participates in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program administered by Boyd's Financial Law Society.

Higdon currently works as an Associate Professor and Director of Legal Writing at the University of Tennessee College of Law. As part of Boyd's charter class, he graduated summa cum laude and valedictorian, in addition to serving as the first Editor-in-Chief of the Nevada Law Journal.

To subscribe to Boyd Briefs, visit law.unlv.edu/BoydBriefs.

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Boyd Faculty Scholarship Spans the Globe

Scholarship authored by Boyd faculty is making an impact around the world. From China to Iran, from Chile to the Netherlands, readers are visiting the Law School’s Scholarly Commons and downloading articles written by Boyd faculty, as well as scholarship published in the law school’s two student-edited journals, the Nevada Law Journal and the UNLV Gaming Law Journal.

Articles in the Scholarly Commons have been downloaded more than 270,000 times; and now with the Scholarly Commons’ new “readership activity map,” visitors to the site can view, in real time, each download of an article and its location. To see the reach of Boyd’s scholarship in action, visit the Scholarly Commons and scroll to the map at the bottom of the page. It may take a few minutes for pins to start dropping on the map, but it is worth the wait.

The longer the Scholarly Commons is open in a web browser, the more download locations are visible. When there is more than one pin on the map, clicking on the forward and back arrows provides information on the locations of previous downloads. To return to real-time downloads, click the "play" button. Leaving it open all day (or even just a few hours) provides an amazing glimpse of the global reach of the law faculty's scholarship.

Professor Sylvia Lazos Provides Commentary on Jim Rogers' Nevada

Sylvia Lazos is the Justice Myron Leavitt Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

On March 11, she was featured on KSNV News 3's program Jim Rogers' Nevada.

"Right now, when you look at where English-language learners are - and we have the third highest population in the country of English language learners - only 40 percent of them are reading at proficiency. Their scores actually decrease. By the time they get to eighth grade, only eight percent are reading at proficiency. We have a large amount of them being credit deficient and not being able to graduate. So one of the areas where we need to pay attention in the future is to really address these populations that have large gaps and be able to train our teachers to really address the needs of these individual students," she said during the interview. 

Professor Lazos is a frequent op-ed contributor, and her expertise is sought by print and broadcast media on a wide range of subjects, including higher education, immigration, race relations, government, voting and initiatives.

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Professors Jean Sternlight and Lydia Nussbaum to Facilitate University-wide Talk April 9

From left: Jean Sternlight & Lydia Nussbaum
Jean Sternlight is the Michael and Sonja Saltman Professor of Law and the Director of the Saltman Center for Conflict Resolution at the UNLV Boyd School of Law. Lydia Nussbaum is an Associate Professor of Law, Director of the Strasser Mediation Clinic, and Associate Director of the Saltman Center for Conflict Resolution at the UNLV Boyd School of Law.

On April 9, Professors Sternlight and Nussbaum will give a University-wide talk sponsored by the UNLV Women's Council on the topic of "Negotiation Strategies for Women." In addition to discussing social science literature regarding how negotiation styles may differ by gender, their talk will provide practical tips on how to negotiate in personal and professional settings.

This event is sponsored by the UNLV Office of the Vice President and Provost.

The event will begin at 11:30 a.m. in Room 208B of the Student Union. Reservations are required and can be made by emailing Women'sCouncil@unlv.edu by March 26.

Professor Rebecca Scharf Elected to Board of Directors for Legal Writing Institute

Rebecca Scharf is an Associate Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

She was recently elected to the national Board of Directors for the Legal Writing Institute, a non-profit focused on improving legal writing by creating a forum for scholarship and discussion on legal writing, analysis, and research. The Legal Writing Institute has 2,800 members. A total of 32 candidates ran for the eight positions on the Board of Directors.

Professor Scharf's term will begin this summer at the organization's Biennial Conference and last until 2018.

Professor Scharf earned her J.D. in 1991 from Harvard Law School, where she served as an editor on the Journal on Legislation. Prior to coming to the Boyd School of Law, Professor Scharf worked as a senior attorney with the National Center for Law and Economic Justice (formerly known as the Welfare Law Center) in New York City, where she conducted class action impact litigation throughout the United States, primarily in the area of public benefits law.

Professor Sylvia Lazos Featured on Jim Rogers' Nevada

Sylvia Lazos is the Justice Myron Leavitt Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

On March 10, she talked about education in Clark County on KSNV News 3's program Jim Rogers' Nevada.

"What Clark County has done is to actually extend opportunities for children that are very close to graduation. Saturday boot camps in terms of helping them pass the exam. Also, if you happen to be in May and you still don't have your credits, you will get an extra summer, extra time to graduate. And if you still can't make it then, there will be Saturday classes for those children to be able to graduate. All of that was not in place three years ago. And all of that recognizes that some children need extra time in high school, extra support and encouragement to be able to graduate. I think, overall, we're heading in the right direction, and that's good news for all Nevadans," she said. 

Professor Lazos is a frequent op-ed contributor, and her expertise is sought by print and broadcast media on a wide range of subjects, including higher education, immigration, race relations, government, voting and initiatives.

Monday, March 10, 2014

Boyd School of Law Supporters Named 2014 Distinguished Nevadans

Michael and Sonja Saltman are the Co-Founders of the Saltman Center for Conflict Resolution at the Boyd School of Law.

On March 7, they were named to the 2014 Distinguished Nevadans list released by the Nevada System of Higher Education.

The Distinguished Nevadan is the most prestigious award given by the Board of Regents. It is awarded to those who have made significant achievements contributing to Nevada's cultural, scientific or social advancement.

The Saltman Center for Conflict Resolution provides a venue for the advanced study of the nature of conflict and how to resolve it. Through scholarly research, lectures, workshops, and competitions, the Center explores a wide array of disputes—public and private as well as regional, national and international.

Professor Thomas McAffee Quoted in Las Vegas Sun

Thomas McAffee is a William S. Boyd Professor of Law at UNLV.

On March 9, he was quoted in the Las Vegas Sun article Hints of autonomy for community colleges? The article focuses on the discussion of whether Nevada's community colleges should continue to report to the state's Board of Regents, or if they should be allowed to operate independently.

"The Legislature can decide to keep the system the way it is, or to take a different approach. But what the Legislature can't do is bail on the subject, saying that the constitution doesn't allow them to do this. It can. And this is an important statewide public policy issue that is worth discussion," Professor McAffee said in the article.

Professor McAffee advises the Nevada Law Journal and teaches American Legal History, First Amendment Rights, and Constitutional Law.

Friday, March 7, 2014

Professor Sylvia Lazos Quoted in Las Vegas Sun

Sylvia Lazos is the Justice Myron Leavitt Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

On March 7, she was quoted in the Las Vegas Sun article As scrutiny of school funding formula grows, a discussion of what's fair. The article is about a Continuing Legal Education program the Boyd School of Law hosted on March 6. The program was titled "Is School Funding Fair in Nevada?"

The article reads, "During the past 47 years, Nevada's student demographics have evolved. The state has one of the largest and fastest-growing non-English-speaking student populations in the country. It also has a large number of students from low-income families; more than half of Clark County's 315,000 students receive federally subsidized school meals."

"Yet we still get the same (share) of money from the funding formula that we got 50 years ago," Professor Lazos said in the article.

Professor Lazos is a frequent op-ed contributor, and her expertise is sought by print and broadcast media on a wide range of subjects, including higher education, immigration, race relations, government, voting and initiatives.

March 6 Boyd Briefs Now Available

The March 6 edition of Boyd Briefs is now available.

This week's edition features Professor David Schwartz, student Mike Esposito, and alumnus Justin Carley '06.

Since relocating to Las Vegas 40 years ago, Professor Schwartz has worked as a prosecutor and the Chief Deputy District Attorney for the Major Violators Unit. For the past seven years, he's taught a wide range of courses in trial advocacy and evidence, and is one of Boyd's most popular and admired adjuncts.

Before arriving at Boyd, Esposito spent several years in business management, marketing, and disaster restoration. He is the founder of a non-profit trade alliance, One Stop Shop, Inc., and the Business Leaders Alliance that specializes in the training and development of young business professionals and small businesses. Esposito currently serves as the President of the Society of Advocates, Boyd's moot court board.

Carley is currently a partner at Snell & Wilmer, where he works with high-rise condominium and hotel projects in Las Vegas, in addition to other real property litigation. Last year, he volunteered more than 100 hours to a pro bono case through the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Pro Bono Program, and he continues to be active in the community today.

To subscribe to Boyd Briefs, visit law.unlv.edu/BoydBriefs

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Professor Rachel Anderson Receives Certificate of Appreciation from PLAN

Rachel Anderson is a Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

On March 2, she received a Certificate of Appreciation from the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada for "Elevating the Conversation on Issues of Racial Equity and Social Justice."

"It was such a nice surprise, and I knew nothing about it until they announced it," Professor Anderson said.

Professor Anderson's research and teaching interests focus on business law, civil and human rights, empirical legal studies, and international law.

Associate Professor Fatma Marouf Featured on Ralston Reports

Fatma Marouf is the Co-Director of the Immigration Clinic and an Associate Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

On March 5, she was featured on KSNV News 3's Ralston Reports program for a segment titled Deportation Controversy. She spoke about a report, "The Conditions of Immigration Detention in Nevada," she and Immigration Clinic students published late last year.

"We had a group of students, very dedicated students, working on preparing this report. They interviewed a number of the detainees at the Henderson Detention Center, and they found a range of violations both by ICE, which is the federal agency that the contract is with, and by the City of Henderson officers who work at the facility. And those included verbal abuse, racial epithets, some physical force, physical coercion in signing documents in a few cases, which was most disturbing to me," she said.

Drawing on her extensive experience representing individuals before the Immigration Courts, Board of Immigration Appeals, and U.S. Courts of Appeals, Professor Marouf's research probes various problems involved in adjudicating immigration cases at all levels.

Professor Ruben Garcia Featured on KSNV News 3

http://law.unlv.edu/faculty/ruben-garcia.htmlRuben J. Garcia is a Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

On Feb. 25, he was interviewed by KSNV News 3 for a segment titled The minimum wage debate across the country.

When asked if the minimum wage should be raised, Professor Garcia responded, "I think that it should. I think that it's been $7.25 for a long time nationally. It's been different in other states, higher in some states. Nationally, I think it's really not keeping pace with inflation. The question is really not what I think, but what do the states think, and what does Congress think. It's really a matter of democratic policy."

A recognized expert in the field of labor and employment law, Professor Garcia teaches Labor Law, Employment Law, Constitutional Law, and Professional Responsibility at the Boyd School of Law. He has been quoted in the Los Angeles Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Las Vegas Review-Journal, among others, and has appeared on national and local radio and television programs.