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Thursday, April 30, 2015

April 30 Boyd Briefs Now Available

The April 30 issue of Boyd Briefs is now available.

This week's edition features Professor Thomas Main, student Erica Bobak, and alumna Kendra Kisling '13.

Professor Main is about to complete his two-year term as the associate dean for Faculty Development and Research. He recently returned from a trip to Jacksonville, Fla., where he presented a paper titled "Why Scholarship Matters." Also, he was recently recognized by the student body as their choice for this year's Faculty of the Year.

Last November, Bobak began offering a well-received course in intellectual property considerations for budding designers at downtown's Stitch Factory, and continues to teach there. She is currently writing two articles regarding IP law and the fashion industry, and makes an effort to attend national fashion law symposiums to get both West and East Coast perspectives of the current legal landscape in fashion.

Kisling is an associate in the Phoenix office of Perkins Coie LLP, a multinational law firm. She is in the business litigation practice, where she represents business clients, from Fortune 100 companies to local developers and contractors. She also maintains an active pro bono practice, assisting indigent clients in immigration and bankruptcy proceedings.

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

Professor Nancy Rapoport Appointed to Fee Committee in Caesars Bankruptcy Case

Nancy B. Rapoport is the Gordon Silver Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

Professor Rapoport has recently been appointed as the Independent Member of the Fee Committee in the Caesars bankruptcy case in Chicago. The Fee Committee is responsible for reviewing the fee applications for estate-paid professionals and making recommendations to the Bankruptcy Court.

Professor Rapoport's specialties are bankruptcy ethics, ethics in governance, and the depiction of lawyers in popular culture.

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Boyd Student Tasha Schwikert on FOX5 KVVU-TV

Boyd student Tasha Schwikert recently sat with FOX5 News anchor Monica Jackson for a segment about scholarship opportunities through the Las Vegas Business Academy (LVBA). The morning news segment titled “Former Olympian touts grad school scholarship opportunities” aired April 27.

Schwikert, a past recipient of a LVBA scholarship and former Olympian, promoted the program to encourage graduate students enrolled in UNLV's Juris Doctor, Master of Business Administration, or Master of Hospitality Administration programs to apply. Scholarships, which are awarded up to $75,000, help with tuition expenses.

Speaking about the application process, Schwikert said: “It’s a rolling application process so there’s no deadline. …No fee (to apply). Just go on the website, lvbanv.org, and apply. If they feel like you’re a qualified candidate, they’ll call you, set up an interview process. I know they just gave two more scholarships out in the last two weeks, and this week’s actually the Las Vegas Business Academy’s fourth anniversary.”

The LVBA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to graduate school education and is committed to providing selected college students financial aid and mentoring resources during their education so that they may become the future leaders of Las Vegas.

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Professor Marketa Trimble Interviewed by the Los Angeles Times About VPNs and Geo-blocking

Marketa Trimble is a professor of law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

Professor Trimble was recently interviewed by the Los Angeles Times for an April 25 article titled “Dodgers fans find ways around local blackout” about the rising use of virtual private networks (VPNs) by fans to watch local baseball games that are normally subject to regional blackouts, also known as geo-blocking. 

The article reads: “Trimble was skeptical that subscribers would face any significant legal repercussions for using circumvention tools. However, VPN providers are more vulnerable because they could be accused of facilitating the spread of unlicensed entertainment. ‘VPN providers are very careful about what they say about their services now,’ Trimble said. ‘A few years ago, a lot of their websites would say “Look, you can watch anything in the world no matter what the limitations are.”’ Now many downplay that angle.”

In her research, Professor Trimble focuses on intellectual property and issues at the intersection of intellectual property and private international law/conflict of laws.

Monday, April 27, 2015

Adjunct Professor Jennifer Roberts Profiled in Las Vegas Review-Journal

Jennifer Roberts is an adjunct professor at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

On April 24, Professor Roberts was profiled in the Las Vegas Review-Journal for an article titled “Utah native takes roundabout route to becoming gaming attorney.”

The article, which includes a question and answer section, delves into Professor Roberts’ background and introduction into the practice of gaming law.

In response to the question of “What is your role with the Boyd School of Law?” Professor Roberts replied: “I used to sit in on the gaming law classes when Bob (Faiss) taught them. It was a great education. I sat in every semester until I started teaching them. I currently participate in three classes; an introduction to gaming law, a class on gaming law policy, and a class on resort hotel casino law.

“Gaming law policy gets into some deeper issues. Every legislative session, the students draft a bill to change a portion of gaming law in Nevada. This year, the students proposed amending the charitable gaming law statute to allow the activity across the state.

“We supplement our classes with guest lecturers from across the gaming industry. We’re able to show the students what practicing gaming law is all about.”

Professor Roberts is a partner in the Las Vegas office of Duane Morris. She focuses her practice on gaming law, including gaming licensing, gaming compliance, and gaming law development; federal, state and local alcohol beverage licensing and control; land use and zoning; business licensing; and regulatory and administrative law.

Boyd Alumna Lucy Flores in Las Vegas Review-Journal

On April 24, Boyd alumna Lucy Flores '10 was featured in the Las Vegas Review-Journal article "Will 4th District be Latino battleground?"

The article reads, "Two of the Latino community's starts -- incumbent state Sen. Ruben Kihuen and former Assemblywoman Lucy Flores -- have both declared their intent to seek the seat" in Congressional District 4.

The article continues, "Flores ... served two terms in the Assembly, working on legislation including a bill that allows victims of domestic violence to break their leases in order to escape an abusive relationship. She ran for lieutenant governor in 2014, ultimately losing to Mark Hutchison 59.4 percent to 33.6 percent. During that campaign, Flores highlighted her life story, how she was a young gang member, underwent an abortion and was headed for worse times until she turned her life around with the help of a probation officer. She later graduated from the University of Southern California, got elected to the Assembly and earned a law degree at UNLV’s Boyd School of Law."

Thursday, April 23, 2015

April 23 Boyd Briefs Now Available

The April 23 issue of Boyd Briefs is now available.

This week's edition features Professor Jeffrey Stempel, student Haley Lewis, and alumna Katie Fellows '06.

Students and colleagues benefit from Professor Stempel's brilliant intellect, sharp wit, and creative genius. But his audiences extend well beyond the walls of Boyd. For example, Professor Stempel is an influential voice in the American Law Institute, a prominent organization of judges, lawyers and academics dedicated to improving law.

An encounter during this year's Alternative Spring Break helped Lewis land a summer internship in Carson City with the Office of the Nevada Attorney, Bureau of Litigation - Appellate Division. During law school, she has been active in Boyd's chapter of Phi Alpha Delta legal fraternity, serving this year as the chapter's vice-justice.  Last summer, she was an extern with United States Magistrate Judge Valerie Cooke. 

Fellows serves as the vice president and general counsel for the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas. Committed to the community, she is the current chairman of the board for the American Red Cross, Southern Nevada Chapter; a graduate of Leadership Las Vegas class of 2008; a member of the Yale Alumni Schools Committee; and most recently, a member of the Las Vegas Founding 75 dedicated to bringing an NHL team to Las Vegas.

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

Boyd Student and Alumnus Vote Against Transgender ‘Bathroom Bill’

Boyd student and Democratic Assemblyman Elliot Anderson recently shared his thoughts about Nevada Assembly bill, AB 375, which would require transgender students to use bathrooms corresponding to their biological sex.

The article, titled “Assembly rejects transgender ‘bathroom bill’,” appeared in the April 22 edition of the Reno Gazette-Journal, and also mentions Boyd alumnus and Republican Assemblyman Derek Armstrong ’10. 

The article reads: “Assembly members voted against AB 375 on a mainly party-line vote on Tuesday night. Five Assembly Republicans and all Democrats voted against the measure. …Democratic Assemblyman Elliot Anderson, a law student at Las Vegas-based Boyd School of Law, said the measure could meet legal hurdles if passed. ‘This bill is a bill in search of a solution to a nonexistent state problem,’ he said during the hearing. ‘It will be litigated, and it will cost the state money.’”

The article continues: “Republican Assembly members Pat Hickey, Derek Armstrong, Glenn Trowbridge, Robin Titus and Melissa Woodbury voted against the measure.”

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Vice Dean Ngai Pindell to Attend Board Meeting/Conference for ALPS

Ngai Pindell is vice dean and professor of law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

On May 1-2, Dean Pindell will attend the Association for Law, Property and Society (ALPS) 6th Annual Meeting at the University of Georgia School of Law. There, he will attend a board of directors meeting and moderate a panel. 

The conference offers attendees the chance to participate in draft paper panels and early works-in-progress panels dedicated to brainstorming scholarship at its beginning stages. In addition, the conference supports early career scholars through mentorship and networking.

The ALPS is a membership organization for academics engaged in interdisciplinary legal scholarship on all aspects of property law and policy, including real, personal, intellectual, intangible, cultural, personal, and other forms of property.

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.

Professors Mary LaFrance, Marketa Trimble to Attend Roundtable at Duke

Mary LaFrance is the IGT Professor of Intellectual Property Law at the UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law.

Marketa Trimble is a professor of law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

From April 30-May 1, Professors LaFrance and Trimble will attend the Intellectual Property Roundtable at Duke University School of Law.  As part of a panel titled "Copyright and 'Content Scrapping,'" Professor LaFrance will present on "Panorama Rights" and Professor Trimble will present on “The Marrakesh Treaty and the Targeted Uses of Copyright Exhaustion.”

Professor LaFrance’s teaching and research interests include domestic and international intellectual property law, as well as the taxation of intellectual property. 

In her research, Professor Trimble focuses on intellectual property and issues at the intersection of intellectual property and private international law/conflict of laws.

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Professor Sara Gordon to Present to Clark County Bar Association

Sara Gordon is an associate professor at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

On April 29, Professor Gordon will give a presentation titled “Schema Theory and ‘Plain Language’ Jury Instructions” to members of the Clark County Bar Association. A popular topic, Professor Gordon has given multiple presentations already this year on the subject, including to the Federal Public Defender’s office in Las Vegas and Reno.

Professor Gordon's research focuses on law and psychology and the impact of cognitive and social psychology on jurors and other legal decision-makers.

Monday, April 20, 2015

Professor Ruben Garcia Places "Politics at Work After Citizens United" in Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review

Ruben J. Garcia is a professor of law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

Professor Garcia has accepted an offer to publish his forthcoming article, "Politics at Work After Citizens United," in Volume 49, Issue 1 (December 2015) of the Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review. The article also was accepted for publication by several other leading law reviews.

In the article, Professor Garcia discusses the implications of United States Supreme Court’s Citizens United and the current imbalance in the political system for nationwide campaigns to raise the minimum wage. In the article, he offers practical suggestions for reducing this power imbalance and the legal options for increasing political participation, which make the article a foundation for future study and research. In a recent edition of Boyd Briefs, the article was featured as an example of Professor Garcia beginning to “actualize — in scholarly fashion — [a 2013 AFL-CIO] resolution that called for expanded labor-community partnerships.” Professor Garcia served on a committee that drafted that resolution for the labor federation’s quadrennial convention in Los Angeles.

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.

Professor Ann McGinley Writes About the Impact of Gender on Hillary Clinton's Presidential Campaign

Ann C. McGinley is a William S. Boyd Professor of Law at UNLV.

On April 17, she wrote an article titled, "Hillary Clinton's campaign: will gender matter?" for The Conversation.

In the article, she writes, "In essence, female leaders can’t be both competent and likable, but to win an election, they must be both. This is Hillary Clinton’s dilemma. She must walk a fine line between demonstrating competency and the conclusion that she is a 'dragon lady' who suffers from a failed femininity. She must demonstrate feminine characteristics without harming her reputation as an able, intelligent leader."

Professor McGinley is an internationally recognized scholar in the area of employment law, employment discrimination and disability law and a leader in Multidimensional Masculinities Theory, an emerging discipline that applies masculinities theory from social sciences to legal interpretation.

Senior Fellow Patricia Mulroy Featured on KNPR's State of Nevada

Patricia Mulroy is Senior Fellow for Climate Adaptation and Environmental Policy at the Boyd School of Law and a Practitioner in Residence for the Saltman Center for Conflict Resolution.

On April 16, she was featured on KNPR's State of Nevada segment "Coping With Western Drought With No End In Sight."

During the interview, she said, "The farmer isn't just there to be the stopgap in case of a disaster. Where the farmers need to get is to the point where they realize that if they become part of the solution early ... where the farmer says, 'OK, it is far less painful for me if I take a little bit less in non-shortage years, leave it in the reservoirs, keep the reservoirs propped up, and avoid falling into shortage.' So when I look out into the future, I see a different relationship between cities and farmers, and I see a different approach in how shared water resources are going to be managed."

Between 1989 and early 2014, Patricia Mulroy served as General Manager of both the Las Vegas Valley Water District, a municipal purveyor serving more than 350,000 accounts, and the Southern Nevada Water Authority, the regional agency responsible for acquiring, treating and delivering water to two million Southern Nevadans and 40 million annual visitors.

Friday, April 17, 2015

Boyd Alumni Featured in April Nevada Lawyer

Several Boyd School of Law graduates are featured in the April issue of Nevada Lawyer, the State Bar of Nevada's monthly publication.

Boyd alumnus John Zimmerman '05 with attorney Ross E. de Lipkau wrote an article titled, "Representing the Agricultural Water Right Owner." The article reads, "Determining the consumptive use of a water right matters, because it affects how much of the water right may be changed to another manner of use. For instance, if an application is filed to change an irrigation water right to a fully-consumptive industrial use, then the state engineer is allowed to consider the consumptive use of the irrigation water right under NRS 533.3703 and limit the change to that consumptive use. Additionally, consumptive use may be considered even where an irrigator is simply changing to a more efficient irrigation practice such as to a lower water use crop."

Zimmerman also wrote the "Note from the Issue Editor." In it he says, "As spring arrives in Nevada, we thought it fitting to devote an issue to a few of the many legal issues facing the agricultural industry in the Silver State. ... I hope this month’s Nevada Lawyer adds to your understanding of a few legal issues affecting agricultural clients and grows your knowledge of Nevada law."

Michael Saunders '00 wrote "Back Story: Green Valley Library and Great Basin Permaculture to Launch Seed Library." The article reads, "Given the approach of Earth Day, April 22, and that this month’s Nevada Lawyer focuses on agriculture, it’s fitting to use this month’s Back Story to announce that Henderson Libraries, in partnership with the organization Great Basin Permaculture (GBP), will launch a seed library at the Green Valley Library (GVL) location. The concept behind seed libraries is simple: they enable members of the community to lend or share seeds, much in the way traditional libraries loan out books, DVDs and other materials."

Alumna Elana Turner Graham '10 wrote the "Message from the President," this month encouraging members to attend the 2015 State Bar of Nevada Annual Meeting, being held July 9-11 at the Motif Seattle hotel.

Professor Michael Kagan Quoted by Reuters

Michael Kagan is co-director of the Immigration Clinic at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

On April 16, Professor Kagan was quoted in a Reuters article titled, "Obama lawyers may face favorable court in immigration fight."

Lawyers in the Obama administration will ask the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans to lift an injunction, issued by U.S. District Court Judge Andrew Hanen, blocking President Obama's executive action to assist undocumented workers. Lawyers are speculating that the Fifth Circuit judges may rule in President Obama's favor because of a ruling last week involving the state of Mississippi and a separate immigration action issued in 2012.

In the article, Professor Kagan says, "The court's decision in the Mississippi case definitely signals that Texas and the other states may have a less friendly audience than they did with Hanen."

Professor Kagan has written several of the most widely cited articles in the fields of refugee and asylum law. His research on credibility assessment in asylum cases has been repeatedly relied on by federal appellate courts and, according to a 2012 commentary, has "guided most subsequent research and analysis on the topic."

April 16 Boyd Briefs Now Available

The April 16 issue of Boyd Briefs is now available.

This week's edition features Professor Rachel Anderson, student Andrew Dunning, and alumna Jenny Routheaux '08.

At the law school, Professor Anderson is a dedicated supporter of student events and the faculty advisor to student organizations. At the university level, she is a frequent target for steering committees and strategic initiatives. Across the state of Nevada, she is appreciated as the vice president of the American Civil Liberties Union. And throughout the country (and even the world), she is well known for her work with the National Bar Association.

Dunning serves as a student attorney in Boyd's Juvenile Justice Clinic, providing accused children advocacy and a voice. Through the clinic, he is involved with legislative efforts to protect the rights of minors in court and assists in preventing juvenile offenders from being charged and tried as adults. Dunning has served as an articles editor for the UNLV Gaming Law Journal, legacy historian for Phi Alpha Delta, research assistant to Professor Jean Sternlight, student associate for LexisNexis, Steiger Fellow for the Nevada Attorney General's Office, and judicial extern for the Honorable Philip Pro in United States District Court.

Routheaux is an associate in the Minneapolis office of the international law firm of Dorsey & Whitney LLP. She is a member of Dorsey's Finance and Restructuring Group, where she focuses on borrower and lender representation in commercial lending transactions, including construction, real estate, commercial gaming and leveraged financing. She also assists clients with real estate transactional matters, including leasing and acquisition and sales of real property. 

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

Thursday, April 16, 2015

Professor Marketa Trimble Writes Guest Blog Post on Topic of Geoblocking

Marketa Trimble is a professor of law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

On April 16, Professor Trimble was a guest blogger on the Technology & Marketing Law Blog and penned an article titled “What Bothers Brussels: Geoblocking on the Front Burner of the EU Commission.” 

Professor Trimble’s article tackled the subject of geoblocking and its accelerated rise in the European Union (EU) as a topic of interest because a concentration of users affected by geoblocking resides in those countries.

She writes, “The more than 40,000 employees of the EU institutions come from the 28 EU member countries; many of these employees bring their families with them to Brussels (and Luxembourg and Strasbourg) but still educate their children in the languages of their home countries. Naturally, many of the employees and their families want to access content from their home country on the Internet, but geoblocking often hinders their access to content. As a result, it is not surprising that geoblocking is now on the front burner of the European Commission. Its project team ‘Digital Single Market’ agreed to ‘tackl[e] geo-blocking’ as one of the issues included in the Commission’s Digital Single Market Strategy.”

In her research, Professor Trimble focuses on intellectual property and issues at the intersection of intellectual property and private international law/conflict of laws.

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Professor Marketa Trimble Talks About TV and Geo-blocking in The Wall Street Journal

Marketa Trimble is a professor of law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

On April 14, Professor Trimble was interviewed by The Wall Street Journal for an article titled “There Are Ways TV-Loving Expats Can Get Around the Dreaded ‘Geo-Block.’”

Professor Trimble shared her insight on cybertravel in the article, which discussed the subject of expatriates who stream video from services such as Netflix, Amazon or Hulu, and the means to which they go to circumvent geo-blocking, a practice used to prevent people in one country from accessing content in another. Now, however, there are companies that have capitalized on this niche opportunity to make the process easier.

“It’s important to read the terms of service to see if the terms preclude using geo-location evasion services,” said Professor Trimble. “…There are different laws in various countries and people should be aware of it. Very few people realize that if they use the Internet while they are in different countries, they are also subject to different laws… The fact is that with these geo-blocking evasions the user typically does not cause much damage.”

In her research, Professor Trimble focuses on intellectual property and issues at the intersection of intellectual property and private international law/conflict of laws.

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Senior Fellow Patricia Mulroy Featured on Brookings Cafeteria Podcast

Patricia Mulroy is Senior Fellow for Climate Adaptation and Environmental Policy at the Boyd School of Law and a Practitioner in Residence for the Saltman Center for Conflict Resolution.

On April 10, she was featured in a Brookings Cafeteria Podcast titled, "Vegas water czar on West's water crisis."

During the podcast, she said, "I can't even tell you how proud I am of this community, and I think our business community was an invaluable partner in that. I went straight to the gamers, I had a long talk with Steve Wynn, I talked to everybody up and down The Strip, I went to the chambers, I went to the homebuilders, and I said, 'OK guys, things have to change.' We began a culture in the '90s of bringing the community into the resource planning process, and so we brought the community into a conservation planning process. ... Once they embrace it, then they become the activists. Then they become your mouthpieces. ... At the end of the day, the community responded so well that within a few short years, during a period where we increased our population by another 400,000 people, we cut our water use by one-third."

Between 1989 and early 2014, Patricia Mulroy served as General Manager of both the Las Vegas Valley Water District, a municipal purveyor serving more than 350,000 accounts, and the Southern Nevada Water Authority, the regional agency responsible for acquiring, treating and delivering water to two million Southern Nevadans and 40 million annual visitors. To view her Brookings profile, including a video, click here.

Professor Thomas Main to Speak to Florida Coastal School of Law

Thomas Main is associate dean for faculty development and research and a William S. Boyd Professor of Law at UNLV.

On April 27, Professor Main will travel to Jacksonville, Fla. to present to faculty at the Florida Coastal School of Law on the topic of “Why Scholarship Matters.”

Professor Main is a leading figure in the field of civil procedure. Most of his scholarship explores the history of procedure, with current projects focused on judicial efficiency initiatives in the 1950s-1970s.

Professor Terrill Pollman to Present at Northwest Regional Legal Writing Conference

Terrill Pollman is a professor of law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

Professor Pollman will attend the 2015 Northwest Regional Legal Writing Conference from April 24-25 in Eugene, Ore. At the conference, she will present on the topic of “Goleman’s Leadership Styles for the Legal Writing Professor” and explore the various styles of leadership and when each style might be appropriate in the law school context.

Hosted by the University of Oregon Legal Research and Writing Program, the theme of this year’s conference, “Legal Writing & Leadership,” will delve into the ways legal writing faculty have achieved success through leadership, both inside and outside the field of legal writing.

A founding faculty member, Professor Pollman teaches in the areas of Lawyering Process, Persuasion, Negotiation, and Leadership and Law. Her scholarship focuses on legal writing, pedagogy and rhetoric.

Professor Addie Rolnick to Present at University Forum Lecture

Addie Rolnick is an associate professor of law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

On Thursday, April 30, Professor Rolnick will present at a UNLV University Forum Lecture titled, "Race and Self-Defense Law: Beyond Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown." A professor of criminal law and Critical Race Theory, she will discuss self-defense, reasonable fear, stand your ground laws, and police shootings to show how race impacts nearly every case of stranger self-defense.

The event, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 7:30 p.m. inside the Barrick Museum Auditorium. It is presented by the UNLV College of Liberal Arts.

Professor Rolnick's scholarship focuses on bridging gaps between civil rights, Critical Race Theory, federal Indian law, and indigenous rights.

Thursday, April 9, 2015

April 9 Boyd Briefs Now Available

The April 9 issue of Boyd Briefs is now available.

This week's edition features Professor David Wall, student Gil Kahn, and alumna Linda Marie Norcross '04.

Formerly a litigator, public defender, district attorney, and trial judge, Professor David Wall, who recently joined JAMS as a mediator and arbitrator, is an adjunct who brings a wealth of experience into our classrooms. As a litigator, he worked at -- and was a partner in -- prominent Nevada law firms. As a public defender, he was a member of the Capital Murder Defense team. As a district attorney, he prosecuted primarily homicide and other high-profile cases. And as a trial judge he consistently received the highest ratings.

Kahn is a member of Society of Advocates, participating last month in the National Labor & Employment Law Moot Court Competition in New York City and recently was named Lead Articles Editor for the Nevada Law Journal. He is an extern for United States District Court Judge James Mahan and a Research Fellow for Professor Sara Gordon, reviewing and recommending changes to Alaska statutes governing the treatment of Alaskans with mental illness.

Norcross is a shareholder with the Las Vegas office of Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC, as well as the firm's Trademark Practice Group Leader. Norcross' practice focuses on protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights, with primary emphasis on trademarks. Additionally, she assists the firm's Corporate Group with the due diligence process for mergers and acquisitions.

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

Boyd Alumnus Terry Johnson ‘11 Recognized by District Court Bench

Boyd alumnus Terry Johnson ‘11 was featured on the Eighth Judicial District Court’s blog on March 26 in a post titled “Lawyer Who Puts In Time To Help Those With Low Income Gets Recognition From Bench.”

Johnson was recently selected pro bono attorney for the month of March and honored by the Eighth Judicial District Court of Nevada. The initiative, called “The One Campaign,” is part of a larger effort the U.S. Department of Justice launched to address the deficiencies and gaps in legal services for the poor and middle class. The campaign, which encourages attorneys to do pro bono work, partners the Eighth Judicial District Court with the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada to help those in the community receive needed legal services.

The article reads: “Presiding Civil Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez read his introduction at the March civil judges meeting and conveyed that Terry is an enthusiastic Pro Bono Project volunteer since 2013. He willingly seeks new cases and also volunteers for Ask-a-Lawyer sessions. As an attorney for the State Gaming Control Board, he was instrumental in spearheading a project to help low income individuals appeal gaming work card denials, so that they could improve their chances of approval and their chances to get work. Since 2013, Terry handled an abuse and neglect case, two divorce cases and a Supreme Court appeal…”

Professor Lydia Nussbaum to Present at ABA Section of Dispute Resolution Conference in Seattle

Lydia Nussbaum is director of the Strasser Mediation Clinic, associate director of the Saltman Center for Conflict Resolution, and associate professor of law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

Professor Nussbaum will attend the “17th Annual Spring Conference – Solutions in Seattle” of the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution from April 15-18. At the conference, she will present on the topic of “Mediation – The New Social Engineering?”

Professor Nussbaum’s research interests focus on the benefits and challenges of relying on informal justice, as opposed to formal adjudication, to resolve conflict. As an experienced mediator, she is particularly interested in how alternative dispute resolution processes can be used to strengthen civil society, empowering communities by reducing their reliance on intervention from state institutions.

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Professor Nancy Rapoport to Present on Bankruptcy Fees Webinar

Nancy B. Rapoport is the Gordon Silver Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

On May 28, Professor Rapoport will participate as a panelist in a webinar titled, "Bankruptcy Fees in Large Chapter 11 Cases." The webinar, approved for 1.5 CLE credits, is being hosted by the National Association of Legal Fee Analysis.

The course description reads, "Panelists address why the Bankruptcy Code makes the court review fees for reasonableness and examine the new fee guidelines set forth by the USDOJ's U.S. Trustee Program. Panelists focus their discussion on the role, benefits and results of the options available for bankruptcy courts: fee examiners, fee review committees, fee auditors and software programs. They also offer a host of red flags that trigger a review of fees and consider interim fee awards versus final fee awards. Finally, panelists conclude with a discussion of the Baker Botts v. ASARCO case currently pending before the U.S. Supreme Court."

Professor Rapoport's specialties are bankruptcy ethics, ethics in governance, and the depiction of lawyers in popular culture.

Monday, April 6, 2015

Professor Ian Bartrum Quoted in The Sacramento Bee

Ian Bartrum is an associate professor of law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

Professor Bartrum on April 5 was quoted in The Sacramento Bee in an article titled, "Cliven Bundy helps renew old debate, but will things change?" The article talks about a measure in Nevada that "would lay claim to almost all federally managed public lands and water rights in the state."

The article reads, "To describe the bill moving through the Nevada Legislature, professor Ian Bartrum ... said, 'If there's a word beyond absurd, I would use that word.' He pointed to three clauses in the U.S. Constitution that pre-empt state-led efforts to claim land: The Supremacy Clause says federal law trumps state law; The Property Clause gives the federal government authority to own land; and the Enclave Clause provides another source of authority for federal land ownership."

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

Friday, April 3, 2015

Professor Ann McGinley Writes About Disability Rights Case on Hamilton and Griffin on Rights Blog

 Ann C. McGinley is a William S. Boyd Professor of Law at UNLV.

On March 30, Professor McGinley wrote about a disability rights case on the Hamilton and Griffin on Rights blog. Her post was titled, "Guest Blog: Ann McGinley, City and County of San Francisco, California, et al., v. Sheehan: Title II of the ADA and Reasonable Accommodations in Police Arrests of Citizens with Disabilities."

In her post, Professor McGinley writes, "As a matter of policy, this case raises serious issues. At a time when citizens are questioning the propriety of police shootings of citizens, if decided in Sheehan’s favor, this case could potentially create incentives in the police departments to train officers more fully about how to approach persons with disabilities. Given that a large percentage of persons in jails and prisons have mental health disabilities, extensive police training that would require officers to approach persons with mental disabilities more carefully could also have a general salutary effect. ... On the other hand, the petitioner argues that police are responsible for their own safety as well as the safety of the public, and requiring them to stop and think before they act could actually create serious safety concerns."

 Professor McGinley is an internationally recognized scholar in the area of employment law, employment discrimination and disability law and a leader in Multidimensional Masculinities Theory, an emerging discipline that applies masculinities theory from social sciences to legal interpretation.

Professor Ann McGinley Writes Blog Post for Hamilton and Griffin on Rights

Ann C. McGinley is a William S. Boyd Professor of Law at UNLV.

On March 29, Professor McGinley wrote a guest blog post for the Hamilton and Griffin on Rights blog. Her post was titled, "Guest Blog: Ann McGinley, Young v. UPS, Inc.: A Victory for Pregnant Employees?" Her blog post was then featured on SCOTUSblog's "Monday round-up" for March 30.

The blog post reads, "Last week, in Young v. UPS, Inc., __ S.Ct. __ (2015), the Supreme Court decided in favor of the plaintiff-petitioner in a pregnancy discrimination case. The bottom line was more favorable to the plaintiff than to the defendant, and the plaintiff will likely prevail on remand, but the Court managed to confuse disparate treatment and pregnancy discrimination law. This confusion may be harmful to pregnant employees in the future, and may even raise questions about the meaning of discriminatory intent. On the other hand, Young may have a positive effect if it encourages employers to grant accommodations liberally to pregnant employees because of the fear of litigation under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA)."

Professor McGinley is an internationally recognized scholar in the area of employment law, employment discrimination and disability law and a leader in Multidimensional Masculinities Theory, an emerging discipline that applies masculinities theory from social sciences to legal interpretation.

Professor Rachel Anderson, Alumna Sandra Douglass Morgan Honored at Urban Chamber of Commerce Luncheon

From left: Rachel Anderson and Sandra Douglass Morgan
On March 27, Professor Rachel Anderson and alumna Sandra Douglass Morgan '03 were honored at the Urban Chamber of Commerce Annual Women in Business & Politics Awards Luncheon (click for photos) held at the Gold Coast Hotel & Casino.

Professor Anderson was honored with a Women in Business award. She also received a Certificate of Commendation from U.S. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), a Senatorial Recognition from U.S. Senator Dean Heller (R-Nev.), a Certificate of Special Congressional Commendation from U.S. Congresswoman Dina Titus (D-Nev.), a Certificate of Special Recognition from U.S. Representative Joe Heck (R-Nev), a Certificate of Congressional Recognition from U.S. Congressman Crescent Hardy (R-Nev), and a certificate of recognition from Lieutenant Governor Mark A. Hutchinson (R-Nev.). Professor Anderson's research and teaching interests focus on business law, civil and human rights, empirical legal studies, and international law. At UNLV, she serves as faculty advisor for the Black Law Students Association, the Gaming Law Journal, and the NAACP's student chapter. She is the President of the Las Vegas Chapter of the National Bar Association, a Director of the American Society of Comparative Law, a Vice President of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada, a Vice Chair of the Law Professors Division of the National Bar Association, a member of the National Bar Association's Judicial Selection Committee, and a Director of the U.C. Berkeley Alumni Chapter in Las Vegas.

At the luncheon, Douglass Morgan was recognized with a Women in Politics award. Douglass Morgan was named City Attorney for the City of North Las Vegas in December 2013. She has practiced law since 2003. Prior to joining North Las Vegas, Douglass Morgan worked as in-house counsel for a gaming corporation and in private practice in Southern Nevada. She was honored as one of the National Bar Association’s Nation’s Best Advocates under 40 in July 2012 and Attorney of the Year by the Las Vegas Chapter of the National Bar Association in October 2012. She was voted among the state's top 10 government attorneys by Nevada Business Magazine in its Legal Elite 2014 issue.

Thursday, April 2, 2015

April 2 Boyd Briefs Now Available

The April 2 issue of Boyd Briefs is now available.

This week's edition features Professor Greg Gemignani, student Madeline Arcellana, and alumnus John Yang '08.

Professor Gemignani is one of Boyd's distinguished adjunct professors. He frequently teaches an introductory class in gaming law, and he has led seminars in Indian gaming and gaming law policy. Professor Gemignani is a prominent practitioner who is able to translate his experience and expertise into the setting of law school classroom.

While working full-time to finance her legal studies, Arcellana has been a proud part-time evening student, and a very active one. She has served three years on the Student Bar Association Board of Governors, currently as vice president for the part-time division. She also has been a member of the Organization of Part-Time and Non-Traditional Law Students, Phi Alpha Delta, and the Organization of Women Law Students.

Yang is the senior director of intellectual property for Euro-Pro, the creator of the famous Shark and Ninja brands. In his role, he is responsible for all aspects of intellectual property for the company, including procuring and enforcing patents, trademarks and copyrights, as well as managing IP-related litigation matters.

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

Boyd Student Elliot Anderson Quoted by Reno News & Review

Nevada Assemblyman and Boyd student Elliot Anderson was quoted in an April 2 Reno News & Review article titled, "Campus targeted: Multiple bills emerge as the Nevada Legislature considers allowing guns on campus."

The article focuses on the controversial Assembly Bill 148, which would allow concealed carry permit holders to bring firearms to Nevada campuses.

The article reads, "... the biggest difference between the old campus-carry measures and A.B. 148 is a provision that permits concealed carry in public parts of Nevada’s airports. And it’s this part of the bill that’s particularly worrisome to Assemblymember Elliot Anderson (D-Las Vegas), who is concerned that concealed carry in Nevada’s airports might have a detrimental effect on the state’s tourism economy. Culturally diverse international visitors, Anderson says, often don’t like the U.S. gun culture. Anderson ... adds that the same concern for people’s comfort level with firearms should be taken into account when considering concealed carry on campuses as well. 'In a nutshell, it’s about recognizing that we’re in a community, and when it comes to education and when it comes to areas where we’re trying to have an inclusive environment and accept different viewpoints, we have to be careful,' Anderson says."