Boyd Assistant Dean and Alumni to Receive State Bar of Nevada Awards

Boyd School of Law Assistant Dean for External Relations Layke Martin and alumni Seth Floyd '10 and Margaret Lambrose '09 will be honored at the State Bar of Nevada's 2015 Annual Meeting, taking place July 9-11 in Seattle.

Martin will be named a Young Lawyer of the Year. The award is given to young lawyers whose professional and public service achievements merit special recognition. Commitment to civic participation and community service achievements that advance the state of the profession are considered, and special consideration is given to contributions to the State Bar of Nevada and its Young Lawyers Section.

Martin is the incoming Chair of the Young Lawyers Section of the State Bar of Nevada and has served on the Section’s Executive Council since 2010. She co-chairs the Young Lawyers Section’s Trial Academy, which is a three-day intensive trial training program for young lawyers. Martin also serves on the State Bar’s Lawyer Referral Information Service (LRIS) Committee, which oversees the Bar’s lawyer referral program for the public and reduced fee panels for low- to moderate-income individuals.

Martin serves on the national Board of Directors of the National Association for Law Placement (NALP), which is the professional organization for more than 2,500 legal career professionals in law schools and law firms. She is an active volunteer and former Board Member of the Junior League of Las Vegas, most recently serving as the chair of the College Scholarship Committee. She has volunteered as a Big Sister with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Nevada for more than seven years.

Floyd will be named a Volunteer of the Year. The award is given to a member for outstanding volunteer service to the State Bar of Nevada. The selection committee gives primary consideration to nominees who have served or continue to serve on state bar committees or sections and have demonstrated a commitment to the advancement of the profession and to the protection of the public.

At The Urban Law Firm, Floyd focuses his practice on labor law, ERISA, general civil litigation, appellate litigation, and land use. Prior to joining The Urban Law Firm, Floyd was an associate with McDonald Carano Wilson LLP, representing clients in a broad range of litigation from construction law to trust litigation. He also participated in the firm's government affairs practice group and represented clients before local governments and the State of Nevada and was a founding member of the Appellate Litigation Section of the State Bar of Nevada.

Lambrose will also be named a Volunteer of the Year. She is instrumental in the support of the annual Trial Academy, a successful education program offered by the Young Lawyers Section at the State Bar of Nevada's annual meeting.

In addition, Lambrose serves as a Trustee for the Nevada Bar Foundation, which will be honored with the Medal of Justice Award. The charitable arm of the State Bar of Nevada, the Nevada Bar Foundation was organized to support charitable giving related to access to justice and legal education programs. In the past year, the Nevada Bar Foundation has assumed management of the IOLTA program, including making annual grants in excess of $1.8 million to organizations that provide direct legal services to the poor, victims of domestic violence, and children in need of protection.

Professor Rachel Anderson Presents at We the People Training

Rachel J. Anderson is a professor of law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

On June 19, she was featured in an article titled "CCSD teachers take part in We the People training," which was posted on the Clark County School District website.

The article reads, "Nearly three dozen CCSD educators took part in three days of We the People Summer Training through June 10 at the State Bar of Nevada. On June 9, UNLV Professor Rachel Anderson, Esq. led discussions on the 14th amendment."

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

Professor Anne Traum Writes Guest Blog Post for Hamilton and Griffin on Rights

Professor Anne Traum is Associate Dean for Experiential Legal Education and Director of the Appellate Clinic at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

On June 27, Professor Traum wrote a guest blog post titled "Clark Constricts Right to Confront Accusers" for the Hamilton and Griffin on Rights blog.

"Last week in Ohio v. Clark, the Supreme Court held that the Confrontation Clause did not apply to the accusatory statements of a three-year old child that led to the defendant’s felony convictions. All nine justices agreed that the child’s statements were not 'testimonial' under Crawford v. Washington ... " Professor Traum wrote.

She continued, "Although Clark appears to be a straightforward application of the primary purpose test, it breaks new ground by suggesting several new default rules, namely, that statements to non-police, statements by young children, and statements elicited based on a safety concern are not testimonial under Crawford. Though Clark adheres to Crawford analysis, it significantly limits a defendant’s ability to confront his accusers."

Professor Traum's research focuses on criminal adjudication and sentencing, immigration, and habeas corpus.

Boyd Alumnus Tyler Ure '09 Joins Murchison & Cumming

Boyd alumnus Tyler Ure '09 was featured in a June 23 press release issued by Murchison & Cumming after he joined the firm.

The release, titled Murchison & Cumming Welcomes New Senior Associate to the Las Vegas Office, reads, "'We are very happy to have Tyler on the team,' said Partner-in-Charge Michael J. Nunez. 'He comes to us with a very impressive background and a sterling reputation in the legal community.'"

Murchison & Cumming is a civil litigation firm with five offices in California and Las Vegas. Attorneys at the firm specialize in the defense of domestic and international businesses, insurers and individuals, at trial and on appeal.

Boyd Faculty, Alumna Featured in May Nevada Lawyer

Several Boyd School of Law faculty and an alumna are featured in the May issue of Nevada Lawyer, the State Bar of Nevada's monthly publication.

Boyd Adjunct Professor Howard Siegel, a senior partner in Pryor Cashman LLP’s Entertainment Group, wrote an article titled, “The Music Industry Comes Full Circle: The Historical Irony and Future Implications of ‘360’ Deals.” In the article, which discusses the history and relevance of 360 agreements, Siegel writes: “The all-encompassing implication of the term ‘360’ might suggest that the label is involved in all of the artist’s income sources, but that is not necessarily the case. …Perhaps the best measure of fairness is this: are the record companies meaningfully contributing their energies and resources to those areas from which they are deriving income? If the labels are passive, and merely taking their cuts as they come in, clearly there is little fairness to the scenario. On the other hand, it is obviously more difficult to argue unfairness in cases where the labels are bringing something of real value to the table. Subjective yardsticks aside, the reality is that today’s music industry is very different from the industry that gave rise to the traditional notions of record deal economics.”

Jennifer Roberts, Boyd adjunct professor and partner in the Las Vegas office of Duane Morris, wrote “A Primer on the Live Entertainment Tax.” In it, she says: “So, what is live entertainment? According to Nevada Revised Statutes Section 368A.090, live entertainment is any ‘activity provided for pleasure, enjoyment, recreation, relaxation, diversion or other similar purpose by a person or persons who are physically present when providing that activity to a patron or group of patrons who are physically present.’ Does this mean Cirque du Soleil? Yes. The PAC-12 basketball tournament? Yes. Watching UFC on TV in the sports book at Red Rock Casino? No. Live entertainment includes singing, dancing, acting, acrobatics, animal stunts, sporting events, comedy or magic acts, and interactive DJing. Background music in restaurants, televised events, dancing or singing by patrons and educational animal presentations are not considered live entertainment.”

Mary LaFrance, Boyd professor and IGT Professor of Intellectual Property Law, educates readers in her article titled “Clearing Rights for Entertainment Projects.” In the article, she says: “Works of entertainment take many forms, including: films, videogames, slot machines, live and recorded music, karaoke devices, dance, comedy, magic and theater. Regardless of form, creating and exploiting an entertainment work frequently requires obtaining clearances for the intellectual property rights embedded in the work. Three categories of rights are especially important in works of entertainment: copyright, trademarks and the right of publicity.”

This month’s “Message from the President,” written by alumna Elana Turner Graham ’10, focused on the State Bar of Nevada’s recent move to new offices.

Boyd School of Law Dean Daniel W. Hamilton and Vice Dean Ngai Pindell wrote the “Dean’s Column: Gaming Law at William S. Boyd School of Law.” The article read: “The Boyd School of Law has long been an institution at the forefront of gaming innovation and legal education, and the addition of our LL.M. program only strengthens our expertise and commitment to leadership in gaming law. Whether through faculty scholarship, the many conferences and lectures sponsored by the law school, or our executive education programs, the Boyd School of Law continually reaches out to the community and the academy, pursuing new initiatives and developing policy in the gaming law arena.”

Professor Michael Kagan Interviewed by BYU Radio About Refugees and Statelessness

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

On June 19, Professor Kagan was a guest on BYU Radio’s “Top of Mind with Julie Rose” for a segment titled “Statelessness,” (1:20:30 mark) in which he discussed refugees, statelessness and the crisis in Syria. 

During the interview, he spoke about the reality that there’s really no clear path to overcome statelessness in response to host Julie Rose’s comment that these people “can’t change their ethnicity or bloodline to gain a citizenship claim.”

“…You have these groups that are stuck in this situation generation after generation, and these issues are often among the most sensitive politically in these countries because they … part with the countries’ sense of self and identity,” Professor Kagan said. “And so there’s a great reluctance to open the doors to integration for people who are considered foreigners.”

Professor Kagan spent a decade developing legal aid programs for refugees in the Middle East, and has written several of the most widely cited articles in the fields of refugee and asylum law.

Professor Michael Kagan Analyzes Kerry v. Din on ImmigrationProf Blog

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

On June 18, Professor Kagan wrote “Symposium on Kerry v. Din: Married, But Separated by Michael Kagan” for the ImmigrationProf Blog in which he discusses the recent Supreme Court ruling on Kerry v. Din. 

In the case, a divided U.S. Supreme Court found that when a U.S. Consulate denied a visa to the Afghan husband of a U.S. citizen, it did not deny the couple due process. The decision has since sparked analysis by commentators who have looked at the case for hints about how the justices view the right to marriage; Chief Justice Roberts joined an opinion by Justice Scalia that seemed to question the right to marriage.

“I think we still don’t know what the Chief Justice thinks about the right to marriage,” said Professor Kagan. “For the time being, it’s enough to say that he has left himself room to go either way."

In the article, he also noted that despite Justice Scalia’s critique of fundamental rights, the opinion states that it would be a constitutional problem for the government to forbid a “marriage,” a principle that proponents of marriage equality would agree with.

Professor Kagan spent a decade developing legal aid programs for refugees in the Middle East, and has written several of the most widely cited articles in the fields of refugee and asylum law.

Dean Dan Hamilton Talks New Gaming Center at Boyd School of Law

Daniel W. Hamilton is the dean and Richard J. Morgan Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

In the June 17 issue of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Dean Hamilton was quoted in an article titled “Center for gaming regulators to be created at UNLV Boyd School of Law” about the planned International Center for Gaming Regulation.

The article read: “Hamilton said he envisions the center will have four goals and outcomes: thought leadership that will foster a think tank environment on gaming regulation policy; education to develop best practices and create model regulatory standards; a data information repository to (maintain) a site for storing regulatory research and documents; and a communications hub that would connect regulators, gaming attorneys, and the gaming industry. ‘The center is designed to be a producer of cutting-edge academic research on the issues and opportunities facing gaming and a way to archive and collect the best gaming research,’ Hamilton said. ‘Right now, there isn’t this type of academic resource.’ Hamilton said the program will become ‘a training ground for regulators new to the industry and for experienced regulators looking to develop best practices.’”

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.

Boyd Alumnus Zachary Conine ’13 Part of Winning Team to Revitalize Las Vegas

Boyd alumnus Zachary Conine ‘13, group co-founder of Build A Better Las Vegas, was spotlighted in two June 17 articles about the Strong Cities, Strong Communities Challenge implemented in 2011. The national competition, a White House urban planning initiative backed by the U.S. Commerce Department’s Economic Development Administration, awarded federal grant money to selected community revitalization projects.

In the Las Vegas Review-Journal article titled “Vegas city council to choose top redevelopment projects,” Conine’s group authored the grand prize-winning project that would see the home of the Las Vegas 51s transformed into the Nevada nerve center for the growing drone industry. The group was one of several awarded grant money.

The article read: “’We really started a business because of this whole thing,’ group co-founder Zach Conine told council members after accepting a $500,000 federal grant to get the project off the ground. ‘We realized this (project) could work anywhere, but what made Las Vegas perfect is there’s a massive amount of state support, with Creech and Nellis (Air Force bases) just up the road.’”

The Las Vegas Sun article, titled “Plan to convert Cashman Center into drone testing site earns national honors,” focused more on Conine’s Build A Better Las Vegas group’s plans.

The article read: “’Build a Better Las Vegas’ plan calls for establishing a fly zone for drone testing, a canopied area that would cover what is now the baseball field at the 31-acre complex, as well as new spaces for offices and a new corridor that would include the existing Neon Museum, a space and science museum and relocation of the natural history museum. Cashman would become the Unmanned Aerial Robotics Resource Center under the proposal.’”

Boyd Adjunct Professor Gakh Talks Benefits of Full-Day Kindergarten on UNLV News Center

Max Gakh serves as an adjunct professor at the Boyd School of Law and is a scholar in residence at UNLV.

On June 15, Professor Gakh was quoted in a UNLV News Center article titled “Study Links Full-Day Kindergarten to Higher Test Scores, Longer Life Expectancy” about the findings of a health impact assessment (HIA) study released by UNLV’s School of Community Health Sciences and partners.

The study, which analyzed publicly available data and existing literature, delved into the connections between full-day kindergarten, academic success and health.

“As Nevada considers its K-12 education system, it’s important to think how health fits into the picture. Decisions made about full-day kindergarten may have health effects, too,” said HIA team member Gakh. “There is that connection to health, which is important to be aware of for children and possibly into adulthood as well.”

Professor Gakh’s research focuses on the intersection of public health, law, and policy.

Leading International Journal Reviews Book by Professor Ruben Garcia

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

Recently, leading international peer-reviewed journal Work, employment & society conducted a review of Professor Garcia’s book titled “Marginal Workers: How Legal Fault Lines Divide Workers and Leave Them Without Protection.” 

In the article, titled “From the middle to the margins: addressing job insecurity, income inequality and social fragmentation,” the author reviewed two books, including Professor Garcia’s.

The review read: “Garcia shows convincingly how these apparently disparate groups of workers are all subjected to exclusionary and exploitative employment practices. Particularly valuable is his emphasis on labour rights that go beyond the ‘core’ International Labour Organization (ILO) rights of Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining towards universal rights that include all workers, regardless of their union or citizenship status. …Garcia also effectively highlights the need for a set of minimum standards for all employees, which could draw upon the ILO’s criteria for ‘decent work’ and its recommendations for human rights and social protection to achieve ‘fair and inclusive globalization’ (see International Labour Organization (ILO), 2011; McCann, 2008)."

Work, employment & society is a journal of the British Sociological Association and covers all aspects of work, employment and unemployment, and their connections with wider social processes and social structures.

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 Michael Kagan Interviewed by IRIN

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

On June 15, Professor Kagan was quoted in an article titled “Refugee versus migrant: time for a new label?” posted on the United Nation’s Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN) humanitarian news site.

In the article, Professor Kagan talked about the challenges of applying the international refugee definition in an era where governments are resistant to migration generally.

“We have to remember that until there is a fair procedure conducted for each person, we really don’t know if the person is a refugee or not,” he said.

Professor Kagan spent a decade developing legal aid programs for refugees in the Middle East, and has written several of the most widely cited articles in the fields of refugee and asylum law.

Professors Michael Kagan and Fatma Marouf Highlighted on Wall Street Journal Blog

Michael Kagan and Fatma Marouf are co-directors of the Immigration Clinic and associate professors at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

Professors Kagan and Marouf, in collaboration with UNLV Assistant Professor of Political Science Rebecca Gill, were featured on the Wall Street Journal blog in a June 12 post titled “In Federal Appeals Courts, Chivalry Is Not Dead.” In the article, which highlighted findings from the group’s research paper titled “Chivalry, Masculinity, and the Importance of Maleness to Judicial Decision Making,” the professors looked at a number of immigration cases to examine judicial decision-making based on gender.

The article reads: “The researchers expected to find support for chivalry theory (men view women as damsels in distress who need their protection, so all-male panels will be generous with female litigants) and masculinity theory (men are taught they shouldn’t be vulnerable or emotional, so judges will be harsher on male litigants who, by virtue of pleading for residency, show vulnerability). They were right. In the study, women litigants fared ‘significantly better’ in front of all-male panels of judges than they did in front of mixed-gender panels, while male litigants fared far worse in front of all-male panels of judges than they did in front of mixed-gender panels.”

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."

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 Attends Association of American Law Schools Workshop

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

From June 5-6, Professor Garcia attended the Association of American Law Schools Workshop for Pretenured Law School Teachers of Color in Washington, D.C. as part of his capacity as a member of the workshop planning committee.

During the workshop, sessions focused on the special challenges minority law teachers face in the legal academy and explored how these challenges arise in the context of scholarship, teaching, service, and in the tenure process.

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 Terrill Pollman Gives Presentations at Association of Legal Writing Directors Conference

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

Professor Pollman recently gave two presentations at the 2015 Association of Legal Writing Directors (ALWD) Biennial Conference held in Memphis June 3-5. She was part of a panel of editors from the Legal Writing Journal discussing “How Do I Get Published Around Here?” and presented on the topic of tenure for legal writing professors.

Hosted by the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, the conference presented an opportunity for participants to think about their core role in legal education during a time of change in the legal market and law practice.

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.

Law School Hosts Visiting Scholar from South Korea

This past academic year the law school welcomed a visiting scholar, Professor Hyun-chul Kim, from the law faculty at Chonnam National University in Gwangju, South Korea. Chonnam National University is one of the leading public universities in South Korea. Professor Kim has been on the faculty at Chonnam since 2008, has served as Vice Dean, and has been awarded the distinguished teaching and mentoring award.

Professor Kim completed his research here this past month. He is a prolific author; his textbook, Constitutional Litigation, is in its third edition and his dissertation on equal protection under the U.S. Constitution was published in 2012. Law review articles authored by Professor Kim have appeared in a number of publications. While at UNLV, Professor Kim’s research focused on affirmative action programs in the United States. He used the facilities of the Wiener-Rogers Law Library and was assisted in his research by third-year law student Elizabeth Do, a research assistant in the law library. A law review article on affirmative action that reflects his research at the Boyd School of Law will be published in the coming year.

Boyd Assistant Dean for External Relations Layke Martin Presents at NALP Summit

Layke Martin, Boyd School of Law assistant dean for external relations, attended the 2015 National Association for Law Placement (NALP) Diversity and Inclusion Summit on June 12 in Chicago.

At the conference, she was part of a panel focused on “Advancing Women’s Leadership in Law School and Beyond.” The goal of the discussion was to share ideas for developing successful programs for promoting women’s leadership at a law school or firm, and offering background and planning information to enable participants the ability to put the programs into practice.

The NALP is an organization of legal career professionals committed to expanding diversity and inclusion in the legal profession. The conference provides a forum for the exchange of information about the current challenges and innovations surrounding the issues of diversity and inclusion in the legal employment arena.

As Assistant Dean for External Relations, Dean Martin provides leadership and strategic direction to the law school’s Career Development, Alumni Relations, Development, and Events departments.

Boyd School of Law Students’ Work on SB38 Highlighted on Duane Morris Blog

On June 4, Adjunct Professor Jennifer Roberts penned a summary of the 2015 Nevada legislative session related to key industries in a post titled “2015 Legislative Highlights – Liquor, Gaming, and Entertainment.”

Included in the summary was SB38, which incorporates a Boyd School of Law-led measure: “SB38 combines three separate gaming-related issues into one bill — a UNLV Boyd Law School student-led effort to clarify charitable lottery laws; requiring associated equipment providers to go through registration or licensing; and mandating the registration of nightclub employees with the Nevada State Gaming Control Board.”

Professor Michael Kagan Gives Presentation at Cardozo Law School

Michael Kagan is an associate professor of law and co-director of the Immigration Clinic at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

On May 17-18, Professor Kagan was invited by Cardozo Law School’s Israeli Supreme Court Project to give a presentation at its “Constitutional Conflicts and the Judicial Role in Comparative Perspective” symposium in New York. There, his presentation focused on “The Limits of Deterrence.”

The conference marks the launch of the Israeli Supreme Court Project at Cardozo Law School. A center of study and discussion of the decisions of the Israeli Supreme court, the conference was designed to inform and engage constitutional scholars, lawyers, and judges in democracies around the world.

Professor Kagan spent a decade developing legal aid programs for refugees in the Middle East. In addition, he has taught for three years at the Tel Aviv University Refugee Rights Clinic.

Boyd Faculty Speak at Symposium in Internal Medicine

From left: Max Gakh, Sara Gordon, Ann McGinley and Stacey Tovino

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

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

Stacey A. Tovino is the Lincy Professor of Law at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

Max Gakh serves as an adjunct professor at the Boyd School of Law and is a scholar in residence at UNLV.

Professors Gordon, McGinley, Tovino and Adjunct Professor Gakh attended the University of Nevada School of Medicine’s Fourth Annual Symposium in Internal Medicine on May 16 to participate on a panel discussing “Ethical and Legal Issues in Medicine.”

Boyd Professors Attend Law and Society Association Annual Meeting

Clockwise from top left: Ruben Garcia, Leslie Griffin, Francine
Lipman, Addie Rolnick, Ann McGinley and Elizabeth MacDowell

Boyd professors Ruben J. Garcia, Dr. Leslie C. Griffin, Francine J. Lipman, Elizabeth L. MacDowell, Ann C. McGinley, and Addie C. Rolnick attended the Law and Society Association Annual Meeting in Seattle May 28-31 where they presented papers, chaired discussions, and participated on roundtables.

Professor Garcia presented his paper “The Constitutional Right to a Minimum Wage,” chaired a panel on “Who is a ‘Worker’? Who is the ‘Employer’?” and co-chaired the activities of the Collaborative Research Network on labor rights. 

Professor Griffin participated on panels discussing a chapter of her forthcoming book Feminist Legal Judgments.

Professor Lipman presented her paper titled “Access to Tax Justice” on a panel.

Professor MacDowell presented her paper titled “Domestic Violence and the Politics of Self-Help.”

Professor McGinley presented her paper “We are All Contingent: Recognizing Vulnerability in a Global Workplace” on a panel on labor rights, and participated on a roundtable on the Feminist Judgments Project, edited by fellow Professor Linda Berger.

Professor Rolnick presented her paper, along with co-author Professor Kim Pearson from Gonzaga University, titled “Race, Gender, and Ideal Parenthood in Adoptive Couple v. Baby Girl” as part of a panel on children’s rights and best interests. She also participated on a roundtable discussing “Promise and Pathos in Indian Law.”

The Law and Society Association is an interdisciplinary scholarly organization dedicated to scientific, interpretive, and historical analyses of law across multiple social contexts. Annual meetings are an important part of the association’s activities and provide participants an opportunity to exchange ideas in multiple ways and socialize.

Boyd School of Law Represented at Health Law Professors Conference

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

Stacey Tovino is the Lincy Professor of Law at the Boyd School of Law.

Professors Gordon and Tovino recently attended the annual Health Law Professors Conference at the Saint Louis University School of Law. The June 4-6 conference was sponsored by the American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics. 

Professor Gordon, along with Dr. Melissa Piasecki (University of Nevada School of Medicine) and Boyd students Gil Kahn and Dawn Nielsen, presented a talk titled, "Collaborative Learning and Mental Health Law Reform in Alaska."

Professor Tovino presented her paper titled, "No Doctor in the House: A Critique of Medicare Financing of Graduate Medical Education" that was recently published in the Washington & Lee Law Review.

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

Professor Tovino is a leading expert in health law, bioethics, and the medical humanities. 

Professor Michael Kagan Talks to Bloomberg Radio About Arizona and Texas Immigration Cases

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

On June 2, Professor Kagan joined Kevin Johnson, dean at the University of California Davis School of Law, in speaking with June Grasso on Bloomberg Radio’s Bloomberg Law. The segment, titled “Bloomberg Law: Court Rejects Phoenix Immigration Law,” discussed the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to reject a bid to reinstate a law that denied bail to immigrants who are in the country illegally and are charged with certain felonies. 

During the interview, Professor Kagan spoke about the variations of the violations and felonies mentioned in the Arizona decision: “One of the things important to keep in mind here is that any person, citizen or immigrant could be denied bail or have a very high bail set if the court finds that they are a risk of flight or a danger to the community. But that’s always based on individual factors and, in this case, what Arizona was doing was saying people accused of even fairly minor felonies … that’s a level of crime that could be inswept in here where people could be denied bail even if they’re not a risk of flight and not a danger to anyone.”

The interview also touched on the ongoing litigation in Texas on President Obama’s executive actions on immigration.

Professor Kagan spent a decade developing legal aid programs for refugees in the Middle East. He co-directs the Immigration Clinic at the Boyd School of Law.