News
Capital Law Welcomes a New Class
Capital University Law School welcomed an incoming class of 248 students at its opening Convocation ceremony, on Thurs., Aug. 20, 2009, in Mees Hall on the main campus of Capital University, in Bexley. Ohio Supreme Court Justice Robert R. Cupp was the featured speaker. “This year’s class is one of the most diverse classes we have enrolled at Capital,” said Linda Mihely, assistant dean for Admission and Financial Aid. “Capital Law has been working hard to enhance its reputation, raise awareness of its academic programs, and strengthen outreach to prospective students. This year, we received more than 1,450 applications—a 15 percent increase over last year and well ahead of application trends at other law schools nationwide. As a result, our incoming class is one of the most diverse in our history in terms of gender, geography, age, ethnicity and background of experience.” Facts about this year’s entering class:
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Capital Law School Alumni Find Justice for a High-Profile Case
When what-appeared-to-be a bloody palm print seemed to incriminate Derris Lewis in the shooting death of his twin brother Dennis, the Columbus, OH case captured the attention of the national press and online media. Attorneys and Capital University Law School alumni Adam Nemann, L'03 and Shannon Leis, L'08 stood for the defense of Derris Lewis and found evidence that vindicated him. Tests proved errors in the analysis of the palm print. Other information suggested different suspects in the case. August 26, Nemann and Leis brought a presentation to Capital Law School students, faculty, and staff detailing the case, the media attention and the ethics involved in defending a high-profile client. They explained the complex analysis that found Derris to be not guilty and discussed questions from the audience that centered on police involvement, the prosecution's arguments and media bias. The event was sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Affairs and the Student Services Committee as part of a series of lunchtime discussions called "Conversations."
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Externship Opportunity Takes Capital Law Student to Saipan
Capital Law School’s extensive externship program offers upper-class students the opportunity to develop their practical lawyering skills in government, nonprofit, public service and other legal organizations. Each semester, anywhere from 50-80 students participate in an externship experience, choosing from about 140 placement opportunities. This past summer, third-year law student Joshua Johnson had an exciting opportunity to hone his legal skills as an extern for the Public Defender’s Office in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), Saipan. Saipan, an island five miles wide and 12 miles long and roughly the size of Charleston, WV, is part of a chain of 14 Pacific islands about thee hours from Japan. The opportunity arose last fall when 2004 graduate George Hasselback returned to Capital to talk to students about his experience in practicing law in the CNMI. George put Josh in contact with the Chief Public Defender, Adam Hardwicke, who was very interested in having an intern for the summer. “Working in the Public Defender’s Office was much more of an exciting learning opportunity that I expected,” said Josh. “At first, I struggled with the idea of representing someone I knew to be guilty, but everyone deserves good representation and I found myself working hard researching, writing and arguing for the indigent clients.” Some of Josh’s legal experience highlights during the six-week externship included:
While the nature of the Public Defender’s Office work was intense, Josh found few drawbacks, if any, to practicing law on a beautiful island where the weather was 87 degrees and sunny every day and one could dine on wonderful island cuisine, snorkel and golf “on a course more beautiful than any I’d ever seen.” “The residents were wonderful and welcoming and I had the opportunity to meet and network with many attorneys. The Public Defender’s office was very gracious and helpful in making my visit as comfortable as possible,” he said. Josh now has the distinction of traveling the farthest of any Capital Law student for an externship opportunity, as well as being the first legal intern that the CNMI Public Defender’s Office has had from the mainland. Josh, who is expecting to graduate from Law School this December, is exploring both construction law (he holds a B.S. in construction management and technology from Bowling Green State University) and criminal law opportunities. He is continuing to volunteer and do pro bono work for the CNMI Public Defender’s Office this semester. |
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Public Interest & Government Law Student Fellows
For the past four years, the Public Interest and Government Law Association (PI-Gov) has awarded fellowships to Capital Law students who accept low paying or unpaid summer legal work in public interest or government fields. Funding for the fellowships is generated solely from a student-run auction held each spring. Since 2006, almost $23,000 has been raised and has supported 17 students with small stipends to help with their living expenses. Second-year law student Jessica Ballinger and third-year law student Ravisha Kumar were selected as the 2009 Summer Public Interest Law Fellows. Jessica spent her summer working for the Legal Aid Society of Columbus. As a law clerk on the Public Benefits Team, Jessica worked with clients who had been terminated from or denied public benefits. She researched and communicated with clients about such issues as food stamps, medicare, medicaid, social security, Ohio Works First, child care and unemployment compensation. She gained first-had experience researching statues and codes, drafting written documents and filing court documents. “Ever since attending a class on social justice and community problem solving at Northwestern University, I always have been interested in public service work,” said Jessica. She is also participating in the Law School’s Pro Bono Recognition Program which seeks to encourage and recognize public service by law students who have successfully completed at least 50 hours of pro bono legal work. During her first year of Law School, Jessica volunteered for the Interfaith Legal Clinic. Jessica is a Dean’s Excellence Award recipient and is a 2007 graduate of The Ohio State University with a B.A. in communications. The Gulf Region Advocacy Center in Houston, Texas, was the placement for Ravisha’s summer 2009 legal work. The non-profit organization specializes in capital punishment defense for indigent death row inmates. In addition to visiting death row clients, Ravisha gained experience reviewing prosecution discovery materials, formulating suppression arguments and drafting motions. She also conducted legal research to determine the best handling of international clients under the conflicting practices of the U.S. Supreme Court and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. “I had the great experience of working on cases that have reached the U.S. Supreme Court, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, as well as state level courts in Louisiana, Texas and Oklahoma,” Ravisha remarked of her experience. To help complement her legal experience, Ravisha is externing this semester with the Justice League of Ohio, a non-profit legal clinic which represents victims of crime. Ravisha also was a 2008 Summer Public Interest Law Fellow and worked in the Federal Public Defender Office for the Southern District of Ohio. She is a Law Review staff member and a graduate of The Ohio State University with a B.A. in English. |
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A 1L’s Reflections on the Value of ASP
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Lauren McGarity, 1L |
Like all other new experiences, one may approach law school by applying his or her past experiences, such as previous academic environments, emotions generated from those experiences, memories of struggles and grades, relationships with professors and students and generally, how one defines success. As a 49-year old, professional, married mother of four adult-children 1L, my approach toward law school was going to be, “Dive in and we’ll see…” It has been 27 years since I was a classroom student and I never considered myself to be a scholar.
When I was offered the opportunity to participate in Capital Law’s summer Academic Success Protocol (ASP), I hesitated. My professional and personal life was busy enough and adding law school at the end of August was already in the plan; starting three weeks sooner for ASP seemed like an extraordinary burden. Besides, what more could I learn about myself relative to starting law school? I discovered the answer during my first hour of ASP. I learned that I was not re-entering a collegiate experience, I had been accepted into an intellectual community.
Directed by Professor Joe Bodine, ASP thoughtfully and intentionally transitioned me, and my fellow scholars, into the academic and social experiences of Capital University Law School. It wasn’t subtle, but it was successful. Professors Bodine, Jeff Snapp and Shirley Mays and three exemplary fellows, tirelessly paid attention to the details. For 11 days prior to the start of orientation, our schedule was packed with relevant content and exercises in IRAC, legal writing, active reading, professionalism, note-taking, and exam taking, as well as personal assessments on how we best learn. However, more important to me was the consistently directed eye contact and collegial responses to a classroom of 1L questions and missteps. The value placed on personal risk-taking and intellectual stretching, and the student-specific evaluations raised the bar (all puns intended) and expanded my personal framework to now include a self definition of “scholar.”
As you’re reading this reflection, law school classes have begun and because of my ASP experience, I feel comfortable and assured that “diving in” was the right decision for me. ASP helped give me the confidence and tools necessary for me to be a success in law school. As the weeks and years toward my degree progress, I look forward to building on the relationships initiated through ASP and experiencing many “I get it now.” moments.
Editors Note: Lauren is the founder and executive director of WinWin, Inc., a nonprofit organization that fosters the ability of children and adults to apply healthy social and cognitive habits, manage and non-violently resolve conflict and constructively participate in their communities. WinWin has been nationally recognized for its innovative work in schools and with incarcerated parents. Lauren is currently working with the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction and the Ohio Department of Education to establish a public charter school that will provide a unique opportunity for offenders, age 18-22, to earn a high school diploma. In 1992, Lauren became the first non-attorney mediator accredited by the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations and Juvenile Branch. She is the author and developer of Let’s Get Together TM Conflict Resolution Softwarefor children. As a Public Policy Committee member of the national Association of Conflict Resolution (ACR), Lauren helped develop the Model Standards of Conduct for Mediators adopted by the American Arbitration Association, the ABA and ACR. Her desire to pursue a law degree at this point in her career comes from her even greater desire to constructively impact public policy.
Fellowship program serves critical need for quality legal representation of children and families
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As Capital University Law School begins the 2009-10 academic year, the National Center for Adoption Law & Policy welcomes three new students to its Fellowship program — Rachel Neeb, Tonya Sapp and Thad Townsend. For the past three years, Adoption & Child Welfare Fellowships have been offered to incoming law students. This year the program has expanded to include a Juvenile Law Fellowship established in memory of Felicia Beth Nekritz, a 1996 graduate of Capital Law.
Administered by the National Center for Adoption Law & Policy, the Fellowship program helps connect students with exciting educational, networking, and internship opportunities across the county. The program provides students with scholarships, and work and conference stipends during law school in exchange for a commitment to work in this area of law after graduation.
Capital Law Supports Graduates Taking Bar Exam
Taking the Bar exam is one of the most stressful times in a law graduate’s career and for the past five years the Office of Alumni Relations has been there to help alleviate some of this stress for its graduates by providing breakfast and lunch during the Ohio Bar Exam in the Veteran’s Memorial parking lot. Capital Law had 155 graduates apply to take the July 2009 Ohio Bar Exam and the Office of Alumni Relations estimates that about 130 of them attended the tailgates over the thee-day exam period. The last day of the exam is followed by an After-the-Bar Party at Planks Bier Garten on South High Street to celebrate the graduates’ survival.
Rain or shine, staff, faculty, Dean Guttenberg and Professors Yvonne Twiss (Bar Services Director) and Joe Bodine (Academic Success Director) are present to show support for the graduates and encourage them on. Professor Bodine even brings his beloved dog, Chewbacca, to help provide comfort to the graduates.
In addition to power foods like bananas, oatmeal, fruits and vegetables that provide healthy nutrition for the exam takers, the Law School has an ample supply of ear plugs, which was the hot item this year. The “drug store” on hand also includes Tums, pencils, saline solution, tissues, Tylenol, cough drops and many other sundries that an anxious exam taker might need.
Chewbacca |
One thankful graduate, Matt Wolfe, L’09, explains what this means to the graduates: “I just want to personally thank all of you for your support and effort that you put forth this week to make this stressful time go as smooth as possible. It’s extremely comforting to know that the support is there if needed, and that breakfast/lunch is waiting, along with practically any other item that one may need to make it through the day. Honestly, it is very much appreciated, and I am positive others in our class feel just as I do. There are not many people who would set up shop in the pouring rain (minus going to a Jimmy Buffett concert) just to personally help relieve the stress and tension of another.”
Capital Law Students Volunteer for Law & Leadership
Gina Prescott, 2L |
Yosara Trujillo, 2L |
The Ohio State Bar Association sponsors the Law & Leadership Institute program to give ninth-graders in Ohio a chance to study law. This summer, two second year Capital University Law School Students, Gina Prescott and Yosora Trujillo, volunteered their time to teach the teenagers who take Saturday and summer classes throughout their high school careers.
The students were given cases to study, then prepare and present in a mock trial. The would-be attorneys donned business suits and juggled notes and newly acquired legal knowlege to win their case. The rooms where they studied and took notes had walls covered with lists of legal points and prescendents. Some of the ninth graders would arrive hours early to prepare.
The Law & Leadership Institute recognizes that there are talented young people in Ohio who, given academic opportunities and support, would make excellent members of the legal profession. The program adds new ninth-graders every summer and organizers hope to steer disadvantaged and minority youths into an area that is under-represented.
Externship Provides 2L U.S. Supreme Court Brief Writing Experience
Darcy Cook, 2L |
Second year Capital Law student Darcy Cook was one of three externs at the Fairfield County Prosecutor's office this summer whose work afforded them the opportunity to research and write a brief to the United States Supreme Court. The brief addressed a case of a Lancaster man, David L. Bruce, who was convicted of aggravated murder in 2006. It was written after extensive research into case law and arguments supporting the Fairfield County Prosecutor’s office request for the Supreme Court to disregard the defendant’s appeal.
Cook served as an extern at the Fairfield County Prosecutor’s office by participating in the Capital University Law School externship program, administered by Professor Susan Simms. Each semester upper-class law students have the opportunity to work for academic credit in government, judicial, and private practice experiences. They gain hands-on legal experience as well as network with judges, lawyers and other legal professionals.
Cook worked on the brief with two other externs, Joseph Saks and Eugene Roytberg, both second-year students at the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law.
Summer Dispute Resolution Institute: Second Summer Equals Success!
This year the Summer Dispute Resolution Institute experienced a second successful summer and welcomed 12 students from 10 law schools. In addition to the outside law students, 144 Capital Law students participated in the various courses. Students were able to select from 8-one-week-long intensive courses in the area of dispute resolution. Numerous students enrolled in more than one class taking advantage of the opportunity to obtain two or three credit hours in a week.
“This summer program has become a popular destination for non-Capital law students,” said Annette McMurry, Associate Director of Admissions and Financial Aid. “Last year, the first summer for the Institute, we had 6 non-Capital law students participate in this program. We doubled our attendance this year and I hope to see continued growth in the summers to come.”
Students participating in the Institute are often returning to Capital after attending the Summer Adoption Law Institute the prior year. It is these types of programs that bring recognition to the Law School and carry the name outside of the region.
To learn more about the opportunities available for you in the areas of mediation and dispute resolution visit www.law.capital.edu/mediation or call Annette McMurry, Associate Director of Admissions & Financial Aid at 614.236.6348.
Fourth Annual Summer Adoption Law Institute Hosts Students and Attorneys from Across the Country
During the week of August 3 – August 7, Capital University Law School, in conjunction with the National Center for Adoption Law & Policy, hosted the fourth annual Summer Adoption Law Institute (SALI). This course hosted students and attorneys from across the country and from various law schools. As one student commented, “This class is hope at the end of a dark tunnel for law students who wish to practice adoption law but don’t have the resources,” and “This is the single best law school class I’ve ever taken, hands down!”
SALI, a two-credit, intensive, week-long course explored adoption and related child welfare issues from both academic and practitioner perspectives. The adoption law institute examined issues such as the history of American adoption law, adoption procedure, termination of parental rights, assisted reproductive technology, and sexual orientation in connection with adoption and parental consent. The course was taught by Professor Angela Upchurch, Academic Director of the National Center for Adoption Law and Policy and Associate Professor of Law at Capital University Law School.
The course hosted two distinct panels of adoption triad members and for the first time had a panel consisting of a family and birth mother engaged in an open adoption arrangement. Also during the week, students and attorneys learned about the Indian Child Welfare Act from guest lecturer Casey Ross-Petherick, Deputy Director of the Native American Legal Resource Center at the Oklahoma City University School of Law. The students commented that the guest lecturer and panel members were “especially informative and gave helpful and diverse perspectives. They were also a great reminder that this is about families/people with lots of emotions involved.”
This year, SALI hosted 54 total participants including 42 law students and 12 attorneys. There were 20 different law schools represented including: Duke, University of Memphis, Phoenix University, Pacific/McGeorge, UNLV, Northern Kentucky, University of Louisville, St. Mary’s, Creighton, Stetson, Duquesne, Albany, University of Dayton, Michigan State University, University of Toledo, Campbell University, Ohio State University, University of Colorado, West Virginia University, and the University of Denver
2009-2010 PACO Board Inducts Three Capital Law School Paralegal Graduates
On July 23, 2009, PACO (Paralegal Association of Central Ohio) conducted its installation ceremony of the 2009-2010 executive board members. This festive event was held at the Arena District offices of Schottenstein, Zox and Dunn where the Honorable Patrick McGrath, Franklin County Court of Appeals, presided over the ceremony. Three Capital Law School paralegal graduates were elected to serve on this year’s board; Debbie Sekerak (P’07) as the Secretary, Trina Hayes (’P04) as the NFPA Primary Representative and Stephanie Foster (P’06) as the New Student Liaison Coordinator. Congratulations to the new board members and thank you for your service to the Central Ohio legal community.
Paralegal Program Graduates 46 Students
On August 26, 2009, the Paralegal Program graduated 46 students into the start of a new career as a paralegal. The 46 graduates were a mixture of 23 members of the one year Evening Program and 23 members of the 14-week Summer Immersion Program. The graduation ceremony was held at the Ohio State Bar Association and included guest speakers Judy McInturff, Chairperson of Advisory Board; Kalpana Yalamanchili, Director of Bar Services, Ohio State Bar Association; Jack A. Guttenberg, Dean of Capital University Law School; and Shirley Mays, Associate Dean of Capital University Law School.
Of the 46 members of the graduating class, eight graduates received the mark of Honors and seven graduates received the mark of Highest Honors. Heather McClintock was ranked number one in the Evening Program with a GPA of 3.937. Kimberly Hefner received the rank of number one in the Summer Immersion Program with a GPA of 4.0.
Congratulations Paralegal class of 2009!
Dean Search Status
The Law School began a national search for new leadership as Dean Jack Guttenberg will be stepping down in June 2010. The Dean Search committee has placed ads, several of which have already appeared, in relevant publications as well as on national email list services. Over the next few months, a pool of 10 to 12 candidates will be selected for interviews to be conducted at the Association of American Law Schools 2010 annual conference in January.
From that set of interviews, the Law School aims to select four to six candidates who will be invited to the Law School campus in January and early February. Recommendations regarding the top candidates will be made to the Provost in mid-February.
As the process continues, more information will be placed online at www.law.capital.edu/DeanSearch/. Also, contact Trustees Professor of Law Mark Strasser, chair of the serch committee for more information.
Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) – Application Deadline Nov. 15
Capital University Law School’s LRAP Program is entering its third year. The program was established through the generosity of donors to assist Capital graduates working in public interest positions with repayment of their student loans. This program is designed to alleviate some of the burden of loan repayment for individuals who have demonstrated a solid commitment to public service. Although we do not yet have the funding to help all graduates who meet the qualifications, we have an open application process every year in the fall. This year, we plan to make three awards in the amount of $1,200 each. More information is available here.
Completed applications will be due back to the law school by November 15. If you have questions about the program in the meantime, please contact the LRAP Administrator, Chris McDonough, at cmcdonough@law.capital.edu.
