News

Law School Receives $1.25 Million Gift to Establish Academic Chair

Capital University Law School is the beneficiary of a $1.25 million gift commitment to establish a jointly-named academic chair — the Josiah H. Blackmore II / Shirley Marie Nault Chair in Legal Education. The gift comes from Mary Seaton Breese, in memory of Dr. Shirley Marie Nault, H’88, and their mutual friend Josiah Blackmore, through a $1 million deferred gift to the Columbus Bar Foundation and a $250,000 gift to the Law School.

“Josiah often would speak of the importance for future law students to have the privilege to experience the excellence in teaching that a chair allows and he underscored how critically important this academic position was for Capital University Law School,” said Dean Jack A. Guttenberg. “As a retired faculty member of the Ohio State University, Ms. Breese truly understands the importance of a chair within academia and we are very grateful for her generosity.”

Guttenberg said the Law School is looking to make the first appointment to the chair to be effective with the 2009-10 academic year. “Academic chairs allow us to recruit and retain the best teachers and provide excellent learning opportunities for our students. We will be looking for an outstanding teacher with exceptional credentials and experience, both in the classroom and in the community at large,” said Guttenberg.

Charles C. Warner, president of the Columbus Bar Foundation, expressed his excitement about this partnership between the law school and the foundation. “This is an innovative way of helping us fulfill our mission of increasing access to justice and promoting excellence in legal education through scholarships and grants. It's also a model for other donors interested in advancing their aims and strengthening the relationship between the bar and law schools,” said Warner.

A gifted educator and administrator at Worthington High School, Dr. Nault introduced her students to the world outside the classroom, particularly the justice system.  Through innovative mock trial activities, long before there was an organized Ohio Mock Trial Program, Dr. Nault, with the help of volunteer lawyers, brought students into direct contact with the important legal issues of the day.

In the early 1980s, Josiah and Joyce Blackmore’s daughter, Judith, was a student in Dr. Nault’s class.  Josiah became one of the very first volunteers to help Dr. Nault establish her mock trial program, and he continued to volunteer for many years, even after Judith had graduated from high school.

Dr. Nault served as a community representative on the Columbus Bar Association’s Professionalism and Ethics Committee.  She was awarded the CBA’s Liberty Bell Award in 1985 and in 1988, Capital University Law School presented her with an honorary Doctor of Literary Letters degree.

Like Dr. Nault, Josiah Blackmore had a passion for professionalism and ethics.  He had served on the Ohio Supreme Court Rules Advisory Committee and, at the time of his passing, served on the Ohio Ethics Commission. Josiah also was a recipient of the CBA’s Liberty Bell Award, as well as the Columbus Bar Foundation’s President’s Award for his lifetime commitment to the Columbus legal community.

In 1997, Dr. Nault and Ms. Breese each established major gift commitments to enable the Law School to build a court room in its new building at 303 E. Broad Street — The Shirley Marie Nault Moot Court Room.  Dr. Nault was also a charter member of the Law School’s Board of Visitors, now known as the Board of Counselors.

Upon learning of the jointly-named academic chair, Joyce Blackmore, Josiah’s widow, expressed “how wonderful it is that the chair will reflect the focus and long-term friendship of Joe and Shirley.”

Other donors who have established named-endowed funds in support of this chair are J. Miles, L’78, and Ronna Gibson; the Kunmann Family (Herbert H., H’87, and Margith C. Kunmann; Edmond J., L’85, and Eileen Kunmann); Barbara J. Lucks, L’76; and Robert J., L’83, H’05, and Missy Weiler.

Baruch Challenge Match Update:
$130,000 committed - $70,000 still needed  

Hats off and sincere thanks to Farnham E. Mosley, L’58 and David H. Tannenbaum, L’66, graduates of the Franklin College of Law, and Capital University Law School graduates Robert J. Woodward Jr., ’63, L’71, Samuel B. Weiner, L’73, Hon. Walter L. “Skip” Schafer Jr., L’77, James R. Havens, ’78, L’81, and Georgeann G. Peters, L’83 who have generously committed a total of $130,000 in qualifying matching funds toward a challenge goal of $200,000.  Once a total of $200,000 has been committed, Thomas R. Baruch, L’67 will provide a matching gift of $200,000 in support of the Professor Emeritus John E. Sullivan Professorship.

$70,000 in qualifying gifts and commitments are still needed to fulfill Mr. Baruch’s challenge and secure his very generous match.   To qualify for the Baruch challenge match:

• Donors must be J.D. graduates of the Franklin or Capital University Law Schools.

• Gifts of $5,000 or more contributed by Dec. 31, 2008, up to commitments of $25,000 contributed over no more than five years will be matched.

• Gifts must be designated for the Professor Emeritus John E. Sullivan Professorship.

In creating the major gift challenge, Baruch said: “John Sullivan is a national treasure. We now have a great opportunity to honor a man who truly values teaching and his students. This is also an opportunity for more alumni to support their Law School." 

The matching challenge, when successful, will establish the Sullivan professorship which provides the opportunity for the Law School to achieve many goals. It will honor Professor Emeritus John Sullivan for his considerable contributions to the Law School as a teacher and a scholar. It will serve to recruit and retain talented faculty and support the Law School and its strategic plan.

$70,000 in additional qualifying commitments will secure Mr. Baruch’s match and put the total designated for the Sullivan Professorship at more than $500,000.   The Baruch major gift challenge expires on Dec. 31, 2008. For questions about the Professor Emeritus John E. Sullivan Professorship or the Baruch Challenge Match, please contact John Strick, assistant dean for External Relations at 614-236-6603 or at jstrick@law.capital.edu.

Congratulations to Capital Law February Bar Test Takers — 1st Time Pass Rate Over 94%!

Capital Graduates met with great success on the February Ohio bar exam. First-time test takers achieved a 94 percent passing rate on the February 2008 Ohio bar exam.

“Capital graduates continue to pass at a high rate. Their hard work and the dedication of our faculty and administration are paying off,” said Dean Jack A. Guttenberg. “As a community, we are enhancing the value of their degrees and their success on the exam means they can begin their careers at the earliest possible moment.”

Capital University Law School alumni achieved an 89% first-time passing rate on the July 2007 Ohio bar exam, a 2 percentage point increase over July 2006 and above the state average for first-time takers.

The Law School Strategic Plan calls for the school to be “ above the state average for first-time takers on the Ohio bar examination and annual improvement in the percentage of all takers passing the bar.” Capital graduates have met and exceeded the goals of the Law School strategic plan.

[ Read More in the Dean's Message ]

Legal Drafting Program Expanded with Specialized Writing Courses

For the past four years, Capital law students have been required to take legal drafting in their final year of law school. The course gives students practical experience drafting documents that they will likely encounter in the practice of law, such as client opinion letters, wills, contracts, complaints, interrogatories and trial court motions. When the Law School implemented this course and requirement in 2004 it made Capital one of the first law schools in the country to require a final year legal writing course.

Now, the program is being enhanced with the addition of specialized legal drafting classes in transactional and criminal law.

“We have been listening to our students and they are requesting more courses tailored to their interests,” says Professor Risa Lazaroff, director of the Legal Drafting Program. “These courses give them greater hands-on experience going into their fields of practice and a more competitive-edge in the job market.”

The transactional course is being taught this summer by Professor Jeff Snapp. In this course, students are engaged in the process of negotiating and drafting contracts such as settlements, land installments, residential leases, employment agreements and multiple forms in a consumer transaction.

Professor Scott Anderson, former staff attorney for the Ohio Criminal Sentencing Commission, is teaching the criminal legal drafting practicum this fall. Students will draft an indictment, a bill of particulars, a motion to suppress evidence, and a guilty plea.

“Our Legal Drafting Program is on the cutting-edge of law schools and is nationally recognized,” says Dean Jack A. Guttenberg. “I’m very impressed with our legal writing faculty and their creativity in making Capital’s program one of the strongest across the country. In four out of their six semesters at Capital, our law students are engaged in supervised legal writing. We know how much firms, courts and organizations value good legal writing skills and we take seriously our students’ preparation in this regard.”

Alumni Weekend a Great Success

Four outstanding Capital University Law School alumni were honored as part of the Alumni Weekend activities May 2-3, 2008. The annual awards luncheon was held May 2 at the Hyatt on Capitol Square where the following awards were presented:

• Josiah H. Blackmore, II Dean's Award ~ Robert J. Weiler, L’83, H’05

• Distinguished Alumnus of the Year Award ~ David E. Freel, L'77

• Alumni Outstanding Service Award ~ Jennifer Anne Adair, L'05

• Young Alumnus of the Year Award ~
  Hon. Matthew W. McFarland, '89, L'92

The Alumni Association also sponsored a CLE that same morning, as part of its ongoing strategic plan to provide more resources and benefits to its alumni. More than 40 participants earned 2.5 credit hours in ethics, professionalism and substance abuse instruction. Dean Jack A. Guttenberg, as well as Professor Michael Distelhorst , ’71, L’76; David W. Hardymon, L’76, from Vorys Sater Seymour and Pease LLP; and Alvin Mathews Jr., of Bricker & Eckler LLP, presented the program.

Friday afternoon the Alumni Association Board held its annual board meeting where Zachary M. Klein, L’04, and Melissa G. Messina, ’03, L’07, were elected to the board. David P. Meyer, L’95, T’96, became the current president and Pamela L. Bradigan, L’81 was named president-elect. The board would like to thank outgoing president, Emmett M. Kelly, L’99 for his ongoing service and direction this past year.

On Friday evening, alumni, friends, faculty and staff gathered to celebrate the success of Capital University Law School alumni who took the Ohio February bar exam. Capital graduates met with great success on the February Ohio bar exam — first-time test takers achieved a 94 percent passing rate.

Alumni Weekend activities concluded with a family day at COSI Columbus, on Saturday, May 3.

Thank you to all who participated in the Alumni Weekend activities, and a special thank you to all of the Alumni Association Board members who helped to make the weekend such a great success.

Save the date for the 2009 Alumni Awards Luncheon on Friday, May 1, 2009 at the Hyatt Regency Columbus.

Capital Law School Graduates Nearly 200 Students

Nearly 200 J.D., LL.M. and M.T. students graduated in May from Capital University Law School. The Law School’s commencement and hooding ceremony took place at the historic Ohio Theatre.

Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, L’83, delivered Capital University Law School’s 2008 Commencement address. She also received an honorary degree in recognition of her dedication to public service and her commitment to the people of Ohio to ensure that elections are open and honest.

Brunner, Ohio’s first woman to serve as secretary of state, is the 2007 recipient of Capital University Law School’s Distinguished Alumnus of the Year Award. This past May she was awarded the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award, the nation's most prestigious honor for elected public servants. The award seeks to make Americans aware of the conscientious and courageous acts of their public servants, and to encourage elected officials to choose principles over partisanship – to do what is right, rather than what is expedient.

Salutatorian remarks were given by graduate Erick J. Palmer, Ph.D. and the 2008 commencement awards were given to:

• Dean’s Award (for outstanding leadership and contributions to the Law School) – Jeffrey Mark Sneeringer

• Dean’s Public Service Award (for outstanding public service to the Law School and surrounding community) – Steven D. Fletcher, Nicole Howard –Jahi, Danielle N. Smith

• Order of the Barristers (student excellence in moot court, mock trial and brief writing) – William Franklin Cash III, John Hamilton Cousins IV, Nicole Howard-Jahi, Sarah L. Leatherman, Daniel K. Riffle, Ryan M. Stubenrauch, Derek J. Walden, Kirk Daniel Walter

• Ron Friedman Award (for contributions to the life of the Law School through extracurricular activities) – Douglas James Althauser

• Harter Award (for attaining the greatest increase in GPA over the span of one full-time academic year) – Chad Fennell

• National Association of Women Lawyers Award – Lindsey Audra Hutchinson

• American Bankruptcy Institute Medal of Excellence – Jeremy D. Rine

• Ohio State Bar Association Labor and Employment Law Student Achievement Award – Erin Renee Forbes

Capital University Law School to Offer First Summer Dispute Resolution Institute

Capital University Law School is offering a Summer Dispute Resolution Institute July 14 – Aug. 15, 2008. The eight different dispute resolution courses are open to attorneys, ADR professionals, and JD students from across the county. Courses are taught in an intensive, one week format with classes running for five consecutive half day sessions, except for Divorce Mediation which is an all day, five day course. Courses include:

• Dispute Resolution

• General Arbitration

• Labor Arbitration

• Divorce Mediation

• Health Care and Dispute Resolution

• Negotiation

• Impact of Culture & Gender on Negotiation and Mediation

• Business Negotiation (taught on-line)

Courses are taught by experienced faculty from both Columbus and around the country.

“We are especially pleased to have Nina Meierding, a nationally know ADR educator, teach a special course on how culture and gender impact negotiation and mediation processes,” said Scot Dewhirst, co-director of the Center for Dispute Resolution at Capital University Law School. “Nina is a national leader in the field of conflict resolution and has trained thousands of individuals in businesses, courts, school districts, governmental agencies, medical centers, corporations and universities throughout the United States and abroad.”

The Business Negotiation class will be taught in an online format, allowing attendees to take the course from the comfort of their home or office. Nationally recognized ADR expert Larry Ray, L’77, will facilitate this online course from his office in Washington D.C.

The Divorce Mediation course will allow students to meet Ohio Supreme Court requirements for Divorce Mediation, and it has been approved for 40 hours of CLE credit.

All other courses are pending approval for Ohio CLE and are offered at a special cost of $500 per course or two courses for $900. Visit www.law.capital.edu/SDR to register or learn more about the classes and their instructors, or call (614) 236-6515 for more information.

New, Improved E-tool for Adoptive Families and Professionals Unveiled by the National Center for Adoption Law & Policy

The National Center for Adoption Law & Policy at Capital University Law School (NCALP) unveiled its new Adoption and Child Welfare LawSite (www.adoptionchildwelfarelaw.org).

The LawSite is a free, online service for both adoptive families and professionals. It is also the nation’s only comprehensive searchable site for statutes, regulations, key cases and leading articles about adoption and child welfare law from all 50 states, all available at no charge to the user.

With the generous support of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services and Abbott Nutrition, NCALP has has been able to update, revamp and expand its original Adoption LawSite with new content devoted to child welfare issues.

“We are very excited to unveil our new site,” said Denise St. Clair, executive director of NCALP. “The new site offers new search functionality and landing pages specifically tailored to family members, legal professionals and child welfare practitioners. Since the LawSite is used by nonlegal professionals, including parents and child-welfare advocates, we provide plain English summaries of the many legal statutes, regulations and cases.”

The site is not intended to replace professional legal advice, but it equips parents with needed information about adoption.

“The LawSite was a useful tool for me and my family as we searched for information regarding cases similar to those of our daughter,” said Nadine Palmer, of Powell, Ohio, an adoptive parent who used the site to help her understand more aspects of the law when she adopted one of her three adopted children. “I think the new features of the improved site will only make it better, and I encourage all prospective adoptive parents to use the LawSite as one of their adoption resources. It is also a neat place to refer to for changes in the law and new adoption policies, even after you've completed the adoption process.”  

Since its original inception in 2003, more than five million people have used the site. Other useful features on the LawSite include:

• “frequently asked questions” section devoted to issues that often confront families and professionals;

• new child protection and permanency content, focusing on issues such as child maltreatment investigation, alternative child placements, and termination of parental rights;

• a special section focused on Ohio adoption and child welfare law, policy and resources; and

• an adoption subsidy component to aid adoptive parents in identifying sources of and applying for financial assistance for the adoption of children with special needs.

For professionals in the field, the LawSite provides a wealth of information to assist their work. Deputy Chief Legal Counsel Kathryn Phipps Congrove wrestles with child permanency issues every day at Franklin County Children Services (Ohio) and finds “the LawSite to be a wonderful resource for practitioners. NCALP’s LawSite is not only a boon for us locally but also for people working in the field nationwide.” 

Adoption Law Course Popular Draw

Capital University Law School is the only American law school to regularly offer an entire course dedicated to adoption law. As such, it is opening its doors to law students and attorneys across the country with its Summer Adoption Law Institute (August 4-8) – an intensive week-long course that will explore adoption and related child protection issues from both academic and practitioner perspectives.

“We are anticipating our largest enrollment ever in the class,” said Professor Angela Upchurch, Real Living Academic Director of the National Center for Adoption Law & Policy, and one of the course instructors. “Currently, more than 60 law students are registered, with half of them coming from law schools other than Capital. I think this speaks to the growing national interest among law students for specialized courses in family law.”

Upchurch, along with NCALP, has designed the course and also will draw on the expertise of practitioners who will be guest lecturers. The class will cover such topics as: the history of American adoption law, parental rights under the U.S. Constitution, assisted reproductive technology, wrongful adoption, race and cultural issues in adoption, and sexual orientation issues in adoption. This introductory course is designed as a general overview of adoption and is not state specific. However, there will be class exercises providing participants with an opportunity to explore the law in the jurisdiction of their choice.

The course runs Monday, Aug. 4, through Thursday, Aug. 7, from 8:30 am - 3:00 pm, allowing 5 CLE credits per day and Friday, Aug. 8, from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm, allowing 4.5 CLE credits (CLE applications are pending). Practitioners can choose to attend the entire week-long course or can opt to attend an individual day(s) at a cost of $100 per day. Space is limited. For more information, visit the SALI web site or call the National Center for Adoption Law & Policy at (614) 236-6730.

Annual Event Increases Public Awareness of Adoption

The National Center for Adoption Law & Policy at Capital University Law School (NCALP) hosted its Forever Home Adoption Celebration, at COSI Columbus on Saturday, May 17, 2008. Kids of all ages enjoyed this fun, family-friendly event.

As the only event of its kind in Central Ohio, Forever Home Adoption Celebration was aimed at increasing public awareness of adoption as a family-building option.

Forever Home was packed with fun activities to fill an entire afternoon. Guests enjoyed all-day admission to COSI, afternoon snacks and refreshments, live entertainment including a magician, interactive music, cool science experiments, raffle prizes, and information booths on adoption and adoption-related support services. Over 250 people attended.

“Forever Home is such a great event for families,” said Becky Hetteberg, adoptive mother of two children from South Korea and previous Forever Home participant. “The kids really enjoy the abundance of activities, and prospective adoptive parents have a chance to speak to adoption-foster care agencies in a casual atmosphere.”

Thank you to the following agencies and organizations who exhibited at the event:

Adoption Circle
Adopt America Network
ADAMH Board of Franklin County
All God’s Children
Columbus Coalition Against Family Violence
Creative Memories
GalaxSea Cruises & Tours
Interracial Families in Friendship
Hannah Neil Center for Children-Starr Commonwealth
Families for Russian & Ukrainian Adoption
Families Through International Adoption
Franklin County Children’s Services
Northeast Ohio Adoption Services
Family Adoption Consultants
Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Usborne Books
United Methodist Children’s Home

Right now, over 3,000 Ohio children – more than 200 children in Franklin County – wait for families to adopt them. In total, more than 100,000 children across the country are available for adoption, as well as thousands more children internationally. Held annually, this event is an ideal opportunity to support, learn, and inform about adoption.

Alternative Dispute Resolution Institute Draws Over 200 Professionals

More than 200 minority ADR professionals from across the country attended the 3rd National Training Institute for Minority Professionals in Alternative Dispute Resolution, sponsored by Capital University Law School. Held June 2-6, the institute provided training for a range of skill levels and topics for ADR professionals, including employment discrimination mediation, truancy mediation, basic mediation and trainings that built other skills for professionals working in the field of dispute resolution.

“This was the largest enrollment we have had in our training institute,” said Professor of Law Floyd D. Weatherspoon, organizer of the institute and director of minority ADR initiatives at Capital University Law School. “I think it speaks to the need that minorities still have for access to the profession and the need for high-quality, yet affordable training.”

This is the seventh year that Capital has sponsored an ADR program to promote opportunities and eliminate barriers for minority ADR professionals. The programs have provided affordable, high-quality training to expand skills in negotiation, mediation, facilitation and arbitration; greater access to the ADR marketplace; and have prepared professionals for advancement within the field of dispute resolution and conflict management.

The institute was co-sponsored by The Supreme Court of Ohio and also received the support of the American Arbitration Association; Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA); The Keystone Center; National Association for Community Mediation; Ohio Commission on Dispute Resolution & Conflict Management; and the University of Missouri School of Law.