Faculty News

View recent national media appearances by Capital Law Faculty (PDF)

December 2008

Professor Dan Kobil continued to appear in the national media as an expert on clemency and presidential pardon. He was interview on KPAM, Portland, OR on Dec. 11. [ Listen Here ]

Also, Kobil was quoted in the Anchorage Daily News article "Will U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens seek a presidential pardon?" by Erika Bolstad, Dec. 17. [ Read the Article ]

Professor Joe Grant recently published “Shattering and Moving Beyond the Guttenberg Paradigm: The Dawn of the Electronic Will,” 42 University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform 105 (2008).

Professor Regina Burch was appointed to the State Teachers Retirement Board by Ohio Governor Ted Strickland.

Burch, an expert on corporate governance issues, was quoted in the Dec. 2008 Columbus C.E.O. magazine article, “Board Evaluations,” by Lisa Hooker. The article discusses increased standards and responsibilities for corporate board of directors.

November 2008

Professor Brad Smith, former head of the Federal Election Commission, was quoted in the Nov. 30 Boston Globe in "For Obama, a chance to push big changes" by Brian C. Mooney. [ Read the Article ]

On Thursday, Nov. 20, Dean Jack A. Guttenberg served as a moderator for a panel discussion on Judicial Independence at the Law School for Legislators program.

Guttenberg represented Ohio’s law schools at the Supreme Court of Ohio Bar Ceremonies at the Ohio Theatre on Nov. 17, 2008. More than 1,000 new attorneys were admitted to the bar. Dean Guttenberg’s remarks focused on the legal profession: “Today you join a noble and honorable profession – a profession that has a long history of protecting the rights of the individual, promoting democracy and helping resolve disputes in a peaceful manner… a profession that recognizes the great privileges that have been vested on it… and the responsibility it has to give back to our communities.” Justice Judith Ann Lanzinger served as keynote speaker and Justice Terrence O’Donnell administered the oath of professionalism to the new attorneys. Capital University Law School had the highest first-time pass rate among all law schools – 94%! An archived video of the oath of office sessions is available at the Supreme Court’s Web site (www.supremecourtofohio.gov), as well as the Ohio Channel (www.ohiochannel.org).

Professor Dan Kobil, a nationally known clemency expert, appeared on CNN Lou Dobbs on Nov. 18. Professor Kobil was interviewed on the president’s clemency power. [ See the Video ]

Professor Kobil is also quoted in the ABC News story, “Record Numbers Seeking Bush Pardons,” found here.

Professor Mike Distelhorst was a member of the Symposium Panel for a “Symposium on the Economic Crisis” hosted by the Council for Ethical Leadership at Capital University and the Capital University School of Management and Leadership on November 10.

October 2008

Capital Law Faculty Ranks High in New Study!
In a newly released faculty productivity study by Roger Williams University, Capital University Law School faculty places 36th out of the 118 U.S. News listing of 2nd, 3rd and 4th tier law schools for scholarship published. Capital is one of only two 4th tier law schools in the top 40 — a list which predominately includes 2nd tier law schools. [ More ]

Professor Mark Brown, Newton D. Baker/Baker & Hostetler Chair of Law, is part of a panel discussion titled, “Election Dissection: Civil liberties beyond ’08.” The program, co-sponsored by the ACLU of Ohio, Columbus Urban League and the Columbus Lawyer Chapter of the American Constitution Society, will take place Wed., Nov. 12 at 7:00 pm at the Columbus Urban League, 788 Mount Vernon Avenue. The panelists will discuss how the new executive branch, Congress and state leaders will impact civil liberties. The event is free and open to the public.

Also, Brown will be providing a review of the significant cases from the U.S. Supreme Court for the Ohio State Bar Association’s CLE program: Supreme Court Year in Review. The 6.0 CLE program (including 1 hour or professionalism) is taking place around the state Dec. 3 (Columbus); Dec. 9 (Fairfield); Dec. 18 (Cleveland); and Dec. 22 (Perrysburg). For more information visit www.ohiobar.org.

Professor Brad Smith, former head of the Federal Election Commission, speaks with reason.tv about campaign finance laws and John McCain.

[ Watch the Video ]

Professor Smith published an article in the Sunday, Oct. 26 Washington Post. [ Read the Article ].

Also, Professor Smith appeared on 20/20: John Stossel's Politically Incorrect Guide to Politics, Friday, Oct. 17 on ABC. Additionally, he was quoted in the Oct. 19 Columbus Dispatch article, "Illegal voters, or just getting out the vote?" by Jill Riepenhoff.

Professor Charles Cohen was quoted in the Oct. 11 Columbus Dispatch article "Building was no gift to group, some say" by Randy Ludlow.

Professor Daniel Turack published The Role of National Human Rights Institutions at the International and Regional
Levels: The Experience of Africa in the Oct. 2008 Journal of Third World Studies.

On Friday October 10, 2008 Professor Lance Tibbles addressed the Ohio Health Ethics Advisory Committee for Community Based Services on the topic “Applying Ethical Theories to Health Care – An Ethical Theory for a Right to Health Care.” [ More ]

Professors Dan Kobil and Brad Smith publish opposing op-ed's in the Oct. 13 Columbus Dispatch: "How might next president affect the Supreme Court?"
[ Read Kobil's Op-Ed ] [ Read Smith's Op-Ed ]

Oct. 3, Professor Floyd Weatherspoon was a keynote speaker at the City University of New York (CUNY)'s Black Male Initiative, Third Annual Conference: African American Males and the Legal System.

Professor Mike Distelhorst was a speaker and panelist for the “9th Annual Ohio Free Clinics Conference, Called to Service: Equipped to Heal.” Professor Distelhorst spoke on issues related to non-profit agencies establishing corporate ethics and compliance programs.

He also presented a series of two programs for the Virginia CLE in Richmond Virginia on October 2, 2008 and Fairfax Virginia on October 3, 2008. The series was entitled “Integrity-Based Lawyering,” with the first program entitled “Compliance-Based Ethics v. Integrity-Based Ethics and the second program entitled” Applying Integrity-Based Ethics to the Roles of Lawyers.” Videos of the programs were replayed throughout Virginia at 17 locations during the last week of October and will be played in 6 locations in December.

Professor Distelhorst was a speaker for a program co-sponsored by The Supreme Court of Ohio Board of Commissioners on Grievances and Discipline, The University of Akron School of Law Joseph G. Miller and William C. Becker Institute for Professional Responsibility, and the Ohio State Bar Association.

September 2008

Professor Brad Smith former Federal Election Commission Chairman, quoted in Friday, Sept, 19, 2008 New York Times front page article, “McCain’s Camp Tests Fund-Raising Limits.”

Professor David Mayer's essays on "Constitution of the United States," "Declaration of Independence," and "Thomas Jefferson" appear in the newly-published Encyclopedia of Libertarianism (ed. Ronald Hamowy, Los Angeles: SAGE Publications, 2008), a project of the Cato Institute.

Professor Mayer also spoke on the topic "What Is Libertarianism?" to the College Libertarians at Capital University on September 22.

Professor Dan Kobil helped to write and file an amicus curiae brief with the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of current and former governors in support of the petitioner in the case of Edward Jerome Harbison v. Ricky Bell (Case No. 07-8521). [ More ]

Professor Mike Distelhorst has been appointed to act as Reporter for the Ohio State Bar Association Task Force on Legal Education. The Task Force will be examining the recent Carnegie and Stuckey Reports critiquing legal education.

Professor Distelhorst was a speaker for the Ohio Attorney General’s “Outside Counsel Seminar” for the “Revenue Recovery Services Collection Enforcement Section.” His presentation dealt with “Substance Abuse: Causes, Prevention, Detection and Treatment” in the legal profession, from the perspective of a Distressed Lawyer Model.

August 2008

Professor Michael Rich was quoted in the Findlay Courier in an article titled Official's dual roles raising questions. Capital Law Alumni David Freel, L'77, was also quoted.

Professors Floyd Weatherspoon and Scot Dewhirst were quoted in the August 20 Columbus Dispatch article "Mediation program's popularity booming." [ Read the article ]

Capital Law welcomes Professors Joseph Grant and Michael Rich this fall [ More ]

Professor Brad Smith was the topic of an article in the August 12 Politco. The article "Conservatives plot on campaign finance" can be read here.

Also, he was quoted in the August 3 Fort Collins Coloradoan ("Campaign groups can spend big, keep donors hidden") and the August 1 Cleveland Examiner ("Campaign finance 'reform' surrendering to free speech?") regarding campaign financing.

July 2008

Professor Jeff Ferriell was among the 250 attorneys, judges, law professors, legislators, and other state officials participating in the 2008 Annual Meeting of the Uniform Law Commission (ULC) in Big Sky, Montana during July.

Professor Mike Distelhorst is one of three new members appointed by The Supreme Court of Ohio to the Commission on Professionalism. [ More ]

Professor Danshera Cords's article Charitable Contributions for Disaster Relief: Rationalizing Tax Consequences and Victim Benefits (57 Cath. U. L. Rev. 428 (2008)) was featured in the Tax Prof Blog. [ Read the entry ]

June 2008

Professor Brad Smith was quoted in numerous publications regarding the June 26 Supreme Court decision in Davis v. Federal Election Commission. Publications include USA Today, Baltimore Sun (this story also appeared in the Sacramento Bee, Raleigh News-Observer and other newspapers), CQ Politics (here and here), Campaigns & Elections Magazine and the BNA Political Reporter.

NPR's Morning Edition featured Professor Brad Smith on Sunday, June 22 regarding Barack Obama's decision to reject public financing. June 25, WHYY, an NPR affiliate, also featured Smith on the topic of Obama and public financing.

Professor Dennis Hirsch was an invited participant in the first annual Privacy Law Scholars Conference at George Washington Law School. The event brought together academics, regulators, public interest advocates and private practitioners working in the area of privacy law. He also presented at the Triple Bottom Line Boot Camp at The Ohio State University Fisher School of Business. The “triple bottom line” concept refers to the three bottom lines – economic, environmental, and social -- that successful businesses must meet to be sustainable in the long term. The title of his presentation was “Carbon Trading: Emerging Laws, Markets and Opportunities.”

Professor Athornia Steele has been named dean of Shepard Broad Law Center of Nova Southeastern University (NSU) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. His tenure there begins August 2008. [ More ]

Dean Jack A. Guttenberg is co-chairing the ABA Section on Legal Education Law School Development Committee. In this role, Guttenberg, and his co-chair Trishana Bowden of American University, are planning the May 2009 conference in Jackson Hole, WY, which brings together law school deans, faculty and development officers to discuss and learn from one another law school development issues.

Denise St. Clair, executive director of the National Center for Adoption Law & Policy at Capital University Law School, was quoted in the June 2008 Columbus C.E.O. magazine article, “Adoption Benefits,” by Susan Pavilkey. The article examines ways employers are making it easier for employees to adopt children.

Professor Floyd Weatherspoonaddressed a session on the practical implications of mandating that discrimination claims be arbitrated in a union setting at the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service's 14th National Labor-Management Conference on June 11.