The School of Law regrets to share news of the passing of Carter Chair Emeritus R. Perry Sentell Jr. on Jan. 28, 2021, at the age of 86. This sad announcement comes shortly after the passing of his wife, Jeannette, just eight days earlier. A 1958 law school alumnus, he retired in 2004 after 46 years of teaching and service at the University of Georgia. Sentell was a titan in the legal academy and a demanding instructor who set high expectations but with a warm heart for his students. Many of those students went on to hold leadership roles in the bar, the bench and government. Famous for his annual Palsgraf lecture, Sentell taught Torts, Municipal Corporations and Law of Legislative Government and published nearly 30 books. Among his law school honors are a bust in the Alexander Campbell King Law Library, the law school's Distinguished Service Scroll Award and an endowed scholarship fund named in his honor. He is survived by his son Robert Perry Sentell III, six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Please be sure to keep the Sentell family in your thoughts and prayers during this extremely sorrowful time.
Congratulations to the School of Law's American Constitution Society student group for being named Student Chapter of the Week by its national organization. The American Constitution Society works "to uphold the Constitution in the 21st Century by ensuring that law is a force for protecting our democracy and the public interest and for improving people's lives" through approximately 200 student and lawyer chapters in almost every state and law school throughout the country.
In 2019-2020, School of Law students enrolled in clinical and field placement programs provided more than 80,000 uncompensated service hours. More than 24,000 of those hours occurred under the direct supervision of law school faculty members directing in-house clinical programs - all of which provide access to justice services for underrepresented communities and individuals.
A record number of University of Georgia School of Law students are participating in the Atlanta Semester in Practice program this semester with full-time externships in judicial, government and corporate counsel offices. The Atlanta program immerses students in real-world law practice while they take other law classes at the school's facility in the state's capital or online. This semester, 21 students will work at 16 offices including for U.S. District Court Judge William M. Ray II, Georgia Business Court Judge Walter W. Davis and Georgia Senator Bo Hatchett and at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Attorney's Office, among other locations.
A free virtual legal clinic for Georgia veterans will be held Saturday, Jan. 23, from 9 to 11 a.m. Veterans in the Columbus and Macon areas will be able to access the clinic through physical locations in each city, while veterans from across the state can connect for services via webcam or telephone. The Georgia Veterans Outreach Project provides quick advice and brief service on issues with special relevance to former military members. Interested veterans need to register in advance for an appointment.