The First Amendment Clinic recently argued Avid Bookshop v. Taylor before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia challenging a county jail's prohibition on bookstores sending books to jail residents. Second-year student Carly J. Judenberg and First Amendment Clinic Law Fellow Christina Lee presented the case. Third-year student Frank L.O. Easterlin contributed to the briefing. The case is being litigated under the supervision of Clinical Associate Professor & First Amendment Clinic Director Clare R. Norins.
Post Professor Pamela Foohey published “Texas Two-Step Spat Revival Deserves Supreme Court’s Attention” (with J. Lipson) in Bloomberg Law on 4/16/26.
Congratulations to Talmadge Chair Peter B. “Bo” Rutledge for receiving the 2026 First-Year Odyssey Seminar Program Teaching Award. The award recognizes excellence in first-year undergraduate instruction at the University of Georgia through the First-Year Odyssey Seminar Program.
Congratulations to second-year students Divya Kishore and Anna Grace Rogers for finishing as semifinalists at the American Bar Association National Appellate Advocacy Competition, along with second-year students Katherine H. “Kate” Branch and Lisa R. Calvert who also advanced to the national tier of the tournament. Kishore and Rogers were awarded fourth place for their appellate brief, with Kishore being recognized as a top-five oralist at the competition.
Congratulations to second-year students Kennedy R. Nuckles and Mya O’Berry, along with third-year student Michael J. “Joshua” Moran, for winning the Intrastate Moot Court Competition. Both teams in the finals were from UGA, with the other team comprised of second-year students Ana P. Hernandez Lozano, Kemper S. Higgins and Caleb A. Smith. Smith was also named best oralist.
Congratulations to second-year students Eric S. Gulbranson, Olivia G. Haas and Daniel J. Lanclos, along with third-year student Dresden L. Day, for winning the South Texas Mock Trial Challenge, hosted by the South Texas School of Law in Houston. The team was coached by Director of Trial Advocacy Jeremy Dailey and alumnus Andrei Ionescu (J.D.’12).
Stembler Family Distinguished Professor in Business Law Christopher M. Bruner presented his forthcoming book project Corporate Sustainability Reform in the US: A Path Forward (Oxford University Press) at a seminar hosted by the KU Leuven Centre for Global Governance Studies, where Bruner is currently a visiting scholar. The event was co-sponsored by the Jan Ronse Institute for Company and Financial Law in Belgium during March.
Congratulations to first-year students Barbara J. “B.J.” Tillman and Brandon T. “Trey” Wilkerson and to all of the other participants who made the 2026 First-year Moot Court Competition a great success. The final round was judged by UGA President Jere W. Morehead, Chief U.S. District Judge Leslie Abrams Gardner of the Middle District of Georgia and Judge Elizabeth D. Gobeil of the Georgia Court of Appeals. Tillman was named champion and received the Morehead Best Oralist Award, while Wilkerson finished the tournament as finalist.
The University of Georgia School of Law is excited to announce five recent hires. Each of these individuals will bring specialized expertise to our intellectual enterprise and play a role in educating the next generation of legal leaders for state and society. These new professors are: Assistant Professor María P. Angel, Assistant Professor Mateusz “Matt” Blaszczyk, Clinical Assistant Professor & Veterans Legal Clinic Director Brenda J. Gohr, Assistant Professor Taylor Nchako and Sports Law Program Director Myles B. Solomon.
The School of Law will soon bestow the Distinguished Service Scroll Award, the Law School Association’s highest honor, on Michael B. Terry and Carla Wong McMillian for their outstanding dedication and service to the legal profession and the law school. Additionally, Andrew Z. Smith will be presented with the Young Alumni of Excellence Award.
Marshall Chair of Constitutional Law Randy Beck was featured by Bloomberg Law regarding the False Claims Act and whistleblowers. The article titled “False Claims Act Backed by Judges Since ‘Outlier’ Decision” was written by Daniel Seiden and published 4/8/26.
Congratulations to third-year student Kaylah J. Holmes for earning an honorable mention at the recent America’s Next Top Trial Lawyer competition. The event features law students from across the country presenting a closing argument from a given hypothetical trial in order to showcase “the next generation of powerhouse trial lawyers and prosecutors.”
Post Professor Pamela Foohey published "Interdisciplinary Research is Hard and Other Lessons from Debt’s Grip" in 20 Brooklyn Journal of Corporate, Financial & Commercial Law 73 (2025) (with R.M. Lawless and D. Thorne).
Distinguished Research Professor & Shackelford Distinguished Professor in Taxation Law Emeritus Walter Hellerstein served as a visiting professor teaching a three-day mini-course on U.S. state taxation of foreign taxpayers at the Vienna University of Economics and Business in Austria during March.
Congratulations to second-year student Elisa C. Lara and third-year student Supreme Unukegwo for finishing as semifinalists at the Tulane International Fútbol Negotiation Competition. The competition is a “simulated contract negotiation competition using real-life international soccer/fútbol clubs and players in hypothetical scenarios.”
Associate Professor Thomas E. Kadri published “Safe Sex in the Age of Big Tech Feminism” (co-authored with B. Dvoskin) in 39 Harvard Journal of Law & Technology 59 (2026).
Each year the School of Law community looks forward to Awards Day, when we celebrate the many accomplishments of our students and faculty. Dean Usha R. Rodrigues said it is an honor to celebrate our students and faculty. "Their dedication, hard work, and achievements not only elevate our academic community, but also set a standard of excellence for us all. Please join me in celebrating their accomplishments and commending them for a job well done," she said.
Post Professor Pamela Foohey presented her co-authored book Debt’s Grip: Risk and Consumer Bankruptcy (University of California Press, 2025) as part of a panel at the American College of Bankruptcy’s Class 37 Induction Ceremony and Conference in San Antonio during March.
This spring, seven School of Law faculty members were awarded seed grants. Professors Christopher M. Bruner, Patrick D. Conner, Desirée LeClercq, Patricia M. “Trish” Murphy, Heather Simmons and Anne M. Tucker received 2025 Teaming for Interdisciplinary Research Pre-Seed grants, while Professor Steffney R. Thompson received a Presidential Interdisciplinary Seed Grant.
This spring, law students participating in the Appellate Litigation Clinic had the opportunity to present oral argument before two federal courts. Third-year students Chandler S.K. “Chan” Creswell and Emma Rose Bagwell argued Shaw v. Foreman before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, while third-year students Jesse L. “Jesse” Sebring and Mark S. Winokur argued Woff Senatus v. U.S. Attorney General before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit