Congratulations to 2023 graduate Nicholas R. “Nick” Lewis for winning the Top Gun XIV National Mock Trial Competition. His effort created a historic win, as no school has won this tournament two times in a row. Lewis was undefeated throughout the tournament. 2023 graduate Emily P. Johnson served as Lewis’ co-chair/technical advisor and Associate Director of Advocacy Joe Lester served as coach. Top Gun is an invitation-only event for law schools that have excelled at mock trial competitions during the past year or otherwise distinguished themselves in their dedication to trial advocacy training.
Clinical Assistant Professor & First Amendment Clinic Director Clare R. Norins was featured in the Georgia Recorder regarding public access to governmental meetings. The article titled "State agencies slow to reopen public meetings to in-person access; DNR reverts to pre-pandemic ways" was written by Chaya Tong and published 6/5/23. The story was republished on other media outlets including Georgia Public Broadcasting.
Alston Associate Chair in Corporate Law Lindsey Simon was featured in The Wall Street Journal regarding a recent U.S. Court of Appeals ruling in the Purdue Pharma case. The article titled "Purdue Appeals Court Ruling Curbs Lawsuits Against Corporate Leaders" was written by Alexander Gladstone and published 5/31/23.
Assistant Professor Adam D. Orford was featured in the Savannah Morning News regarding the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in Sackett v. EPA. The article titled "Conservationists: Supreme Court decision leaves Georgia wetlands unprotected, at risk" was written by Marisa Mecke and published 6/2/23. The article was reprinted in the Athens Banner-Herald and the Augusta Chronicle.
Brumby Distinguished Professor in First Amendment Law Sonja R. West presented via Zoom at The Press Clause: The Forgotten First Amendment conference hosted by the Yale Law School Information Society Project during May.
Callaway Chair Elizabeth Chamblee Burch was featured in a Bloomberg article regarding Johnson & Johnson talc baby powder litigation. The article titled "J&J's $8.9 Billion Talc Deal Faces Key Test in Oakland Trial" was written by Jef Feeley and published 5/31/23. The article was republished by other media outlets.
University Professor & Kilpatrick Chair of Corporate Finance and Securities Law Usha Rodrigues was featured in a Bloomberg article regarding special purpose acquisition companies. The article titled "Billionaire SPAC Kings Get Taken to Court After Boom Goes Bust" was written by Bailey Lipschultz and published 6/1/23. The article was reprinted by other media outlets.
Alston Associate Chair in Corporate Law Lindsey Simon was featured in The New York Times regarding a recent U.S. Court of Appeals ruling in the Purdue Pharma case. The article titled "An Appeals Court Gave the Sacklers Legal Immunity. Here's What the Ruling Means." was written by Jan Hoffman and published 5/31/23.
Alston Associate Chair in Corporate Law Lindsey Simon was featured on Bloomberg Law regarding a recent U.S. Court of Appeals ruling in the Purdue Pharma case. The article titled "Purdue Opinion Deepens Circuit Split Over Bankruptcy Releases" was written by James Nani and published 5/31/23.
Alston Associate Chair in Corporate Law Lindsey Simon was featured on National Public Radio's "Morning Edition" regarding a recent U.S. Court of Appeals ruling in the Purdue Pharma case. The article titled "A landmark appeals court ruling clears way for Purdue Pharma-Sackler bankruptcy deal" was written by Brian Mann and published 5/31/23.
Alston Associate Chair in Corporate Law Lindsey Simon was featured on National Public Radio's "Morning Edition" regarding a recent U.S. Court of Appeals ruling in the Purdue Pharma case. The segment titled "Appeals court clears the way to shield Sackler family from opioid crisis lawsuits" was hosted by Mary Louise Kelly and Brian Mann and aired 5/30/23.
Congratulations to the School of Law's American Constitution Society student group for receiving a programming award from the national organization. The award is presented to the "strongest chapters who have conducted at least 18 substantive and compelling events during the school year." Notably, in March, the law school's ACS chapter was named Student Chapter of the Week.
Clinical Assistant Professor & First Amendment Clinic Director Clare R. Norins was featured in the Georgia Recorder regarding book banning in Forsyth County schools. The article titled "Investigators say Forsyth book bans may have created 'hostile environment' for students" was written by Ross Williams and published 5/30/23. The article was reprinted in the Chattanooga Times Free Press.
On May 25, the Supreme Court issued its decision on Sackett v. EPA, No. 24-454 (2022). Assistant Professor Adam D. Orford, whose interdisciplinary research investigates legal and policy approaches to environmental protection, has shared his thoughts on the implications of this decision: “Today, the Supreme Court significantly curtailed the scope of the federal government's regulatory jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act, excluding millions of acres of previously regulated wetlands from federal oversight, and potentially reducing the number of surface water bodies under federal protection. This decision, which is consistent with recent Supreme Court precedent reading federal environmental laws very narrowly, shifts the decision about whether to protect newly non-federal wetlands and other waterbodies over to the states, many of which will favor real estate development over environmental protection. Lacking further federal legislation, the decision will significantly reduce U.S. EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regulatory oversight of land-disturbing activities.”
University Professor & Kilpatrick Chair of Corporate Finance and Securities Law Usha Rodrigues presented as part of "The Regulators Speak" panel at the Financial Regulators Under Siege conference hosted by the Loyola University Chicago School of Law's Center for Business Law during April.
University Professor, Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor & Caldwell Chair in Constitutional Law Dan T. Coenen published Principles of Constitutional Structure (West Academic Publishing, 2022) (with M. Coenen).
Clinical Associate Professor & Wilbanks Child Endangerment and Sexual Exploitation Clinic Director Emma M. Hetherington was featured in the Boston Globe. The article titled "Cardinal O'Malley, other church leaders failed to prevent abuse of three former Arlington Catholic students, lawsuit claims" was written by John Hillard and 5/23/23.
During April, Assistant Dean for Career Development Tony Waller became the president of NALP (the National Association for Law Placement), an international association of over 3,000 legal career professionals who advise law students, lawyers, law offices and law schools. Of note, he is the first person from the state of Georgia to serve in this leadership capacity in more than two decades.
Associate Dean for International Programs & Post Professor Melissa J. "MJ" Durkee published "Industry Groups in International Governance: A Framework for Reform" in 13 Journal of Human Rights and the Environment (2023).
University Professor, Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor & Caldwell Chair in Constitutional Law Dan T. Coenen published "Constitutional Text, Founding-Era History, and the Independent State-Legislature Theory" in 57 Georgia Law Review 539 (2023).