Margaret Montoya, Professor Emerita of Law at the University of New Mexico School of Law, lectured Monday, January 22, at The University of Alabama School of Law.
During her lecture titled, “Latinx and the Law,” Montoya said law schools haven’t yet acknowledged that everyone deserves to be heard.
“We know that important learning takes place during verbal exchanges in the classroom. We also know that it can be difficult for students of color, particularly women students of color, to speak up with the same assuredness as white students. But when students of color remain silent or when they self-censor, when they don’t tell stories, or when they don’t raise issues that are pertinent to them, the full promise of the classroom is lost,” Montoya said. “Law Schools have spent a lot of money, and they are dedicated to creating diverse student bodies. But learning in these spaces only reaches its full promise when the pedagogy is developed to make sure that everyone speaks, that everyone is heard.”
Montoya is a 1978 graduate of Harvard Law School. She was the first Latina to be accepted to Harvard Law. Her article, Mascaras, Trenzas y Greñas: Un/Masking the Self While Un/Braiding Latina Stories and Legal Discourse, bridges autobiographical narratives with legal analysis and draws attention to opposing the cultural assimilation that often occurs when someone attains degrees in higher education.
In 2010, she was the lead scholar of a comprehensive report, “Diversity in the Legal Profession: Next Steps,” a study commissioned by the American Bar Association. The study analyzed data about how to advance diversity within the legal profession.
Montoya’s lecture was sponsored by the Office of Diversity & Inclusion.
The University of Alabama School of Law will host the 12th annual meeting of the Law and Entrepreneurship Associationat 8 a.m. Friday, February 9, 2018, in the Hayes Conference Room.
The association is a group of legal scholars interested in the topic of entrepreneurship. Scholars include those who write about corporate law and finance, securities, intellectual property, labor and employment law, tax, and other fields related to entrepreneurship and innovation policy.
The annual conference is an intimate gathering where each participant is expected to read and actively engage with all of the pieces under discussion.
Alabama Law’s Summer Exchange Program with the Australian National University (ANU) College of Law has entered its eighteenth year with the arrival of ten law students from the ANU. They arrived in Tuscaloosa on January 6 for a five-week visit at the Law School.
The ANU students are taking a class on Comparative Statutory Interpretation and a Survey of U.S. Law, according to Professor William Andreen, Director of the UA-ANU Exchange Program. The comparative class, which is also being offered to Alabama Law students, is being team-taught by Professor Andreen and Associate Professor Miriam Gani from the ANU.
During their stay in Tuscaloosa, the students will visit the Civil Rights Institute in Birmingham, the Alabama Supreme Court, the Tuscaloosa County Jail, the Rosa Parks Museum, and Bryant-Denny Stadium.
For five weeks this summer, a group of ten Alabama students will, in turn, travel to the ANU in Canberra where they will take a Survey of Australian Law as well as the Comparative Statutory Interpretation class. During their trip, the UA students will visit the Australian High Court, the local Supreme Court, the Commonwealth Parliament, and a local legal aid office – in addition, of course, to kangaroos, koalas, and emus at the nearby Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve.
The Class of 2017 contributed a cumulative total of 28,183 hours of volunteer service while attending Alabama Law. Each year the American Association of Law Schools asks member institutions to calculate the number of hours their students have spent in providing free legal help in their communities.
This number includes time spent working in the law school’s clinical programs, which serve the elderly, indigent criminal defendants, and victims of domestic violence, among others; externships and internships with nonprofit or governmental legal offices; and local pro bono projects such as the Free Legal Advice Clinic, Veterans Legal Assistance Clinic, Wills for Heroes, and Project Homeless Connect.
“Our students are eager for opportunities to help provide access to legal services to those in their community who are in need of assistance,” said Glory McLaughlin, Assistant Dean for Public Interest Law and Director of the Public Interest Institute. “I am continuously impressed with the capacity of law students to demonstrate creativity, compassion, and a real desire to make a difference.”
The University of Alabama School of Law and the ABA Journal are now accepting submissions for the 2018 Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction.
The Prize, authorized by Ms. Lee, is given annually to a book-length work of fiction that best illuminates the role of lawyers in society and their power to effect change. Past winners include “Gone Again” by James Grippando, “Pleasantville” by Attica Locke, and “The Secret of Magic” by Deborah Johnson.
All entries must be submitted by Friday, March 31. There is no entry fee. The winning title will be honored at a ceremony and panel discussion. The winning author will receive a signed special edition of “To Kill a Mockingbird.” For more information, visit HarperLeePrize.com.
M. Alyssa Barksdale (‘17) joined Price Heneveld in Grand Rapids, Michigan, as an Associate.
Lindsey C. Boney, IV (‘09) was named by Who’s Who Legal as among the world’s leading life sciences practitioners.
Scott Bowers (‘07) has been promoted to Partner by Womble Bond Dickinson LLP in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Matthew Cannova (‘10) has been elevated to Shareholder at Maynard Cooper & Gale in Birmingham.
Seth Cohen (‘14) joined Waller in Nashville as a Real Estate Attorney.
Brian L. Church (‘09) has been elected Shareholder at Robinson Bradshaw in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Christopher P. Couch (‘02) has been named a Member of McGlinchey Stafford in the firm’s Birmingham office.
Bruce Ely (‘80) received the 2017 State Tax Author of the Year Award from Bloomberg BNA. He was honored for his work in developing Bloomberg Tax’s Pass-Through Entity Navigator, which launched in July 2017.
Joel M. Everest (‘09) was named Principal at Bressler, Amery & Ross in Florham Park, New Jersey.
John R. Gibson (‘06) was named Partner at Duane Morris LLP in Philadelphia.
Tripp Haston (‘93) was named by Who’s Who Legal as among the world’s leading life sciences practitioners.
Paul Leonard (‘97) joined McGlinchey Stafford’s Birmingham office as Of Counsel.
Mark Libell (‘07) was named Legislative Director for U.S. Senator Doug Jones.
Scott Ludwig (‘83) was elected Chair of the Joint Editorial Board on Uniform Unincorporated Organization Acts.
Jennifer McEwen (‘09) has been elevated to Shareholder at Maynard Cooper & Gale in Birmingham.
Leah Morrison (‘17 LL.M.) joined English, Lucas, Priest & Owsley as an Associate.
A contribution of $35,000 was made to the Joseph L. Fine Endowed Scholarship.
Alan Bannister (’88) contributed $15,000 towards the creation of a Center for Law and Business.
Christian & Small LLP contributed $5,000 to the Christian & Small Annual Diversity Scholarship.
Michael D. (’90) and Lori A. Ermert donated $100,000 to create a student scholarship.
James Timothy Francis (’84) contributed $5,000 to the James Timothy Francis Endowed Scholarship.
Joseph G. Gamble (’50) donated $8,089 to the Farrah Law Alumni Society.
The Honorable and Mrs. Truman M. Hobbs, Jr. (’83) donated $5,000 to the Farrah Law Alumni Society through The Hobbs Foundation.
Professor Harry L. Hopkins contributed $5,000 to the Dean’s Discretionary Fund.
The Honorable Hardie B. Kimbrough (’68) contributed $5,000 to the Farrah Law Alumni Society.
Dean V. Nathaniel and Frances F. Hansford donated $5,000 to the Thomas L. Jones Endowed Scholarship and $1,265 to the Doreen S. Brogden Endowed Scholarship.
Stephen D. Kane (‘69) contributed $25,013 to the Stephen Douglas Kane Endowed Scholarship in honor of former Dean Kenneth C. Randall.
Dr. M. Cecil Mackey (‘58) contributed $25,000 to the M. Cecil Mackey Endowed Scholarship.
Kenneth G. Massey (‘83) contributed $5,000 for Farrah Law Alumni Society.
Maynard Cooper & Gale contributed $14,450 on behalf of its UA Law graduates to the Farrah Law Alumni Society.
Sue A. Newton pledged $300,000 and made an initial contribution of $125,000 to the Law School Foundation in memory of her husband Alex W. Newton (’57).
Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Powell (’75) contributed $20,000 to The Jerry Powell Technology Fund through The Jerry W. and Carolyn Powell Family Fund.
James H. Richardson (‘78) and Nancy Richardson contributed $5,720 to the Patrick W. Richardson Memorial Endowed Scholarship.
The Henry G. and Henry U. Sims Foundation donated $8,100 to the Public Interest Law Fellowship to provide summer grants for students working in Public Interest positions.
The University of Alabama Chapter of the Order of the Coif donated $12,000 to the Order of the Coif Endowed Scholarship.
PROFESSOR RICHARD DELGADO was notified by the administrators of the Social Science Research Network (SSRN) that he was among the top 10 percent of authors in all-time downloads, and also for the last 12 months.
Professor Delgado lectured in Atlanta on the legal and social construction of race. The event featured five scholars from across the country answering questions from Emory political scientist Andra Gillespie and took place in a small auditorium in the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library.
Professor Delgado gave a second talk at Seattle University School of Law on judicial review in an age of multi-group oppression.
He was interviewed by a public radio station on his new book, Must We Defend Nazis: Why the First Amendment Should Not Protect Hate Speech and White Supremacy (NYU Press 2018), and by NBC on the same subject. See https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/first-amendment-too-broad-case-regulating-hate-speech-america-ncna832246.
NPR also discussed his and Professor Jean Stefancic‘s work on the same subject.See https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2017/05/03/483264173/hate-speech-and-the-misnomer-of-the-marketplace-of-ideas.
PROFESSOR SHAHAR DILLBARY presented his new scholarship in Torts at Notre Dame School of Law at a combined forum of the Law and Economics and the Law and Market Behavior workshops in November. He has recently been invited to present his experimental work at the 5th International Meeting in Law & Economics, which is organized by EconomiX, the Paris Center for Law & Economics, the Laboratoire d’Economie Dionysien, ERUDITE, the Center for Economics of Paris Nord and Institut d’Etudes Avancées de Paris. Professor Dillbary will be presenting a second article at the University of Alabama Business School Faculty Workshop in February.
PROFESSOR SUSAN HAMILL was interviewed by NPR and CNN, and she commented on the Alabama special senate election.
PROFESSOR EMERITUS GENE MARSH taught sports law in fall 2017 and is teaching contracts during the spring semester.
PROFESSOR MICHAEL PARDO’s most recent article, “Safety vs. Sensitivity: Possible Worlds and the Law of Evidence,” was accepted for publication in Legal Theory. A draft of the article is available on SSRN at the following link: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3100246. Professor Pardo was recently invited to speak on a panel at a meeting of the American Philosophical Association and at a roundtable on the “Economics of Legal Error” hosted by the Supreme Court Economic Review. His article, “Some Remarks on the Importance of Evidence Outside of Trials,” was recently published in a symposium issue of The Review of Litigation. Professor Pardo’s other forthcoming publications include: “Epistemology, Psychology, and Standards of Proof” and “Explanations and the Preponderance Standard” (with Ronald J. Allen), both forthcoming in a symposium issue of the Seton Hall Law Review, and a book chapter, “Lying, Deception, and fMRI: A Critical Update,” forthcoming in Neurolaw and Responsibility for Action (Cambridge University Press).
PROFESSOR PAM PIERSON retired from full-time teaching in June 2017 and currently serves at the law school as part-time faculty. Her book, Thriving in the Legal Profession: Three Pillars of Success, co-authored with the Honorable Philip Reich (retired) (JD, UA 1973) and Ken Minturn (JD and MBA, UA, 2014), was published by West Academic in January 2018. West Academic also published the thirteen-part video series that accompanies this book, as well as the Teacher’s Manual. Beginning in January 2018, the Alabama State Bar is making this video series available to its members. Proceeds from the video series go to Alabama Law student scholarships. Professor Pierson’s article, “Stress Hardiness and Lawyers,” co-authored with Ashley Hamilton (UA, JD 2015), Michael Pepper (UA, JD 2015) and Megan Root (UA, JD 2015), will be published in the February issue of the Journal of the Legal Profession. Professor Pierson’s article, “Trade Fraud: The Wild, New Frontier of White Collar Crime,” co-authored with Ben Bucy (JD and MBA, UA, 2016), will be published in February by the Oregon Review of International Law. Professor Pierson continues to be active in the Alabama State Bar, serving on three committees or task forces. In January, Professor Pierson attended the annual dinner for Fellows of the Alabama Law Foundation. Fellows are selected for demonstrated outstanding dedication to their profession and their community. In the spring, Professor Pierson is teaching White Collar Crime and Corporate Compliance: The Mob, Fraud and Football. Speakers include J.B. Perrine, Senior Counsel, Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. (JD, UA 1992) and Brandon Essig, Partner, Lightfoot, Franklin & White, LLC (JD, UA 2002).
PROFESSOR JEAN STEFANCIC along with Professor Richard Delgado spoke at Seattle University law school about multi-group oppression. She is currently in the top 10 percent of authors on SSRN by new downloads within the last 12 months. Articles about hate speech received the most attention. A recent NPR podcast discussed Stefancic and Delgado’s path-breaking article in Cornell Law Review twenty five years ago that identified an empathic fallacy as a barrier to recognizing deleterious stereotypes.
PROFESSOR ADAM STEINMAN’s article, “Case Law,” was published in the Boston University Law Review (97 B.U. L. Rev. 1947). See https://ssrn.com/abstract=3097155. The article was recently featured on the Legal Theory Blog: http://lsolum.typepad.com/legaltheory/2018/01/steinman-on-case-law.html
Professor Steinman presented “Personal Jurisdiction in the 21st Century” at the Mid-Winter Meeting of the Alabama Association for Justice.
PROFESSOR FRED VARS testified before the Alabama Firearms Commission regarding his proposal to reduce suicide: https://youtu.be/sBsH_N4zSxk
The views, opinions, and conclusions expressed by faculty in their publications or research activities are those of the author and not necessarily those of The University of Alabama or its officers and trustees. The content of faculty publications has not been approved by the University of Alabama, and the author is solely responsible for that content.
