December 7, 2015 - First Monday
John A. Church ’63 ’66
John A. Church ’63 ’66 passed away November 11, 2015, in Lewiston, Idaho. As a practicing attorney, John was committed to pro bono service and took many cases during his career. After he retired, he continued his commitment to pro bono by making a very generous gift to the College of Law in support of what was then the newly established pro bono program. The program required all graduating students to complete 40 hours (now 50) of pro bono work prior to graduation. John was very proud of his part in creating this program. He was featured in the 2011 issue of the Idaho Law magazine in a story titled, “John A. Church, Pro Bono Cowboy.” A quote from John that appeared in the magazine story sums up his philosophy of life and the practice of law.
“I am a cowboy,” he said with a grin. “And I always championed the underdog. Our Constitution says we’re all created equal and we all have the same rights. But in practice that just isn’t true. You’ve got the Donald Trumps of the world and the people on skid row. The people on skid row should have the same rights as Trump does. And I believe you have to step in to help these people whether you get paid or not. If they had a really good case, I took it; and I don’t regret one pro bono case I’ve ever done. My pro bono clients were wonderful people.”
On a final note, as you consider making year-end charitable donations, I hope that you will keep the College of Law in mind. Information about giving to the College of Law can be found on our website or by contacting Terri Muse at tmuse@uidaho.edu or 208-364-4044.
On behalf of our faculty, staff and students, we wish you all Happy Holidays.
Mark L. Adams
Dean
Upcoming Events
Fall Commencement
Dec. 12, 2015
Moscow, Idaho
Dec. 19, 2015
Boise, Idaho
Keynote Speaker: Justice Linda Copple Trout ’73, ‘77
Spring Classes Begin
Jan. 11, 2016
Denton Darrington Annual Lecture on Law and Government
February 8, 2016
Idaho Law and Justice Learning Center – Boise
5 p.m.
Keynote Speaker: Hon. Rebecca Love Kourlis, former Justice for the Colorado Supreme Court and current Executive Director of the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System
I hope you enjoyed a fun and relaxing Thanksgiving Day holiday. Here are November updates from the College of Law.
College of Law Alumna Helps Secure Settlement for Farm Workers
Lola Velazquez ’13 of the Northwest Justice Project participated on a legal team that represented ten farmworkers in central Washington. The workers had been poisoned when pesticides from an orchard drifted on them while they were working nearby. The workers became ill after they were exposed to the pesticides, and some had to be taken by ambulance to a local emergency room. Ms. Velazquez, her colleagues at the Northwest Justice Project, and attorneys from the Columbia Legal Services secured a $180,000 settlement against Dovex Fruit Company on behalf of the workers.
According to the press release issued after the settlement, Washington State law does not require that neighboring orchards notify anyone before they spray pesticides, and that pesticide-drift incidents are on the rise.
We are very proud of Ms. Velazquez and her advocacy on behalf of worker-safety in the agricultural industry.
Love the Law! Event Hosted by the College of Law
On November 4, the College of Law hosted an event for the Idaho State Section’s Love the Law! project. Love the Law! is a pipeline program for high school and college students from underrepresented populations interested in attending law school. The project exposes these students to career opportunities in the law and provides social support and professional role models.
More than 70 Treasure Valley area students attended the event held at the Idaho Law and Justice Learning Center. Professor Wendy Couture led the students in a mock law school class in which they examined the first amendment right of free speech, and Professor Shaakirrah Sanders engaged students in a discussion on marijuana legalization. Special thanks to Associate Law Librarian Michael Greenlee for coordinating the event and serving as a member of the Love the Law! planning committee.
2015 Judge Raymond McNichols Appellate Moot Court Competition Held in Boise
The final round of the annual Judge Raymond McNichols Moot Court Competition was held at the Idaho Supreme Court on Saturday, November 14. Congratulations to Best Oralist Sarah Hugues and other winners: Runner Up Oralist Justin Bowles; Best Brief Reid Peterson; Runner Up Brief Paul Alexander; and Best Overall Anne Henderson.
Thank you to volunteer judges: attorney Roger Kraft ’03; Judge Mary Schroeder from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals; Judge John Melanson of the Idaho Court of Appeals; Attorney Mike McNichols ’64; and Professor Shaakirrah Sanders.
The Competition is funded by an endowment named in honor of the late Judge McNichols who was one of Idaho’s most highly respected jurists as well as one of the College of Law’s most distinguished alumni. Thank you to all of the donors who support this endowment and provide our students with the opportunity for this important skills training. For more information about how to support this and other College of Law endowed funds, please contact Terri Muse, Assistant Dean for External Relations at tmuse@uidaho.edu or 208-364-4044.
