November, 2017 - First Monday

Dear Alumni and Friends,

From the relationships with the practicing bar and judiciary to business and community leaders, our alumni have a positive and lasting impact in our communities and in the College. The Law Advisory Council (“LAC”), established under the bylaws of the College of Law, is a group of distinguished alumni and friends who advise on the College’s programs, advocate on behalf of the College, and assist the College in endeavors such as career development, admissions, fundraising, and communicating with the College’s external constituencies.

At the end of October, the Law Advisory Council met in Moscow, attending a joint meeting with the Advisory Councils of the other U of I Colleges. The Council spent the bulk of their time at a business meeting discussing college recruitment, strategic planning, and advancement issues. During our time together, I was struck by the wealth of experience and the depth of knowledge held by the members of the Council, and even more so, by their dedication and commitment to the College. I am grateful to the Law Advisory Council for their continued support of the University and their generous volunteer service. I walked away from the fall meeting inspired by our discussion and motivated by the collaborative decisions made by the Council to advance the College. The members of the LAC also enjoyed the opportunity to chat with faculty, staff, and students at a reception held in the Menard building, sharing stories of law school and enhancing our efforts to build and strengthen the community. It is a pleasure to work with such supportive and dedicated professionals, and I look forward to our spring LAC meeting in Boise.

Vandal Sweethearts Give Back

We are grateful for the thoughtful estate gift from Jim ‘70 ’73 and Kathy Whistler ‘73 to us. Kathy and Jim met as freshmen at the University of Idaho during a “freshmen exchange” event. Now, after 48 years of marriage, the Whistlers are leaving a permanent mark on the institution that helped shape their lives by including U of I in their estate plan. The Whistlers’ gift, split between the Excellence Funds of the College of Law and the College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences, will be used where the funds are needed most. Read the full story here.

Law Competitions

This fall, both McNichols Moot Court and the Negotiation and Mediation Competition took place. The college’s moot court and mock trial competitions are run by the Board of Student Advocates(BSA), a student organization. The negotiation and mediation competitions are run by Law Students for Appropriate Dispute Resolution.

This year, the two finalists in the annual McNichols Moot Court Competition, Sarah Johnson and Jonathan Shirts, competed in the final argument at the Idaho State Supreme Court. Justice Robyn Brody of the Idaho Supreme Court, Judge Nancy Baskin of the Fourth Judicial District of Idaho, Judge Johnnie Rawlinson of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Judge Robert Whaley of the Eastern District of Washington, and Mike McNichols, retired practitioner from Lewiston, served on the final judging panel.

Winners:

Best Oral Advocate - Sarah Johnson
Runner-up Oral Advocate - Jonathan Shirts
Best Brief - Clay Leland
Runner-up Best Brief - Jason Moore
Best Overall Advocate - Jason Moore
Runner-up Best Advocate - Clay Leland
Law Students for Appropriate Dispute Resolution mediation competition took place in both Moscow and Boise this year. We would like to thank all those who volunteered to judge the competition.

Winners:

First Place - Samuel Parry & David Cook
Second Place -Jessica Thorpe & Jennifer Tengono,
Third Place -Andrew Johnson & Alyson Acheson
Our students also participate in numerous other legal competitions throughout the year. Most recently, Joanna Garza and Nannette Serano made it to the quarterfinals of National Latino(a) Law Student Association Moot Court Competition in Atlanta.

AccessLex Partnership

The College of Law has entered into a partnership with AccessLex to better equip our students to deal financially with law school. This program combines in-person workshops, online and virtual programming, and one-on-one counseling to leverage the strengths of law students, address their weaknesses and fit with their demanding schedules. It is just one more tool in our Academic Success and Career Development office’s toolbox to better prepare our students.

Student Bonding

The Environmental Law society took a rafting trip to Riggins at the end of September. Students and faculty took to the Salmon River for a great day of rafting and relationship building. In October, our 1L class from both locations spent time in McCall getting to know one another. The three days were full of playing board games, building snowmen and enjoying the outdoors. By all accounts, it was a fun event that let our 1L class from both locations mingle. We hope this is a start to a great tradition that builds a bond between the two locations.

Have a great November,

Mark Adams
Dean
College of Law

Upcoming Events

Idaho Patent and Trademark Research Center Opening
8:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. MST
Nov. 15, 2017
Legacy Pointe Room
University of Idaho Water Center, Boise, ID

2017 College of Law Alumni Holiday Reception
5:30 to 7 p.m. MST
Nov. 30, 2017
The Cottonwood Grille
913 W River St. Boise, ID 83702