December 2019 First Monday
Dear Alumni and Friends,
December has arrived, and with it snow in the mountains, our last week of classes, and the excitement associated with finals and the holidays. The past month has been full of activity in both Boise and Moscow and whether you are alumni or supporters, we’re thankful for your engagement.
The Idaho State Bar Road Show brought commissioners to visit and share their perspectives on the state of the Idaho legal profession, while the McNichols Moot Court competition demonstrated that our students are developing a solid foundation of critical and competitive legal skills. The Idaho State Bar and Leaders in Law awards showed all of us that College of Law alumni are providing high quality work that’s being noticed by their peers.
When you’re considering your year-end charitable contributions, I hope you’ll remember your experiences at the College of Law—even the challenging times—with fondness. The support of our alumni and friends is critical to our continued success, and the successes of our current and future students. I also hope you’ll join me and your fellow alums for the holiday party on Wednesday, December 4 at Beside Bardenay in Boise to pause and celebrate all of the great work happening at the law school this year.
University of Idaho College of Law Alumni Holiday Reception
Wednesday, December 4, 2019
5:00 to 7:00 pm
Beside Bardenay
612 W. Grove St., Boise, ID
Hors d’oeuvres and refreshments will be provided—please RSVP via the link provided above.
Idaho State Bar Denise O’Donnell Day Pro Bono Award
Earlier this semester, our good friend Sunil Ramalingam, ’97, left his role as the College’s Director of Externships & Pro Bono Programs to become Nez Perce County’s newest magistrate judge. In a fitting final recognition for Judge Ramalingam’s great work at the College, the Idaho State Bar awarded him the 2019 Denise O’Donnell Day Pro Bono Award for the Second District. This award recognizes those who have donated extraordinary time and effort to help clients unable to pay for legal services. This dedication to public service—in which Judge Ramalingam excelled—is, of course, an integral part of the College’s mission to serve the state, our Pro Bono program, and the purpose of our legal aid clinics. Congratulations Judge Ramalingam! It was an honor to travel to the 2nd District Roadshow, where our Director of Clinical Programs, and the best attorney in my own house, Professor Jessica Long, presented Judge Ramalingam with his award. We are very proud of his recent appointment and are honored to count him always as a member of the College of Law family.
McNichols Moot Court Competition
The College of Law’s Raymond C. McNichols Moot Court competition—now in its 31st year— attracts the best legal writers and oralists in the College of Law, who test their legal skills against, and with the help of, some of Idaho’s greatest legal minds. This year’s problem required students to analyze a circuit split about the Alien Tort Statute, which gives district courts “original jurisdiction of any civil action by an alien for a tort only, committed in violation of the law of nations.” The courts do not agree on when that jurisdiction extends to conduct that occurred outside of United States territory. Our two finalists were Anders Pedersen (2L in Boise, Runner Up, Oral Advocate) and Kierra Mai (3L in Moscow, Best Oral Advocate, Best Brief), with Kierra being declared the victor in the final round. Also recognized were Krista Huff (Runner-Up Overall Advocate) and Sean Rich (Runner-Up Best Brief).
We’re thankful to our incredible panel of judges for volunteering their time:
- The Honorable N. Randy Smith (Senior United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit)
- The Honorable John R. Stegner (Justice of the Idaho Supreme Court)
- John McNichols (Williams & Connolly, LLP)
- The Honorable Jessica Lorello (Idaho Court of Appeals)
- The Honorable Chief Judge David W. Gratton (Chief Judge of the Idaho Court of Appeals)
Congratulations to the competitors for their excellent work, and to our esteemed panel of judges!
Leaders in Law Award
Each year, the College of Law is the title sponsor of the Idaho Business Review’s Leaders in Law Award and banquet. This award recognizes individuals whose leadership in both the legal profession and in the community have had a positive impact on Idaho. The award recipients demonstrate leadership through their experience, dedication, hard work, skill, tenacity, excellence, and compassion. It is one of the highlights of my year to host this event and recognize each year’s awardees in person, many of whom are also proud Vandals. We are honored to highlight the University of Idaho College of Law 2019 award recipients:
- Shelli Stewart, ’06
- Sandra L. Clapp, ’91
- Jill Twedt, ’03
- Regan Charlton, ’13
- Tara Malek, ’11
- Christine Salmi, ’97
- Anthony Shallat, ’14
We are proud of all College of Law alumni awardees and wish you continued excellence both professionally and in the community!
Please Keep the College of Law in Mind This Giving Season
Your support of the College of Law makes a difference to our hard-working students, particularly given the recent dramatic increases in the cost of legal education. When you receive your annual giving letter, I hope you’ll consider returning the envelope in support of scholarships. You can also go online to the College of Law website to make your gift. If you would like information about making a multi-year pledge or planned gift, please contact Michele Bartlett at bartlett@uidaho.edu or 208-364-4044.
We are also participating in Giving Tuesday, tomorrow, December 3rd to support the U of I Family Justice Clinic in Boise, a partnership between the College of Law and the FACES of Hope Victim Center, to facilitate a coordinated community response to interpersonal violence. This clinic gives law students the opportunity to develop their legal skills while helping others, during their most difficult times, who otherwise would not have access to legal services.