February 2020 First Monday
Dear Alumni and Friends,
One of my favorite parts of being a law professor is that each year brings something new and exciting, even as the foundations remain the same. In Property, I could discuss interesting new twists in legal principles that are centuries old. That same always-changing, ever-the-same quality applies to the College of Law as well. And this year, we are facing some significant changes, as we prepare for an election, watch impeachment proceedings with fascination, and wish good luck to some of our favorite faculty as they move on to new adventures. We are also offering a new course on Executive Power, welcoming our state’s leaders in a course on the Idaho Legislature, and hosting the Smithsonian’s traveling exhibit on the 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which will coincide with the Law Review’s Symposium on Election Law.
So one thing is certain, we have an incredible spring of discussion and deliberation ahead.
But we are also celebrating what’s great and consistent about the College of Law, and our enduring commitment to a collaborative and welcoming learning environment for everyone who walks through the doors at Menard and ILJLC. Our foundation as the state’s public, land grant law school remains solid, and we continue to provide a high-quality, affordable legal education to the people of our great state.
Spring Course/CLEs on Executive Power
Our Law & American Society course on Executive Power will be taught in person in Boise and via Zoom to Moscow or wherever you might be. The 1-credit, 8-session course features a series of distinguished guest speakers and is offered on several Mondays from 12:30 -2 pm (see schedule for exact dates).
Each session provides 1.5 CLE credits (credit approval pending) for each class. There is no cost to members of the bar to participate.
- 1/27/20 When Titans Clashed – Thomas Jefferson & Chief Justice Marshall, taught by Professor Hatzenbuehler
- 2/10/20 Scope of Executive Power – Can President Trump Do That?, taught by Professor Seamon (Via Zoom from Moscow)
To register: https://uilawpowercle.eventbrite.com - 3/9/20 Congress vs. Andrew Johnson – Reconstruction, Impeachment and the Second Founding, taught by Judge Winmill.
To register: https://uilawcongressvjohnson.eventbrite.com - 3/23/20 Secrecy and Executive Suppression of Public Discourse, taught by Ritchie Eppink.
To register: https://uilawsecrecy.eventbrite.com - 3/30/20 Lincoln & the Suspension of Habeas, taught by Dave Leroy.
To register: https://uilawlincoln.eventbrite.com - 4/6/20 Senator Frank Church, the Presidency and Congress: The Battle over the Power to Wage War, taught by Rod Gramer.
To register: https://uilawfrankchurch.eventbrite.com - 4/13/20 FDR & the Court Packing Plan, taught by Marc Johnson.
To register: https://uilawfdrcourts.eventbrite.com - 4/20/20 FDR & the Japanese Internment, taught by Judge Bush.
To register: https://uilawfdrinternment.eventbrite.com
Maureen Laflin to Retire
In November 2019, Professor Maureen Laflin won a seat on Moscow’s City Council, receiving more votes than any other candidate in recent history (and perhaps ever). In other words, she is beginning her next adventure with the same boundless energy and dedication that she demonstrated throughout her career at the College of Law. After almost three decades of her constant presence, the College will be much quieter next year. But Maureen’s enormous contributions to the College will be all the more obvious for that relative quiet.
For decades Maureen has been the driving force behind our incredibly successful clinical programs, ensuring that our students leave the College with the practical skills required to hit the ground running. She supervised students in a class action lawsuit filed against the owner of a mobile home park in Latah County, provided opportunities to pursue prisoner civil rights cases in the U.S. District Court, led students in representing the District of Idaho’s Pro Bono Program on matters involving prison conditions, medical indifference, religious freedoms and practices in state prisons, inmate safety, and the use of roadkill as food in county jails. Maureen has supervised law students working in the Appellate clinic who briefed and argued cases before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Idaho Appellate Courts. She has provided innumerable opportunities for students to grow into successful lawyers, and her positive effect on the Idaho Bar will endure for many decades more.
Though she gave us plenty of notice of her retirement and we have been preparing for this next step, it is clear she has made an incredible impact on the University of Idaho College of Law community that reaches far and wide. If you are a former student and you have a favorite memory or a message you would like to share, please send them to Michele Bartlett at bartlett@uidaho.edu. They will be compiled and shared with Maureen at her retirement gathering in the spring.
Family Justice Clinic Makes a Difference
The Family Justice Clinic in Boise has had an incredible first year partnering with the nonprofit FACES of Hope to bring legal services to survivors of domestic violence and other forms of abuse. It also provides law students with real-world, practical lawyering experience.
In 2019, the Family Justice Clinic provided free legal services for 262 people in Ada County. Over half of the cases helped a survivor escape a physically violent relationship and almost half protected a child from some form of abuse. Students participating in this clinical experience are prepared to take the case from intake to trial, analyzing the legal problems, preparing pleadings, and conducting research.
One case protected an 8-year old boy living in a dangerous environment with his mother and her boyfriend, suffering severe physical abuse and going without food for days at a time. After a short foster care placement, the child was placed with his biological father. Our students were able to protect the child from the abusive conditions of his mother’s custody, establish custody for the father, and ultimately change his first name. According to the child, “My dad’s name is Jack. I am Jack’s son. I want to be named Jackson.” Jackson is no longer at risk of abuse and is thriving, thanks to the dedication, problem-solving, and lawyering skills of our clinic students.
Jerrold A. Long
Dean
College of Law
Upcoming Events
Idaho Critical Legal Studies Symposium
March 6, 2020
Room 313, Idaho Law Justice & Learning Center
Idaho Law Review Symposium – Democracy Evolved: The Future of American Elections
April 3, 2020
Lincoln Auditorium, Idaho State Capital
Register Here
American Bar Association 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment – Traveling Exhibit
April 3 - 17
College of Law Library, Idaho Law Justice & Learning Center – Boise
Vandal Giving Day
April 7 - 8, 2020
Law Advisory Council Meeting
April 24, 2020
TBD – Boise
