October 2021 First Monday
Dear Alumni and Friends,
As the weather cools and the leaves change, I am struck once again by the incredible beauty of my new home state. The semester is flying by, and I am coming to appreciate these monthly messages as an opportunity to pause and reflect on everything that this community is accomplishing.
We continue to enjoy the wonderful benefits of being together as a community in both Moscow and Boise. I’m grateful that with the University’s precautions, our campus COVID numbers have remained low. Last month, our student organizations were able to hold some fantastic events. Among them were the Federalist Society’s conversation on judicial nominations with Senator Mike Lee of Utah, Judge Ryan Nelson of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and Michael McGinley of Dechert and the Women’s Law Caucus’s important discussion on navigating life as a female attorney. I’m grateful to those of you who participated in these events – our students really love hearing from you.
Our faculty have also been very busy. Professor Dylan Hedden-Nicely has launched a speaker series titled Indigenizing the Curriculum to help law professors from around the country incorporate Native American law cases into their basic law school courses. I’ve received lovely emails from other law school deans thanking us for providing this important resource. Our visiting professor Shasta Kilminster-Hadley has been in the news explaining the implication of crisis standards of care. We’re lucky to have her teaching Health Law to our students during this challenging time for our healthcare system. And we celebrated Constitution Day with a CLE panel on Democracy in the Age of Social Media – Civil Discourse, Ethics, and the First Amendment featuring our own Professor Benji Cover.
We were so pleased to welcome many graduates to the profession last month following their successful passage of the July exam. We know how challenging this past year was for law students from around the country, and the national bar results reflect that. I’m so glad that we have Professor Chris Newman, who joined us this fall from the University of Denver College of Law, as the new director of our bar preparation program. He is hard at work crunching our data to help us design new interventions to support every graduate in passing the bar exam.
As for me, I’m continuing to enjoy my regular trips to Moscow on the direct flight on Alaska Airlines that was arranged in partnership with the University of Idaho. I’ll be there next week for Vandal Fest to celebrate the opening of the new arena and the launch of our new campaign. If you’re planning to be in Moscow, please reach out to me.
I have also been spending as much time as possible getting to know our faculty, staff, and students on both campuses. Their accomplishments, both professionally and personally, provide me with the inspiration I need to get through the sometimes long days of deaning. We are working on a system for sharing these successes and hope to have it up and running soon so we may start featuring them more in these newsletters. This is an incredibly impressive community, and one of my goals is to do a better of job of celebrating you at every opportunity. Please follow us on social media at Facebook.com/uidaholaw or on Twitter and Instagram at @uidaholaw as well to keep up with us more regularly.
Finally, the Bellwood Lectures are just three short weeks away, in Boise and Moscow. This annual event began nearly 25 years ago and for the first time will feature a University of Idaho alum, David Nevin, ’78. Mr. Nevin has had an incredibly distinguished career as criminal defense attorney and will speak to us on Vindicating the Rule of Law: from Ruby Ridge to Guantánamo Bay. Mr. Nevin will speak in Boise, Wednesday, Oct. 27 at 5 p.m. at JUMP Boise, and in Moscow, Thursday, Oct. 28 at 3:30 p.m. in the Pitman Center. More information is available at uidaho.edu/Bellwood. I’ve already had the privilege of meeting Mr. Nevin, and I can assure you that this is going to be a fascinating talk. I hope many of you will be able to join me.
Student Highlight
We are so proud of third year law student Kassadie Dunham, who has been selected by the South Dakota Law Review to participate in a symposium, Oct. 25, to discuss her article Civil RICO Suits Against Harm-Causing Marijuana Operations: Momtazi Vineyards v. Wager as a Case Study. This is an incredible accomplishment for Dunham, who will be the only current law school student presenting at the symposium. Make sure to follow the U of I College of Law on its social media channels for more information on how to watch the symposium, as it becomes available.
Bill Moore Scholarship Gift
We are tremendously grateful to Bill Moore, ’60, who recently established the William B. Moore Family University of Idaho College of Law Student Scholarship and endowment. The scholarship will provide full tuition and fees for a student who earned their undergraduate degree at the University of Idaho, and was a member of the Phi Gamma Delta, Pi Beta Phi, or Delta Gamma Greek living organization or is an enrolled member of an Idaho Indian Tribe. The endowment was created to support students and honor the affiliation of William B. “Bill” Moore and his wife, the late Marilyn Opheim Moore, and their family, with the University. If you would like to learn more about giving to the College of Law, contact Michele Bartlett at 208-364-4044 or bartlett@uidaho.edu.
Faculty Focus
“If you have the space, and a place in your heart, you should do it.”
Professor Samuel Newton has a lot of room in his heart, and at one point had the extra space in his home. Now, with his family nearing 20 people, including biological children, foster children, adopted children, and partners, the Newton household, and their hearts, are filling up.
“It was not something I ever thought about. I said I wanted to have three kids, but it’s just not how life happened.”
Professor Newton and his wife, Honey, have made and continue to make a tremendous impact on their community, and were recently named the Montana Co-Foster Parents of the Year.
They weren’t always family, but they sure are now. Read more about Professor Newton and his ever-evolving family.
Upcoming Events
Law Advisory Council Fall Meeting
October 8, 2021
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Via Zoom
National Coming Out Day Celebration
October 8, 2021
National Speaker – Carl Charles
LGBTQA+ Rights – Current Legal Issues
Vandal Fest
October 8, 2021
5:00 p.m. ICCU Arena Ribbon Cutting and Brave. Bold. A promise to Idaho’s students
6:30 p.m. Vandal Rally/Serpentine/Bonfire
October 9, 2021
10:00 a.m. Homecoming Parade, downtown Moscow
10:00 – 1:00 p.m. ICCU Arena Tours
2:00 p.m. Homecoming Football Game
More information on Vandal Fest
Bellwood Lectures
Vindicating the Rule of Law: from Ruby Ridge to Guantánamo Bay
David Nevin
Boise:
October 27, 2021
5:00 p.m. – JUMP, Pioneer Room
Moscow:
October 28, 2021
3:30 p.m. – Pitman Center, International Ballroom
