September 2022 First Monday

Dear alumni and friends –

The 2022-23 academic year is officially underway! Last month, we welcomed the largest class in the College’s history. Our 152 1Ls come from 23 different states and five countries and more than 70 undergraduate institutions. This group truly represents Idaho’s increasingly diverse communities. We have students beginning with us who were childhood refugees, who have spent their summers working in and around our state’s ranches and farms, and who are coming to law school after serving on mission trips and in the military. We’re excited to welcome Idahoans at every stage of life; this year, 50 years of experience separate our youngest and oldest 1Ls.

As always, our orientation program for the 1Ls coincided with our 44th Annual Trial Advocacy Program for the 3Ls. The Trial Advocacy Program is a week-long, intensive program that brings together 3L students from both campuses in Moscow, to get hands-on practice with every stage of the trial process. The 3Ls complete their week by making their case to our 1L jurors, bringing the new students together with the most experienced before classes start and allowing them to be among the first to welcome the newest Vandals!   
 
We also celebrated the 20th year of our Professionalism Program which brings our 1Ls into conversation with distinguished members of the bench and bar for small group conversations about the types of ethical questions lawyers face in their daily practice.    
 
These two unique opportunities are only possible because of the dedication of our bench and bar to legal education in this state. As I often say, this commitment is part of what makes being a student – and a dean – at this law school so very special.

The excitement continued last week with the annual Sherman J. Bellwood Memorial Lecture. We are so grateful that Solicitor General Elizabeth Barchas Prelogar was able to spend two full days with our communities in Boise and Moscow. In addition to delivering her lecture “When Justice is Done: Representing the United States in the Supreme Court,” Solicitor General Prelogar also joined Professor Jessica Gunder for a conversation on appellate advocacy and Professor Geoff Heeren, Maria Andrade of Immigrant Justice Idaho, and Ritchie Eppink ‘06 of the ACLU of Idaho for a discussion on “Lawyering and Loss.” 

Yours,

Johanna Kalb
Dean and Professor of Law

Student Focus

Our 2Ls and 3Ls were busy this summer. Four students received support through our new partnership with the Justice John Paul Stevens Public Interest Fellowship program, aimed toward law students providing unpaid public interest work during the summer. Seven other students received funding through the College of Law or the Native American Law Program, specifically, to provide public interest services in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. I’m so proud of their dedication to the public sector and their willingness to give back during their summer breaks.

Stevens Fellows

• Aaron Agramon – Public Defender’s Office, Riverside, Calif.
• Colin Fenello – Idaho Justice Project
• Megan Harrigfeld – Idaho Legal Aid
• May Witt – Canyon County Public Defender’s Office

Other Public Interest Work

• Katie De La Cruz – Washington Attorney General’s Office
• Austin Durglo – Western District of Washington Federal Court
• Jessica Heitzinger – Chicago Access Living
• Auston Jimmicum – Indian Estate Planning Project
• Shawn Kelley – Idaho Council on Domestic Violence and Victim Assistance
• Kiersten Molcak – Nez Perce Tribe, Wills and Estate Legal Intern
• Erin Ramsey – Nez Perce Tribe’s Office of Legal Counsel

Upcoming Events

Boise

• December 1: Alumni Holiday Party

Moscow

• October 1: U of I Homecoming
• October 20-22: U of I Leadership Weekend
• October 21: Fall Law Advisory Council Meeting