Faculty News Feed

Oakes Classroom Named for Stephanie Willbanks

Vermont Law School — 24 Aug 2010 04:00:00 EST

VLS has renamed Oakes Hall Room 012 as the "Stephanie Willbanks Classroom" in honor of Professor Willbanks for her years of service and contributions as a vice dean and faculty member. Willbanks, who is an expert in federal transfer taxation as well as wills and trusts, joined the VLS faculty in 1981. In 1986, she became the first female faculty member to receive tenure at Vermont Law School. She served as associate dean for Academic Affairs from 1989 to 1994 and from 1997 to 2002, and as vice dean for Academic Affairs from 2005 to 2009.

Goodenough Discusses Digital Entrepreneurship

Vermont Law School — 06 Aug 2010 04:00:00 EST

In a podcast for the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School, VLS Professor Oliver Goodenough dscussed digital entrepreneurs, the evolution of business law, setting your shingle out in the 21st century and a new initiative he's been working on with the state of Vermont to let new businesses function online. Listen to the podcast.

Hanna Urges Lawyers to Reflect

Vermont Law School — 16 Jul 2010 04:00:00 EST

Professor Cheryl Hanna recently gave the keynote address at the Vermont Justice Association's 2010 annual meeting. In a speech titled "Doing Ourselves Justice: (Re) Committing to a Life of the Law," she urged lawyers to be "reflective practitioners": To tell the story of why they became lawyers, to remain committed to their values, to learn gratitude, and to take heed of two of her legal heroes - the civil rights pioneer Charles Hamilton Houston and Erin Woolley '10, who received her JD degree posthumously in May. Hamilton and Woolley lived, and died, "fighting for justice, and grateful to be travelling the path of the law."

"Lawyers are the guardians of democracy," Hanna told her audience. "One-third of our constitutional democracy is solely entrusted to our care. We stop human suffering at the hands of injustice. That is hard work, and often thankless work, but is the work we are compelled by our own stories to do. There are few professions in the world that are nobler, or more necessary to the promotion of human dignity, than this one."

Hanna cited Houston's famous quote - "I would rather die on my feet than live on my knees." Then she concluded: "So I encourage you to tell your stories, to know who you are, and to bear to witness to human suffering at the hands of injustice that we, as lawyers, are compelled to end. And most importantly, I implore you, proudly stand up, so that when you die, because you inevitably will die, that you will gratefully and graciously be standing on your feet."

Hanna's paper has been accepted for publication in the Vermont Law Review.

Land Use Institute Hosts APA Webinar

Vermont Law School — 12 Jul 2010 04:00:00 EST

The Land Use Institute recently was host coordinator to a national American Planning Association (APA) webinar -- the 2010 Planning Law Review. Dwight Merriam, summer adjunct faculty, was one of the panelists. He referenced a paper by VLS student Dana Christiansen during the webinar and included it in the web resources provided by APA to all participants. Christiansen completed the paper in his summer class this past June on urban agriculture in Detroit.

McCann Discusses NCAA Lawsuit with The New York Times

Vermont Law School — 21 May 2010 04:00:00 EST

Professor Michael McCann talked to The New York Times for a Feb. 8 story on a class-action anti-trust lawsuit against the NCAA. To read the story, click here.

Echeverria Speaks to AP about Northwest Water Dispute

Vermont Law School — 21 May 2010 04:00:00 EST

In an Associated Press story on March 11 that ran in The Oregonian and other news outlets across the West, Professor John Echeverria commented on an Oregon Supreme Court ruling on the Klamath Basin water dispute. To read the story, click here.

Dennis Heads Pro Bono Project for Katrina Victims

Vermont Law School — 21 May 2010 04:00:00 EST

Associate Professor Johanna Dennis organized a a group of 20 VLS students who spent two weeks in New Orleans in May on a pro bono legal assistance and research project to benefit victims of Hurricane Katrina. The students helped needy residents with a range of legal issues, including real estate, health care, estate, education and gentrification. Read the full release.

U.S.-China Partnership Chief Joins EPA

Vermont Law School — 21 May 2010 04:00:00 EST

President Obama has appointed Professor Tseming Yang, director of Vermont Law School's U.S.-China Partnership for Environmental Law, to serve as deputy general counsel for international affairs of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. He will be on a leave of absence from VLS during his time at the EPA. His successor as director of the U.S.-China Partnership is Assistant Professor Siu Tip Lam, who was promoted from deputy director. Read the full press release.

Johnson Takes Lead Role in Marriage Equality Conference

Vermont Law School — 06 Apr 2010 04:00:00 EST

Professor Greg Johnson, an expert in sexual orientation and the law, will chair a panel discussion at "The Law and Politics of Marriage Equality: Vermont, The Nation and the World" conference on April 15 and 16 at VLS and the University of Vermont. The conference will mark the 10th and first anniversaries, respectively, of civil unions and legal marriage for same-sex couples in Vermont.

Willbanks Elected to American Law Institute

Vermont Law School — 05 Apr 2010 04:00:00 EST

Professor Stephanie Willbanks was recently elected to the American Law Institute. She was one of 54 newly elected members of ALI, raising its total membership to 4,274. ALI, which is made up of lawyers, judges and law professors, produces scholarly work to clarify and modernize the law.

Czarnezki Named Earthcast 2010 Keynote Speaker

Vermont Law School — 05 Apr 2010 04:00:00 EST

Professor Jason Czarnezki has been selected as the keynote speaker for Earthcast 2010, a live, 24-hour webcast starting at 8 p.m., EST, April 21 or 0:00 GMT on April 22 to celebrate Earth Day. The event is hosted by Earthbridges.net. For more information, go to: http://earthbridges.net/

ABA Journal Cites Professor Czarnezki's Blog

Vermont Law School — 12 Mar 2010 05:00:00 EST

Empirical Legal Studies, a blog co-founded by Professor Jason Czarnezki, again made the annual ABA Journal Blawg 100 list, the best legal blogs as selected by the Journal's editors. The ELS blog is a collaborative project founded by Czarnezki, professors Michael Heise and Theodore Eisenberg of Cornell Law School, and William Ford of the John Marshall Law School.

Vermont Law School Faculty Leadership in The Association of American Law Schools

Vermont Law School — 05 Feb 2010 21:08:46 EST

Vermont Law School faculty members continue to provide leadership within The Association of American Law Schools.

Jason Czarnezki is the new Treasurer of the Section on Natural Resources Law.

Tim Duane has joined the Executive Committee of the Section on Environmental Law.

Stephen Dycus was elected this year to be Secretary of the Section on National Security Law. He also served as chair of this section 2003-05.

Stephanie Farrior was elected this year to the Executive Committee of the Section on International Law, this time as Treasurer. She was also identified as one of the "Two Future Key Leaders" of the Section on International Law to be invited to the AALS Meeting of Section Officers.

Jackie Gardina was appointed, by the AALS President, to the Government Relations Committee. Professor Gardina is also on the Executive Committee of the Section on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Issues. She chaired the Mid-Year Professional Development Committee for that Section. The Committee's proposal "Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and the Evolving American Family" was chosen by the AALS Executive Committee to be the AALS plenary session on the first day of the January 2011 Annual Meeting.

Oliver Goodenough is on the Executive Committee for the new Section on Biolaw. He was a presenter this year for that section.

Cheryl Hanna has presented at AALS New Law Teacher's Conference for six of the last nine years.

Michael McCann is a member of the Executive Committee of the Section on Law and Sports. He also served as chair of this section in 2008.

Philip Meyer has given eight presentations at the AALS Annual Meeting during the past 14 years, including a mini-workshop on Narrative and the Law (with Jim Elkins) and presentations for various sections: Law and Humanities (two times), Clinical and Legal Writing sections combined (one time), and the Legal Writing section (four times). Professor Meyer has also organized and edited papers from four of the panels that were published as law review symposia. He is Past Chair of the AALS Section on Law and Humanities and continues to serve as a member of the Executive Committee of this section.

Linda Smiddy has been an invited (by the AALS Executive Board) member of the AALS Committee on International Cooperation for the past three years. (The Committee was formed to advise AALS and its executive director on how AALS can support law school international programs.)

Joan Vogel will be a panelist on Admiralty at the next AALS meeting discussing the influence of admiralty law on tort law. She is also a member of the AALS Committee on Academic Freedom and Tenure until 2012.

Stephanie Willbanks presented at the AALS Site Inspector's Workshop and served on the Membership Review Committee in 2006. She also served as the AALS Reporter on the ABA/AALS inspection of Berkeley's Boalt Hall School of Law in 2010.

Kinvin Wroth cofounded the Section on North American Cooperation, which he chaired in 1983-84, 1991, 1994, and 2007; and Council, 2008, 2009. Professor Wroth served as Chair of the Committee on Government Relations in 2007-08. He was a member of the joint ABA/AALS site inspection teams: University of Toledo College of Law, 2007 (AALS Reporter); Washburn University School of Law, 2008 (Chair); Northern Illinois University College of Law, 2010 (AALS Reporter). He as also served on the AALS House of Representatives as a VLS representative or alternate, 2005-10.

Professor Cheryl Hanna's latest VPR commentary

Vermont Law School — 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

In her VPR commentary on Dec. 31, Professor Cheryl Hanna discussed one family's effort to toughen Vermont's DUI law.

Associate Professor Michael McCann Speaks to the AP about a Major League Baseball Dispute

Vermont Law School — 16 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Associate Professor Michael McCann spoke to the Associated Press on Dec. 16 about a contract dispute involving a Cuban defector who wants to play major league baseball.

Professor John Echeverria Speaks to The New York Times about a Supreme Court case in Fla.

Vermont Law School — 03 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Professor John Echeverria spoke to The New York Times on Dec. 2 about a U.S. Supreme Court case involving a regulatory takings dispute on Florida's beaches.

Prof. Parenteau Discusses Climate Change Education with New York Times

Vermont Law School — 02 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Professor Pat Parenteau spoke to The New York Times on Dec. 1 about the challenges that law schools face in educating students in the burgeoning specialty of climate change law and policy.

Associate Dean Shirley Jefferson Appears on NECN

Vermont Law School — 20 Nov 2009 20:20:43 EST

Associate Dean for Student Affairs Shirley Jefferson was interviewed by New England Cable News reporter Anya Hunekefor a story that details Dean J's life experiences at VLS and beyond. This story originally aired on NECN on Thursday, November 19, 2009.

Prof. Echeverria Weighs in on Supreme Court Case in New York Times Article

Vermont Law School — 08 Oct 2009 18:56:30 EST

Professor John Echeverria was quoted in an October 6, 2009 New York Times article that examines a regulatory takings case currently before the Supreme Court. Read the article at nytimes.com.

New Dean Guides Academics at Vermont Law School

Vermont Law School — 16 Sep 2009 17:22:45 EST

Vermont Law School announces the appointment of Professor Gil Kujovich as Vice Dean for Academic Affairs, effective July 1, 2009. Professor Kujovich will replace Vice Dean Stephanie Willbanks, who will return to full-time teaching and scholarship at VLS.The vice dean focuses on developing faculty potential in scholarship and teaching, while catalyzing the continuing evolution of legal education for students. More...

IEE Report Outlines Effects of Expansion of U.S. Nuclear Industry

Vermont Law School — 16 Sep 2009 16:20:35 EST

Dr. Mark Cooper, the Institute for Energy and the Environment's Senior Fellow for Economic Analysis, presented the results of a study on potential economic effects of expansion of the U.S. nuclear industry, as reported on June 18 in multiple industry news outlets, including CNN Money and Your Industry News. Access a PDF of Cooper's report and audio from the press event at the IEE's website. The report sparked commentary on both sides of the issue in blogs and other online publications such as Counter Punch, The Free Press (not the Burlington newspaper), the Nuclear Green blog, and NEI Nuclear Notes (note: erroneously referred to as "Mark Miller").

Prof. McCann Discusses Perjury Charges Related to MLB Steriod Use

Vermont Law School — 08 Sep 2009 18:27:26 EST

Professor Michael McCann discusses, in his June 16 SI.com column, the potential of perjury charges against players like Sammy Sosa in the ongoing investigation of steroid use in MLB. Professor McCann's article is further discussed in a Wall Street Journal blog. Professor McCann's June 15 SI.com piece explores the possibilities of NFL sanctions against player Plaxico Burress before his trial September on criminal charges from an incident in November 2008.

Ruth Rubio Marin Speaks on Her Recent Book, The Gender of Reparations

Vermont Law School — 29 Aug 2009 18:33:13 EST

Book launch: The Gender of Reparations

Vermont Law School recently hosted a Book Launch and book signing by Ruth Rubio-Marín, editor of The Gender of Reparations: Unsettling Sexual Hierarchies while Addressing Remedies for Human Rights Violations (Cambridge University Press). At the book launch, she discussed the reparations project and took questions from the audience. Ruth Rubio-Marín holds the Chair in Constitutional Law at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy, and has a tenured position in constitutional law at the University of Seville. She has been teaching a seminar at Vermont Law School on Comparative Constitutional Law for the past seven years.