April 30, 2008

Alumni Weekend 2008
More than 500 alumni & their guests returned on April 11-12 for a celebration of all things Marshall-Wythe. Congratulations to the reunion classes who continue to raise the bar (and set records!) with gifts to the Law School. Click here for a photo recap.

Law School Moves Up in Rankings, Receives Record Number of Applications
The Law School moved up in this year's U.S. News & World Report rankings, coming in at 30th, tying with the University of Washington. The movement in the rankings continues a strong spring for Marshall-Wythe. We received the largest number of applications in our history - 4,561 for approximately 200 seats in the J.D. program. This is a 7.3 percent increase from last year while the national law school applicant pool dropped 1.3 percent. Read more.

O’Connor to Deliver Commencement Address
W&M Chancellor and former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor will deliver the Law School’s commencement address at graduation on Sunday, May 11, in the Sunken Garden. Approximately 220 law students will receive degrees. Read more.

Law School Honors Verkuil as Carter O. Lowance Fellow
In March, the Law School honored Paul R. Verkuil, the twenty-fifth president of the College, as the 2008 Carter O. Lowance Fellow. Lowance, who has been called the "paragon of the public servant," served as chief of staff to six Virginia governors and as the College's executive vice president. In remarks at a dinner in Verkuil's honor, Dean Lynda Butler said that Verkuil had served the common good as "a leader in the realm of public intellectualism." He is, she said, "the perfect example of the intellectual who has used his intellect to lead, to promote character and integrity in academia, in private enterprise, in the courts, and in the public policy arena." Read more.

Wolf Law Library Graces Cover of National Law Library Magazine and Receives Design Kudos
A photo of the spacious and bright circulation area of the Wolf Law Library is featured on the cover of the May issue of AALL Spectrum, the monthly magazine of the American Association of Law Libraries. Earlier this month, the library’s architects received a Design Achievement Award from the Hampton Roads chapter of the American Institute of Architects for their work on the project. Read more.

Twelve Alumni Receive LRAP Awards
Marshall-Wythe's Loan Repayment Assistance Program Committee has selected twelve alumni to receive 2008 awards from the Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP).

Initially established to honor Professor Emeritus John Levy, the program is supported by endowments and gifts from alumni and friends. Through the LRAP, graduates who work for private non-profit organizations or government employers are eligible to apply for up to $5,000 annually in loan forgiveness for a maximum of three years. Marshall-Wythe's LRAP has provided forgivable loans totaling $129,000 to 23 graduates since 2005. Read more. 

Law School Celebrates Professor Coven’s Career
Faculty and staff gathered in the Wren's Great Hall on April 23 to celebrate the end of the school year and the contributions of retiring professor Glenn Coven. His "exhaustive knowledge of tax law, combined with his superb intellect and dry sense of humor, made him a valued teacher and scholar," interim Dean Butler said. Butler lauded Coven as someone who always advocated for what he thought was in the school’s best interest (and also gently ribbed the long-time faculty member for his not-so-retiring nature). Read more.

Law Students Net Citations and Awards

Note by James J. Billsborrow ’08 Cited by U.S. Sixth Circuit

Alex Chasick ’08 Named Esther Peterson Public Interest Fellow by Consumers Union

Shana Hofstetter ’08 Named 2008-2009 Drapers' Scholar

Marshall-Wythe in the News

• The Law School, Judge J.R. Zepkin, and Professor Emeritus John Levy were among the honorees at the "Community of STARS" banquet hosted by the Williamsburg-James City County Community Action Agency (CAA) on April 24.  The Law School and Judge Zepkin, along with the Williamsburg Bar Association, were recognized for our quarterly pro bono legal clinics.  Judge Zepkin was one of the clinics' founders, which provide free legal assistance to low-income residents of greater Williamsburg. Professor Levy was recognized for his service on the CAA board. The event, now in its fifth year, honors "individuals, businesses and organizations that have strengthened and enhanced the Agency by freely giving of their time, energy, and/or resources."
• W&M Professor Helped Kosovo Constitution
  Associated Press, April 4
• W&M Uses Brains, Brawn to Help Katrina Victims
  Daily Press, August 6.

Post a Position, Schedule an Interview
We encourage alumni to use the Employer Services page to schedule on-campus, off-campus, or videoconference interviews, request resume collection, or list positions to which students and/or graduates can apply. Learn more.

Is your firm or organization looking for an entry-level attorney? If so, please contact the Office of Career Services so that we can notify members of the Class of 2008. Please send us the info by telephone 757-221-3805 or [[lawocs, email]].

Learn more about career services at the Law School, including services for graduates interested in changing jobs.

Have You Changed Your Work or Home Address?
We want to stay in touch. You can update your contact information on-line by logging into the Alumni Directory and clicking on the link ("To update your own information"). Go to the on-line directory page.

Editor: Jaime Welch-Donahue

Graphic Design, Layout, and Production: Gretchen Bedell

Contributing Writers: Sean Marotta ’10, Stephen Van Stempvoort ’10, Erin Zagursky

Reunion Photography: Gretchen Bedell, Colonial Photography (class photos)