June 25, 2009

A Message to Alumni from Dean Butler
The months have gone quickly. Sixteen of them to be precise. Sixteen months of serving as dean of your law school. Sixteen months of reconnecting with almost 30 years of former students.  Sixteen months of meeting alumni whom I had not known before. What I did not know then was how enriching this journey would be. Without a doubt, the best part of being dean has been my journey with you... Click to read more.

Alumni, Faculty and Students Respond to Davison Douglas's Appointment as Dean
When members of the Law School Community were asked about the personal  traits and qualifications of Professor Davison Douglas who will become  dean in July, a theme common in their responses is that the nation's  oldest law school will soon have a splendid new leader. Click here for more.

Faculty News

On June 29, Professor Jayne Barnard will be in the Manhattan courtroom where Bernard Madoff, architect of the largest Ponzi scheme in Wall Street history, will receive his sentence.  Click here for story.

The Law School community gathered on April 23 to thank Dean Lynda Butler for her contributions and service during her deanship. Click here for story.

Professors Nancy Combs, Neal Devins, and Davison Douglas were among 20 College faculty chosen to receive inaugural Plumeri Awards for Faculty Excellence. Professor Nancy Combs was promoted to full professor with tenure and Professor Laura Heymann was promoted to associate professor. Professor Jayne Barnard  has been named the new Herbert V. Kelly, Sr. Professor of Teaching Excellence. Click here for story.

Student News

The Law School has awarded 104 summer public service fellowships to students working in 17 states, the District of Columbia and in 7 other countries. Click here for story.

During spring semester, our students teamed with Hunton & Williams to teach students from Richmond's Thomas Jefferson High School about law and the legal profession as part of a pilot program sponsored by the NALP and Street Law Inc. Click here for story.

Cabell Foundation Challenge Grant to Help Fund Research Professorships
A challenge grant of $250,000 has been awarded to the  Law School to supplement the William H. Cabell Research Professorship Endowment, and will allow two law professors to benefit from the foundation's funds. The grant has been made by The Cabell Foundation of Richmond. Click here for story.

Alumni Gather in DC and Richmond

The law firm of Davis & Harman and Chris Call '00, respectively, hosted alumni gatherings in DC and Richmond earlier this month.

Click here to see photos from the DC event at the top of the Willard Building.

Click here to see photos from the Richmond home of alumna Chris Call.

Law School on Facebook
School's out until August, but we can all stay in touch via Facebook. More than 422 law alumni and law students have connected to the William & Mary School group through this social networking site.  Click here for the page.

Law School on LinkedIn
The alumni network that you are part of as a Marshall-Wythe graduate can be invaluable. The Office of Alumni Affairs and Development is pleased to host the William & Mary Law School Alumni group on LinkedIn. It's simple and free to join. Click here to create a LinkedIn account and join our group. Sign up now and encourage your classmates and other alumni to do the same!

On the Calendar

Visit the Events Page for more information on these and other upcoming events:

Supreme Court Preview 2009-10 (October 2-3)

Atlanta Law Alumni Reception, hosted by Marc Taylor '89 and Meg Taylor '91 (October 22)

Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Conference (October 16-7)

William & Mary Tax Conference (November 12-13)

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. Read more

Is your firm or organization looking for a recent graduate to fill an entry-level attorney or a volunteer legal internship position?  If so, please contact the Office of Career Services by calling (757)221-3805 or emailing lawocs @wm.edu, and we will notify Class of 2009 graduates of your hiring needs.

Career Services for Alumni
Learn more about career services for graduates at the Law School, including services for graduates interested in changing jobs. One example of these services is free access to the video/podcast on Managing a Legal Career Transition in Tough Times presented by the legal industry consultants Shannon & Manch LLP. This presentation is posted in the Presentations section of OCS Resources for Graduates and it addresses the current state of the legal employment market, the five basic steps for an effective job search, and such additional considerations as financial assessments, emotional ups and downs, gaining experience while waiting for the next job, and negotiating in a down market. 

Equal Justice Works is conducting webinars on federal public service loan forgiveness titled "Getting Your Student Loans Forgiven," on July 8 and July 23.  Click here for more info and to register.

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

The Marshall-Wythe E-News is published by the Office of Development and Alumni Affairs at the William & Mary Law School, P.O. Box 8795, Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795, tel: 757-221-3795.

Editor: Jaime Welch-Donahue
Graphic Design, Layout and Production: Gretchen Bedell
Contributing Writers:  Anne Gaudreaux