2015

Cypher
Appellate Clinic News: Fourth Circuit Issues Opinion in U.S. v. Williams

On December 14, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit issued a published opinion in U.S. v. Williams in favor of the appellant, represented by William & Mary Law School's Appellate and Supreme Court Clinic. The opinion was a unanimous decision, authored by Judge Robert B. King and joined by Judges Barbara Milano Keenan and Henry F. Floyd.

Professor Banks
Professor Angela Banks on Respectability Narratives and the Quest for Citizenship

How is the discussion framed, and whose values are brought to the fore, when we talk about immigration and access to citizenship in our national debates? Professor Angela Banks shared perspectives informed by her current research on these and other questions at the recent Blackstone Lecture at the Law School.

Zick Explores Protecting First Amendment Liberties At and Beyond Our Borders

In recent weeks, the American public has been transfixed by the danger of online terrorist speech and calls for religion-based limits on the movement of persons across U.S. territorial borders. In his recently published book, "The Cosmopolitan First Amendment," Professor Zick describes and defends a “cosmopolitan” approach to these and other issues, one that situates First Amendment rights and values in a globalized and digitized world.

Law School Dedicates George Wythe Room

W&M Law School recently celebrated the opening of the George Wythe Room in the Wolf Law Library, which contains copies of many of the books in George Wythe's collection.

Professor Christie Warren
Professor Christie Warren Consults with Ukrainian Constitutional Commission

Professor Christie Warren recently traveled to Ukraine on behalf of USAID and the FAIR Justice Project to consult with members of Parliament, the Constitutional Commission, the government, academics and civil society organizations on draft amendments to the country's 1996 constitution.

Judge Harry T.  Edwards
Judge Harry T. Edwards Honored with 2015 Marshall-Wythe Medallion

The Honorable Harry T. Edwards of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit received the 2015 Marshall-Wythe Medallion at a dinner in his honor at William & Mary's historic Wren Building on Oct. 27. The medallion, presented to Judge Edwards by Law School Dean Davison M. Douglas, is the highest honor conferred by the William & Mary law faculty and recognizes members of the legal community who have demonstrated exceptional accomplishment in law.

W&M cypher
Oct. 30 Conference: Domestic Action & the Global Refugee Crisis

On October 30th, William & Mary Law School will host "Humanity Displaced: Domestic Action in the Face of a Global Refugee Crisis." Featuring nine experts, the symposium will provide background information on the current global refugee crisis and the response of legal practitioners here in the United States.

Iraq conference
Experts Explore and Debate the Future of Iraq at October Conference

On Oct. 8 and 9, the Law School's Center for Comparative Legal Studies and Post-Conflict Peacebuilding, the Reves Center for International Studies, and the Comparative Legal Student Scholars hosted "The Future of Iraq," a symposium exploring possible scenarios for Iraq's future in light of its past and present.

Nov. 13 Conference: Economic Realities, Coastal Change, and Adaptation in Virginia

On November 13, William & Mary Law School's Virginia Coastal Policy Center will host its third annual climate change conference, "Show Me the Money--The Economic Realities of Responding to Coastal Change and Adaptation in Virginia." The conference will be held at the William & Mary School of Education.

William & Mary's Business and Law Schools Share $44-Million Gift

The gift provides a $20 million endowment for scholarships at the law school and a $20 million endowment for scholarships at the business school for students in the full-time MBA program. The first scholarships will be awarded in the spring of 2016 to students entering next fall.

Law School Hosts 28th Annual Supreme Court Preview

Just days before the Supreme Court convened its 2015-16 term, legal scholars, judges, lawyers and legal journalists came to W&M Law School for the 28th Annual Supreme Court Preview.

2015 AG's Cup
Law School Again Leads State in Annual VBA Food Drive

For a second year in a row, William & Mary Law School brought home the Attorney General's Cup after collecting more food and donations for Virginia's needy than any other law school in the state during the ninth annual Legal Food Frenzy.

Iraq Symposium
Join Us: Oct. 8 - 9 Future of Iraq Symposium

The symposium is sponsored by the Center for Comparative Legal Studies and Post-Conflict Peacebuilding at William & Mary Law School, the Reves Center for International Studies and the Kraemer Middle East Distinguished Scholar-in-Residence Program. Financial and logistical support is also provided by Lois Critchfield and the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.

Law Professors Promoted

Four Law School faculty members received promotions in 2014 and 2015: Jeffrey Bellin, Tara Leigh Grove, and Vivian Hamilton to Professor of Law; Patricia Roberts to Clinical Professor of Law.

Professor Heller
Director of The Wolf Law Library Receives AALL Hall of Fame Award

James S. Heller, Professor of Law, Professor of Public Policy, and Director of The Wolf Law Library, was honored with the American Association of Law Libraries' Hall of Fame Award at the association’s 108th annual meeting and conference in July.

Cypher
Special Education Advocacy Award Presented to Elizabeth Barry Heddleston '15

The Special Education Advocacy Award is given each year at the annual Awards Ceremony during graduation weekend and is presented to a law student who has shown dedicated commitment to special education law and the rights of children. This award was established by Claire Maddox Ribble, and her husband, Bob, in honor of their son Evan and in memory of Evan's twin brother, Brooks.

Law School Welcomes New Students

The Law School recently welcomed the J.D. Class of 2018, the LL.M. Class of 2016, and transfer and visiting students.

Cipher
Join Us: Oct. 2 Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Conference

William & Mary Law School will host the 12th Annual Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Conference on October 2. During the conference the project will recognize Joseph William Singer of Harvard Law School with the 2015 Brigham-Kanner Prize. 5.5 CLE credits will be available.

Belema Idoniboye, J.D. ’15 Receives George Wythe Award

Idoniboye received the award at the Law School's Diploma Ceremony on May 17. The award is named in honor of George Wythe - William & Mary's and the nation's first professor of law - and is given to a graduating student in recognition of his or her outstanding and selfless service.

Wren
Law Alumni Appointments to W&M Board of Visitors

Law School alumnus James A. Hixon, J.D. '79, M.L.T '80 had been appointed to the Board of Visitors by Va. Governor Terry McAuliffe, and Thomas R. Frantz '70, J.D. '73, M.L.T. '81 has been reappointed to the Board. Hixon and Frantz join fellow William & Mary Law School alumni DeRonda M. Short, J.D. '78 and Robert E. Scott J.D. '68 as Board members.

Chancellor Gates
Gates Urges Law Graduates to Spend Time in Public Service

Former Secretary of Defense and William & Mary Chancellor Robert M. Gates urged the Law School's Class of 2015 to embrace public service as one of the "duties and responsibilities that come with citizenship" in his address at the Law School's May 17 Diploma Ceremony.

Professor Singer
Singer to Receive 2015 Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Prize

Joseph William Singer, Bussey Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, will receive the 2015 Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Prize at the 12th annual conference on Oct. 1-2 sponsored by the William & Mary Property Rights Project, the Law School announced today.

Cipher
Four Law Faculty Honored with Plumeri Awards

Professors Jeffrey Bellin, Evan Criddle, Adam Gershowitz, and Allison Orr Larsen are among 20 W&M faculty to receive 2015 Plumeri Awards for Faculty Excellence.

Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims Holds Hearing

Court was in session on Wednesday, April 1, when the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims heard oral arguments in William & Mary Law School’s McGlothlin Courtroom.

Clerking for the Highest Court

Five former clerks are members of the William & Mary Law School faculty: Nancy Combs, Allison Orr Larsen, Alan Meese, William & Mary President Taylor Reveley (who clerked for Justice William J. Brennan, Jr., during the Court’s 1969 Term), and James Stern.

Cipher
W&M Law Hosts Virginia Water Quality Conference

On March 27th-28th, William & Mary Law School will host Congressman Rob Wittman and other policymakers, experts, and advocates for a discussion of current and future challenges to Virginia's water quality.

ACUS Chairman Paul Verkuil
Learning About ACUS from Chairman Paul Verkuil

On Feb. 12, Paul Verkuil, chairman of the Administrative Conference of the United States, and William & Mary president emeritus, gave his audience a primer on the agency.

Cipher
Washington, D.C., Semester Externship Program

Six third-year students completed externships in Washington in Fall 2014. The new D.C. program builds on the Law School's highly successful externship program that has been in place for many years.

W&M Law School
General Assembly Includes Funding for W&M's Puller Clinic in State Budget

The Law School's Lewis B. Puller, Jr. Veterans Benefits Clinic is slated to receive $245,000 in funding from the Commonwealth of Virginia in FY2015/16 through the state budget passed by the Virginia General Assembly last week. This legislation is now before Governor McAuliffe for his approval.

Sara Khan
British Muslim Human Rights Activist to Speak at W&M

Sara Khan, director of Inspire, a women's human rights and counter-terrorism organization which seeks to address inequalities facing British Muslim women, is the 2015 Kraemer Middle East Distinguished Scholar-in-Residence. She will give two lectures in March. Both are free and the public is welcome.

Thomas McSweeney
Professor McSweeney Explores Magna Carta

Professor McSweeney explores the text in articles in anniversary publications sponsored by the ABA and the Library of Congress.He also will help host an Institute of Bill of Rights Law conference on Magna Carta in spring 2016, the 800th anniversary of the text's reissue.