Christmas at ASL (Click link for photos)

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ASL Student Profile: Kenyatta Thorpe

Kenyatta Thorpe is an energetic third-year student with a bevy of accomplishments already under her belt.  Before coming to ASL, the Fitzgerald, Georgia, native excelled in track and field, even competing in the 2008 Beijing Olympics while attending college.  However, Kenyatta decided that graduating college and Olympic glory were not enough; she decided that she wanted to pursue her Juris Doctorate degree.

The small town girl has big dreams of returning to her hometown and serving her community as a prosecutor. “There are a lot of people with drug problems in my town. I want to be able to do something about it,” says Kenyatta.

In the meanwhile, she participates in and leads many organizations on campus, including BLSA, Barbri, and CASA. She also works as a Counselor in the ASL Admissions Office. However, Kenyatta somehow manages to find time for coaching the cheerleading and track teams at Mountain Mission School, baking, crocheting, and spending time with her husband, Anthony.

 

 

Thanksgiving and Trimming the Christmas Tree at ASL

Josh Smith to visit ASL Professor Stewart Harris' First Amendment Seminar at Emory & Henry College

     

 Josh Smith, anchor at WJHL-TV, the CBS affiliate in Johnson City, Tennessee, will visit Emory & Henry College on Tuesday evening, December 3, at 7:00 PM. Mr. Smith will join Professor Teresa Keller, Chair of the Mass Communications Department at Emory & Henry, for a discussion of the Speech and Press Clauses of the First Amendment and their importance in the modern media landscape.

The discussion will take place in Room 239 of McGlothlin-Street Hall, during the regular class meeting of Professor Stewart Harris’s First Amendment Seminar. Stewart Harris teaches Constitutional Law at the Appalachian School of Law and is currently also serving as the Bays Blackwell Lecturer in Residence at Emory & Henry.

The public is invited to this event, and admission is free, although seating is limited. For more information, please call Angela Brink at 276-944-6168.

Appalachian School of Law Moot Court Board Holds Intra-School Competition

 

 

(2013 Finalists L-R: Joshua Kinser, Caitlin Flanagan-Morgan, Pedro Gonzalez, Rosalia Fiorello, Christopher Eads, Kayla Vanover, Shonda Wells, Gregory Norris)

The Appalachian School of Law Moot Court Board is proud to announce the results from the Fall 2013 Intra-School Moot Court Competition, an annual event that highlights the top oral advocates from their respective Appellate Advocacy courses.

Appellate Advocacy is a challenging, but rewarding, class for ASL students.  The class presents students with a realistic case and fictional clients to represent on appeal.  Over the course of one semester, students research and compile appellate briefs for both the appellant and appellee.  The students then represent one of the parties at oral arguments before a panel of judges.  At the conclusion of oral arguments, the professors select the top eight students to compete for the school’s top honors.

This year represents an important milestone in the competition’s history and future.  In the past, the Appellate Advocacy classes considered one issue, and judges selected one champion.  This year, however, one section explored a case replete with natural resources law, while the other section considered an employment law case.  This presented a new and realistic challenge for both students and professors.  After a series of excellent arguments, the professors selected four students from the natural resources section and four students from the employment law section to face off in the intra-school competition.  Each of the eight finalists put forth a valiant effort and represented ASL at a high level.  While the decision was difficult, a distinguished panel of seven judges heard their arguments and selected a champion from each section.

The results are as follows:

2013 Finalists:

 

Christopher Eads, Rosalia Fiorello, Pedro Gonzalez, Joshua Kinser, Caitlin Flanagan-Morgan, Gregory Norris, Kayla Vanover, Shonda Wells

 

2013 Employment Law Winner: 

Pedro Gonzalez

2013 Environmental Law Winner:

 Kayla Vanover

            Additionally, Appalachian School of Law and the Moot Court Board would like to extend a special thanks to all of the judges who spent their time and effort presiding over the Appellate Advocacy class arguments and the intra-school competition.  Particularly, we would like to thank: 

Patrick Baker, Mark “Buzz” Bellville, Ryan  Bostic, Janie Castle, Dean Charlie Condon, Honorable Judge David A. Faber, Ryan Gilligan, Priscilla Harris, Maryann Herman, Kendall Isaac, Danielle Kiser, Michael Loudenslager, Douglas McKechnie, Alan Oxford, Stephen Parsons, Jennifer Shaver, Ben Street

Story by Amanda Allen Coop
Photos courtesy of Sabrina Mullins

           

ASL Signs Articulation Agreement with Bluefield College

 

Graduates of Bluefield College in Bluefield, Virginia, will receive preferential consideration for admission to the Appalachian School of Law in Grundy, Virginia. Dean Lucy McGough of the Appalachian School of Law and Dr. David Olive of Bluefield College signed an Articulation Agreement November 7, 2013, at the Bluefield campus. “We are extremely pleased with this partnership,” said Dean McGough. “The Bluefield alumni who have come to ASL are excellent students, and they become excellent lawyers.” Applicants must meet requirements for undergraduate grade point average and score on the Law School Admission Test.  Also attending the ceremony were (from left) Mimi Merritt, Bluefield College’s Director of Student Success;  Jackie Pruitt, Director of Admissions and Financial Aid at ASL; Kimberly Farmer, J.D., Pre-law Advisor at Bluefield College, Trent Argo, VP for Enrollment Management at Bluefield College; and Karen Harvey, ASL’s Director of Institutional Development.

 

 

ASL Professor Kendall Isaac Selected as a Co-Founder and Co-Editor of the Appellate Advocacy Blog

 

 

Assistant Professor Kendall Isaac has been selected as a co-founder and co-editor of the Appellate Advocacy Blog on the popular Law Professor Blogs Network.   Law Professor Blogs, LLC is the nation's only network of legal blogs edited primarily by law professors. Law Professor Blogs, LLC owns and operates over 40 legal blogs, edited by over 100 law professors, deans, and lawyers. Editors include leading scholars and educators who are committed to providing the web source of legal news, information, commentary, and analysis for law professors, practitioners, government and nonprofit lawyers, and students in their respective fields.


http://www.lawprofessorblogs.com/


http://www.workplacedignity.com/

 

ASL vs. ACP Basketball

Next game is this Thursday Nov. 14th at 6PM at ACP. Contact Ryan James for details.

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UVa-Wise and ASL sign preferential admission agreement

 

Graduates of The University of Virginia’s College at Wise who want to pursue a law degree from the Appalachian School of Law will get preferential admission after officials from both institutions signed an agreement Thursday, November 7, 2013.

The preferential admission agreement ensures that each UVa-Wise graduate who meets specific criteria is accepted as a student for graduate work in law at ASL. Chancellor Donna P. Henry and ASL Dean and Chief Executive Officer Lucy S. McGough signed the agreement in a ceremony in the Lila Vicars Smith House at UVa-Wise.
“We are delighted to pen the agreement with the Appalachian School of Law,” Chancellor Henry said. “It opens opportunities for our graduates and will help those interested in pursuing a law degree to reach their career goals.”

The agreement highlights the missions of both institutions, which are to provide a quality education for students from the region, and to prepare graduates for leadership and service in their communities. Officials from both institutions said the preferential admissions program will have mutual benefits for both UVa-Wise and ASL.

UVa-Wise graduates who seek ASL admission must meet general admission requirements set by the law school.

 

Dr. Joshua Perper to Speak at Appalachian School of Law Today

                                                                         Left to Right: Dr. Ed Perper,  Dr. Joshua Perper, Matt Harding, Joe Wolfe

Dr. Joshua Perper, M.D., LL.B., MSc., will speak in the Appalachian School of Law’s Appellate Courtroom about Black Lung Disease on Friday, November 8, at 11:45 am. A reception will follow. Members of the community have been invited, and parking spaces near the Administration Building will be reserved for them.

Dr. Perper has served as an expert witness in numerous legal proceedings. He attended the Medical School and the Law School of Hebrew University in Jerusalem, earning M.D. and LL.B degrees. He also earned a M.S in Forensic Pathology at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Hygiene and Public Health. Dr. Perper consults for the US Department of labor in environmental diseases (pneumoconiosis) and was the Chief Medical Examiner of Broward County, Florida, for seventeen years, during which time he conducted autopsies on a number of famous individuals, including Anna Nicole Smith. He also served in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as Coroner and Chief Forensic Pathologist of Allegheny County, and Associate Pathologist and Director of Laboratories at Mayview State Hospital.

ASL Professor Patrick Baker Named as Law School Representative to Local Rules Advisory Committee of Western Virginia U.S. District Court

Grundy, VA – Prof. Patrick Baker of the Appalachian School of Law has been named to a two-year term serving on the Local Rules Advisory Committee of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia. He is the law school representative. The committee considers suggestions from the bench, the bar, and the public for changes to the local rules and submits such recommendations as it deems appropriate to the court. There are currently nine members on the committee, which meets at least annually.

 

 

Appalachian School of Law Hosts Luncheon for Scholarship Donors and Recipients

Scholarship donors to the Appalachian School of Law met the recipients of their gifts during a luncheon at Dean Lucy McGough’s home on Friday, November 1. Among the guests were Jim and Carrie O’Donnell, who created a scholarship last year in memory of their son, Sean (Class of 2010), who died in a car accident in June 2012. The Sean O’Donnell Scholarship in Career Services benefits a 3L student during his or her job search. Last year’s recipient, Katie Kennedy (Class of 2013), attended the event and discovered she and Sean shared a common background. Katie had learned the day before that she passed the Pennsylvania Bar, as well.

 

 

 The O’Donnells presented a gift of $5,000 for the Sean O’Donnell Scholarship, which will be matched by Carrie’s employer, Verizon. Those gifts bring the fund to more than $26,000, well on the way to the endowment threshold of $35,000.

 

 

Troy Nichols of Alpha Natural Sciences lunched with three of the Alpha scholars Wesley Ketron , Victoria Herman and Aaron Davis. These students received scholarship assistance to further their studies in natural resources law. James Keen, Appalachian School of Law Trustee and Grundy Town Manager (previous photo second from right), met merit scholars John Page, Laura Bowen, Ross Chapman and Jacob Perkinson.

 

 

Shirley Belcher, who created the Susan Belcher Scholarship in memory of her daughter, dined with recipient Corie Rife. Representing the Grundy Women’s Club which awarded a scholarship to Kaitlin Justus was Glenna Owens, Associate Director of the Law Library. Also in attendance were Charlie Condon, Associate Dean for Information Services and Director of the Law Library; Janie Castle, Director of Career Services and Alumni Relations; Jina Sauls, Director of Community Services and Personnel; Jenny Clevinger, Assistant to the Offices of Community Service, Personnel and Externship; and Tonya Moore, Assistant to the Offices of Development, Career Services and Alumni Relations.

 

 

 

Photos by Sabrina Mullins

 

 

ASL Flag Football 1&2L vs. 3L Oct. 26, 2013

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Photos by Liz Smith

Halloween in ASL Professor Priscilla Harris' Torts Class

 

The Annual Priscilla Harris Torts Halloween Costume Contest

 

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(Photos by Taylor Burgess and Liz Smith)

 

 

PDP/PAD ASL Halloween Bash Photos from Oct. 26, 2013

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Brian Morris, a Certified Polygraph Administrator, visits ASL

 Brian Morris visited ASL on Wednesday, Oct. 23 as a guest speaker for the The ASL Federalist Society. Mr. Morris is both a lawyer and a certified polygraph administrator. He and Stewart Harris made a joint presentation on polygraph testing in the law. Right now, polygraph testing is mostly prohibited in criminal cases, but can be used as part of the job application process. Mr. Morris also explained what he felt were the shortcomings of the current legal regime.

Photos by: Liz Smith

 

Michael James Barton to speak at ASL Nov. 5, 4PM: "Energy Security in a Changing World"

Michael James Barton to speak at ASL Nov. 5, 4PM: "Energy Security in a Changing World"

Michael James Barton is the current Director of Energy and Natural Resources at ARTIS Research. He has extensive experience in National Security, Homeland Security, counterterrorism, and energy policymaking and is the former Senior Policy Advisor at a publicly traded Silicon Valley energy company.

 From 2006 to 2009, Mr. Barton served in the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD). In his role there as Deputy Director of the Middle East Policy Office, he crafted, analyzed, and carried out the nation’s security policies as directed by the President and the Secretary of Defense. In addition, he also served as the senior OSD policy advisor on Iranian matters. While in OSD, he ensured that cultural, economic, and energy factors were woven into decisions regarding the Middle East and Iran. For his efforts in the national security arena, Mr. Barton was a 2009 recipient of the OSD Exceptional Public Service Medal.

 Prior to joining the Defense Department, Mr. Barton served at the White House on the Homeland Security Council staff. There he coordinated homeland security-related activities among executive Departments and Agencies and promoted the effective development and implementation of homeland security measures. Mr. Barton’s primary focus was on immigration security policies and domestic counterterrorism.

 Prior to his work at the White House, Mr. Barton served from 2001 to 2003 on the Senate Banking Committee staff where he was responsible for a wide range of legislative matters including international trade, banking, and energy.

 Mr. Barton holds a M.A. degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College and a B.A. degree in Accounting from the University of Houston. He is a speaker for the American Committees on Foreign Relations and for the Federalist Society. Mr. Barton is also an advisory board member at the Bryce Foundation, which assists in research efforts on behalf of children suffering from cancer, and which supports their families.

 

 

 

Certified Polygraph Administrator Brian Morris to visit ASL

Brian Morris will come to ASL next Wednesday, Oct. 23. Mr. Morris is both a lawyer and a certified polygraph administrator. He and Stewart Harris will make a join presentation on polygraph testing in the law. Right now, polygraph testing is mostly prohibited in criminal cases, but can be used as part of the job application process. Mr. Morris will explain what he feels are the shortcomings of the current legal regime.

After the presentation is over, students will have the chance to get hooked up to the polygraph machine and undergo testing. Mr. Morris is so confident in his abilities, that he has offered a free Kaplan Bar course to any student who can fool him.

 

 

David Bernstein to Speak at ASL Today at 4:00PM

David Bernstein is a law professor at George Mason University, and one of the country's leading experts on affirmative action preferences in the law. He's also a contributor to The Volokh Conspiracy, one of the nation's top legal blogs. A graduate of Brandeis University and Yale Law School, Professor Bernstein has also taught at Columbia, Brooklyn Law School, the University of Michigan, and Georgetown University. He is a regular speaker at law school across the country and a frequent guest on CNN, Fox news, and MSNBC. In addition to this, he has found time to publish five books and nearly a hundred law review articles.

At ASL, Professor Bernstein will discuss the recent Supreme Court decision in Fisher vs. University of Texas, and what that decision means for racial preferences in university admissions. He will also discuss the upcoming Supreme Court hearing in Schuette vs. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, a case that began in Michigan and should be decided within the next few months. ASL's own Professor Dale Rubin will offer commentary and his own view on the aforementioned cases, as well as their implications for policymakers and administrators in higher education.

2013 ASL Softball Practice

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2013 ASL Green Bowl

 

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