T H E
J U R I S T
THE
JURIST
T
he recent academic year emphasized the
fact that we are an interrelated community building on a great legacy. All aspects
of the community, students, faculty, staff and
alumni, made contributions that added to the
rich experience of being a part of the Howard
Law tradition.
Student contributors were numerous and
diverse. The members of the Howard Law
Journal produced outstanding editions with
superb articles, some of which were cited in
opinions of appellate courts throughout the
country. The public interest law society (also
known as HPILS) organized an auction which
raised enough money to fund several summer
internships for students working with organizations that serve low income citizens. Adding
to the efforts of HPILS was a major gift from
The Honorable Philip Scott Walker, a member
of the Class of 1950 who left the law school a
major gift in his will. This donation was used
to further our social engineering legacy by
funding several public interest law summer
internships. Students demonstrated their commitment to financial stewardship. The Class
of 2011 donated funds to renovate interview
rooms in the Office of Career Services. That
gift was well received by all who participate
in the on-campus recruiting process. Finally,
students showed their concern for social justice
issues by inviting to speak at their baccalaureate service two men who were wrongfully
convicted of crimes and served many years in
prison. The service was quite moving.
We were honored to receive on campus this
year many distinguished speakers. This list
included Associate
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Presidential Senior Advisor Valerie
B. Jarrett, Assistant
Attorney General
for the Civil Rights Division of the Justice
Department Thomas E. Perez, and former Secretary of Transportation William T. Coleman
Jr. Many of the formal lecture programs were
supported by generous gifts from alumni and
from national law firms. These donors have
committed to continue their involvement with
the law school in order to enhance the learning
experience for our students.
I end with a note about the law library. This
year we celebrated the tenth anniversary of the
opening of our modern world class law library.
Through the partnership of HUSL alums H.
Patrick Swygert (then President of Howard
University) and Alice Gresham Bullock (then
Dean of HUSL) a new law library was erected
that is among the best in the legal community.
Guided by an outstanding director, Professor
Rhea Ballard-Thrower, and a highly trained
staff, this library is the heart of the law school
and the pride of the University.
Many thanks to all of you who continue to
support the varied activities of the
School of Law.
Sincerely,
Kurt L. Schmoke
Dean, Howard University School of Law
CONTENTS
Howard University School of Law • Volume 20, Number 1 • 2010-2011
FEATURES
2 ON THE CAMPUS OF HOWARD LAW
News and events from 2010 and 2011.
10 COVER STORY
The Class of 2013 took a pledge to lead the fight for
social justice. Here is the profile of the law school’s
newest class.
11 FACULTY UPDATE
News, notes, and photos featuring our esteemed
professors of law.
10
13 NEWS UPDATE
Moot Court Teams Excel, Raising Funds to Support the
Law School, and Celebrating 10 Years of Excellence.
15 EIGHTH ANNUAL JAMES M. NABRIT
JR. LECTURE SERIES
A Supreme Court Justice, a legal icon, and a White
House advisor headline the annual lecture series.
20 DEVELOPMENT NEWS
Sixth Annual Alumni Weekend and Benefit Dinner
highlights. Plus, the alumni donor roll for 2010.
9
26 A DIFFERENT ALTERNATIVE:
SPRING BREAK IN CHICAGO
A professor and her group of students take on the
Windy City.
29 INVESTOR JUSTICE & EDUCATION
CLINICAL LAW PROGRAM
IJECP students take a tour of the New York Stock
Exchange.
30 CONGRATULATIONS TO THE
CLASS OF 2011
Another class of social engineers leaves Houston Hall.
Dean: Kurt L. Schmoke • Publications Manager and Editor: Jacqueline C. Young, M.S. • Editorial Assistance: Blair Diggs, Zalika Headley, Seth Kronemer, Elizabeth Matory, Danielle Moore,
Josephine Ross • Photography: Marvin T. Jones & Associates, Jason Miccolo Johnson, Jean-Claude Rainey, Moorland-Spingarn Research Center. Some photos were provided as a courtesy
• Production and Design: Absolute Visibility, Inc.
16
On the cover: The Class of 2013 at its pinning ceremony in
August 2010. Cover photo by Marvin T. Jones & Associates.
31 CLASS NOTES
News about graduates from the 1940s to the 2000s.
The Jurist is published by the Howard University School of Law. It is distributed to alumni, staff, faculty, and friends of the University. Letters and items of interest are welcome. Please
address all correspondence to: The Jurist, Howard University School of Law, 2900 Van Ness Street, N.W., Washington, D.C., 20008, (202) 806-8084, www.law.howard.edu.
© 2011 by Howard University School of Law. All rights reserved.
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17
T H E
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T H E
J U R I S T
Collateral Consequences: Who Really Pays the Price for Criminal “Justice”?
“The impact of a criminal record
limits the future opportunities of the
ex-felon,” said editors of the Howard Law Journal, “almost without
regard to a person’s attempt to rebuild his or her life after conviction.
Their treatment by the justice system affects not only their individual
fates but that of communities from
which they hail,” they said. The
Seventh Annual Wiley A. Branton/
Howard Law Journal Symposium
Cyrus R. Vance Jr., the District Attorney of New York County,
talked with Howard Law Student Rochelle McAllister. Vance
delivered the keynote address at the Symposium.
Criminal Justice Clinic Director Tamar Meekins moderated
the panel on “Lawyering,” which addressed the lawyers’s
role as advocate for the “despised, the forgotten, the guilty,
and the innocent.”
(Left to right) Wiley A. Branton Jr., James M. Nabrit III, Richard Branton, Erica Lamberson, and Beverly Branton Lamberson at the Symposium. Wiley Branton’s family and friends attend the program each year.
2
Glenn F. Ivey, the former States Attorney for
Prince George’s County Maryland, talked about
different approaches to rehabilitative justice.
Photos by Marvin T. Jones & Associates
Seventh Annual Wiley A. Branton/
Howard Law Journal Symposium
was organized to address the issue
of collateral consequences and to
ask the question, “Who Really Pays
the Price for Criminal Justice?” A
panel of highly regarded experts
discussed a justice system that has
not done enough to minimize the
impact these collateral consequences have on society. “Given that exfelons are disproportionately African American and poor, the issue
must be addressed. We look forward
to presenting our findings in our
Spring 2011 issue of the Howard
Law Journal.”
Anthony C. Thompson, Professor of Clinical Law at New
York University, examined the collateral consequences of
mass incarceration on black political power. “ The United
States has the highest incarceration rate in the world,”
Thompson said. “And men of color constitute a disproportionate percentage of inmates in U.S. prisons. If current
incarceration rates remain stable, close to one-third of the
next generation of African-American men will lose their
right to vote at some point in their lives.”
Okianer Christian Dark, Associate Dean for Academic
Affairs, convened the Seventh Annual Wiley A. BrantonHoward Law Journal Symposium.
Catherine Christian, an assistant district attorney in the
New York County D.A.’s office, presented on the Lawyering
panel.
Left to right, Gabriel “ Jack” Chin and Andrew E. Taslitz
were both presenters at the Symposium. Chin is the Chester
H. Smith Professor of Law and Director of the Program
in Criminal Law and Policy at the University of Arizona
James E. Rogers College of Law. Taslitz is a professor of
law at Howard University School of Law. Taslitz and Chin
agree that there is a “moral imperative” to address collateral consequences. Their presentations will be published in
the Howard Law Journal spring issue.
Left to right: Marc Mauer of the Sentencing Project,
McGregor Smyth of the Bronx Defenderes, and Thompson
discussed the program.
3
CYRUS R. VANCE JR.
C
ily,” said Vance. “What impact will
conviction have, years from now,
on an ex-offender’s ability to find
a job? What effect will years of
state prison have on a person’s job
skills, physical health, and mental
health? And perhaps most tellingly
of all, what impact does incarcerating many thousands of men have
on the families they leave behind?
Many of these consequences are, as
a defendant stands before the court,
invisible to us.” Vance, like other
symposium contributors, said the
answers are hard to come by but that
solutions must be found. Vance’s
remarks, along with those of other
T H E
4
the opportunity to represent the United
States as a Fulbright Scholar in India as
an English Teaching Assistant (ETA).
I am most certain that an ETA experience in India will not only enhance my
ability to effectively teach, but it will
also make me a more culturally aware
citizen. India is a country full of beautiful people who are tolerant of various
cultural practices. I trust that I will have
the opportunity to interact with people
coming from many walks of life.” After Ms. Cooper completes her Fulbright
year in India, she will join Teach For
America in Houston, Texas. “I hope to
share the knowledge I gain in India with people in the
States, as a means to open their minds to Indian culture
and the need to become more globally and culturally
aware,” said Ms. Cooper. Howard Law Professors Lisa
Crooms and Olivia Farrar assisted Ms. Cooper with the
application process. The entire law school community
is very proud of her outstanding accomplishment.
J
symposium participants, will be
published in the Spring 2011 edition
of the Howard Law Journal.
Members and staff of the Howard Law Journal spent more than a year planning the Seventh Annual Wiley A. Branton/Howard Law Journal Symposium. Visit the law school Web site at www.law.howard.edu/229 for the list of names.
Alumnus Siji Moore’10 and Alumna Mia Whang Spiker ’10,
with Leila Siddiky (right), a member of the Howard Law Journal
and the recipient of the Wiley A. Branton Scholar Award for 2010.
J U R I S T
Howard Law Student
Awarded Fulbright
Scholarship
Photos by Marvin T. Jones & Associates
yrus R. Vance Jr. became District Attorney of New York
County on January 1, 2010. He began his legal career as an Assistant
District Attorney in the Manhattan
D.A’s Office in the 1980s, and said
that he has prosecuted lots of criminal cases, from murder to political
corruption, to white collar crime.
They all result in collateral consequences, he said. “The consequences of conviction and sentencing can
have devastating consequences for
an offender, and even for innocent
parties such as the defendant’s fam-
J U R I S T
Mrs. Cecilia Marshall spent time with members of
the Branton family. Mrs. Marshall has been a regular
attendee at the Symposium.
essica A. Cooper, a member of the
Class of 2011, was awarded a Fulbright Award by the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. The
Fulbright awards are highly competitive
scholarships for recipients who are academically strong, capable leaders, and
have a record of service. The Fulbright
Program’s goal is to “increase mutual
understanding between the people of the United States
and people of other countries.” Ms. Cooper, a senior editor on the Howard Law Journal, will spend her Fulbright
year in India, where she will teach English. Ms. Cooper
is also very interested in studying educational systems,
one of the primary reasons that she sought the Fulbright
award. “I am extremely excited and humbled to have
ASB: Six Years Later and
Still Going Strong
Photo courtesy of Adams and Reese
T H E
A
lternative Spring Break is one of the many ways
Howard law students lead the fight for social justice. This year, nearly 60 law students went to New Orleans to work in a variety of legal venues, including the
Orleans Parish Public Defenders Office, RocNola, The
Innocence Project, and the Juvenile Justice Center. They
also worked on several legal cases and causes including housing successions, criminal justice, environmental justice, immigrants’ employment needs, and voting
rights. The law firm of Adams and Reese hosted a reception in the students’ honor on March 16, 2011. “We
held this reception to show our firm’s gratitude for the
students’ continued willingness to come to New Orleans
during their spring break to help rebuild our city and to
unselfishly donate their time to people in legal need,”
said Debbie Rouen, Chair of the Adams and Reese Diversity Committee and a partner in the firm’s New Orleans office. The reception was planned by Adams and
Reese Partner Michelle Craig, who wanted the firm to
host the New Orleans reception and worked with Jo Ann
Fax, Assistant Dean for Administration and Operations
(Left to right) Adams and Reese Diversity Committee Chair
Debbie Rouen, with Howard law students Denesha P. James,
Shaterra L. Reed, Tiffany Lindsay, and Taylor N. Lewis.
at the School of Law, to make the reception happen. “At
Adams and Reese, our attorneys are not only encouraged but also required through the firm’s mandatory pro
bono program to give back to their communities. That
these young law students have already begun to live this
message is a tremendous credit to the Alternative Spring
Break program they have created at Howard University,” Craig said. The students are already making plans
for next year.
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T H E
J U R I S T
T H E
J U R I S T
Intellectual Property Summit is First of Its Kind
The Summit brought together student leaders of the Intellectual Property Students Association (IPSA), law
students, professors, lawyers and government officials,
including three of the top IP government officials in the
United States. The Honorable David J. Kappos, Undersecretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office
(USPTO) gave the opening keynote address. Victoria
Espinel, the U.S. Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator, gave the luncheon keynote address, and Sharon Barner, Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for
Intellectual Property and Deputy Director of the USPTO
gave the closing keynote address.
Attendees were invited to form Social Action Empowerment Committees that would develop plans to
inform and educate socio-economically marginalized
communities on the importance of their intellectual
property.
“The watchwords of IIPSJ are inclusion and empowerment. We are working to empower members of
marginalized communities to develop and exploit their
own intellectual property so that they can be included as
full participants in the political, economic, and cultural
life of the country,” said Steven Jamar, associate director of the IIPSJ. The inaugural event was a huge success
and IIPSJ will continue to lead the fight for social justice in the intellectual property arena, he said.
(Left to right) Bianca Cooper (IPSA), Tiffany Tucker (Sullivan & Cromwell), and Howard Law Student and IPSA
President Danielle Moore.
O
n November 5, 2010, Howard University School of
Law’s Institute of Intellectual Property and Social
Justice (IIPSJ) hosted a National Intellectual Property
Empowerment Summit.
The Empowerment Summit was the first of its kind
to be offered at Howard University School of Law and
the inaugural event was truly one for the record books.
Former Deputy Undersecretary of Commerce Sharon
Barner and Professor Steven Jamar.
Director of the USPTO, David J. Kappos and Professor
Lateef Mtima.
6
Shirley Sherrod Delivered
the Charles Hamilton
Houston Lecture
Civil rights leader spoke of incident
that touched off controversial firing.
I
n July 2010, Shirley Sherrod was
forced to resign from her position at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) after
conservative blogger Andrew Breitbart posted video excerpts on his
website of a Sherrod address at an
NAACP event. According to Breitbart, her comments showed how
a federally appointed executive racially discriminated against a white
farmer. The video set off a storm of
controversy and criticism of Sherrod. Subsequent events showed that
the posted video was taken out of
context and part of broader comments that conveyed a completely
different meaning. The NAACP
apologized for critical comments
and her boss at the USDA also apologized while offering her another
job, which she later declined. Sherrod spoke openly about her ordeal
during her address to the students,
Shirley Sherrod took time to speak with Howard law students at the reception held
in her honor. She told students that while the ordeal was stressful, her perseverance and pride guided her. Her ultimate refusal to accept a lesser position with
the Agriculture Department was the right decision, she said.
faculty, and outside guest at the law
school on September 16, 2010. She
also talked about her history as a
civil rights activists who worked
tirelessly during the 1960s to assist
7
the residents of Georgia obtain land.
Sherrod was the first black person
to hold the position of Georgia State
Director of Rural Development.
T H E
J U R I S T
Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez delivered the
Clarence Clyde Ferguson Jr. Lecture
H
a need for enforcement in many
areas, including civil rights, education, fair housing, and even voting rights. “For so many of our
neighbors, true equal opportunity
and equal justice remain just out of
reach. Far too many of our brothers and sisters still live in the shadows of life,” he said. “While we’ve
made great progress challenges remain.”
Perez was nominated by President Barack Obama and was sworn
in on October 8, 2009. He has devoted his entire career to public
service,working in both state and
federal agencies. He spent 12 years
as an attorney in the Justice Department and prosecuted
several high-profile civil rights cases. He encouraged
the law students to consider careers in public service.
“I have been fortunate in my career to witness firsthand
how the law can be used to make the promise of this
nation a reality for individuals and for entire communities.” Perez’s complete lecture will be published in an
upcoming issue of the Howard Law Journal.
Photos by Marvin T. Jones & Associates
oward University School of
Law hosted Thomas E. Perez,
the Assistant Attorney General for
the Civil Rights Division of the
United States Department of Justice, on Thursday, January 20. Perez
delivered the annual lecture which
honors Clarence Clyde Ferguson
Jr., former dean of the law school.
Perez’s lecture was entitled Civil
Rights in 2011 and Beyond:
“This job has taken me to all
corners of the country, and in the
course of my travels, I have frequently encountered people who
wonder why, in 2011, we still need
a Civil Rights Division. Like all of
us, they are proud of the progress we’ve made as a nation. They see an African-American President and an
African American Attorney General. They see a growing number of women and minorities serving in Congress. They see an African American and a Latina on
the Supreme Court. And they assume that these great
symbols of progress mean that the journey toward equal
opportunity and equal justice is complete.”
He said that the Justice Department continues to see
Perez with Montgomery County Maryland County Executive Isiah Leggett ‘68
and Professor of Law Patricia Worthy
‘69.
Perez with members of the Human Rights and Globalization Law Review.
9
T H E
J U R I S T
T H E
Photos by Marvin T. Jones & Associates
LISA L. CROOMS
The Class of 2013 celebrated after the pinning ceremony with Student Bar Association President Brittany McCants (above),
Howard University President Sidney A. Ribeau and First Lady Paula Whetsel-Ribeau (center) and faculty, staff, and alumni
of the law school.
Taking the Pledge to Lead the
Fight for Social Justice
Professor Crooms served as a panelist
at “Advancing Human Rights and Justice for All: A Symposium Celebrating
Legal Aid’s 100th Anniversary.” The
symposium was jointly presented by the
University of Baltimore School of Law
and the University of Maryland School of Law. Professor Crooms’ panel was titled “Using Enforceable Human Rights to Represent Poor People.”
HAROLD H. MCDOUGALL
Professor McDougall joined 23 other
professors from the continental United
States, Hawaii, and Canada in a roundtable discussion at the Department of
Education to discuss civic learning and
democratic engagement. The roundtable
was sponsored by the American Association of Colleges and Universities.
J U R I S T
KURT L. SCHMOKE
Dean Schmoke was included in the 2011
Ford Freedom Award TV special honoring Judge Damon Keith and Judge
Constance Baker Motley. The program,
“Constance Baker Motley & Damon
Keith: Champions of Justice,” aired on
Saturday, May 14, on Detroit television
station WXYZ-TV. The special was sponsored by the
Ford Motor Company and the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit.
ANDREW E. TASLITZ
Professor Taslitz recently published
“Prosecuting the Informant Culture,” in
the Michigan Law Review, 109 MICH.
L. REV. 1077 (2011). His next article,
“Destroying the Village to Save It: The
Warfare Analogy (Or Dis-analogy)
and the Moral Imperative to Address Collateral Consequences,” will appear in the Howard Law Journal’s
Spring 2011 issue.
M
Josephine Harriott ’09 delivered the pinning ceremony address to the eager new
students.
Photos by Marvin T. Jones & Associates
embers of the Class of 2013 have degrees in finance, business, English, biology, economics, international affairs, and political science,
said Assistant Dean of Admissions Reginald McGahee ’02. The class has
an almost equal number of men and women whose average age is 24. The
future leaders come from 30 different states as well as Africa, Asia, and the
Caribbean. “The Class of 2013 will be able to take on the challenges of law
school and leadership,” said Dean McGahee. “They are diverse, excited, and
ready to lead,” he said.
Class of 2013 Profile
Judge Alexander Williams ’85, takes a
moment to greet new student Stanley Love
Tate III.
Average LSAT 153 Average GPA 3.2
Average Age 24
10
Associate Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor visited the law school in February and took time to meet with faculty.
Pictured with the Justice are, left to right, Associate Dean Okianer Christian Dark, Professors Aderson Francois, Patricia
M. Worthy, and Rhea Ballard-Thrower; Assistant Dean Reginald McGahee; and Professors Warner W. Lawson, Laurence
L. Nolan, Homer H. LaRue, Steven Jamar, and Cheryl C. Nichols. The Justice’s visit occurred during the Eighth Annual
James M. Nabrit Jr. Lecture Series. For more on the annual lecture, see page 15.
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T H E
Moot Court Teams Excel
H
oward Law students have been competing in moot
court competitions not only across the country, but
also across the globe. Teams have traveled from Washington, DC, to as far away as India to participate in
competitions. By doing so, they have brought recognition and pride to the law school, in addition to a host of
trophies, plaques, and first place wins! Here is a brief
summary of team achievements:
Goler Teal Butcher International
Moot Court Team
I
n February, three members from the Class of 2011
traveled to Mumbai, India, to participate in the D.M.
Harish International Moot Court Competition. Waris
Husain, the team’s captain, won Best Oralist for the entire competition. Member James Harris-Chappell was
the fourth Best Oralist in the competition overall. Teammate Ral Nwankwo served as the team’s researcher. The
India team competed against hundreds of students from
across the world, defeating teams from Ethiopia, Mauritania, and Australia. The team also had the pleasure
of mooting against the University of Moscow. “It was
J U R I S T
a great experience,” said Captain Hussain. The students
also beat teams from New York University and Columbia University.
Team members Marwan McRae, Francine Foote,
Arssy Hagos, and Kamal Nesfield competed at the Phillip C. Jessup International Moot Court Competition.
During the Mid-Atlantic Rounds, Howard University
School of Law was ranked 10 out of 26 schools and
won three quarters of the rounds that they competed in.
Hagos was ranked as 17th Best Oralist while Nesfield
was ranked 11th Best Oralist! Both earned over 90% averages in their oral advocacy round scores. The Jessup
Competition is considered one of the most prestigious
competitions in the world.
Huver I. Brown Trial Advocacy
Moot Court Team
F
our students represented Howard Law in the American Association for Justice 2011 National Student
Trial Advocacy Competition in Arlington, VA, from
March 3-6, 2011. The students were Ethan Ashley, Denesha James, Angelica Jenkins, and Shaterra Reid.
Howard was also represented at the National Trial
Competition in Richmond, VA, from February 3-6,
2011. The students who competed were Tae Denise
Gray, Stacy M. Allen, Elijah Johnson Jr., and Gregory
Johnson.
Charles Hamilton Houston Moot
Court Team
C
lass of 2012 team members Khlya Craine and Sheila
Isong advanced to the final sixteen of the Federal
Bar Association’s Thurgood Marshall Memorial Moot
Court Competition. In addition, Rustin Brown and
Thomas Russell III advanced to the quarterfinals of
Widener Law’s Ruby Vale Corporations Moot Court
Competition.
In February, team members Lorna Henry, Stacey
Sublett, Tamica Norton, Ebony Wheaton, Allison Fax,
and Althar Haseebullah competed at George Washington University and Catholic University respectively.
The members finished strong in both regionals.
(Left to right) Ral Nwankwo, James Harris-Chappell and
Waris Husain, in Mumbia, India. The students competed
against hundreds of students from around the world. Husain
received the Best Oralist Award.
All of the moot court teams demonstrated the excellence of Howard University School of Law students!
13
T H E
J U R I S T
Benefit Dinner 2010: Raising Funds to Support the Law School
Eighth Annual James M. Nabrit Jr. Lecture Series Featured
Associate Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor
Justice Sotomayor met students from La Alianza, the Latino Student Association. Membership in La Alianza offers all
Howard law students the unique opportunity to explore legal issues in Latino-related fields and provides a forum for
learning about different Latino cultures. Pictured, left to right are John P. Lujan, Brenda Perina, Alia I. Puig, Sheila
Mahadevan, Maria Daniel-Asturias, Justice Sotomayor, Awais M. Khaleel, Eva M. Moreno, Juan Carlos Lopez, Taris
T. Burgess, and Geovanny E. Martinez, President of La Alianza.
Alice Gresham Bullock ’75, Dean Kurt L. Schmoke, and Vernon Jordan ’68, at the 2010 Benefit Dinner in October 2010.
“It is always a great pleasure to welcome reunion classes, other graduates, friends, and supporters of the Howard University
School of Law,” said Dean Schmoke. See page 20 for more photos of the special occasion.
T
he 76,000 square-foot, four story, crescent shaped structure with expansive windows and a grand stone staircase
leading to the Main Reading Room is a magnificent achievement in architectural design. The Law Library provides space for a book collection of up to 225,000 volumes and can seat more than 300 students. With wireless access
throughout and a 52-seat computer training room, the Law Library is truly a resource for the 21st century. For more
information about the Law Library, visit http://library.law.howard.edu.
14
Photo courtesy of the U.S. Supreme Court
On May 29, 2001, the law school moved into its new state-of-the-art law library. On May 26, 2011, the Howard University
School of Law hosted a reception in the library to honor the momentous occasion.
n Monday February 14, 2011, Dean Kurt L. Schmoke and Howard
University School of Law hosted Associate Supreme Court Justice
Sonia Sotomayor as guest lecturer for the annual series. Justice Sotomayor
held “A Conversation with Howard Law Students,” a private discussion
which included a question and answer segment about the Justice’s journey
to the Supreme Court, her life on the court, her favorite cases, and other
questions. The more than hour-long session was peppered with many words
of advice and wisdom to the law students as they contemplate their futures
and careers. The conversation concluded in an exciting photo-taking opportunity for the students. The Justice also took time out to have lunch with
student leaders and others. The students said it was an honor and a privilege
to meet the Justice and to listen to her words of wisdom.
Photos by Marvin T. Jones & Associates
Celebrating 10 Years of Excellence:
O
Left, Howard law students with Justice
Sotomayor in the Moot Court Room.
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T H E
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T H E
J U R I S T
Eighth Annual James M. Nabrit Jr. Lecture Series
Eighth Annual James M. Nabrit Jr. Lecture Series
William T. Coleman Jr.: Counselor for the Situation
B
Pictured below: Bill Coleman with Howard Law Student
Taris Burgess, daughter Lovida, and President Emeritus
of Howard University H. Patrick Swygert ’68.
Photos by Marvin T. Jones & Associates
16
The Lawyer in
Public Service:
Photos by Marvin T. Jones & Associates
Valerie B. Jarrett
V
alerie B. Jarrett is a Senior Advisor to President Barack
Obama and also oversees four departments: The offices
of Public Engagement, Intergovernmental Affairs, Olympic
Paralympic and Youth Sports, and the White House Office of Urban Affairs. She chairs the White House Council
on Women and Girls and leads the White House’s business
outreach efforts. Prior to joining the Obama administration,
Ms. Jarrett served as the President and Chief Executive
Officer of The Habitat Company. She served as Co-Chair of
the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition Team, and Senior
Advisor to Obama’s presidential campaign.
Jarrett said that her work on the presidential campaign
was the “most exciting thing I’ve ever worked on in my
life.” She also admitted that public service can be very “hard
and not for the faint of heart.” She said public servants have
to stick to their core principles and beliefs and always be
honest with themselves. Jarrett said that she is very proud
of the work she does as a member of the Obama administration because she is leaving a legacy of service and commitment to her family and to the citizens of the United States of
America.
17
Photo courtesy of the White House.
ill Coleman, senior partner with O’Melveny
and Myers LLP, former Secretary of the
Department of Transportation, lead strategist on
the legal brief in Brown v. Board of Education,
first American American to serve as a law clerk to
a Supreme Court Justice, recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and author of Counsel
for the Situation, Shaping the Law to Realize
America’s Promis, was the guest speaker for the
afternoon session of the Eighth Annual James
M. Nabrit Jr. Lecture Series. Coleman recounted
numerous stories about his history to a group of
fascinated law students eager to hear more. Some
students were surprised to learn that Coleman was
the first black person to join a major law firm in
New York and Philadelphia. Accompanied by his
daughter Lovida Coleman, Bill discussed the challenges and milestones in his long distinguished
career, and how he used the law to assure that
justice was served. Coleman personally signed
copies of his book for each student in attendance.
Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President
for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public
Engagement.
T
o coincide with Howard Homecoming and the Howard University School of Law Benefit Dinner,
four reunion classes came together
for fellowship and fun times. The
Class of 1960 celebrated its 50th
Reunion and was honored at the
Benefit Dinner on October 30th.
The 35th Reunion Class, the
Class of 1975, organized a reception in the Law Library. During its
planning, the class pledged to raise
at least $25,000 towards the naming of the Reserve Reading Room
in honor of classmate M. Alice
Gresham Bullock, a professor of
law and former dean of the law
school. It was during her deanship
that the New Law Library was constructed and Howard Law retained
its accreditation. The Class of 1975
also will donate $5,000 for a lectern
for the new mini moot court room.
The Class of 1975 is the first class
T H E
J U R I S T
to organize around a major gift for
campus improvement.
The Class of 1980 celebrated its
30th reunion and organized an entire
afternoon on campus that included a
luncheon and a walk down memory
lane. For its slideshow presentation,
members used the law school’s upgraded lecture technology, which
was made possible through a generous donation from a supporter.
The Class of 2005 celebrated its
fifth reunion. It is still the largest
class ever to graduate from Howard law school. Members attended
the happy hour and benefit dinner in
impressive numbers.
The Class of 2005 5th Reunion Class Photo.
Photos by Marvin T. Jones & Associates
The 6th Annual Alumni
Weekend
J U R I S T
Photos by Marvin T. Jones & Associates
T H E
The Class of 1975 35th Reunion Class Photo.
The Class of 1960
50th Reunion Class
Photo with Dean
Schmoke and Howard
University President
Sidney Ribeau.
6th Annual Public Interest Auction
Thank you for your support of the 6th Annual Public Interest Auction! Due to your generosity, 13 first and second year Howard law students received grants for their summer 2010 public interest internships. The students
worked in a variety of public service organizations, from east coast to west coast. See the list below:
Generra C. Boozer
Office of the Public Defender, Dallas County, Texas
Phillip J. Braham
Office of the Public Defender, Los Angeles County, California
Francesca Braz
U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia
Germaine Gabriel
America’s Health Insurance Plans
Kurt N. Koning
Instituto da Crianca (“Children’s Institute”)
Brad M. Lindsay
Elders & Zinicola, PLLC
William J. Roberts
Interfaith Worker Justice
Linsey A. Ruhl
Restaurant Opportunities Center
Jaymes R. Sanford
Federal Defenders of San Diego
Jessica L. Sinkfield
Judge Craig Iscoe, Superior Court of the District of Columbia
Courtney A. Tucker
Office of the Public Defender, Dekalb County, Georgia
Jennifer N. Williams
Children’s Defense Fund
June A. Williams
Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
The Seventh Annual Public Interest Auction was held on Thursday, March 24, 2011 at the law school.
Monetary donations can be made online at www.law.howard.edu.
20
21
T H E
J U R I S T
T H E
ALUMNI HONOR ROLL 2010
Howard University School of Law would like to acknowledge its Alumni
Donors who have made a cash donation to the law school during Fiscal Year
2010 (July 1, 2009 – June 30, 2010).
Cash donations include soft credit and matching gifts made through corporate
or foundation giving on behalf of the graduate. Honor Roll donations do not
include unfulfilled pledges.
1920s
Beverley Brathwaite
1923
1940s
The Honorable Frankie M. Freeman
The Honorable Damon J. Keith*
1947
1949
1950s
William T. Mason, Jr.
Dr. Allie B. Latimer
Edward F. Aarons, III
Ethel Crawford Ellison
The Honorable Albert D. Matthews
John King Rector, III
The Honorable Reginald W. Gibson*
Alvin L. Henry
Thomas James Cunningham, Sr.*
Glenwood P. Roane, Sr.
Theodore U. Carter*
Dorsey Evans, Jr.
Siegel E. Young
The Honorable James H. Coleman, Jr.*
Halvor Thomas Miller, Jr.
William David Moore
Jacqueline S. Williams*
Larry C. Williams*
1950
1953
1954
1954
1954
1955
1956
1956
1957
1957
1958
1958
1958
1959
1959
1959
1959
1959
1960s
The Honorable Willard H. Douglas, Jr.*
Gerald W. Jones
The Honorable John H. Ruffin, Jr.
Trustee Vernon E. Jordan, Jr.*
The Honorable Marcus O. Tucker
The Honorable Thaddeus V. Ware
The Honorable Levan Gordon*
The Honorable Roland W. Burris*
Theodore A. Miles
Leonard W. Lambert
Barbara Whiting-Wright
Lucy R. Edwards
Raymond K. Sewell, Jr.
The Honorable Ricardo C. Jackson
Ruby Burrows McZier
Warren H. Dawson
William R. Hill, Jr.
Nolan N. Atkinson, Jr.
The Honorable Ralph D. Cook, Sr.
Michael S. Pacht
Constance S. Rotan
The Honorable Fred Lee Banks, Jr.
The Honorable Walter L. Evans
The Honorable William P. Greene, Jr.
Ronald C. Hill
1960
1960
1960
1960
1960
1960
1961
1963
1963
1963
1963
1964
1964
1965
1965
1966
1966
1967
1967
1967
1967
1968
1968
1968
1968
Willie L. Hudgins, Jr.*
The Honorable Sharon Pratt
Lee P. Reno
Leonard N. Henderson
Professor H. Patrick Swygert*
Dr. Larkin Arnold, Jr.*
Irene B. Chikaka
Sanford Cloud, Jr.*
Verne A. Hodge
Professor Warner Lawson, Jr.*
The Honorable Rohulamin Quander
Sara B. Rearden
Professor Patricia M. Worthy
1968
1968
1968
1968
1968
1969
1969
1969
1969
1969
1969
1969
1969
1970s
Dr. Daisy G. Collins
The Honorable Xenophon Lang, Jr.
A. Dwight Pettit
Melvin W. Bolden, Jr.
Charles N. Mason, Jr. (posthumously)
Maudine R. Cooper
James W. Dyke, Jr.
Monroe W. Gibbs
Emile L. Julian
Trustee Stacey J. Mobley*
Sherman B. Robinson
Robert M. Willis
The Honorable Mollie Wagner-Neal*
Margo M. Bouchet
Richard T. Cambosos
Harriett T. Heywood
William James
Marshall H. Layton
Franz R. Marshall
Carlton L. Preston
James Arthur Price*
The Honorable Sandra Ann Robinson
Lorenzo W. Crowe, Jr.
L. Hilton Foster, III
The Honorable Gail M. Frazier
Kamau King
Roger C. Maybin
Nigel L. Scott
John F. Mercer
The Honorable Isiah Leggett*
M. Algenita S. Davis
The Honorable Aubrey Ford, Jr.
Ruben Franco
James P. Greene, Sr.
The Honorable Lillian A. McEwen
Eugene A. Sawney
Matthew F. Shannon*
Barry M. Tapp
Eleanor Darden Thompson
22
1970
1970
1970
1971
1971
1971
1971
1971
1971
1971
1971
1971
1971
1972
1972
1972
1972
1972
1972
1972
1972
1972
1973
1973
1973
1973
1973
1973
1973
1974
1974
1974
1974
1974
1974
1974
1974
1974
1974
Ronald J. Walker
Beatrix D. Fields
Professor Mary Alice Gresham
The Reverend Dr. Kwame O. Reed*
Larry Delano Coleman
Jenice R. Golson-Dunlap
Richard M. Humes
Professor W. Sherman Rogers
Robert L. Bell
Annabelle T. Lockhart
The Honorable Charles L. Patton, Jr.
Richard A. Benson
Ivory E. Tucker
David Eliot Butler
Lawrence Donovan
Marilyn B. Hardin
Michael Don Harrell
The Honorable Gregory W. Meeks*
Alvin L. Pittman*
Carl Rhodes
Jean Ann Walker
Charles K. Barber
Darlene G. Barber
Denise Rolark Barnes
Rupert V. Berry*
Lezli E. Baskerville
The Honorable Loretta C. Biggs*
Eva P. Britt
Daniel S. Chung
Lionel R. Collins, Jr.
The Honorable Natalia M. Combs-Greene
Margo Domon Davenport
Robert J. Dowlut*
Earnest Franklin, Jr.
Earl J. Gee
Linda C. Glass
Sylvia F. Hardy
Willard I. Hill, Jr.*
The Honorable Michele Dudley Hotten
Rocquelle A. Jeri
Sister Bernadine Karge
Charles Edward Lawrence, Jr.
Vivian S. Lewis
Richard A. McCray, Sr.
Roberta J. Mims
Glenda H. Owens
Ivy J. Prout
Robert Simms Thompson
Stephanie Y. Bradley
Barbara G. Mason
Gregory E. Smith*
The Honorable Gregory E. Smith*
Roger Vann Smith
Dennis J. Starks
Bertrand S. Thomas
Wenda K. Travers*
The Honorable Joe L. Webster
Joy C. West
Laryce Woodyear
1974
1975
1975
1975
1976
1976
1976
1976
1977
1977
1977
1977
1977
1978
1978
1978
1978
1978
1978
1978
1978
1979
1979
1979
1979
1979
1979
1979
1979
1979
1979
1979
1979
1979
1979
1979
1979
1979
1979
1979
1979
1979
1979
1979
1979
1979
1979
1979
1979
1979
1979
1979
1979
1979
1979
1979
1979
1979
1979
1980s
Sherri N. Blount
Charles W. Cobb*
Sheryl E. Ellison-Blue
James H. Mayo, II
Herbert Moreira-Brown
Carla D. Pittman*
Adrian C. Hunte
Heea Vazirani-Fales
The Honorable Julie M.T. Walker
Beverly Bass Chavous
Deidre S. Davis
1980
1980
1980
1980
1980
1980
1980
1980
1980
1981
1981
Larry D. Dunlap
Clayton A. Graham
James A. McNeair
Coles B. Ruff, Jr.
Wayne Ryan
Richard F. Scotton
C. Hope Brown
Larry R. Handfield
Althea Debarr-Johnson
Bernard W. Smith
Kimberly Reed Thompson
Denise Washington
Patricia Washington-Belk
Linwood C. Wright
The Honorable John M. Younge
James Dodson Bishop
Lorena Smith Cabaniss
Mario P. Chatman
Darryl H. Dennis
Elizabeth B. Distefano
Mirlande Tadal-Jean Louis
The Honorable Wayny Toussaint*
Fredricka A. Wilson
Woodruff C. Adams
Calvin J. Allen
Miguel A. Almodovar
William J. Snipes
Valerie J. Daye
Douglas C. Greene
Stephanie Dowdy Jackson
Ronald Low
Professor Cynthia R. Mabry
Ron L. Magnus
Roxanne M. McElvane
Vincent B. Orange
David C. Points, Jr.
Zenobia J. Peoples
Steven E. Bullock
Jetty Louis Viot, III
Paul R. Webber, IV
Niketa Larrell Wharton
Sylvia G. Ash
Cyril L. Barry
The Reverend Khalfani B.W. Drummer
Ferguson Evans
Vanessa Gilliam-Collier
CeLillianne Green
Senator David B. Haley
Reginald W. Hamilton
Larry E. Hinton
Lonna R. Hooks
Sherry A. Hutchins-Henderson
Mozelle Lee-Daniels
Lisa T. Long
Andrea D. Martin
Singleton McAllister McHenry
Lori G. Millen
Laureen J. Mullins
Kenneth E. Sealls
Michelle C. Clay
Audrey Thomas-Francis
Leven C. Weiss, III
Deborah M. Wood
Sherri L. Wyatt
Vicki C. Bryant
1981
1981
1981
1981
1981
1981
1981
1981
1981
1981
1981
1981
1981
1981
1981
1982
1982
1982
1982
1982
1982
1982
1982
1983
1983
1983
1983
1983
1983
1983
1983
1983
1983
1983
1983
1983
1983
1983
1983
1983
1983
1984
1984
1984
1984
1984
1984
1984
1984
1984
1984
1984
1984
1984
1984
1984
1984
1984
1984
1984
1984
1984
1984
1984
1985
J U R I S T
James M. Hunter
Dena C. Reed
Terry Clayton
Eric S. Buchanan
Yolanda Monroe Galloway
Channing D. Phillips
Michael J. Todd
Wendy Smith Barlow
Ava Green Bedden
A. Scott Bolden
Nichole Jenkins Washington
John D. Williams
The Reverend Rickey N. Jones
Diane Bradley
Millicent D. Newhouse
1985
1985
1985
1985
1986
1986
1986
1987
1987
1987
1987
1987
1988
1989
1989
1990s
Rosalind R. Ray
Rocky J. Galloway
Vonda L. Harris
Fritz G. Jean
Danny G. Jemison
Carol Carr Little
Loren E. Mulraine
Donald M. Remy
Carlton M. Waterhouse
Myron P. Watson
Vickey A. Wright-Smith
Kevin D. Judd
Andrea D. Williams*
Calvin B. Fuller
Gina M. Merritt-Epps
Michael C. Epps
Paula N. Gordon
April Gordon Dawson
Reginald A. Greene
Talib I. Karim
Adam D. Schwartz
John S. Ferrer
Charemon C. Grant
Sheri Watts Streams
L. Rachel Gervin
Sheila Harley Washington*
Rahkel Bouchet Jackson
Julie D. Lawton
Tonya Waller Primus
Abel R. Coombs
Antoinette McIntosh
Neal F. Newman
Tracey Witten Rose
Professor Patrice L. Simms
Sha-Shana N. L. Crichton
Shai A. Littlejohn
Karin E. Ward
1990
1991
1991
1991
1991
1991
1991
1991
1991
1991
1991
1992
1992
1993
1993
1994
1994
1994
1995
1995
1995
1996
1996
1996
1997
1997
1997
1997
1997
1998
1998
1998
1998
1998
1999
1999
1999
2000s
Tovah R. Calderon
Steve Cherfils
Khalif I. Ford
Tyresse Horne
Alicia J. Hubbard
Darren P. Riley
Ryan K. Harding
Demetria L. McCain
2000
2000
2000
2000
2000
2000
2001
2001
Troy W. Poole
Antonia R. Soares
Reginald A. McGahee
Sonia Williams Murphy
Miriam E. Paul-Thacker
Melvin L. Sims
Mark Yann Thacker
Semira Asfaha
Jasbir Kaur Bawa
Cleon Lincoln Cauley, Sr.
Lenore Faye Horton
Michael Howard
Kamal Anwar Kamara
Johnna Michelle Rowe
Lyzette Monique Wallace
Akinbowale Olumide Adekeye
Samuel Addison Anyan
David G. Clunie
LaShanta Harris
Idris N. McKelvey
Kenneth John Nichols
Lani P. Shaw*
Jaron R. Shipp
L. Christopher Stewart
Leah C. Aden
Michelle A. Jones
Ernest D. Lyles, III
Elizabeth F. Matory
Princess D. Lyles
Alan B. Spencer
Henry A. Thompson, II*
Joyce A. Williams
Natalie Nicole Gunn
William W. Nesbitt
Denaka L. Perry
Marian M. Zapata-Rossa
Damarr Butler
Pawandeep K. Chatha
Patrice O. Clark
M. Lindsay Coker
Nina R. Frant*
Kristyan Rose Gilmore
Michele E. Gutrick
Caroline Boucher Hutton
Raina Marie Johnson
Erin N. McCoy
Gregory A. Thorp
Marques S. Johnson
Jack N.E. Pitts, Jr.
Sean P. Jamieson
James L. Moffett
Darla D. Woodring
2001
2001
2002
2002
2002
2002
2002
2003
2003
2003
2004
2004
2004
2004
2004
2005
2005
2005
2005
2005
2005
2005
2005
2005
2006
2006
2006
2006
2006
2006
2006
2006
2007
2007
2007
2007
2008
2008
2008
2008
2008
2008
2008
2008
2008
2008
2008
2008
2008
2009
2009
2009
2010s
Chelsea C. Freeman
Janine A. McKinnon
Emily C. Rutledge
2010
2010
2010
Thank you for your generous and
thoughtful support!
Individuals followed by an * are eligible for the 2010 Langston Society having personally donated $1,000 or more to Howard University School of Law during
Fiscal Year 2010.
If you would like your name to be removed from our Honor Roll, or to make a correction, please contact the Office of Development and Alumni Relations at
huslalumni@law.howard.edu or (202) 806-8177.
23
T H E
J U R I S T
New Interview Rooms for the Office of Career Services!
On April 19, a ribbon cutting ceremony was held to unveil two newly refurbished interview rooms in
the Office of Career Services. The remodeling project was funded by the Class of 2011. Class President
Rachel Johnson (left), Vice President Charles Randall, Career Services Director LuEllen Conti, and Dean
Schmoke cut the ribbon on the new offices.
Left to right, Kristin Dobbs, Rickeysha Godfrey, Shaterra Reed, Conti, Schmoke, JoAnn Fax, Johnson, Katina
Chase, Randall, and Emil Ali proudly show off one of the beautiful new rooms.
25
T H E
J U R I S T
A Different Alternative:
SPRING BREAK IN CHICAGO
H
Howard Law Professor Josephine Ross took several
law students and an assistant to Chicago to teach
workshops at three inner city high schools. “Our
goals were to instill some enthusiasm for the legal
issues of our day and the rights embedded in the
Constitution along
with encouraging the
high school students
to go to college and
even law school,”
said Ross. Here, she
shares the story of
ASB Chicago:
“How many of
you have had runins with the police
similar to what I just
described or know
someone close to
you who has?” asked
Stanley Tate III in a
booming voice that
filled the classroom.
Almost every hand
went up.
Raven Radley and Stanley Tate III were participating in Alternative Spring Break Chicago. From
March 14 to March 17, 2011, six law students went
to Chicago and taught workshops at three inner city
high schools. The students were selected based on
their enthusiasm and commitment to forty hours of
research and preparation before arriving in Chicago.
ASB Chicago was a unique undertaking for several
reasons. First, we created a new model for teaching
inner city youth constitutional issues, striving for interactive learning that would feel energetic and fresh
to the high school classes. Rather than going to their
classrooms, they came to us, with our students sometimes entertaining two classes at once. Second, that
took advantage of expertise in the education field by
collaborating with teaching professionals at National Louis University in Chicago. They helped create
the model and gave feedback when our law students
sent descriptions of what they planned to present.
Third, it was the first time that our law school expanded its alternative spring break programs outside
of New Orleans.
“Let’s keep it real,” Mr. Tate would say if stu-
dents complained that his imitation of a police stop
was too cordial, too sanitized. He would then allow
the students to act out their police experience on him
while Raven Radley helped shaped the students’ understanding of the encounter within the twists and
turns of Fourth Amendment law on search and seizure. In one class, so many students questioned their
ability to assert their rights safely that Raven and
Stanley began focusing the class on remedies. Not
only did the law students tell the students how to
make a complaint online, they fostered a discussion
about protecting their neighborhood from unlawful
police harassment. Students were clearly engaged,
raising their hands to participate. “They engaged
much more than they do in my class,” one teacher
whispered to me.
Our students offered three other workshops in
addition to “Know Your Rights.”
26
T H E
J U R I S T
David Dirk taught about Exonerations through DNA
using a Jeopardy-style game. Maryam Mujahid had
students simulate a modern jury deliberation for the
case described in To Kill A Mockingbird to explain
why jury service constitutes such a significant right.
Brittany Gause and Daniel Cornelious taught Cyber
Bullying and the First Amendment using an Oxford
style debate.
Maryam Mujahid started out her workshop
discussing To Kill a Mockingbird. She asked the
students how Tom must have felt knowing that everyone believed him to be innocent yet knowing he
would be convicted regardless. She then explained
the limitations in jury selection in the South reflected
in the novel and how the Court has instituted some
major improvements. Next, she took volunteers to
role play a modern jury determining Tom’s fate. To
those who volunteered, she handed cards describing
something about them and how they might vote. The
whole class had an opportunity to hear the simulation. Maryam was expert at pulling out from students their thoughts about what they learned. In one
workshop she had to reach students whose primary
language was Spanish and also teach students who
understood the jury system from their own work on
the “peer jury.” This ended up being one of her favorite classes.
The “peer jury” system at Farragut Career Community High School allows students who commit
minor infractions to be tried by a jury of their peers
to determine the appropriate punishment or remedy.
David Dirks took part in a role play the high school
students put together. He played a student who had
been rude to a teacher and who thought he had really
done anything wrong. That is, until the peer jury students asked probing questions and soon he began to
see his behavior in a different light. To make sure everyone has a chance to speak, there’s a yellow duck
handed around; whoever holds the duck is allowed
to speak. Eventually they counsel him to change his
attitude and rely on friends and work out a contract
with him. The peer jury students had just come from
Maryam’s workshop and they were excited about
continuing to interact with our law students.
David Dirks created a workshop about science
in the courtroom based on information from the
innocence project. His workshop was a particular draw for science teachers. Students got excited
27
about earning points in the jeopardy game as well as
astonished by some of the statistics about false convictions. David used each question in his game as
a jumping off point for a little background on false
convictions and the role that science played in proving innocence. The energy was so high in David’s
classroom that he changed the rules to make them
slightly less competitive.
In the Cyber Bullying, the high school students
were asked to take a position on whether the school
should be able to monitor student Facebook pages
to help prevent violence. Most students thought the
school should not be allowed to do this, but they were
divided into teams regardless of personal opinion. I
was enlisted to work with one group. I enjoyed helping students figure out arguments they could make
and seeing them grasp the notion that this, in fact, is
what lawyers do. “How much money can you make
as a lawyer?” one student asked me. After the arguments were made to the full class, another vote was
taken. The change in opinions determined a winner
at Oxford; for this workshop, it was but one of many
observations that Brittany Gause would point out at
the end of class.
Students continuously improved their workshops, finding what worked best, and tailoring them
to the varied audiences before them. They also supported each other in countless ways, rehearsing when
we first arrived and going to each other’s programs
when they had a break during the day. The group
was made up of two first year students, two second
year law students and three three L’s so there was a
good deal of mentoring the brave 1L’s.
The high school students asked about Howard
undergraduate and about what they needed to do to
get into college and how long it took to become a
lawyer.
The teachers were excited that we were there.
We were welcomed warmly at all three schools: Farragut Career Community High School, Uplift Community High School, and Wells Community Academy High School.
Our students ended each day exhausted, inspired
and glad that most law school classes do not start
before 9am.
For comments from our law students about the
trip, you can link to this video: http://www.nl.edu/
news/howardlawvisit.cfm.
A
lumnus Charles Moore, of
D.C. office White & Case LLP,
presented a check and plaque to
Alumna Ritu Narula ‘10, for the
Best Student Note published in the
Howard Law Journal during 20092010. Narula’s Comment, “Wait, I
Didn’t Even Know My Picture Was
Taken!”: Application of the Discovery Rule to a Right of Publicity
Claim, was submitted by the Journal to the Burton Foundation’s annual awards contest, which honors
law school students who use “plain, clear and concise language and avoid archaic, stilted legalese” in
their writing. Moore presented the check and plaque during the Howard Law Journal’s 10th Anniversary
Judicial Reception in April 2011. Narula was unable to attend due to work commitments but was honored
to receive the award.
Photo courtesy of Bruce Sanders, Investor Justice Clinic
Investor Justice & Education Clinical Law Program
Students Tour the Historic New York Stock Exchange
On February 25, 2011, students from the Investor Justice and Education Clinic (IJEC) spent an exciting
and educational day touring the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). The IJEC provides upper level students with a unique opportunity to acquire practical skills training and knowledge in the exciting field of
securities arbitration and investor protection. In the photo, (from left to right) IJEC Supervising Attorney
Bruce Sanders and IJEC students Lindsey J. Mahoney, Andrea Wooding, Aariel C. Holmes, Courtney A.
Tucker, Nadia Persaud, Christopher J. Boone, and Noel N. Isama discuss the workings of the NYSE with
Jim Maguire (center), the longtime NYSE floor broker for the stock of Berkshire Hathaway, a company
run by legendary investor Warren Buffett. Berkshire’s stock traded that day at $127,000 per share!
29
Photos by Marvin T. Jones & Associates
Alumna Receives
White & Case LLP
“Best Student
Note” Award
T H E
T H E
J U R I S T
J U R I S T
Howard University School of Law
Congratulates the Class of 2011!
1940s
Adam M. Acosta
Yaa Aba Acquaah
Rais Akbar
Emil J. Alí
Stacy M. Allen
Tanell L. Allums
Arielle C. Alman
Courtney Alvarez
Brandes S. G. Ash
Ethan Charles Ashley
Charnay Augustin
Charlene Alicia Austin
Monica Ayala
Jessica R. Babridge
Alpha Bah
Emerson David Ballard III
Yonné S. Bellamy
Brandon Patrick Best
Brittney Shannon Blakeney
Christopher Jerry Boone
Sandi Pessin Boyd
Phillip J. Braham
Ebonie I. Branch
Regina L. Branch
Francesca Magaly Braz
Patrice Nicole Brooks-Gelling
Taris T. Burgess
Mark Spencer Byrd
Carlton Campbell, Jr.
Sheri Danielle Campbell
Elizabeth Ann Capunitan
Denon Marcelle Carr
Corinne Elizabeth Cater
Katina E. Chase
Bianca Irene Mariah Cooper
Jessica A. Cooper
Daniel Lee Cornelious, Jr.
Melissa M. Crespo
Ashlee Jené Davis
Stephen Matthew Davis, Jr.
Laura Anne Rose DeMichelis
Dominic A. Dickerson
Pat D. Dixon III
Jason Alexander Dixon-Acosta
Kristin E. Dobbs
Kareine Odelaine Durand
Tanisha M. Elliott
Reshaun Markie Finkley
LaToya Katrice Fluellen
Brad Mitchell Lindsay
Tiffany Nicole Lindsay
Ronan Allan Geronimo
La’Cresha A. Getter
Tamika Gibson
Aisha V. Granville
Marla Lauren Greenberg
Elana Jenice Greenway
Jason Jibri Griffin
Michelle Sonya Griffin
Tamika Chanelle Griffin
Megan M. Grimball
Abikanile Nayo Mack-Williams
Sheila Mahadevan
Justin Mann
Synda Aloma John Mark
Geovanny Edmundo Martinez
Cheryl Matthews
Ashkea Herron McAllister
Brittany Ann McCants
Zila McDowell
La’Vonda Lynn McLean
Andrew Charles Mendrala
Brittany Mobley
Danielle Alisha Moore
Eva Margarita Moreno
Jana Moses
Robert Motta, Jr.
Dawn N. Myers
Amanda Janette Hackett
Sali Hama
Bilal Harris
James Lawrence Harris-Chappell
David Matthew Helfrich
Lorna Maria Henry
Koryn Nichole High
Alizabeth A. Holland
Jami Elena Holland
Aaron Michael Holloway
Derick George Holt
Sameer Hossain
April Nicole Hunter
Waris Husain
Julian Adam Jackson
Sha-Kara Elouise Jackson
Kevin Michael Wagner Jacobs
Denesha Patrice James
Clinton Jerard Johnson
Gregory L. Johnson
Rachel Cooper Johnson
Dwane Omar Jones
Nadia Nicole Jones
30
Justin Wharton
Ebony Nicole Wheaton
Katarina E. Wiegele
Camden W. Williams
Ashley Elise Oaks
Kolawole S. Onifade
Loreál Kristian Andrews
Walter A. Bernard
Howard E. Conday, Jr.
Nikkia C. Gause
Vernon Louis Taylor, Jr.
Shari A. Salu
Dwayne D. Sam
Jaymes R. Sanford
Carly I. Scott
Michale Alecia Sheckleford
Naza Nicole Shelley
Deenea Shepherd
Marcus Leach
Celia Holli Lewis
Taylor Nicole Lewis
Elizabeth O. Ugbomah
Idongesit T. Umo
Forrest Brandon Young
Christopher J. Randle
Alta Marlynn Ray
Shaterra LaFaye Reed
Patricia Roberts
William J. Roberts
Sheila Brittany Ruffin
Darcia A. M. Rufus
Kitanya L. Kelly
Candace Iman Key
Olufolajimi Abayomi Kolawole
Louis F. Kolodner
LaKera Chalice Tompkins
Fathia D. Touray
Andre J. Townsend
Orton E. Ndau
Kamal Steven Nesfield
Tamica C. Norton
Raluchukwu Nwankwo
Karanja Jafari Patterson
Juan Carlos Perez
Brenda Thys Perina
Branden Otis Phillips
Andrew Lee Power
Mummi S. Ibrahim
Noel Isama
Jeffrey Lee Simon
Crystal Singleton
K’Shaani O. Smith
Serena Marilyn Smith
Jarrett Brandon Stroman
Stacey Jean Sublett
Nadia Persaud Suter
Eliot Leila Sutler
JURIS DOCTOR/MASTER OF
BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
MASTER OF LAWS
Bruno Correa de Araujo
Nyahe Godson
Gurpreet Kaur
Yousun Kim
Muma Estella Ngwepekem
Sebastien Esapa Njang
FRANKIE MUSE FREEMAN ’47, will be honored with
the National Association for
the Advancement of Colored
People’s (NAACP) Spingarn
Medal, the NAACP’s highest
honor. Freeman will become
the 96th recipient of the award
and will be honored during the
NAACP national convention in
Los Angeles, on July 28, 2011.
In 1964, Freeman became the
first black woman ever appointed to the U.S. Commission on
Civil Rights. In 2003, Freeman
published her memoir, A Song
of Faith and Hope.
1950s
DOVEY J. ROUNDTREE ’50,
will receive the 2011 Torchbearer Award from the Women’s Bar
Association of the District of
Columbia and the WBA Foundation. The annual presentation
will be held in Washington, DC.
Roundtree’s autobiography,
Justice Older than the Law, is
available in paperback from
Amazon.com and other bookstores.
1960s
RETIRED JUDGE MARCUS
O. TUCKER received the first
ever “Rainbow Award” presented by the Edmund D. Edelman
Children’s Court of Los Angeles
County, for his commitment
and advocacy for children.
“Judge Tucker looked beyond
the courtroom to meet the needs
of children and youth, “said the
organizers of the event. Tucker
and his classmates were recent
honorees at the Law School’s
2010 Benefit Dinner. Tucker is
also the author of the Marcus
Tucker Collection, a unique
series of books about black men
of courage.
Pratt was sworn in on October
20, 2010. A native of Indiana,
Pratt was recommended by then
Indiana Senator Evan Bayh to
President Barack Obama. She
was confirmed by the United
States Senate in a 95-0 vote.
1970s
1990s
NORWOOD HOLLAND
’78, recently published a novel
entitled Sleepless Nights. The
book is available in bookstores
and by contacting the author at
www.norwoodholland.com.
THOMAS MITCHELL ’93,
was cited in Dukeminier, Krier,
et al Property casebook (Aspen
7th Edition, AT 346-47). All
Howard University School of
Law property professors use this
book in their courses.
MICHELE D. HOTTEN ’79,
was appointed to the Maryland
Court of Special Appeals for the
Fourth Appellate Circuit, in August of 2010. She was sworn in
by Maryland Governor Martin
O’Malley. Hotten is the first African American woman to hold
a position on any appellate court
in Maryland.
1980s
SHEILA R. TILLERSON
ADAMS ’82, was appointed
by Chief Judge Robert M. Bell
of the Prince George’s County
Circuit, an administrative judge
of the Prince George’s County
Circuit Court and the Seventh
Judicial Circuit.
CELILLIANNE GREEN ’84,
recently published a poetry book
entitled That Word. The book
is available by contacting the
author at cgreenatty@aol.com.
TANYA WALTON PRATT
’84, became Indiana’s first African American Federal judge.
31
KIMBERLY KNOWLES
’96, was appointed Magistrate
Judge by Chief Judge Lee F.
Satterfield. Prior to this appointment, Knowles served in
the Appellate, General Felony,
Community Prosecution and
Major Crimes, Fraud and Public
Corruption and Sex Offense/Domestic Violence Sections of the
United States Attorney’s Office
for the District of Columbia.
JUDGE MECA L. WALKER
’97, of the 247th District Court
in Houston, Texas, has been
elected to membership in the
Fellows of the Texas Bar Foundation. Fellows are selected for
their outstanding professional
achievements and their demonstrated commitment to improving the justice system throughout the state of Texas.
ERROL ARTHUR ’98, was
appointed by Chief Judge Lee
F. Satterfield on August 2, 2010.
Continued on page 30
T H E
Continued from page 31
Prior to his appointment, Arthur
ran his own law firm. Arthur
represented clients in the District of Columbia and in Maryland in criminal, delinquency,
child abuse and neglect, and
civil matters.
OLU ORANGE ’98, successfully represented the son of
Sammy Davis Jr., in a battle
over the late entertainer’s estate.
The estate is reportedly worth
more than $10 million.
JAWANZA PHOENIX ’99,
recently published a poetry
book entitled The Intersection
of Beauty and Crime. The book
is available by contacting the
author at jawanzap@aol.com.
2000s
JANINE HANCOCK JONES
’00, has joined the law firm
of Bricker & Eckler LLP as a
J U R I S T
member of the Employment and
Labor group. Jones counsels and
represents clients on all management side labor- and employment-related issues including race, gender, age, disability
and religious discrimination,
sexual harassment, the Family
and Medical Leave Act and the
Fair Labor Standards Act. Her
practice also includes counseling and representing clients
in arbitrations and collective
bargaining labor negotiations
from bargaining through factfinding.Prior to joining the firm,
Jones served as the Senior Advisor and Deputy Legal Counsel
to former Ohio Governor Ted
Strickland.
CHANELLE P. HARDY
’04, joined the National Urban
League as the Executive Director of the National Urban
League Policy Institute. Hardy
worked in the office of U.S.
House of Representative Artur
Davis prior to her appointment. At Howard, Hardy was a
member of the Huver I. Brown
Moot Court Team and a student
attorney in the Criminal Justice
Clinic.
AWENATE COBBINA ’09
will be serving as Chief of Staff
for the White House Office of
Legislative Affairs. Prior to
joining the Administration, he
interned and worked for many
public and private sector entities
including the Office of Management and Budget, Democratic
Steering and Outreach Committee, National Labor Relations Board, National Football
League, and Weil, Gotshal &
Manges LLP.
In Memoriam
ETHEL ELLISON, Class of
1954, April 2010 in Washington, DC.
DAVID N. HEYWOOD, Class
of 1971, December 2010 in
Chicago, IL.
ARCHON KENNETH
SAFFOLD (KENNY), Class
of 1978, October 2010 in Mendota Heights, Minnesota
Pictured: Howard law alumnus A. Scott Bolden ’87, (standing, left,
front row) at the first ever meeting of African American Managing
Partners. The meeting was held during the 2010 Congressional Black
Caucus weekend. The meeting was hosted by Grace Speights, the MP
of the Washington office of Morgan Lewis. The weekend was organized
by John W. Daniels, Jr, the Chairman and MP of Quarles and Brady,
and Benjamin Wilson of Beveridge & Diamond, PC.
32
CHIEF JUSTICE LEROY
HASSELL SR., friend of Howard University School of Law,
February 2011 in Richmond,
Virginia.