Brumby Distinguished Professor in First Amendment Law Sonja R. West moderated "The Press and the Separation of Powers: The News Media's Relationships with Public and Private Power" panel as part of the Association of American Law School's Annual Meeting during January. As chair of the AALS Section on Communication, Media & Information Law, she performed this role.
Woodruff Chair in International Law Diane Marie Amann was featured in Vox regarding her thoughts on presidential pardoning power. The article titled "President Trump is considering pardoning himself. I asked 15 experts if that's legal?" was written by Sean Illing and published 1/7/21.
Former Dean Edward D. "Ned" Spurgeon passed away on January 2 at the age of 81, after battling cancer for several years. He served as dean of our law school from 1993 to 1998 and was a member of our faculty for another five years specializing in law, public policy and aging; taxation of gifts, estates and trusts; and estate planning. After leaving Georgia, his connection to the law school remained constant through his support of the Spurgeon Fellowship, which provides funding for law students working in summer public interest positions. Dean Spurgeon was a leader, scholar, teacher and mentor to many. He is survived by his wife, Carol; his sons, Michael and Stephen; his daughters-in-law, Elizabeth and Janie; his sister Joan Brennan and four grandchildren.
Shackelford Distinguished Professor in Taxation Law Gregg D. Polsky published "The Impact of the 2017 Tax Act on Certain Personal Injury Plaintiffs" in 12 Columbia Journal of Tax Law 27 (2020).
Brock Associate Professor in Professional Responsibility Nathan S. Chapman published "Forgotten Federal-Missionary Partnerships: New Light on the Establishment Clause" in 96 Notre Dame Law Review 677 (2020).
Associate Dean for Clinical Programs and Experiential Learning & Hosch Associate Professor Jason A. Cade published "'Water is Life!' (and Speech!): Death, Dissent, and Democracy in the Borderlands" in 96 Indiana Law Journal 261 (2020).
Brock Associate Professor in Professional Responsibility Nathan S. Chapman was featured on Bloomberg Law regarding religious accommodations relating to work requirements. The article titled "Religious Vaccine Objections to Clash With Employer Defense" was written by Robert Iafolla and published 12/28/20.
The Community Health Law Partnership Clinic's Jason A. Cade and Kristen E. Shepherd and the First Amendment Clinic's Clare R. Norins were featured in Law360 regarding their representation of women who allegedly endured abusive gynecological and other medical treatments while in the custody of U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. The class action complaint asserts that the women suffered retaliation, including expedited deportation, for speaking up about the medical abuse. The article titled "Detained Migrants In Ga. Launch Medical Abuse Class Action" was written by Jennifer Doherty and published 12/23/20.
Callaway Chair Elizabeth Chamblee Burch was featured in The Washington Post regarding the pandemic's effects on jury trials. The article titled "Virus stalls long-awaited day in court for historic opioid lawsuit" was written by Meryl Kornfield and published 12/27/20. The article was reprinted by other media outlets across the country.
Clinical Assistant Professor & First Amendment Clinic Director Clare R. Norins was featured on Fox 5 Atlanta regarding a lawsuit the clinic filed against a county commissioner who blocked a constituent's access to his interactive Facebook page that he used to communicate with the public about his official activities after she criticized his response to constituent concerns. The Dec. 31, 2020 article titled "Politician broke promise to unblock critics from Facebook, costing taxpayers at least $160,000" and related Dec. 29, 2020 news broadcast were reported by Randy Travis.
University Professor & Kilpatrick Chair of Corporate Finance and Securities Law Usha Rodrigues was featured on NPR's "Morning Edition" regarding special acquisition companies. The segment titled "SPACs: The Backwards IPO That's Taking Over Wall Street" was hosted by Camila Domonoske and aired 12/28/20.
The Community Health Law Partnership clinic recently obtained release of a client from an immigration detention center in Georgia pursuant to the district court's order in Fraihat v. ICE, which requires new assessments and release determinations for individuals at heightened risk of contracting COVID-19 while in custody. Third-year student Raneem Ashrawi helped prepare the request along with clinic Staff Attorney Kristen E. Shepherd and clinic Director Jason A. Cade.
The School of Law was mentioned in a Common Dreams article regarding the work of the Community Health Law Partnership Clinic and the First Amendment Clinic. The clinics are serving as co-counsel in a putative class action filed December 21, 2020, on behalf of women who allegedly endured medical abuse and retaliation for speaking out about it while in the custody of U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. The article titled "Class-Action Suit Sought Over 'Disturbing Pattern of Inhumane Medical Abuse' of ICE Detainees Including Forced Hysterectomies" was written by Andrea Germanos and published 12/22/20.
The First Amendment Clinic authored an amicus brief filed in the Georgia Court of Appeals that challenges a lower court's decision to weaken Georgia's sunshine laws. Writing in the case of Love v. Atlanta Falcons Stadium Company, LLC on behalf of fellow amici - the Georgia Press Association and the Georgia First Amendment Foundation - the clinic's brief addressed whether documents relating to a government-contracted, tax-funded construction project are publicly obtainable under Georgia's Open Records Act. Third-year student Nneka I. Ewulonu co-authored the brief with clinic Director Clare R. Norins.
Congratulations to Mandy Dixon, winner of the 2020 Emma Terrell Distinguished Employee Award. Presented annually by the Law School Staff Representative Group, the award recognizes staff members who have demonstrated "a strong work ethic, commitment to service, and exceptional job performance as well as the cooperation needed ... to ensure the School of Law meets and exceeds its goals."
"Congratulations to our 2020 graduates on their incredible success in Georgia and around the country, during a year that required them to show incredible grit and resilience," UGA School of Law Dean Peter B. "Bo" Rutledge said. "Their success on the bar exam represents a key test of our school's vision to be the nation's best return on investment in legal education. Thanks to the faculty and staff, especially Tony Waller and other members of the bar preparation working group for supporting our students during their preparations; thanks too to the School of Law's generous contributors who provided over $120,000 in support toward our bar prep stipend program over the past two years. That authentic support for our students distinguishes our community and will continue to be there for them."
First Amendment Clinic Legal Fellow Samantha Hamilton was featured in the Georgia Recorder regarding Columbus Water Works releasing details of legal charges associated with new water quality requirements being imposed. The article titled "Columbus spends big to fight against Chattahoochee pollution limits" was written by Jill Nolin and published 12/17/20.
The Appellate Litigation Clinic has won one of its cases in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. In Arellano Herrera v. Barr, third-year student Jason N. Sigalos argued for deferral of removal under the Convention Against Torture with the main issues being whether the clinic's client could relocate and whether a government official would acquiesce to her torture. Sigalos co-wrote the briefs with fellow third-year student Mollie M. Fiero and 2020 graduate John Lex Kenerly IV. Notably, this was the first virtual oral argument for the clinic and its students.
Associate Professor Fazal R. Khan was featured on 11 Alive, Atlanta's NBC TV affiliate, regarding whether or not your employer can require you to get a vaccine. The "Why Guy" segment titled "Why can your employer require you to get a COVID vaccine?" hosted by Jerry Carnes aired 12/16/20.
The School of Law recently honored several employees for their years of service to the institution. Additionally, four individuals who are retiring were recognized.