Thanks to a recent $200,000 gift from the Callaway Foundation, the University of Georgia School of Law will expand the provision of legal services through its experiential learning programs, clinics and externships to rural and legally underserved communities in the Peach State. In addition, the school envisions scheduling "local legal service days" in Georgia counties, beginning with Troup County this summer.
The University of Georgia has awarded 12 grants to faculty-led teams from 17 academic units to support research that promotes diversity and inclusion. Associate professor Cheryl Fields-Smith in the Mary Frances Early College of Education has partnered with Andrea L. Dennis, associate dean for faculty development and the John Byrd Martin Chair in the School of Law, to study home education in rural Georgia to better understand reasons some Black parents have chosen to opt out of public education in their communities.
The Appellate Litigation Clinic recently won its case before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. In Naranjo Garcia v. Barr, the court remanded on asylum and withholding of removal, finding that the agency applied the wrong nexus analysis on each. The case was argued by third-year student Sarah A. Nelson during November. Nelson and 2020 graduates Jonathan Kaufman and Joe Scarborough wrote the briefs, while third-year student Madison "Maddie" Conkel assisted with oral argument preparations. Several other Appellate Litigation Clinic students assisted with the writing of the briefs to the Board of Immigration Appeals when the clinic first took the case two years ago.
Assistant Clinical Professor & Wilbanks Child Endangerment and Sexual Exploitation Clinic Director Emma M. Hetherington testified as an expert before the Georgia House Judiciary Gunter Subcommittee at their hearing on House Bill 109. This bill would extend the civil statute of limitations for child sexual abuse claims in Georgia from age 23 to 38 or within four years of the date the survivor discovered that the abuse caused the resulting harms. HB 109 would also open a one-year retroactive window under which survivors who were previously barred would be able to bring claims under certain circumstances.
Congratulations to third-year students Devin M. Sinclair and Christopher P. "Chris" Summers for finishing as regional semifinalists in the National Trial Competition. Sponsored by the Texas Young Lawyers Association, the National Trial Competition was "established in 1975 to encourage and strengthen students' advocacy skills through quality competition and valuable interaction with members of the bench and bar." This year's team was coached by B. Elizabeth "Liz" Tarver (J.D.'18) and Jeremy B. Dailey (J.D.'14).
The University of Georgia School of Law unveiled a new painting by William Elliott Stiles Jr. - an accomplished artist, Atlanta attorney law school alumnus - to commemorate the 60th anniversary of desegregation at UGA. The piece, titled "1961," will be displayed alongside other pieces of Stiles' "Concept Collection" that were donated to the school in 2018. This latest submission depicts the historic events of the desegregation of UGA and the Georgia public school system.
A free virtual legal clinic for Georgia veterans will be held Saturday, Feb. 27, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Veterans in the Augusta and Savannah areas will be able to access the clinic through physical locations in each city, while veterans from across the state can connect for services via webcam or telephone. Interested veterans need to register in advance for an appointment by calling (706) 542-6439 or emailing uga.veteransclinic@gmail.com before noon on Feb. 24.
Due to inclement weather, the University of Georgia's Athens Campus will delay opening until 10 a.m. on Tuesday, February 16. First and second period classes will be canceled. Classes will resume with third period at 11:10 a.m. Tuesday. The University will provide updates if conditions warrant. Updates can be found at https://emergency.uga.edu/ .
Congratulations to second-year student Taylor N. Lear for being named best oralist at the 50th Annual William B. Spong Jr. Invitational Moot Court Tournament. She and her teammate, second-year student Bradley R. "Brad" Spinner, finished the national tournament as quarterfinalists. The School of Law last won this competition, hosted by the William & Mary Law School, in 2019.
Associate Professor Jonathan Peters was featured on Bloomberg News regarding the Smartmatic defamation lawsuit. The segment titled "Billion Dollar Revenge of the Voting Machines" was hosted by June Grasso and aired 2/12/21.
University Professor & Kilpatrick Chair of Corporate Finance and Securities Law Usha Rodrigues was featured in Crain's New York Business regarding special-purpose acquisition companies. The article titled "Wall Street's latest get-rich-quick scheme may work for sponsors but not investors" was written by Aaron Elstein and published 2/15/21.
Callaway Chair Elizabeth Chamblee Burch published "Judicial Adjuncts in Multidistrict Litigation" in 120 Columbia Law Review 2129 (2020) (with M.S. Williams).
Assistant Clinical Professor & Wilbanks Child Endangerment and Sexual Exploitation Clinic Director Emma M. Hetherington presented on "Resolving Procedural and Logistical Complexities Inherent in Sexual Abuse/Assault Cases" at the 13th Annual Law & Society Symposium hosted by the Charleston Law Review and Furman University's The Riley Institute during February.
University Professor & Kilpatrick Chair of Corporate Finance and Securities Law Usha Rodrigues was featured in Billboard magazine regarding special acquisition companies and the music business. The article titled "SPAC Attack: The Music Business' New Favorite IPO Strategy" was written by Glenn Peoples and published 2/9/21.
Brumby Distinguished Professor in First Amendment Law Sonja R. West published "The Majoritarian Press Clause" in 2020 University of Chicago Legal Forum 311.
Associate Professor Jonathan Peters was featured in The Hollywood Reporter regarding libel lawsuits filed against media outlets. The article titled "How Fox News Will Fight a $2.7 Billion Suit About the 2020 Election" was written by Eriq Gardner and published 2/8/21.
Associate Professor Jonathan Peters was featured in The New York Times regarding libel lawsuits filed against media outlets. The article titled "Trump Isn't the Only One on Trial. The Conservative Media Is, Too.," was written by Giovanni Russonello and published 2/8/21.
Associate Professor Laura Phillips Sawyer was featured on UGA Today regarding her scholarship and experiences teaching at UGA. "Associate professor puts old things in a new light," was written by Lona Panter and published 2/5/21.
Assistant Professor Lindsey Simon was featured in the New York Law Journal regarding the Boy Scouts of America bankruptcy proceedings. The article titled "Plaintiffs Firms Flooded Boy Scouts Bankruptcy With Unvetted, Potentially Fraudulent Civil Claims, Insurers Allege" was written by Max Mitchell and published 2/4/21.
Callaway Chair Elizabeth Chamblee Burch was featured in Law360 regarding Bayer's possible settlement relating to its Roundup weedkiller product. The article titled "Bayer's $2B Deal May Not Spell The End For Roundup" was written by Emily Field and published 2/4/21.