Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Harold D. Melton will deliver the University of Georgia School of Law's 2021 Commencement address May 22 in Stegeman Coliseum, with social distancing measures in place. Approximately 215 students will be eligible to participate in this year's ceremony for Juris Doctor (J.D.), Master of Laws (LL.M.) and Master in the Study of Law (M.S.L) candidates. The ticketed event will start at 10 a.m. with social distancing measures and the university's Clear Bag Policy in effect.
Shackelford Distinguished Professor in Taxation Law Gregg D. Polsky published "Does Tax Matter? Evidence on Executive Compensation After 162(M)'s Repeal" in 26 Stanford Journal of Law, Business & Finance 1 (2021).
Congratulations to third-year student Patrick D. Testa for receiving a Clinical Legal Education Association Outstanding Clinic Student Award for his "excellence in clinic fieldwork" and "exceptionally thoughtful, self-reflective participation in an accompanying clinic seminar." Testa participated in the school's Veterans Legal Clinic for three semesters.
Congratulations to third-year student Nneka I. Ewulonu for being selected for an Equal Justice Works 2021 Regional Public Interest Award. Chosen from 75 applications, Ewulonu is one of eight students recognized for their exemplary commitment to public interest law and pro bono work.
Congratulations to Associate Professor Laura Phillips Sawyer, who teaches courses in UGA's Terry College of Business, for receiving the Nourse Outstanding MBA Teacher Award for the MBA elective curriculum. Selected by graduating full-time MBA students, this honor recognizes stimulating classroom instruction, positive interaction with students and overall contribution to the full-time MBA experience.
A free virtual legal clinic for Georgia veterans will happen on Saturday, June 5, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Veterans in Northwest Georgia can access the clinic in person in Dalton, Georgia. Veterans from other parts of the state can connect by webcam or telephone. The Georgia Veterans Outreach Project offers legal advice on issues important to veterans. These include veterans and military benefits, as well as consumer, family, housing and other civil issues. Veterans must register in advance.
Sibley Professor in Corporate and Business Law Larry D. Thompson has been elected to the American Law Institute's Council, effective June 9, 2021. The council "determines projects and activities to be undertaken by the ALI and approves the work as representing the position of the institute," which is considered "the leading independent organization in the United States producing scholarly work to clarify, modernize, and otherwise improve the law."
Callaway Chair Elizabeth Chamblee Burch was featured in an Associated Press article regarding opioid litigation. The article titled "Setting the Stage for Thousands of Opioid Lawsuits, Potentially Years of Litigation" was published 5/17/21.
Associate Professor Laura Phillips Sawyer presented "Jurisdiction Beyond Our Borders: U.S. v. Alcoa and the Extraterritorial Reach of American Antitrust" at the U.S. Department of Justice's Antitrust Division during May.
Associate Dean and Martin Chair of Law Andrea L. Dennis presented on "How the US and UK state criminalise Rap and how to combat it" at the Black Lives Matter Event Series hosted by the Garden Court Chambers Criminal Defence Team during May.
Brock Associate Professor in Professional Responsibility Nathan S. Chapman presented "Qualified Immunity and the Rule of Law" at the University of Chicago Law School during May.
Distinguished Research Professor & Shackelford Distinguished Professor in Taxation Law Emeritus Walter Hellerstein's treatise State Taxation was quoted by the Maine Supreme Court in Somerset Telephone Co. v. State Tax Assessor (April 29, 2021).
Wilner/UGA Foundation Professor in International Law Harlan G. Cohen presented "The Sociology of WTO Precedent" at the Tel Aviv University International Law Workshop during May.
University Professor and Caldwell Chair in Constitutional Law Dan T. Coenen received the law school's Faculty Research Award for his article "Reconceptualizing Hybrid Rights" in 61 Boston College Law Review 2355 (2020). This award provides the opportunity to "recognize and celebrate the scholarly interests, talents and engagement" of the School of Law's faculty. The winner of the honor is selected by a committee of outside scholars, who have served as associate deans or deans.
Assistant Professor Thomas E. Kadri presented his article "Platform Federalism" at the Freedom of Expression Scholars Conference hosted by Yale Law School during April.
Associate Professor Fazal R. Khan was featured on MarketWatch regarding employers requiring their workers to get the COVID-19 vaccine. The segment titled "Can you be fired for refusing to get a COVID-19 vaccine? America is about to find out" was reported by Andrew Keshner and aired 5/6/21.
Brumby Distinguished Professor in First Amendment Law Sonja R. West presented her paper "The Disappearance of the Freedom of the Press" at the Freedom of Expression Scholars Conference hosted by Yale Law School during May (with R.A. Jones).
Callaway Chair Elizabeth Chamblee Burch was featured in a Reuters news video regarding the opioid litigation in West Virginia. The segment titled "West Virginia opioids trial seen as test case amid thousands of suits" was reported by Brendan Pierson and published 5/4/21.
Assistant Professor Thomas E. Kadri was featured on Bloomberg Law regarding the use of shared consumer data on social media platforms by other parties. The article titled "Scraping Episodes Highlight Debate Over Anti-Hacking Law's Scope" was written by Andrea Vittorio and published 5/4/21.
The School of Law's moot court program was recently ranked number two in the nation based on competition performances during the 2020-21 academic year. The University of Houston Law Center compiles this ranking to determine which 16 law schools to invite to its Hunton Andrews Kurth Moot Court National Championship each spring. UGA has won this "best of the best" competition twice and finished as finalists twice in the tournament's 12-year history.