January 2010 Faculty Briefs

Dean Lisa Kloppenberg participated in a statewide discussion, hosted by the Supreme Court of Ohio¿s Commission on Professionalism, on December 11, 2009, on how Ohio law schools can better promote professionalism issues and develop a deeper sense of professional identity in their students.

Kloppenberg and Career Services Director Tim Swensen were quoted in "Law schools adapt to tight legal job market" in the Dayton Business Journal and the San Francisco Business Times, examining the School of Law's efforts to assistance graduates in finding jobs. 

Dean of Students Lori Shaw participated on a panel on assessment issues, Requiring Law Schools to Measure Student Learning: A Forum on ABA Accreditation Standards, at the AALS Annual Conference in New Orleans in January.

Externship Supervisor Denise Platfoot Lacey, who prior to joining UDSL was the secretary to the Ohio Supreme Court's Commission on Professionalism, was a primary author of a new brochure from the Court, "A Consumer's Practical Guide to Managing a Relationship with a Lawyer."

In addition, Platfoot Lacey, who is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Ohio Women¿s Bar Association, helped draft a report and recommendation proposing to the Ohio Supreme Court that military spouses who are attorneys licensed outside the state be permitted to obtain provisional membership to the Ohio bar without examination under certain circumstances.

Associate Professor Julie Zink was named first vice president of the Dayton Intellectual Property Law Association. Zink previously held the positions of secretary and treasurer of the association from 2007-2009 and 2005-2007, respectively.

Assistant Professor Thaddeus Hoffmeister was quoted in several articles in the Baltimore Sun and the ABA Journal on the recent trial of the mayor of Baltimore. One article explored challenges jurors have in avoiding news about their trials, while another story reported on a juror's past connection to the mayor.

Hoffmeister will present his article "An Insurrection Act for the 21st Century" at the AALS Annual Conference in New Orleans in January. He also presented on Modern Day Legacy of a Civil War Era Show Trial at a symposium on the 150th anniversary of the Trial of John Brown.

Professor Blake Watson participated in the centennial celebration of the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the U.S. Department of Justice on November 16, 2009, in Washington, D.C. Watson was a lawyer in the Appellate Section of the Environment and Natural Resources Division from 1982 to 1992.