VISITING HERFF CHAIRS OF EXCELLENCE

Memphis Law welcomed Professors Adam Feibelman and Demetria Frank as our newest visiting Herff Chairs of Excellence this spring. Professor Feibelman joins Memphis Law from Tulane University Law School, where he serves as the Sumter Davis Marks Professor of Law and as director of the Center on Law and the Economy. Professor Frank has most recently been a highly regarded member of the faculty at the University of Memphis School of Law; where she oversaw the design and implementation of the law school's award-winning diversity and inclusion initiatives. In her new role as a visiting Herff Chair of Excellence, Professor Frank will focus her research on documenting these very same innovative diversity programs implemented at Memphis Law and beyond. 

Both hosted highly regarded symposia this semester.

Professor Feibelman presented the conference, “Household Finance & Community Development: Challenges, Inequities and Opportunities” in late March. It featured national and local experts in finance, community reinvestment, the financial system, renters and homeowners in crisis, bankruptcy and more.

Professor Frank presented the, “Teaching Bias, Cultural Competency and Racism in Law Schools” symposium in February. It focused on how law schools will meet the requirements set by the ABA’s new standard 303(c), the challenges they might encounter implementing the standard, the attacks on critical race theory and more.

PROFESSOR DONNA HARKNESS RETIRING

After three decades of dedicated service to Memphis Law, Professor Donna Harkness announced her retirement this spring. Professor Harkness has served as the law school’s director of both the Elder Law Clinic and Elder Health Law Advocacy Clinic for years. In fact, Professor Harkness is one of only two professors to have ever led the Elder Law Clinic over the course of its 25 plus years. When she joined Memphis Law in fall 1993, Professor Harkness was hired as a second supervising attorney for a General Sessions Court Clinic, but soon had the opportunity to take over the Elder Law Clinic in a supervising attorney role and has overseen that clinic ever since. Her knowledge and expertise are highly regarded on a national level and in addition to being a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), she also serves as a member of the editorial board of the NAELA Journal. She has also authored the book, “Elder Law Essentials” which is widely considered required reading for students and practitioners in the field of Elder Law.

FULBRIGHT CANADA CHAIR

The law school recently welcomed the arrival of Professor Rodney Loeppky as the Fulbright Canada Research Chair in Race & Health Policy. Professor Loeppky is from York University in Toronto, Canada, where he is an associate professor in the Department of Politics. While at Memphis Law, he has been conducting extensive research for his Fulbright project, “Growing Medicaid: Public Funds for Private Gain?”.

LAW REVIEW SYMPOSIUM

The University of Memphis Law Review hosted its annual symposium in the spring. Titled "(How Much" Should We Pay Them? The Shifting Legal Landscape of Collegiate Competition," the symposium explored the range of legal issues surrounding collegiate sports in America today -- from frameworks for collegiate sports gambling and resolution of employment and labor disputes to the regulation of name, image and likeness (NIL) compensation. The subjects and more were addressed by experts and legal minds from across the country.

PRELAW MAGAZINE AWARDS

PreLaw Magazine has recently recognized the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law in several categories.

The law school was recognized for having one of the country's best advocacy programs and for being one of the most diverse law schools in its Winter 2023 issue through Fall 2022 issue.

·       A "Top Law School for Advocacy/Litigation" in the Winter 2023 issue.

·       A "Most Diverse Law School" in the country in the Winter 2023 issue.

·       A "Best Value Law School" in the Fall 2022 issue.

The law school was also once again named as having the BEST law school building and facilities in the nation, making this the FOURTH time the law school has won the award and the ONLY law school to win every year that the award has been presented.

SHOW CAUSE NEW EPISODES

The law school’s podcast, Show Cause, has released several new episodes recently. The podcast is available on all standard podcasting platforms. Some of the recent episode topics and guests are listed below.

The SCOTUS Case That Could Decimate Democracy – featuring former Memphis Law professor and current Shelby County District Attorney, Steve Mulroy. The episode examines how the Moore v. Harper SCOTUS decision could give state legislatures unchecked power to determine the outcome of federal elections and essentially legalize gerrymandering.

The Friendly Skies – The Overlap Between the FAA, Abortion Rights, International Airline Standards and Canceled Flights – featuring Memphis Law professor Ronnie Gipson.

AI in the Classroom – Chatting About ChatGPT and More – featuring Associate Dean Jodi Wilson and Professor Jennifer Brobst. This episode delves into the fears, implications, applications, ideas and future of AI programs like ChatGPT and the broader concept of technology’s impact in the classroom.

Episode 13 – The Transition from Thurgood Marshall to Clarence Thomas – featuring Professor Daniel Kiel.

DOMINIQUE DEFREECE RECEIVES
CHAMPIONS OF JUSTICE AWARD

Memphis Law 3L Dominique Defreece was recently honored as a 2022 Champion of Justice for her pro bono efforts by the Memphis Bar Association (MBA). While at Memphis Law, Dominique has put together an impressive history of engagement in projects that further access to justice and public interest in the Mid-South. As a 3L, she currently serves as the 2022-23 President of the Law School’s Public Action Law Society (PALS).

PRINCETON REVIEW RANKING

Memphis Law faculty were listed in the Princeton Review’s TOP 50 list of law school professors for teaching and accessibility for 2022.

DANIEL KIEL AUTHORS NEW BOOK

Professor Daniel Kiel’s new book, “The Transition: Interpreting Justice from Thurgood Marshall to Clarence Thomas,” was released in April. Detailing what he calls the most significant transition from 1953 to the present, the book takes an in-depth look at the replacement of Justice Thurgood Marshall with Justice Clarence Thomas on the U.S. Supreme Court and the resulting consequences that are still unfolding today.

TENNESSEE COURT OF APPEALS
ORAL ARGUMENTS AT MEMPHIS LAW

The Tennessee Court of Appeals held oral arguments in the Historic Courtroom at the University of Memphis early in our spring semester. A three-judge panel — Judge J. Steven Stafford, Judge Arnold B. Goldin and Judge Carma Dennis McGee — heard three civil cases in a room filled with law students and other visitors. That afternoon, Judges Stafford, Goldin and McGee, along with Tennessee Circuit Judge Mary Wagner, Tennessee Appellate Court Clerk Jim Hivner, Sarah Day (law clerk to Judge Stafford) and Tori Coutant (law clerk to Judge Stafford) joined as a panel and conducted a question-and-answer session with the entire 1L class.   

ADVOCACY TEAMS AT
REGIONALS AND NATIONALS

This year saw Memphis Law's advocacy teams find more success than ever before. 

Three Memphis Law teams reached nationals this year. Our ABA National Appellate Advocacy Competition team, the BLSA Thurgood Marshall Advocacy Competition team and our National Mock Trial team all traveled and competed in their respective national competitions, with two teams reaching their respective national quarterfinals. All three teams won several individual advocate awards as well. 

Most recently, our ABA National Appellate Advocacy team traveled to Washington, D.C., where they competed in the national finals of the National Appellate Advocacy Competition. The team of Madison Bennett Greene, Kylie Ronnow and Scott Cheadle (on brief) reached the quarterfinals before falling to the eventual champions. This puts them in the top 8 of the some 200 teams that competed. Ms. Bennett Greene was named the sixth best advocate in the national finals.

This success at nationals follows the ABA team being named regional champions at the semi-finals in San Francisco in March. Madison Bennett Greene and Kylie Ronnow were undefeated and proceeded to nationals. Kylie Madison and Everett Kalman were recognized as top advocates in the competition.

Our BLSA Thurgood Marshall Moot Court Advocacy Team of Jaske Goff and Lasia Peoples (coached by Jarrett Spence) also advanced to nationals after taking home third place and winning best brief at the Southern Region of the Black Law Students Association ("SRBLSA") Conference and Competition. 

At nationals in Washington, D.C., the BLSA team of Jaske Goff and Lasia Peoples also reached the quarterfinal rounds. Mr. Goff was named best advocate in the competition. 

Additionally, the law school’s National Trial Team — comprised of Peyton Barrow (2L), Annika Rush (2L), Kelsey McClain (2L) and Cody Tolbert (2L); and coached by Brigid Welsh, Ashley Finch and Katie Ferguson — performed incredibly well at their regional competition. The team of Mr. Barrow and Ms. Rush were named regional champions and proceeded to nationals.  

The National Trial Team then traveled to San Antonio, Texas, in late March to compete in the national rounds of the National Trial Competition, hosted annually by the Texas Young Lawyers Association. Peyton Barrow (2L) and Annika Rush (2L) were one of 30 out of 300 teams across the nation to qualify for nationals. Mr. Barrow and Ms. Rush participated in three very competitive preliminary rounds and were presented with Lewis F. Powell Jr. Medals for Excellence in Advocacy by the American College of Trial Lawyers.  Fellow team members Kelsey McClain (2L) and Cody Tolbert (2L) participated in every practice and traveled as volunteer witnesses for the competition.

In other advocacy team news, our Constance Baker Motley Mock Trial team (Anthony Self, Alfred Dexter Dyson, Alexia McDermott and Andie Adkins) came in 5th in the region at the SRBLSA competition and convention. The Wagner Moot Court travel team competed in New York City and both Duberstein Moot Court travel teams competed in New York City as well.