First Monday - July 7, 2003

In this issue:

• College of Law to Open Small Business Legal Clinic in Boise
• Shepard Professorship Awarded to Commercial Law Expert
• Student Scholarship Funds Grow
• Career Services and Development Positions Increased to Full-Time

College of Law to Open Small Business Legal Clinic in Boise

In a cooperative venture with the Idaho Small Business Development Center, the College of Law will open a Small Business Legal Clinic in late August at Boise. The clinic -- an innovative extension of the College's general clinical program, and another example of the College's outreach to the Treasure Valley -- will offer third-year students hands-on business transaction experience. Lee Dillion, the College's external programs director, and a former business lawyer, will supervise the clinic. In addition to contributing to economic development by helping entrepreneurs start new enterprises, the clinic will enable students to enhance their professional development through problem-solving, negotiation, reasoning, communication, and counseling, as well as identifying and resolving ethical dilemmas. Under supervision, students will undertake such real-world tasks as preparing and reviewing confidentiality and employment agreements, reviewing commercial leases, and preparing applications for tax-exempt status of nonprofit organizations. Services of this transactional law clinic will not include litigation or contested matters.

Shepard Professorship Awarded to Commercial Law Expert

The 2003-04 Alan G. Shepard Professorship has been awarded to Joann Henderson, an authority on bankruptcy, creditors' rights, sales, contracts, community property, and gender law. Professor Henderson, who graduated summa cum laude from the College in 1973, has received numerous teaching awards and is a recipient of the faculty-voted Award of Legal Merit. Her most recent scholarship has focused on bankruptcy issues, including the rights of Chapter 13 debtors with respect to collateral, and questions arising from substitutions of collateral.

Student Scholarship Funds Grow

In an environment of rising educational costs, and increasing regional competition for the best and brightest students, the College has received important assistance from donors interested in bolstering the financial aid offers made to worthy students. In 2003, the Willis E. Sullivan, Sr., Memorial Scholarship was established to "recruit and retain outstanding students to the College of Law." The first "Sullivan Scholar" will be named in this fall's entering class. Two distinguished law firms also have created scholarship funds in 2003. The Holland & Hart student scholarship fund will underwrite recruiting for excellence and diversity in the student body. The Eberle Berlin Kading Turnbow & McKlveen student scholarship fund will support students recruited primarily upon criteria of academic excellence.

Career Services and Development Positions Increased to Full-Time

With reallocations of resources, the College is investing in two key staff positions. The position of Career Services, filled admirably by LeAnn Phillips until her retirement this year, has been upgraded to a full-time responsibility, separate from responsibility for coordinating alumni and Bellwood lecture events. The new focus will enable the College to address student employment issues more fully. The position of Development Director, which once was full-time but recently had been filled on a part-time basis, also will be upgraded to full-time. Director Chandra Ford, whose success in fundraising has strengthened the College, recently announced that she would seek another part-time position elsewhere. "It was not an easy decision for me," she stated. "But my personal goal to maintain a part time contract while my children are still young is a priority for me. Dean Burnett has ambitious and exciting goals for the law school and I think it is important that a full-time development director is on staff to help him and the faculty accomplish those goals. I won't be far away - I am still going to pursue other part time options with the University of Idaho and hope to continue my 13+ years of service…. I want to thank all of those who helped make the time at the law school so rewarding."