First Monday - June 5, 2006

In this issue:

• Commencement Remarks Emphasize Service to Community and Nation
• Faculty and Students Bestow Awards within College of Law
• Law Advisory Council Convenes to Examine Progress of the College of Law
• Faculty Member Earns Tenure and Promotion

Commencement Remarks Emphasize Service to Community and Nation

On May 13, in ceremonies conducted at the UI Student Union Ballroom, the law school community and an audience of approximately 800 persons extended their congratulations to 89 members of the Class of ’06, some of whom had graduated in December or had opted to participate in the UI spring commencement ceremony in Boise.

• The Honorable Larry M. Boyle (UI Law ’72), Chief Magistrate Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Idaho, was selected by the graduating students to be their commencement speaker. Judge Boyle, whose unique career has spanned private practice and service as a Justice of the Idaho Supreme Court, in addition to his service in the federal judiciary, called upon the Class of ’06 to continue a multi-generational tradition of Idaho lawyers working to improve their communities. Moreover, recalling President John F. Kennedy’s call to the service of our country, Judge Boyle urged the new graduates to think broadly about opportunities to make a difference. He challenged them to use their analytical minds to resolve disputes efficiently and to listen to their hearts in healing conflicts compassionately.
• Nancy M. Morris (UI Law ’83), Secretary of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, received the Faculty Award of Legal Merit. In her position – one of the most important lawyering jobs in the federal government – she advises the SEC on legal, administrative, and procedural questions and is responsible for the oversight and administration of the Commission’s programs and operations. In comments to the graduation audience, and during a colloquium for students the previous day, Ms. Morris noted the satisfaction of working to uphold ethics in the securities marketplace and in the government itself. She added emphatically that her Idaho legal education had prepared her well for this national service.
• Taylor L. Mossman, President of the Student Bar Association in 2005-06, delivered the student address in which she recounted the accomplishments of selected students in the class and described the strength of the class as a whole. She expressed confidence that the Class of ’06 “will move the legal profession in a positive direction.”

Faculty and Students Bestow Awards within College of Law

The faculty-established “Award of Legal Achievement,” earned by the graduate with the highest cumulative grade point average in the most recently graded academic term, was presented to Ritchie Eppink. (In addition to compiling an outstanding academic record, Mr. Eppink served as Vice-President of the Student Bar Association and was selected to receive a national Fulbright award to study public legal education in Canada.) The graduating class conferred the “Peter E. Heiser Award for Excellence in Teaching” upon Professor Elizabeth Brandt in recognition of the quality of her work in the classroom and her accessibility to students.

Law Advisory Council Convenes to Examine Progress of the College of Law

The Law Advisory Council, a distinguished group of graduates and friends of the College, assembled in Boise on May 13-14. After a reception hosted by Allen Derr (UI Law ’59) and Judy Peavey-Derr, of Boise, the meeting was convened by LAC President Cynthia Larsen (UI Law ’78). The Council received reports on fundraising; remodeling of the legal aid clinic, student services offices, and law review (which are now underway); installation of new technology in the classrooms (expected to begin later this year); law student recruitment and scholarships; and student employment trends.

In addition, the Council received briefings on the implementation of the new pro bono service program and the newly approved “Water of the West” interdisciplinary program, which will enable law students to broaden their studies in water resources management and policy. The Council also heard about evolving plans to establish a center for business law and policy at the College of Law. At the conclusion of the meeting, the Council elected Idaho Falls attorney C. Timothy Hopkins (a graduate of the George Washington School of Law, and long-time supporter of the UI College of Law), to serve as the LAC President during 2006-07.

Faculty Member Earns Tenure and Promotion

Upon unanimous recommendation of the law faculty and dean, Associate Professor Richard Seamon has been approved for both tenure and promotion to the rank of (full) Professor of Law by the Provost and President of the University. The personnel action will become effective in the 2006-07 academic year.