First Monday - November 7, 2011

In this issue:

• Nobel Laureate Brings “Dividends of Peace” Message to University of Idaho Campus
• Students Shine in 23rd Annual McNichols Moot Court Competition
• Law Advisory Council Reviews Moscow and Boise Operations, Reaffirms Unanimous Support for Branch Three-Year Program

Nobel Laureate Brings “Dividends of Peace” Message to University of Idaho Campus

In 1987, Oscar Arias Sanchez, President of Costa Rica, received the Nobel Peace Prize for negotiating an end to decades of violence in Central America. In the ensuing years President Arias, a renowned lawyer and humanitarian, has been a global advocate for peace, arguing that a stable peace is better achieved through investment in human development than through the force of arms. On October 11, 2011, he brought his message to the Borah Symposium at the University of Idaho in Moscow, where he delivered keynote remarks entitled “Human Security in the 21st Century.” The Borah Symposium, a signature event of the University, is presented each year by the Martin Institute and co-sponsored by the College of Law.

President Arias noted that the nations of the world increased their military spending by 67 percent between 2001 and 2009. Acknowledging that not every nation can discontinue its investment in arms under current circumstances, he nevertheless contended that if the world’s aggregate military spending could be reduced by just 25%, 1.9 billion computers could be purchased for the “One Laptop Per Child” educational project, more than enough for every child in the developing world. Even if the reduction were only 10%, scholarships could be given to more than 150 million high-risk children per year. A cut of just 5% cut would pay for enough mosquito nets to protect the entire developing world from malaria three times over. "Those, my friends,” said President Arias, “are the dividends of peace."

Furnishing an example of a society benefitting from investments in peace, President Arias turned to his own country. For decades, he said, Costa Rica has invested in “the tools of our future," like schools, national parks and medical care. "Quite simply, my country invested in our people." Costa Ricans today live healthier, more prosperous lives as a result of those investments.

Future generations around the world will heed that lesson, he concluded. "I know that one day the goodness of humanity will prevail.”

Further information about the Borah Symposium.

Students Shine in 23rd Annual McNichols Moot Court Competition

At the University of Idaho, advocacy is an essential part of the program of legal education, starting with the appellate argument in the first-year Legal Research and Writing course and continuing into the upper-division courses that comprise the College of Law’s distinctive “Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution” (LADR) curricular emphasis. Second-year students have an opportunity to hone their skills in the Hon. Raymond C. McNichols Intramural Moot Court Competition. The late Judge McNichols was one this state’s most highly respected jurists as well as one of the College’s closest friends and most distinguished alumni. The competition named for him is now in its 23rd year.

“Doing McNichols,” as the law students say, is a test of both talent and commitment. Each student is required to write a full appellate brief that is carefully evaluated and ranked. Each student participates in one or more rounds of oral arguments, ultimately yielding a set of finalists whose arguments are among the highlights of the College’s academic year. The mandatory early rounds of oral argument are judged by faculty as well as by other members of the law school community. In the final round, judges and justices from the state and federal courts of Idaho, and from neighboring jurisdictions, gather to engage the best and brightest students in an unforgettable rite of professional passage.

On November 5, 2011, under the auspices of the College’s Board of Student Advocates (BSA), the College conducted the final round of this year’s McNichols Competition. The winner of the final oral argument was Patrick Davis, who came to the College of Law with a baccalaureate degree from Utah Valley University. Joining him in the final round was eventual runner-up Allison Parker, a graduate of Evergreen State University in Washington. Oral argument semifinalists were Joan Callahan (Stanford University) and Maren Ericson (Boise State University). The award for best overall advocate, based on a combination of brief-writing and performance in the early mandatory rounds, went to Ryan Hunter (Idaho State University). Kristina Fugate (Bowdoin College) received the best brief award, while Mr. Hunter was recognized for the second-best brief.

The 2011 McNichols competition attracted 40 participants, the second-largest group in history. The final round was judged by the Honorable Debra Stephens, Justice, Washington Supreme Court; Hon. Robert Brutinel, Arizona Supreme Court; Hon. Robert Whaley, United States Senior District Judge, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington; Hon. Ronald Bush, United States Magistrate, U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho; and Michael E. McNichols (UI Law ’63), partner in the Lewiston law firm of Clements, Brown & McNichols. Mr. McNichols, son of the competition’s namesake, is a long-time supporter of the competition and one of the principal donors of funds for student awards.

Further information about the McNichols Competition may be obtained from faculty advisor Laurie O’Neal.

Law Advisory Council Reviews Moscow and Boise Operations, Reaffirms Unanimous Support for Branch Three-Year Program

The Law Advisory Council, established under the bylaws of the College of Law, is a group of distinguished alumni and friends who advise on the College’s programs, advocate on behalf of the College, and assist the College in endeavors such as admissions, student career development, fundraising, building relations with the University’s central administration, and communicating with the College’s external constituencies. On October 27-28, 2011, The Law Advisory Council met in Moscow, devoting part of its time to a joint meeting with the Advisory Councils of the other UI Colleges, and to a joint reception with a site visit team from the American Bar Association and the Association of American Law Schools, which was in Moscow at the same time.

The Council focused the bulk of its time upon a review of College of Law operations in Moscow and Boise. The Council received presentations by new faculty members Shaakirrah Sanders and John Rumel, and discussed reports from other faculty and staff on the following subjects:

• Native American law emphasis and related initiatives (Professor Angelique EagleWoman)
• New developments in clinical education, including the innovative economic development clinic, at the College of Law, which has been ranked 13th out of 200 American law schools for clinical education opportunities (Professor Maureen Laflin)
• Successful integration of the UI law library and the Idaho State Law Library on the fifth floor of the UI Boise (Water Center) building in Boise (Professor John Hasko)
• Operation of the third-year program in Boise (Lee Dillion, Associate Dean for Boise Programs)
• Technology upgrades in the Menard Building at Moscow (Professor John Hasko)
• Admissions and academic support, including the 90% pass rate on the Idaho Bar Examination posted by the class of 2011 (Helen Albertson, Associate Dean for Students and Administration)
• Career development and job market outlook within the traditional legal profession and in allied fields populated by JD degree holders (Anne-Marie Fulfer, Director of Career Development)
• Fundraising and alumni relations (Terri Muse, Director of Development, College of Law)

The Advisory Council also discussed at length the process for the College of Law and the University of Idaho to submit a renewed application to the Board of Regents (State Board of Education) for authorization to conduct a full three-year JD branch program in Boise, complementing the program in Moscow.  The Council noted that in 2007 it had unanimously adopted a resolution favoring a dual location strategy for the College of Law in the future. The Council also recalled that the State Board in 2008 authorized the College to begin its third-year program in Boise, confirmed the University’s statewide mission in legal education, authorized the University to collaborate with the Idaho Supreme Court in developing an Idaho Law Learning Center in Boise, and instructed the College to return to the Board for further consideration of a full three-year branch program. The Council voted unanimously to reaffirm its support for the concept of a branch three-year program in Boise.

The College of Law is grateful to the Law Advisory Council for their unselfish volunteer service. Members in attendance at the October 27-28 meeting were (in alphabetical order) Dwight E. Baker (UI Law ’71), Blackfoot; William J. Batt (UI Law ’82); Tore Beal-Gwartney (UI Law ’93), Council Vice Chair, Boise; James C. Dale (UI Law ’82, Council Chair; Dennis W. Davis (UI Law ’73), Coeur d’Alene; Curtis H. Eaton (UI Law ’74), Twin Falls; Thomas B. High (UI Law ’79), Twin Falls; Charles A. Homer (UI Law ’74), Idaho Falls; Danielle J. Hunsaker (UI Law ’01), Portland, Oregon; Charles R. Kozak (UI Law ’68), Reno, Nevada; Hon. Karen L. Lansing, Judge Idaho Court of Appeals, Boise; Dennis M. McLaughlin (UI Law ’67); Spokane, Washington; Susan M. Moss (UI Law ’06), Boise; James D. Ruchti (UI Law ’01), Pocatello; P. Craig Storti, Boise; Hon. Lonny R. Suko (UI Law ’68), U.S. District Judge, Eastern District of Washington, Yakima, Washington; Hon. Lawrence Wasden (UI Law ’85), Attorney General of Idaho; William F. “Bud” Yost (UI Law ’69), Nampa.

Further information about the Law Advisory Council may be obtained from Development Director Terri Muse or from Dean Don Burnett.