First Monday - April 1, 2013

In this Issue:

• World Court Jurist to Speak on Role of International Law
• Law Dean to Serve as Interim President
• Navajo Nation Supreme Court and Idaho Court of Appeals Hold Arguments in Moscow
• Moot Court Teams Earn Recognition
• Law Professor and Alumnae Earn Awards for Women’s Leadership

World Court Jurist to Speak on Role of International Law

The College of Law will be hosting two public keynotes by distinguished guest Judge Joan Donoghue, the U.S. Judge on the International Court of Justice based in The Hague, Netherlands. She will speak in Boise and Moscow on “The Role of International Law Today: Reflections from the World Court.” The International Court of Justice, composed of 15 judges, is the primary judicial organ of the United Nations and hears cases such as the maritime dispute between Peru and Chile, aerial spraying dispute between Ecuador and Colombia, and the Antarctic whaling dispute between Australia and Japan.

Judge Donoghue is the first American woman to be elected to the Court by the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council since its creation in 1946. In addition to her duties at the Court, which include deliberating on disputes between nations and answering legal questions at the request of certain UN agencies, Judge Donoghue has been actively involved in public outreach to highlight the power of international law to peacefully resolve disputes. Her visit to Idaho, sponsored by the Sherman J. Bellwood Memorial Lecture Series Endowment, will be the first visit from an active International Court of Justice judge to the State of Idaho.

Judge Donoghue has had a distinguished career. Prior to serving on the International Court of Justice, she served for three years as the Principal Deputy Legal Adviser of the United States Department of State and was the Acting Legal Adviser of the Department of State. Prior to her service at the Department of State, she was the Deputy General Counsel of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

Judge Donoghue will be presenting a keynote in Boise at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 9, 2013 at the Crystal Ballroom at 802 W. Bannock Street #202, Boise, Idaho. She will be presenting a keynote in Moscow at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 10, 2013 at the University of Idaho College of Law courtroom at 711 S. Rayburn Street. Each keynote will be followed by public receptions where the public can meet Judge Donoghue.

Further information about Judge Donoghue may be obtained from Professor Anastasia Telesetsky.

Law Dean to Serve as Interim President

[The following information is taken from a University news release]

On March 27, the University of Idaho Board of Regents announced the selection of Donald L. Burnett, Jr., dean of the College of Law, as the interim president to begin work upon the departure of current president M. Duane Nellis in June.

“Don has been an outstanding dean of the UI’s College of Law, and we are confident he is the right person to lead the institution during this period of transition,” said Ken Edmunds, president of the State Board of Education. “The board appreciates Don’s willingness to take on the responsibilities of Interim President, and we look forward to working with him over the next few months.”
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Navajo Nation Supreme Court and Idaho Court of Appeals Hold Arguments in Moscow

The week of March 18, 2013, was an extraordinary one in Moscow, as the Navajo Nation Supreme Court and the Idaho Court of Appeals held back-to-back oral arguments in the College of Law courtroom in Moscow. Members of the Navajo Court also joined Idaho Chief Justice Roger Burdick, United States Magistrate Ronald Bush, and members of other Idaho and tribal courts in a day-long forum designed to illuminate issues of jurisdiction and legal process among the federal, state, and tribal courts in Idaho. The forum was organized by Idaho Magistrate Judge Gaylen Box, in cooperation with Professor Angelique EagleWoman (see photo) at the College of Law.

The Idaho Court of Appeals, sitting in a panel composed of Hon. Karen Lansing, Hon. David Gratton, and Hon. John Melanson, heard a variety of civil and criminal cases over a two-day period.  On the next day the Navajo Nation Supreme Court came to the College of Law Courtroom. The visit by the Navajo Court, which recently held oral arguments at Yale and Stanford law schools, was an idea fostered by 2L student Neomi Gilmore, a Navajo tribal member at the University of Idaho. Professor EagleWoman collaborated with students in the Native American Law Students Association, to turn the idea into reality. The Navajo Court, consisting of Chief Justice Herb Yazzie, Associate Justice Eleanor Shirley, and Associate Justice by Designation William Platero, heard oral argument in Neptune Leasing, Inc. v. Mountain States Petroleum Corporation and Nacogdoches Oil and Gas, Inc., a case presenting issues of tribal jurisdiction and breach of commercial contract. For the benefit of law students and other law school guests, the Justices also conducted a panel discussion on “The Operations and Principles Guiding the Navajo Nation Supreme Court.” The Navajo Court has jurisdiction over the largest tribal land base and population in the United States.

The Navajo Court's visit was made possible through the sponsorship of: the law firm of Stoel Rives, LLP, University of Idaho Office of the President, University of Idaho Native American Tribal Liaison, University of Idaho Human Rights, Access and Inclusion, University of Idaho American Indian Studies Program, University of Idaho Native American Student Center, University of Idaho College of Law, and the University of Idaho College of Law student organizations: Native American Law Student Association (NALSA); the Environmental Law Society; the Women’s Law Caucus; and the Student Bar Association.

Further information is available from Professor EagleWoman.

Moot Court Teams Earn Recognition

The College’s two Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot Court Teams, one from Moscow and one from Boise, participated recently in a new regional competition – the inaugural Shea and Carlyon, Ltd., Regional Pre-Duberstein Competition – which coach/adjunct instructor Ford Elsaesser (see photo) helped to organize. Elsaesser, a nationally noted bankruptcy practitioner, arranged for the Idaho teams to participate The regional competition, held in Las Vegas, is a response to the fact that most of the teams advancing in the national Duberstein competition have participated in regional tournaments in Florida or Texas. Professor Elsaesser worked with colleagues at Brigham Young, Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego, and the host school, University of Nevada/Law Vegas School of Law, to put this regional practice tournament together.

The Moscow team, consisting of Daniel Keyes, Andrew Rawlings, and Rayn Jacobsen, received second-place honors in the regional tournament. They, and the Boise team consisting of Brian Garner, Adam Juratovac, and Kresten Snow, went on to the national competition in New York City where, Professor Elsaesser reports, they acquitted themselves admirably and earned plaudits from the judges. Assisting Professor Elsaesser in preparation of the teams were Spokane lawyer David Gardner and Boise lawyers Noah Hillen, Patrick McNulty, and adjunct instructor Joe Meier.

Law Professor and Alumnae Earn Awards for Women’s Leadership

College of Law Professor Wendy Gerwick Couture was honored in March as one of Idaho’s Women of the Year. The award, bestowed by the Idaho Business Review in Boise, recognizes Idaho’s most successful women from public, private, and charitable business sectors, focusing on the high points and the lessons which have contributed to their unique business and professional experiences. More than 500 people attended this year’s award ceremony.

The following week, at a gala event in Boise co-sponsored by the College of Law, three of our alumnae received recognition by the Idaho Women Lawyers organization. Laura Burri (’86), of Boise, received the IWL’s Notable Achievement of the Year Award; Anne Dwelle (’88), of Moscow, received the Bertha Stull Green Award; and Paula L. Kluksdal (’97), of Boise, received the Setting the Bar Award. Hon. Candy Wagahoff Dale (’82), United States Magistrate for the District of Idaho, delivered keynote remarks: “Celebrating Women in the Law: Making History.” Further information about these awards and Idaho Women Lawyers may be found at Idaho Women Lawyers.