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Law Alumni
E-Newsletter
October 2009
Feature
2009 Law Alumni Reunion Weekend
October 16-18
Alumni
News & Events
Participate in the Student Bar Association's 2009 Alumni Interactive Program
Register by October 24
Phoenix USD Alumni Chapter 60th Anniversary Event wtih Dean Kevin Cole
November 11
Law School Briefs
USD Law Takes the Helm of CrimProf Blog
Red Mass Marks Judicial Year Opening
October 5
USD Business Valuation
and Tax Conference
October 9
Procopio International Tax Institute
October 19-20
Become a Living Book at the Living Library Program at the Legal Research Center
October 21
Women's Law Caucus Panel: Motherhood and Sexism in the Law
October 28
2009 Bowes-Madison Lecture Series: Michael Barone
November 9
Law School Announces 2009 Max and Gussie Gonick Prize Recipient
Guerilla Tactics Warrior Teaches Students How to Hunt Down Their Dream Job
Brooks Publishes Racial Justice in the Age of Obama
Lobel Co-Editor of New Labor and Employment Law Encyclopedia
Alumni Spotlight
Hon. Robert J. Trentacosta '79 Elected Assistant Presiding Judge of the San Diego Superior Court
David S. Casey, Jr. '74 Lauded with Consumer Watchdog's Lifetime Legal Achievement Award
ALUMNI GIVING
Your gifts to the Law Annual Fund support the law school's highest priorities, allowing us to provide financial aid, clinical programs, attract top
faculty and more.
To make a gift, visit the online giving Web site or contact Debbi McIntyre, director of the law annual fund, at (619) 260-4692.
FEATURE
Two weeks until USD School of Law classes of 1964, 1969, 1974, 1979, 1984, 1989, 1994, 1999 and 2004 celebrate reunions.
REGISTER TODAY!
Saturday, October 17
7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Hotel Solamar
Celebrate your law school reunion at LOUNGEsix, Hotel Solamar's rooftop deck, a tropical urban oasis overlooking the downtown San Diego skyline, the bay and PETCO Park. Savor coastal Californian hors díoeuvres, beer, wine and cocktails.
The cost $60 per person. Valet parking is $10 and street parking is free after 6:00 p.m. Register online by Monday, October 12.
Visit the Law Alumni Reunion Weekend Web site for complete details.
ALUMNI NEWS AND EVENTS
Participate in the Student Bar Association's 2009 Alumni Interactive Program
Register by October 24
The USD School of Law Student Bar Association (SBA) is launching the 2009 Alumni Interactive program. This program provides law students with various opportunities to interact with USD law alumni, network with the legal community and refine their future career goals. USD law alumni who are not currently practicing law and pursuing other exciting careers are also encouraged to participate.
The SBA invites you to host an activity of your choice in October or November. In the past, alumni have hosted 5-10 students and past activities have included, but are not limited to:
If you are interested in hosting an activity, please register with the SBA Alumni Interactive Program co-chair Steven Caloiaro at alumni.interactive@gmail.com or (818) 590-3927, by Friday, October 24, with the following information:
| Name | Area of Practice/Profession |
| Graduation Year | Description of Activity |
| Business Name | Date of Activity (prior to November 30 ) |
| Address | Time of Activity |
| Phone | Location/Address of Activity |
| # of Students |
Thank you for supporting USD law students.
Phoenix USD Alumni Chapter 60th Anniversary Event with Dean Kevin Cole
Join the Phoenix USD Alumni Chapter for a panel and reception with Dean Kevin Cole and the deans from the School of Business and the School of Leadership and Education Sciences.
Wednesday, November 11
5:30 p.m.
Law Offices of Fennemore Craig, P.C.
3003 North Central Avenue, Suite 2600
Phoenix, AZ 85012
Online registration will be available soon. To R.S.V.P., email the office of development and alumni relations.
LAW SCHOOL BRIEFS
USD Takes the Helm of CrimProf Blog
USD School of Law has assumed leadership of CrimProf Blog. Dean Kevin Cole and professors Lawrence Alexander, Donald Dripps, Yale Kamisar, Adam Kolber and Jean Ramirez, the blog provides an open forum for discussion among law professors and students about criminal law.
Launched in November 2004, CrimProf Blog covers a wide range of criminal law topics from capital punishment to white collar crime. With annual traffic approaching one million visitors, the blog is frequently cited as one of the top 35 law professor blogs and one of the best read law professor blogs.
Red Mass Marks Judicial Year Opening
Members of the San Diego area bench and bar and the USD School of Law community will gather in USD's Founders Chapel to participate in the Red Mass, a liturgy held to mark the opening of the judicial year.
Monday, October 5, 2009
6:00 p.m.
Founder's Chapel
Reception to follow
The custom of a special Mass for bench and bar originated in England, France and Italy in the early thirteenth century. Its name refers to the red color of the judges' robes and priests' vestments in attendance, representing the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. The mass is held to ask for divine guidance and assistance for the legal profession in performing its responsibilities. Legal professionals and law students of all faiths are invited to attend.
R.S.V.P. via email or call (619) 260-6848. Visitor parking permits will be available at the main campus entrance kiosk.
USD Business Valuation and Tax Conference
Join the preeminent summit of lawyers, appraisers, accountants and experts who depend on business valuations to meet the current standards of the Internal Revenue Service, the tax court, the auditor and the client. This year's USD Business Valuation and Tax Conference chairs are Mel Abraham, recognized speaker and author, and U.S. Tax Court Judge David Laro.
Friday, October 9
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice
Visit the Business Valuation and Tax Conference Web site for more details. Register online.
USD School of Law is a State Bar of California approved MCLE provider and certifies that this activity is approved for 7.75 hours of MCLE credit. Earn 9 credits of CPE.
Procopio International Tax Institute
The fifth annual USD School of Law-Procopio International Tax Institute is dedicated to the latest developments in the dynamic field of international tax law in the U.S., Mexico and Canada. This intensive educational and networking event attracts internationally recognized leaders and experts in government and private practice.
Monday, October 19 - Tuesday, October 20
8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice
Alumni receive a discounted registration fee. Register online by Monday, October 12. Simultaneous Spanish/English translations available.
Become a Living Book at the Living Library Program at the Legal Research Center
USD's Pardee Legal Research Center is partnering with the Copley Library to offer a Living Library, a one-day program designed to promote dialogue, reduce prejudices and encourage understanding of others. Visitors to the Living Library are given the opportunity to speak informally with live books—people of every age, orientation and cultural background. By bringing together people who frequently confront stereotypes or discrimination, readers check out books and learn about lifestyles, experiences and challenges that are different from their own.
Wednesday, October 21
3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m
Pardee Legal Research Center
Volunteer online to become a living book.
Women's Law Caucus Panel: Motherhood and Sexism in the Law
The Women's Law Caucus invites alumni to attend a panel titled Motherhood and Sexism in the Law, followed by a networking reception. Local attorneys talk about their experiences balancing a family and a legal career, part- and full-time work options and gender discrimination in the legal practice.
Wednesday, October 28
Panel
5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m
Grace Courtroom
Panelists
Lina P. Waage '96
Robin A. Wofford
Wilson Turner Kosmo
Associate Dean and Professor Mary Jo Wiggins
USD School of Law
Reception
6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m
Warren Hall Faculty Reading Room
R.S.V.P. via email.
USD School of Law Welcomes Michael Barone for the 2009 Bowes-Madison Lecture Series
Join USD School of Law for the sixth presentation of the Joan E. Bowes-James Madison Distinguished Lecture Series. Michael Barone, senior political analyst, Washington Examiner; contributor, Fox News Channel; and resident fellow, American Enterprise Institute, will deliver a keynote address titled, "American Politics: Are we in a New Era?"
Monday, November 9
5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice
Reception to follow
Admission is free and your R.S.V.P. is requested by Wednesday, November 4, by email or by phone at (619) 260-6848.
Law School Announces 2009 Max and Gussie Gonick Prize Recipient
Established in 2008 through the generosity of Jerry Gonick '84 and Susan Gonick '86, the Max and Gussie Gonick Memorial Prize for Academic Excellence in the First Year is awarded to the returning day-division student with the highest grade-point average at the end of his/her first year. The law school applauds Andrew Miazga on receiving this year's Gonick Prize. Dean Cole remarked, "the Gonick Prize is a great way for the law school to recognize exceptional academic achievement and is a vehicle for the recipient to share his or her accomplishments with prospective employers."
The Gonick Prize honors the memory of Jerry's parents, who shared a lifelong love of learning that they instilled in their children. After working hard to establish themselves in the United States, Max was scheduled to enter dental school just as the Great Depression hit. Out of necessity and a sense of responsibility, they put aside their own hard-fought aspirations, and worked menial jobs to support their growing family, never losing their admiration for intellectual excellence.
We are grateful to the Gonicks for their generosity and continued support of academic achievement.
Guerilla Tactics Warrior Teaches Students How to Hunt Down Their Dream Job
On September 23, Kimm Walton, author of Guerilla Tactics for Getting the Legal Job of Your Dreams and several other best-selling employment books, packed the Grace Courtroom with law students and recent graduates hoping to learn how to attack the legal job market in a down economy. Realizing the unique challenges of this year's legal market, Dean Cole and the Career Services office brought in the heavy-hitting guru to encourage students and recent graduates to think outside of the box and be more assertive—if not unconventional—in their searches for employment. For example, Ms. Walton recommended students publish while in school to establish their expertise in and enthusiasm for a practice area of interest.
Those who attended were inspired by Ms. Walton's "go get 'em" approach to the job hunt. 3L Jessica Zaylia enthused, "the seminar far exceeded even my most optimistic expectations. The speaker was so energetic and well-reasoned." The 120 others who attended the presentation agreed, some of whom gathered in an overflow classroom in Warren Hall to watch the presentation streaming live after Grace Courtroom reached capacity.
However, inspiration is just the beginning. As Assistant Dean for Career Services Cara Mitnick, reminds, "speaker programming is only one of the many resources we offer to help students and alumni refine and execute their job search strategies." Those wishing to learn more about upcoming career programming, services and research resources should visit the law school Career Services Web site.
Brooks Publishes Racial Justice in the Age of Obama
Warren Distinguished Professor of Law Roy L. Brooks recently published Racial Justice in the Age of Obama, which considers contemporary civil rights questions and theories, and offers fresh insights and effective remedies for race issues in America today. |
 |
Lobel Co-Editor of New Labor and Employment Law Encyclopedia
Professor Orly Lobel has co-edited Edward Elgar's Labor and Employment Law and Economics, part of the Encyclopedia of Law and Economics, Second Edition. Professor Lobel was recently selected as a Searle-Kauffman Fellow in Law, Innovation and Growth for 2009-2010 by the Chicago-based Searle Center on Law, Regulation and Economic Growth. |
 |
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Hon. Robert J. Trentacosta '79 Elected Assistant Presiding Judge of the San Diego Superior Court
San Diego Superior Court judges have elected Hon. Robert J. Trentacosta, 79, immediate past president of the USD Law Alumni Association Board of Directors, to serve as assistant presiding judge. Judge Trentacosta was appointed to the bench in 2001. His prior experience includes work in both public and private practice, including civil litigation at Boudreau and Trentacosta, and Schall, Boudreau, and Gore. He worked in both the litigation and criminal divisions as a deputy city attorney for the city of San Diego.
Judge Trentacosta is currently the supervising judge of the Superior Courtís criminal division. He assumes his new role on January 1, 2010, alongside the new presiding judge of the San Diego Superior Court, Hon. Kevin A. Enright.
David S. Casey, Jr. '74 Lauded with Consumer Watchdog's Lifetime Legal Achievement Award
On September 26, USD School of Law Board of Visitors member David S. Casey, Jr.,'74, a partner with plaintiffs' law firm Casey Gerry, received a Lifetime Legal Achievement Award at the Consumer Watchdog's Rage for Justice Awards, at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills. David joins the ranks of fellow honorees actor Dennis Quaid, Joan Claybrook and the late Wally Marks, Jr. at the seventh annual event, sponsored by Consumer Watchdog, a California-based, non-profit consumer education and advocacy organization.
According to Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog, each year, the Rage for Justice Awards honor Americans who live by a code of "Courage Not Compromise" in their pursuit of justice. "David Casey's landmark cases against Exxon, Big Tobacco and the pharmaceutical industry have forever changed the balance of powers for consumers in this country," said Court. "He represents the highest ethical standards for lawyers in America, as well as achieving unprecedented results for his clients, and we are proud to honor him."
Specifically, David is being recognized for work in the fight against the tobacco industry, in which he represented former Governor Gray Davis, and helped recovered $25 billion from the tobacco industry for the state of California, as well as for his work in establishing the 9/11 Victim's Compensation Fund, the largest pro bono program in the history of American jurisprudence. He also has played a key role in the 20-year fight against Exxon over the Valdez oil spill, a case in which his firm has worked tenaciously to hold the oil giant accountable for the disaster it incurred. Read more.
We congratulate David on this well-deserved honor.