Over two dozen Chapman Law alumni have been featured in the 2013 edition of Super Lawyers magazine as “Rising Stars”. The Rising Star designation is exclusive to lawyers that display excellence in the practice of law. The selection process is extremely rigorous, as it takes into account both personal achievements and peer recognition.

Kevin Liebeck

Alumnus Kevin Liebeck (‘02), a partner at Hodes, Milman, Liebeck and Mosier,LLP, was one of those chosen. Beyond the 2013 ranking, Kevin has also been on the list in 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012. Additionally, Kevin was the 2012 recipient of the Orange County Trial Lawyers Association Top Gun Awards “Young Gun” award.

Chapman Law alumnus Wes Miliband (‘05), a partner at Aleshire & Wynder LLP, was also recognized as a Rising Star this year.

Wes Miliband

We whole heartedly congratulate all of our alumni who were chosen as this year’s “Rising Stars.” It is evident that 2013 has treated our alumni well, and we know that 2014 will be even better.

Chapman’s 2013 Rising Stars via Super Lawyers Magazine:

Matthew Brady (’06)
Brandon Creel (’07)
Jennifer Farell (’07)
Sean Ferron (’03)
Nathan Fransen (’05)
Jeffrey Greenman(’06)
Jonathon Gulsvig (’07)
Brian Harpst (J.D ’04, LL.M. ’05)
Elmira Howard (’08)
Joshua Kimura (’09)
Bradford Kuhn (’06)
Angeline Kwik (’05)
Kevin Liebeck (’02)
Teresa McQueen (’02)
Wes Miliband (’05)
Paul Molinaro M.D., J.D (’05)
Jason Ochs (’04)
Sue Park (’00)
Michael Penn (’04)
Benjamin Price (’09)
David Reid (’09)
Benjamin Rubin (’06)
Mark Shafer (’07)
Michael Travis (’09)
Atticus Wegman (’10)

Student blogger:
Jaryn Saritzky (’14)

Before I started law school, I had two pretty great jobs as a summer camp counselor and a nanny. It goes without saying that I love hanging out with kids. Although I did not know exactly how it would materialize, I came to law school to be part of children’s advocacy in some way. That way ended up being in the dependency system.

Any time that allegations of abuse or neglect are made against parents, the case is heard in dependency court. Sometimes these children are removed from the care of their parents and placed with relatives or in foster care. Other times, the court deems it safe for the children to remain in the care of their parents so long as they continue to be supervised by the Department of Children and Family Services and/or the court.

Throughout my time at Chapman, I have had internships during which I advocated for relative caregivers of children in the dependency system in benefits appeals cases, advocated for a child with special education needs, and worked with a dependency judge.

This summer, I am a law clerk at the Children’s Law Center at Edelman’s Children’s Court in Monterey Park. Edelman’s is a Los Angeles County Superior Court that only hears dependency cases.

Edelman’s Children’s Court is unique. The building was designed to make the experience of coming to court a little less traumatizing for children. The walls are covered in children’s artwork. Courtrooms have posters and decorations. Many children wait for their cases to be called by the court in Shelter Care, an enormous play area with toys, televisions, video games, pool tables, basketball courts and a playground. Parts of it even remind me a little of summer camp. Each floor has art projects that children can do while they wait outside the courtrooms. When children come in a courtroom, each gets a teddy bear and a book. Judges ask about school and their summer plans.

I often describe the attorneys who work at Children’s Law Center as public defenders for children: every child in the Los Angeles dependency system is represented by a Children’s Law Center attorney. I work under the supervision of two of these attorneys. Both have unique and successful advocacy and working styles.

At orientation, law clerks were told that we would not be asked to do anything that attorneys do not do themselves. My supervisors have told me that they want me to have the opportunity to do everything that they do. This includes interviewing clients by phone or in person, making courtroom appearances, preparing cases for hearings, organizing files and much more.

There are unique challenges that come with representing minors. Is it more detrimental for a child to enter the foster care system, or live with parents who have been accused of neglect? When should a child have a say in the outcome of the case?

I do not think these challenges become easier with time, but my supervisors have shown me that attorneys can become better prepared to tackle them. Dependency law has proven to be the perfect way to combine my passion for the law and working with children, even after my summer camp days are long over.

About the Author:
Jaryn Saritzky (3L) is originally from Los Angeles, and graduated from UC San Diego in 2010 with a degree in Political Science and Critical Gender Studies. Since starting Chapman, she has been involved in Moot Court, Nexus Journal of Law & Policy and the Public Interest Law Foundation. She has especially enjoyed getting to know the professors, and working with first year students as an Academic Fellow. Jaryn plans to pursue a career in dependency law and children’s rights.

The post A Courtroom Full of Love appeared first on School of Law.

Student blogger:
Steven Cometa (’14)

A new school, new campus, new students, new professors, a new life. Does that sound like all of the “new” things that you experienced during beginning of your 1L year? Most law students get to experience this exactly one time. But a handful of law students, including myself, were treated to a double dose of the shock of a new law school surrounding.

I began my studies at Whittier Law School in Costa Mesa. Before law school, I had never really been more than a wallflower. I had my small group of friends throughout grade school and during undergrad. I was determined that once I got to law school, that all would change. And it did. I set out to become involved in any way that I could. I served on the Student Bar Association which set me up to meet most of the student body and faculty. I became heavily involved with student groups on campus and even sat in on faculty committee meetings. I was in. Everyone knew my name and what I was about. Then I woke up one day and it was all gone.

Telling my school that I wouldn’t be returning was like breaking up with a girlfriend that didn’t do anything wrong. It was the old “it’s not you, it’s me” line. And that was true. I wanted whatChapman had: the professors, the courses, the strong supportive undergrad. All of my friends were supportive, which was a good feeling. I never got the vibe that they thought any less of me because of my decision to move on. In fact, I still have a great relationship with many of my 1L friends at Whittier.

“At Chapman, I saw an endless opportunity for personal growth and found a huge offering of courses that most other local schools do not offer.”

I transferred to Chapman Law and began my 2L year feeling much like a 1L. In fact, transfer students attended the same orientation that the first year students did. We sat through the same presentations that they did and had lunch together with them. I felt like I should stroll into a Contracts class and sit through another year of first year lectures. But I didn’t. I joined Professor Mainero’s Evidence class and took a seat among students that had already found their friends and built strong bonds during their entire first year and the summer following. I felt like I would easily fall into my old wallflower ways if something wasn’t done.

My classmates were extremely kind and introduced me to others. I felt very comfortable by the second week of classes. I reached out to the Chapman SBA and was given the opportunity to sit on the board as an External Representative to the American Bar Association. I attended many of the social functions that the school and the SBA put on and made more and more friends. I got involved with programs on campus that introduced me to many of our faculty members and administrators. Finally, by the end of my 2L year, I can say that I feel as comfortable dat Chapman as I have anywhere else.

Transferring is a big step. There is a bond with surroundings and peers that a law student develops over the first year of study that can never be replaced. But, it is not something that needs to be replicated. As humans, we are meant to experience new things and meet new people. The decision to transfer is much like a decision to change jobs. There are several factors to consider when deciding to make any big life change. Opportunity is usually the biggest factor in deciding whether to change schools. At Chapman, I saw an endless opportunity for personal growth and found a huge offering of courses that most other local schools do not offer. The administration of the law school works endlessly to ensure that our experience is unforgettable and full of opportunities. I will never forget where I came from, but I will never regret taking the leap and becoming a Panther.

About the Author:
Steven Cometa is a Southern California native. He began his study of law at Whittier Law School in Costa Mesa and transferred to Chapman to pursue its’ prestigious tax certification. At Chapman, he has been heavily involved in the U.S. Tax Court Clinic as well as the Tax Law Society. Steven is involved in student government as a representative to the Student Bar Association and is currently serving as the Chair of Chapman’s Graduate Student Counsel. Steven plans to pursue a career in tax law upon graduation.

The post An Upward Move – My Transfer Story appeared first on School of Law.

(From left to right) Jack Anderson, Kane Leonard, Clark Selters, and Kaitlin Peterson

With some help from the Chapman Law Career Services Office, I, along with three other Chapman Law students, had the opportunity to attend the conference and to meet people like David Cornwell. The Sports Lawyers Association Conference is an annual event where the illuminati of the sports law world convene to discuss the latest issues facing the industry and to network. Nearly every major “player” in the field attends, including general counsels, agents, player’s union representatives, and league executives. For a sports law junkie and aspiring legal professional like me, the conference was an unparalleled learning and networking opportunity.

The panel discussions spanned over three days, and covered a wide variety of fascinating topics. It is one thing to read about legal developments in sports, but it is quite another to learn about them from the very people involved in the process. I got to witness a heated discussion on performance enhancing drug regulations between a general counsel from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and lawyers from the NFL and MLB player’s unions. I also had the opportunity to hear Lester Munson, a legendary legal analyst with ESPN, transcend the world of sports in a chilling analysis of the ethical and legal failings of the Penn State scandal.

Networking at large events like this is not a natural skill for me, but I did my best to take full advantage of the opportunity to build relationships with people in the industry. I had emailed a number of people who I had wanted to meet before the conference, and was surprised by how willing most of them were to meet up and share their experiences. I got to meet several general counsels and a prominent agent using this method, and also met up with several attorneys and law students who I had previously interacted with on Twitter but had never met in person.

Sometimes, networking is as much about luck as it is about strategy. My best networking experience on this trip came on my way back to the hotel from an Atlanta Braves game. That night culminated in getting lost on the Atlanta subway system during a freak thunderstorm with two other Chapman students. By coincidence, we found ourselves in the company of a MLB salary arbitration judge, an athlete workers compensation attorney from Santa Ana, a former ESPN video coordinator, and an international hockey agent. Needless to say, that was a fulfilling end to an unforgettable weekend.

Jack Anderson (2L)

The post A Taste of the Big Leagues: My Experience at the Sports Lawyer Association Conference appeared first on School of Law.

As I consider my impending final year of law school, I’m flooded by a distinct sense of déjà vu. I’ve been here before, on the cusp of an ending. The nostalgia, the trepidation, and the excitement all feel incredibly familiar. The difference, of course, is that this isn’t my final year of high school or college. This is my final year of law school. It’s an ending that feels very much like the beginning of the rest of my life.

Some would say that the purpose of an undergraduate education is exploration. If I had to give a similar one-word definition to the purpose and essence of law school, I would say that it is preparation. I left my undergraduate institution with a very firm sense of who I am as a person and of what I wanted in life. I will leave law school with a honed understanding of how to practice the law knowledgeably, precisely, and ethically. Every class, every club, and every externship has been aimed at preparing me for this career.

To speak more specifically, my summer internship with the in-house legal department at Niagara Bottling has confirmed my suspicion since entering law school– I want to be a part of a business. Some students don’t know what they’re getting into when they land an internship with an in-house legal department. From the outside, one could perceive it as a mini law firm within a company. What I’ve learned while working at Niagara is that the legal department can and should be an actual business unit designed to mesh with every other department, from supply chain to R&D to HR to IT, to form a cohesive organization that is much more than the sum of its parts. To have a group of engineers, executives, accountants, and lawyers all working toward a unified goal is what makes a career in house so exciting to me.

As a 3L, I have experience working for a judge, a solo practitioner, a public company, and now a private company. This breadth of involvement has prepared me to choose my own path within the legal field carefully. Chapman Law, not to mention the devoted staff of the Career Services Office, has prepared me to not only practice law, but to build my own career deliberately with an eye on the goals I have defined for myself over the last two years.

So, in a way, it’s not really an ending, but a transition; and the entirety of law school has been the setup and preparation for this transition. There is another big difference between these “end-of-an-era” feelings and those I felt in high school and college: that little three day exam at the end of law school seems to do a pretty good job at preventing senioritis.

Brandon Howard (3L)

About the Author:
Brandon received his BA in Math and Theatre from USC and is currently involved in the Business & Investment Law Society and the Student Bar Association at Chapman Law. He is pursuing the business emphasis and is excited to start his legal career after the July 2014 bar as Associate Corporate Counsel in the in-house legal department at Niagara Bottling.

The post Looking Forward appeared first on School of Law.

At a gala dedication ceremony on September 10, 2013, students, faculty and friends of the school gathered in the atrium to witness a momentous time in our school’s history. Chapman University alumnus Dale E. Fowler and his wife Sarah Ann were present as the curtain fell to display our school’s new name: The Dale E. Fowler School of Law at Chapman University. The naming honors the historic $55 million gift given to the law school by the Fowlers.

The Chapman University Board of Trustees were present in addition to the Honorable George Shultz, former United States Secretary of State.

“In designating this gift for our law school, the Fowlers have expressed the greatest confidence in what we are doing in legal education, and what Chapman has accomplished in higher education more generally. We are profoundly grateful, and committed to justifying the confidence they, and each of you, have placed in us,” said Dean Tom Campbell.

The Fowler School of Law, at Chapman University, has a bright future ahead. The gift will not only make the school much more competitive with its peer institutions in the long run, but we hope to be able to provide numerous benefits to students right away. The Fowlers will be working with the School of Law to decide how financial help might be used to hire adjuncts who are practicing lawyers to team-teach more upper division classes with our doctrinal faculty, and to offset tuition costs by providing more merit-based scholarships and fellowships so that students can better afford to pay for school. We will also be discussing plans for more one-on-one career counseling and individualized job hunting strategies for our graduates.

Watch the webcast.

The post We are Officially the Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law! appeared first on Fowler School of Law.

Samuel Mirejovsky and James M. Bergener with Dean Tom Campbell

We are pleased to announce the creation of the Bergener & Associates Scholarships. The Bergener & Associates Scholarships will be awarded annually to up to five Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law incoming 1L students. Each student will receive at least $5,000 for their first year.

Recipients of this scholarship must have worked full-time for at least one year (preferably in a legal setting) prior to matriculation or be entering law school to develop a second career. The students will have demonstrated that they have acquired work skills and obtained competences through real-world experiences.

Bergener & Associates is a California personal injury law firm. They actively seek lawyers who possess their brand of dedication to the law and client service. They believe attorneys who have explored the workplace and its challenges prior to completing their legal education often have the strongest sense of this ethic.

“The generosity of the Bergener & Associates firm is consistent with their mission of helping those in need. Because of this gift, hardworking experienced individuals will be better able to afford law school, so that thereafter, they too, can help others,” said Dean Tom Campbell.

“As one of Orange County’s most respected law schools, Chapman is our natural partner in our continuing bid to attract these talented individuals to our firm and our community,” said James M. Bergener.  In this spirit, Bergener & Associates presents this scholarship.

To learn more about Bergener & Associates please visit www.bergenerlaw.com.

The post Bergener & Associates Donate $25,000 Annually in Scholarships appeared first on Fowler School of Law.

By Ali Bollbach (’14)

Ali Bollbach with her swing dance partner.

With the start of a new semester, law student happiness and overall success depends largely on how well we maximize our downtime. For some of my friends this means a weekend trip to the beach, soaking in a little vitamin D or serving up a round of beach volleyball. For others, it is a quick trip home to reconnect with family and enjoy the wonderful included amenities (home cooked meals and free laundry service).

At first-year orientation, I received some important advice that can often be overlooked by law students: be sure to make time to exercise and unwind. Exercise not only gets the blood flowing (especially in my case) it also helps burn off calories from the one-too-many study-time snack breaks.

During my first year, a few times a week I found myself running the “river” trails around Orange. (I place river in quotation marks because I have yet to see an actual body of water; rather, our rivers are simple concrete canals designed to save the city from a flood should there ever be an uncontrollable downpour). What I really enjoy about running is that you don’t have to be a marathon runner to get a good workout. And the workout can be as long or as short as one desires.  Yet, as much as I enjoy the “view” of the river, running does not give me the downtime I need to quiet my mind. Once I get into a rhythm, I find myself reciting tort elements (duty, breach, causation, damages, duty, breach, causation damages…) or parts of rule statements for my agency class (consent, control, on behalf of…) with each step I take. While this is great for my study habits and provides good exercise, the routine does not give me the “tune out” mental break I need.

One of the great things about going to law school in Orange County is that there are tons of things to do. Check out the great opportunities on Living Social or featured deals on Groupon to find yoga classes, paddleboard lessons, boot camps, or countless other possible activities.

Growing up, I had always been a fan of big band music, so when I found a swing dancing facility that plays big band music on Friday nights, I dropped in for a free beginners lesson and found myself hooked! Swing dancing is a partner dance, so instead of reciting tort elements or rule statements in my head, I now find myself focused on the next spin, dip, or trick being thrown my way.

Although swing dancing might not be your cup of tea, it is an example of what works for me. It is important to search out activities that will allow you to unwind and relax during law school. There will always be more reading and prep work to do, but you will find yourself a little more refreshed and ready to tune back in, if you take some time to unwind and keep moving!

Ali Bollbach (’14)

The post Find Time to Unwind! appeared first on Fowler School of Law.

Trevor Potter

Stephen Colbert’s personal lawyer and campaign finance guru, Trevor Potter, is visiting Chapman’s Fowler School of Law on October 8 as the first Dialogue speaker of the 2013-2014 academic year. Trevor Potter is the former Commissioner and Chairman of the FEC, General Counsel to the 2000 and 2008 Presidential campaigns of John McCain and founding President and General Counsel of the Campaign Legal Center, a non-profit legal team fighting for better laws for money in politics. He also advises Stephen Colbert on campaign finance issues on the political satire show, The Colbert Report. On the show, Potter is most known for his analysis on the Supreme Court case Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission which led to Stephen Colbert’s Super PAC, “Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow.” These segments resulted in a Peabody Award in 2011.

During his visit to Chapman, Potter will discuss “Representing Exceptional Clients in Election Law Cases.” In a recent Reddit AMA, Potter advises people to visit Campaign Legal Center and American Anti-corruption Act for general information about the problems of money in politics and Congress. In his upcoming talk at the law school, he will delve into the legal details and take students’ questions in a more intimate discussion.

Attendees must register for this event. If you cannot make it, you can watch the webcast.

The post Stephen Colbert’s Personal Lawyer, Trevor Potter, is Coming to Chapman’s Fowler School of Law! appeared first on Fowler School of Law.

Evan Brennan (’15)

When Evan Brennan (J.D. ’15) was asked why his Professional Responsibility textbook was covered in linear tabulations and tally marks, he smiled humbly. Evan then politely responded that he was calculating the probability, based on past years, of college football players being on a college all-star game watch list, and after having gone through training camp and the NFL Draft, actually making an NFL team (while studying, of course). When asked “Why?” he smiled again and answered, “I want to ensure that the all-star game that I am looking at is a good indicator of NFL talent-to be, as opposed to a list of the other several thousand whom had the aspirations, but not the transferable talent from college to the pros.”

In laymen’s terms, this means Evan is on the prowl for his next client. While attending Chapman’s Fowler School of Law, Evan became one of the very few law students in the country to pass the National Football League (NFL) Agent Exam. He is, without a doubt, a go-getter who possesses a rare combination of street smarts and book smarts. His success can be attributed to years of hard work, research and networking.

After graduating from BYU with a bachelor’s degree in history, Evan faced the difficult decision many college graduates must make: he needed to quickly find a direction in which to take his career. He took into account earning potential, the skills at his disposal, and passion. This process led him to his “Jerry Maguire moment” and to his decision to pursue becoming a sports agent.

Evan found he had the most connections and interest in football over other sports. “My playing days were over, but I wanted to do anything to be involved with that sport,” he said. Armed with his interest and connections, he decided to earn his master’s in Sports Management at California State University, Long Beach; he also completed an award-winning capstone research project in which he devised a business plan for a sports agency. Conducting interviews with CPAs, agents, players, and individuals in finance for this project helped Evan lay the foundation for establishing his own agency one day.

Now that Evan has passed the Agent exam, he plans to execute the business plan he created while earning his master’s degree. “I’ve been fortunate that I’ve been around and seen so many others’ successes and failures, that I have a good idea of what to do and what not to do,” he said. He also intends to practice law in order to better serve his future athlete clients and hopes to find a law firm that will recognize the value of hiring a sports agent. “My future athlete clients will benefit from a real legal practitioner, rather than a guy with a J.D. who does not actually practice law.” In an effort to get a head start on his legal resume, Evan has recently accepted a clerk position at a law firm that specializes in personal injury. In an ideal world, Evan will not only work with athletes after he graduates, but he will also work in a law firm while exercising his skills in copyright, trademark, tax, business litigation and transactional matters that are commonplace for sports agents.

Until that time comes, Evan is taking advantage of every possible learning opportunity in sports law that Chapman has to offer. He is involved in Chapman’s Entertainment and Sports Law Society and he is currently taking Professor Leigh Steinberg’s sports law class. Steinberg is a sports agent and a lawyer who happens to be the real-life inspiration for the movie Jerry McGuire. Evan is also in IP Law Society and just joined the Alternative Dispute Resolution team, where he will get ample opportunities to improve his negotiation skills.

Evan offers this valuable advice for others looking to become sports agents in any capacity: “Becoming an agent is not as difficult as remaining an agent. I would strongly caution those that think of doing this to have a very well thought out business plan that has been crosschecked and evaluated by those in the business.”

The post Evan Brennan (’15) Became a Sports Agent While in Law School, One of the Few in the Country appeared first on Fowler School of Law.

Jessi Castro (J.D. ’14) and Tami Carson (J.D. ’14 )

The Dale E. Fowler School of Law found success at Southwestern Law School’s fourth Entertainment Law Negotiation Competition on October 5-6. The competition draws students from law schools across the country to utilize negotiation and teamwork skills. The competition also gives students who are interested in pursuing a career in entertainment law the opportunity to network.

Tami Carson (J.D. ’14 ) and Jessi Castro (J.D. ’14) were in first place after the preliminary rounds, and placed third overall out of 28 teams in the final round after out-performing UC Hastings and other well-respected schools. The team of Andrew Cummings (J.D. ’15) and Seth Bowen (J.D. ‘15) placed seventh, one point behind a five-way tie for second place.

“I think Jessi and I were successful because we worked hard and were very well coached, both by Professors Schultz and Dowling and by other members of the ADR Board,” Carson said. Carson also stressed that the Chapman ADR Board promotes competing with professionalism and strength of character.

The teams each have three weeks to solve two separate negotiation problems they receive in advance before the actual competition; those that reach the final rounds receive a third problem to complete for the next day of competition.

This competition, established at Southwestern in 2010, is the first of its kind. The event not only attracted a wide array of students from across the country, but also drew 42 judges—a cross section of professors, alumni, faculty, and local attorneys.

The post Chapman Law Team Places in Top 3 at Entertainment Law Negotiation Competition appeared first on Fowler School of Law.

On the weekend of October 11-12, the School of Law sent two teams to the Thomas Tang Regional Moot Court Competition at Seattle University School of Law. The two teams were comprised of Sara Kang (J.D. ’14) and Amanda Herman (J.D. ‘15), and Jaryn Saritzky (J.D. ’14) and Dallis Pflueger-Cavallaro (J.D. ’14). Saritzky and Pflueger-Cavallaro advanced to the final round and will be competing in the national finals in Kansas City, Missouri. Saritzky was also recognized as Best Advocate in the regional competition.

“Our success is the result of a great deal of hard work, as well as the support of our teammates Amanda Herman and Sara Kang, our coaches Andrew Bugman and Nancy Schultz, and the Moot Court Competitions Team as a whole. As we advance to the next round, I think we would both like to further hone our oral advocacy skills and get to know the issues a bit better,” Saritzky said.

The Competition began in 1993 at the South Texas College of Law in Houston, Texas with the school’s Asian Pacific American (APA) Law Student Association. The NAPABA Law Foundation and Judicial Council continues to administer the Competition in honor of the late Unites States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Thomas Tang, an advocate for individual rights, minority attorneys, the NAPABA, and the moot court competition. The Competition offers scholarships totaling $10,000.

The post Fowler School of Law Students Advance to Thomas Tang Moot Court Competition National Finals appeared first on Fowler School of Law.

When you decide to become a mentor for a law student you are making a very wise decision for both yourself and the law student. I have had the pleasure of acting as a mentor for Chapman law students for the past several years.

While law schools do their best to train their students as to the “real world” of what it is like to work in a law firm, their emphasis is on teaching students the law. And while practical skills classes and clinical courses help students, after they pass the bar exam they are entering a world that is very foreign to them and they no longer have the guidance of a law professor.

When law students become young lawyers they are most often not ready to begin their legal career. However, if they have the benefit of being mentored by an experienced lawyer they receive the benefit of learning from the ground up what it is like to practice law. When I work with a “mentee” I start by showing the mentee how you meet with and convince a client to retain your services.

We then explain about retainer agreements, quoting fees to clients, etc.  We also discuss the importance of truly caring about your clients. Most importantly, we talk about keeping regular contact with your client by phone and email.

This type of insider information is only possible through a mentorship program.

In addition, we have our mentees go to court with our lawyers so they learn what court is all about and how to handle court hearings before a judge. The students have also had the opportunity to watch court hearings when our associates appear in court on our cases. By the time the mentor-mentee relationship ends many of our mentees continue to stay involved with our law firm in different ways. Some will become law clerks for us. Some will write blogs or content for our websites. All of our mentees keep in touch when they have questions.

I am constantly amazed at the level of professionalism shown by each Chapman law student whom I have mentored. The students are excited about learning about criminal defense and family law in the “real world”. These students have been able to listen to new client calls and sit in on new client consultations. These cases range from those accused of serious felonies to traffic infractions.

So what is the benefit to the mentor by doing all of this? The benefit is that you get an opportunity to “give back” by helping law students become prepared to be lawyers. You are doing the public a favor because members of the public will have the good fortune in the future of hiring these young lawyers. The future lawyers that you helped train will be ready to do a good job for their clients.

It really makes you feel good to help a law student. You are doing the law student a favor. You are doing the law school where they are attending a favor. You are doing society a favor and more importantly you are doing yourself a favor.

I strongly encourage any law student at Chapman to take the opportunity to get involved in the mentor-mentee program that your law school offers. While law schools do their best to train their students to become lawyers, it is the actual seeing how a law office runs and going to court that makes the law school education process much more complete.

Paul Wallin is a founding partner of the Wallin and Klarich Law firm that covers criminal and family law cases throughout southern California. He has held notable positions such as past Chairman of the Criminal Law Section of Orange County Bar Association, a past Delegate to the California State Bar Convention, and presiding Fee Arbitrator for Orange County Bar Association. He has taught at UC Irvine and is a mentor in the Chapman University Fowler School of Law Attorney Mentor Program.

The views expressed here are those of the author and not the law school.

The post Guest Blog: The Benefits of Mentoring a Law Student appeared first on Fowler School of Law.

“Outside the Law” is a column profiling Chapman law students outside of school. Though they all share a common degree and career path, they each come from different walks of life, enriching the Chapman community with their individual experiences. Take away the legalese, casebooks, and briefs, and you’ll find people making the most of life, just like everyone else. These are their stories when they’re not wearing the business suits.

Student blogger:
Minhquan Nguyen (’14)

Before he had his first girlfriend, before he began to notice girls in that way, before his brain had developed enough to even understand the concept of love, Ali Bushra already had a broken heart.

No one noticed, at first. When he was born, he seemed like any other squalling baby in Egypt. It wasn’t until he began turning blue that people began to worry. Actually, his shade was a reddish-purple color that suggested blue more than anything else, but between that and his frequent shortness of breath, Ali’s parents felt this condition couldn’t be entirely normal.

The doctor called it tetralogy of Fallot. “Fallot” for the French physician who discovered it, “tetra”—“four”—for the number of defects to the heart, which was more than twice the number of years Ali had lived up to that point. It was a condition you were born with and died by; left to its own devices, tetralogy of Fallot killed most people by their teens.

At the time, its causes were a mystery, which remains mostly the case today. Ali’s mother had been a healthy, intelligent woman who had done all the right things while she was pregnant. Aside from matters of the heart, Ali was otherwise a normal child with no other worrying conditions. It was just one of those things, like hurricanes or gym teachers, that life threw at you from time to time. There was nothing to do except deal with it as best you could.

—–

Much is made of the human brain, the computer which allows you to do anything, from holding long, deep conversations about the political situation in Syria to dancing with abandon to “Gangnam Style”. But it’s the heart, the body’s engine, which provides that computer power. Cut off the heart, and all your brain’s remarkable abilities quickly seem very, very insignificant.

The heart is essentially divided into two sides, each with a collection chamber and several vessels allowing blood to flow in and out. The left side takes in oxygen-rich blood from the lungs and sends it out to the rest of the body. The right side accepts blood your body has already used and directs it back to the lungs for refreshment. This is literally a life-saving process every time it happens, and yet your heart does it with a consistency and effectiveness that no machine made by man has ever matched—not even the iPhone. The heart does its job so well that it’s only when it stops working as it should that you begin to appreciate what an important appliance you have running inside.

A person with tetralogy of Fallot has four problems to deal with. On the right side of the heart, the vessel that connects to the lungs is narrower than usual, preventing oxygen-depleted blood from leaving its chamber. On the left side, the vessel that brings in newly aerated blood has split into both sides, dispensing half its precious cargo uselessly into the wrong chamber. The two chambers, which are supposed to remain completely separate, now have an opening between them, allowing spent blood to flow back out into the body. To add insult to injury, the extra stress from compensating for all these issues causes the muscle on the right side of the heart to thicken rather unattractively, from an anatomical standpoint.

The bottom line is tetralogy of Fallot forces the heart to work twice as hard to deliver a fraction of the normal payout, a lose-lose situation, no matter how you look at it.

—–

Had Ali been born just half a century earlier, his family would have had to start saving for a funeral service right then. The good news, as their doctor told them, was that medicine had advanced to a point where tetralogy of Fallot was no longer the death stamp it had been. Nothing a little open-heart surgery couldn’t fix.

The bad news for Ali and his family was this type of thing was best done in the United States, where the doctors had the know-how to perform the operation without killing Ali in the process, and to keep his recovery on track afterward. His parents couldn’t procrastinate on the decision; the surgery had the best chance of success while Ali was still an infant. Leaving Egypt meant Ali’s father would have to bid farewell to his entire family and a good job managing food and beverage services at a hotel in Alexandria. His mother would have to quit her job as an elementary teacher at a private British school. Both had a comfortable life they’d known and built up. They would have to leave it behind if they wanted their son to do the same. Their choice was thus easy, but painful.

—–

Ali’s parents arrived in their new homeland in the most traditionally American way: with practically nothing. Nearly everything they owned had stayed in Egypt and everything else went to pay for what would turn out to be the first of several surgeries for their son. In one particularly educational episode, Ali’s father sold his Rolex to a pawnshop for $500, only to learn from a later appraisal that it had been worth ten times as much. So early on, Ali’s parents learned that America was a country that could inspire deep, simultaneous feelings of gratitude and resentment.

The purpose of the first surgery was to fix several of the structural defects in Ali’s heart and to insert a pacemaker that would even out his heart rate. By all accounts, it was a great success, almost mundanely so. Despite the skill required and the stakes of the operation, it represented a relatively brief, albeit extremely anxious, period of his parents’ lives. This was soon overshadowed by the hard work of making a life in the U.S. while waiting for their son’s heart to develop enough for his next surgery.

They were luckier than most. Ali’s great-grandfather on his mother’s side had come to California decades earlier for his college studies, and her sister still lived in the state, in El Centro, one county away from San Diego, where Ali’s medical work would be done. This gave the Bushra family a decent place to stay while they got their feet off their ground.

In all other respects, Ali’s parents started from scratch. Ali’s father worked at a gas station, and his wife stayed at home to look after their recovering son. Two years later, the family could afford to move into their own apartment in San Diego while Ali’s parents took up jobs at a local IHOP, his father as a manager and his mother as a server.

Ali’s condition aside, he grew up a very normal American boy. He was social and athletic, qualities that got repressed a bit during his stay-at-home period. Although he was allowed to do a very little swimming, he really wanted to play football, a sport out of his reach. There was the usual head-shaking toward roller-coasters and other activities that might be overly exciting.

Ali, as a child, with his doctor

These were sad disappointments, but temporary ones. When he was eight, he had his second surgery. The doctors replaced his pacemaker, then inserted another heart valve to replace the one already been worn out from years of making up for defective parts. The new valve was a human one, donated by the family of a child less fortunate than Ali himself. He never found out the identity of the person who still has a place in his heart today.

After that, it didn’t take long for Ali to throw himself completely into living a normal life. It took his parents much longer. Though Ali’s father never did learn much English, he distinguished himself with his sense of presentation, integrity, and work ethic, universal values that are never lost in translation. Ali’s mother was no less diligent, teaching her son at home while he was still too delicate to go to school and slowly earning her credential so she could teach other children.

There came a time when both parents got back the jobs they had given up to save their son. His father managed food and beverage services at an Embassy Suites hotel; his mother got a full time job as an elementary school teacher. They finally bought a house and had their remaining furniture in Alexandria shipped over to fill it. The moment Ali was diagnosed with tetralogy of Fallot, it was like their lives had been put on pause; only ten years later could they press the play button again. But now their son was in high school, he was healthy, and they were living in America. The long delay was worth it.

Then the recession hit. In short succession, Ali’s father lost his job, had a heart attack and a stroke, and discovered he couldn’t start over again like he had once done. In the new, gasping market, his limited English, Middle Eastern heritage, and lack of technical skills guaranteed that he wouldn’t be a part of it. Ali would come home and see his once vital father, staying at home and living on a pension after years of making something of himself. Life or fate or society had treated his father badly, Ali thought. He felt very strongly that something should be done, if not on behalf of his father, then at least for the sake of the human condition, but he couldn’t think of how to do it. And then he started thinking about law school.

—–

Right before he started college, Ali had his third surgery, mainly to replace the battery in his pacemaker. He didn’t want to, at first. It was too sharp a reminder that he wasn’t entirely normal. His doctor convinced him by pointing out that once the procedure was done, Ali would be entirely normal. Considering the odds against him when he was born, this was nothing less than a remarkable result—“exceptional.” That was the word the doctor used. Ali was exceptional.

Ali Bushra today

He keeps that in mind nearly every day and knows how blessed his life is, a miraculous product of technology, human generosity, and his own stern stuff. When he visits his parents, he feels an unmeasurable love for what they did to make him possible. He often stops to watch the sun as it rises on his way to school, and watch it set as he leaves class. Quite frequently, he walks the halls of his law school and spontaneously burst into song, his pleasant tenor ringing against the walls. And through it all, his heart keeps a steady beat, assuring him that it’s still going strong.

Ali Bushra is a third-year student at Chapman University’s Dale E. Fowler School of Law. He is a student ambassador and member of the Student Bar Association. He externs at Jafari Law Group.

About the Author:

Minhquan Nguyen is a third-year law student and the current President of the Public Interest Law Foundation (PILF) at Chapman University School of Law. He went to the University of California, Irvine to receive his undergraduate degree. Minhquan likes to tell people he watches Game of Thrones and Mad Men, while he actually prefers Downton Abbey and Cougar Town.

The views expressed in the student blogs are those of the author and not the law school.

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