During the successful 2014 Public Interest Law Foundation Silent Auction and Gala, six Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law students joined together to bid on a Bollywood Movie Night with Dean Tom Campbell and Professor Deepa Badrinarayana. Those students were in for pleasant surprise when the date came to cash in on their winning bid.

At the end of the school day on Thursday, May 1, 2014, April Mara Cristal (JD ’16), Carol Rugh (JD ’16), Nelson Vu (JD ’16), Trevor Sullivan (JD ’16), Virginia (Mengqian) Liu (JD ’16) and Jennifer Neufeld (JD ’16) walked into the screening room to find Dean Campbell dressed in traditional Indian clothing. He was wearing a Sherwani (long coat) with churidars (trousers), a gift given to him during his honeymoon in India. A few minutes later, Professor Badrinarayana arrived wearing Salwar Kameez, the traditional dress of women in Punjab, India. Professor Badrinarayana is originally from Bangalore, Karnataka in India. This event is one of the many ways she tries to bring her Indian culture to her new home in the United States at Chapman’s Fowler School of Law. Professor Kurt Eggert also joined the group during this event.

The students were elated with the festive clothing as well as traditional food brought from the nearby restaurant, Tandoori Cuisine of India. Over dinner, the lucky students shared travel stories and experiences with the dean and professors, with Professor Badrinarayana sharing details about her Indian culture. An admitted eclectic movie buff, Dean Campbell chose the Bollywood classic Bride & Prejudice for the screening, introducing the students to the Bollywood genre while Professor Eggert provided insights into the history of Bollywood movies. The highest grossing movies in India are family movies designed to offend no one and entertain everyone, with music that appeals to the generations.

“The highlights of the night were Dean Campbell’s commentary on the Bollywood film, Professor Badrinarayana’ s dance moves and Professor Eggert singing ‘Old Man River!’ I was pretty jealous of Dean Campbell’s attire, too.” – Trevor Sullivan (JD ’16)

Tom Campbell was appointed Dean of the Fowler School of Law in February 2011. Since 2001, he and his wife Susanne have volunteered as teachers on seven separate occasions in Ghana, Eritrea and Rwanda, where they taught courses in fundraising (Susanne) and international financial institutions, business strategy and constitutional law (Tom) at the following: Ashesi University, Accra, Ghana; Kigali Institute of Science and Technology, Kigali, Rwanda; School of Banking and Finance, Kigali, Rwanda; and the University of Asmara, Asmara, Eritrea. He has a B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in economics from the University of Chicago, and a JD, magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School.

Deepa Badrinarayana is an Associate Professor of Law at Chapman’s Fowler School of Law. She is also a consultant to the United Nations Global Compact on issues of corporate voluntarism and regulations. Before coming to the United States, Professor Badrinarayana was a Research Officer for a Government of India-World Bank Environmental Capacity-Building Project, at the National Law School of India University. She was part of a team that advised the Government of India on its new legislation to manage biomedical waste. She earned her B.A. and LL.B. from National Law School of India University. She continued her education by earning her LL.M. and S.J.D. from Pace University School of Law.

Fowler professors and international students from India help to increase awareness in the law school about Indian culture and Bollywood films. Fowler plans to  increase its relationship with India to bring students to the law school. As Professor Badrinarayana would agree, having a Bachelor of Laws degree from India and having an LL.M. degree from the United States provides a unique opportunity.

“Law professionals coming from India have the opportunity to participate in the Entertainment Law Emphasis Program. This would prove especially helpful for those looking to understand the film industry in the United States, and at the same time gain insight into the increasing globalization of media financing, production and distribution.” – Kathy Heller, Executive Director, Entertainment Law Program and Associate Professor of the Practice of Law at Fowler School of Law.

Below is a sampling of some winners of other PILF auction items that involved experiences with Fowler law professors:

• 90-minute surf lesson and lunch with Professor Stephanie Lascelles – Winner: Virginia (Mengqian) Liu (JD ’16)
• Guided boat tour of Newport Harbor with dessert and coffee with Professor Sandra Skahen – Winner: Hilda Akopyan (JD ’15)
• Hiking and happy hour with Professor Jenny Carey – Winner: Nelson Vu (JD ’16)
• Lunch with Professor Michael Bazyler – Winner: Jennifer Neufeld (JD ’16)
• BBQ with Professor Celestine McConville – Winner: Katherine Currie-Diamond (JD ’14)
• Dinner and a movie with Professor McConville and Dean Jayne Kacer – Winner: Allison Scott (JD ’15)
• Sushi at Ohshima with Professor David Gibbs – Winner: Stephanie Vreeland (JD ’15)
• Dinner and game night with Professor Julie Marzouk – Winner: Nancy Sandoval (JD ’14)

The weekend of commencement began with an LL.M. graduation reception and graduation banquet for JD students on Thursday, May 22, 2014. The LL.M. reception was a gathering of those receiving their LL.M. degree, with a special early preview of a walking commencement ceremony for their family and friends. During the reception, graduating LL.M. students Rizwan Sheik and Rachel Poleshuk Leon thanked their classmates, family and friends for their help in reaching this impressive academic benchmark. View the recording of the LL.M. reception.

2014 Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law LL.M. Graduates

The Fowler School of Law graduation banquet for JD students took place at the Lyon Air Museum overlooking the runway at John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, California. The evening included award presentations for students who received certificates for their involvement in special programs or for academic achievement at the law school.

Graduation Banquet at Lyon Air Museum

Awards

2014 Valedictorian Blake Corry

The Honor Scholar (Valedictorian) Award and the Carmelina Doti Excellence Award are presented annually by the dean and faculty of the Fowler School of Law to the graduating senior who has achieved the highest grade point average in the graduating class. The 2014 Valedictorian was Blake Corry.

The Distinguished Graduate Award is presented annually by the dean and faculty of the Fowler School of Law to the graduating senior whose scholarship, ethics and service exemplify the highest ideals of the legal profession. This year there were two award recipients. The 2014 Distinguished Graduate Awards winners were Heidi Post and Nancy Sandoval.

The Dean’s Award is presented annually by the dean to the graduating senior whose leadership and service to the law school and its students represent a significant contribution to the development of the Fowler School of Law. The 2014 Dean’s Award winner was Raymond Gennawey III.

The Professionalism Award is presented annually by the dean and faculty of the Fowler School of Law to the graduating senior who has represented the law school to the legal profession and to the larger community in a distinctively significant manner. The 2014 Professionalism Award winner was Minhquan Nguyen.

The National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL) Award is selected by the faculty and presented annually by the NAWL to the graduating senior who contributes to the advancement of women in society; promotes issues and concerns of women in the legal profession; exhibits motivation, tenacity and enthusiasm; demonstrates academic achievement; and has earned the respect of the dean and faculty of the Fowler School of Law. The 2014 NAWL Award winner was Jaryn Saritzky.

The American Law Institute-Continuing Legal Education (ALI-CLE) Awards are selected by the faculty and presented annually in recognition for being the five graduates in this law school class who best represent a combination of scholarship and leadership, the qualities embodied by the ALI-CLI parent organization. The 2014 ALI-CLE Award winners were:

• Alison Bollbach
• Jonathan Cayton
• Stephanie Lincoln
• Clay-Michael O’Neal
• Candace Burr Queathem

The National Order of Scribes Awards are selected by the faculty and presented annually by the American Society of Legal Writers to the five graduating seniors who have demonstrated the highest levels of professionalism and who are outstanding legal writers. The 2014 National Order of Scribes Award winners were:

• Stephan Brown
• Jennifer Crampton
• Andrew Gahan
• Nicole Naleway
• Lauren Vanga

The LL.M. reception and JD graduation banquet were followed by the 2014 Commencement Exercises on Friday, May 23, 2014.

After the hours of classes, studying and preparing, the JD and LL.M. students of Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law received their respective law degrees and are ready to head out into the world. Commencement exercises for the Class of 2014 took place on Friday, May 23, 2014 at 5 p.m. on the Holly & David Wilson Field at Chapman University.

The 2014 keynote speaker for the Fowler School of Law was the Honorable Raymond C. Fisher, Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. “We all get to where we are with the help of others,” said Judge Fisher at the beginning of his speech. He continued to explain how unexpected people and events changed the path of his career and brought him to this point. Judge Fisher encouraged the graduates to be open to and look for these opportunities.

Following Judge Fisher, Fowler School of Law Dean Tom Campbell and Chapman University President James L. Doti presented Dale E. Fowler with an honorary Doctor of Laws degree. In 2013, Chapman University’s law school was the recipient of the second largest reported gift to any law school in the United States thanks to a $55 million donation from prominent real estate developer Dale E. Fowler and his wife Sarah Ann. The law school was named “The Dale E. Fowler School of Law” in September 2013.

During the graduation banquet the night before, several students were also honored for their involvement or academic achievement at the law school. The 2014 Valedictorian and the recipient of the Carmelina Doti Academic Excellence Award was Blake Joseph Corry. Dean Campbell then introduced the following 2014 Academic Honors:

Summa cum Laude:

Magna cum Laude:

Cum Laude:

Eghosa Courage Isibor

Raymond Michael Gennawey III delivered the JD response during the commencement ceremonies. “Over the past three years we truly became a family,” Gennawey said. He emphasized this point using humor and specific examples from his years at Fowler School of Law. Following Gennawey, graduating LL.M. student Eghosa Courage Isibor delivered the LL.M. response. Isibor, who came to Fowler from Nigeria, said that when choosing a law school in the United States, it was important to him to find a school with diversity. “I envisioned a school where students from different nations, ethnicities and backgrounds can cross-pollinate ideas in an intellectually stimulating environment,” he said.

Breaking tradition, this year the M. Katherine Baird Darmer Outstanding Professor of the Year Award was presented to two professors – Susanna K. Ripken and Celestine R. McConville. This award was voted on by the third year students and resulted in a rare tie.

Members of the Class of 2014

Masters of Laws Graduates

Juris Doctor Graduates

Students Graduating with an Emphasis

Advocacy and Dispute Resolution Emphasis

Business Law Emphasis

Entertainment Law Emphasis

Environmental, Land Use and Real Estate Law Emphasis

International Law Emphasis

Tax Emphasis

Thank you to all the graduates, faculty and staff that made this commencement possible. View the recording of the Commencement Exercises for the Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law Class of 2014.

Heidi Post

Heidi Post always aspired to attend law school. But as she finalized steps to achieve that goal, her dual dream of building a family presented a new challenge. Already pregnant while awaiting her LSAT results, Heidi and her wife Stacy received news that their long-awaited adoption request had been approved – she and Stacy would soon be the parents of twin girls and a newborn boy. Despite these curveballs, Post decided that she wanted to be more than just a mother. She chose to start her studies at Chapman University Dale E. Fowler Law School in the fall of 2011, shortly after having their son.

“There is no excuse for me not to be the best I can be,” she said. The two women quickly went from a dual income household with no children to a family with three infants and only one earning parent.

But Heidi certainly did more than just survive law school. After a strong first year, she was invited to be an editor for the Chapman Law Review, a prestigious position she has held in both her second and third years. As of graduation, Heidi will be ranked in the top 10 of the Fowler School of Law Class of 2014.

“I was so naïve – I theoretically knew law school would be hard; but most things are hard. I thought ‘this is what I am doing, put your head down and get it done,’” Post said. She explained how much support she received with her children and her studies from her wife, in-laws, family and friends. Her spouse works overtime and extra hours and coordinates nannies for the children. “My mother-in-law is a force of nature – she got behind my dream and stayed behind it like a propeller,” she said. Even her classmates at Fowler School of Law have banded around her and supported her dream of becoming a lawyer.

Heidi Post and her family

There aren’t any typical days at the Post’s house. “I made a promise not to study on weekends or at night,” she said. Post strives to be present when she is with her family. But she admitted that the hardest part has been the guilt of not being home during the day with her kids. Post said that “backpack” was one of the first words her children learned because once she put it on they knew she was leaving. But she made a promise to herself at the beginning of this journey never to ask for accommodations for her family. Post also knew that because of the size of Fowler School of Law, she had a feeling that the deans, faculty and staff would help where they could. “The school is small enough that I am not just a name or number; they actually know me,” she said.

Was it all worth it?
When asked if the past three years of law school were worth it, Post was adamant: “Absolutely. I don’t think I understood who I was or what I was capable of before law school. Personally it has been the most rewarding challenge of my life. It is a huge gift to know I can provide for my family so they can live a comfortable life. I can’t wait to give them that.”

Post always hoped that she would work at a large law firm. She proudly shared that she will be working for Koeller, Nebeker, Carlson & Haluck, LLP (KNCH) in Irvine, California after graduation. Post worked at KNCH as a summer clerk during her second year. “I got so lucky – I didn’t realize how much I wanted the job until they offered it and I spent the rest of the day giddy,” she said. The partners and associates at KNCH have families and understand the work/family balance. Her kids will start full time preschool in the fall. She said it will be nice to not have to juggle any more than that.

On her final thoughts about balancing family and law school, Post suggested, “Be gentle with yourself. Life is hard. There are many expectations and a lot of competing priorities – take yourself seriously and work hard. There are two conteding priorities and you will need to put equal energy into both.”

About Heidi Post
Heidi Post graduated Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law in May 2014. Before law school, Post was involved in non-profit theater and small independent films. She was also the communication expert at the Los Angeles Air Force Base in El Segundo, California. She graduated with her B.A. in media communications and theatre arts from Bethel University. She lives in Southern California with her wife Stacy, son Owen and twin daughters Evelyn and Eleanor.

Professor Denis Binder

“Yesterday was a special day for the Dale E. Fowler School of Law at Chapman University. It was graduation day for the law students. Every graduation is special for the graduates, and every student is special. 42 years of teaching law. 42 special classes of graduates. 42 years of incredible students and incredible persons. Every commencement is a joyous occasion. I watch the graduates walk across the stage in what is annually the happiest day of the year for me, but also the saddest. I see these wonderful young adults happily receiving their diplomas and looking forward to tomorrow with a beautiful smile. It is their day. Their families and friends are elated. It is also their day. I bask in their reflected glory. We have done our job. We have played our role in their maturation. We hope we have done something to make them better lawyers and better persons. And yet, as they walk across the stage, I am sad because I know I will never again see many of these wonderful young people as they proceed into the world. That is the lot of us teachers. We impart knowledge and values in each class of special students, and then they move on, as they must. I can tell stories about some of the special students, but that would be a disservice to the ones not mentioned. The cycle begins again each August Yesterday was special for the law school, which was founded in 1995. Yesterday was the 16th graduation for the Law School, but the first for the Dale E. Fowler School of Law. We unveiled a bust of Mr. Fowler in the Law School in front of him and his family prior to the commencement ceremony. Mr. Fowler, a graduate of Chapman College, made a fortune in commercial real estate in southern California, and is giving some of it back to Chapman University. He and his wife Sarah donated $55 million to the Law School last August with the dedication on September 10, 2013. The law building always had a name, Kennedy Hall, for Donald Kennedy who gave a major gift at the law school’s birth. The name of the school was reserved for a transformative gift. Yesterday’s graduates know Dale and Sarah have ensured the future of their law school and the value of their degrees. The students received their J.D.’s and LL.M.’s. Mr. Fowler an honorary degree. They all earned their degrees. Most commencements are not memorable in terms of who the speakers were or what they said. Most probably don’t appear on Youtube. A $55 naming gift is memorable. The graduates knew it. Dale and Sarah Fowler made the first graduation of the Dale E. Fowler School of Law at Chapman University special for a special class of graduates.” – Professor Denis Binder quoted from his blog “Yesterday Was a Special Day for the Dale E. Fowler School of Law at Chapman University Commencement“

Read this blog and more from Denis Binder at http://denisbinder.blogspot.com/

Denis Binder is a Professor of Law at Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law. Professor Binder’s career teaching Antitrust, Environmental Law, Torts, and Toxic Torts at law schools nationwide spans 4 decades. He graduated first in his class at the University of San Francisco School of Law and received his LL.M. and S.J.D. degrees from the University of Michigan Law School. Professor Binder served as the President of the Chapman University Faculty Senate during the 2006-2007 academic year.

Bar Admission Ceremony at Fowler School of Law

On June 3, 2014 a State and Federal Bar Admission Ceremony was held at Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law. The Honorable Charles Margines, Assistant Presiding Judge, Orange County Superior Court addressed the group of new lawyers and read the State Oath. The Honorable David O. Carter, Judge, United States District Court, Central District of California recited the Federal Oath with the group of new lawyers. Congratulations to the Fowler School of Law graduates who passed the February 2014 California Bar examination!

Once again, Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law exceeded the average bar examination pass rate for California American Bar Association (ABA) approved law schools in both the first-time takers and repeaters categories. Fowler School of Law has exceeded the bar pass rate of California ABA approved law schools in July of 2009, 2011, 2012, and 2013; and February of 2011 and 2014.

The Fowler School of Law February 2014 first-time pass rate was 75%. This exceeds the California ABA average of 69% by 6%, the out-of-state ABA average of 44% by 31%, and the overall state pass rate of 55% by 20%. The pass rate for first-time taker participants in the Chapman University Fowler School of Law Supplemental Program was 100%.

The Fowler February 2014 repeater pass rate was 67.4%. This number does not include four additional students who passed, all of whom participated in the Supplemental Program: two LL.M. students, one visiting student, and one 2009 Fowler graduate who passed the Nevada Bar exam four years ago. The Fowler repeater rate exceeded the California ABA approved law school pass rate of 56% by 11.4%, the out-of-state ABA pass rate of 40% by 27.4%, and the overall state pass rate of 41% by 26.4%. The pass rate for repeaters taking the Supplemental Program was 91%. Furthermore, 22 of the repeaters were students who were unsuccessful on the July 2013 bar exam but passed in February 2014, bringing the Fowler Law School cumulative pass rate for the 2013 graduating class to 91.08%.

“I am gratified by the excellent performance of our students on the California Bar Exam. As always, our program is successful for four reasons: the support of President Doti, Chancellor Struppa, Dean Tom Campbell, and Associate Deans Danny Bogart and Jayne Kacer; the outstanding work of each and every member of the faculty in preparing students during their three years of study; the hard work of the Supplemental Bar Prep team of Adjunct Professors John Bishop and Kent Sommer, Professor Tom Caso, and Deputy Orange County Counsel Mark Batarse; and most importantly, the hard work and dedication of our students, who understand what it takes to succeed on the most difficult Bar Exam in the United States.” – Mario W. Mainero, Director of Bar Services and Professor of Academic Achievement, Fowler School of Law

The State Bar of California Committee of Bar Examiners reported that 45.3% of the applicants passed the February 2014 General Bar Examination (GBX).The three-day General Bar Examination is given twice a year, in February and July. The exam consists of three sections: a multiple-choice Multistate Bar Examination (MBE), six essay questions and two performance tests that are designed to assess an applicant’s ability to apply general legal knowledge to practical tasks.

Ryan Odenwalder

Ryan Odenwalder (JD ’09) was known for his willingness to help anyone in need. Ryan was one of the top students at Chapman University School of Law attributable to his scholarly accomplishments and commitment to academic integrity. He was a member of the Chapman Law Review during his second year and was a notes editor in his third year at Fowler. Ryan also served as an Academic Fellow in Civil Procedure, assisting first year law students with the transition from their undergraduate studies to law school. After graduating cum laude in 2009, Ryan passed the California State Bar on his first attempt and accepted a position as legal counsel for Morgan Drexen, a company known for giving back to the Orange County community.

Just a year after he graduated from law school a car accident ended his life in April 2010. His death deeply impacted the law students at Chapman, especially those whom he mentored. “Ryan was a dedicated student who demonstrated a passion for helping others,” said Jayne Kacer, associate dean for student affairs and administration at Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law.

Ryan’s parents, Darlene and Gary Odenwalder, established a legacy scholarship in their son’s name to help aid and inspire future law students. The Ryan L. Odenwalder Endowed Memorial Scholarship will be awarded annually to qualifying students at the Fowler School of Law. “Generations of students will benefit from Ryan having been with us,” said Tom Campbell, dean of the Fowler School of Law.

“Because of Ryan’s love of Chapman’s law school and his academic accomplishments, we wanted him remembered for what he represented: honesty, integrity, hard work and his willingness to help others,” said Darlene. “Gary and I hope this scholarship will help others fulfill their dream, since Ryan’s dream and full potential was cut short.”

During a recent visit to Fowler School of Law, the Odenwalders were able to visit the bench donated in memory of Ryan Odenwalder from the Fowler School of Law class of 2009. (pictured below)

Gary and Darlene Odenwalder

To contribute, please visit the Ryan L. Odenwalder Endowed Memorial Scholarship page.

In the final weeks of the spring semester, Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law held it’s second annual Scholarship & Merit Luncheon to honor scholarship award recipients and allow them to meet the generous donors of their respective awards. The 2013-2014 luncheon was held in Kennedy Hall on April 25, 2014.

Anna Evans (JD ‘15) and Kevin Vandenbroeke (JD ‘15) received the 2013-2014 Bechtel Tax Law Honors Scholarship. “This is the longest, oldest privately endowed scholarship at the law school,” said Frank Doti, Professor and William P. Foley II Chair in Corporate Law and Taxation at the Fowler School of Law. Through the generosity of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Bechtel, each year the law school presents the Bechtel Tax Law Honors Scholarship award. This cash grant is awarded to Tax Law Emphasis students who demonstrate academic excellence and who have made significant contributions to the tax law program at Fowler School of Law.

Bechtel Tax Law Honors Scholarship recipients Anna Evans (JD ‘15) and Kevin Vandenbroeke (JD ‘15)

Melissa Frisco (JD ‘16), Lorin Herzfeldt (JD ‘16), Kyle Hindin (JD ‘16), Andrew Still (JD ‘16) and Lindsey Wyatt (JD ‘16) received the Bergener & Associates Scholarships. Managing attorney and founding principal of Bergener & Associates, James M. Bergener said, “Dean Campbell wants students to come out of law school ready to practice and we wanted to be a part of that. We wanted to reward students who worked prior to coming to Chapman.” The Bergener & Associates Scholarships are awarded annually to as many as five Fowler School of Law incoming first year students. Recipients of this scholarship must have worked full-time for at least one year (preferably in a legal setting) prior to entering law school. The students will have demonstrated that they have acquired work skills and obtained compentencies 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.

Lien Nguyen (JD ‘14) received the M. Katherine Baird Darmer Memorial Scholarship. The M. Katherine Baird Darmer Memorial Scholarship fund provides financial support to Fowler students who plan to use their degree to promote human rights and public interest law in addition to showing commitment to gender equality issues. The scholarship honors the life and work of Professor M. Katherine Baird Darmer, a beloved teacher and colleague at the Chapman University School of Law. Professor Darmer passed away on February 17, 2012.

M. Katherine Baird Darmer Memorial Scholarship recipient Lien Nguyen (JD ‘14)

The Marjorie W. Day Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Jonathan Cayton (JD ‘14). Leslie Day-Ebert, daughter of Marjorie Day presented this award. She congratulated Cayton and said, “It is never too late to follow your dreams. Congratulations for sticking through a very tough regimen.”

Ali Bushra (JD ‘14) and Jaryn Saritzky (JD ‘14) received the Lee Memorial Scholarship. The Albert and May Lee Memorial Scholarship is awarded to students who demonstrate a financial need in order to pursue the study of law. It is based on need, academic standing and interest in working in areas of Public Interest law.

Rutan & Tucker, LLP supports the Fowler School of Law Legal Research and Writing Program which includes the Golden Gavel and the Golden Quill awards. The 2013 Rutan & Tucker Golden Gavel was awarded to Benjamin Bertch (JD ‘15). The 2014 Rutan & Tucker Golden Gavel award recipients were Charles Henninger (JD ‘16) and Jeremy Talcott (JD ’16). The Golden Gavel award is given annually to students who are selected as the “Best Oralists” for the plaintiff and the defendant in the first year students’ Oral Argument Competition. The 2014 Rutan & Tucker Golden Quill award recipients were Jared Berman (JD ‘15) and Benjamin Bertch (JD ‘15). The Golden Quill Award is presented annually to students whose briefs are selected as the “Top Briefs” for the plaintiff and the defendant in the first year students’ Legal Research and Writing Competition. Rutan & Tucker Partner, Steven A. Nichols said,” We are proud to continue to support the Golden Gavel and Golden Quill winners.” Rutan & Tucker, LLP has sponsored these awards since 2006.

Andrew Cummings (JD ‘15), John-Christopher Hughes (JD ‘15) and Alexandra Iorfino (JD ‘15) received the William Stallworth Endowed Scholarship. Dr. William Stallworth was a founding faculty member of the Chapman University School of Law. As a contracts professor, he relished working with students who excelled in these important courses. When he retired, Dr. Stallworth gave $50,000 for this endowment. The purpose of the fund is to award scholarships to Fowler School of Law students who excel in Contracts.

Minhquan Nguyen (JD ’14) received the Parham H. Williams Endowed Scholarship for Public Interest Law. This scholarship is awarded to graduating law students with a strong academic background, demonstrated commitment to public interest endeavors and plan to become public interest practitioners.

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The Fowler School of Law is proud to offer many scholarship opportunities to our students including Tuition Merit and Academic Achievement Scholarships. View the entire list of Fowler School of Law Scholarships.

Professor Marisa Cianciarulo is featured in the newly released video profile, where she discusses what brought her into scholarly work in immigration law. “I saw firsthand how our refugee laws didn’t always provide the needed protection,” she explains. Her goal is to improve the law and to enhance people’s understanding of immigration law in general.

Professor Marisa Cianciarulo is a specialist in clinical teaching and immigration law with a human rights focus. She is the Director of the Bette and Wylie Aitken Family Violence Clinic, which she launched in 2007. Professor Cianciarulo received her B.A. from the Catholic University of America, her JD from American University Washington College of Law and her M.A. from American University School of International Service. She teaches Civil Procedure, the Family Violence Clinic, Gender & the Law, and Refugee Law. She publishes on the intersection of gender and immigration with an emphasis on vulnerable immigrant populations.

Learn more about the Faculty of Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law

About one hour before Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law’s most recent graduates were scheduled to walk in the 2014 Commencement Ceremony, a very special dedication event occurred at the law school. On Friday, May 23, 2014, at 4 p.m., a new bust of the law school’s namesake, Dale E. Fowler, was unveiled in the lobby of the school named in his honor. Dale E. Fowler is a member of the Chapman University Board of Trustees as well as a significant contributor to the Fowler School of Law. In September, 2013, the law school was the recipient of the second largest reported gift to any law school in the United States, thanks to a $55 million donation from Mr. Fowler and his wife Sarah Ann.

Dale Fowler, Sara Ann Fowler and Zee Allred

In the company of his family and friends, Dale Fowler accepted the bust and thanked the artist, Miriam Baker for portraying a flattering image of him to last for years to come. Chapman University President Jim Doti and Fowler School of Law Dean Tom Campbell each spoke fondly of Mr. Fowler and graciously thanked the Fowlers for their generous support of the law school. The bust was donated by Chapman University Board of Trustee member Zelma “Zee” Allred (pictured above with the Fowlers).

In addition to the gathering of the Fowler family and friends, the event was attended by graduating Fowler Law students and their families, Chapman faculty, administrators, and staff, as well as prominent members of the university’s Board of Trustees and the law school’s Board of Advisors.

The Friends of the Public-Private Partnership for Justice Reform in Afghanistan (FPJRA) was recently featured in an article in The National Law Journal. FPJRA is a partnership made up of the U.S. Department of State, law firms and selected U.S. law schools designed to support the rule of law by training young Afghan lawyers. Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law has been a leader in this program.

Each year in the FPJRA program, up to 11 lawyers from Afghanistan come to the states for one year of legal study. Participating law schools waive tuition and the State Department covers travel and living expenses. The scholars are hand-selected from a pool of more than 100 applicants. Those who do not return to Afghanistan must repay the costs of their studies.

“The scholars assume a certain level of risk, given the powerful forces opposing reform both within the Afghan government and anti-government insurgency, according to Tom Umberg, the program’s co-chairman and a former military lawyer now in private practice. ‘They are unbelievably courageous and idealistic,’ he said. ‘They are putting the national interest above their own personal interest because coming to the U.S. to study can be dangerous for them.’ Female attorneys face even higher hurdles, given their relatively small numbers, limited access to education and entrenched cultural expectations.”

Nooria Sallam (LL.M. ’14), Fowler School of Law alumna and women’s rights advocate, was quoted in the article, “For sure it is dangerous…But we have to do something to bring change. I am the only female lawyer in my province and my village. There are many harmful traditional practices against women, and in order to eliminate those practices I have to work and raise legal awareness.” In 2012, Fowler Afghan LL.M. students Munira Akhunzada and Shamsi Maqsoudi were featured in an in-depth story on NPR affiliate KPCC.

“Host law schools also benefit from the presence of the scholars on campus,’ said Ronald Steiner, director of law graduate programs at Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law, which admits two Afghan women to its LL.M. program each year. ‘I think the students and faculty who interact with them really think about the rule of law and what it means not to have that basis,’ he said. And when the scholars return to Afghanistan, they build upon a network comprising those who have gone before.”

Since its inception in 2007, the program has helped 35 Afghan lawyers obtain masters of laws degrees. Jones Day partner Peter Garvin, who sits on the program’s executive committee, hopes that “over the next few years there will be 100 or 200 highly educated young people working on the ground to improve the justice system in Afghanistan…It has the potential for a very large impact.”

Learn more about the LL.M. programs at Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law.

Admitted Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law students for the class of 2017 attended a Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim game with current Fowler students, alumni, staff and faculty on Friday, June 6, 2014.

Alex Winsberg meeting Fowler School of Law admitted students

The group gathered underneath the iconic “Big A” in the stadium parking lot for a tailgate and a “meet and greet” with Alex Winsberg before the game. Winsberg is the director of Legal Affairs and Risk Management at Angels Baseball LP and a member of Fowler’s Business Law Emphasis Program Advisory Board.

It was a great turnout of newly admitted students who had met several times at previous admission events. “I had a great time and I sincerely can’t wait to begin classes at Fowler this fall!” said admitted student Kristin Hayes. The faculty and staff in attendance were eager to get to know the incoming students and provide a glimpse of the quality of life at Fowler.

Fowler School of Law students, alumni and staff

The evening ended with the Angels beating the White Sox and many new friends were made.

Every year Super Lawyers magazine publishes the “Rising Stars,” a list of the top young attorneys in Southern California. This year there are 46 Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law alumni included in the list. Congratulations to the following attorneys for your exceptional work!

• Roxana Amini (JD ’11)
• Stephanie M. Arrache (JD ’10)
• Austin T. Beardsley (JD ’09)
• Matthew S. Brady (JD ’06)
• Chad J. Brandel (JD ’07)
• Justus J. Britt (JD ’09)
• Tiffany D. Chukiat (JD ’09)
• Jason James Coleman (LL.M. ’09)
• Brandon R. Creel (JD ’07)
• Jennifer J. Farrell (JD ’07)
• Sean R. Ferron (JD ’03)
• Jenos Firouznam-Heidari (JD ’09)
• Nathan Fransen (JD ’05)
• Jeffrey Frey (JD ’10)
• Anthony F. Geraci (JD ’05)
• Jeffrey Greenman (JD ’06)
• Jonathan S. Gulsvig (JD ’07)
• Rachel I. Haas (JD ’06)
• Brian Harpst (JD ’04, LL.M. ‘05)
• Don Ho (JD ’06)
• Marc A. Holmquist (JD ’08)
• T. Gabe Houston (JD ’08)
• Elmira R. Howard (JD ’08)
• Bart Kaspero (JD ’05)
• Joshua M. Kimura (JD ’09)
• Bradford Kuhn (JD ’06)
• Angeline (Angie) Kwik (JD ’05)
• Linda Luna Lara (JD ’05)
• Diana Lopez (JD ’09)
• Matthew R. Lopez (JD ’08)
• Wesley A. Miliband (JD ’05)
• Paul J. Molinaro, M.D. (JD ’05)
• Jason Edward Ochs (JD ’04)
• Ben Phillips (JD ’08)
• Benjamin L. Price (JD ’09)
• David W. Reid (JD ’09)
• Branigan Robertson (JD ’12)
• Benjamin Z. Rubin (JD ’06)
• Leslie D. Rubin (JD ’05)
• Mark H. Shafer (JD ’07)
• Douglas C. Stastny (JD ’09)
• Brandon L. Sylvia (JD ’08)
• Meghan O’Brien Taylor (JD ’09)
• Michael T. Travis (JD ’06)
• Atticus N. Wegman (JD ’10)
• Darrell P. White (JD ’09)

Learn more about what Chapman’s Fowler School of Law alumni are up to in the Fowler blog.

Steve Avila, Legal Counsel for TSC, LLC (The Spaceship Company), has been selected as the keynote speaker for the 2014 Fowler School of Law Orientation.

Avila has been recognized as one of California’s Leading In-house Counsel in 2014 by the Daily Journal. He is currently Legal Counsel for The Spaceship Company, an aerospace production company founded by Sir Richard Branson that is charged to build the world’s first fleet of commercial spaceships intended to make commercial, manned space travel a reality. Prior to joining the aerospace and defense industry, Avila worked in the banking industry, holding various business and legal roles at Citigroup, Inc., the leading global bank. Over his career, he has been actively involved with a number of civic and charitable organizations, including Big Brother Big Sister, Habitat for Humanity, the United Way, and Pro Bono Partnership in Connecticut.

The Fowler School of Law orientation will be held on Wednesday, August 13 and Thursday, August 14, 2014. Additional information is forthcoming to admitted students.

Congratulations to Chelsea Jade McKenzie (JD ‘16) and Steven Pham (JD ’16) in winning the 2014 Rutan & Tucker Golden Quill Competition! The Golden Quill Award is presented annually to students whose briefs are selected as the “Top Briefs” for the plaintiff and the defendant in the first year students’ Legal Research and Writing Competition.

Jade McKenzie and Steven Pham

McKenzie represented the plaintiff and Pham represented the defendant. The brief covered questions as to whether a plaintiff is protected under Title VII’s anti-retaliation provision as a result of plaintiff’s participation in an EEOC investigation about his own sexual misconduct.

Both students will be honored during the fall awards ceremony.

Rutan & Tucker, LLP’s continued support funds an annual first year writing and advocacy competition hosted by the Fowler School of Law Legal Research and Writing Program. Rutan & Tucker has a strong history of investment in the mission of Chapman University through a partnership that extends beyond the School of Law.

Dean Donald Kochan

Donald Kochan has been named the new Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development at Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law. This position is the first-of-its-kind at Fowler Law. “I am delighted to announce the creation of this important new position and I am confident that Donald Kochan will carry it out with innovation, dedication and passion,” said Dean Tom Campbell.

Part of this new role will be to increase visibility of the scholarship produced by the Fowler Law faculty. “I am so pleased to have this opportunity to assist our faculty, already strong producers of high quality scholarship, with developing and improving their scholarship and to help their work receive the attention it deserves,” said Dean Kochan.

The new Associate Dean position has the mandate to help faculty develop as teachers as well. “We will be aggressively implementing new programs to assist faculty with keeping current on the latest pedagogical innovations. Through internal ‘continuing teaching education’ programs, we will stress the need for regular attention to enhancing each faculty member’s teaching skills,” added Dean Kochan.

“I am excited by the entrepreneurial opportunities this position provides to serve as a resource for the outstanding group of scholars we have on the faculty here at Chapman’s law school. I look forward to the opportunity to support, expand and promote the scholarly activities of our faculty through this new position. I am equally excited by the commitment the administration has made to provide even greater support for our faculty to improve their skills as law teachers and to help them better inform their classrooms with emerging knowledge about teaching and learning.” – Dean Donald Kochan

Dean Kochan will also continue as Professor of Law at Fowler. He has published more than 30 scholarly articles and essays in well-respected law journals, including recently in the Brigham Young University Law Review, Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics, University of Pittsburgh Law Review, Berkeley Journal of International Law, and Virginia Journal of Social Policy & Law. His work has been cited in more than 250 published law review articles, in addition to numerous citations in other sources including legal texts, treatises, briefs, and case law. Dean Kochan has also published opinion editorials in leading newspapers across the country, recently including the Wall Street Journal and the Los Angeles Times.

Dean Kochan received the 2014 Valerie Scudder Award from Chapman University, a merit-based award selected by peers in recognition of outstanding achievement in scholarship, teaching, and service, and one of the highest honors given to a faculty member at the University. Among his numerous activities, Dean Kochan serves on the Executive Board of the Section on Property Law for the Association of American Law Schools and was elected as a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation in 2014.

A graduate of Cornell Law School, Dean Kochan previously served as a judicial clerk for The Honorable Richard F. Suhrheinrich on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, as an Olin Fellow at the University of Virginia School of Law, and as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Law at George Mason University School of Law. He also was an associate with the law firm Crowell & Moring in Washington, D.C.

View the Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law Administration.

View selected scholarly works from Fowler School of Law Faculty.

The Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law Constitutional Jurisprudence Clinic successfully represented the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) in its lawsuit against The United States of America, Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The lawsuit was filed for the illegal disclosure of NOM’s tax return donor information. After the ruling in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, the IRS admitted that NOM’s tax return was illegally disclosed by an IRS clerk who failed to redact NOM’s donor information, as the law required. The IRS also agreed to pay NOM’s actual damages, with NOM agreeing to settle for $50,000 of the $58,000 in actual damages it had claimed.

The Constitutional Jurisprudence Clinic provides students with an opportunity to earn three units of clinical class credit conducting research, drafting discovery requests, preparing draft summary judgment motions and appellate briefs, attending hearings, and even preparing briefs for filing with the Supreme Court of the United States. The clinic has for the past decade provided students with the opportunity to learn about the original understanding of the Constitution, and to put those lessons into practice by crafting arguments to the United States Supreme Court. Through its affiliation with The Claremont Institute’s Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence, the clinic has offered students the unique opportunity to participate in high profile cases and to understand how the Constitution was intended to protect individual liberty.

Professor Kenneth Stahl’s article “Neighborhood Empowerment and the Future of the City” was published in the University of Pennsylvania Law Review (Volume 161, No. 4, March 2013).

Excerpt from the abstract:

“In any given metropolitan region, scores of municipalities are locked in a zero-sum struggle for mobile sources of jobs and tax revenue. This competition appears to benefit small, homogeneous suburbs that can directly enact the uniform will of the electorate over large, diverse cities that are often ensnarled in conflict between competing interest groups. Cities can level the playing field with suburbs, however, by devolving municipal power to smaller, more homogeneous subgroups, such as neighborhoods. Indeed, many commentators have identified one such effort at neighborhood empowerment, the “business improvement district” (BID), as a key factor in the recent revitalization of many cities. The BID and the related “special assessment district” devolve the financing of infrastructure and services to landowners within a territorially designated area. Courts have widely upheld BIDs and special assessment districts against constitutional challenges…This Article argues that the judicial prohibition on neighborhood zoning districts is inconsistent with the judiciary’s permissive attitude toward BIDs and special assessment districts. As I demonstrate, the neighborhood zoning district is conceptually identical to the special assessment district/BID. Both devices are designed to enable large, diverse cities to capture some of the governance advantages of small, homogeneous suburbs by providing landowners with the direct ability to manage local externalities. This Article attempts to make sense of the disparate treatment accorded these devices by examining several grounds upon which they could potentially be, and have been, distinguished. I find, however, that the only meaningful distinction between these mechanisms is that special assessment districts/BIDs actually raise far more troubling public policy concerns than neighborhood zoning districts, thus calling into question why the judiciary has been so much more deferential toward the former than the latter. I conclude that courts should broadly defer to municipal delegations of power to sub-local groups, so that cities can work out their own strategies for surviving in an era of intense interlocal competition.”

View the full publication

Professor Kenneth Stahl

Professor Kenneth Stahl is the director of the Environmental, Land Use, and Real Estate Law certificate program at Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law. Before joining Chapman in 2008, Professor Stahl spent four years as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of New York. Prior to that, he worked as a Trial Attorney for the United States Department of Justice, Office of Constitutional Torts, and as an Associate at the Washington, D.C. law firm of Arnold & Porter. Professor Stahl was named the 2008-2009 Professor of the Year at Fowler School of Law.

See more of Professor Stahl’s writings.

Professor Scott Howe’s article “The Eighth Amendment as a Warrant against Undeserved Punishment” was published in the William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal (Volume 22, Issue 1, Page 91, October 2013).

Excerpt from the abstract:

“Should the Eighth Amendment prohibit all undeserved criminal convictions and punishments? There are grounds to argue that it must. Correlation between the level of deserts of the accused and the severity of the sanction represents the very idea of justice to most of us. We want to believe that those branded as criminals deserve blame for their conduct and that they deserve all of the punishments that they receive. A deserts limitation is also key to explaining the decisions in which the Supreme Court has rejected convictions or punishments as disproportional, including several major rulings in the new millennium. Yet, this view of the Eighth Amendment challenges many current criminal-law doctrines and sentencing practices that favor crime prevention over retributive limits. Mistake-of-law doctrine, felony-murder rules and mandatory-minimum sentencing laws are only a few examples. Why have these laws and practices survived? One answer is that the Supreme Court has largely limited proportionality relief to a few narrow problems involving the death penalty or life imprisonment without parole, and it has avoided openly endorsing the deserts limitation even in cases in which defendants have prevailed. Yet, this Article presents a deeper explanation. I point to four reasons why the doctrine must remain severely stunted in relation to its animating principle. I am to clarify both what the Eighth Amendment reveals about the kind of people we want to be and why the Supreme Court is not able to force us to live up to the aspiration.”

View the full publication

Scott Howe

Professor Scott Howe is the Frank L. Williams Professor of Criminal Law at Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law. He has been a professor at Fowler School of Law since August 1996. He has substantial experience both as a criminal defense lawyer and as a teacher in the fields of criminal law, criminal procedure and evidence. Professor Howe has worked as an attorney for the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia, as Deputy Director of the Texas Death Penalty Resource Center, as an adjunct professor at the University of Texas Law School and a tenured full professor at Western New England College School of Law. At Chapman, he has twice been voted Professor of the Year by the student body. His articles have appeared in a variety of leading law journals, including the University of Pennsylvania Law Review, the Iowa Law Review, and the Vanderbilt Law Review. He is also a co-author of the second edition of Understanding Capital Punishment Law, a treatise published in 2012 by LexisNexis. Professor Howe served as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs from 1999 to 2007 and Interim Dean from 2010 to 2011.

See more of Professor Howe’s writings.

Professor Rita Barnett-Rose’s article “Informed Consent, Psychotropic Medications, and a Prescribing Physician’s Duty to Disclose Safer Alternative Treatments” was published in the DePaul Journal of Health Care Law (Volume 16, Number 1, Page 67, 2014).

Excerpt from the abstract:

“The use of psychotropic medication to treat any presumed mental health disorder always involves serious risks of harm. Accordingly, before prescribing psychotropic medication to control the behaviors associated with a presumed mental health disorder, prescribing physicians are required, under various medical ethical guidelines and informed consent laws, to first disclose information regarding available alternative treatment options, and the risks and benefits of such alternative treatment options. Indeed, because psychotropic medications are themselves experimental treatments due to the concededly unknown etiology of most mental health disorders, disclosing safer alternative treatments would seem to be a particularly critical aspect of a prescribing physician’s informed consent obligations in the mental health arena.
This article is the first to propose that negligence-based informed consent laws are simply unsuitable in the mental health context and should be replaced entirely by dignitary-based statutory models that would recognize a legal harm for a physician’s failure to provide mental health patients and their legal surrogates with available and material information relating to safer alternative treatments to psychotropic medication. Unless informed consent laws governing mental health care are rewritten and enforced to protect patients, and not physicians, mental health patients will likely continue to be deprived of meaningful participation in their own mental health care.”

View the full publication

Professor Rita Barnett-Rose

Professor Rita Barnett-Rose is an associate professor of Legal Research and Writing at Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law. Prior to joining Chapman in 2008, Professor Barnett-Rose was a professor of Legal Writing at California Western School of Law and a former Legal Research and Writing adjunct professor at Whittier School of Law. Prior to her teaching career, Professor Barnett-Rose was an associate with the international law firm of Latham & Watkins, practicing mainly in the area of intellectual property. She then joined the corporate boutique firm of Whalen, LLP, where she engaged in both general corporate and Intellectual Property transactional work. Professor Barnett-Rose has also served as a juvenile dependency attorney in the San Diego juvenile courts. She is a produced playwright, an optioned screenwriter and has worked on assignment as a screenwriter for Walt Disney Studios. A member of the State Bar of California, Professor Barnett-Rose’s pro bono work has included services for the California Lawyers for the Arts, Orangewood Children’s Home, and the Second Harvest Food Bank.

See more of Professor Barnett-Rose’s writings