Law School Briefs – 12/21/12

Law School Briefs highlights news from law schools in Indiana. While Indiana Lawyer has always covered law school news and continues to keep up with law school websites and press releases for updates, we gladly accept submissions for this section from law students, professors, alumni, and others who want to share law school-related news. If you’d like to submit news or a photo from an event, please email it to Marilyn Odendahl at [email protected], along with contact information for any follow-up questions at least two weeks prior to the issue date.

IU Maurer leads partnership with Trinity College Dublin

Indiana University Maurer School of Law is joining with the Trinity College Dublin School of Law to be the first schools within each of their respective universities to implement a new partnership between Indiana University and Trinity College Dublin.

The two institutions of higher education signed an agreement on Dec. 7 calling for exchanges and cooperative efforts to promote learning and scholarship.

As the leaders in the agreement, the two law schools will establish an exchange program in which four Maurer students will take classes at Trinity and four Trinity students will study at Maurer each year. The schools will collaborate on offering joint classes and student projects via distance education while faculty may research and teach as visiting professors.

For the Maurer School of Law, the relationship strengthens its presence in the critical region of Europe at a time when it has also been developing international ties in Asia and South America. It is the school’s only relationship in England or Ireland.

Notre Dame Law grad gift establishes new fellowship

The University of Notre Dame Law School has announced a “significant major estate commitment” from alumnus Kevin F. Warren, a 1990 graduate. The commitment will establish The Kevin and Greta Warren Family Law Fellowship.

The amount of the gift was not disclosed.

Warren is the current vice president of legal affairs and chief administrative officer for the National Football League’s Minnesota Vikings. He began his professional career in 1997 in athletics as vice president of player programs and football legal counsel for the St. Louis Rams.

Landmark is new home for Notre Dame’s Chicago program

The Notre Dame Law in Chicago program is getting a new home on the second floor of the Motorola Building (formerly called the Santa Fe building) in downtown Chicago. Students and faculty will be able to use the renovated space that includes a conference room and a 40-person classroom with videoconferencing capability.

Started in the fall of 2012, the Chicago program allows law students to work four days per week in Chicago in a non-profit legal organization, governmental law office, judicial chamber, or in-house corporate counsel office while completing related course work.

3 more hired as faculty at new Indiana Tech Law School

Indiana Tech Law School has announced the addition of three professors to its faculty. These three will join the four faculty members whose appointments were announced in September.

The new faculty members are James Berles, currently serving as a law clerk to U.S. District Judge William Lee in Fort Wayne; Adam Lamparello, currently teaching criminal law at Morris County College in Randolph, N.J.; and Charles MacLean, currently teaching legal research and writing at the Duncan School of Law at Lincoln Memorial University in Knoxville, Tenn.

The three new faculty members will primarily teach legal research and writing, but they will also teach other courses.

Indiana Tech Law School is scheduled to open in Fort Wayne in August 2013 and will be the fifth law school in Indiana. The faculty members will begin their duties in July 2013.

IU McKinney faculty and alumni recognized for public service

Professors and graduates of the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law are garnering statewide honors.

Professor Frank Sullivan Jr., retired Indiana justice, and Vi Simpson, McKinney alumnae and former Indiana senator, have both been appointed by Gov. Mitch Daniels to represent Indiana on the Uniform Law Commission.

The ULC, formerly known as the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws, is responsible for creating the Uniform Commercial Code and the Uniform Partnership Act.

Professor Joel Schumm has been selected to receive I.U.’s George W. Pinnell Award in 2013 for outstanding service to Indiana University. The award recognizes faculty members and librarians across the university’s eight campuses who have shown exceptional involvement and commitment in service to the school, their profession and to the public.

Schumm, a magna cum laude graduate of McKinney, is a clinical professor of law and director of the Judicial Externship Program.•