Law School Briefs -4/24/13

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.

Maurer professor to present distinguished faculty lecture

Susan Williams, the Walter W. Foskett professor in the Indiana University Maurer School of Law, has been selected to present the 2013 Distinguished Faculty Research Lecture. The lecture series recognizes the research achievements of an I.U. Bloomington faculty member and is accompanied by a $3,000 award.

Williams is scheduled to speak from 3 to 4:30 p.m. on April 25 in the Moot Courtroom of the I.U. Maurer School of Law. Her lecture, “Solomon’s Daughters: Women as Law-Makers in Customary Systems,” will examine the difficult relationship between gender equality, the development of democracies and constitutional design.

In addition to her teaching duties, Williams is also the director of the Center for Constitutional Democracy. She has been extensively involved in advising and helping to draft documents for Burma, Liberia, Libya, South Sudan, and Vietnam.

Maurer alumna selected as IU commencement speaker

Indiana University Maurer School of Law alumna Alecia DeCoudreaux will be one of the speakers at the I.U. Bloomington commencement ceremonies in May. She will join New York Times columnist David Brooks, and both will receive honorary doctoral degrees.
 

DeCoudreaux

DeCoudreaux graduated from I.U. Maurer School of Law in 1978. She built a notable career at Eli Lilly & Co. where in 2005 she was named vice president and general counsel for Lilly USA.

She left the pharmaceutical maker to become the 13th president of Mills College in 2011. She is the first African-American female to lead the California school.

In addition, DeCoudreaux has held numerous honorary and leadership roles at I.U. Bloomington, including honorary director of the I.U. Foundation from 1998 to 2007. In 1998, she was inducted into the Academy of Law Alumni Fellows, the highest honor I.U. Maurer School of Law bestows upon its graduates.

McKinney dinner recognizes alumni for public service work
 

At Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law’s 5th annual Public Interest Recognition Dinner, the honorees were (from left) Dennis Bland, Ellen Quigley and John Floreancig (Photos submitted)

The 5th Annual Public Interest Recognition Dinner honored three alumni of the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law.

I.U. McKinney School of Law professor Frank Sullivan Jr., former justice of the Indiana Supreme Court, was the keynote speaker at the April 13 dinner. Alumni honored were Dennis E. Bland, class of 1992; John A. Floreancig, class of 1989; and Ellen W. Quigley, class of 1988.
 

Held in the atrium of the school former Indiana Justice Frank Sullivan was the keynote speaker.  

The dinner was presented by the law school and Equal Justice Works. Proceeds from the evening will support the law school’s Loan Repayment Assistance Program Endowment.

IU law schools jointly host feminist law networking event

The Feminist Law Society at Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law joined the Indiana University Maurer School of Law in hosting the inaugural Gender Equality Happy Hour.

More than 50 people attended the reception held March 22 in the atrium at the I.U. McKinney School of Law. The event was organized as a networking opportunity for law students and attorneys.

Organizers plan to make the networking reception an annual event and hope to host it at the I.U. Maurer School of Law in 2014.

Valpo law students organize fashion show to help animals

Two student organizations at Valparaiso University Law School recently worked together to help some furry friends.

The Business Law Society and the Sports and Entertainment Law Association hosted the third annual Catwalk for the Cause Charity Fashion Show at the university. The event raised about $1,500 for the local animal rescue organization Lakeshore PAWS.

Law students participated in every aspect of the show from planning, modeling, emceeing and coordinating the logistics.•