Law School Briefs – 6/5/13

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.

Alumni asked to help in search for new Valpo Law School dean

Valparaiso University Law School has begun the process of finding a new dean. Law professor Rosalie Levinson is chairing the search committee and the national executive search firm Witt/Kieffer has been retained to assist.

The search committee expects to have a new dean in place by the fall of 2014.

Valparaiso Law’s former dean, Jay Conison, stepped down in March to become dean of the Charlotte School of Law in North Carolina. Valparaiso professor of law Ivan Bodensteiner has been appointed as interim dean.

The law school is seeking a dean who will take a leadership role in several areas including promoting and implementing the new vision and curriculum that takes effect this fall, attracting resources, playing an active role in developing more career opportunities for students, and taking a collaborative approach to governance.

Relevant professional experience may include leadership within a law school, law firm, the judiciary, government or business sector as well as law school teaching and legal scholarship.

Levinson has invited Valparaiso Law alumni to participate in the search by alerting the committee to “outstanding leaders in the legal community who either are or might become interested in leading our law school.”

IU Maurer Class of 2013 givesinterim Dean Buxbaum award

The Indiana University Maurer School of Law Class of 2013 presented the Gavel Award to interim Dean Hannah Buxbaum.

The honor recognizes a member of the IU Maurer faculty or staff for outstanding service to the graduating class. Buxbaum also received the award in 2003, 2005 and 2012.

Valpo Law alum talks about what graduates will face as lawyers

Allen Fore, director of public affairs for Kinder Morgan Energy Partners L.P., gave the commencement address at the Valparaiso University Law School graduation ceremonies May 25. He received his J.D. from Valparaiso in 1991.

At Kinder Morgan, Fore manages public affairs, government relations and community relations. Before joining the company, he was a senior vice-president at FleishmanHillard, an international communications company. He served in the George W. Bush administration and was an assistant attorney general of Illinois and general counsel to that state’s governor.

Fore spoke to the Valparaiso Law School Class of 2013 about the challenges and opportunities facing young lawyers. He also encouraged students to get involved in politics or civic organizations.

IU McKinney professor honoredamong top minority scholars

Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law associate professor Carlton Waterhouse has been named to the 2013 50 Under 50 list of the most influential minority law professors in the United States by the online magazine “Lawyers of Color.”

The magazine highlighted Waterhouse’s nationally recognized work in environmental justice as well as his international reputation for his research and writing on reparations for historic injustices and state human rights violations.

Waterhouse joined IU McKinney as an associate professor in 2010. He holds a law degree from Howard University School of Law, a Master of Theological Studies from the Candler School of Theology at Emory University and a Ph.D. in Social Ethics also from Emory.

At IU McKinney, the courses Waterhouse has taught include hazardous waste law, environmental law and administrative law, and a seminar in law and justice.

IU Maurer extends agreement with South Korean university

As part of a 15-day visit to East Asia, Indiana University President Michael McRobbie signed a renewal agreement that extends the relationship between the Indiana University Maurer School of Law and Ewha Womans University in South Korea. The collaboration between the two institutions allows up to five Ewha law students to matriculate each year in IU Maurer’s two-semester LL.M. program.

IU Maurer has similar pacts with other Korean universities including Chung-Ang University, Chungbuk National University, Hongik University, Sungkyunkwan University and Yonsei University.

In addition to visiting South Korea, McRobbie also visited China and Taiwan. The trip is one element of IU’s international engagement plan.•