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Greetings from the University of Kansas School of Law!
 It’s nearly Halloween, and at the law school that means mid-terms have passed (yes, some professors give mid-terms) and the annual spectacle that is the Barber Emerson Bluebook Relays is upon us. If you’re not familiar with the event, first-year students compete in teams to test their legal citation skills. Costumes and speed-walking enhance the show. This blog post explains the Relays in more depth and includes a photo gallery from last year’s competition. In other news…
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Law Review symposium to focus on arbitration
Legal scholars from universities across the nation will explore the state of arbitration law during the 2011 Kansas Law Review symposium. “Perspectives on the Current State of Arbitration Law” will take place from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 11, at the Stinson Morrison Lecture Hall in 104 Green Hall.
Presenters will cover a range of topics, including arbitration ethics, the future of class action arbitration in the wake of AT&T Mobility v. Concepcion, Supreme Court arbitration jurisprudence, and due process standards for arbitration.
The law school will offer 5.5 hours of continuing legal education credit for Kansas and Missouri. There is no charge. Advance registration is appreciated but not required. Please RSVP to KansasLawReview@gmail.com by Monday, Nov. 7, and indicate whether you wish to download the CLE materials from the website or receive a paper copy at the symposium.
KU Law events calendar
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New staff members bolster KU Law team
A number of new faces have joined the KU Law staff this fall. Here are some names you should know:
Steven Freedman, Assistant Dean for Admissions
Steven comes to us from the admissions office at Drexel University’s Earle Mack School of Law, where he worked for five years. During that time he helped increase Drexel’s application rate and recruited classes with impressive credentials. Steven earned his law degree at the Temple University School of Law and practiced commercial litigation at Frey, Petrakis, Deeb & Blum in Philadelphia before joining the Drexel staff.
Rae Anderson, Assistant Director of Admissions
After graduating from KU Law in 2008, Rae worked as a deputy district attorney in Fort Collins, Colo., for a year. She returned to Kansas and has been an assistant county attorney for the Leavenworth County Attorney’s office. She will work with Steven Freedman to help recruit the best and brightest students to KU Law.
Arturo Thompson, Assistant Dean for Career Services
Arturo is a 2006 graduate of KU Law, where he served on the staff of the Law Review and received the Walter Hiersteiner Outstanding Service Award. He has practiced bankruptcy law in Phoenix at Polsinelli Shughart and Quarles & Brady. Prior to law school, Arturo worked in the marketing industry, crafting strategic communications in both corporate and higher education environments. He earned his bachelor’s in communications-cultural studies from Dominican University in River Forrest, Ill. His first day is Monday, Oct. 31.
Kristen Toner, Development Director (KU Endowment)
Kristen is a member of the KU Law Class of 2006. She was an editor for the Law Review and graduated Order of the Coif. She earned her undergraduate degree in finance from Notre Dame. After graduation, she clerked for Judge John Lungstrum on the U.S. District Court and then took a position with Lathrop & Gage in Kansas City, where she practiced corporate law.
Sarah Shebek, Communications Coordinator
Sarah will work with Mindie Paget to expand our efforts to get the word out about all the great things happening at the law school. Sarah received a bachelor’s in journalism from Truman State University in 2008. She most recently served as the web/social media manager at Washburn University.
Meet the entire KU Law staff and the Wheat Law Library staff
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KU Law faculty serve state, nation
It’s a common complaint that the legal academy and the day-to-day practice of law rarely intersect. Recent evidence suggests that KU Law professors are challenging that assumption – and serving the bar and broader public in the process.
Professor Webb Hecker published “The Kansas Business Entity Transactions Act” in the September issue of the Journal of the Kansas Bar Association. Not long afterward, a business-tax lawyer in Overland Park told his colleague, Professor John Peck, that he had finally decided there was a place in the world for law professors.
He went on to say that he had just read Hecker’s article, and that it explained the incomprehensible in very clear language. He said he appreciated the fact that law professors had the time and inclination to do these kinds of projects for practitioners, who don't have the time and may encounter such statutes only once or twice in their careers. He said he truly appreciated the contributions of law professors.
On a national scale, Professor Christopher Drahozal testified this month before the Senate Judiciary Committee on the topic of arbitration. Several bills pending in Congress, including the Arbitration Fairness Act of 2011, would prevent courts from enforcing pre-dispute arbitration agreements in consumer and employment contracts.
Drahozal’s testimony added to the evidence for legislators to consider when contemplating these bills, which will have a direct impact on consumers.
Watch the committee hearing
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Gifts to the law school
The law school has received a $100,000 gift from the estate of Roy F. Proffitt, who passed away in early October. Although Roy and his wife, Jean Humphrey Proffitt, are both graduates of the University of Nebraska, Jean comes from a long line of KU graduates.
The gift memorializes four of Jean’s relatives who were prominent Junction City attorneys. Three were KU graduates, and two had direct ties to the law school. Her great-grandfather, James Humphrey, lectured at KU Law from 1892 to 1896. Her father, Arthur Humphrey, graduated from KU Law in 1914. When he died in 1963, his death marked the end of the oldest continuous law practice in the state of Kansas at the time.
The Proffitts’ gift creates the Humphrey School of Law Discretionary Fund at the KU Endowment Association. The fund’s resources may be used for KU Law programs at the discretion of the dean.
Planned gifts play a crucial role in the future of the law school, and you don’t have to set up a million-dollar endowment to help a student, encourage a scholar or strengthen a program. Every penny of every gift helps.
Learn more about planned giving
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Alumni news
Ross Hollander, L’76, was named by Best Lawyers as Wichita’s “Lawyer of the Year” for 2012 in the litigation – labor and employment division. For the first time, Best Lawyers is designating “Lawyer of the Year” in high-profile legal specialties. Only a single lawyer in each specialty in each community is being honored as the Lawyer of the Year. Hollander is a shareholder and president of the Wichita/Topeka firm of Joseph & Hollander LLC.
Don Zavelo, L’78, is the new general counsel for the Toronto-based National Hockey League Players’ Association. Zavelo was formerly an attorney at the National Labor Relations Board, where he worked on some of the board’s most high-profile sports and entertainment labor disputes in the Manhattan region for over 20 years — including the 1994-95 Major League Baseball strike and the recent collective bargaining in the National Football League.
Dennis Depew, L’83, was elected vice president of the Kansas Bar Association and assumed that position in June. He was also elected president-elect of the Kansas Association of School Boards in December. Depew practices in his family’s law firm in Neodesha.
Anna Marie Dempsey, L’91, has rejoined Thompson & Knight LLP as a partner in its corporate and securities practice group in Houston.
Steve Six, L’93, is a partner in the Kansas City, Mo., office of Stueve Siegel Hanson LLP in the firm’s commercial litigation, public client and personal injury practices.
Caleb Stegal, L’00, is chief counsel for Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback. Prior to his position with the governor, he was the Jefferson County attorney.
Betsy Blake, L’05, was named an Up & Coming Lawyer for 2011 by the Missouri Lawyers Weekly. She practices with Williams & Campo PC in Lee’s Summit, Mo.
Have a story of interest to fellow alumni? Contact Mindie Paget at mpaget@ku.edu or (785) 864-9205.
More alumni news
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Help us keep you up to speed
Please take a moment to make sure your alumni record reflects your current email, mailing address and employment information. KU Law relies on this record to keep you informed about reunions, CLE opportunities and other law school happenings, as well as to ensure you receive publications such as this newsletter and your free copy of the biannual KU Law Magazine.
Update your record or submit alumni news
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The University of Kansas School of Law, 1535 W. 15th Street, Lawrence, KS 66045
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