Congratulations to the UMSL Trial Team for competing with distinction at the Regional Trial Competition hosted by Gonzaga University last week. A special thanks goes out to the coaches of the trial team: Katie DeSoto, of Garlington, Lohn and Robinson; Randy Cox, of Boone Karlberg; and Judge Karen Townsend, District Court Judge for the 4th Judicial District. Additional thanks to Judge Dana Christensen, Magistrate Judge Keith Strong, Professor Cynthia Ford, Tim Dailey, Tracey Neighbor Johnson, Dylan McFarland, Tara Harris, Leisel Shoquist, Cory Laird, and Eric Henkel for generously giving their time and their years of trial experience.
Twenty-two teams from eleven law schools competed. The schools represented were Creighton, Gonzaga, Seattle U., Lewis and Clark, University of Washington, University of Idaho, University of Oregon, University of South Dakota and University of North Dakota and Nebraska. Mac Morris and Matt Jennings are counsel for our 2L team and performed exceptionally well; they were just points away from making the cut for the semi-final round of competition. Justin Cole and Zach Franz are counsel for our 3L team and had an excellent weekend of competition. The 3L team lost only one vote from an evaluating judge during the entire competition and won a spot to compete in Nationals. The National Competition will take place March 21-24 in Austin, Texas. The National Trial Competition is co-sponsored by the Texas Young Lawyers Association and the American College of Trial Lawyers.
The team also took four witnesses who have been an integral part of the trial team. Those are Jordan Knudsen, Derek Oestreicher, Brooke Perkins and Haley Nelson. The coaches and faculty are proud of the team’s representation of the University of Montana School of Law.
Derek Oestreicher
University of Montana School of Law
Class of 2013
Dean Russell Chairs ABA SEER
For 2011-12 Dean Russell is the Chair of the ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources. To see the work of the Section, click on the following links:
Russell is also serving on the ABA Standing Committee on Professionalism and as also Chair of the AALS Section on Socio-Economics and Chair-Elect of the AALS Section on Natural Resources. For the Section, she has served as Education Officer, Chair of the Strategic Response Committee, Chair and Vice-Chair of the Ethics Committee, and Section Liaison to the ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility.
Dana Christensen is confirmed as Montana's newest US District Court Judge
The two National Moot Court teams competed at the regional competition in Boise just before Thanksgiving.
By Larry Howell
The law school should be proud of the performance of both; they were among the stronger teams in the competition, as has come to be expected by us and by the other schools in the region. Were it not for bad luck in the bracketing, and some widely inconsistent brief judging, either would have been strong contenders for advancing to the national finals in January.
The Petitioner team of Lee Baxter, David Bigger, and Sarah Mazanec advanced to the quarterfinal round, where they won the oral argument against a very good University of Washington team. However, they lost the round because their brief, which I thought was quite good, received an inexplicably low score, especially compared to some of the much weaker briefs that were scored significantly higher. All three students gave strong arguments, and in fact they won all three of their oral arguments, two against the always good UW teams. However, David deserves special congratulations as he was named the best oralist in the competition.
The Respondent team of Francesca DiStefano, A.J. Miller, and Seamus Molloy, also performed quite well. The only reason they did not advance to the quarterfinals was because their two preliminary rounds were against the two teams that ended up taking first and second in the competition, one of which had the second-best brief. Therefore, even though this Montana team's brief was judged third-best overall, it did not help them as much as it should have due to their unlucky draw in the prelims.
Please congratulate these students on all their hard work on behalf of the school. UM is lucky to have students of their caliber willing to represent it regionally and nationally. It was a pleasure for Andrew King-Ries and I to work with them, and reminded us why we are fortunate to teach at this law school.
TOM BAUER/Missoulian
Judge Kathleen Jenks speaks to a crowd gathered to witness her swearing-in ceremony last week at Missoula City Hall. Jenks is a 1992 graduate of the University of Montana School of Law.
New chief judge for Missoula Municipal Court pledges to listen on bench
When the Honorable Judge Kathleen Jenks takes the bench, she will strive for Missoula Municipal Court to be a place where people know the judge will listen well to their stories.
"I hope ... people come into court knowing that they're going to be heard, even if they may not be successful in what they're asking for," Jenks said. "But I want the community to know that someone is going to be here that is going to listen to them and listen to their case and make a decision that isn't based on who they are or who their friends are or who their families are or how educated they are or how they are able to present themselves." (Read the full story)
MISSOULA, Mont. -- If you get a speeding ticket in Missoula, you'll see a new face behind the bench.Kathleen Jenks took her oath as the new municipal court judge this morning at City Hall, replacing Judge Don Louden, who retired last month.Mayor John Engen swore in Jenks, and District Court Judge Ed Mclean conducted the robing ceremony.City Council chose Jenks from nine applicants. She is a graduate of the University of Montana School of Law and has worked as both a defense attorney and a prosecutor.Jenks says she views municipal court as a "people's court.""It's the court that people are more likely to see as their first, and hopefully their only interaction with the legal system," she said.
With a list of accolades that span most of her 32-year legal career, Billings attorney Sherry Scheel Matteucci capped it all with the State Bar of Montana’s highest honor, the William J. Jameson Award.
Matteucci, 64, a former U.S. attorney and past president of the Montana Bar Association, received the honor last week at the Bar’s annual meeting in Kalispell. The award is presented each year to an attorney who has exemplified the highest level of professionalism and ethics throughout his or her career. Read the full story.
Retired Montana Guardsman helps run special-needs school in Kyrgyzstan
Jim Carney served in Vietnam but never imagined his life would lead him overseas again, not to fight but to nurture and educate.
The retired Montana National Guard master sergeant volunteered for a Guard mission in 2001 to help build a special-needs school in Kyrgyzstan, and he's never left since.
"I thought I'd be there seven months," said Carney, briefly back in Montana before he returns to his newly adopted home. "But I'm still there." Read the full story.
Please note: The Yuventas Fund, Inc. which supports the school is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, and has been for more than a year. Contributions are tax-deductible. Additionally, Jim Carney contribute $3700 per month to the school from his own income.
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Looking Back at 100 years of University of Montana
Law School
Chelsi Moy of the Missoulian | Posted: Wednesday, February 16, 2011
One hundred years ago Thursday, on the University of Montana's charter
day, the state gave the school a gift that keeps on giving even a century later. Read the full story.
STRESS LESS: Dogs can and do make a difference in reducing student stress levels
Service Dogs and Therapy Dogs
by Gary Kammerer
Over the years of working in dog training I have had numerous people ask me about service and therapy dogs. There sometimes is confusion between these two types of dogs. For those of us who may aspire having our dog become one of these valuable companions, here are the main differences. Read the full story.
James P.Cramer and Willow
Montana Supreme Court Justices Brian Morris, left, and James Rice hear oral arguments on a case during the court’s annual session on the University of Montana campus on Friday. The justices heard arguments on two different cases. Photo by TOM BAUER/Missoulia
Montana Supreme Court hears cases at UM
By JENNA CEDERBERG of the Missoulian Posted: Friday, April 15, 2011 11:30 pm
New Faculty - Fall 2011 Dean Russell recently announced that The University of Montana School of Law has hired two new faculty members in constitutional law and contracts and has promoted a current faculty member to direct the school’s Jameson Law Library.
Stacey Gordon will begin her new duties as the director of the school’s law library July 1. Fritz Snyder, who now holds the position, will retire June 30. Gordon has served as the associate law librarian for public services and adjunct professor of law librarianship at UM’s William J. Jameson Law Library since 2000. Professor Gordon currently teaches several legal research courses, including specialized courses in Environmental Law Research and Indian Law Research. She also teaches a survey course in Animal Law and advises the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund. She is a frequent CLE presenter, usually on legal research topics. Her scholarship focuses on Montana legal information and animal law issues, and she is currently writing articles about official Montana legal information on the internet, and the link between domestic violence and animal abuse. In addition to her work in the law school, she is a member and past-president of the board of directors for the Missoula County Public Library, and vice president and president-elect of the WestPac chapter of the American Association of Law Libraries. She received a master’s degree in library and information science from the University of Washington and a juris doctor degree from UM. Professor Gordon is the author of the book “Online Legal Research: A Guide to Legal Research and Other Internet Tools.”
Photo by Eliza Wiley
Anthony Johnstone, solicitor for the State of Montana in the Office of the Attorney General, has been selected to teach constitutional law beginning in the fall of 2011. He replaces Rob Natelson, who retired last year to accept a position as senior fellow in constitutional jurisprudence at the Independence Institute in Colorado. As the state’s solicitor, Johnstone advises and represents Montana in constitutional and complex litigation matters in state and federal courts at the trial and appellate levels. He has taught election law and public regulation of business as an adjunct professor at the School of Law, and taught constitutional law at Carroll College in Helena. Before joining the state attorney general’s office, Johnstone practiced litigation as an associate at Cravath, Swaine & Moore in New York City and clerked for the Honorable Sidney Thomas of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Billings. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Yale University and a juris doctor degree with honors from the University of Chicago Law School. An elected member of the American Law Institute, he is admitted to practice in state and federal courts in Montana and New York, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court.
Sam Panarella, CEO of Crux Consulting, LLC, a legal process and management consulting firm whose clients include the legal departments of several Fortune 500 companies, has been chosen to teach contracts and related courses beginning in the fall of 2011. Prior to being appointed CEO of Crux Consulting, Panarella was a senior operating executive for two leading consulting companies focused on commercial contracting, intellectual property portfolio management and electronic discovery. Prior to that, Panarella was a partner at Stoel Rives LLP, a leading western law firm, where he focused his legal practice on representing public and private companies in large-scale industrial and commercial project development. After receiving his juris doctor degree (cum laude) from Lewis & Clark Law School, Panarella served as a Judicial Clerk for the Honorable Otto R. Skopil, Jr. of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Panarella received his BA, with honors, from The University of Montana. Panarella was selected for inclusion in the 2007 edition of The Best Lawyers in America, and has written a book on legal process in the corporate environment that will be published by Oxford University Press spring 2011.
University of Montana on a Mission
By Lisa Gibson | July 28, 2011
The University of Montana in Missoula will forge through opposition of its biomass gasifier, confident in its benefits.
Dealing with project opponents has become a staple of biomass project development in the U.S., and a plan at the University of Montana in Missoula is no exception. The school’s combined-heat-and-power (CHP) biomass gasification plant will reduce its carbon footprint by about 22 percent, or about 11,000 tons per year, but the Missoula County Air Quality Advisory Council doesn’t appear to be satisfied. Read the full story.
HELENA - State solicitor Anthony Johnstone, who has handled major constitutional cases for the attorney general's office, is concluding his work here this week and preparing to move to Missoula to teach constitutional law at the University of Montana law school.
"For me, it's moving from one dream job to another," Johnstone said Tuesday. "That opportunity opened up to me to be able to teach constitutional law, which is what I've been lucky enough to practice the last 10 years."
Attorney General Steve Bullock praised Johnstone's work.
"Anthony is an incredibly bright guy that could work anywhere, but fortunately he chose to serve the public," Bullock said. "He has done a great job handling some of the most important and complicated litigation our state has seen in the past several years. What's a tremendous loss for my office is a tremendous gain for the law school."
Governor Accepts Award from MontPIRG Student Chapter
On Monday, April 24, Governor Brian Schweitzer came to the Castles Center in the School of Law to be honored by the student chapter of MontPIRG (Montana Public Interest Research Group). Read the full story.
Trial Team Earns National Respect at National Competition
The University of Montana Trial Team earned national respect in Houston, Texas, at the Texas Young Lawyers Association National Trial Competition on April 6-9, 2011. Third year students Tracey Neighbor and Tim Dailey competed as regional champions in the competition featuring the two region champions from each of the fourteen regions in the United States. Read the full story.
UM Team Competes in First Annual National Animal Law Moot Court Competition
Congratulations to the University of Montana School of Law students Geno Randono and Anna Rose Sullivan who competed recently in the First Annual National Animal Law Moot Court Competition at the University of Chicago Law School. Read the full story.
Uniform Law Commission Selects Professor Eck to Serve on Powers of Appointment Drafting Committee
The Uniform Law Commission has formed a new drafting committee to prepare a Uniform Act on Powers of Appointment. University of Montana School of Law Professor E. Edwin Eck has been named as a member of the drafting committee. An expert in trusts and estates, Professor Eck has served as a member of the Uniform Law Commission for 20 years, and is one of nine Uniform Law Commissioners from around the country who will serve on the committee chaired by Commissioner Turney P. Berry of Kentucky.
Powers of appointment are routine in modern trust practice because of their ability to preserve flexibility and to provide tax benefits. The aim of the new drafting committee is to prepare a uniform act that will clarify and modernize the law governing powers of appointment.
Established in 1892, the Uniform Law Commission provides states with non-partisan legislation bringing clarity and stability to critical areas of state statutory law. Among the Commission’s many products are the Uniform Commercial Code, the Uniform Probate Code, and the Uniform Trust Code.
Professor Eck joined the faculty in 1981, and served as dean for 14 years, from 1995-2009. He has taught Estate Planning, Estate and Gift Tax, Charitable Tax Planning for Donors, Corporate Tax, Tax Practice and Procedure, and Property Law. Professor Eck chaired a committee which resulted in Montana's Trust Code and served as a member of the Uniform Law Commission for 20 years, urging the Montana Legislature's consideration of a number of uniform acts. Under the sponsorship of Senator Baucus, former President Bush nominated Eck to the IRS Oversight Board. After Senate confirmation in 2008, he began his service on the board, and he continues to serve in that capacity.
Professor Jordan Gross has been selected as a Fellow for the Spring 2011 Workshop of the National Institute for Teaching Ethics & Professionalism The National Institute for Teaching Ethics & Professionalism (NIFTEP) is a consortium of nationally-recognized centers on ethics and professionalism based at seven different U.S. law schools. NIFTEP conducts bi-annual workshops, cosponsored by the American Bar Association Standing Committee on Professionalism, that bring together academics and practitioners involved in teaching legal ethics and promoting professionalism. The Spring 2011 Workshop includes academics and practitioners from the U.S. and Canada and will focus on teaching ethics and professionalism in an increasingly global context. See conference website.
James Park Taylor, an international legal expert from Montana, has received a prestigious grant award from the Council of International Exchange of Scholars and the U.S. Department of State under the Fulbright Specialist Program. Read the story.
By the Missoulian | Posted: Friday, April 15, 2011 6:30 pm
The University of Montana invites the public to participate in Earth Week activities on campus and around the community throughout the next week.
Events kick off Saturday with Earth Service Day. Service opportunities include Clark Fork River cleanup, Rattlesnake Creek restoration, sorting recyclables on campus and working at UM's PEAS Farm. Read the full story.
Pamela S. Karlan, one of the nation's leading experts on voting and the political process, gave a seminar, “A Constitutional Discussion with Professor Pamela Karlan” at the Law School on Friday, February 25th. Read the full story.
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UM Team Wins National Moot Court Regional Competition
The UM Respondent team of Jenny Jourdonnais, Rob Olsen, and Scott Peterson took first place overall in the regional competition November 11 & 12. Additionally, Rob Olsen received the best oralist award and the UM teams wrote the top two briefs in the region. Read the full story.
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Jed Winer/Montana Kaimin
3L Lindsay Abernethy Finishes Top Four in National Animal Law Competition at Harvard See Kaimin Article: UM student goes to Harvard for animal law competition by Jed Winer. Published: Friday, February 25, 2011 Updated: Friday, February 25, 2011
For a woman who grew up on a small farm surrounded by horses, dogs, cats, ducks and chickens, it is no surprise that Lindsay Abernethy has a passion for helping animals.
This weekend, Abernethy, the 32-year-old, third-year University of Montana law student, combines that passion with her law education as she heads to Harvard Law School to compete in the eighth annual National Animal Law Competitions. Read the full story.
Who said little things couldn’t make a big difference? The glass recycling program at the University of Montana School of Law shows the benefits of seemingly trivial efforts. Read the full story.
School Hosts Regional Moot Court Competition on November 11 & 12
Teams from Montana, Washington, Idaho, and Oregon will compete at the regional round of the National Moot Court
Competition for a chance to advance to the national competition. Posted October 29, 2010
Medal of Excellence Recipient Anthony McCormick Summer 2010
Dean Russell presents Anthony McCormick the Medal of Excellence and Certificate, from the American Bankruptcy Institute of Excellence.
Anthony was presented this award for his outstanding performance in his bankruptcy cousework. In addition, Anthony received a one year complimentary membership in the American Bankruptcy Institute.
Mike Wolfe '09, a North Face endurance athlete, sets course
record for Big Horn 100-mile race
while
Emily Judd '09 places second in race Bozeman
Daily Chronicle,
6/21/2010
Six
UMLS Students to Attend Ag Law Conference
A grant from the Montana Department of Agriculture allows
six students to attend the American Agricultural
Law Association Annual Conference in Omaha, Nebraska. Posted July 14, 2010
Two
UMLS Students Argue Cases before Ninth Circuit
This spring, Class of 2010 graduates Paul Neal and
Randy Tanner presented oral arguments
in two cases before the U.S. Court of Appeals for
the Ninth Circuit. Posted June 10, 2010
Bob
Bennett Receives Honorary Doctor of Law Degree from
UM The School of Law is proud to announce that Robert S. Bennett
received an Honorary Doctor of Law Degree from The University
of Montana on Saturday, May 15, 2010. Posted May 18, 2010
Mediation
Conference a Success
The recent "Horizons of Mediation Practice" conference
brought nearly 50 mediation professionals and judges
together to discuss current mediation techniques. Posted May 10, 2010
Professors
Burnham, Natelson and Tonon Depart
The School of Law wishes them well in their new
endeavors and celebrates the distinguished service
each has given to the School of Law and the broader
legal community. Posted May 10, 2010
Legal
Writing Fellow Hillary Wandler Presents Poster
at AALS Conference Her poster presentation entitled "Culturally-Appropriate
Assessment of PTSD in Native American Veterans" was
selected for display by the Association of American
Law Schools Section on Disability Law at the AALS
Annual Meeting in New Orleans. Posted February
3, 2010
TOM BAUER/Missoulian
Professor Jordan Gross has been selected as a Fellow for the Spring 2011 Workshop of the National Institute for Teaching Ethics & Professionalism
Jameson Award Given to 
