Williams College Law Journal Spring 2012 Issue

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Presidential Proclamation — Law Day, U.S.A., 2012

LAW DAY, U.S.A., 2012

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

When President Dwight D. Eisenhower established Law Day in 1958, he proclaimed it “fitting that the people of this Nation should remember with pride and vigilantly guard the great heritage of liberty, justice, and equality under law which our forefathers bequeathed to us.” Today, we celebrate that enduring legacy and renew our commitment to a democracy sustained by the rule of law.

This year’s Law Day theme, “No Courts, No Justice, No Freedom,” recalls the historic role our courts have played in protecting the fundamental rights and liberties of all Americans. Our courts are the guarantors of civil justice, social order, and public safety, and we must do everything we can to enable their critical work. The courthouse doors must be open and the necessary services must be in place to allow all litigants, judges, and juries to operate efficiently. Likewise, we must ensure that access to justice is not an abstract theory, but a concrete commitment that delivers the promise of counsel and assistance for all who seek it.

Today, let us reflect upon the role generations of legal and judicial professionals have played in building an America worthy of the ideals that inspired its founding. The timeless principles of equal protection and due process remain at the heart of our democracy, and on Law Day, we recommit to upholding them not just in our time, but for all time.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, in accordance with Public Law 87-20, as amended, do hereby proclaim May 1, 2012, as Law Day, U.S.A. I call upon all Americans to acknowledge the importance of our Nation’s legal and judicial systems with appropriate ceremonies and activities, and to display the flag of the United States in support of this national observance.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.

BARACK OBAMA

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/05/01/presidential-proclamation-law-day-usa-2012

On May 5th at 2pm in Griffin 5, there will be a seminar of normal Mock Trial procedures for current and prospective team members. This session will focus on witnesses and court decorum. There will be a lot of valuable information regarding competition, that will prepare you for next year’s season. If you have any specific questions, please email Katy Newcomer (kan2@williams.edu) Bring anyone you know who is interested in Mock Trial.

Come join the Law Society on Friday, May 4th at 6pm at Sushi Thai for a
networking dinner with a wide range of professionals from various fields. This
will be a great opportunity to ask questions and receive advice about your
potential future. Sign up on Google Docs to reserve your seat!

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Am-bfproILehdFk3TXdUajFaZDNCN3g2VTNEZnlPSGc#gid=0

The dinner will be attended by:

Dave Futterman (’87) is an Associate General Counsel and Managing Director at Bank of America, where he is responsible for litigation and regulatory inquiries. Prior to joining Bank of America, Dave practiced law at Arnold & Porter in Washington, DC and New York City and clerked for a federal judge. He is a 1993 graduate, magna cum laude, of the Georgetown University Law Center, where he served as Senior Notes & Comments Editor on the Georgetown Law Journal.

Joseph C. Small retired as Presiding Judge of the Tax Court of New Jersey in 2009. Prior to his 18 year judicial career he was a Deputy Attorney General of New Jersey and Chief Counsel to the Director of the New Jersey Division of Taxation. He has practiced Tax Law with private firms in NYC and New Jersey. He was a research economist working on projects including investigations of the Negative Income Tax and Computerized Mass Real Estate Appraisals. He is a graduate of Williams College and the Columbia University Law School

Alice K. Small retired as the statutory head of procurement for the State of New Jersey in 2009. Prior to joining the State as a Deputy Attorney General in 2000, Alice had been a lawyer in private practice at a large New Jersey law firm, as well as two smaller, local law firms, and having clerked for a New Jersey Appellate Court judge and the New Jersey bankruptcy court. Alice received her law degree with honors from Rutgers University School of Law in the same year she celebrated her 25th reunion from Smith College. Prior to attending law school, she worked in publishing in New York City and as an administrator for Educational Testing Service and a local Princeton private economic research firm.

Drew Newman is a graduate of Williams and the American University Law School. He spent six months helping prosecute major felonies at the U.S. Attorney’s office and also interned at the White House and the Supreme Court. In addition, he spent three semesters in a legal clinic where he took a case from the initial intake interview through a trial and verdict in federal court. After law school, he clerked for various judges at the D.C. Court of Appeals for 18 months. Then, he moved to the D.C. Council, the city/state legislature for Washington, D.C., where he drafts and analyzes legislation, oversees agencies, and reviews budgets. He typically handle matters related to education, children’s health, food, personnel, or transportation. Last year, he also spent 6 months running a major investigation into the Mayor’s personnel practices.

John Noble, as director of the Williams Career Center since August of 2005, comes to Williams with 30 years of experience in career services, 20+ years as a director, at Harvard College, Duke University, and the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He has also worked as an elementary school teacher and as an editor in the publishing industry. He is the author of several books and articles on job hunting and career planning. He enjoys helping students organize their thoughts about life after Williams and create strategic plans for a successful start to their careers. He also counsels students interested in teaching. John graduated with a bachelors degree from Harvard College and a master of science degree from Bank Street College of Education.

Join us on Tuesday, April 24th at 8pm in Paresky 220 as Attorney Stephen Brown ’71 discusses representing Guantanamo Bay detainees.

Mr. Brown is an attorney who represents Guantanamo Bay detainees by filing habeas corpus petitions on their behalf. In addition, he focuses on internal investigations and complex criminal and civil cases relating to fraud, RICO, antitrust, and legal malpractice issues. He has extensive experience in handling criminal and civil trials as well as federal grand jury matters. He received his JD from Villanova Law School in ’76 and received his BA from Williams in ’71.

On Tuesday, April 24, the Oceans Symposium will conclude with a lecture by James Carlton, professor of biology and director of the Williams-Mystic Program. Carlton’s talk, titled “Invasions in the Sea: The History, Science, and Policy of Adding Species to Marine Communities,” will take place at 7 p.m. in Thompson Biology, room 112.

Also, if you’re interested in applying to Williams-Mystic, admissions officers will be tabling in Paresky during lunch time. Come by to learn about this amazing program. If you’re interested in getting an interdisciplinary hands-on approach in regards to Environmental/Marine Policy and Law, then this just may be the program for you.

If you have any questions, be sure to send (elm1) an email.

It’s time again for the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) Law School Forums.  These are a series of events organized by the LSAC in ten major cities, including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco Bay Area, Toronto, and Washington, D.C.  These events are free and offer an opportunity for prospective law school applicants to talk informally with law school representatives and get firsthand information about admission requirements, course offerings, and financial aid.

You can find out more about these forums and register online at http://www.lsac.org/jd/choose/forums-and-other-events.asp.  Note, the application for the summer forums is May 4, 2012!

The Legal Studies Program and the Department of Anthropology and Sociology will host a lecture by Federico Varese on his new book “Mafias on the Move: How Organized Crime Conquers New Territories.” This will take place April 11th, at 7:30pm in Griffin 5.

The dynamic duo of Nthabi and Katy have prepared a seminar of normal Mock Trial procedures for current and prospective team members. The first session will be mostly about lawyers and court procedures and the second one will focus on witnesses and court decorum. There will be a lot of valuable information regarding competition, that will be prepare you for next year’s season.The dates are Saturday April 7 and May 5 at 2pm in Griffin 5. If you have any specific questions, please email Katy Newcomer (kan2@williams.edu) Bring anyone you know who is interested in Mock Trial.