In the Spotlight

Academic Support MPRE Review Session
Academic Support is presenting a substantive MPRE review session by Professor James McGrath to help students prepare and plan for the March 17 MPRE exam and pass it with about one week of diligent study. The session will be Saturday, March 10 from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Room 201. Material packets will be available after Feb. 27 from Lora Johnson, faculty secretary, across from Room 125 on the north wing. Students must review this material before the lecture. Lunch will be provided. Please indicate your attendance by e-mailing mmiller@law.txwes.edu before March 1.
 
Texas Wesleyan School of Law on Facebook
Did you know the law school has an official Facebook page and Twitter feed? To "like" the law school's Facebook page, click here. To follow the school on Twitter, click here. Also be sure to check out the Dee J. Kelly Law Library, the bookstore and Academic Affairs on Facebook.
 

Student Skinny

Public Interest Week – Jan. 30 – Feb. 2
Jan. 30 - Table Hosting
Members of the fellowship will host tables at noon and at 5 p.m. to share information about the fellowship experiences and encourage others to apply for fellowships later in the spring.

Jan. 31 - Fellowship Capstone Lunch
The fellowship and internship supervisors will host a panel lunch to discuss the fellowship experiences from last summer and what it takes to work in the public interest sector. 

Feb. 1 - Equal Justice Day
Representatives from various agencies across Texas will be on hand from noon to 2 p.m. to meet with students in search of pro bono placement, internships, externships and possible fellowship placements.

Feb. 2 - Table Hosting
Members of the fellowship will host tables at noon and at 5 p.m. to share information about the fellowship experiences and encourage others to apply for fellowships later in the spring.

Feb. 1 – St. Thomas More Society
The St. Thomas More Society is hosting guest speaker Bishop Kevin Vann on Wednesday, Feb. 1, room TBA. Bishop Vann will be doing a presentation on Canon Law and how it applies to the lives of attorneys, Catholics and Christians.

Feb. 1 – Legal Services to the Poor
Please join Hannah Silk Kapasi with the Texas Access to Justice Commission and John Shaw with Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas as they discuss legal opportunities to help the poor. The seminar will be held Wednesday, Feb. 1 in Room 202 from noon to 1 p.m. Food will be provided.

Feb. 2 – Reflections on Litigating National Security Cases after 9/11
The American Constitution Society, in conjunction with the Hispanic Law Students Association and the Asian-Pacific American Law Students Association, is hosting a presentation, Reflections on Litigating National Security Cases after 9/11, on Thursday, Feb. 2 at noon in the conference center. Lee Gelernt, attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, will be the guest speaker. Quiznos sandwiches will be provided for lunch. The event is open to the law school community and the general public. For more information, click here.
 

Scholarships, Writing Competitions and Educational Opportunities

2012-2013 Graduate and Medical Student Scholarships
This scholarship is one of the medical and graduate student scholarships from the scholarship foundation of Santa Barbara. Scholarships are available to applicants who fit the following criteria:
• Applicant must have attended at least four of the six secondary grade school years and graduated from a high school in Santa Barbara County, California.
• Applicant must be a full-time medical student or graduate student in the 2012-2013 academic year at an approved U.S. college or university. Areas of study include medicine, law, dentistry, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, business, education, and a variety of Master's and Ph.D. programs.
• The foundation assists students studying in standard academic programs on a traditional academic calendar. The foundation does not offer aid for weekend programs, night programs, summer session, research, part-time studies, correspondence, online or off-site studies.
• Applicant must complete a scholarship foundation application online and submit all supporting materials by Jan. 31, 2012. A personal interview in Santa Barbara, California is required in March 2012.
• Scholarship foundation eligibility requirements are not flexible. Please do not apply if you do not meet all of the criteria listed above.
 
Apply online at www.sbscholarship.org. If you have any questions, call 805-687-6065 or email info@sbscholarship.org. Application deadline is Jan. 31, 2012.

The 2012 Bert W. Levit Essay Contest
This year’s $5,000 best essay contest hypothetical involves an international law firm and ethics questions concerning how the firm handles engagement letters, office restructuring and taking on new matters in a cross-jurisdictional scenario. For the essay contest hypothetical and rules visit www.bit.ly/Levit2012 or call 312-988-5763. Entries should be postmarked by Feb. 17, 2012. For any further questions, please contact the office of admissions.

The ABA Legal Opportunity Diversity Scholarship
The Scholarship Fund will award $5,000 of financial assistance annually to each scholarship recipient attending an ABA-accredited law school. Twenty awards will be made to entering first-year students and may be renewable for two additional years, resulting in financial assistance totaling $15,000 during each student’s time in law school. The application can be found in the office of admissions or at www.ambar.org/DiversityScholarship. Completed scholarship applications must be postmarked no later than March 1, 2012. Recipients will be selected bases on their qualifications for the scholarship and not on the law school they plan to attend. If you have any further questions, please see the office of admissions.

The American Society of Legal Writers Brief –Writing Award Competition
Scribes – The American Society of Legal Writers – is pleased to announce its 2012 Brief Writing Competition. The Scribes Awards Committee solicits winning briefs from national moot court competitions and selects the finest of those winning briefs - the best of the best. Students may email a winning brief to platen@cooley.edu and include in the subject line that it’s a Scribes brief nomination from “____law school.” (The student’s law school, not a sponsoring law school.) The brief itself cannot include any information that identifies the student authors or their school. Please check the cover page, signature pages and headers or footers. Submit the brief as a PDF file if possible, although Word submissions are also acceptable. The deadline to submit a brief is April 16, 2012. Please see the office of admissions if you have any questions.

The International Association of Defense Counsel 2012 Legal Writing Contest
The IADC is sponsoring a writing contest and will award monetary prizes of $2,000 for first place, $1,000 for second place and $500 for third place. Entries must be the original work of a single author, not previously published, and they must cover the fields of tort law, insurance law, civil procedure, evidence, or other areas of practical concern to lawyers engaged in the defense or management of the defense of civil litigation. While entrants are free to take positions on issues, their articles should be expository in nature, and an author’s ability to make a thoughtful and balanced presentation will be considered. There is no strict limitation on the length of entries, but succinctness and the frugal use of footnotes are encouraged. All entries must be submitted by May 18, 2012. The entry form can be found at http://www.iadclaw.org/publications/contest.aspx. For any other questions, please see the office of admissions.

The AAJ Woman for Justice Education Fund’s Scholarship
As the world’s largest trial bar, AAJ fights daily to protect the civil justice system against corporations and powerful individuals. The Mike Eidson Scholarship Fund was established by the AAJ Women for Justice Education Fund in 2008, in honor of AAJ Past President Mike Eidson, whose vision and generosity inspired it. The scholarship, traditionally in the amount of $5,000, is awarded annually to a rising 3L (or rising 4L in a night program) female student who has demonstrated a commitment to a career as a plaintiffs’ lawyer or criminal defense lawyer, along with dedication to upholding and defending the principles of the Constitution, and to the concept of a fair trial, the adversary system, and a just result for the injured, the accused, and those whose rights are jeopardized. The deadline for this scholarship is May 31, 2012. You can find a copy of the application here. For further assistance, please see the office of admissions.

2012 American Inns of Court Warren E. Burger Prize
The Warren E. Burger Prize is a writing competition designed to encourage outstanding scholarships that “promotes the ideals of excellence, civility, ethics and professionalism within the legal profession,” the core mission of the American Inns Court. Interested authors are asked to submit an original, unpublished essay of 10,000 to 25,000 words on a topic that addresses issues of legal excellence, civility, ethics and professionalism. The author of the winning essay will receive a cash prize of $5,000 and the essay will be published in the South Carolina Law Review. The deadline for the 2012 Warren E. Burger Prize is no later than June 1, 2012. To submit your essay, please send a completed cover page with the required materials to the American Inns of Court national office. Submissions should be addressed Cindy Dennis, American Inns of Court, 1229 King Street, Second Floor, Alexandria, VA 22314. Rules for the competition can be found at www.innsofcourt.org/burgerprize.

The American College of Employee Benefits Counsel Eighth Annual Employee Benefits Writing Competition
Applicants may write on any topic in the field of employee benefits law. The competition is open to any J.D. and graduate (LL.M. or S.J.D.) law students enrolled at any time between Aug. 15, 2011 and Aug. 15, 2012. Deadline to submit an entry is June 1, 2012. Two prices will be awarded: the Clarin M. Schwartz Memorial award in the amount of $1,500 and the Sidney M. Perlstadt Memorial award in the amount of $1,500. Papers should not exceed 40 pages (double-spaced, in 12 point font, with an inch margin on each side), not including footnotes. Footnotes should be single spaced endnotes starting on a separate page. Papers must be submitted as email attachments to peter.kelly@bcbsa.com and should be submitted as Word or pdf documents. No information identifying the author or law school should be included in the text, the footnotes or the filename. That information, an address, a telephone number and enrollment status information should be provided in the email message.

American Judges Association Twenty Fourth Annual Law Student Essay Competition
The American Judges Association (AJA) announces its annual essay competition open to all full-time law students enrolled in and attending an accredited law school in the United States or Canada. The first prize for the contest is $3000; second is $1500 and third is $1000. First, second and third winners and law schools will be presented with an award certificate. The winning essay may be published in AJA’s journal, Court Review. Entries must be e-mailed no later than June 1, 2012, and sent to aja@ncsc.org. To download the entry form, click here. If you need further assistance, please see the office of admissions.
 

Career Insider

Feb. 1 – Legal Services to the Poor
Please join Hannah Silk Kapasi with the Texas Access to Justice Commission and John Shaw with Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas as they discuss legal opportunities to help the poor. The seminar will be held Wednesday, Feb. 1 in Room 202 from noon to 1 p.m. Food will be provided.

Featured Job Opportunities
The Vural Law Firm located in Fort Worth is seeking two legal interns or externs this semester to assist in research of current oil and gas law, including Shepardizing cases, comparing rules of law in various jurisdictions, preparing internal documents related to current oil and gas law and rule so flaw comparisons, analysis of oil and gas leases and assignments, and providing legal assistance to the attorneys and staff. 1Ls, 2Ls or 3Ls may apply. Proficient use of Microsoft Office is desired, experience with Adobe Acrobat Profession is useful, but not required. Students must have taken or are currently enrolled in Oil and Gas Law. Applications will be taken on a rolling basis until Feb. 25, 2012.

The Gooch Law Firm, PLLC invites second and third year law students to act as a researcher. Strong legal research and writing skills are necessary. Experience in appellate writing is a plus.  This position begins immediately and applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. Preference will be given to those who apply sooner.

Professor seeks research assistant with strong “bluebooking” and research skills to conduct research in negotiation (including influence, persuasion, emotional intelligence, and related areas). No background in negotiation or ADR necessary. Flexible hours. Professor is mindful that the student’s school work will always come first. The student will work independently, at times that are convenient for his/her schedule. The student will check in with the professor periodically (probably every week or two depending on the project). Again, this will be a very flexible position in terms of hours, etc. This position is open to 2Ls and 3Ls and is paid. Please submit your résumé directly to Dean Artie in career services at aerrisuriz@law.txwes.edu.

A small business litigation firm in Arlington is looking for a 2L to do legal research, draft motions, pleadings, discovery, and other documents associated with litigation, and some administrative duties including organizing and updating litigation case files. The ideal candidate has some familiarity with discovery and pleadings (TRCP), but we are willing to educate the right student. Additionally, the firm needs someone who is self-motivated and capable of working on their own.  Flexible schedule is available, but prefer three days a week. This is a paid position. Please include your GPA and class rank on your résumé. 
 

Faculty Factoids

Peter Reilly
Associate Professor of Law

Professor Reilly presented a one-hour CLE on negotiation for Texas Wesleyan alumni and other members of the legal community in Bedford earlier this month.

For more faculty highlights, click here.

Pro Bono Opportunities
(Please Note: Pro bono opportunities are available for 2L and 3L students only.) 

For ongoing pro bono opportunities and placements, check the related links section of the Equal Justice page.