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Faculty News

Faculty Scholarship and Activities reported in February 2010
Anthony R. Baldwin, professor,is scheduled to be a panelist in March at the Southeast/Southwest People of Color Legal Scholarship conference at the University of South Carolina School of Law discussing the topic “Equality and Justice in the Obama Era.”
 
Theodore Blumoff, professor, is scheduled to give a talk in April at the 11th Annual Scholarship Conference of the Society for the Evolutionary Analysis of Law at William and Mary Law School.  Professor Blumoff’s talk is titled “The Neuropsychology of Justifications and Excuses:  Some Problematic Cases of Self-defense, Duress and Provocation.”
 
Sarah Gerwig-Moore, associate professor, was voted “Best Community Leader” by the 11th Hour Readers’ Choice Awards.
 
David Hricik, professor, was extensively quoted in the Feb. 3 edition of the ABA/BNA Lawyer’s Manual on Professional Conduct Current Reports in an article titled ”Judges Can’t be Online ‘Friends’ with Attorneys Who Appear Before Them.” In January, Hricik gave a presentation, titled “Top 10 Ethical Issues in Patent Prosecution,” at the United States Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria, Va., at the Fifth Annual Advanced Patent Law Institute sponsored by George Mason University School of Law, the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and the University of Texas School of Law. Hricik was recently elected to the Executive Committee of the Professional Responsibility Section of the American Association of Law Schools.
 
Dave Oedel, professor, was a panelist in February at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars in Washington D.C., discussing aspects of his research team’s 2009 study on independent redistricting. Other panelists included Thomas Hofeller of the Republican National Committee, Thomas Mann of the Brookings Institution, and Juliet Eilperin of the Washington Post. An archive of the webcast, and the link to Oedel’s paper, can be found at http://www.wilsoncenter.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=events.event&event_id=590888
 
Karen Sneddon, associate professor, spoke in January at Stetson University College of Law as part of the Faculty Exchange Program. Sneddon’s presentation was titled “In the Name of God, Amen: Evolution of Language in Last Wills and Testaments.”
(Posted: 03/09/10)
 
Faculty Scholarship and Activities reported in January 2010
Dr. Ted Blumoff, professor, has written a peer-reviewed article, titled “The Neuropsychology of Justifications and Excuses: Some Cases from Self-Defense, Duress, and Provocation,” which will be published in 50 Jurimetrics (2010). Blumoff also wrote “How (some) Criminals Are Made,” which will be published in 13 Current Legal Issues: Law and Neuroscience.
 
Sarah Gerwig-Moore, associate professor, has been reappointed by the Bibb County Commission to another five-year term on the Macon-Bibb County Planning and Zoning Commission and re-elected by her peers on the commission to continue serving as vice chair.
 
David Hricik, professor, recently wrote lengthy comments to the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct Committee’s proposed amendments to the Texas Disciplinary Rules. In December, Hricik taught a professional development course in Charlotte, N.C., for approximately 500 of K&L Gates’ lawyers, titled “What You Say Online May be Used Against You: Ethical Issues Raised by the Use of Technology and the Internet.” Hricik also moderated a webinar panel discussion with Tim Meigs, senior intellectual property counsel at Becton Dickinson & Co., and Joseph Condo, partner at Woodcock Washburn,  on the duty of candor during patent prosecution and gave a presentation to the Federal Practice Section of the Iowa Bar Association in Des Moines, titled “How Ethical Rules Prevent Compliance with Rule 11, Iqbal, and Other Pleading Requirements.” Hricik served on a panel concerning inequitable conduct at the 20th Annual Intellectual Property Owner’s Association annual meeting in Washington, D.C. Hricik also gave a presentation on metadata at the Atlanta Bar Association’s offices in Atlanta as part of its “Law Office Technology: Power Up Your Practice” seminar and spoke at a nationally broadcasted web seminar on behalf of the American Intellectual Property Law Association concerning ethical issues in Internet communication. Hricik served as a member of the Planning Committee for the 2010 Mid-Winter Institute of the American Intellectual Property Law Association.
 
Linda Jellum, associate professor, served as a moderator for a roundtable discussion on Comparative Scholarship at the Association of American Law Schools’ Annual Conference in New Orleans, La., in January. Jellum was also elected chair of the Association of American Law Schools’ New Law Professors’ Section and elected to the executive board of the Association of American Law Schools’ Legislation Section.
 
Dr. David Ritchie, associate professor, was selected as the chair-elect of the Association of American Law Schools’ Section on Law and Interpretation at the section’s annual meeting in New Orleans.
(Posted: 03/09/10)
 
Faculty Scholarship and Activities reported in December 2009
David Hricik, professor, gave separate presentations on Nov. 4 and 10 in Atlanta. On Nov. 4, Professor Hricik presented on professionalism and intellectual property litigation at the Corporate Intellectual Property Institute at Georgia State University School of Law. On Nov. 10, he presented on ethical issues in patent litigation at the Practicing Law Institute.
Linda Jellum, professor, spoke on Nov. 5 at the Association of American Law Schools’ Faculty Recruitment Conference in Washington, D.C., about “Interviewing Pitfalls and Mistakes.” Professor Jellum has been appointed to the Association of American Law Schools’ Committee on Bar Performance and Lawyer Performance.
Mark Jones, professor, helped lead the University-wide “Workshop on Practical Wisdom” held Nov. 18 at Mercer Law School by the Mercer Phronesis Project. The Phronesis Project is a joint project with other lead faculty at Mercer, including Paul Lewis (CLA) and Kelly Reffitt (College of Education), and the event involves participants from across the entire university with representation from both the Macon and Atlanta campuses. At the workshop, the Mercer team members divided into two breakout groups to discuss a difficult hypothetical case study focused on disability law and the challenges in providing adequate educational, medical, and social services for an autistic child.
(Posted: 01/14/10)
 
Faculty Scholarship and Activities reported in November 2009
Walter F. George School of Law
David Hricik, professor, gave a panel discussion Oct. 15 on ethical issues in patent practice with attorney John Steele at the Large Law Firm Symposium sponsored by Aon Global Insurance.
Linda Jellum, professor, served as moderator Oct. 22-23 for a panel titled “Arbitrariness Review in the Roberts Court,” which was part of the American Bar Association’s Section of Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice Fall Administrative Law Conference in Washington, D.C.
David Ritchie, associate p, developed and hosted an intercultural exchange program for 17 Brazilian federal judges from all over Brazil.  The program, which ran from September 15 – 24, was an opportunity for the students and faculty of the law school to interact with the judges and learn about the Brazilian legal system.  The judges were also exposed to legal education in the United States and were able to view trials in the state and federal courts in Macon.  More information on the program, visit http://law.mercer.edu/news/ARTICLE/?pkid=249.
Jack Sammons, Griffin B. Bell Professor of Law, presented a paper Oct. 22 titled "The Laws Melody" at The Scarpa Conference on Law, Politics, and Culture at Villanova Law School. The conference was held in honor of the work of Professor Joseph Vining, University of Michigan School of Law.
(Posted: 01/14/10)
 
Faculty Scholarship and Activities reported in October 2009
David Hricik, professor, gave a panel discussion Oct. 15 on ethical issues in patent practice with attorney John Steele at the Large Law Firm Symposium sponsored by Aon Global Insurance.
Linda Jellum, professor, served as moderator Oct. 22-23 for a panel titled “Arbitrariness Review in the Roberts Court,” which was part of the American Bar Association’s Section of Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice Fall Administrative Law Conference in Washington, D.C.
David Ritchie, associate p, developed and hosted an intercultural exchange program for 17 Brazilian federal judges from all over Brazil.  The program, which ran from September 15 – 24, was an opportunity for the students and faculty of the law school to interact with the judges and learn about the Brazilian legal system.  The judges were also exposed to legal education in the United States and were able to view trials in the state and federal courts in Macon.  More information on the program, visit http://law.mercer.edu/news/ARTICLE/?pkid=249.
Jack Sammons, Griffin B. Bell Professor of Law, presented a paper Oct. 22 titled "The Laws Melody" at The Scarpa Conference on Law, Politics, and Culture at Villanova Law School. The conference was held in honor of the work of Professor Joseph Vining, University of Michigan School of Law.
(Posted: 10/26/09)
 
Faculty Scholarship and Activities reported in September 2009
Linda Berger, professor, and David Ritchie, associate professor, recently presented on “Beyond Mere Literary Devices: Using Metaphor & Narrative to Structure Persuasion” at the2009Southeast Regional Legal Writing Conference at Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, Fla. Berger also participated in the Association of Legal Writing Directors Scholars’ Workshop at Stetson.

David Hricik, professor, gave a presentation in September in Chicago titled, "Swindling the Bald: How to Avoid Taking a Haircut While Representing Clients," at the annual meeting of the Association of Patent Law Firms. He also gave presentations in September to about 300 attorneys on “Ethical Issues in IP Practice” in Cleveland, Ohio, as part of the 19th Annual All Ohio Annual Institute on Intellectual Property, and the same presentation to about 300 attorneys in Covington, Ky. Professor Hricik’s dedication to his long-time friend and mentor, Professor Ed Brewer, was published in the Northern Kentucky Law Review in August 2009.
 
Harold S. Lewis Jr., professor, will present on his research and proposals developed with the assistance of  Professor Thomas A. Eaton of the University of Georgia School of Law to amend Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 68 in federal fee-shifting cases.  The presentation is part of a national symposium of employment discrimination scholars to be hosted at Seton Hall Law School in Newark, N.J., on Sept. 25 and 26.
 
David Ritchie, associate professor, and Linda Berger, professor, recently presented on “Beyond Mere Literary Devices: Using Metaphor & Narrative to Structure Persuasion” at the2009Southeast Regional Legal Writing Conference at Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, Fla.
 
Karen Sneddon, associate professor, and David Hricik, professor, co-authored “Writing Matters: Summer Beach Reading”in the Georgia Bar Journal (August 2009). Sneddon also was a recent speaker on the topic “Group Writing” at the2009 Southeast Regional Legal Writing Conference at Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, Fla.
(Posted: 10/26/09)
 
Recent scholarship by Professor Linda Berger
Linda Berger, professor and editor of the Journal of the Association of Legal Writing Directors, recently completed volume 6 of J. ALWD’s Best Practices in Persuasion (2009) with co-editor Ian Gallacher. She recently gave presentations and/or sat on panels at the Southeastern Association of Law Schools (“Law & Rhetoric” panel), the Biennial National Conference of the Association of Legal Writing Directors (“Rhetorical Stepping Stones” presentation with Mercer Law Professors Karen Sneddon and Sue Painter-Thorne, and “How can Directors Protect Academic Freedom?” panel), and the Association for the Study of Law (“King Solomon: Narrative, Metaphor, and Trial Court Judges With Discretion” presentation). 
(Posted: 08/30/09)
 
Recent scholarship by Professor Ted Blumoff
Ted Blumoff, professor, has written and published a book chapter titled “The Problems with Blaming” in Michael Freeman and Oliver Goodenough’s edition of LAW, MIND, AND BRAIN (London: Ashgate Publishing, 2009). Professor Blumoff recently had an article accepted in the peer-reviewed journal, Jurimetrics, titled “The Neuropsychology of Justifications and Excuses: Some Cases from Self-Defense, Duress, and Provocation” (2010). An earlier version is available at http://ssrn.com/abstract=1380081 and has been listed as a Top 10 SSRN download. His article “The Brain Sciences and Criminal Law Norms” (http://ssrn.com/abstract=1380076) was also posted on SSRN and is listed as a Top 10 download. In June, Professor Blumoff completed and posted an article titled “How (some) Criminals Are Made” (http://ssrn.com/abstract=1421868) and has given numerous talks across the globe on the subject.
(Posted: 08/30/09)
 
Recent scholarship by Professor Tim Floyd
Timothy Floyd, professor, recently completed and is awaiting publication of his article “Moral Vision, Moral Courage, and the Formation of the Lawyer’s Professional Identity” in the Mississippi College of Law Review. Professor Floyd recently gave presentations at the Southeastern Association of Law Schools (“Race and Incarceration”), the Institute for Law Teaching and Learning Summer Conference (“Cultivating the Formation of Professional Identity”), the State Bar of Georgia’s Annual June meeting (“Implementation of the Death Penalty in Georgia”), and the Association of American Law Schools Conference on Clinical Legal Education (“Externships and the Formation of Professional Identity” with Mercer Law School Professor Jack Sammons). This summer, Professor Floyd taught “Torture and International Human Rights” in the law school’s Summer Study Abroad Program in Freiburg, Germany.
(Posted: 08/30/09)
 
Recent scholarship by Professor David Hricik
David Hricik, professor,published two books this summer. The first, Patent Ethics: 
Prosecution (Oxford University Press, 2009), was co-authored with Mercedes Meyer, partner at DrinkerBiddle. The second, Modern Statutory Interpretation (2d Ed. Carolina Academic Press 2009), was co-authored with Mercer Law School Professor Linda Jellum. Professor Hricik continued his column on legal writing with Mercer Law School Professor Karen Sneddon, which is published in the Georgia Bar Journal. His article titled “Remedies for the Infringer?” was published in the ABA’s Intellectual Property Litigation publication. The United States Library of Congress recently selected Professor Hricik’s statutory interpretation blog (http://www.lawprofessors.typepad.com/statutory) for inclusion in the historic collection of Internet materials related to the 2009 Supreme Court Nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor. Professor Hricik analyzed how the Supreme Court had addressed cases decided by President Barack Obama’s nominee to the Supreme Court that involved statutory interpretation. Professor Hricik served as a panelist on ethical issues on June 19 at the 11th Annual Federal Circuit Bar Association Annual meeting, held in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.
The annual meeting was attended by 13 of the 15 sitting Federal Circuit judges, judges from the Federal Court of Claims, the Third Circuit, and various U. S. District Courts, as well as practitioners from leading firms around the world. Professor Hricik was appointed co-chair of the Attorneys’ Liability Subcommittee of the ABA Professional Liability Litigation Committee.
(Posted: 08/30/09)
 
Recent scholarship by Professor Harold S. Lewis
Harold S. Lewis Jr., professor, spoke in August at the Southeastern Association of Law Schools conference about the multi-year research concerning Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 68 that he conducted with co-investigator Thomas Eaton, professor at the University of Georgia Law School. At the conference, Lewis and Eaton received a prize for the winning article submission in the Association's 2009 Call for Papers. The article is titled “The Contours of A New FRCP Rule 68.1: A Proposed Two-Way Offer of Settlement Provision for Federal Fee-Shifting Cases,” 282 Federal Rules Decisions 551 (2008).
(Posted: 08/30/09)
 
Recent scholarship by Professor Linda Jellum

Linda Jellum, associate professor, co-authored the book Modern Statutory Interpretation:  Problem, Theories, and Lawyering Strategies(2d Ed. Carolina Academic Press 2009), with Mercer Law School Professor David Hricik. She presented a paper titled “What to do with the Third Year Curriculum” at the Southeastern Association of Law Schools annual conference, where she also moderated a new scholar’s panel.

(Posted: 08/30/09)
 
Recent scholarship by Professor David Oedel
David Oedel, professor, is the lead author on the study “Does the Introduction of Independent Redistricting Reduce Congressional Partisanship?,” published in the Villanova Law Review. Oedel led a team of Mercer researchers including professors Allen Lynch and Sean Mulholland from the economics department of Mercer’s Stetson School of Business, as well as 2009 Mercer Law School graduate Neil Edwards. The study examined the efficacy of independent redistricting commissions. The study tested whether the introduction of independent redistricting commissions in or about 2001 (the last major redistricting cycle) reduced the partisanship in the voting behavior shown by the leaders elected from the newly drawn districts.      
(Posted: 08/30/09)
 
Recent scholarship by Professor Sue Painter-Thorne

Sue Painter-Thorne, associate professor, recently received acceptance for publication her article titled “If You Build It, They Will Come: Preserving Tribal Sovereignty in the Face of Indian Casinos & the New Premium on Tribal Membership” in the Lewis & Clark Law Review.

(Posted: 08/30/09)
 
Recent scholarship by Professor Jennifer Sheppard
Jennifer Sheppard, assistant professor, was a panelist on a forum titled “Mentoring: Skyrocket a Career with the Right Mentor”at theSoutheastern Association of Law Schools conference.
 
(Posted: 08/30/09)
 
Recent scholarship by Professor David Ritchie
David Ritchie, associate professor, recently published an article titled “Western Notions of Justice: Legal Outsiders in American Cinema’” in the Suffolk Law Review.
(Posted: 08/30/09)
 
Recent scholarship by Professor Karen Sneddon
Karen Sneddon, associate professor, spoke on June 23 at the Institute of Law Teaching and Learning conference at Gonzaga University School of Law in Spokane, Wash. The conference was titled “Integrating Writing into Casebook Courses without Significantly Increasing Grading.” She also spoke on the subject “Speaking for the Dead: Voice in Last Wills and Testaments” at the Southern Association of Law Schools conference and on the subject “Rhetorical Stepping Stones” at the Biennial National Conference of the Association of Legal Writing Directors. Professor Sneddon and Mercer Law School Professor David Hricik recently published an article titled “Writing Matters: Pondering Passive Voice” in the Georgia Bar Journal.  
(Posted: 08/30/09)
 
Recent scholarship by Professor Scott Titshaw

Scott Titshaw, professor, was on a recent panel titled “LGBT Immigration Issues: Some Things Should Not Be Left To Chance” at the American Immigration Lawyers Association’s (AILA) annual conference in Las Vegas. He also co-wrote an article titled “Yes We Can … Well, Maybe: Options, Misconceptions, and Possible Change in the Law Affecting LGBT and HIV-Positive Foreign Nationals,” published in AILA’s Immigration & Nationality Law Handbook, 2009-10 edition.

(Posted: 08/30/09)
 
Hricik's 'remedies' article published in ABA publication

Professor David Hricik's article "Remedies for the Infringer?" was recently published in the ABA's Intellectual Property Litigation publication.

(Posted: 06/30/09)
 
Professor Ritchie's latest article examines "western" notions of justice

Associate Professor David Ritchie's article, "'Western' Notions of Justice: Legal Outsiders in American Cinema," was recently published in the Suffolk Law Review.

(Posted: 06/30/09)
 
Immigration law expert Titshaw on panel, writes article on issues facing LGBTs
Mercer Law professor Scott Titshaw was on a recent panel titled “LGBT Immigration Issues: Some Things Should Not Be Left To Chance” at the American Immigration Lawyers Association’s (AILA) annual conference in Las Vegas. He also co-wrote an article titled “Yes We Can … Well, Maybe: Options, Misconceptions, and Possible Change in the Law Affecting LGBT and HIV-Postitive Foreign Nationals,” published in AILA’s Immigration & Nationality Law Handbook, 2009-10 edition.
(Posted: 06/30/09)
 
Hricik panelist at recent federal circuit bar association conference
Mercer Law Professor David Hricik served as a panelist on ethical issues on June 19 at the 11th Annual Federal Circuit Bar Association Annual Meeting, held in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. The annual meeting was attended by 13 of the 15 sitting Federal Circuit judges, judges from the Federal Court of Claims, the Third Circuit, and various U. S. District Courts, as well as practitioners from leading firms around the world.
(Posted: 06/30/09)
 
Library of Congress includes blog of Mercer professor
The United States Library of Congress selected Mercer Law Professor David Hricik's statutory interpretation blog (http://www.lawprofessors.typepad.com/statutory) for inclusion in the historic collection of Internet materials related to the 2009 Supreme Court Nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor. Professor Hricik analyzed how the Supreme Court had addressed cases decided by President Barack Obama's nominee to the Supreme Court that involved statutory interpretation. 
 
The Library of Congress preserves the nation's cultural artifacts and provides enduring access to them. The library's traditional functions, acquiring, cataloging, preserving and serving collection materials of historical importance to the Congress and to the American people to foster education and scholarship, extend to digital materials, including Web sites.
(Posted: 06/30/09)
 
Professor Sneddon gives lecture at law-teaching conference

Associate Professor Karen Sneddon spoke on June 23 at the Institute of Law Teaching and Learning conference at Gonzaga University School of Law in Spokane, Wash. The conference was titled "Integrating Writing into Casebook Courses without Significantly Increasing Grading." 

Sneddon and Mercer colleague David Hricik recently published an article titled "Writing Matters: Pondering Passive Voice" in the Georgia Bar Journal.  

(Posted: 06/30/09)
 
Professor Hricik serves on Cyberspace law, ethics panel
Professor Hricik served on a panel on May 18 with Professor Cross of the University of Louisville and Professor Folsom of Regent at the 132nd International Trademark Association Annual meeting in Seattle, Wash. The panel examined Cyberspace law and ethics. Also, in May, Professor Hricik co-authored an article with Mercer Law School Professor Karen Sneddon on "Writing Matters," which appeared in the Georgia Bar Journal.
 
His article titled, "Metadata: Are You in Danger of an Ethics Violation," co-authored by Mercer Law 2009 graduate Chase Scott, is scheduled to publication in 13 ABA Young Lawyer 2 (June 2009)
 
(Posted: 05/19/09)
 
Patent law expert Hricik participates in panel, symposium

On May 13, Professor Hricik appeared on a panel in San Diego, Calif., with Professor Arti Rai of Duke Law School and leading patent practitioners from around the country discussing new tactics and defenses on the patent battle field.

On May 8, Professor Hricik appeared on a panel with leading Atlanta IP lawyers at the Georgia State Bar IP Section's annual SpringPosium meeting in Adairsville, Ga., discussing ethical issues in patent prosecution and litigation.

 

 

(Posted: 05/14/09)
 
Professor Baldwin remembers Brown v. Board of Education in recent article
Anthony R. Baldwin, professor,recently published a book chapter titled, “Law Touches The Hearts of Children: A Generation Remembers Brown v. Board of Education,” in the book Brown v. Board of Education Indirect and Substantial Effect, (Richard J. Bonnie & Mildred W. Robinson, eds.), which was published in February by Vanderbilt University Press. Professor Baldwin was the keynote speaker April 24 at the Third Annual meeting of Law School Diversity Professionals in Minneapolis, Minn.
(Posted: 04/28/09)
 
Professor Blumoff publishes four articles
Theodore Y. Blumoff, professor, recently had two articles, “The Neuropsychology of Justifications and Excuses: Some Cases from Self-Defense, Duress, and Provocation”http://ssrn.com/abstract=1380081, and “The Brain Sciences and Criminal Law Norms” http://ssrn.com/abstract=1380076, posted on the social science research network (SSRN). A third article, “The Problems with Blaming,” is Chapter 6 in Michael Freeman and Oliver Goodenough, eds., in Law, Mind, and Brain (London: Ashgate Publishing 2009). A fourth article, “On the Nature of the Action-Omission Network,” 24 Ga. St. U. L. Rev. 1003 (2008), was published earlier this spring. Professor Blumoff gave a talk at Vanderbilt University Law School titled, “The Brain Sciences and Criminal Law Norms,” as part of the 11th Scholarship Conference of the Society for Evolutionary Analysis in Law. He will be participating in the annual meeting of the Gruter Institute of Law and Behavioral Research in Squaw Valley, Calif., from May 17-22.
(Posted: 04/28/09)
 
Dean Floyd gives lecture during Rutgers Law Review Symposium
Daisy Hurst Floyd, dean and professor, presented a lecture titled, "Cultivating Wholeness: The Role of Legal Education in the Development of Professional Identity," at Rutgers Law School on April 17. The presentation was part of the Rutgers Law Review Symposium titled, "A Legal Education Prospectus: Law Schools & Emerging Frontiers in Curriculum, Lawyering, and Social Justice."
(Posted: 04/28/09)
 
Professor Hricik gives presentations at IPL and ABA meetings
David Hricik, professor, gave a presentation on April 24 on legal ethics at the joint meeting of the Washington and Oregon Intellectual Property Law associations in Woodinville, Wash. On April 30, he gave a presentation at the American Bar Association meeting in Atlanta, titled “Oops, I did it again! What Britney Spears Can Teach Us About Ethics and Technology.”
(Posted: 04/28/09)
 
Professor Jellum tapped as co-chair, secretary of ABA sections
Linda D. Jellum, associate professor, was selected to co-chair the American Bar Association Section on Administrative Law’s Judicial Review Committee, effective immediately. She also has been selected as secretary for the American Association of Law School’s New Law Professor Section.
(Posted: 04/28/09)
 
Dean Floyd, Profs Floyd and Longan attend annual workshop
Patrick Longan, professor, along with Mercer Law School Dean Daisy Hurst Floyd and Professor Tim Floyd, attended the annual workshop of the National Institute for Teaching Ethics and Professionalism, an institute in which Mercer is a founding member. Professor Longan serves on the Board of Advisors.
(Posted: 04/28/09)
 
Professor Painter-Thorne's article reprinted for upcoming ABA conference
Suzianne D. Painter-Thorne, assistant professor, recently had an article titled, “The Seven Virtues of Appellate Brief Writing: An Update From The Bench,” 38 SW. L. REV. 221 (2008), reprinted in May 2009 for an ABA Young Lawyer’s Division panel at the American Bar Association Spring Conference, titled “Anatomy of an Appeal, Part II: Persuasion.” The article is co-authored with the Honorable Harry Pregerson.
(Posted: 04/28/09)
 
Professor Ritchie gives lecture on Legal Writing
David Ritchie, associate professor, gave a lecture April 22 titled, “Legal Writing: Gateway to the Legal Discourse Community,” at the Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, Fla. Professor Ritchie was invited to speak as part of Stetson’s faculty development program. On April 23-24, Professor Ritchie participated in the roundtable symposium “Beyond Wall Street: The Interplay Among Film, Business, and the Law,” which was hosted by the Business Law and Policy Program at the University of Illinois College of Law. Information about the roundtable can be found at:
(Posted: 04/28/09)
 
Fleissner publishes article on Justice Department 'rescue plan'
Professor Fleissner was solicited by the editorial board of Judicature magazine to write an editorial for the board concerning the need to reinvigorate the U.S. Department of Justice. The editorial, titled "A Rescue Plan for the Justice Department," was published in the January-February 2009 edition of Judicature.
(Posted: 04/16/09)
 
Hricik gives presentation on metadata
Professor David Hricik gave a presentation on March 28 on ethical issues arising from metadata to the National Association of Legal Professionals in Atlanta, Ga.
(Posted: 04/01/09)
 
Professor Floyd panelist at recent symposium on law, religion
Proffessor Tim Floyd, director of Mercers Law & Public Service Program, was recently a panelist at
the Mississippi College Law Review Symposium titled, “The Intersection Between Attorney Speech.
Personal Morality, Religion, and the Rules of Ethics,” held February 2009. He also recently co-
authored a documentary on "Abraham Lincoln on Professionalism" published by the Atlanta Bar
Association.  
 
In October, he spoke on the topic "The Law and Procedure for a Death Penalty Case in Georgia" at
the Georgia Council for Restorative Justice, Defense-Initiated Victim Outreach Training. In
September, he helped plan and was a moderator at "A National Conference on Religious Faith,
Torture, and Our National Soul," held at Mercers Atlanta campus.
 
This May, Professor Floyd is co-presenting a paper titled, "Externships and the Formation of
Professional Identity Proposal,” at Association of American Law Schools Conference on Clinical
Legal Education in Cleveland, Ohio. 
                    
(Posted: 03/26/09)
 
Sheppard's guide to 'writing for the court' recently published
Assistant Professor Jennifer Sheppard's article "The 'Write' Way: A Judicial Clerk’s Guide to Writing for the Court," was recently published in the University of Baltimore Law Review.
 
(Posted: 03/16/09)
 
Painter-Thorne's article recently published in Southwestern Law Review
Suzianne D. Painter-Thorne, assistant professor of law, recently had her article "The Seven Virtues Of Appellate Brief Writing: An Update From The Bench," co-written with the Hon. Harry Pregerson of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, published in the Southwestern Law Review in December 2008 (cite is 38 SW. L. REV. 221 (2008).
 
(Posted: 03/16/09)
 
Berger, Sammons launch Law & Rhetori e-Journal; Berger articles published, upcoming
Professors Linda Berger and Jack Sammons launched in December an e-Journal of Law & Rhetoric Abstracts, SSRN.
 
In January, Berger organized the "Law & Rhetoric: Legal Writing through a Rhetorical Lens" workshop held in San Diego in conjunction with the AALS. During the workshop,Sammons  presented a paper titled "Rhetoric's Making Strange," which is scheduled to be published in the SSRN Journal of Law & Rhetoric. 
 
In September, Berger published an article titled "Legal Writing Beyond Memos and Briefs," Volume 5, J. Assn Legal Writing Directors (2008), and her forthcoming article "How Embedded Knowledge Structures Affect Judicial Decision Making: An Analysis of Metaphor, Narrative, and Imagination in Child Custody Disputes," 18 S. Cal. Interdisc. L.J., is scheduled for publication this year.
 
(Posted: 03/16/09)
 
Professor chairs AALS section for 2009
In January, Associate Professor David T. Ritchie chaired the Law and Humanities section of the Association of American Law Schools. The program, which Ritchie put together, was titled "Legal Outsiders in American Film." Ritchie is chair of the AALS Law and Humanities Section for 2009.
(Posted: 03/16/09)
 
Professor Hricik presents session on ethical issues to Virginia Bar

Professor Hricik presented a live, interactive teleconference on ethical issues arising from technology for the Virginia Bar Association on February 27, 2009.

(Posted: 03/04/09)
 
Professor Sneddon's recent activities and scholarship

Professor Karen Sneddon's article, "Beyond the Personal Representative: The Potential of Succession Without Administration", was published in the South Texas Law Review.    In addition, Professor Sneddon is serving as the Legal Writing Institute's Development Committee co-chair for 2008-2010. 

(Posted: 11/25/08)
 
Professor Johnson's recent scholarship

Professor Stephen Johnson's article, "Is Religion the Environment's Last Best Hope?" will be puiblished in the Journal of Environmental Law and Litigation.

(Posted: 11/25/08)
 
Professor Jellum's recent scholarship and activities

Professor Linda Jellum's article, "Which is to be Master: the Legislature or the Judiciary When Statutory Directives Violate Separation of Powers?" will be published in the U.C.L.A. Law Review.  In addition, Professor Jellum presented, "The Pitfalls and Mistakes of Interviewing for a Law Professor's Job" at the AALS Annual Recruiting Conference in Washington, D.C. 

(Posted: 11/25/08)
 
Professor Sammons' recent articles and presentations

Professor Jack Sammons' article, "Censoring Samba: An Aesthetic Justification for The Protection of Free Speech" was recently published in the Stetson Law Review.  His article, "A Rhetorician's Perspective on Religious Speech in Democratic Conversation" will be published in the Seattle Law Review.  His article, "Justice as a Play," will be published in the University of Virginia Journal of Literary History, and this article "The Lawyer's Moral Obligation to Write Well," will be published in The Compleat Lawyer."

In addition, Professor Sammons presented "Bonhoffer without Sin: State and Church," as part of the Mercer University Worship Series on Bonhoffer.  The presentation will be published in a collection of speeches by Mercer University Press. 

(Posted: 11/25/08)
 
Professor Lewis' recent scholarship and activities
Harold Lewis Jr., professor, recently submitted a paper to the Federal Rules Decisions publication that was selected in 2009 as the best paper in the Southeast Association of American Law Schools’ “call for papers” program.

Professor Lewis' article, entitled "The Contours of a New FRCP, Rule 68.1: A Proposed Two-Way Offer of Settlement Provision for Federal Fee-shifting Cases," (co-authored with Professor Thomas A. Eaton on the University of Georgia School of Law) will be published in Federal Rules Decisions. 

In addition, on December 19, 2008, Professor Lewis will be presenting a review of recent Eleventh Circuit decisions at a joint meeting of the Atlanta and Georgia Bar Labor & Employment Law Sections in Atlanta, Georgia.

(Posted: 11/25/08)
 
Professor Sneddon's recent activities and scholarship
Professor Karen Sneddon's article, "Beyond the Personal Representative: The Potential of Succession Without Administration", was published in the South Texas Law Review. In addition, Professor Sneddon is serving as the Legal Writing Institute's Development Committee co-chair for 2008-2010.
(Posted: 11/25/08)
 
Professor Johnson's recent scholarship
Professor Stephen Johnson's article, "Is Religion the Environment's Last Best Hope?" will be puiblished in the Journal of Environmental Law and Litigation.
(Posted: 11/25/08)
 
Professor Blumoff's recent scholarship

A chapter entitled "The Problems with Blaming", by Professor Ted Blumoff, will be included in Law, Mind and Brain, a book published by Ashgate Publishing (2009) and edited by Michael Freeman and Oliver Goodenough.  In addition, Professor Blumoff's article "On the Nature of the Action-Omission Network," will be published in the Georgia State Law Review in 2008. 

(Posted: 10/01/08)
 
Professor Painter-Thorne's recent activities

 Professor Sue Painter Thornes article, "One Step Forward, Two Giant Steps Back: How the Existing Indian Family Exception (Re)Imposes Anglo American Legal Values on American Indian Tribes to the Detriment of Cultural Autonomy" will be published in Volume 33 of the American Indian Law Review (2009).  Her article, "7 Virtues of Appellate Brief Writing," will be published in Volume 38 of the Southwestern University Law Review (2008).

Earlier this year, Professor Painter-Thorne published "Craft Careful Analogies—And Become A Better Legal Writer, in The Complete Lawyer (September/October 2008), and published "A Matter of Style" in the same publication.

In July, she presented "Advanced Writing Instruction in Small Group Sessions" with Professor Jennifer Sheppard at the Legal writing Institutes Biennial Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana. She also moderated "The Law Professor as Administrator" at the Southeastern Association of Law Schools Annual Meeting in West Palm Beach, Florida in July.

(Posted: 10/01/08)
 
Professor Sheppard's activities
Professor Jennifer Sheppard's article, "The 'Write' Way: A Judicial Clerk’s Guide to Writing for the Court," will be published in Volume 38 of the Baltimore Law Review (2009).  In addition, she presented "Advanced Writing Instruction in Small Group Sessions," with Professor Sue Painter-Thorne at the Legal Writing Institute Conference in July 2008, and moderated a panel entitled, "Say Something New!: New Insight Into and Scholarship About the Goals and Responsibilities of Legal Education" at the Southeastern Association of Law Schools Conference in July 2008. 
(Posted: 10/01/08)
 
Professor Berger's recent presentations and scholarship

Recent presentations by Professor Linda Berger include "What Would Solomon Do?

Appealing to Trial Court Judges," as part of the Persuasion Conference at Rutgers-Camden School of Law (September 2008) and a panel presentation on "Defining the Purpose and Parameters of Legal Writing Scholarship" during the Biennial National Conference of the Legal Writing Institute in Indianapolis, IN (July 2008).

 

Professor Berger is also Editor of the recently published Volumes 4 and 5 of the Journal of the Association of Legal Writing Directors (J. ALWD) and her article entitled "How Embedded Knowledge Structures Affect Judicial Decision Making: An Analysis of Metaphor, Narrative, and Imagination in Child Custody Disputes" will be published at 18 S. Cal. Interdisc. L.J. __ (forthcoming 2009).

(Posted: 09/18/08)
 
Professor Hricik's recent activities
David Hricik, associate professor, recently had a book chapter titled, “Combining Prosecution with Other Forms of Representation,” published in BNA books. The chapter is published in the book Drafting Patents for Litigation and Licensing. His article, “Infinite Combinations – The Many Forms of Conflicts of Interest in Patent Litigation,” appeared at 26 Del. Lawyer 14 (2009).

Professor Hricik gave a presentation on February 6, 2009 at the Atlanta Bar Association at the Law Office Technology seminar on “Metadata and Related Developing Issues.  His article, Infinite Combinations – The Many Forms of Conflicts of Interest in Patent Litigation, appeared at 26 Del. Lawyer 14 (2009).

In August and September, 2008, Professor Hricik presented a series of CLEs to attorneys in Rhode Island addressing "How to Manage Risk in a Challenging Economy."   In addition, an article that he co-authored with 3L Chase Scott, entitled "Metadata: The Ghosts Haunting E-Documents", was published at 82 Fl.B.J. 33 (Oct. 2008).   A chapter he wrote, entitled "Combining Prosecution with Other Forms of Representation" was published in "Drafting Patents for Litigation and Licensing" by the ABA Section of Intellectual Property,

In October, he gave presentations on (1) Docketing and Risk Management in Patent Prosecution at the ARMA International annual meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada (October 18) ; (2)  Professionalism in Trademark and Patent Practice at Georgia State Universitys Corporate IP Institute in Atlanta, Georgia (October 29); and (3) Ethical Issues in Patent Prosecution at the University of Texas School of Laws Advanced Patent Law Institute in Austin, Texas (October 31).   In addition, on November 21, Professor Hricik gave a presentation on "Conflicts of Interest in Patent Practice" to the Minneapolis Intellectual Property Law Association in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

(Posted: 09/15/08)
 
Professor Fleissner's presentation to the ABA

 

On August 11th, Professor Jim Fleissner participated in a panel discussion as part of the series on “Issues of Concern to the Legal Profession” before the American Bar Association House of Delegates at the ABA’s Annual Meeting in New York City.  The discussion was entitled “The Use of Subpoenas to Compel Reporters to Reveal Their Sources” and addressed First Amendment issues and recent legislative proposals for a federal “shield law.”  The other members of the panel were First Amendment Attorney Floyd Abrams and University of Chicago Law Professor Geoffrey Stone.

(Posted: 08/19/08)
 
Professor Gerwig-Moore's awards and presentations

 

Professor Sarah Gerwig-Moore presented "Saving Their Own Souls: Stories of Religious Practice on California's Condemned Row" as a New Scholar at the Southeastern Association of Law Schools (SEAALS) conference in Palm Beach, Florida in July 2008.

In addition, she was recently named as one of Macon Magazine's "Five Under 40", and is featured in the August/September issue of the magazine.

 

(Posted: 08/19/08)
 
Professor Jellum's new book and activities
Associate Professor Linda Jellum published a book with Carolina Academic Press titled "Mastering Statutory Interpretation."  Additionally, she presented at a panel discussion regarding moot court competitions at the Southeastern Association of Law School's annual conference in the summer of 2008.
(Posted: 08/19/08)
 
Professor Ritchie participates in International Symposium in Brazil and publishes new book

On June 12 and 13, 2008, Professor David Ritchie participated in the International Symposium of Contemporary Legal Theories and Institutional Design. The program brought together some of the most respected experts in constitutional studies and philosophers from leading schools of Brazil, such as FGV-Rio, Sao Paulo State University (USP), and the University of Brasília (UnB).  Professor Ritchie participated in a round-table at the symposium on the "Moral Obligation of Judges to Apply the Law." The symposium took an interdisciplinary approach at exploring moral and legal decision-making processes and contemporary arguments about Formalism and Particularism in ethics and law. The symposium also celebrated the historical and symbolic importance of the Law Campus of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, which formerly housed the Imperial Senate. The symposium was organized to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Brazilian Constitution. The program was also sponsored by the Coordenaçao de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES, a department of the Brazilian Ministry of Education which sponsors and supports higher education), the Embassy of Spain, and book publisher Lumen Juris. Information about the symposium is available here

In addition, his most recent book, Shifting Foundations and Historical Contingencies, was published in July, 2008, by VDM Verlag.

(Posted: 08/11/08)
 
Professor Johnson's recent scholarship

Professor Stephen Johnson's article, Ossification's Demise? An Empirical Analysis of EPA Rulemaking from 2001-2005, was recently published in Environmental Law, the law journal of Lewis and Clark Law School.    His article, Is Religion the Environment's Last Best Hope? Targeting Change in Individual Behavior Through Personal Norm Activation, is available on SSRN. 

(Posted: 08/01/08)
 
Professor Sneddon's recent presentations and publications

On July 15, 2008, Professor Karen Sneddon presented Beyond Chalk and Talk: Active Learning Activities for the Classroom at the Thirteenth Biennial Conference of the Legal Writing Institute at Indiana University School of Law in Indianapolis, Indiana.  Earlier in the summer, on May 31, 2008, she participated on a panel addressing Teaching Multiple Skills in Drafting and Simulation Courses, at a conference sponsored by the Emory Center for Transactional Law and Practice in Atlanta.  The conference was the Inaugural conference on Teaching Drafting and Transactional Skills: The Basics and Beyond.  On May, 22, she spoke on Developments in Georgia Law at a meeting of the Macon Estate Planning Council. 

She has had several articles published this spring, including (1) On Writing: Using the Elements of Fiction to Tell the Client’s Story, 4 No. 3 The Complete Lawyer (May/June 2008); (2) Common Comma Conundrums Part I, 13 Ga. B.J. No. 5, 64 (Feb. 2008) (co-authored with David Hricik); (3) Common Comma Conundrums Part II, 13 No. 6 Ga. B.J. 82 (April 2008) (co-authored with David Hricik); and (4)Avoiding Doe Snot While on the Trail of Statues, 13 No. 7 Ga. B.J. 80 (June 2008) (co-authored with David Hricik). 

In addition she served as an Assistant Editor in Volume 14 of Legal Writing: The Journal of the Legal Writing Institute and is serving as a member on the 2008 Poster Committee for the AALS Section on Legal Writing, Legal Research, and Legal Reasoning.

(Posted: 06/16/08)
 
Professor Ritchie's presentations and international activities
Professor David Ritchie recently delivered a talk entitled ““Do We Like the Write? Can the Term “Legal Writing” be Reclaimed?” at the Writing and Legal Writing Teachers, Instructors, and Professors of Color and/or Progressive Orientation Conference at Howard University School of Law in Washington, DC.
 
Professor Ritchie has been awarded a grant to teach at the Gama Filho University in Rio de Janeiro (where he is on the affiliated faculty) by the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro [FAPERJ].  He will teach a graduate course in U.S. constitutional law to doctoral students in late June and early July 2008.  He has also been invited to speak at the International Symposium of Contemporary Legal Theories and Institutional Design – 20 Years of the Brazilian Federal Constitution at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro on June 12, 2008 which is being sponsored by the U.S. Consulate General.  Finally, Prof. Ritchie has been invited to address the faculty at the Catholic University of Petrópolis on June 17, 2008.
(Posted: 05/27/08)
 
Professor Sabbath's Bankruptcy Presentations
Michael Sabbath, professor and holder of the Southeastern Bankruptcy Law Institute/W. Homer Drake, Jr. Endowed Chair in Bankruptcy Law, presented a paper titled “Student Loans in Chapter 7 and Chapter 13” at the 15th Annual Mid-South Conference on Bankruptcy Law in Tunica, Miss., on Feb. 6, 2009.
 
Professor Sabbath was a speaker at the Thirty-Fourth Annual Southeastern Bankruptcy Law Institute which was held on April 3-5, 2008 in Atlanta. He presented papers on "The Intersection of State Law Remedies and Bankruptcy" and "Student Loans in Chapter 13 and Chapter 7." Professor Sabbath also spoke on April 18, 2008 in Savannah at the Coastal Bankruptcy Law Institute concerning the treatment of student loans in bankruptcy and certain ethical issues facing attorneys practicing bankruptcy law.
 
(Posted: 05/02/08)
 
Professor Hricik's Recent Activities

Professor Hriciks article An Update on Current Client Conflicts of Interest was published at 19 IP Litigation 1 (Spring 2008).  An article that he co-authored with Tamsen Valoir, entitled Patents Compared to Trademarks: The Duty of Candor / The Avoidance of Fraud, was published at 97 Trademark Rep. 1317 (Dec. 2007).  An article that he co-authored with second year student, Chase Scott, entitled Metadata: Ethical Obligations of the Witting and Unwitting Recipient was published at 13 Ga. B.J. 34 (Apr. 2008).   Another article that he co-authored with Chase Scott, entitled Metadata: Lawyers Need to Know What it is and What To Do About it was published at 41 Law & Tech. J. 1 (2008).   Professor Hricik also contributed a chapter entitled Combining Prosecution with Other Forms of Representation to a book entitled Drafting Patents for Litigation and Licensing (BNA 2008).

Early this spring, Professor Hricik appeared on a panel discussing "High Stakes Liability Exposure: IP Based Claims" in Boston at the Spring 2008 National Legal Malpractice Conference, hosted by the ABA Standing Committee on Lawyers Professional Responsibility.   In addition, on May 15, he gave a presentation to the Philadelphia Intellectual Property Law Association on liability and conflicts in patent practice.  On June 6, he gave the luncheon presentation on Ethical Issues in Intellectual Property Practice at the 6th Annual Rocky Mountain Intellectual Property & Technology Institute in Denver, Colorado.   On July 21, he gave a presentation on Conflicts of Interest in Patent Litigation at the George Mason University School of Law 7th Annual Symposium on Hot Topics in Patent Law.

In addition, Professor Hricik recently drafted and filed an amicus brief representing the views of a group of eight patent law professors supporting the petition of Aventis Pharma, S.A. and Aventis Pharmaceuticals Inc. for rehearing en banc in an important decision concerning inequitable conduct, Aventis Pharma S.A. v. Amphastar Pharm, Inc., ___ F. 3d __, 2008 WL 2039065 (Fed. Cir. May 14, 2008). 

(Posted: 04/21/08)
 
Professor Fleissner's recent presentations

On April 4, Professor Jim Fleissner made a presentation to the faculty of the Charleston School of Law.  The presentation was entitled "An Enigma Deciphered: Justice Powell's Concurring Opinion in Branzburg v. Hayes."  On April 22, Professor Fleissner delivered an address at the 2008 Law School Senior Dinner, entitled "Turning Back the Clock to 1908," in which he compared the law school experience of today to a century ago. 

On March 18, 2008, Professor Fleissner presented a lecture on "The First Amendment, Reporters, and Confidential Sources in the CIA Leak Case" at Florida Coastal Law School in Jacksonville, Florida.  Earlier in the month, on March 7, he made a presentation at Mercers C.L.E. program regarding the criminal law and procedure cases currently before the United States Supreme Court.

(Posted: 03/24/08)
 
Professor Griffin's recent publication

Professor Oren Griffin's article, Avoiding Retaliation in the Higher Education Workplace in the Aftermath of Burlington N. & Santa Fe Ry. Co. v. White, was recently published at 227 ED. L. RPTR.  NO. 2 525 (Feb. 21, 2008). 

(Posted: 03/13/08)
 
Professor Sneddon's recent scholarship

Professor Karen Sneddon's article, entitled Should Cain's Children Inherit Abel's Property?: Wading into the Extended Slayer Rule Quagmire, was recently published at 76 UMKC L. REV. 101 (2007). 

(Posted: 03/13/08)
 
Professor Hricik's recent activities

On December 5, 2007, Professor Hricik gave a presentation on "Ethics in High Technology" to the Atlanta Bar Association CLE Law Office Technology meeting.  On December 7, he gave a presentation on "Conflict of Interest in Patent Practice" to the Toledo Intellectual Property Law Association.   On February 15, 2008, he gave a presentation on "Conflicts of Interest in Patent Practice" at the Utah IP Summit, sponsored by the Utah State Bar.  On February 22, he gave a presentation on "Ethical Issues for Business Lawyers" at the annual Business Law Conference of the Virginia Bar Association.   In addition to those presentations, Professor Hricik was appointed to the Association of American Law Schools Special Committee on Access to the AALS Database. 

His recent publications include Metadata: Ghosts Haunting e-Documents, 18 Ga. B.J. 16 (Feb. 2008) (co-author with 2L Chase Scott); Writing Matters: Common Comma Conundrums, 16 Ga. B.J. 64 (Feb. 2008) (co-author with Prof. Karen Sneddon); and Avoiding Conflicts from Client Emails, 11 J. Internet L. 1 (Sept. 2007) (co-author with 2L Chase Scott). 

(Posted: 01/24/08)
 
Professor Ritchie lectures in Brazil to federal judiciary

Professor David Ritchie recently gave a series of lectures on "Common Law Legal Reasoning and Communication in the U.S." at the Escola da Magistratura Regional Federal da 2a Regiao [EMARF] (the Federal Judges' School) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The lectures, which were supported by a grant from EMARF, were designed to acquaint federal judges in Brazil with the way lawyers and judges in the U.S. think and communicate about complex legal problems.

(Posted: 12/17/07)
 
Professor Griffin's recent presentations

On December 2-4, 2007, Professor Oren Griffin gave three presentations at the Law and Policy Conference of NASPA and Stetson University College of Law.  The topics of his presentations were (1) Legal and Policy Issues Related to Students who are Veterans; (2) Legal and Policy Issues Related to Students as Employees; and (3) Campus Safety and Security.  NASPA is the association of Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education.

On October 17, Professor Griffin gave a presentation on "Embracing Diversity and Avoiding Unlawful Discrimination" at the Annual Diversity Conference of the Alabama College System. 

In August, Professor Griffin moderated a panel on contract compliance at higher education institutions at the Institute of Higher Education's Annual Conference on Higher Education and the Law in Jekyll Island, Georgia.

(Posted: 12/06/07)
 
Professor Lewis' presents at ICLE conference

On November 1, 2007, Professor Harold Lewis spoke in Atlanta at a conference presented by ICLE on Liability of Local Governments.  His topic was "Mitigating Liability Through Offers of Judgment." 

(Posted: 10/15/07)
 
Professor Linda Edwards' Recent Presentations

On Sept. 29, 2007, Professor Linda Edwards spoke at a plenary session of the Persuasion Institute at Cornell Law School.  Her topic was “Writing the Story: Perspective, Voice, Detail, and Language.”  The Persuasion Institute trains federal capital defense lawyers in appellate brief writing.  On Nov. 2, Professor Edwards spoke at American University’s Washington College of Law.  Her topic was “The Law’s Narrative.”

(Posted: 10/15/07)
 
Professor Johnson's recent activities

Professor Stephen Johnson recently co-authored Significant Flaws: Why the Rapanos Guidance Misinterprets the Law, Fails to Protect Waters, and Provides Little Certainty with Jim Murphy (National Wildlife Federation), which will be published in the South Carolina Environmental Law Journal.   Professor Johnson also recently provided comments to the (U.S.) House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Waste regarding H.R. 1103, the Environmental Justice Act of 2007.

(Posted: 10/05/07)
 
Professor Hricik's recent activities

On September 19-21, 2007, Professor David Hricik gave a presentation entitled Protecting Your Clients, Your Business, and Yourself to the Rhode Island Bar Association and Aon Insurance Company.    The following week, he gave a presentation on Ethical Issues for IT Practitioners at the Virginia Bar Associations Annual Conference for Information Technology Lawyers.   On October 6, he gave a presentation entitled Current Client Conflicts & Liability in Patent Practice to the Iowa Intellectual Property Law Association Annual Conference. On November 1, he gave a presentation on concurrent conflicts of interest in patent practice to the Colorado Bar Association Intellectual Property Law Section in Denver, Colorado.  On November 4-6, he served as an advisor to the roundtable for the intellectual property firms of PILOT/LEGIS at its annual conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

In addition, Professor Hriciks article, Avoiding Conflicts from Client E-mails, co-authored with second year law student Chase Scott, was published at 11 No. 3. J. Internet Law (Sept. 2007).

Professor Hricik was also recently appointed co-chair of the Attorneys' Loss Prevention and Ethics Subcommittee of the ABA Professional Liability Litigation Committee.

(Posted: 10/05/07)
 
Professor Sneddon's scholarship and presentations

On September 8, 2007, Professor Karen Sneddon presented M & Ms, Highlighting, and Freewriting, Oh My!: Active Learning Techniques to Teach the Statement of Facts, at the Southeast Legal Writing Conference at Nova Southeastern Law School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

In addition, her article, The Potential of Podcasts, was published at 22 No. 1 The Second Draft: Bulletin of the Legal Writing Institute 11 (Fall 2007).

(Posted: 09/14/07)
 
Professor Tim Floyd's Recent Presentations and Appointments

Professor Timothy Floyd was recently appointed to serve as the Vice-Chair of the Georgia State Bar's Access to Justice Committee.  He continues to serve on (1) the Civil Justice Committee of the Supreme Court of Georgia Equal Justice Commission (chairing the Public Education Subcommittee and serving on the pro Bono Subcommittee); (2) the National Advisory Committee for Equal Justice Works; and (3) the Advisory Board of the Georgia Council for Restorative Justice, which he chairs. 

He made several presentations last spring and summer, including (1) a presentation on Restorative Justice on March 7, 2007, for the Atlanta Bar Association's March Madness CLE; (2) a presentation in Destin, Florida, on Professionalism and the Criminal Defense Lawyer on April 26, 2007, to the Georgia Assocation of Criminal Defense Lawyers; (3) a presentation on The Role of Externships in Values Clarification and the Formation of Professional Identity at the AALS Conference on Clinical Legal Education in New Orleans on May 5, 2007; and (4) a presentation on Ethics and Conflicts of Interest on August 17, 2007, at the Macon Judicial Circuit Public Defender Leadership Retreat in Cordele, Georgia.   He also was program planner and presenter for a CLE Program, Making 'Justice for All' a Reality, at the State Bar of Georgia Annual Meeting on June 15, 2007. 

His recent publications include (1) Lawyers and Prophetic Justice, 58 MERCER L. REV. 513 (2007); (2) Texas, it's time to get in step on capital punishment: State needs to recognize the laws in its death penalty system, OP-Ed Column, Dallas Morning News, August 22, 2007; and (3) A Law Professor's Inside Take on Bush's Commutation Policy, Wall Street Journal Online Law Blog, July 5, 2007. 

In the next few months, he will be speaking at (1) a National Conference on The Role of Law Schools in Fostering Commitment to Pro Bono Publico, sponsored by Columbus School of Law, Catholic University in Washington, D.C. on October 5 and 6 (topic: Cultivating a Culture of Commitment: The Role of Professional Partnerships); (2) the Faithful Lawyers Quarterly Breakfast in Atlanta on October 19 (topic: Lessons Learned from a Client on Death Row); and (3) a National Conference on Law as a Healing Profession, sponsored by Tuoro University School of Law on November 5, 2007 (topic: Practice, Spirituality and Religion).  Finally, Professor Floyd is an invited participant at the National Conference on Legal Education at the Crossroads: Ideas to Action, which will be held at the University of South carolina School of Law on November 2-4.

(Posted: 09/04/07)
 
Professor Jones' recent scholarship

Professor Mark Jones' article, Fundamental Dimensions of Law and Legal Education: An Historical Framework - A History of Legal Education, Phase I: From the Founding of the Republic Until the 1860s, was published at 39 J. MARSHALL L. REV. 1041 (2006).    Professor Jones continues to serve as coordinator of Mercer University's Professionalism and Vocation Across the Professions Project.

(Posted: 09/04/07)
 
Professor Edwards' Busy Summer of Presentations and Teaching

On July 26, Professor Linda Edwards spoke to 60 Brazilian federal judges and their staffs in Rio de Janeiro. The topic was Legal Analysis and Writing in the U.S.  She also taught Comparative Property Law at the University of Buenos Aires as part of the Summer Study Abroad Program that Mercer Law School sponsors in conjunction with Stetson Law School. 

Earlier in the summer, Professor Edwards was part of the faculty at the Legal Writing Institute Scholarship Workshop in Boulder, Colorado, June 10 - 12.  On June 16, she made two presentations at the Assocation of Legal Writing Directors conference in Denver, Colorado.

Finally, on July 1, Professor Edwards was the plenary speaker at the workshop for New Legal Writing Teachers, hosted by the Association of American Law Schools. She spoke on Scholarship By
Legal Writing Professors.

(Posted: 09/04/07)
 
Professor Sammons' publications and activities

Professor Jack Sammons' article, Censoring Samba: An Aesthetic Justice for the Protection of Speech, will be published in Volume 36 of the Stetson Law Review (2007).   

In addition, Professor Sammons spent part of his summer teaching a course on Comparative Free Expression Law in Granada, Spain, as part of the Summer Study Abroad program that the Law School offers in conjunction with Stetson Law School.

He was also recently appointed Vice Chairman of the State Bar of Georgia Task Force on Lawyer Advertising.

(Posted: 09/04/07)
 
Professor Blumoff to speak at Indiana Law School

In October, Professor Ted Blumoff will be presenting a paper entitled Forgiveness: A Natural Counterpoint to Vengeance, at the University of Indiana Law School as part of the Scholarship Conference of the Society for Evolutionary Analysis of Law. 

(Posted: 09/04/07)
 
Dean Floyd's Busy Speaking Schedule

On September 15, 2007, Dean Daisy H. Floyd will be the Keynote Speaker, addressing Forming Professionals: A Journey of Identity and Purpose, at the Creighton University Campus Program on Professional Disposition and Values.   She will also be a workshop leader, addressing  Listening to Students: A SOTL Approach to the Development of Professional Dispositions and Values, in the program. 

On September 26, she will be a panelist, addressing Fueling the Law School Pipeline: Meeting the Challenge of Declining Minority Applicants, at the State Bar of Georgia Diversity Program on
Fueling the Pipeline: Solutions to Continue Diversifying the Profession. 


Then, on November 5, she will be speaking at Touro Law School on Law as a Healing Profession

(Posted: 09/04/07)
 
Professor Jellum's Scholarship and Activities

Professor Linda Jellum's article, Chevron's Demise: A Survey of Chevron from Infancy to
Senescence
, will be published in Volume 59 of the Administrative Law Review (2007). 

In August, she made a presentation entitled Getting Involved in SEALS  at the Annual Conference of the Southeastern Association of Law Schools (SEALS).   Professor Jellum is a Board Member for SEALS and Chair of the Organization's Mentor Committee.   She also serves as Vice-Chair of the Judicial Revew Committee of the American Bar Association's Section on Administrative Law.  

(Posted: 09/04/07)
 
Professor Claxton's Recent Activities

Professor Joseph E. Claxton recently participated in a panel discussion dealing with legal issues affecting the mentally ill and/or the mentally handicapped that was sponsored by various Middle Georgia advocacy groups.  Professor Claxton also just concluded over a decade of service as the associate editor of The Journal of Southern Legal History.

(Posted: 09/04/07)
 
Professor Johnson's recent scholarship

Professor Stephen Johnson's article "Good Guidance, Good Grief," was recently published in Volume 92 of the Missouri Law Review.   His article, "Bringing Deference Back (But for Long?)" is forthcoming in the Catholic University Law Review. 

(Posted: 08/28/07)
 
Professor Fleissner's recent activities

On May 21st, Professor Jim Fleissner made a presentation in Marietta, Georgia to 80 Georgia magistrates and judges at a program sponsored by the Georgia Institute for Continuing Judicial Education. His presentation focused on the Supreme Court's constitutional criminal procedure jurisprudence.

As Deputy Special Counsel in United States v. Libby, Professor Fleissner co-authored the government's sentencing submissions and appeared as co-counsel at Libby's sentencing on June 5th. Most recently, Professor Fleissner co-authored the government brief resulting in the U.S. Court of Appeals' order denying Libby bail pending appeal on June 29th, just hours before Libby's prison sentence was commuted by President Bush. Professor Fleissner will represent the United States in Libby's appeal of his conviction.

On August 2, 2007, Professor Jim Fleissner gave the keynote address at the annual conference of the National Association of Appellate Court Attorneys in New Orleans.  The conference was attended by over 100 attorneys who work on the staffs of state and federal appellate courts.  Professor Fleissner’s address was entitled “The Rest of the Story About Special Testimonial Privileges for Reporters.”

(Posted: 07/26/07)
 
Professor Moore's Recent Activities

On August 24, 2007, Professor Sarah Gerwig Moore moderated a panel entitled “Ethical Considerations in Pro Bono Representation” at the Georgia State Bar Young Lawyers Division’s Leadership Academy.   In June, Professor Moore taught two courses, Crime and Punishment in America and The Death Penalty in America at the Chautauqua Institute in New York.  

Earlier, her article, “Hush, Little Baby, Don't Say a Word: How Seeking the ‘Best Interests of the Child’ Fostered a Lack of Accountability in Georgia’s Juvenile Courts,” was published at 58 Mercer L. Rev. 531 (2006). 

In addition, she serves as the Co-Chair of the College Hill Corridor Commission (a City commission with chairs appointed by the Mayor and President Underwood).  Information about the Commission is available here.

(Posted: 07/13/07)
 
New articles and presentations by Professor Hricik

Professor Hricik's article, An Opinion from Trial Counsel: A Hand of Sand?, was published at 35 Am. Intell. Prop. L.Q.J. 171 (Spring 2007).   His article, co-authored with Tamsen Valoir, entitled Patents and Trademarks: The Duty of Good Faith, was published at 89 J. Pat. & Trademark Off. Soc'y 287 (Apr. 2007).

In addition, on July 17, Professor Hricik gave a presentation at the annual meeting of the National Association of Patent Practitioners on the ethical obligations of patent agents in Las Vegas, Nevada.  On August 9 and 10, Professor Hricik presented a lecture on ethics entitled "Protecting Your Clients, Yourself, and Your Business" to attorneys in Kingston, Rhode Island and Bristol, Rhode Island.  

 

(Posted: 07/13/07)
 
Professor Sneddon Presents at Writing Conference in Denver

Professor Karen Sneddon gave a presentation entitled "Just the Facts, Ma'm: Using the Presentation of Facts to Enhance Students' Analysis" at the Biennial Conference of the Association of Legal Writing Directors at the University of Denver, Sturm College of Law in Denver, Colorado on June 15, 2007.

Professor Sneddon was also recently appointed as a member of the Executive Committee for the AALS Section on New Law Professors. 

(Posted: 06/22/07)
 
Professor Ritchie's Forthcoming Book

Professor David Ritchie's book, Mastering Legal Analysis and Communications, will be released shortly by Carolina Academic Press.    Information about the book is available online at www.cap-press.com/books/1694

(Posted: 05/01/07)
 
Professor Baldwin's scholarship and service

Professor Anthony Baldwin has contributed a chapter to a forthcoming book, published by Vanderbilt Press, that examines the impact of Brown v. Board of Education on the lives of law professors. 

He will also be serving on the University's Professional Sports Counseling Committee. 

(Posted: 04/05/07)
 
Professor Sneddon Presents at Writing Conference and Launches Bar Journal Column on Writing

Professor Karen Sneddon gave a presentation entitled, Revision in the Classroom: An Alternative to Peer Review, at the Seventh Annual Rocky Mountain Conference at The William S. Boyd School of Law, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada, on March 10 , 2007. 

In addition, her article, Revising Revision in the Classroom, was recently published at 15 No. 2 PERSP. 130 (Winter 2007).

Professor Sneddon and Professor David Hricik will begin publishing Writing Matters,  a regular column about legal writing, in the Georgia Bar Journal in April, 2007. 

 

(Posted: 04/05/07)
 
Professor Jellum Presents at Georgia State

On March 12, Professor Linda Jellum spoke at a Georgia State University Law School faculty workshop about her article Chevron's Demise: A Survey of Chevron from Infancy to Senescence.

(Posted: 04/05/07)
 
Professor Hricik's Busy Spring

Professor Hricik’s article, Patent Agents: The Person You Are, was published at 20 Geo. J. legal Ethics 261 (2007).  An article he co-authored with Tamsen Valoir, Trademarks:  The Duty of Candor and Conflicts of Interest, appears in the April 2007 issue of the Journal of the Patent & Trademark Office Society, and his article Mining for Embedded Data: Is it Ethical to Take Intentional Advantage of Other People's Failures?, was published at 8 N.C. J. Law & Tech. 231 (2007).  His article, You Ask for It Back, But Then What?,  was published at 12 Ga. B.J. 22 (June 2007).   

On April 12, Professor Hricik gave a one-hour presentation on Concurrent Conflicts in Patent Practice to the 2007 Georgia SpringPosium Intellectual Property CLE Symposium in Atlanta, Georgia.  On April 26, he appeared with Richard Zielinski and John A. Default at a plenary session at the ABA’s Spring 2007 National Legal Malpractice Conference, speaking on Managing the Expert Witness – An Advanced Discussion.  On April 30, he served on a panel discussing ethical issues in trademark practice at the International Trademark Association's annual meeting in Chicago, Illinois.He also presented lectures on Conflicts and Liability in Patent Practice for the American Intellectual Property Law Association’s Advanced Prosecution Seminar in Washington, D.C. on June 7, 2007, Minneapolis Minnesota on June 14th, and in Portland, Oregon, on June 21st.

In addition, Carolina Academic Press announced the forthcoming publication of Professor Hricik's book, Mastering Civil Procedure. 

 

(Posted: 04/05/07)
 
Professor Lewis presents at Employment Law Conference

In March, Professor Harold Lewis spoke at the Advanced Employment Law Conference, sponsored by the Atlanta Bar Association's Labor and Employment Law Section, regarding offensive and defensive uses of Georgia's offer of judgment rule in tort cases arising from employment. 

(Posted: 04/04/07)
 
Professor Fleissner speaks at Miranda Symposium

On January 26, 2007, Professor Jim Fleissner spoke at a symposium hosted by Chapman University Law School in Orange County, California.  The symposium was entitled “Miranda at 40: Applications in a Post-Enron, Post-9-11 World.”  The symposium’s keynote speaker was former U.S. Attorney General Edwin Meese. Professor Fleissner presentation was on “Miranda and the Law of Privileges.”

(Posted: 03/15/07)
 
Professor Ritchie Invited to Speak in Brazil

Associate Professor of Law David Ritchie has been invited to speak on U.S. law and jurisprudence in Brazil.  On November 27, 2006 he will speak to the bar association for the City of Rio de Janeiro.  On November 29, 2006 he will deliver a lecture on “Constitutional Hybridism” at the Fundação Getúlio Vargas School of Law.  He will also give a lecture at Universidade Gama Filho, Rio de Janeiro on December 7, 2006.  Finally, on December 15, 2006 he will give the closing address for the academic session at the Escola da Magistratura Regional Federal da 2ª Região [EMARF].  This final talk will be delivered to all the federal judiciary for the State of Rio de Janeiro.

(Posted: 01/22/07)
 
Recent Scholarship and Presentations by Professor Lewis
Professor Hal Lewis has just had published the 2006-07 Supplement to the book he coauthors with Stephen Yagman entitled POLICE MISCONDUCT AND CIVIL RIGHTS. His annual update of Georgia statutes, with coauthor Robert J. Hulsey, will soon be published by Martindale Hubbell. His article summarizing interviews with 64 lawyers around the nation concerning the operation of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 68, with coauthor Thomas A. Eaton of the University of Georgia School of Law, will be published later this year in Federal Rules Decisions.
 
In December, Professor Lewis presented on both the federal and Georgia offer of judgment rules at the 36th Annual Labor & Employment Law Institute in Atlanta. In January, he and Professor Eaton participated in a panel on empirical research jointly sponsored by the American Association of Law Schools Sections on Civil Rights and Minority Rights.
(Posted: 01/18/07)
 
Professor Hricik's spring presentations

On January 13, 2007, Professor Hricik served on a panel discussing ethical issues in office management at the 2007 Chicago Law Practice Management & Technology Law Conference.   On February 7, he gave a presentation to the Middle Georgia Trial Lawyer's Association on the ethical issues created by embedded data, and on February 9, he gave a telephonic presentation on ethical issues associated with patent agents to lawyers, patent agents and professionals employed by 3M in Minnesota and Texas.  On March 2, he gave a presentation in Dallas, Texas at the 20th Annual State Bar of Texas Intellectual Property Course on Ethical Issues in Opinions of Counsel and in Working with Patent Agents.

On March 24, Professor Hricik served on two panels at the American Bar Association’s 2007 TechShow meeting in Chicago, Illinois.  At the show, which drew more than 2,000 participants, Professor Hricik spoke on ethical issues in high technology, including website disclaimers, and addressed the issues created by inadvertent transmission of embedded data. 

(Posted: 01/16/07)
 
Professor Johnson's recent publications and committee appointment

Professor Stephen Johnson recently authored The Rulemaking Response to Rapanos, which was published in a Vermont Law School compilation of essays on the Supreme Court's Rapanos v. United States decision.  He also co-authored a supplement to WETLANDS LAW AND POLICY, an ABA book that he co-edited in 2005.  Finally, he was appointed to the Book Publications Committee of the ABA, Section of Environment, Energy and Natural Resources.

(Posted: 12/07/06)
 
Professor Fleissner's Service and Activities
Professor Jim Fleissner recently co-authored a brief filed in federal district court in Washington D.C. in his role as Deputy Special Counsel in United States v. Libby. The brief supported a successful motion seeking to exclude expert testimony offered by the defense in the upcoming trial, which is to begin next January. On October 4th, Professor Fleissner spoke at a meeting of the Middle Georgia Trial Lawyers Association about his recent government service for the Department of Justice. On October 26th, Professor Fleissner served as an advocate in a mock oral argument presented at the Eleventh Circuit Appellate Practice Institute in Atlanta. The oral argument was presented to a panel of three judges of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Miguel Estrada, former assistant U.S. Solicitor General, was opposing counsel. 175 appellate attorneys from Georgia, Florida, and Alabama attended the Institute, which also featured a speech by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
(Posted: 11/13/06)
 
Professor Hricik's recent presentations

On September 22, 2006, Professor Hricik finished his series of five lectures on behalf of the Rhode Island Bar Association on Death, Office Disasters and Other More Common Dilemmas.

On September 29, 2006, he gave a presentation on Ethical Issues Facing Information Technology Lawyers at the 6th Annual Virginia Information Technology Legal Institute in Fairfax, VA. 

On October 13, 2006, Professor Hricik spoke in Chapel Hill, North Carolina at the University of North Carolina School of Law Symposium, "Ghosts in the Machine,” concerning the new e-discovery rules and related matters. 

On October 14, 2006, Professor Hricik spoke in Galveston, Texas at the Houston Intellectual Property Law Association Annual Meeting on Ethical Issues in IP Practice.

On October 19, 2006, he appeared on a panel with Judge Sharon Prost of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and Judge Kent A. Jordan of the United States District Court for the District of Delaware at a plenary session of the Annual Meeting of the American Intellectual Property Law Association in Washington D.C.  The panel discussed willful patent infringement. In addition, Professor Hricik gave a presentation at the same meeting on ethical issues facing patent agents.

Finally, Professor Hricik was interviewed by the National Law Journal concerning the impact of a case scheduled for October 4, 2006 oral argument before the US Supreme Court that involves questions of statutory interpretation, patent law and policy, and subject matter jurisdiction.

November activities: On November 10, Professor Hricik presented a webcast to approximately 400 attorneys on Ethical issues for Patent Agents and Their Employers on behalf of the American Intellectual Property Law Association. On November 17, he moderated a panel presentation on ethical issues in patent prosecution and participated as a panel member addressing ethical issues in intellectual property litigation at Loyola Los Angeles Law School, as part of the school's Seventh IP Special Focus symposium.

December activities: On December 8, Professor Hricik gave a webcast for the American Intellectual Property Law Association entitled "Navigating Conflicts of Interest in Patent Prosecution."  In addition, on the same day, he gave a presentation on behalf of the Law School's continuing legal education program, providing an update on ethical issues.

(Posted: 10/27/06)
 
Professor Edwards' recent scholarship

The Journal of Legal Writing recently published an article of Professor Linda Edwards as the lead article of its volume: "Scholarship by Legal Writing Professors: New Voices in the Legal Academy," 11 J. Leg. Writing 3. This 212-page article is the culmination of a massive project analyzing the purposes of legal scholarship and applying those purposes to categories of scholarship about legal writing. It includes an extensive bibliography of publications by legal writing professors.  She has also recently completed the second edition of her book, "Legal Writing and Analysis," published by Aspen Publishers, and consulted at the Asylum Law Clinic at the Villanova University School of Law, where she worked with faculty members to improve the Sudanese Asylum Clinic at the University of Malta. 

 

(Posted: 09/28/06)
 
Professor Jellum's administrative law scholarship

Professor Linda Jellum, with Professor Russell Weaver at the Brandeis School of Law, co-authored Chenery II and the Development of Federal Administrative Law, which is forthcoming in 58 ADMIN. L. REV. ___ (2006). 

(Posted: 09/20/06)
 
Professor Sammon's recent presentations and international teaching

Professor Jack Sammons spoke on the topic of "St. Paul and Freedom of Expression" to the Mercer University Faculty/Staff Christian Fellows on September 19th.   In the spring, he presented a paper on "St. Augustine, Lying, and  Lawyers" at Baylor University School of Law.  This summer, he taught a course on "Comparative Free Expression Law" at the University of Granada School of Law as part of the Stetson International Law Program.

(Posted: 09/20/06)
 
Professor Blumoff's forthcoming book chapter

Professor Ted Blumoff's article, "The Problems with Blaming," will be published this fall as a chapter in a book titled Law, Mind and Brain by Ashgate Publishing (London).

(Posted: 09/20/06)
 
Professor Hricik named as editor of Statutory Construction Blog

Professor David Hricik was recently invited to serve as the Editor of the Statutory Construction Blog, which is part of the Law Professor Blogs Network.  You can read Professor Hricik's blog at http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/statutory/

(Posted: 09/19/06)
 
Professor Fleissner's success in New York Times v. Alberto Gonzales

Professor Jim Fleissner recently got a favorable decision in an appeal in which he served as counsel on behalf of the United States in his role as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney.  On August 1, 2006, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit issued an opinion in favor of the government in New York Times v. Alberto Gonzales, a case in which Professor Fleissner filed briefs and presented oral argument.  On August 26, 2006, Professor Fleissner was a guest speaker at the national convention of the Society of Professional Journalists in Chicago.  Professor Fleissner discussed recent litigation over the scope of journalists' privilege to protect confidential sources and proposals for a new federal shield law. 

(Posted: 09/19/06)
 
Professor Hricik's recent activities
Professor David Hricik gave presentations on "Subject Matter Conflicts in Patent Prosecution" on June 9, 2006 in Houston, Texas and June 16, 2006 in San Jose, California at the Advanced Computer/Electronic Patent Practice Seminar and the Advanced Biotechnology/Chemical Patent Practice Seminar. In June, 2006, Lexis/Nexis published a supplement to the property book co-authored by Professor Hricik, Property: Cases, Documents, and Lawyering Strategies. Professor Hricik also recently filed an amicus brief on behalf of himself and several other law professors in the Supreme Court of the United States in MedImmune, Inc. v. Genentech, Inc., et al., No. 05-608.
(Posted: 08/23/06)
 
Faculty Activities at the Southeastern Association of American Law Schools Annual Meeting
Several faculty moderated or presented papers on panels at the annual meeting of the Southeastern Association of American Law Schools (SEAALS) in Palm Beach, Florida on July 16-22, 2006. David Hricik presented "Subject Matter Conflicts in Patent Prosecution" on a panel, and Linda Jellum presented "Mississippi Poultry Ass'n, Inc. v. Madgan: Interpreting Chevron's First Step" on a panel. Professor Jellum also organized a panel on "Negotiating the Tenure Process: Spoken and Unspoken Rules." Professor Tim Floyd moderated the "Negotiating the Tenure Process" panel and Dean Daisy Floyd was one of the presenters on the panel. In addition, Tony Baldwin moderated a panel on "Writing Across the Curriculum: Theory and Advantages", Alice Baker moderated a New Scholar's Workshop, and Pat Longan organized and moderated a panel on Judicial Campaign Speech.
(Posted: 08/23/06)
 
Professor Gerwig-Moore receives Commitment to Justice Award
Professor Sarah Gerwig-Moore recently received the Commitment to Justice Award from the Young Lawyers Division of the State Bar of Georgia.
(Posted: 08/23/06)
 
Statutory Interpretation text published

Modern Statutory Interpretation - Problems, Theories and Lawyering Strategies, by Professor Linda Jellum and Professor David Hricik, has been published by the Carolina Academic Press.

(Posted: 06/29/06)
 
Professor Fleissner's recent activities

On April 7th, Professor Jim Fleissner was a featured speaker at the 19th Annual Media and the Law Seminar in Kansas City, Missouri.  Over 200 media lawyers and members of the press attended the seminar.  Professor Fleissner spoke on government subpoenas issued to the media in criminal cases.  On March 15th, Professor Fleissner made two presentations at a training program for the three U.S. Attorneys Offices in Georgia.  Professor Fleissner’s part-time service as deputy to Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald in the prosecution of I. Lewis Libby has included recent involvement in responding to various pretrial motions concerning discovery and other matters.  Professor Fleissner was the principal author of the response of the United States filed on March 17th to the defendant’s motion to dismiss the indictment on the ground that the delegation of authority to the Special Counsel was not in conformity with the Appointments Clause of the Constitution.

(Posted: 04/13/06)
 
Professor Fleissner argues New York Times Co. v. Alberto Gonzales in 2d Circuit

On February 13, 2006, Professor Jim Fleissner, representing the United States as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, argued on behalf of the government before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in The New York Times Co. v. Alberto Gonzales.  The argument was held at the Thurgood Marshall Federal Courthouse in Manhattan.  The New York Times was represented by Floyd Abrams of Cahill, Gordon & Reindel.  The case involves the government’s efforts to obtain from telephone companies the toll records of two New York Times reporters in an inquiry into whether government officials leaked information compromising law enforcement actions against two Islamic charities being investigated for funding terrorist activities.  This is one of several matters Professor Fleissner has continued to work on since returning to the law school in July after a leave of absence during which he served in the Department of Justice.  

(Posted: 02/14/06)
 
Professor Johnson's recent publications on the Information Quality Act

Articles by Professor Stephen Johnson regarding the Information Quality Act were recently published in the Administrative Law Review and the Catholic University Law Review.  "Junking the Junk Science Law: Reforming the Information Quality Act" appears at 58 Admin. L. Rev. 963 (2006).  "Ruminations on Dissemination: Limits on Administrative and Judicial Review Under the Information Quality Act" appears at 55 Cath. U. L. Rev. 101 (2005). 

(Posted: 02/06/06)
 
Mercer Professor and Adjunct Professor Serve on Georgia Death Penalty Task Force

The American Bar Association has released a report that concludes that Georgia should place a moratorium on seeking the death penalty because it cannot ensure fairness in defendants' trials and appeals.  The report was prepared by a task force of 10 Georgia attorneys, including Professors Jack Sammons and Tim Floyd.   

(Posted: 02/06/06)
 
Professor Hricik's recent activities

Professor Hricik gave presentations (1) on "The Ethics of Blawgging" at the first annual seminar on Blog Law and Blogging for Lawyers in San  Francisco on April 20-21; (2) to the Washington State Intellectual Property Law Section of the Washington Bar Association in Seattle on March 24 on Ethical Issues in Patent, Trademark and Copyright Practice; and (3) at the University of Akron School of Law at the 8th Annual Richard C. Sughrue Symposium on Intellectual Property Law and Policy on Prosecution Bars and other Issues Associated with Combining Other Forms of Representation with Prosecution on March 6, 2006.  In addition, he moderated panel discussions (1) in Vancouver, Canada on June 1, 2006 on "Ethical Issues in the Online Delivery of Legal Services" at the ABA National Conference on Professional Responsibility; and (2)  in Palm Springs, California on February 4, 2006 on “Ethical Issues in Intellectual Property Practice” at the Spring Stated Meeting of the American Intellectual Property Law Association. Further, an article he co-authored along with his research assistant, Amy Falkingham, entitled "Lawyers Still Worry Too Much About Transmitting E-Mail Over the Internet" was published at 10 J. Tech. L. & Pol'y 265 (2005), his article entitled, "The Speed of Normal: Conflicts, Competency, and Confidentiality in the Digital Age" was published at 10 Comp. Law Rev. & Tech. J. 73 (2006), and his article entitled, "I Can Tell When You're Telling Lies: Ethics and Embedded Confidential Information" was published at 30 J. Legal Prof. 79 (2006). 

(Posted: 02/06/06)
 
Professor Blumoff presenting in London

On February 13, Professor Ted Blumoff will be presenting a paper at the Law, Mind and Brain Conference in London.  The conference is sponsored by the University College London Law Faculty and the Gruter Institute.  The paper will be published by the University College London. 

(Posted: 01/17/06)
 
Professor Sammons' publications and upcoming presentations

 Professor Jack Sammons' article "Rebellious Ethics and Albert Speer" has been republished as a chapter in Eric Katz, Death by Design: Science, Technology, and Engineering in Nazi Germany (2006).  Professor Sammons currently serves either as a consultant or on the executive committees of the following: State Bar of Georgia Task Force on Lawyer Advertising, the Georgia/ABA Death Penalty Moratorium Committee, The Georgia Committee for Ethical Judicial Campaigns, and the State Bar of Georgia Standards of the Profession Task Force. He will present his paper "Censoring Samba: An Aesthetic Justification of Freedom of Speech" at Stetson College of Law in February and his paper "A Lawyer's Truth" at Baylor School of Law in March.

(Posted: 01/17/06)
 
Professor Brennen chairing AALS Committees

At the January meeting of the Association of American Law Schools in Washington, D.C., Professor David Brennen was elected chair of the Minority Groups section and chair-elect of the Taxation section.

(Posted: 01/12/06)
 
Professor Johnson Acting as Co-Counsel on Amicus Brief for Wetlands Case in Supreme Court

Professor Stephen Johnson is serving as co-counsel with the Environment and Natural Resources Law Clinic at Vermont Law School to file an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of the Association of State Wetlands Managers in Rapanos v. United States. The Court will hear arguments on the case in February.

(Posted: 01/11/06)
 
Professor Edwards elected to SALT Board of Governors

Professor Linda Edwards has been elected to serve a three-year term on the Board of Governors of the Society of American Law Teachers.  SALT is America's largest membership organization for teachers of law.  It is dedicated to developing legal institutions with greater equality, justice and excellence.

(Posted: 12/07/05)
 
Professor Edwards consults at Pace University
The Dean and faculty at Pace University have asked Professor Edwards to review their Legal Writing Program and write a recommendation for the program's future. Professor Edwards will be visiting at Pace Oct. 9-11 and completing her recommendations by Nov. 1.
(Posted: 10/07/05)
 
Professor Hricik's recent activities

Professor Hricik was appointed to chair the Ethics and Professionalism Committee of the American Intellectual Property Law Association. On October 29, 2005, he gave a presentation on Ethical Issues That Arise From Combining Prosecution with Litigation at the Plenary Session of the Association's Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. 

He also recently (1) gave a presentation on Ethical Issues in the Entertainment and Intellectual Property Law Practices at the 17th Annual Entertainment & Intellectual Property Law Conference at San Juan Puerto Rico on November 11, 2005; (2) spoke in Des Moines, Iowa on December 2 to the Iowa State Bar association's 2005 Federal Practice Committee on ethics and Expert Witnesses in Civil Litigation; (3) spoke in washington, D.C., on December 5 at the Intellectual Property Owners' association Annual PTO Day meeting on ethical Issues from Combining Litigation with Prosecution; and (4) gave a panel presentation on Using Technology Solutions to Minimize Legal Malpractice at the National Forum on LPL/ Malpractice on January 20, 2006, in Miami Beach, Florida.

In addition, his article, "To Whom it May Concern: Using Disclaimers to Avoid Disqualification by Receipt of Unsolicited E-mail from Prospective Clients", was published at 16 The Professional Lawyer 1 (Oct. 2005).  Another article that he co-authored with a Mercer student, Amy Falkingham, entitled, Lawyers Still Worry Too Much About Transmitting E-mail Over the Internet, was published at 11 U. Florida J. L. & Pub. Pol’y 265 (2005).

He was also quoted (1) in an ABA e-Journal article by Geri L. Dreiling, entitled Don't Buy This Ad: Missouri to Require Disclaimer Telling Potential Clients to Look Deeper (2) in an article on whether the U.S. Supreme Court will grant certiorari in a decision concerning e-mail privacy and the federal wiretap statutes.  Helen W. Gunnarsson, Victory for State Farm in Class Action Appeal, Ill. B.J. 18 (Oct. 2005); (3) in an article concerning the patent defense of inequitable conduct in Philip Jones, How to Avoid Losing Your Patent in 19 The Scientist 34 (Nov. 7 2005); and (4) in Attorney Coupon Offer Clipped, 5 ABA Journal E-Report 4 (Jan. 20, 2006).  Finally, an article co-authored by Professor Hricik, entitled "Arbitration Clauses for On-Going Relationships" was selected by the Houston Bar Foundation for its annual Outstanding Legal Article Award. 

(Posted: 09/22/05)
 
Professor Edwards teaches at Persuasion Institute
Professor Edwards has once again been asked to teach at the Persuasion Institute sponsored by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. This year's Institute will be held in Philadelphia, Sept. 23-25. Professor Edwards will be teaching advanced strategies for working with facts and reviewing writing samples of the conference participants. The Institute is planned each year by Professor Tony Amsterdam of N.Y.U. School of Law, and the faculty includes national legal experts as well as experts from the areas of psychology and literature.
(Posted: 09/22/05)
 
Professor Lewis' Research and Scholarship on Offers of Judgment
Prof. Harold S. Lewis, Jr. of the Law School has completed a series of 52 interviews with experienced employment discrimination and civil rights lawyers around the nation as part of an ongoing research project designed to reinvigorate a rule of procedure rule that encourages early settlements of federal cases by means of "offers of judgment." Along with his co-investigator, Prof. Thomas A. Eaton of the University of Georgia Law School, Lewis will canvass opinion in all the federal court circuits. Lewis and Eaton will moderate a national symposium on the topic to be held at Mercer Law School on February 17, 2006. The symposium, hosted by Mercer's Law Review, will feature a federal judge from San Francisco, distinguished legal academics from the University of Michigan and Northwestern University, and eight of the project's lawyer-interviewees from all regions of the country. The Law Review will report the proceedings of the Symposium as well as articles by the academic participants. This summer Lewis had published in the St. Louis University Law Journal an invited article for a Symposium on the 40th anniversary of Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. He also updated the text of Yagman and Lewis' practitioner handbook, Police Misconduct and Civil Rights, as well as Martindale-Hubbell's Georgia Statutory Digest, on which he serves as co-reviser with Mercer Law 1980 alumnus Robert J. Hulsey. Last Spring Lewis spoke to the Middle Georgia Trial Lawyers' Association on Georgia's new offer of judgment statute.
(Posted: 09/13/05)
 
Professor Sammons appointed to Lawyer Advertising Task Force
Professor Jack Sammons was recently appointed to the State Bar of Georgia Task Force on Lawyer Advertising. He is chairing a subcommittee that is reviewing the constitutionality and efficacy of possible regulatory approaches to lawyer advertising.
(Posted: 09/13/05)
 
ABA wetlands book edited by Professor Johnson published
In August, the ABA published Wetlands Law and Policy, co-edited by Professor Stephen Johnson. Professor Johnson also authored the Individual Permits Chapter of the book.
(Posted: 08/22/05)
 
A Busy Summer of Scholarship and Service for Professor Edwards
Professor Linda Edwards has been appointed to the ABA Clinical & Skills Education Committee, reappointed to the ABA Communication Skills Committee, and appointed to serve as liaison between the two committees.

On July 23, at Northwestern University School of Law, Professor Edwards made two presentations: "Coloring Outside the Lines: Flexibility and Standardization in Legal Writing Programs" and "Educating Faculty Committees About the Value of Legal Writing Scholarship," and she chaired a meeting of the Assn. of Legal Writing Directors Mentoring Committee.

Professor Edwards also revised the Bibliography of Scholarship by Legal Writing Professors, which will appear in 11 Journal of Legal Writing 1 (2005).

The fall will also be busy for Professor Edwards, as she has been appointed a consultant to Pace University School of Law as it considers changes to its legal writing program. She will be visiting Pace in October and submitting a report with recommendations for the program's future.

Finally, from Sept. 23-25 in Philadelphia, she will serve on the faculty of the 2005 Persuasion Institute sponsored by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.
(Posted: 08/22/05)
 
Professor Smith's presentations in England and New York
Professor Michael R. Smith presented “Summoning Dreams and Swords: Exploring the Power of Literary Allusion in Persuasive Discourse” at the international conference, The Power of Stories: Intersections of Law, Culture, and Literature, in Gloucester, England, July 26. He also presented “Psyched Up: Teaching the Psychology of Persuasion” with Ruth Ann Robbins at the 2005 New England Consortium of Legal Writing Teachers Regional Conference at Albany Law School in Albany, New York, June 10.
(Posted: 07/29/05)
 
Mercer Faculty Present at SEAALS Conference
Professor Linda Jellum was one of several Mercer faculty that spoke or moderated panels at the South Eastern Association of Law Schools' Conference this summer. She gave a presentation entitled, "Which Is To Be Master - The Judiciary or the Legislature?", on July 21.
(Posted: 07/29/05)
 
Professor Blumoff speaks at the Gruter Institute
Professor Ted Blumoff participated at the Gruter Institute of Law and Human Behavior's annual spring program on Law and the Brain in Squaw Valley last May. At the program, he spoke on two recent Supreme Court decisions dealing with sentencing. He has been invited to present a paper in February 2006 at the Gruter Institute's 2006 Conference at the Law Faculty, University College London, where he'll be talking about the social science implications of our practice of blaming.
(Posted: 07/25/05)
 
Professor Hricik's presentations and scholarship
Professor Hricik presented five lectures for the Rhode Island Bar Association on Confidentiality and Conflicts in the Digital Age. He presented the lectures on August 4-5 and September 14-16 in Bristol and Kingston, Rhode Island. The five lectures were attended by more than a quarter of Rhode Island lawyers.

On July 17, 2005, Professor Hricik gave a presentation at Hilton Head, South Carolina, at the Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Association of Law Schools entitled "Why Law Professors Should Write More for Legal Decision-Makers and Less for Themselves."

An article written by Professors Hricik and Salzmann entitled "Why There Should be Fewer Articles Like This One: Law Professors Should Write More for Legal Decision-Makers and Less for Themselves" was published at 37 Suffolk U. L. Rev. 763 (2005).

Professor Hricik gave a telephone presentation to the Sci[3] Group in Sunnyvale California entitled, "Ethical Issues in Patent Prosecution and Litigation" on July 5, 2005
(Posted: 07/25/05)
 
Professor Fleissner's return and recent activities
Professor Jim Fleissner returned to the law school this summer from a leave of absence during which he served in the U.S. Department of Justice from 2003-2005. Professor Fleissner held the position of Chief of Appeals in the U.S. Attorney's Office in Chicago, managing all criminal appellate litigation and serving as general legal advisor to the office's 100 prosecutors. Professor Fleissner also was named as deputy to Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald, who was appointed in 2003 to lead the investigation of the alleged leak by government officials of the identity of a purported CIA agent. As Deputy Special Counsel, Professor Fleissner was lead counsel in litigation concerning subpoenas issued to various reporters and media companies. Under a special appointment from the Department of Justice, he will continue to serve part-time in the Special Counsel matter. Professor Fleissner made two presentations this summer concerning the First Amendment and the reporter's privilege in federal criminal investigations--one at the Department of Justice National Security Coordinators' Conference in Columbia, South Carolina, and the other at the 31st Annual Federal Law Seminar hosted by United States Attorney in Cincinnati, Ohio.
(Posted: 07/25/05)
 
Information Technology Director Speaks at Law School Computing Conference
Darcy Jones, Director of Information Technology, made a presentation regarding Mercer Law's laptop program entitled Everybody Knows the Troubles We've Seen: Ending Your Laptop Woes While Moving Towards Pervasive Computing in the Classroom, at the June 2005 Conference on Law School Computing in Chicago, IL.
(Posted: 07/22/05)
 
Professor Baker's Recent Presentations
On April 14, Professors Alice Baker, Mary Donovan, and David Hricik presented "Mediating Attorney Fee Disputes: Money, Ethics, and Relational Issues" at the American Bar Association's Annual Section of Dispute Resolution Conference in Los Angeles, California. On April 7, Professor Alice Baker presented "Meditations on Title VII's Bona Fide Occupational Qualification Exception" at a faculty colloquium held at the University of Georgia School of Law.
(Posted: 04/18/05)
 
Professor Hricik's Recent Presentations
Professor David Hricik gave a presentation entitled "Ethical Issues in Intellectual Property Practice and Litigation" to the Virginia State Bar Association Section on Intellectual Property on May 5, 2005 in Alexandria, Virginia. On April 22, he gave a presentation to the Joint Meeting of the Washington State Patent Law Association and Oregon Patent Law Association in Stevenson, Washington on Ethical Issues in Patent Prosecution and Litigation. He also participated in a panel discussion on "Conflicts of Interest and Ethics for Intellectual Property Lawyers in the post-Enron Era" at the ABA's 20th Annual Intellectual Property Law Conference in Arlington, VA., on April 16. In early April, Professor Hricik gave a presentation on Ethical Issues in PTO Practice to the North Carolina Bar Association Intellectual Property Law Section in Charlotte, North Carolina. The prior month, he gave a telephonic presentation to the Sci3 Intellectual Property Association, in Sunnyvale, CA, on Ethical Issues in Patent Practice.
(Posted: 04/18/05)
 
Professor Hricik published and quoted
Professor Hricik's article, co-authored with two former students, entitled "Save a Little Room for Me: The Necessity of Naming as Inventors Practitioners Who Conceive of Claimed Subject Matter" was recently published at 5 Loyola U. N. Orleans School of Law Law & Tech. Annual 1 (2005). In addition, the Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics has published Professor Hricik's article, "How Things Snowball: The Ethical Responsibilities and Liability Risks Arising from Representing a Single Client in Multiple-Patent Related Representations," 18 Geo. J. Legal Ethics 421 (Spring 2005). He was also quoted in "The National Pulse: Opinion Clarifies Ex Parte Contact: Not All of Opponent's Employees Must Be Reached Through Attorney, Ohio Says," in the March 25, 2005 ABA Journal E-Report. On July 2, 2005, he was quoted in an article in the Macon Telegraph - Midstate Looks at First Female Justice's Legacy (by Jake Jacobs).
(Posted: 04/04/05)
 
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