Wildcat Wednesday -- Letter of the Law

James E. Rogers College of Law

November 9 , 2016

Greetings,

For better or worse, we are living at a time that seems historic -- more complicated, more intense, more fragile, more uncertain than normal.

This Wildcat Wednesday -- Letter of the Law -- our 197th edition, appears the day after election day. We look forward to editions 198, 199, 200 ...

There are many deeper structures that provide a strong foundation for our social and political systems and, I hope, some perspective. The modern university and its goal of training educated, engaged, and responsible citizens is one of them.

Veterans Day, this Friday, is another illustration -- both the holiday and the profound service and sacrifice and values it represents. Twenty-four current students (JD, MLS, and undergraduate) at Arizona Law are U.S. military veterans. In this issue we share recent news about veteran and 3L student Joshua Sparling.

Veterans' Advocacy Law Clinic participants at the Second Annual National Conference on Law Clinics Serving Veterans. From left, Wes Stiner ('17), Jessica Schulberg ('16), Jess Garrard (MLS '16), Kristine Huskey (director), Lori Lewis (faculty), Jahna Locke ('16), Angie Menard ('16), and Autumn Kycia ('17).

The Veterans' Advocacy Law Clinic, in which Josh participates, continues to do life-changing work on behalf of veterans and service members in criminal court, on administrative cases, in federal court, and through community outreach and referrals. This clinic has 14 students this semester, five of whom are veterans. It also has two full-time faculty, and one half-time fellow who is a veteran.

Clinic director Kristine Huskey reports that, in the last year, the clinic has represented almost 300 veterans in two local veterans treatment courts, five veterans on their discharge upgrade applications, and two veterans on a benefits cases. It has provided 80 intakes and referrals. Overall, the clinic provided approximately 4,250 hours of pro bono legal services to veterans, service members and their families. (You can read more about the clinic in last year's Veterans Day issue here and our 2016 Memorial Day issue here .)

Until the footnotes,

Marc

Joshua Sparling ('17) Named "Veteran of Distinction"

Joshua Sparling ('17) has been chosen by U.S. Representative Martha McSally as this year's Veteran of Distinction.

The Second Annual Congressional Veterans of Distinction Award recognizes veterans in the Second District of Arizona who "continue to go above and beyond to serve their communities" ( Press release.)

A veteran of the U.S. Army, Josh was one of 20 local nominees from McSally's district. McSally presented the award in a ceremony on October 25, at Flowing Wells High School. (See video coverage here, including an interview of Josh.)

Originally from Michigan, Josh joined the military after 9/11 and went on to serve the 82nd Airborne Division of the U.S. Army as a paratrooper. He was injured in Iraq in 2005 and retired from service in 2008. His wife, Laura, was with him through it all. They have three young children.

Josh has been a student in the Veterans' Advocacy Law Clinic for three semesters, and will continue in the spring. He is Team Leader of the clinic and has represented over 50 clients in veterans treatment court. He currently represents a veteran on his claim for disability benefits from the VA.

Josh was also an intern with the Arizona Attorney General's office in the summer of 2015. Josh was named a Tillman Scholar in 2015.

Read more about Josh here.

We are proud of all that Josh has accomplished as a veteran and as a law student, and look forward to seeing his career unfold. Congratulations, Josh.

Joe Kanefield ('94) Speaks to Students on Election Law

Joe Kanefield ('94), front row, 4th from left, along with students attending his Leaders in the Law talk.

As part of our Leaders in the Law series, last week Joe Kanefield ('94) , partner at Ballard Spahr, visited with students to share his experience on election law (which, on November 2, was not a random subject).

Joe is one the foremost authorities on election law in Arizona and has served as elections director for the Arizona Secretary of State, General Counsel to the Arizona Governor, and counsel to the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission. And, he is a professor of practice at Arizona Law.

As you can see, it was a full house. Thank you, Joe!

50-Year Reunion

We are still hearing echoes from the whirlwind of Homecoming 2016. The Class of 1966 shared these photos from their reunion at the Arizona Inn.

We were immensely pleased to gather with class members I. Douglas Dunipace, James Hancock, Robert Kerrick, Jack LaSota, Leonard Mark, George Ridge, Robert P. Robinson, James Sakrison, Phil Schneider, Silas Schultz, and Judge James Teilborg.

Have some great photos or memories from your own class reunion gathering this year? We would love to hear from you! [email protected]

Footnotes

Jahna Lock ('16) Hired to Work on Elder Justice in NYC

One of our most recent graduates, Jahna Locke ('16), has been hired by the New York Legal Assistance Group as an Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps legal fellow to focus on elder justice. As a student, Jahna was in the Veteran's Advocacy Law Clinic for three semesters, where she represented veterans in court and on an administrative case.

Of her new fellowship, she writes,

"It's a phenomenal position -- I have the best supervising attorneys who are teaching me so much, and I just finished a great training conference in DC. I even met Loretta Lynch!"

Pictured above is the inaugural group of Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Elder Justice fellows, with Loretta Lynch at center. Jahna is standing behind Lynch, in blue. A press release about the fellowship is here.

It's great to hear from recent graduates like Jahna who have found their way to such rewarding work. If you'd like to share your job news, contact Jonelle Vold at [email protected].

Ernest Calderón ('82) Joins Frazer Ryan

Ernest (Ernie) Calderón, of the Class of 1982, recently joined the firm Frazer Ryan as partner. His practice encompasses education law, employment law, appellate law, commercial litigation, construction law, administrative law and professional licensing.

Ernie has served as president of the Arizona Board of Regents, which governs the state's university system, president of the State Bar of Arizona, president of the Boy Scouts of America (Grand Canyon Council), and chairman of the Catholic Community Foundation (Diocese of Phoenix).