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THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA JAMES E. ROGERS COLLEGE OF LAW       |        October 21, 2026

Oct. 22–24

Homecoming Weekend

Nov. 9

Neumann Lecture with Butch Farabee

Jan. 5

Employer Registration Deadline for Winter Private Sector Interviews

Greetings,

Homecoming festivities at the College of Law begin tomorrow. One of the first events is the 50-year reunion of the Class of 1976. Among the attendees at that reunion will be Professor Barbara Atwood. In today’s feature, she shares her memories of her years as a student and long-time professor.

Read on,

Jason

The year was 1973. The U.S. Supreme Court decided Roe v. Wade. The drama of Watergate was playing out in Washington, D.C. The Paris Peace Accords were signed, formally ending the Vietnam War.

And Barbara Atwood (’76) was living in Tucson, figuring out her next steps after a stint in the Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) Program, a national volunteer corps created by President Lyndon Johnson that has been compared to a domestic version of the Peace Corps.

Atwood lived across the street from the litigation director of Southern Arizona Legal Aid. She got to know some of the attorneys and became interested in the class action lawsuits the organization was bringing regarding claimed denials of benefits for indigent people. “It was very compelling work,” Atwood recalls. “And I talked to them about their work, and I thought, ‘Well, maybe I should go to law school.’”

That was the beginning of Atwood’s long history with what is now the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law. Over the years, she’s been a student, alumna and professor. In the fall of 2026, Atwood, along with her classmates, will celebrate their 50-year reunion. As the Class of 1976 prepares to gather, she reflects on the past half century, starting with that eventful first year.

FROM AROUND THE COLLEGE

On October 2, students, alumni and friends of the college gathered at the University of Arizona Scottsdale Center for “The Road to Phoenix,” a networking event organized and led by the Business Law Society and the Student Bar Association.

The event brought students to the Valley for an afternoon of informal conversation with Phoenix attorneys from more than 20 firms, giving first-year students early face time with firms ahead of the recruiting cycle and giving continuing students a chance to deepen existing connections.

The program featured remarks from two Arizona Law alumni practicing in Phoenix. Tim Berg (’75) of Fennemore opened the program with a keynote on why strong ties between Arizona Law and Phoenix firms matter. Rachel Romaniuk (’22) of Osborn Maledon closed the event with remarks on how she used these ties to build her own path into Phoenix and offered advice to students preparing to enter the profession. Together, their words underscored the purpose of the event: building lasting connections between Arizona Law students and the Phoenix legal community.

Organizers hope “The Road to Phoenix” becomes an annual tradition, fostering lasting connections between Arizona Law students and the Phoenix legal community.

In early October, the Barry Davis National Trial Team won the All Star Tournament, earning a spot at Nationals for the first time in team history.

Two teams from the Arizona Law National Trial Team competed in the All Star Bracket, the country’s largest fall trial competition. Of the 64 teams that competed, only 8 advanced to Nationals.

Team Red, including Mason Hagemann, Haley Bender, Danny Fisher and Jordan Toledo, finished second after the four preliminary trials and advanced to the finals, where they defeated Pepperdine, earning a spot at Nationals. In the process, Jordan Toledo also won a top advocate award.

Team Blue, including Justin Terrill, Kayah Byrd and Brooke Myers, had a strong showing but did not advance to the finals of the Zoom-based competition.

The teams are coached by Brian Chase (’11) and Travis McGivern. This is Arizona Law’s first-ever appearance at Nationals in the All Star Tournament. Nationals will be held in person in San Antonio on November 12–14.

Dean Kreag recently was invited by Consul General of Mexico in Tucson Fernando Adrián Sánchez Roldán and Deuputy Consul Lee Wong to attend the annual Independence Day of Mexico celebration and concert in downtown Tucson.

We are incredibly proud of our partnership with the foreign Ministry of Mexico and the consulate in Tucson to train members of Mexico’s foreign service in U.S. law. Originally started in 2018, this year will feature the ninth cohort of trainees, who will join nearly 350 prior graduates. With more than 50 consulates and embassies operating in the U.S., Mexico is the largest foreign service operating in a host country. The program’s training plays a crucial role in helping diplomats and diplomatic staff gain a foundation in U.S. law to better advise their citizens living, traveling and conducting business in the United States.

IN THE NEWS

NEPA Remedies Revisited

LegalPlanet, written by Justin Pidot

ICE Private Prison Contracts Set Up Tough Legal Fight

Bloomberg Law, featuring Justin Pidot

Sue the ocean for El Niño damages? Personhood claims test the limits of liability

San Francisco Chronicle, quoting Rebecca Tsosie

LinkedIn, @University of Arizona, James E. Rogers College of Law

To everyone joining us this weekend for reunions and the Red & Blue BBQ: Welcome home! Enjoy sharing memories and making new ones, connecting with your classmates and LawCats from across generations. (There is still time to register and join us!)

Onward,

Jason