For the Record: Committee Appointments, Awards for Public Service, Mentoring and More

July 16, 2020
University of Arizona Campus Sunset

Catch up on recent University of Arizona Law faculty accomplishments, including awards, new positions and media coverage.   

News & Awards 

Salmon Named President-Elect of the Legal Writing Institute and Wins 2020 Edith Sayer Auslander Established Visionary Award 

Professor Susie Salmon has been named the president-elect of the Legal Writing Institute (LWI) for 2020-2022. 

The LWI is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving legal communication by supporting the development of teaching and scholarly resources and establishing forums to discuss the study, teaching, and practice of professional legal writing.

Salmon has also been selected by the Arizona State University Commission on the Status of Women, Equity, and Mentoring workgroup as a recipient of the 2020 Edith Sayer Auslander Established Visionary Award. 

This award honors leaders who exemplify the vision set out by the original Arizona Board of Regents Commission in 1990. Vision Award recipients cultivate diversity and actively advance CSW goals relating to campus climate, career and professional development, and issues of equity and inclusion. 

Williams Awarded with The Gerald G. Swanson Prize for Teaching Excellence  

University of Arizona Law professor Rob Williams has been awarded with The Gerald G. Swanson Prize for Teaching Excellence, which recognizes excellence in undergraduate teaching at the University of Arizona. Williams teaches undergraduate courses in American Common Law I and II. 

“You have demonstrated a dynamic, stimulating and groundbreaking teaching methodology in the teaching of Law,” said University of Arizona senior vice president for academic affairs and provost Liesl Folks in a letter to Williams. “Your nominators described your courses in undergraduate law as the most engaging and rewarding courses in the country. You have made an immense impact on thousands of students through your courses and group discussions that enable students to learn the essence of contracts, torts, property law and the foundations of legal analysis and writing. Your contributions are remarkable and worthy of recognition 

Swisher Appointed to ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility 

The American Bar Association (ABA) has appointed Professor Keith Swisher to The Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility.  

The committee issues ethics opinions interpreting both the Model Rules of Professional Conduct and the Model Code of Judicial Conduct. ABA Formal Opinions have been cited as persuasive when courts around the nation interpret state-adopted Rules of Professional Conduct. 

Professor Silverman Recognized with Award for Public Service  

Professor Andy Silverman was recognized by the Arizona Bar Association with the Walter E. Craig Distinguished Services Award for his outstanding public service to the community.  

Award winners are selected based on nominations from peers and colleagues. 

Graduate College Awards Professor Tatum with Teaching and Mentoring Award  

Professor Melissa Tatum has been selected as one of two winners of the distinguished Teaching and Mentoring Award for Graduate Education by the Graduate College at the University of Arizona.  

“Your colleagues and graduate students admire your steadfast support and your dedication to raising critical awareness of current challenges indigenous peoples face,” said Margaret Pitts, associate dean of academic affairs for the Graduate College, in a congratulatory letter to Professor Tatum. “Your compassion for your own students and for the communities which they wish to serve is clear in the letters of support provided. You have created a supportive environment for graduate students to explore, falter, rise up, and succeed.”  

Sklar Presents Paper at Conference Recognizing the Growing Role of Telehealth  

Professor of Health Law Tara Sklar presented to the Arizona Alliance Community Health Centers and Collaborative Ventures Network Annual Meeting and Conference in February. The conference brings together hundreds of members from community health centers, hospitals, health insurers, associate and affiliate members, and partners located across the state of Arizona. Sklar presented her co-authored paper, “Telehealth for an Aging Population: How Can Law Influence Adoption Among Providers, Payors, and Patients?” which will be published this summer in the American Journal of Law & Medicine.   

Alumnus Randall Nice Receives the Burton Award for Arizona Law Review Article 

Arizona Law alumnus Randall Nice (‘19) has been awarded with Law360 Distinguished Legal Writing Award from the Burton Awards for his article, “Reviving the Lost Tort of Defamation: A Proposal to Stem the Flow of Fake News,” published in the Arizona Law Review. 

The Burton Awards are a national 501(c)(3) non-profit program, held in association with the Library of Congress, presented by lead sponsor Law360, and co-sponsored by the American Bar Association. 

William Burton, founder and chair of the awards program, said “The winners are outstanding, highly skilled, and effective writers. The Law360 Writing Awards winners have now taught a new and even higher standard of excellence.” 

In the Media  

Professor Lynn Marcus weighs in after Trump administration unveils plan to change asylum law in the United States.  

Local Opinion: What AZ schools must consider with police 
Arizona Daily Star  
June 17, 2020 

As part of the national reckoning on police violence and racism, schools across the country are currently rethinking the role of law enforcement in schools, professor Diana Newmark writes an opinion piece on what schools in Arizona should consider.  

Professor and dean emerita Toni Massaro discusses city of Tucson’s new city ordinance regarding recording the police.  

How to avoid 10 common ethics pitfalls 
ABA Journal 
June 1, 2020 

Legal ethics experts were asked for a primer on the most pressing and pernicious ethics traps and best practices for the modern lawyer. Professor Keith Swisher weighs in.  

Professor Robert Glennon discusses E.Coli in crops.  

A proposal to ban membership among judges in the Federalist Society has set off a partisan battle. A letter from six legal ethics law professors, which includes professor Keith Swisher, supporting the proposal, calling it “eminently reasonable and balanced,” is mentioned and linked.  

Attorneys for a woman suing Wynn Resorts are questioning the appointment of federal magistrate Elayna Youchah, who was once the lead counsel for Wynn Las Vegas in the case. Professor of legal ethics Keith Swisher is quoted.  

Innovation for Justice Program director Stacy Rupprecht Jane quoted in Arizona Daily Star discussing the Licensed Legal Advocates pilot program. 

Opinion piece on the impact of banks when lawyers are part of their boards by Arizona Law professor Simone Sepe, UArizona Center for the Philosophy of Freedom Director Saura Masconale, and colleagues from Cambridge and Cornell. 
 
TurboTax Owner's Acquisition of Credit Karma Could Spark Antitrust Concerns 
Bloomberg 
March 2, 2020 

Intuit Inc., the parent company of TurboTax, agreed to buy Credit Karma. Some legal experts say the deal raises serious antitrust concerns. Professor Barak Orbach provides commentary. 

Professor Jane Bambauer weighs in on anonymizing census data.  

President Donald Trump held a campaign rally in Phoenix and professor Christopher Robertson discusses Trump's comments about health care. 

The European Union released proposed regulations on artificial intelligence, rules covering technology like facial recognition and autonomous vehicles that would have big implications for U.S. tech giants. Arizona Law professor Andrew Woods weighs in.  

Innovation for Justice Program director Stacy Rupprecht Jane talks about the Licensed Legal Advocates pilot program on KJZZ.