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Celebrating the Graduation of Colorado Law Class of 2023

Anonymous — Tue, 23 May 2023 16:13:20 +0000

Celebrating the Graduation of Colorado Law Class of 2023 Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 05/23/2023 - 10:13

On Friday, May 12, 197 graduates from all around the world gathered with faculty, family, and dear friends for the Colorado Law 2023 graduation recognition ceremony at Macky Auditorium.

Watch the full ceremony here.

Dean Lolita Buckner Inniss opened this year's graduation recognition ceremony with a warm and enthusiastic welcome to the Class of 2023 as well as the friends and family who supported them throughout their legal education. "I know that you all join me in feeling particular pride in these graduates, who came to Colorado Law in the fall of 2020 in the midst of the COVID crisis," she said, acknowledging the incredible resilience of this class. "This was back when the disease was relatively little understood and when illness and death stalked us still. Along the journey, this class also experienced local and national disasters, and yet—through it all—you persisted, Class of 2023," she addressed the class directly. "You persisted. You thrived. And you did so not only because of what you learned here, but because of the full life and experiences that you had before you got here."

She shared with the graduates a vital lesson learned in her childhood. Sometimes the paths we walk are winding, and we must rely on our own faculties, ingenuity, and flexibility to find our way. The dean concluded her remarks saying, "This law school education is not a starting point. It is your most recent achievement that bridges knowledge that you already have with what will be a lifetime of learning that comes after this. And so congratulations, graduates, I wish you good walking from here." The crowd erupted with sincere applause.

After Dean Inniss’ opening remarks, Doug Good Feather continued the Colorado Law tradition of performing a powerful Honor Song for the event's attentive audience. Professor Violeta Chapin then gave welcoming remarks in Spanish.

Professor Blake E. Reid '10 had the honor of both recognizing the top fifteen percent of the class as members of the Order of the Coif and presenting this year's recipient of the Honorary Order of the Coif, Judge Regina M. Rodriguez ’88. Professor Reid commented, "This ceremony is but a modest recognition of their [the graduates'] high level of dedication, resilience, and achievement and of the support they've received from their families and friends."

Judge Rodriguez '88 expressed that she was deeply honored by the recognition and inclusion in the day's events. "Congratulations to the Order of the Coif honorees! This is truly an accomplishment worthy of special recognition," she said. "Let me also congratulate all the graduates here," she continued, "I wish you could see what I see from up here. What it is, is the promise of our future."

View the event's program here.

The program continued with engaging remarks from Class President Alexander D. Clark. "This is likely the first and probably the last time that we will all be in the same place at the same time," reflected Clark. "So, with the time that I have, I'd like to take a moment to look back and reflect on the long and sometimes arduous journey that brought us here." Clark's fellow graduates expressed their appreciation for his words with laughter and applause.

Then Class Treasurer Ashlyn Laurel DuThorn presented student awards, and Class Secretary Tanner Boyzuick announced the faculty and staff awards. Class Vice President Stewart Ramsey then introduced this year's keynote speaker, Colorado's 39th Attorney General, and former dean of the law school, Phil Weiser.

Attorney General Weiser began his address by saying, "To the Class of 2023—Welcome to a great community of Colorado Law alums. Serving as a lawyer is a noble calling, and you all have this opportunity and obligation to make a positive impact on our world. I want to talk about three lessons that very much echo what Dean Inniss and Judge Rodriguez said. Giving yourself permission to try out a new path whether or not you're successful; to view your life as a series of experiments; and to embrace the power of mentors."

Attorney General Weiser concluded, "All of you have a promising path ahead, and, as we've all noted, it's going to be a winding road. And one of the obligations, as a lawyer, that you have is to serve and to think about our society." He continued, "This is not an easy time for our society. The rule of law and our institutions are facing challenges like never before. I believe that as you all do the work ahead of you, and you do it authentically and with concern for others, you will help repair our world."

Each of the graduates triumphantly walked across the stage, and Law Alumni Board Chair Michael Carrigan '94 welcomed them to Colorado Law's extraordinary alumni community. As the program drew to a close, Dean Inniss recited the traditional Sears Charge and the audience let loose a final wave of congratulatory applause. Soon everyone headed back to the Wolf Law Building to continue the celebration at the reception.

The graduates celebrated at the ceremony include 175 candidates for JD degrees, 11 MSL degrees, and 11 candidates for LLM degrees.

View photography from the ceremony and reception here.

On Friday, May 12, 197 proud graduates from all around the world gathered with faculty, family, and dear friends for the Colorado Law 2023 graduation recognition ceremony at the Macky Auditorium.

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31st Annual Ira C. Rothgerber Jr. Conference Explores “The Role of States in the Midst of Federal Court Crisis”

Anonymous — Tue, 16 May 2023 21:08:36 +0000

31st Annual Ira C. Rothgerber Jr. Conference Explores “The Role of States in the Midst of Federal Court Crisis” Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 05/16/2023 - 15:08

Scholars, lawyers, advocates and leaders from across the country convened on April 14, 2023 for the University of Colorado Law School’s 31st Annual Ira C. Rothgerber Jr. Conference: State of Resistance: The Role of States in the Midst of Federal Court Crisis.

View the full event photo gallery here.

This year’s conference grappled with the role of the states in responding to the U.S. Supreme Court’s modern jurisprudence. With the disruption of long-standing rights, controversial rulings and procedures, and an increase in skepticism about the Court’s legitimacy, speakers examined the role of state and tribal courts, state constitutions, and state law in responding to growing threats to democracy. This interdisciplinary conference benefitted from a range of perspectives and experiences. The speakers included: doctrinal & clinical law professors, a mathematics professor, private practitioners and non-profit lawyers, activists, and policy makers.

Colorado Law’s Byron R. White Center for the Study of American Constitutional Law hosted the Rothgerber Conference. The Center’s director, Moses Lasky Professor of Law Suzette Malveaux, gave opening remarks. Professor Malveaux set the stage, asking what role states should play in the face of waning confidence in the federal, judicial, and political branches. She flagged federalism, separation of powers and pre-emption as issues to look out for as states take opposing stances on what democracy looks like. Dean Lolita Buckner Inniss also kicked off the conference, explaining how democratic norms are under attack and urging attendees to be active participants in our collective future.

Carolyn Shapiro, professor and Co-Director for the Institute on the Supreme Court of the United States at Chicago-Kent College of Law, gave the keynote address. Professor Shapiro discussed the importance of a republican form of government and how federalism enhances liberty for everyone. She explained how federalism requires a diverse and responsive government, citizen involvement, and the promotion of democracy.

“We are experiencing not just the threat of, but actual, democratic erosion,” Professor Shapiro said. She criticized the Supreme Court for failing to protect democracy and argued that the Court’s selection process, composition, and jurisprudence illustrate the need for court reform.

Three panels picked up the conversation from there, examining the growing role of states in the context of civil rights, voting rights, and reproductive rights.

The first panel, “State Responsibility in the Face of Civil Rights Regression,” explored the current state of civil rights, with a focus on how BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) communities, in particular, have been impacted. Panelists highlighted how Tribal federal litigation over the protection of one civil liberty has a domino effect on other liberties. Panelists also highlighted the importance of diversity in the judiciary, including the recent confirmation of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.

Panel 1: Professor Matthew Fletcher, Michigan Law; Michaela Calhoun '24; Siddhartha Rathod, Esq., Rathod | Mohamedbhai LLC; Tona Boyd, Esq., Legal Defense Fund

The second panel, “The Gutting of the Voting Rights Act and Its Impact on Judicial Legitimacy,” explored how the Supreme Court has eroded voting rights. The panelists discussed how many states, in response, are protecting the right to vote by enacting their own voting rights acts to protect voters.

Panel 2: Professor Moon Duchin, Tufts University; Debo Adegbile, Esq., WilmerHale. (Not pictured: Professor Ruth Greenwood, Harvard Law School; Professor Doug Spencer, Colorado Law)

The third panel, “The Battle Over Abortion at the State Level,” explored the chaos of state abortion law in a post-Roe world. Panelists discussed the impact of this legal uncertainty on abortion providers, patients, and states themselves. Added to the mix were Colorado’s own laws protecting abortion access, three of which were signed into law earlier that day.

Panel 3: Danielle Edwards '23; Kiki Council, Esq., The Lawyering Project; Dean Rachel Rebouché, Temple Law School; Professor Martha Davis, Northeastern University School of Law

Panelists and attendees connected with each other at the post-conference reception, reflecting on the issues raised. Casey Nelson, a second-year student and executive editor of the University of Colorado Law Review, noted, “This year's Rothgerber Conference had such an excellent lineup. Hearing the professors and practitioners speak on what they're most passionate about was inspiring. It was especially interesting to hear their perspectives on current legal news, sometimes right as it was breaking.”

Jenn Chalifoux-Gene, a second-year student and co-president of the Colorado Law chapter of If/When/How, also shared her thoughts.

“This year’s Rothgerber Conference was energizing for me! It’s been tempting to fall into despair about the Supreme Court, especially after Dobbs,” she said. “The Conference helped me feel more hopeful about our ability to protect rights in the states.”

Many of the participants will be publishing their remarks and articles in a special symposium issue in the University of Colorado Law Review.

A full recording of the conference is available on YouTube.

Biographies of all panel participants can be found here in the event's program.

Scholars, lawyers, advocates and leaders from across the country convened on April 14, 2023 for the University of Colorado Law School’s 31st Annual Ira C. Rothgerber Jr. Conference: State of Resistance: The Role of States in the Midst of Federal Court Crisis.

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Verna Williams, CEO of Equal Justice Works, to Deliver Coen Lecture on April 4

Anonymous — Wed, 22 Mar 2023 22:35:03 +0000

Verna Williams, CEO of Equal Justice Works, to Deliver Coen Lecture on April 4 Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 03/22/2023 - 16:35

Verna Williams, the CEO of Equal Justice Works and former dean of the University of Cincinnati College of Law, will join the Colorado Law community on April 4, 2023 to deliver the 65th annual John R. Coen Lecture. The lecture, co-sponsored by Equal Justice Works, is titled, “Let’s Talk Race”.

RSVP to attend, either remotely or in-person, here: https://cu.law/VernaWilliams

In this lecture, Williams will examine current attacks on and efforts to ban the teaching of critical race theory (CRT). While CRT opponents claim to protect liberty, Williams suggests that their efforts undermine and are contrary to the nation’s foundational principles and ultimately harmful to democracy.

Williams has an extensive background of experience teaching and practicing law, as well as researching civil and women’s rights. She previously served as the dean of the University of Cincinnati College of Law, where she was a professor prior to becoming dean, and taught courses on family law, gender discrimination, and constitutional law. Additionally, she founded and co-directed the Judge Nathaniel Jones Center for Race, Gender, and Social Justice at the University of Cincinnati. While at the University of Cincinnati, Williams was twice awarded the Goldman Prize for Excellence in Teaching, both in 2004 and 2011. This award is unique because students nominate and choose the recipients—their professors.

Before her work at the University of Cincinnati, Williams served as vice president and director of educational opportunities at the National Women’s Law Center, where she focused on gender equity in education. In that capacity, Williams was lead counsel and successfully argued before the United States Supreme Court Davis v. Monroe County Board of Education, which established that the federal Title IX law requires educational institutions to address known complaints of student-to-student sexual harassment.

Anonymous — Sun, 21 Oct 2018 01:07:20 +0000

Judge Carlos Lucero Discusses Lawyers' Role in Defending the Constitution at 2018 Stevens Lecture Anonymous (not verified) Sat, 10/20/2018 - 19:07

On Sept. 27, 2018, the Hon. Carlos F. Lucero, Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, delivered the seventh annual John Paul Stevens Lecture. Hosted by the Byron R. White Center for the Study of American Constitutional Law at the University of Colorado Law School, Lucero’s talk, "A Constitutional Call to Arms and Reflections on a Judicial Career,” focused on contemporary challenges to the Constitution and what role lawyers have to support and defend the Constitution.

The lecture included a Q&A discussion with Suzette Malveaux, Provost Professor of Civil Rights Law and director of the White Center. Lucero also responded to questions from student leaders Leah Fugere (’20), president of the Christian Legal Society; Nicholas Monck (’19), president of the Student Bar Association; and Hannah Regan-Smith (‘19), editor-in-chief of the University of Colorado Law Review.

Watch the recording:

[video:https://youtu.be/TlQ576x_spU]

Lucero was appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit by President Clinton on June 30, 1995. A native Coloradan, Lucero received his undergraduate degree from Adams State College and his law degree from the George Washington University Law School. After law school, he clerked for Judge William E. Doyle on the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. Lucero then entered private practice in Alamosa, Colorado, where he became senior partner of Lucero, Lester and Sigmund. He served as president of the Colorado Bar Association from 1977 to 1978.

Notable opinions authored by Lucero include Kitchen v. Herbert, 755 F.3d 1193 (10th Cir. 2014) (first among the circuits in ruling that state bans on same-sex marriage are unconstitutional); Hawker v. Sandy City Corp., 774 F.3d 1243 (10th Cir. 2014) (concurring opinion) (criticizing the school-to-prison pipeline); and Peterson v. Martinez, 707 F.3d 1197 (10th Cir. 2013) (holding that the Second Amendment does not protect a right to concealed carry).

Lucero has received the Professional Service Award of the Colorado Hispanic Bar Association, the Professional Service Award of the League of United Latin American Citizens, the Distinguished Alumnus Award from George Washington University, and the National Jurist of the Year Award from the Hispanic National Bar Association. He is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, International Academy of Trial Lawyers, International Society of Barristers, American Bar Foundation, and the Colorado Bar Foundation. Lucero is also an honorary member of the University of Colorado Law School Order of the Coif.

This year’s lecture was sponsored by the Colorado LGBT Bar Association and the Colorado Hispanic Bar Association.

The annual Stevens Lecture brings a distinguished jurist to Colorado to lead a public discussion of judging and the judicial system. On Sept. 26, 2017, Jonathan Lippman, former chief judge of New York and a pioneer in addressing access to justice, delivered the sixth annual Stevens Lecture on “Changing the Dialogue on Access to Justice.” In 2016, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor visited ��«��Ƶ and participated in a Q&A conversation with more than 1,500 participants for the fifth annual Stevens Lecture. Past jurists have been Justices John Paul Stevens, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sandra Day O’Connor, and the late Antonin Scalia. Previous attendance numbers have exceeded 1,000 people, with additional audiences watching via live video stream at the Wolf Law Building on campus and satellite locations at other colleges and universities throughout Colorado.

Learn more about the White Center and the Stevens Lecture.

The Hon. Carlos F. Lucero, Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, delivered the 2018 John Paul Stevens Lecture, "A Constitutional Call to Arms and Reflections on a Judicial Career."

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