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VLS in the News

December 2008

• VLS alumnus Christopher Curtis, JD '06, was profiled in a Dec. 19 Times Argus story, which explored his career as a staff attorney with Vermont Legal Aid and the challenges faced by those who represent low-income clients in tough economic times. Read the story at timesargus.com.



• Matt Houde, VLS associate director of Career Services (and N.H. Senator-elect), was interviewed by VPR for a Dec. 18th Morning Edition piece, in which he discussed the hardships faced by a community that went for nearly a week without power following an ice storm that hit the region. Listen to the piece at vpr.net.



• Professor Patrick Parenteau provided some help for a Dec. 18 Slate column that explained the significance of listing non-native species on the Endangered Species Act. Read the story at slate.com.



• Professor Cheryl Hanna spoke with the Burlington Free Press for a Dec. 14 story about three high-profile murder cases in Vermont that captured headlines in 2008. Read the article at burlingtonfreepress.com. She was also quoted in a Rutland Herald story about a Vermont case that is headed for argument before the US Supreme Court. Hanna, with help from students in her Women and the Law class, authored an amicus brief in the case. Read the article at rutlandherald.com.



• Professor Jason Czarnezki's Empirical Legal Studies Blog was recently named to the ABA Journal''s "Blawg 100" list, which highlighted the top legal blogs around the country. The Journal said of Czarnezki and his fellow editors, "These law professors are 'data junkies,' usually not likely to share an anecdote or a theory without a study to back it up." Read more at abajournal.com.



• Dean Jeff Shields was recently named as one of three new trustees at Fletcher Allen Health Care. The story appeared in the Dec. 15 edition of the Burlington Free Press, as well as in other publications around the state. Read about it at burlingtonfreepress.com.



• The Burlington Free Press also carried a notice of VLS Trustee Perez Ehrich being named to board of directors of the Vermont Symphony Association. Read about it at burlingtonfreepress.com.



• VLS alumnus Steve Hinchman, JD '03, an attorney with the Conservation Law Foundation, was saluted in an editorial that ran in the Dec. 8 Portland Press Herald for his efforts to protect Maine's waterways from the effects of untreated storm water. CLF filed a lawsuit that the editorial concluded would lead to more effective cleanup. Read the story at mainetoday.com.



• VLS student Joshua Thompson, JD '10, was interviewed by WCAX Channel 3 for a Dec. 5 piece about threatened cuts to Amtrak service that could affect ridership in Vermont. Watch the piece at wcax.com.



• VLS alumnus William "Trey" Martin III, JD '08, recently joined Downs Rachlin Martin's Burlington office, as reported in the Dec. 8 Burlington Free Press. Read about it at burlingtonfreepress.com.



• VLS alumnus Clancy DeSmet was quoted in The Bridge, discussing his neighborhood in Montpelier. DeSmet, JD '06, MSEL '03, is the planning and zoning administrator for the city of Montpelier. Read the article at burrellesluce.com.



• The same publication carried an op-ed calling for the shutdown of Vermont Yankee, authored by VLS alumnus Jake Brown, MSEL '91. Read the piece at burrellesluce.com.



• VLS alumus Peter Levigne, JD '85, an environmental leader and good friend of the VLS community, recently passed away in Prescott, Arizona. The Concord Monitor carried the obituary, which can be read online at concordmonitor.com.



• Professor Michael Mello's recent death was noted in many media outlets, including:
  boston.com
  rutlandherald.com
  burlingtonfreepress.com
  abajournal.com
  vpr.net
  wcax.com
  The Valley News also carried a front-page news story on his death, which can be read with other tributes on vermontlaw.edu.



• Prof. Mello, who was frequently a source for the media on issues related to criminal procedure and the death penalty, was last quoted in the Nov. 19 online Huffington Post in the AP story, "Ethical Dilemma for Lawyers When Inmates Seek Death," which is available online at huffingtonpost.com. The AP story was also carried in many other publications.



• WCAX Channel 3 sent a news crew to VLS this week to interview members of Professor Cheryl Hanna's Women and the Law class. The class authored an amicus brief that was recently filed in the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of State of Vermont v. Michael Brillon, in support of the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence and other organizations. The Channel 3 segment is scheduled to air later this week. For more on the brief, visit vermontlaw.edu. The filing also drew notice from the Rutland Herald in a Nov. 28 story available online at rutlandherald.com.



• Prof. Hanna was interviewed for a Dec. 2 story in the Burlington Free Press that examined the relationship between holidays and a spike in crime reports. Read the article at burlingtonfreepress.com. She was also interviewed by the Burlington Free Press for a Nov. 30 story about the upcoming release of a convicted child molester, whose controversial sentencing captured national headlines several years back. Read the article at burlingtonfreepress.com.
  


• The Regional Educational Technology Network (RETN) featured Prof. Hanna this week on the cable program, "The Politics of Court Appointments: Does It Matter Who Is Governor for the Vermont Supreme Court?"



• The Vermont Business Magazine carried an announcement of a national award presented to Professor Michael Dworkin, who was honored by the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners during their annual meeting. Read the announcement at vermontbiz.com.



• Professor Michael McCann was interviewed by CNN about the legal issues facing New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress. The American Morning segment aired Dec. 4 and can be viewed at criticalmention.com (see end of clip).



• Prof. McCann also discussed the case in two of his Sports Illustrated Sports Law columns, available online at sportsillustrated.cnn.com and Answering the key questions in the Plaxico Burress case.
  He wrote a recent column on the Securities and Exchange Commission's lawsuit against Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban for insider trading that is available at sportsillustrated.cnn.com.
  And The New York Times recently cited his study on NBA players in trouble with the law in this piece, available at nytimes.com.
  

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November 2008

• The Nov. 27 front page of the Randolph Herald carried the story "White River Partnership Wins Award" highlighting the work of the partnership's director, VLS alumna Mary Russ, MSEL'01 (who also worked in VLS Career Services from 2002-2006). Read the article at rherald.com.



• The same edition of the Randolph Herald carried a front page photo of VLS Assistant Registrar Marilyn Labadie, who is a moving force behind the South Royalton Thanksgiving Dinner held at VLS each year. Check out the photo at rherald.com.



• The Nov. 17th edition of The Wall Street Journal offered insights from Professor Peter Bradford, a former member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, regarding the debate over nuclear power. Read the article at burrellesluce.com.



• Professor Brian Porto taped a VPR commentary about the status of football at the University of Vermont. The segment aired on Nov. 14 and can be heard at vpr.net.



• Peg Elmer of the Land Use Institute was a guest on WGDR radio's morning show on Nov. 18, speaking about strategies to support smarter growth. The show is not posted online.



• Professor Betsy Baker was interviewed by Scientific American for its story, "Drawing Lines in the Sea: Nations Stake Claims on Arctic Ocean Riches." Prof. Baker spent three weeks this summer aboard the USCG icebreaker Healy, working with a team of scientists to map the Arctic's outer continental shelf. Read the article at sciam.com. For more on her journey, read VLS's coverage at



• Professor Tseming Yang spoke with VPR's Vermont Edition host Jane Lindholm for a Nov. 13 segment about the VLS Partnership for Environmental Law in China. The interview was included in VPR's "Green Series," which VPR describes as highlighting the work of people "who are finding innovative solutions to environmental problems." You can listen to the interview at vpr.net.



• The Nov. 12 Rutland Herald and Times Argus carried a story about a Veterans Day forum held at VLS, sponsored by the VLS Republicans, to help veterans who are in need of assistance. The story quoted VLS students Zachary Wentworth, Richard Eckley and Kathy Stickel. Read the article at rutlandherald.com.



• Professor Michael Mello was interviewed for a Nov. 11 story in the Rutland Herald and Times Argus about a dispute between defense lawyers and prosecutors seeking the death penalty in the case of Michael Jacques, who is charged in the murder of 12-year-old Brooke Bennett. Read the article at timesargus.com. Prof. Mello was also quoted in a Nov. 9 story in the Burlington Free Press that is available online at burlingtonfreepress.com. He also spoke with Fox News 44 for a story available at fox44.net.



• Professor Teresa Clemmer of the ENRLC was quoted in a Nov. 7 story in Indian News Today about FERC's dismissal of an application to build a controversial liquified natural gas terminal and pipeline on land owned by the Passamaquoddy Tribe in Maine. The ENRLC represents a Passamquoddy group in challenging a lease that the federal government has issued for the project. Read the article at indiancountrytoday.com (see sidebar).



• Professor Cheryl Hanna was a guest on VPR's Vermont Edition on Nov. 4, discussing the Wyeth v. Levine case that was heard one day earlier in the U.S. Supreme Court. The case involves a Vermont musician whose arm was amputated below the elbow after being injected with an anti-nausea drug. A Vermont jury awarded Diana Levine $6 million, but the drug company Wyeth challenged the award. Listen to the piece at vpr.net. Prof. Hanna was also interviewed for a segment about Wyeth v. Levine that ran on NPR's midday program, Day to Day, on Oct. 31. Listen to the program at npr.org. Prof. Hanna appeared on Channel 3 News on Oct. 31 to discuss the outcome of polling that suggested Vermonters were leaning more in favor of the death penalty in the wake of several brutal murders in recent years. Watch the coverage at wcax.com.



• VLS student Jeffrey Heinrick, JD '10, worked as a police investigator in Phoenix before attending law school, and he recently shared some of his investigative techniques with students at a local after-school program. He is featured in a Nov. 6 Randolph Herald story available online at burrellesluce.com.



• The same edition of the Randolph Herald carried this request for volunteers for the Thanksgiving Day Community Dinner held at VLS. Assistant Registrar Marilyn Labadie plays a key role in organizing the festive meal for local residents each year. Read about it at burrellesluce.com.



• And in its Oct. 30 edition, the Randolph Herald carried a front-page story about VLS student Ugonma Achebe, JD '10, and her recent appearance on the nationally televised game show, "Who Wants To Be a Millionaire." Read the article at rherald.com.



• In election news, Matt Houde, associate director of career services, won his race for a seat in the New Hampshire Senate. Read about it at burrellesluce.com.
  Others in the VLS community who won races include VLS Trustee Randy Brock, elected to the Vermont Senate; Randy Foose, former VLS chief financial officer, re-elected to the NH House; and Lucy McVitty Weber, JD/MSL '85, who will serve in the NH House.



• VLS alumnus Stacy Chapman, JD '79, was recently named president of the Vermont Bar Association. A Rutland attorney, Chapman spoke with the Rutland Business Journal about his desire to see more "collegiality" between opposing lawyers. Read the story at burrellesluce.com.



• A front-page story in the Nov. 4 edition of the Boston Globe quoted Jessica Vaughan, formerly with the VLS Office for Institutional Advancement and now a senior policy analyst with the Center for Immigration Studies. Read the article at boston.com.



• VLS alum Marie McCarty, JD '87/MSEL '94, is featured in a story from Homer, Alaska, where she was recently named executive director of a land trust there. Read the story at homernews.com.



• Michele Kupersmith, assistant director of career services (VLS '82), was one of three Vermont legislators recently honored for their leadership by the Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility. An article appeared in the Nov. 3 business section of the Burlington Free Press, although it is not available online. As a member of the House of Representatives from South Burlington, she did not seek re-election this year.
  
  
• VLS student Sarah Buxton, JD '10, served as an on-air commentator on the FOX network in Toledo, Ohio on election night. The station's website is at foxtoledo.com.