Jason Keller – Page 4 – University of Baltimore School of Law Magazine

Ernesto Villaseñor to Serve as Diversity and Inclusion Delegate to ABA Law Student Council

Posted on September 13, 2021September 10, 2024 by Jason Keller in Baltimore Briefs

Rising 2L Ernesto Villaseñor Jr. will serve as the Delegate for Diversity and Inclusion on the American Bar Association Law Student Division 2021–2022 Council (LSD).

“The LSD is more than just a group within the American Bar Association,” he says. “It’s a door into law school advice, career guidance, perks, networking and opportunities for growth throughout your law school endeavor, and beyond. It is also a space to raise unmet needs that would help you succeed in your law school career … and work with the LSD to help fulfill those needs that would benefit you and fellow students across the country.”

A native of Compton, CA, Villaseñor describes himself as a “first-generation Lawtino.” He is also the incoming vice president of the law school’s Students for Public Interest (UBSPI). “After working in public interest, nonprofit leadership and governmental spaces for more than 10 years,” he says, “I want to connect those experiences as an aspiring public defender and be a zealous advocate for those who I will fight on behalf of.

“My goal is to strengthen the connection between public interest work and our law school, helping bring more opportunities for law students while serving our communities. As the next ABA Delegate of Diversity and Inclusion, I want to bring bold leadership and uplift the underrepresented voices among the law student body at [Baltimore Law] and across the nation, creating pipelines for leader- ship and representation in decision-making spaces.”

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Starger Begins Three-Year Term as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs

Posted on September 13, 2021September 10, 2024 by Jason Keller in Baltimore Briefs

Prof. Colin Starger has begun a three-year term as associate dean for academic affairs, replacing Prof. Dionne Koller, who also served in the role for three years.

Starger is the founding director of the law school’s Legal Data & Design Clinic, and he also co-led the now-defunct Pretrial Justice Clinic, with Zina Makar. Makar recently rejoined the faculty and will teach criminal law. In recent years, Starger has taught Criminal Law, Civil Procedure, Introduction to Lawyering Skills, Jurisprudence, and Coding for Lawyers, in addition to leading the clinics.

Before joining the law faculty in 2010, Starger served as an acting assistant professor of lawyering at New York University School of Law. He graduated in 2002 from Columbia University Law School, where he was a recipient of the Jane Marks Murphy Prize (for Clinical Excellence), and a graduation speaker for his J.D. class.

Following graduation, Starger clerked for Magistrate Judge Michael Dolinger in the Southern District of New York. From 2003 to 2007, he worked as a staff attorney at the Innocence Project at Cardozo Law School. At the Innocence Project, Starger was lead counsel on four DNA exonerations, including one from Oklahoma’s death row.

Starger is the principal on the SCOTUS Mapping Project, a software-driven effort to map Supreme Court doctrine. He has been honored for his innovative work in law and technology, named in 2014’s “Fastcase 50” and as a 2020 American Bar Association “Legal Rebel.” He is a member of the New York and Maryland bars.

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New Staff Join Law School Over Past Year

Posted on September 13, 2021September 10, 2024 by Jason Keller in Baltimore Briefs

Rayna Simon joined the Office of Academic Affairs as student affairs coordinator after working in various roles at her alma mater, Stony Brook University, since 2010. Most recently, she was director of the office of undergraduate student government, where she managed a $3.7 million operational budget and supervised staff and volunteers. Prior to that, Simon was executive assistant to the vice provost for graduate education at Stony Brook.

She also served as an advisor to the Office of Multicultural Affairs, working with minority students in leadership and academic success programs. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work at Stony Brook.

Assistant Director of Admissions Justin Aromas-Janosik came to Baltimore Law from George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School, where he had been director of recruiting and marketing since 2015. Prior to that, he was an admissions officer at Northern Kentucky University Chase College of Law from 2008 to 2015.

Aromas-Janosik earned a bachelor’s from the University of Cincinnati and a Master of Arts in Communications from Northern Kentucky University.

Denise Williams joined the Law Career Development Office as associate director. She has five years’ experience as an assistant state’s attorney in the felony trial unit, first in Baltimore City and then in Cecil County. She also clerked for four District Court judges
in Harford County.

Williams earned her B.S. from Drexel University and her J.D. from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law.

The law library welcomed a new digital reference librarian, Savannah Long, who is responsible for maintaining the law school’s ScholarWorks and SSRN presence, in addition to her regular reference librarian duties.

Before coming to Baltimore Law, Long was a Law Library Fellow at the James E. Rogers College of Law at the University of Arizona, while she was pursuing a Master of Arts in Library
and Information Science. She earned her J.D. at Vanderbilt University and her B.S. at the University of Alabama.

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Baltimore Law Welcomes New Faculty Members

Posted on September 13, 2021September 10, 2024 by Jason Keller in Baltimore Briefs

Five professors join the law faculty

Professor Erica J. Suter is professor of the practice and the new director of the Innocence Project Clinic (IPC), a unique and collaborative position with the Maryland Office of the Public Defender and the School of Law. She replaces Michele Nethercott, who retired after leading the clinic for almost 20 years.

Suter joins Baltimore Law from private practice, where she has been widely recognized as an accomplished appellate and post-conviction criminal defense attorney. In addition to her private practice, Suter gained experience working with students at Georgetown University and UDC’s David A. Clarke School of Law.

She earned a B.A. from Bates College, a master’s from the University of Chicago, and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.

Profess or Shanta Trivedi returns to Baltimore Law, where from 2016 to 2020 she was a clinical teaching fellow in the Bronfein Family Law Clinic. She is teaching family law and directs the Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children and the Courts.

After concluding her fellowship at Baltimore Law, Trivedi spent one year at Georgetown Law Center, as a clinical teaching fellow and women’s law and public policy fellow in the Domestic Violence Clinic.

Prior to entering teaching, Trivedi was an attorney in the family defense practice at Brooklyn Defender Services in New York. She has a B.A. in journalism from New York University and a J.D. from Boston University. Trivedi takes the CFCC reins from Professor Barbara Babb, who has retired after 32 years at Baltimore Law.

Professor Zina Makar returns to Baltimore Law, where from 2016 to 2019 she was a clinical teaching fellow and co-director of the Pretrial Justice Clinic, which she co-founded. Prior to that, she was a public defender and Open Society Fellow at the Maryland Office of the Public Defender. In 2017, she was named Public Interest Attorney of the Year by the Baltimore City Bar Association.

After completing her Baltimore Law fellowship, she became a teaching fellow in the Civil Rights Clinic and Voting Rights Institute at Georgetown University Law Center. While at Georgetown, she earned her Master of Laws in Advocacy. Makar has a B.S. from University of Maryland and a J.D. from University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law.

Professor Melinda Dunmire is professor of the practice and director of the law school’s Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic, replacing John Snyder. Prior to joining the faculty, she was assistant to the Maryland Comptroller, where she provided general counsel on legal and policy matters, monitored federal tax law changes, and led legislative workgroups, among other duties.

Dunmire also has extensive experience as a hearing officer for the Comptroller’s Office and as a guest lecturer on tax matters at law schools and professional organizations. She earned her bachelor’s, Master of Laws in Taxation, and J.D. degrees at The University of Baltimore, as well as a certificate in nonprofit management from the Community College of Baltimore County.

Professor Marta Baffy joined the faculty as director of academic success and professor of the practice. She came from Georgetown University Law Center, where for five years she was faculty director of its two-year LL.M. program and taught a number of courses on legal research and writing, working with legal texts, linguistics and English for non-native speakers.

She has provided legal services to a variety of diverse communities, and she has published and presented widely on pedagogical practice in law schools. She earned her B.A., summa cum laude, from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and both a master’s and a doctorate in linguistics from Columbia and Georgetown, respectively. Her J.D. is from Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University.

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Law School Partners with State to Investigate Updates to Maryland Laws to Allow Autonomous Vehicles

Posted on September 13, 2021September 10, 2024 by Jason Keller in Baltimore Briefs

This year, the law school embarked on a joint project with the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) to investigate updates to Maryland law to support the safe deployment of connected and automated vehicle (CAV) technology. Existing laws related to vehicles typically assume that key decisions regarding the operation and maintenance of a vehicle are made by a human, and these laws therefore may be poorly suited to governing vehicles that operate autonomously. Such laws threaten to undermine the future adoption of CAV technologies in Maryland.

To complicate matters, many diverse areas of law potentially relate to vehicles, including transportation, insurance, criminal, environmental and business law. With the emergence of CAV technologies, some states have revised certain key portions of their laws, but this “patchwork” approach to legal reform can lead to legal inconsistencies, enforcement difficulties, and unintended effects. As such, MDOT SHA and Baltimore Law have launched a comprehensive audit of all Maryland statutes and regulations relevant to automated driving.

The team at Baltimore Law is led by Prof. Will Hubbard, director of the law school’s Center for the Law of Intellectual Property and Technology. Three additional professors will spearhead the effort – Prof. Michele Gilman, Prof. Nancy Modesitt, and Prof. Colin Starger — while six law students will support the project as research assistants: Taylor Bayat, Michael Blanchard, Christian Coward, Nyari James, Sina Jahanshahi and Molly Shaffer.

The project will conclude in February 2022 with recommendations for changes to Maryland laws necessary to pave the way for safely deploying CAV technology in Maryland.

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New Staff Joined UB Law This Summer

Posted on October 29, 2020September 10, 2024 by Jason Keller in Baltimore Briefs

Neal Kempler joined UB Law as director of bar success and professor of the practice in July 2020. Prior to joining UB, he spent 18 years as the vice president of program development for Shemer Bar Review, LLC, where he designed innovative bar-passage programs, taught classes in the techniques of bar success, and advised, supported and motivated thousands of individual students.

Prior to his work in the bar-exam preparation industry, Kempler served as an executive in the healthcare field. He received his B.A. in Philosophy and Psychology, cum laude, from Boston University, and his J.D., summa cum laude, from UB Law.

James Simermeyer has joined the UB Law staff as assistant director of admissions for non-J.D. recruitment (LL.M. and certificate programs) and special projects. In his previous role, Simermeyer was the assistant director of diversity and public interest at the University of New Mexico (UNM) School of Law. Simermeyer grew up in Baltimore County and graduated from UNM School of Law.

Prior to working in law school administration, he was a juvenile public defender for the San Carlos Apache Tribe. Simermeyer is a member of the Coharie tribe. He is very excited to be back home in Baltimore and feels blessed to be joining the wonderful UB community.

Faculty Notes – Fall 2021

Posted on October 29, 2020September 10, 2024 by Jason Keller in Uncategorized

BARBARA BABB

PRESENTATIONS

“Five Years of Family Justice Courts,” at the International Advisory Council Meeting, Singapore, Oct. 1, 2019

“Creating a Caring Unified Family Court,” at the Family Justice Practice Forum, Singapore, Oct. 2, 2019

JOHN BESSLER

PRESENTATION

“The Baron and the Marquis: Liberty, Tyranny, and the Enlightenment Maxim that Can Remake American Criminal Justice,” Harvard Law School, Oct. 4, 2019

GILDA DANIELS

PRESENTATIONS

Webinar discussion of her recent book, Uncounted: The Crisis of Voter Suppression in America, and the documentary film “Rigged,” May 29, 2020

Webinar featured guest, “Voter Suppression and the 2020 Elections: A Threat to Our Democracy?” May 20, 2020. Sponsored by Los Angeles-based Jews United for Democracy and Community Advocates Inc.

MICHELE E. GILMAN

ARTICLES

“AI algorithms intended to root out welfare fraud often end up punishing the poor instead,” The Conversation, Feb. 14, 2020

“Let’s enact a privacy law that advances economic justice,” The Hill, Dec. 9, 2019

“The Future of Clinical Legal Scholarship,” 26 Clinical L. Rev. 189 (2019)

NIENKE GROSSMAN

ARTICLE

“Populism, International Courts, and Women’s Human Rights,” 35 Md. J. Int’l L. (2020)

PRESENTATION

“National Nominations Procedures for Selection of International Criminal Court Judges,” United Nations Side Event, New York, NY, February 5, 2020

DANIEL HATCHER

ARTICLE

“Stop Foster Care Agencies from Taking Children’s Resources,” 71 Florida Law Rev. Forum 104 (2019)

MEDIA APPEARANCE

Interviewed in episode 4, discussing the poverty industry, in the six-part Netflix series, “The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez.” The series first aired on Feb. 26, 2020

CASSANDRA JONES HAVARD

ARTICLE

“Doin’ Banks,” U. Pa. J. Law & Pub. Affairs, Vol. 5 (forthcoming 2020)

MARGARET JOHNSON

ARTICLE

“Menstrual Justice,” 53 UC Davis L Rev 1 (2019) (lead article)

PRESENTATION

Presenter and participant, “Menstrual Justice,” Technical Advisory Group on Menstrual Health and Hygiene Policy Review Project, Geneva, Switzerland, October 10–11, 2019

ROBERT KNOWLES

ARTICLE

“Zealous Administration: The Deportation Bureaucracy,” 72 Rutgers U.L. Rev. (forthcoming 2020) (with Geoffrey Heeren)

DIONNE KOLLER

ARTICLE

“Amateur Regulation and the Unmoored United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee,” in 9 Wake Forest L. Rev. Online 88 (Nov. 2019)

PRESENTATION

“Exploring a Compensation Framework for Intercollegiate Athletes,” testimony before U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, July 1, 2020

ROBERT LANDE

ARTICLE

“Can COVID-19 Get Congress to Finally Strengthen U.S. Antitrust Law?” Washington Monthly, May 21, 2020 (with Sandeep Vaheesen)

JAIME ALISON LEE

ARTICLE

“From Socrates to Selfies: Legal Education and the Metacognitive Revolution,” 12 Drex. Law Rev. 2 (forthcoming 2020)

JAMES MAXEINER

PRESENTATION

Chapters from book in progress, Statutes in Germany’s Government of Laws: With Lessons for the United States of America, at the Works-in-Progress Conference, American Society of Comparative Law 2019 Annual Meeting, University of Missouri School of Law, Columbia MO, Oct. 17, 2019

AUDREY MCFARLANE

PRESENTATION

Panelist, “Beyond Redlining: Black Lives Matter and Community Development,” American Bar Association, June 17, 2020

MICHAEL MEYERSON

RECOGNITION

Received UB President’s Faculty Award for 2020

NANCY MODESITT

ARTICLE

“A New Type of Circuit Split: The Hidden Circuit Split in Retaliation Cases,” 68 Kan. L. Rev. 101 (2019)

MAX OPPENHEIMER

ARTICLE

“The New Cybersquatters: The Evolution of Trademark Enforcement in the Domain Name Space,” 30 Fordham Intell. Prop. Media & Ent. L.J. 447 (2019–2020)

WALTER SCHWIDETZKY

ARTICLE

“Code Sec. 163(j), the Proposed Regulations, and Partnerships: The Nightmare Basics,” 98 Taxes The Tax Magazine 98(2), 19 (2020)

MORTIMER SELLERS

PRESENTATION

“A Realistic Theory of Law” and “The Philosophical Foundations of International Law,” World Congress of the Philosophy of Law, Lucerne, Switzerland, July 2019

CHARLES TIEFER

ARTICLES

Regular series of columns on Forbes.com

KIM WEHLE

ARTICLES

Regular series of articles in The Hill and The Bulwark

RONALD WEICH

PRESENTATION

“Looking Back on Impeachment from the Middle of a Pandemic,” lecture for Baltimore Bar Library Association, April 30, 2020

On The Bookshelf

Uncounted: The Crisis of Voter Suppression in America

Uncounted examines the phenomenon of disenfranchisement through the lens of history, race, law, and the democratic process. Prof. Gilda R. Daniels argues that voter suppression works in cycles, constantly adapting and finding new ways to hinder access for an exponentially growing minority population. She warns that a premeditated strategy of restrictive laws and deceptive practices has taken root and is eroding the very basis of American democracy — the right to vote.

Researching the LaW: Finding What You Need When You Need IT

This book, now in its third edition, guides students through a decidedly contemporary approach to legal research. Prof. Amy E. Sloan presents legal research as a process of efficiently filtering a vast quantity of available information. Simply put, students learn how to locate and identify the most pertinent and authoritative information available with the greatest possible expedience. Her clear, concise explanations of essential research sources are presented in a context that speaks to the way lawyers do research today, with a flexible approach that works in a rapidly changing research environment.

Ethical Problems in the Practice of Law

This problem-based book, by Prof. Robert Rubinson and two co-authors, reflects the authors’ broad range of teaching, clinical and policy-making experience. Updated in a fifth edition, the book’s carefully crafted ethical problems challenge students to engage in a deep analysis and participate in lively class discussion.

What You Need to Know About Voting — and Why

Prof. Kimberly Wehle offers practical, useful advice on the mechanics of voting and an enlightening survey of its history and future. She explains primaries, the electoral college, mail-in ballots, gerrymandering and more. For everyone looking ahead to the next election, it’s a timely and informative guide, providing the necessary background to make informed choices.

In Memoriam – Fall 2020

Posted on October 29, 2020September 10, 2024 by Jason Keller in Uncategorized

1950s

Edward B. Rybczynski, J.D. ’52

John R. Cannon, LL.B. ’53

Raymond A. Richards, J.D. ’53

James J. Dembeck, J.D. ’54

J. Max Millstone, Sr., LL.B. ’56

Robert H. Bates, LL.B. ’58

Hon. Jerome B. Blum, LL.B. ’58

Bernard Brager, LL.B. ’58

Dominick D. Ferrarini, LL.B. ’58

Martin I. Moylan, J.D. ’59

1960s

John F. Foley, Jr., LL.B. ’62

Robert G. Durnal, J.D. ’63

Richard J. Pozecki, J.D. ’63

Thomas B. Shettle, J.D. ’63

William C. Bausman, J.D. ’64

Thomas J. Doud, Jr., LL.B. ’64

Edward J. Katrinic, LL.B. ’64

Donald J. May, J.D. ’64

Robert H. Bommer, Jr., J.D. ’65

Louis J. Martucci, LL.B. ’65

Frederick J. Alsruhe, LL.B. ’66

Milton W. Lee, J.D. ’66

Ronald J. Levasseur, J.D. ’66

George Anderson Shehan, LL.B. ’66

Richard C. Brooke, J.D. ’67

Joan B. Burrier, LL.B. ’67

Thomas C. Gentner, J.D. ’67

Wadsworth Robinson, LL.B. ’67

Charles W. Sullivan, LL.B. ’67

William F. Kirwin, Jr., J.D. ’68

John Franklin (“Mac”) McClellan LL.B. ’68

Patricia A. Thomas, J.D. ’69

1970s

Guy R. Ayres, III, J.D. ’70

George A. Breschi, J.D. ’70

Rev. St. George I. B. Crosse, III, J.D. ’70

Robert J. Heitzman, J.D. ’70

Frank B. Proctor, J.D. ’70

John W. Bryant, J.D. ’71

Louis C. Bricca, J.D. ’72

Emile J. Henault, Jr., J.D. ’72

Hon. James F. Schneider, J.D. ’72

Joe R. Carney, J.D. ’73

Anthony G. Dibenedetto, J.D. ’73

Karl V. Hetherington, Jr., J.D. ’73

Hon. Larry R. Holtz, J.D. ’73

Hon. Patrick Cavanaugh, J.D. ’74

Mary Louise Carey Faber, J.D. ’74

Sharon L. Harris, J.D. ’74

WG Speicher, Jr., J.D. ’74

Roger L. Pickens, J.D. ’75

Bernard C. Wald, J.D. ’75

Thomas P. Barbera, J.D. ’76

Charles J. Kollar, J.D. ’76

William M. Rudd, J.D. ’76

Phyllis B. Kramer, J.D. ’77

Neil S. Alpern, J.D. ’78

Kirk L. Hurley, J.D. ’78

J. Frank Nayden, J.D. ’78

Arthur I. Messinger, J.D. ’79

1980s

Terri A. Davis, J.D. ’81

C. Teresa V. Osborne, J.D. ’81

Barton L. Stringham, J.D. ’81

Don E. Ansell, J.D. ’82

Edward R. Jeunette Jr., J.D. ’82

Thomas J. Ward, J.D. ’82

Claudie Heim Tucker Stewart, J.D. ’83

Kathleen A. Talty, J.D. ’83

Timothy K. Michels, J.D. ’84

Dale C. McCloud, J.D. ’85

Francis G. Martin, J.D. ’86

Robert J. Morrissey, J.D. ’87

John M. Lis, J.D. ’88

1990s

Mark W. Conforti, J.D. ’91

Gregory A. Castelli, J.D. ’94

Susan E. Bare, J.D. ’97

Alumni Notes – Fall 2020

Posted on October 29, 2020September 10, 2024 by Jason Keller in Uncategorized

1960s

Stanley Alpert, LL.B. ’63, received the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service 10-Year Volunteer Award.

Alan J. Bloom, J.D. ’65, received the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service 10-Year Volunteer Award.

1970s

Augustus F. “Gus” Brown, J.D. ’74, principal member of the law firm of Brown, Brown & Young, P.A., received the 2019 Faculty Member of the Year Award from the Keenan Trial Institute of Atlanta.

Hon. Richard K. Renn, J.D. ’76, retired from the York County, Pa. Court of Common Pleas after 22 years of service.

J. William Pitcher, J.D. ’78, a longtime Annapolis lobby-ist, joined the national lobbying firm Husch Blackwell Strategies.

1980s

Mark S. Radke, J.D. ’81, joined the board of directors of First Columbia Development Corp.

Diane R. Schwartz Jones, J.D. ’82, is council administrator for Maryland’s Howard County Council.

Stephen W. Lafferty, J.D. ’83, is chief sustainability officer for Baltimore County, Md.

Cynthia S. Miraglia, J.D. ’83, retired from the Maryland Workers’ Compensation Commission.

Hon. Audrey J. S. Carrion, J.D. ’84, is circuit administrative judge on the Circuit Court of Baltimore City for the Eighth Judicial Circuit.

Barry L. Levin, J.D. ’84, was named one of Maryland’s Most Admired CEOs in 2019 by The Daily Record.

Kendel S. Ehrlich, J.D. ’87, is director of the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering and Tracking for the Office of Justice Programs for the U.S. Department of Justice.

Donna E. Van Scoy, J.D. ’88, is a family law attorney at Lerch, Early & Brewer.

1990s

Nancy Grodin, MBA ’83, J.D. ’90, retired from the Maryland Insurance Administration, where she was deputy insurance commissioner.

Morrisann M. Wilson, J.D. ’90, was appointed to the Maryland Workers’ Compensation Commission.

Elizabeth W. “Libby” Benet, J.D. ’92, is global chief underwriting officer for cyber at AXA XL, a global business insurance provider.

Chester G. “Chip” Davis, Jr., J.D. ’93, is president and chief executive officer at the Healthcare Distribution Alliance.

Timothy J. Longo Sr., J.D. ’93, is chief of police and associate vice president for safety and security at the University of Virginia.

Timothy J. Quick, J.D. ’93, is a judge on the Virginia Beach, Va., Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court.

Jason Morton, J.D. ’94, received the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service 10-Year Volunteer Award.

Anne Murphy, J.D. ’94, is lecturer in the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Sang W. Oh, J.D. ’94, joined the board of directors of the University System of Maryland (USM) Foundation. Oh is managing partner at Talkin & Oh LLP in Ellicott City, Md.

Charles L. Simmons Jr., J.D. ’95, is partner at Whiteford, Taylor & Preston.

Michael G. Campbell, J.D. ’96, began a one-year term as president of the Montgomery County Inn of the American Inns of Court. Campbell is a partner in Miller, Miller & Canby’s litigation group.

Christopher R. Rahl, J.D. ’96, received the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service

20-Year Volunteer Award.

Chris Lambert, J.D. ’97, is vice president for advancement and alumni relations at Bethany College.

Yolanda F. Sonnier, J.D. ’97, is human rights administrator for Howard County, Md.

Jessica duHoffman, J.D. ’99, principal at Miles & Stockbridge, received Maryland Legal Aid’s 2019 Executive Director’s Award.

Dorenda R. Small, J.D. ’99, is equal employment opportunity manager in the Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

2000s

Patricia M. Muhammad, J.D. ’00, wrote an article, “The U.S. Reparations Debate: Where Do We Go From Here,” that appears in the N.Y.U. Review of Law and Social Change, 44 The Harbinger (2020).

Todd R. Chason, J.D. ’01, is managing member (chief operating officer) and general counsel at Gordon Feinblatt.

Hon. Joyette M. Holmes, J.D. ’01, received the Marietta Daily Journal’s 2019 Citizen of the Year Award. Holmes was named lead prosecutor by the Georgia attorney general in the Ahmaud Arbery case.

Carlos Nunes, J.D. ’01, is a code enforcement officer for Boyce, Va.

Tiffany P. Robinson, J.D. ’01, is secretary of labor for the State of Maryland.

Danielle G. Marcus, J.D. ’02, is a partner at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough’s Baltimore office and was named to The Daily Record’s 2019 Maryland’s Top 100 Women.

Kendra V. Johnson, Ed.D., J.D. ’03, is a community superintendent at Howard County, Md. Public Schools.

Andrew S. Rappaport, J.D. ’03, is an associate judge on the Calvert County, Md. Circuit Court, Seventh Judicial Circuit.

Hon. Wennesa Bell Snoddy, J.D. ’03, is a judge on the Prince George’s County, Md., District Court.

James O. Spiker IV, J.D. ’03, is a principal at Semmes Bowen & Semmes in Baltimore.

Kelly N. Beckham-Madigan, J.D. ’04, is the first executive director at the newly created Baltimore County Office of Ethics and Accountability.

Christopher P. Dean, J.D. ’04, is a principal at Miles & Stockbridge, P.C., in Baltimore, in its health care practice.

Jennifer L. McNulty, J.D. ’05, is a circuit judge of the Massachusetts Juvenile Court, Worcester Division.

Jason R. Potter, J.D. ’05, is an assistant attorney general at the Maryland Office of the Attorney General.

Jeremy M. Eldridge, J.D. ’06, and Kurt E. Nachtman, J.D. ’06, were featured in The Daily Record for their podcast “Lawyers on the Rocks.” Eldridge and Nachtman are defense attorneys at ENLawyers.

Duncan S. Keir, J.D. ’06, is a litigator with Albers & Associates.

Kimberly H. Neal, J.D. ’07, was elected secretary of the board of directors for the Baltimore chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel. Neal is general counsel at The Children’s Guild Alliance.

Erich M. Bean, J.D. ’08, is associate judge on the District Court of Maryland, District 12, Allegany & Garrett counties.

Glen E. Frost, J.D. ’08, CERT ’09, LL.M. ’09, is president and associate legal counsel at the American Citizens Abroad Global Foundation.

Bridgette M. Harwood Stumpf, J.D. ’08, received an Excel Award from the Center for Nonprofit Advancement for her work as executive director of the Network for Victim Recovery of DC, which she co-founded in 2012.

Christopher J. Smith, J.D. ’08, is an associate in the workers’ compensation defense and employers’ liability team at Franklin & Prokopik’s Baltimore office.

Thomas E. “Tommy” Miller, J.D. ’09, is senior counsel at Nixon Law Group.

2010s

Scarlett M. Corso, J.D. ’10, is counsel with the liability team at Franklin & Prokopik in Baltimore.

Ashley C. MacLeay, J.D. ’10, is director of external relations at the Independent Women’s Forum.

N. Tucker Meneely, J.D. ’10, is a partner at Council Baradel in Annapolis, Md.

Erinn F. Grzech, J.D. ’11, is a principal at Semmes Bowen & Semmes in Baltimore.

John P. Malone, J.D. ’11, is general counsel at Shryne Group.

Samantha N. Manganaro, J.D. ’11, was recognized by The American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys as one of the 10 best personal injury lawyers in Maryland for highest verdicts and settlements. She is a partner in the firm of Campen & Manganaro in Frederick, Md.

Jessica L. Phillips, J.D. ’11, is an associate attorney at Maho Prentice.

Matthew J. Rudo, J.D. ’11, is a senior litigation attorney at Cordell & Cordell’s Baltimore office.

Kathleen Wootton Hurd, J.D. ’11, joined the board of directors for Chesapeake Bank and Trust. Hurd is a partner at Rasin, Wootton & Hurd.

Lauren B. Ziegler, J.D. ’11, is of counsel at Nemphos Braue and was appointed to the Maryland Park Advisory Commission.

Elizabeth Payne-Maddalena, J.D. ’13, is senior associate attorney at Berenzweig Leonard.

John J. Leppler, Jr., J.D. ’14, is a senior attorney with Albers & Associates.

Anna S. Sholl, J.D. ’14, is deputy executive director for the Maryland State Bar Association.

Kira E. Zuber, J.D. ’14, is an associate in the medical malpractice group at Goodell DeVries in Baltimore.

Tiffany F. Boykin, J.D. ’15, dean of student engagement at Anne Arundel Community College, received the 2020 Benjamin L. Perry Award from the National Association for Student Affairs Professionals.

Snehal P. Massey, J.D. ’15, is an associate in the family law practice at Turnbull, Nicholson & Sanders.

Momen Abukhdeir, J.D. ’16, is chief data and performance officer for Baltimore County, Md.

Richard L. “Ricky” Adams III, J.D. ’16, is associate attorney at O’Byrne Law.

Vernon D. Brownlee, J.D. ’16, is an associate in the liability practice at Franklin & Prokopik’s Baltimore office.

Michael J. March, J.D. ’16, joined the board of directors for the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service. March is an associate at Rosenberg Martin Greenberg.

Bethany P. Neeb, J.D. ’16, is an associate at Bowie & Jensen, in Towson, Md., in the firm’s litigation practice.

Bryan A. Upshur, J.D. ’16, is an assistant solicitor for the City of Baltimore.

David A. Fraser, J.D. ’17, is an associate in the liability practice at Franklin & Prokopik’s Baltimore office.

Erik L. Johnson, J.D. ’17, is an associate in the liability practice at Franklin & Prokopik’s Baltimore office.

Kara K. Parker, J.D. ’17, is an associate in the workers’ compensation practice at Franklin & Prokopik’s Baltimore office.

Benjamin H. Seider, J.D. ’17, is an associate at Goldberg Segalla.

Marleigh A. Davis, J.D. ’18, is an associate in the workers’ compensation practice at Franklin & Prokopik’s Baltimore office.

Janet E. Franklin, J.D. ’18, is a litigation associate at Hawley Troxell in Pocatello, Idaho.

Horton J. McCormick, III, J.D. ’18, is an associate at Rollins, Smalkin, Richards & Mackie.

Dytonia L. Reed, M.A. ’11, J.D. ’18, is assistant director of government relations at the Maryland Insurance Administration.

John F. Simanski III, J.D. ’18, is an associate in the liability practice at Franklin & Prokopik’s Baltimore office.

Matthew T. West, J.D. ’18, is an associate in the workers’ compensation practice at Franklin & Prokopik’s Baltimore office.

Alexis L. Holiday, J.D. ’19, is an associate in the family law practice at Turnbull, Nicholson & Sanders.

Becoming Practice Ready: UB Law Launches Professionalism Certificate Program

Posted on October 29, 2020September 10, 2024 by Jason Keller in Features

In the competitive job market for recent law school graduates, simply understanding substantive law and having analytical skills is no longer enough to differentiate oneself from other applicants: it’s the bare minimum to land the interview.

“Employers are looking for lawyers who have mastered professional skills critical to practicing law,” says Alyssa Fieo, assistant dean for law career development. “Students need to be able to demonstrate that they have the required communication and executive skills needed to be a successful attorney.”

In January 2020, the Law Career Development Office (LCDO) launched a Certificate in Professionalism program, in partnership with the Student Bar Association and the school’s Honor Board. The program helps to bolster students’ resumes by showing that they have participated in professional development workshops on technology skills for lawyers, the business of law, and lawyer ethics.

“My favorite part of the professionalism certificate program was the ‘Business of Law’ panel discussion,” says Sabrina Marquez, a 2L student who participated in the program. “I am very interested in joining a big law firm after graduation, and through this program, I gained valuable insight into how firms conduct their hiring and internal promotions.”

Other events included “Networking 101” with the Bar Association of Montgomery County; “Plantiffs’ Practice Panel,” in partnership with the Maryland Association of Justice, which invited attorneys to share insight about this practice area with students; and “Drawing an Ethical Line,” a discussion about ethics in the legal field with:

UB Law Professor Robert Rubinson, past chair of the Maryland State Bar Association’s Section Council on Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar;
Attorney Margaret Mead, J.D. ’89; and
Jessica Boltz, assistant bar counsel at the Attorney Grievance Commission of Maryland Office of Bar Counsel.

Nearly 110 students participated in the program this past spring, which was funded by a generous donation from alumna Carolyn Thaler, J.D. ’74, and her husband, David Thaler. Students were matched with an alumni mentor, received complimentary business cards, had the opportunity to earn a legal-technology assessment certification through Procertas, and received a certificate to add to their resume.

The professionalism certificate will benefit me in my future job search by setting me apart from my competitors,” says Marquez. “Especially the Procertas certification, which will allow me to demonstrate to employers my proficiency in the Microsoft Office Suite.”

JOIN UB LAW CONNECT

In July 2020, the Law Career Development Office (LCDO) launched UB Law Connect, a career tool accessible to alumni for job-seeking and employment recruiting needs. Powered by 12Twenty, UB Law Connect provides a user-friendly interface to simplify and enhance the experience for employers and alumni job-seekers.

For Employers
As leaders in the legal community, you have a unique opportunity to share your expertise with our students and recent graduates. Visit law-ubalt.12twenty.com/hire to create an account with your business email address.

For Alumni Job-Seekers
If you would like to set up an Alumni Job-Seeker Account, please send an email to lawcareer@ubalt.edu with your name, personal e-mail address, and graduation year. Once your alumni status is verified, the LCDO will create an alumni job-seeker profile for you and send you an email with instructions to begin your job search process with UB Law Connect.