Feature News
Hamline Law Team Emerges as Finalist at Prestigious Mediation Competition in Paris
Hamline law students Mike Cavallaro and Sarah Belz emerged as finalists this month at the prestigious International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Mediation Representation Competition in Paris. As competition finalists, they were both awarded coveted internships this summer. Sarah will be interning at the ICC in Paris; Mike at the international law firm Clifford Chance. They were coached by Hamline adjunct faculty member Jessica Kuchta-Miller, who accompanied them to the competition in Paris.
"This is an incredibly tough competition judged by the best lawyers and mediators in the world. I know Mike and Sarah were honored to have been selected as one of only eight American teams invited to participate in this prestigious competition," said Professor James Coben, director of Hamline's Dispute Resolution Institute. "So emerging as one of the two best teams in the entire international competition is an impressive accomplishment. We are extremely proud of them."
With a view towards training lawyers to better meet the dispute resolution needs of today's cross-cultural market, the competition gives students an opportunity to test their problem-solving skills in a moot international mediation. More than 85 legal experts with a diverse range of expertise participate as volunteer mediators and judges. The competition final was filmed and will be used as a training DVD and distributed to law schools throughout the world. It will be available online at: http://www.iccwbo.org/court/adr/id20734/index.html
Hamline Team Places in Semi-Finals at National Negotiation Moot Court Competition
Hamline law students Char Hunter and Pat Zitek advanced to the semi-final round at the national Negotiation Moot Court Competition in Boston on February 13-14. This ABA-sponsored competition focuses on legal negotiation skills and provides a means to practice and improve a problem-solving approach to representing clients in both transaction and settlement negotiation situations. More than 220 teams from more than 100 North American law schools annually compete. The Hamline team placed first at the regional competition and advanced to the national finals with 23 other teams from across North America. They were coached by Hamline Law Professors Ken Fox and Marilynne Roberts.
Program to Address Technology in Dispute Resolution
Technology is affecting every aspect of our lives, including the way that we problem solve and resolve disputes. Professor David Larson and other guest speakers will analyze online dispute providers such as Smartsettle.com and Cybersettle and attempt to resolve a problem relying on dispute resolution software during an upcoming Ramsey County Bar Association CLE program on March 6 at Hamline University.
The program will consider whether the avatars that live in virtual worlds such as Second Life can help us resolve disputes. Speakers will discuss how online communication differs from face-to-face communication and the benefits (and dangers) of using video and audio technology. They also will explore how lawyers can serve a new generation of young clients who will demand professional services that utilize the technologies they already use every day.
Professor David Larson (above) frequently speaks at programs in the United States and abroad and publishes professional articles on topics related to how technology can help lawyers improve their ability to solve client problems. His recent publications are available at http://ssrn.com/author=709717.
Distinguished Latino Jurist, Teacher and Scholar Cruz Reynoso to Keynote 2009 "Juris Fiesta"
Distinguished Jurist and University of California Davis School of Law Professor Emeritus Cruz Reynoso will serve as the Hamline University School of Law Juris Fiesta keynote speaker on March 14, 2009. When he arrives, he will be personally greeted by his former law clerk, Professor Joseph Daly, who worked for Justice Reynoso in 1967 at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in the General Counsel's Office in Washington, D.C.
"I remember going into his office and feeling more than a little nervous when I was asked to handle my first big assignment," Professor Daly recalls with a laugh. "I was quickly relieved when I realized that he wanted me to succeed. He is an impressive lawyer and he truly cares about people. He is a kind and decent man."
The Fifth Annual Juris Fiesta is titled: "Cornerstones and Building Blocks: The Foundations and Future of Latinos in the Law." Juris Fiesta is a major annual event at Hamline, drawing more than 200 members of Minnesota's bench and bar and featuring prominent Latino legal educators, including Professor Elizabeth Iglesias from the University of Miami School of Law and Jose Roberto (Beto) Juarez, Jr., dean of the Sturm College of Law at the University of Denver. Funds raised at the event have led to the establishment of a scholarship for Latino law students at Hamline.
Latino Attorney and Poet Martin Espada to Visit Hamline in March
Called the "Latino poet of his generation" and the "Pablo Neruda of North American authors," award-winning poet and author Martin Espada will visit Hamline University School of Law on March 19 for an 11 a.m. presentation in the Annette K. Levine Moot Court Room. A former tenant lawyer in Boston, he has published 16 books and numerous essays and now is a professor in the Department of English at the University of MA-Amherst. The presentation, which is free and open to the public, is presented in conjunction with Hamline's Graduate School of Liberal Studies.
