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Alumnus Returns to John Marshall to Champion Veterans Advocacy Efforts
John Marshall alumnus Brian Morris (JD '98) has joined The John Marshall Law School Veterans Legal Support Center & Clinic (VLSC) as a staff attorney, instructing and mentoring students in the clinic.
Morris, who is a major in the U.S. Army Reserve, recognized veterans' needs for legal help after many years of navigating the system himself, as well as through second-hand experience "watching others dealing with the bureaucracy."
As an 18-year veteran of the United States Army and Army Reserve JAG Corps, his assignments have included service as a legal assistance attorney for the 4th Infantry Division, tort claims defense attorney for III Corps and Fort Hood; an administrative law attorney with United States Medical Research Command at Fort Detrick in Marlyand; a command judge advocate with Task Force Eage in Bosnia; a military prosecutor with CJTF-7 in Iraq; and a legal assistance attorney for Multi-national Security Command in Iraq. He also has worked on classified activities for the Department of Defense during his tenure as a technical advisor at the Counterintelligence Field Activity, Washington, D.C., supporting operations throughout the world, including the Middle East, Europe, and North Africa.
Morris joined John Marshall after nearly 10 years as a litigator with various firms throughout the United States, including MZM, Inc. in Washington DC; Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. in Bentonville, Ark.; O'Hagan, Smith & Admundsen in Chicago; and Sanchez, Daniels and Hoffman, LLC in Chicago.
Morris says that his goal for the VLSC since joining last month is primarily "to "help students develop their analytical skills as future lawyers."
"I'd like to help them become better advocates for veterans," he added.
He also plans to continue to develop the pro bono network of attorneys. Though many of the cases that come to the attention of the clinic are handled by outside attorneys in the network, Morris said some will be handled "in-house."
"If we see a case with good teaching points that can be handled in-house, we will take them on," he said. "We are also willing to work on cases that no outside attorney wants," he added. "We don't want any veteran without representation, if the case should be reviewed."
Also joining the clinic as office manager is John Marshall student Karla Rangel. Also on continuing status are student co-founders Nicholas Henry (JD '08) working as administrative director and Michael Barnicle (JD'08) serving as special projects coordinator. Henry will be beginning his training with the U.S. Marine JAG Corps and Barnicle with the Army JAG Corps in the spring 2009 semester.
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Czech Fulbright Researcher Welcomed by John Marshall
The John Marshall Law School is welcoming Fulbright Scholar Václav Stehlik who is doing research during the fall semester.
Stehlík is a professor at the Faculty of Law at Palacky University in Olomouc, Czech Republic, where he is a senior lecturer in European Community/European Union Law in the Department of European Law and International Public Law. His lectures are open to as many as 300 students. That group is divided into groups of about 30 students each for the seminar sessions.
Stehlik's research here will focus on the federal judicial system of the United States. The European Union and its Court of Justice in its decisions has put in place a modified federalist system of justice and Stehlik is studying our courts system to better analyze and compare the work of the European courts.
Professor Paul Lewis, director of the Center for International Law, is Stehlik's faculty associate at John Marshall. Stehlik said he applied to John Marshall because he knew of the relationship between Masaryk University in Brno and The John Marshall Law School that has been established by Professor Michael Seng. Stehlik received a Ph.D. from Masaryk University, his law degree from Palacky University and an LL.M. degree from the University of London.
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2008-2009 Trial Advocacy Honors Board Announced
The members of the 2008-2009 Trial Advocacy and Dispute Resolution Honors Board are (standing, from left) Steve Hall, presiding barrister; Meredith Shane, trial team coordinator; Nicholas Courson, events coordinator; and Konstantina Christopoulos, ADR team coordinator; and (seated, from left) Danica Werhand, vice barrister; Jordan Rifkin, 1L Mock Trial Competition coordinator; Gina Virgo, council liaison; and Will Stogsdill, public relations/webmaster.
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Dean's Activity
Activities
He endorsed a letter in support of the rule of law following Russia's invasion of Georgian territory. He was one of 69 law school deans to approve the letter that was forwarded to the U.S. State Department, congressional delegations and members of Georgia's government.
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Student Activities
August 26
The Decalogue Society will meet at 5:30 p.m. in room 216.
August 27
The Black Law Students Association will meet at 5 p.m. in room 1102.
Important dates to remember:
September 11 - Student Organization Day
September 25 - Student/Alumni Exchange at the Union League Club
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Faculty Roundtable Series Opens Sept. 5
Professor John McGinnis will discuss "A New Theory of Originalism" at the first Faculty Scholarship Roundtable Series presentation for 2008-2009.
McGinnis, the Stanford Clinton Sr. Professor of Law at Northwestern University School of Law, will address the John Marshall faculty at 12:15 p.m. in Room 529.
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Faculty Activity and Publications
Publications
He has completed a book review of Empires of Trust (Dutton: July 2008) by Thomas E. Madden, a professor of history at St. Louis University. The Italic Institute of America has accepted the book review for publication in an upcoming issue of its magazine, Italic Way. The book discusses the validity of comparisons made between ancient Rome and the United States, which are considered by Professor Madden to be Empires of Trust as opposed to Empires of Conquest or Empires of Commerce.
Publications
His article "Displaced Workers and Their Search for Support in a Broken Bureaucracy" appears in the July-August 2008 issue of the Clearinghouse Review Journal of Poverty Law and Policy published by the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law. The article argues that workers and farmers displaced by international trade have been hampered in their applications for Trade Adjustment Assistance by the U.S. Departments of Labor and Agriculture, and that workers and farmers need counsel in order to get the benefits that they are due. The article is at http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1236122
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Schedule of Events
August 25
- Dean's Meeting for January Bar Takers (3rd year), 1200 A&B, noon
- Executive Committee Meeting, Room 522, 12:15 p.m.
- Reception for Adjuncts and LL.M Students - Center for Real Estate Law, CBA Building - 16th Floor Kitchen Area, 4 p.m.
- Dean's Meeting for January Bar Takers (3rd year), 1200 A&B, 5 p.m.
- Trial Ad Honors Council Meeting, Room 200, 5 p.m.
August 26
- Welcome Back Employees Ice Cream Social, Room 3East, 3 p.m.
August 27
- SCALES Student Advisors Meeting, Room 532, 4:45 p.m.
September 1
September 2
- Master Class on Patent Law and Practice in China, Room 1103, 8:30 a.m.
September 3
- Master Class on Patent Law and Practice in China, Room 1103, 8:30 a.m.
- Young Alumni Executive Committee Meeting, Room 3East, 3:30 p.m.
- Young Alumni Council Meeting, Room 3East. 5:30 p.m.
September 4
- Master Class on Patent Law and Practice in China, Room 1103, 8:30 a.m.
September 5
- National Fair Housing Conference, Room 1200, 1202 and 3East, 8 a.m.
- Master Class on Patent Law and Practice in China, Room 1103, 8:30 a.m.
- Board of Trustees Meeting, Courtroom, 9 a.m.
- Dealing with Suppliers in China, Room 200, 9 a.m.
- Faculty Scholarship Roundtable Series with John McGinnis A New Theory of Originalism, Room 529, 12:15 p.m.
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Staff Activity
Barry Kozak
Activities
Kozak will be a panelist at an American Academy of Actuaries public forum on public pension disclosures on Sept 4, 2008 in Washington DC, and will present his work in progress, "How Does a Public Sector Pension Plan's Optimal Funding Ratio Target and Time Horizon for Funding Affect the Interest Rate Assumption Used to Value Future Liabilities?"
Kozak will chair the Chicago Bar Association Employee Benefits Committee for 2008-09.
Publications
He has been asked to write a text book for Carolina Academic Press, tentatively titled Employee Benefits Law: Regulatory Framework and Practical Applications, which will be marketed to law schools, business schools and universities with actuarial sciences and human resources programs.
He submitted a manuscript for a rewrite of a BNA Tax Management portfolio titled "Employee Benefit Plans and Issues for Small Employers." He also wrote two essays for BNA Tax & Accounting Insights and Commentary (one on current initiatives by the IRS to assist small employers that adopt pre-approved qualified retirement plan documents and one on reporting and disclosure issues with small employer employee benefit plans).
Kozak was the editor for the American Bar Association Section of Taxation's 2007 annual Important Developments Update for the Employee Benefits Committee. He wrote an article for the CCH Pension Plan Guide, Benefit Practice Portfolios (July 2008) titled "Clarifying Qualification Requirements for Eligible Government Plans: IRS Increases Education and Compliance Efforts."
The Benefits Law Journal accepted his article for publication: "The Funding of Public Sector Pension Plans: Are They Truly in Crisis Mode?"
Kozak will write an article on the legal issues faced when a state or local government unit issues pension obligation bonds, and submit the article for publications in the John Marshall Law Review's employee benefits law symposium issue due out in summer 2009.
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