Student News Feed

Michelle Sinnott '13 Promotes Dissection Alternatives to Local School Board

Vermont Law School — 16 Oct 2012 16:00:00 EST

Michelle Sinnott '13 recently addressed the Williston (Vermont) School Board on behalf of Green Mountain Animal Defenders in an effort to convince board members to switch to dissection alternatives instead of dissecting cats, frogs and earthworms in their science classes.

Sinnott said computer- and video-based models, 3-D plastic models and other models are free alternatives to dissecting real animals. Such alternatives are less expensive, more humane and less stressful on students, she said. Many prominent medical schools have switched to dissection alternatives, which studies show are more effective at teaching students than traditional dissection, she said.

The board decided to table the issue until February when it will make all of its curriculum decisions.

Watch Sinnott's presentation to the board, which starts at 5:26 in the video: click on play, then click on "Audience and Communications."

Abigail Barnes '14 co-authors Atlantic article -- Tainted: Why Gay Men Still Can't Donate Blood

Vermont Law School — 01 Oct 2012 16:00:00 EST

Abigail Barnes '14 recently co-authored a commentary in the Atlantic headlined "Tainted: Why Gay Men Still Can't Donate Blood."

Barnes is a research associate at the Institute for Energy and the Environment and a junior research fellow at the U.S.-China Partnership for Environmental Law at Vermont Law School.

In her article, Barnes quotes VLS Professor Greg Johnson and mentions VLS's efforts to draw attention to the issue.

"This year, a committee at Vermont Law School organized a petition and awareness campaign in conjunction with its blood drive; the committee gathered 140 signatures to send to the FDA advocating for repeal of the ban," the article said. "The lesson these efforts teach us is clear: the FDA policy is unconstitutional and should be overturned. According to VLS Professor of Law Greg Johnson, 'VLS has long been a leader in defending the rights of the LGBT community. Modern detection techniques make the FDA's lifetime ban over-inclusive. The ban is grounded in discrimination, not science. VLS should join Middlebury College and others in leading the fight to repeal this illogical ban.'"

Read the Atlantic article, which was published Oct. 1, 2012.

VLS Student Accepts Sierra Club Award

Vermont Law School — 10 Aug 2012 16:00:00 EST

VLS student Ben Mack (left) with Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune

Vermont Law School student Ben Mack JD '14 MELP '11 recently accepted the Sierra Club's Environmental Alliance Award on behalf of the club's Vermont Chapter for the partnerships it has formed with Vermont's labor unions, Abenaki Tribe and other environmental groups.

The Vermont chapter received a standing ovation at the Modern Day Muir Award Ceremony in San Francisco after Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune highlighted the chapter's accomplishments over the past year.

"The Vermont chapter has built powerful partnerships with Native American tribes, organized labor, farmers and other environmental organizations," Brune said. "The result: Vermont's governor proposed a $1.2 million increase in the Vermont Housing and Conservation Fund for the coming year. In the fall of 2011, the coalition assembled 1,500 Vermonters in front of the statehouse—the largest environmental rally in the history of the state. The Vermont chapter has also had success with initiatives promoting renewable energy generation. Partnering with unions and other environmental organizations, they have pushed the governor to call for 90 percent renewable energy by 2050, the Vermont Senate introducing bill that would result in 90 percent renewables by 2025 and the Vermont House introducing bill that would result in 80 percent renewables by 2025."

The Vermont chapter formed the partnerships as part of its "Our Forests, Our Future" campaign, which aims to link large conservation areas in the Northeast with wildlife corridors through town and tribal forests. The campaign also resulted in the largest weekday rally in Montpelier's history with more than 2,000 participants at the "Put People and the Planet First" rally on May 1.

At the Sierra Club, Mack serves as the Council of Club Leaders delegate and communication chair for the Vermont chapter. He has been a member of the Sierra Club for several years, and his goal this year is to get more Vermont Law School students to join the Vermont chapter's conservation efforts.

Six VLS Students Named Schweitzer Fellows

Vermont Law School — 16 May 2012 16:00:00 EST

The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship announced today that six Vermont Law School students are part its 2012-13 class of New Hampshire-Vermont Schweitzer Fellows.

The 29 graduate students will spend the next year learning to address the social factors that impact health, developing lifelong leadership skills and living physician-humanitarian Albert Schweitzer's message of service. Joining approximately 220 other 2012-13 Schweitzer Fellows at 12 program sites throughout the U.S., the New Hampshire-Vermont Schweitzer Fellows will partner with local community-based organizations to develop and implement yearlong, mentored service projects that improve the health and well-being of underserved people -- all on top of their regular academic responsibilities.

The 2012-13 VLS Schweitzer Fellows, who join a long list of previous Fellows from Vermont Law School, are:

• Daniel Liebowitz and Ariel Solaski, who will launch a LPFM radio station for Royalton, Vermont, and surrounding towns with programming that emphasizes community health and well-being. The radio station will serve as a platform for community members of all ages and interests to collaborate, share knowledge, and engage in discussion.

• Stephanie Peters, who will work to grow the client and volunteer base and raise community visibility for Rutland Volunteer Garden Service, a program launched by Schweitzer Fellow Kate Thomas '13 that pairs teens and seniors to provide gardening help and promote cross-generation connections.

• Robin Seila, who will implement yoga and meditation programming for senior citizens and cancer patients at the Norris Cotton Cancer Center.

• Karen White, who will partner with Have Justice-Will Travel, which was founded by Schweitzer Fellow Wynona Ward '98, to help provide legal assistance for victims of domestic violence.

• Natalie Wicklund, who will work with Safeline to educate high school students in the Upper Valley area about dating violence with the goal of reducing such instances.

Since 1996, VLS Schweitzer Fellows have each contributed at least 200 hours of service annually to community projects they create. The 2011-12 VLS Fellows were Theo Fetter ‘12, William Tucker ‘12, Sarah Mooney ‘13, Ida Nininger ‘13, Vikram Patel ‘13 and Kate Thomas ‘13. The 2010-11 VLS Fellows were Kelly Connolly ‘12, Renee Gregory ‘11, Maximilian Merrill ‘12, Allison Silverman ‘12 and Michelle Tarnelli ‘12.

Since 1996, the New Hampshire-Vermont Schweitzer Fellows Program has supported more than 350 Schweitzer Fellows in delivering nearly 70,000 hours of service. The program is funded entirely through charitable donations and grants. Sponsors include Vermont Law School, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation in New Hampshire, the Byrne Foundation, the Couch Family Foundation, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, the Grafton County Medical Society, Hypertherm, Inc., the Lintilhac Foundation, the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, University of New Hampshire School of Law, Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth and the University of Vermont College of Medicine.

Founded in 1940 to support Dr. Albert Schweitzer's medical work in Africa, ASF is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to develop Leaders in Service: individuals who are dedicated and skilled in meeting the health needs of underserved communities and whose example influences and inspires others.

Kaifala '13 Says Libya Should Bring Former Leaders to Justice

Vermont Law School — 08 May 2012 16:00:00 EST

Vermont Law School student Joseph Kaifala '13 recently wrote a commentary titled "Libya - Not the International Court - Should Bring Former Leaders to Justice" in PolicyMic.

"The International Criminal Court (ICC) has charged three Libyans - Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi, former honorary chairman of the Gaddafi International Charity and Development Foundation, acting as de facto Prime Minister of Libya; Abdullah Al-Senussi, colonel in the Libyan Armed Forces and former head of the military intelligence; and the late Muammar Gaddafi, who served as head of state," Kaifala wrote. "The three were indicted for crimes against humanity committed during the Libyan Revolution in 2011.... Since the end of the revolution, the ICC has been trying to get the Libyan government to surrender the accused to the Court at The Hague, but the Libyan government has consistently refused to extradite....

"The Libyan government has emphasized its willingness to bring the accused to justice under national jurisdiction. The ICC should withdraw its warrants and let the Libyan criminal system render justice for the Libyan people. We cannot judge the alleged inadequacy of the Libyan justice system if we do not allow it to operate. The accused are charged with crimes committed against the Libyan people and they must be held accountable to Libyans where their government has expressed commitment to justice and national reconciliation."

Kaifala is executive director of the Jeneba Project, a nonprofit group dedicated to improving education for children in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea. He was born in Sierra Leone and spent his early childhood in Liberia and Guinea. He speaks six languages and holds a master's degree in international relations from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University.

Dapolito '12 Examines International Law Issues

Vermont Law School — 26 Apr 2012 16:00:00 EST

Vermont Law School student Mollie Dapolito '12 recently published two articles in ILSA Quarterly about legal cases overseas.

The first article, titled "Pakistani Prime Minister Appears in Court on Comtempt Charges," was on pages 18-19. The second article, titled "Congress of the Phillippines Impeaches the Chief Justice of Phillippines Supreme Court," was on pages 21-22.

Read the articles.

Dapolito is a regular contributor to ILSA Quarterly, an academic magazine published by the International Law Student Association that features articles written by students, scholars and practitioners about timely issues of international law and related topics.

Jones '12, VLS to Receive Top Awards from Vermont Association for Justice

Vermont Law School — 24 Apr 2012 16:00:00 EST

Vermont Law School student Dee Jones '12 will receive the Martha Woodman Consumer Advocacy Award from the Vermont Association for Justice for her inspirational character and courageous challenge to the discriminatory practices of the National Conference of Bar Examiners, the VTAJ announced.

The award will be presented at the VTAJ's annual meeting on May 18, where the group also will present the Frank G. Mahady Public Service Award to Vermont Law School for its support of Jones during her VLS career and her litigation.

Jones, who is legally blind and has an auditory learning disability, won a preliminary injunction from a federal judge last year saying the Bar Examiners had to allow her to use a computer during the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam, the legal ethics exam that all lawyers must take before they practice in most states.

The computer allows Jones, who hopes to practice disability law, to use two types of software that enlarge text, highlight words in different colors and read text aloud, so that she can fully comprehend the material.

Kaifala '13 Says Military Coups Still Haunt African Democracy

Vermont Law School — 23 Apr 2012 16:00:00 EST

Vermont Law School student Joseph Kaifala '13 recently wrote a commentary titled "Military Coups Still Haunt African Democracy" in PolicyMic.

"Recent events in Africa reawakened a ghost many of us thought was exorcised at the end of the last millennium, but the past few weeks have shown that the spirit of military coup d'états has not yet been laid to rest," he wrote.

"There is no doubt that Mali, Guinea Bissau, and many other African countries need political change, but the African people should not settle for regression in governance. What we aspire to in the 21st century are governments of the people, by the people, and for the people. It is the people who hold the right to change their government, not the armed forces. The African people should remain adamant against reversing our humble achievements in democratic governance, and our regional organizations must stand by the will of the people, which is ballots not bullets."

Brown '12 Elected Head of National Black Law Students Association

Vermont Law School — 12 Mar 2012 16:00:00 EST

Vermont Law School student Kendra Brown '12 was recently elected national chair of the National Black Law Students Association.

Brown and the other nationally elected officers were sworn in by Judge Ann Claire Williams of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. The election results were announced March 10 at the conclusion of the NBLSA's 44th annual convention in Washington, D.C.

Brown, who for the past year served as chair of the NBLSA's Northeast Region, began her remarks by thanking God for sustaining her in her pursuits. She also thanked her parents, including her mother, who was in the audience.

Brown told NBLSA members and the organization's supporters that more work needs to be done in a number of areas, especially in strengthening the programming and opportunities available to BLSA and in pursuing advocacy at the national level during a presidential election year.

The NBLSA's national conventions bring together attorneys, policy makers, lawmakers and others for a discussion about the state of the legal profession for minorities. The NBLSA, whose board of directors is composed of elected students from law schools, is the nation's largest student-run organization representing nearly 6,000 minority law students from more than 200 chapters and affiliates throughout the United States and six other countries.

Brown has received numerous honors while at VLS, including a Vermont Law School Merit Scholarship, the NBLSA Sandy Brown Memorial Scholarship and the VLS David Firestone Scholarship for Campus Involvement.

Dapolito '12 Explores Yemen's Unrest

Vermont Law School — 02 Mar 2012 17:00:00 EST

Vermont Law School student Mollie Dapolito '12 recently published an article in the ILSA Quarterly that explored antigovernment protests and other issues facing Yemen.

The article, titled "After Winter in Yemen, Comes an Arab Spring," appears on pages 23-24.

Yemen has been in turmoil since January 2011 when demonstrators called for the resignation of President Ali Abdullah Saleh. His vice president, Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, was sworn in as president on Feb. 25 in an election in which he was the only candidate. Protesters remain on the streets, calling for reform of the impoverished nation's military and other institutions.

Published by the International Law Student Association, the ILSA Quarterly is an academic magazine that features articles written by students, scholars and practitioners concerning timely issues of international law and related topics.

VLS Students Advance in National Animal Law Moot Court Competition

Vermont Law School — 27 Feb 2012 17:00:00 EST

Four Vermont Law School students turned in stellar performances at the 9th annual National Animal Law Competitions (NALC), which were held Feb. 24-26 at the UCLA School of Law.

Monica Miller '12 and Meredith Crafton '12 advanced to the quarter finals of the moot court competition against Yale, the University of Chicago and Lewis & Clark.

Krystil Smith '13 and Michelle Sinnott '13 won the Best Brief Award for receiving the highest appellate brief score overall.

The VLS team was coached by Assistant Professor Pamela Vesilind.

More than 70 law students represented nearly 30 of America's best law schools at NALC this year. NALC is an inter-law school competition presented by the Center for Animal Law Studies at Lewis & Clark in collaboration with the Animal Legal Defense Fund.

NALC, which was hosted by Harvard Law School for the past eight years, provides law students from across the United States with an opportunity to develop knowledge in the field of animal law, while honing their written and oral advocacy skills. The event is composed of three separate competitions: Legislative Drafting & Lobbying Competition; Closing Argument Competition; and Appellate Moot Court Competition.

Marks Wins Award in National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition

Vermont Law School — 27 Feb 2012 17:00:00 EST

Vermont Law School students Matt Marks '12, Alex Sherertz '12 and Colin Hagan '12 performed well at the National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition on Feb. 23-25 at Pace Law School.

Marks won Best Oralist in each of the three preliminary rounds, barely edging out his VLS teammates. The VLS team, which was coached by Professor Pat Parenteau, advanced to the quarterfinals.

"Matt, Alex and Colin were a class act that drew high praise from judges and competitors alike," Parenteau said. "It was an honor to work with them and VLS could not have had better representation in this high profile competition."

Since 1989, student advocates from across the United States and Canada have participated in the National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition, the preeminent environmental law moot in the United States. The competition tests skills in appellate brief writing and oral advocacy on issues drawn from real cases, providing experience in environmental litigation first hand. The competition draws more than 200 competitors from diverse law schools and 200 attorneys who serve as judges for three days of oral arguments.

Garestier '12 Examines New Technologies of Security, Public Liberties

Vermont Law School — 19 Feb 2012 17:00:00 EST

Vermont Law School's Jessica Garestier '12 recently published a book titled "New Technologies of Security and Public Liberties: An Export Control?"

The book, which was published in France, was her thesis for her Master in Ethics and Business Law degree from the University of Cergy-Pontoise.

"While new information technologies have a safety and security purpose, such as closed caption television and cybermonitoring, the potential for infringement of the users' individual public liberties are significant," Garestier wrote. "Does the power of those technologies, created to meet security goals, justify a control of exportations of these new civil weapons?"

Vermont Law School offers three dual degree options with the University of Cergy-Pontoise, a prestigious law school ranked third in France by the French Ministry of Education and first in Paris and suburbs by l'Etudiant, the leading student magazine in France.

Hosseini '12 Receives Iran's Book Season Award

Vermont Law School — 19 Feb 2012 17:00:00 EST

Vermont Law School's Mohammad Hosseini '12 was cited as a joint winner in Iran's 17th Book of the Season Awards for the best translated books in law.

The awards, which are from Iran's Ministry of Culture and Iran's Book House, are among the most prestigious academic awards in Iran.

The book that he translated, which is titled "International Environmental Law," is published in English by the United Nations Environment Programme and in Persian by Mizan Publishing Center. The Iran Book News Agency mentions Hosseini under Praiseworthy works in Social Sciences.

Hosseini, a native of Iran, hopes to combine his knowledge of international and environmental law with his experience as a journalist to have a positive impact on the Middle East region. He is a member of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's Commission on Environmental Law and serves as its Focal Point in the Middle East.

Hosseini also recently had a paper accepted from among more than 250 submitted papers for the Mid-Year Annual Meeting of American Society of International Law, Research Forum in UCLA in November.

Van der Lande '12, Foy '12 Win First Place in Lawyering Meet

Vermont Law School — 19 Feb 2012 17:00:00 EST

Vermont Law School's Ashley Van der Lande '12 and Phil Foy '12 won first place Feb. 17 in the third annual New England Regional Transactional Lawering Meet.

They represented a fictitious client negotiating an employment agreement. The victory resulted from two months of work, including term-sheet drafting, mark-ups and the rounds of face-to-face negotiations at the meet. Their style, "cordial, yet firm," was noted by the judges.

The event took place at Western New England College of Law in Springfield, Mass. Next month, Van der Lande and Foy move up to the national meet at Drexel University's Earle Mack School of Law in Philadelphia.

The Transactional Lawyering Meet is the premier "moot court" experience for students interested in transactional practice. During the meet, students work in teams to draft a transactional agreement and to negotiate its provisions with opposing student teams. Teams are judged by a panel of experts from practice who evaluate the teams' success in achieving the goals of the parties to the transaction. The types of agreement and transaction vary from year to year but present essential challenges in transactional problem solving. This year's challenge involves the negotiation of an executive employment agreement for a new chief executive officer. Teams need to combine lawyering skills, drafting, a knowledge of contract, corporate and other facets of business law and business sense to develop innovative solutions for structuring the transaction.

Changala '13 Co-Authors Study on Oil, Gas, Wind Decommissiong Regulations

Vermont Law School — 15 Feb 2012 17:00:00 EST

Vermont Law School's Danielle Changala '13 recently co-authored a paper titled "Comparative Analysis of Conventional Oil and Gas and Wind Project Decommissioning Regulations on Federal, State, and County Lands" in The Electricity Journal.

"As the growth of renewable energy continues, it is imperative that adequate funds are secured to successfully decommission projects at the end of their useful life," according to the study, whose co-authors included Professor Michael Dworkin, director of VLS's Institute for Energy and the Environment. "Additionally, it is important to ensure that regulatory decommissioning obligations do not disproportionately burden any generation resource.

The study concludes: "A comparison of federal, state, and county decommissioning regulations for oil and gas extraction sites and wind energy projects reveals that, generally, regulatory requirements are wholly insufficient to adequately secure the costs of decommissioning.... Accordingly, equitable regulatory burdens are necessary for all energy activities so that each resource is subject to environmental accountability and proportional regulatory burdens. Creating a level playing field amongst energy resources is imperative so that resource selection amongst competing resources is not disproportionately burdened by differences or inadequacies in regulatory systems."

Remmel '14 Explores Algae Harmful to Fish

Vermont Law School — 15 Feb 2012 17:00:00 EST

Vermont Law School's Emily Remmel '14 recently co-authored an article in Ecology Letters about golden algae fish kills.

The article is titled "Toxin-assisted micropredation: experimental evidence shows that contact micropredation rather than exotoxicity is the role of Prymnesium toxins."

The golden algae is one of a large group of algae known as chrysophytes that are usually found in hot and desert environments and can produce toxins that are lethal to fish and other aquatic life. Under certain environmental stresses, golden algae produce a toxin that negatively affects gill-breathing species such as fish, mollusks, arthropods, and the gill-breathing stage of amphibians. When this occurs fish behave as if there is not enough oxygen in the water. They travel at the top of the water surface or rest on the bottom in edges and shallow areas. Although golden algae can be toxic for fish, they are not a threat to humans.

According to the article's abstract: "Blooms of Prymnesium parvum can severely harm fish and zooplankton, presumably through the release of allelopathic exotoxins that offer advantages for Prymnesium in its interactions with competitors and prey. We show that Prymnesium attaches to zooplankton and fish, causing mortality, whereas exposure of these organisms to Prymnesium across a permeable membrane does not cause mortality.

"We also show that Prymnesium exotoxins are released independently of contact toxicity only in response to experimental procedures or natural causes of stress. Our results are consistent with the idea that toxins have evolved for release during cell-to-cell contact in support of heterotrophy. The evolution of toxin-assisted micropredation would be consistent with mechanisms of natural selection favouring individual fitness as opposed to broadcast allelopathy from which the benefits are more dispersed. Research into the toxicity of Prymnesium and other harmful algal species may profit from focus on processes following physical contact with potential prey."

VLS's ACS Named Student Chapter of the Week

Vermont Law School — 14 Feb 2012 17:00:00 EST

The Vermont Law School chapter of the American Constitution Society was recently named student chapter of the week by the ACS.

Led by its faculty advisor, Professor Cheryl Hanna, the VLS chapter has been busy hosting events that shape the debate on emerging issues and that provide a space for respectful and intelligent discussion.

The chapter began the spring semester by having noted animal law scholar VLS Associate Professor Pamela Vesilind discuss whether animal rights are constitutional rights? The chapter also partnered with Public Citizen to host a teach-in on the wide ranging effects of the Citizens United decision.

Later this semester, noted professor and constitutional scholar Jonathan Turley will discuss his latest high profile case as lead counsel representing the Brown family from TLC's "Sister Wives," a TV reality show about polygamy.

Chrostek '12 Nominated for Burton Award

Vermont Law School — 13 Feb 2012 17:00:00 EST

An article by Vermont Law School student Garrett Chrostek '12, titled "A Critique of Vermont's Right-To-Farm Law and Proposals for Better Protecting the State's Agricultural Future," has been selected as VLS's official entry in the 2012 Burton Distinguished Legal Writing Award competition.

The article, which was published in the Vermont Law Review in 2011, evaluates Vermont's right-to-farm law and makes concrete suggestions for improving it.

"The article is erudite and pragmatic," said Professor Greg Johnson, director of VLS's Legal Writing Program. "It offers realistic proposals to protect Vermont's agricultural resources."

Ben Leoni '11 was selected by the Burton Awards for Legal Achievement as a winner of the 2011 Distinguished Legal Writing Awards. Leoni, who now practices law in Maine, was the first VLS student to win the award, which is the highest honor in legal writing in the United States.

Brown '12 Profiled in CLEO Newsletter

Vermont Law School — 09 Feb 2012 17:00:00 EST

Vermont Law School student Kendra Brown '12 recently was profiled in the CLEO (Council on Legal Education Opportunity) Newsletter.

She serves as regional chair of the Northeast Region of the National Black Law Students and has had numerous honors while at VLS, including a Vermont Law School Merit Scholarship, the NBLSA Sandy Brown Memorial Scholarship, the VLS Merit Scholarship and the VLS David Firestone Scholarship for Campus Involvement.

Read the profile.

Christensen '12 Examines Detroit Urban Agriculture

Vermont Law School — 01 Feb 2012 17:00:00 EST

In a recent article in the Drake Journal of Agricultural Law, Vermont Law School student Dana Christensen '12 explores urban agriculture, focusing on Detroit as an example of a grassroots movement that shifts how the community thinks about food.

The article is titled "Securing the Momentum: Could a Homestead Act Help Sustain Detroit Urban Agriculture?"

"Food security, employment opportunities, answers to urban blight, and health problems -- urban agriculture has many reasons to deserve the buzz it has lately received," Christensen wrote. "Long before 'going green' entered the larger societal and business consciousness, many American cities enacted zoning provisions for agriculture before the current industrial agricultural system took hold. Indeed, the rise of urban agriculture coincides with economic depressions in modern history, when state and local governments promoted community gardens to counteract poverty and its attendant social unrest.

"But the most recent manifestation of urban agriculture is unique; it is a movement driven by social justice as well as necessity, incorporating an ethic of environmental sustainability and community building to address the problems of the postindustrial city, including unemployment, food access, and vacant land issues. Detroit exhibits a prime example of urban agriculture as a grassroots movement that shifts how the community thinks about food, where it comes from, and who controls it. Most importantly, Detroit's urban agriculture movement has stimulated the idea of access to healthful affordable food as a human right. With the recovery from the auto industry's deterioration -- where economic decisions affecting the lives of millions of people were decided by a privileged few -- decades of white flight, and other detrimental factors, it is no surprise that urban agriculture in Detroit transcends the middle-class values of environmental sensitivity in favor of the economic justice of empowering those who stayed and persevered in Detroit when others left."

Kaifala '13 Urges Africans to Invest in Education

Vermont Law School — 25 Oct 2011 16:00:00 EST

A recent article in PolicyMic by Vermont Law School student Joseph Kaifala '13 called for African leaders to greatly increase investment in their nations' education systems.

"Unless education takes a place second to none in all African countries, the continent will continue to lag behind in human development," the article said. "All African countries must therefore provide free and compulsory education at least at the elementary and fundamental stages, as required by the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights."

Kaifala is executive director of the Jeneba Project, a nonprofit group dedicated to improving education for children in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.

Read the article titled "Africa Must Invest in Education to Overcome Poverty."

Media Report on VT Law School's Irene Relief Efforts

Vermont Law School — 08 Sep 2011 04:00:00 EST

The Associated Press, National Law Journal, Vermont Public Radio, Valley News, WCAX, FOX 44, VTDigger.org and other media reported on Vermont Law School's relief efforts for homeowners, farmers, schools and others hit by floodwaters from Tropical Storm Irene.

Ry Meyer '13 clears debris from South Royalton School.

Hundreds of VLS students, staff and faculty volunteered at tasks ranging from shoveling mud out of houses and collecting donations of cash, clothes and household items to helping residents fill out FEMA applications. VLS also established a relief fund to help its students, staff and faculty whose homes were damaged or destroyed by the storm.

VLS's classes started two days late because of an electricity, telephone and Internet outage caused by the storm. Floodwaters caused an estimated $500,000 in damage on campus to two buildings, three riverside parking lots, the outdoor classroom and Internet servers.

Read reports by the AP, whose story was carried by the Boston Globe and other news outlets nationwide, as well as the NLJ, VPR and Valley News.

Jeff Fucci '14, Carissa Wong '12, Peter Dysart '14 and Molly Gray '14 (left to right) helped South Royalton residents.

Federal Judges Rules in Favor of Blind VT Law School Student

Vermont Law School — 03 Aug 2011 04:00:00 EST

A federal judge ruled Aug. 2 in favor of Dee Jones '12, a blind Vermont Law School student, in her lawsuit against the National Conference of Bar Examiners and a national legal testing firm.

Jones won a preliminary injunction from the court saying the Bar Examiners had to allow her to use a computer, so she could use two types of software that have allowed her to maintain a high B average in law school.

Jones is scheduled Friday to take the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam, the legal ethics exam all lawyers must take before they practice in Vermont and most other states.

Read the judge's order.

Read AP's story in The New York Times.

Watch WCAX's story.

Samantha Fow '12 Analyzes "Vermont Yankee Experiment"

Vermont Law School — 02 Aug 2011 04:00:00 EST

Using the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant as an example, Vermont Law School student Samantha Fow '12 recently looked at the potential benefits of increased state-level nuclear regulation as well as the potential drawbacks of such a policy without federal cooperation.

Fow analyzes whether the current disposition of nuclear policy in America would allow Vermont to regulate the Vermont Yankee according to the state‘s best interests, focusing in particular on the current litigation brought against the state by the power plant‘s private corporate owners, Entergy.

"The Vermont Legislature has attempted to insulate the state from harm that could result from the continued operation of an aging nuclear facility. However, the state has struggled with a private nuclear operator‘s non-compliance with certain aspects of Vermont‘s regulatory scheme and a lack of enforcement mechanisms to ensure compliance. Without a change in federal policy, state nuclear regulators may have difficulties actively regulating the nuclear power plants within their borders. State regulation of nuclear power has grown substantially more sophisticated since 1954, and the time is ripe for the additional legislation contemplated by the Atomic Energy Act that would bolster state authority in this field."

Read the full article.

Tyler Ward '13 Hosts Chinese Energy Visitors

Vermont Law School — 27 Jul 2011 04:00:00 EST

Tyler Ward '13 recently hosted a trip for three U.S.-China Partnership for Environmental Law visitors to his home state of Kentucky.

Understanding that they have an interest in energy development in the United States, Ward organized a trip for a professor and student from Renmin University of China Law School and a professor from China University of Political Science and Law to visit a natural gas production company, a mountaintop removal mining site, a liquid nitrogen production facility and a mining equipment manufacturing company. Ward also introduced the visitors to his father, who is the top administrator of the county where the facilities are located.

"The Chinese visitors found the trip extremely interesting," said Assistant Professor Siu Tip Lam, who is the Partnership's program director. "They were very impressed with Tyler's efforts and grateful that they had such an opportunity here in the US. Tyler really made their experience in the US a memorable one."

In National Defense Magazine, VLS Global Energy Fellow Zhen Zhang Calls for Cohesive Cybersecurity Policy For Electric Grid

Vermont Law School — 14 Jul 2011 04:00:00 EST

Zhen Zhang, a global energy fellow at Vermont Law School's Institute for Energy and the Environment, called for a cohesive cybersecurity policy for the electric grid in the August issue of National Defense Magazine.

Zhang, an attorney specializing in energy and environmental law, is interested in international energy policy, carbon cap and trade, demand side management tools and reliability standards for the electric system.

National Media Report on Blind VLS Student's Lawsuit Against Bar Examiners

Vermont Law School — 08 Jul 2011 04:00:00 EST

The Washington Post and other media outlets nationwide reported on Vermont Law School student Dee Jones' '12 lawsuit against the National Conference of Bar Examiners and the Act Inc. testing company.

Jones, who is blind, says they aren't providing the accommodations she needs to take the the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination, the legal ethics exam all lawyers must take before they practice in Vermont and most other states.

Those accommodations - two pieces of computer software that help the visually impaired read - enable Jones to work at her best and have been key to the high B average she's maintained as a law student, she told the AP.

Read the AP story.

Roman Sidortsov '08 Discusses Climate Change in Huffington Post Op-Ed

Vermont Law School — 13 Jun 2011 04:00:00 EST

Roman Sidortsov '08 and two co-authors wrote an op-ed in The Huffington Post on June 13 in which they discussed climate change and the vastly different positions of the pope and the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. The op-ed was linked to by The Wall Street Journal.

Sidortsov is a Senior Global Energy Fellow at the Institute for Energy and the Environment at Vermont Law School, where he is pursuing an LLM degree in environmental law.

Read the op-ed in The Huffington Post.

Driscoll '11 Wins Ethics Award

Vermont Law School — 03 May 2011 04:00:00 EST

Amy Driscoll '11 recently received a Law Students Ethics Award from the Northeast chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel.

Vermont Law School's Amy Driscoll '11 (back row, third from left) .

The chapter created the awards program to recognize and encourage the ethical practice of law at the earliest stages of a young lawyer's professional career, and at the same time to shine a spotlight on ethics more generally, demonstrating that the legal community values lawyers who are guided by ethical principles.

The award, which includes a $1,000 scholarship, is given to 11 students, one from each of the participating local law schools, who have demonstrated an early commitment to ethics through their work in a clinical program representing their first real clients.

The Association of Corporate Counsel is the world's largest organization serving the professional and business interests of attorneys who practice in the legal departments of corporations, associations and other private-sector organizations around the globe.

Silverman '12 Featured in Albert Schweitzer Fellowship Blog

Vermont Law School — 21 Apr 2011 04:00:00 EST

Vermont Law School student Allie Silverman '12, a Schweitzer Fellow, is featured in the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship's blog for her work to promote energy efficiency. She led the Energy Efficiency Day of Action in South Royalton on April 23, 2011, to exchange less efficient incandescent light bulbs for compact fluorescent light bulbs and to make affordable and low-income housing more energy efficient.

Kaifala Among Finalists for In Service Award

Vermont Law School — 07 Mar 2011 05:00:00 EST

Joseph Kaifala '13, who founded the Jeneba Project, is among 15 finalists for the Students In Service Awards for his educational and medical aid work in post-civil war Sierra Leone. Vote for Kaifala and read more about the Students In Service Awards. The final scholarship winners will be recognized at the 14th annual Continuums of Service Conference on April 28.

Lyness, Lewis Selected for JAG Internships

Vermont Law School — 14 Feb 2011 05:00:00 EST

You might think the U.S. Department of Defense primarily knows Vermont Law School as one of only two law schools in the nation that bar military recruiters from campus because of the "don't ask, don't tell" law. But Pentagon officials also know VLS as the source of highly qualified students for summer internships and graduates for post-law school jobs in the Judge Advocate General's Corps, the judicial branch of the U.S. armed forces.

Each year, VLS typically has one to three students enter the JAG Corps' summer internship program and another one to two VLS graduates enlist as JAG officers. That's about 1 percent of each graduating class, which is the national average for all U.S. law schools. The JAG Corps also periodically sends officers to take classes at VLS. Those figures haven't been affected by VLS's stance on the "don't ask, don't tell" law, which prohibits openly gay men and women from serving in the U.S. military. The law's repeal is slated to go into effect later this year.

The JAG Corps in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard are involved in a broad range of cases in military justice, contract law, international law and other branches of the law.

"The JAG corps provides very high-quality training, together with a lot of responsibility in a hurry, for VLS students and graduates," said Professor Steve Dycus, an internationally recognized authority on national security law. "Our students are also attracted by this unique opportunity to use their legal skills to serve the nation. There is no higher professional calling."

Mike Lyness '12 and Erica Lewis '12, who both support VLS's position on "don't ask, don't tell" were among 50 legal internship candidates accepted for the Army JAG Corps this summer out of 1,600 applicants. Lyness, 25, who grew up on a farm in New Jersey, graduated from Lafayette College. He enrolled at VLS because of an interest in environmental law enforcement, but he's since become interested in a JAG career. He decided to apply for a JAG internship after taking Dycus' national security law class and meeting Jake Rouchka '10 and Cole Flannery ‘11, who had been accepted into the Army JAG Corps.

Lyness, who likely will be stationed in Washington state this summer, said he's honored to have been selected for the JAG internship - and that his and Lewis' selection is another sign that the Defense Department continues to recognize the quality of VLS students and alumni. "I give VLS credit for taking such a firm stance on ‘don't ask, don't tell' even though it's come at a cost," he said.

Lewis, 27, graduated from the University of Southern Florida and chose VLS because of the U.S.-China Partnership in Environmental Law. After her JAG internship this summer, she'll be an intern for the Beijing Arbitration Commission in the fall. The Florida resident would like to practice international and operational law and also is interested in dispute resolution. She's considering a career in international diplomacy and human rights but said the JAG Corps is a highly respected institution.

"I feel the military will be able to make good use of my background in Spanish, Mandarin and Italian," said Lewis, who likely will be based in South Korea this summer. "I like the idea of working for the military because it is necessary to the functioning of our democratic system and essential to ensure national security as well as promote our interests abroad. I hope to gain valuable insight into military life that enables me to make a well-informed decision if I decide to apply to be a career officer."

Like Lyness, Lewis supports VLS's stance on the "don't ask, don't tell" law. "I am proud of VLS for holding firm in its non-discrimination policy. DADT is a law that can stand only as long as the American people allow it to stand."

VLS Students Support Equal Rights for Gays

Vermont Law School — 29 Oct 2010 04:00:00 EST

In a front-page article Oct. 10, the Valley News talked to Blake Johnson '12 and other members of the VLS Alliance about their efforts to promote equal rights for gays and lesbians. The Alliance organized a community vigil to recognize the difficulty of coming out and the recent suicides of gay youths across the country.

Dana Christensen Moderates Planning Law Panel

Vermont Law School — 01 Oct 2010 04:00:00 EST

Dana Christensen 2L recently moderated a Planning Law panel at a federal legislative briefing in Washington, D.C., that was sponsored by the American Planning Association. Christensen oriented the panel to urban agricultural practices.

Miller, Tillman Present Constitution Day Workshop

Vermont Law School — 20 Sep 2010 04:00:00 EST

Monica Miller 2L and Dalayna Tillman 2L presented a workshop on Constitution Day for middle school students at the Calvin Coolidge Memorial Foundation in Plymouth Notch. Miller and Tillman presented differing points of view on the constitutionality of the National Day of Prayer. The Coolidge Foundation preserves the 30th president's legacy and provides information through a website and by request to teachers, students, scholars, the media and the general public.

Buckey Pens Article for NH Bar Association News

Vermont Law School — 15 Sep 2010 04:00:00 EST

Jay Buckey '11 co-wrote an article titled "New Lawyers Column: Time Is Always Money?" for the New Hampshire Bar Association News section. The article discussed the long-term value of lawyers giving away their time. Read the article.

Blake Johnson '12 Wins National LGBT Bar Association Seat

Vermont Law School — 01 Sep 2010 04:00:00 EST

Blake Johnson '12 was elected as national student co-chair at the National LGBT Bar Association Conference, also known as "Lavender Law", on Aug. 28-29 in Miami. He will serve a two-year term as a voting member on the National LGBT Bar Association Board, where he will advocate for the LGBT Bar at the American Bar Association level. He will attend at least three LGBT Bar/ABA Bar meetings per year and teleconference to other meetings and will have a working role in the LGBT Bar's 2011 conference in West Hollywood, Calif. Johnson said the seven VLS students who attended the 2010 conference made up one of the larger law school presences at the event. He said they likely will see second-summer interviews and employment in various job markets as a result of their stellar performance. Johnson also is VLS Alliance co-chair and a VLS Class senator for 2010-2011. Read more about the National LGBT Bar Association.

Sara Phillips to Start LLM Program at McGill

Vermont Law School — 24 Jun 2010 04:00:00 EST

Sara Phillips '10, who spent the spring 2009 semester at McGill University and then a semester in practice in Cordoba, Argentina, working with Canadian MP John McKay, will start the LLM program at McGill in fall 2010. She plans to research the overlap of corporate social responsibility, environmental law and women's rights.

Codi Raymond Motivated by Community Service

Vermont Law School — 14 Jun 2010 04:00:00 EST

In a June article in the Denver Bar Association's monthly publication, The Docket, Codi Raymond '10 wrote that her years working for the DBA's Metro Volunteer Lawyers inspired her to attend VLS and join the Mascoma Legal Resource Center. Raymond's classmate, Lise Daniels '10, started the legal services clinic for low-income residents in the Mascoma Valley in New Hampshire. Read the article.

Merrill Bent a Finalist in Ms. JD Fellowship Program

Vermont Law School — 25 May 2010 04:00:00 EST

Merrill Bent '11 was a finalist for the first Ms.JD Fellowship program, which selected 20 of the most promising second-year women law students in the country and will provide them with one-on-one career mentorship from the nation's most accomplished female attorneys.

ENRLC Files Brief in Wetlands Case

Vermont Law School — 18 May 2010 04:00:00 EST

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit issued a ruling May 12 in Columbia Venture v. Dewberry & Davis affirming the decision of the district court and agreeing with the arguments made by the Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic in an amicus brief submitted on behalf of the Association of State Wetland Managers. A consulting firm had recommended that the Federal Emergency Management Agency designate a certain area of South Carolina as floodplains. FEMA's actions based on this recommendation disrupted a local developer's plans for turning the area into a housing development. The developer sued the consulting firm under state law for professional malpractice, civil conspiracy, injurious falsehood and violation of the South Carolina's Unfair Trade Practices Act. The main issue on appeal was whether the state law claims were preempted by the federal floodplains protection law. An ENRLC student, Lydia Fiedler '09, wrote the amicus brief, which explained that this was not a close case but one that easily fit within the scope of well established jurisprudence on conflict preemption. The goal of the ENRLC and ASWM was to protect consultants from this kind of litigation, so that they can make sound technical and scientific recommendations to FEMA without fear of being sued. This, in turn, will help promote better oversight and management of development activities in floodplains and wetland areas.

Dowload a PDF of the brief.

Association of Corporate Counsel Honors Diana Vogel

Vermont Law School — 04 May 2010 04:00:00 EST

Diana Vogel '10 was honored in April by the Northeast Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel for her "outstanding commitment to ethics through conduct." She was nominated by South Royalton Legal Clinic Attorney and Professor Arthur Edersheim, who recounted Vogel's devotion to her clients' legal interests in juvenile and immigration cases.

International Law Students Help Feed Hungry Families

Vermont Law School — 23 Mar 2010 04:00:00 EST

Vermont Law School's International Law Society raised nearly $1,000 on March 15 at its second annual Empty Bowl Benefit in the Chase Community Center. Schools and businesses across Vermont donated handmade bowls and ILS members prepared delicious homemade soups for the event. A donation of $5 for a small bowl or $10 for a large bowl included an all-you-can-eat soup meal. The money raised this year nearly matched the $1,000 that the ILS students raised in last year's inaugural Empty Bowl Benefit. All proceeds went to Heifer International, a nonprofit organization that works with small communities around the world to help stop hunger, and to the Vermont Foodbank, which secures large quantities of food and offers them to member agencies, including community food shelves.

KnittingNite Raises Funds for Kids Place

Vermont Law School — 10 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST

KnittingNite Raises Funds for Kids Place

The Vermont Law School KnittingNite club recently raised $1,243 for Kids Place, a nonprofit group in Randolph. Club members thanked all those who supported their fund raiser, especially Dean Shirley Jefferson, who provided the yarn used to make dozens of scarves, mittens, hats and other items. Kids Place is a supervised visitation and parenting support group that provides a safe setting for children and non-residential parents to visit and maintain family ties. Kids Place was started in 1999 by Wynona Ward '98, who also founded the nonprofit group Have Justice Will Travel to help battered women and children. Kids Place Director Connie Button, who is a former VLS staff member, was amazed at the generosity of the VLS community, said KnittingNite club members Ann Zagare and Christy Asbee. More information is available at casbee@vermontlaw.edu.

Students, Faculty Head to Copenhagen for COP15

Vermont Law School — 30 Nov 2009 21:11:53 EST

Six Vermont Law School students and three faculty members will travel to Copenhagen next week to witness the historic United Nations Climate Change Conference. The VLS delegation has been granted "observer status" for the U.N.'s 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) negotiations, meaning the students and faculty will be eligible to attend the proceedings and participate in conference events. Read the full press release.

Keep on the VLS team's Copenhagen happenings on their blog,VLS in Copenhagen.

Cookson Takes Second Place in 2009 Law Student Writing Competition

Vermont Law School — 12 Nov 2009 17:02:10 EST

Cara Cookson's essay Confronting Our Fear: Legislating Beyond Battered Woman Syndrome and the Law of Self-Defense was selected by the ABA Commission on Domestic Violence as the second place winner in their 2009 Law Student Writing Competition.

Download Confronting Our Fear: Legislating Beyond Battered Woman Syndrome and the Law of Self-Defense

Justin Brown Wins K. William Kolbe Legal Writing Competition

Vermont Law School — 15 Oct 2009 18:22:06 EST

Justin Brown has won a national legal writing contest sponsored by the ABA Section of Public Utility Law. His essay, King Coal's Uncertain Future: An Analysis of the Growing U.S. Coal Moratorium, took first place in the K. William Kolbe Legal Writing Competition.

Lise Daniels Earns Honorable Mention in Pro Bono Publico Award

Vermont Law School — 01 Oct 2009 18:36:24 EST

The Public Service Law Network awarded Schweitzer Fellow Lise Daniels honorable mention in their 15th annual Pro Bono Publico Award for launching the Mascoma Legal Resource Center, a legal assistance clinic that offers rural, low-income individuals legal information and advice. Read more about the award on the Official Albert Schweitzer Fellowship Blog. Also, check out Lise Daniels' student profile.

Eliza Meeker Passes Paris Bar

Vermont Law School — 01 Jul 2009 18:15:33 EST

Eliza Meeker of Washington, D.C., became the first Vermont Law School graduate to pass the Paris Bar exam, thanks to a unique dual-degree program VLS offers in partnership with the University of Cergy-Pontoise, home to one of France's top law schools.