Dean's View - Winter 2021
Dear UW Law Graduates, As this issue goes to press, we are nearly two years into the pandemic, and I’m now in the middle of my second year as dean of UW Law. We are very fortunate to have a return to something like normalcy in the fall semester.
Features
Rising Stars
The University of Wisconsin Law School has strengthened its faculty with two new hires, Nate Atkinson and Stephanie Holmes Didwania, who join in a long tradition of excellence in research and teaching.
Barbee's Mirror
A UW Law School alum's pursuit of justice reemerges in a long-lost film, now found. Lloyd Barbee ’56 was just a few years out of law school and the president of the local NAACP branch when he and two friends hatched a plan to use hidden cameras to document and expose housing discrimination in Madison.
Ever-Evolving Clinical Education
New flexibilities offer more student opportunities. Long known as a pioneer in the field of clinical education, UW Law School’s robust clinical programs are no stranger to innovation.
The Whole Nine Yards
UW Law’s strategic plan unites new priorities with historical commitments. Ask Dean Dan Tokaji when work first began on the strategic plan that was approved by the faculty of the University of Wisconsin Law School this past May, and his answer is as clear and concise as the plan itself.
News & Notes
In Brief – Winter 2021-22
Statistics for the Entering Class of 2021, an excerpt from an op-ed by UW Law Professor Asifa Quraishi-Landes, vaccination rates for the UW Law School, and information about a Law & Entrepreneurship Clinic video series that helps small businesses.
UW Law School names Michael States the Inaugural Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
The University of Wisconsin Law School is pleased to announce that Michael States will serve as the inaugural associate dean of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Tonya Brito awarded grant to support project on ‘Race, Class, and Gender Inequality and Access to Civil Justice’
Tonya Brito, Burrus-Bascom Professor of Law, was awarded an Understanding and Reducing Inequalities Initiative Program Research Grant from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Sumudu Atapattu’s new book examines intersectional nature of environmental injustice
“Climate change is one of the biggest challenges we’re facing as humanity, and it’s affecting the entire world,” says Sumudu Atapattu, director of research centers at UW Law School and an expert in international environmental law and human rights.
Professors Mertz, Klug emphasize law-in-action and interdisciplinary, empirical study of law in new book
Wisconsin’s roots in the law-in-action tradition run deep, and the new Research Handbook on Modern Legal Realism could help that philosophy branch out at other law schools.
Kathryn Hendley, expert on the role of law in Russia, selected for 2020–21 research chair
Professor Kathryn Hendley's interest in the Russia and eventual graduate studies coincided with Mikhail Gorbachev’s leadership at the time of the breakup of the Soviet Union, events that opened up the country — and a world of research possibilities.
Center for DREAMers provides holistic support for DACA students
The UW Law School launched a new center to support Wisconsin’s DREAMers, an all-encompassing term describing individuals who have lived in the United States without official lawful status since coming to the country as a minor.
New Eviction Defense Clinic focuses on improving housing stability
In response to the rising need for eviction defense, the University of Wisconsin Law School’s Economic Justice Institute (EJI) was awarded funding to provide dedicated legal assistance for eviction services.
UW Law School launches new fund to expand faculty and enhance scholarly impact
The University of Wisconsin Law School has created a $1 million Faculty Recruitment and Retention Fund. The fund will help UW Law expand its tenure-track faculty from twenty-nine to thirty-five people over the next five years, a planned increase of some 20 percent.
State Democracy Research Initiative aims to foster better understanding of state governments
“If we want to preserve and improve state democracy, we have to first understand it,” said Associate Professor of Law Miriam Seifter in a recent podcast interview.
Alumni News
Four prominent Ho-Chunk leaders address campus on significance of treaties
Jo Deen B. Lowe ’85, JoAnn Jones ’86, Wendi Huling ’01, and Michelle Greendeer-Rave ’98 moderated campus discussion on treaties, as the marquee event of Treaty Day 2021.
Alumni News: In Brief
Tatiana Shiraski ’18 named Young Lawyers Division's Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year; Thomas Barrett ’80 nominated for Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg; UW Law Grads Kelliann Blazek ’14 and Jessica Shoemaker ’04 lead on rural issues.
Badgers Help Badgers
If you are a UW Law School alum willing to share your expertise, join UW Law’s Alumni Network Connect. Become part of a community of alumni who have volunteered to give career advice and guidance to law students and recent graduates.
Class Notes
Class Notes, Winter 2021-22 Issue
Recent updates about UW Law School Alumni, where they are in their career and what recent news they have to share.
In Memoriam
In Memoriam – Volume 44.1
We remember and honor UW Law School alumni who are no longer with us.
Last Word
Last Word: Then & Now
These Cane Toss photos underscore the difference a year can make, from Spring 2021 to Fall 2021.