@ Iowa Law

August 31, 2020

A Note from Dean Washburn

Dear College of Law Students, Faculty, and Staff,

Welcome to Week 2 of our academic year. I’m looking forward to seeing 2Ls and 3Ls at the Boyd Law Building this week. Before we get too far into the semester, I wanted to introduce and welcome our new students and faculty. Even though we are more likely to see each other on Zoom than in the hallway, I want to make sure our newest community members feel welcome. 

Our first-year students started their orientation at the beginning of the month in Zoom classrooms and finished their first week at BLB last Friday. We’re excited to have more than 160 1L students at Iowa Law. Starting with them were 14 Advanced Standing JD students, 3 LLM students, and 3 SJD students. Through Orientation and related activities, many of you have had the chance to say hello and answer their questions and concerns. We will work hard to continue to provide those opportunities for virtual interaction throughout the semester. This Friday, September 4 at 12:45 p.m., we’ll have our first all-student town hall of the semester. These community events provide me with a chance to share updates from our college and campus as well as answer your questions and concerns. If you are available, I hope you will stop by.

Joining our new students are the following new faculty:

We're also excited to be joined by several faculty who are starting their visits with us:

Please join me in extending a warm welcome to all of our newest community members. We’ll continue to share more about our new students and faculty throughout the semester.

Kevin K. Washburn
N. William Hines Dean and Professor of Law

***

This week is an EVEN week at BLB.

Community News

  • Join the Rural Interest Group! - Interested in practicing rurally after graduation? The Rural Interest Group has been formed to help students do just that. If you are considering rural law, want to find out more about rural practice, or are interested in how the lack of attorneys in rural areas is impacting access to justice, please consider joining the Rural Interest Group.

  • The Journal of Gender, Race, and Justice (JGRJ) is seeking at least one additional contributing editor to support the Note & Comment Department this year. Please email Tatiana Lowell-Campbell by September 4th for more information and application instructions.

Upcoming Events

  • Environmental Law Society - Introductory Meeting - We are excited to meet new members and see returning members as we plan for the semester. We will be scheduling future events and meeting times and discussing goals for the semester. Instead of meeting outside, we will be meeting over zoom. The new meeting will take place on September 1 from 12:15 till 12:45. Zoom Meeting ID: 537 978 6746 
  • Intellectual Property Law Society (IPLS) – Fall Kickoff Meeting. RESCHEDULED TO  SEPT. 1ST Please join IPLS for the fall kickoff meeting on Sept.1st from 1-2 p.m. All those interested in a career in intellectual property are welcome. Hear from IPLS board members, Professor Rantanen, and a student panel about their experiences and advice. A Zoom link will be circulated prior to the meeting. Please email Lindsay (lindsay-kriz@uiowa.edu) or Madison (madison-murhammer@uiowa.edu) to join the email list for IPLS, or if you have any questions.

  • Join UICHR for Derecho, Disaster & Disadvantage on Wednesday, September 2nd: Noon - 1:00 pm (CST). This webinar will be about natural disasters and their disproportionate impact on vulnerable communities. Join the webinar: https://uiowa.zoom.us/j/98286127694.

  • OWLSS Informational Meeting - All current and prospective members of the Organization of Women Law Students and Staff (OWLSS) are invited to the OWLSS Informational Meeting. The meeting will be held on Thursday, September 3 at 1-1:45 p.m. on Zoom at https://uiowa.zoom.us/j/96710231241. During the meeting, we will introduce the Executive Board and provide information about our upcoming events, the Mentorship Program, and the 1L Representative Positions. We will also have a brief breakout group session to meet OWLSS members in a smaller setting. If you have any questions, please email Brooke Noack, OWLSS President, at brooke-noack@uiowa.edu.
  • September Student Town Hall with Dean Washburn - Friday, September 4 from 12:45 to 1:30 p.m. An invitation with Zoom details will be sent to all students via Outlook. If you have questions you'd like to submit in advance, please send them to your ISBA co-presidents, Emily Lavery (emily-lavery@uiowa.edu) and Hannah McDevitt (hannah-mcdevitt@uiowa.edu). 
  • Legal Theory Reading Group - "We used to think that if we improved policing we could escape its violence; [t]he only way to stop the violence of policing is to make the cops obsolete." - Rachel Herzing
    On May 25, 2020, Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd by kneeling on his neck for almost eight minutes. Protests against police brutality erupted immediately, and continue to this day. One frequent demand of protestors: Abolish the Police. An increasing number of Americans seem to be on board. What would it mean to abolish the police? And what would replace them? At the next Legal Theory Reading Group (“LTRG,” pronounced “liturgy”), we’ll discuss the history of policing in the United States and the feasibility of abolishing the police. Newcomers always welcome! At each LTRG meeting, we discuss a recent work tackling contemporary issues in legal theory. Professors Diamantis (law), Davidovic (philosophy), and Hasan (philosophy) will entertain you with provocative discussion prompts. Meetings are low key and friendly. The whole point is to have fun! The only expectation is that you come prepared to discuss.
       When: Tuesday, September 8th at 5:30pm
       Where: Zoom School of Law and Philosophy! (link sent to those who register)
       How: Sign up here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1GMjW1EfHpusj2YT2q2lmWO3xOwKE09TOxL4RJZ4HJ2k/edit#gid=2
       We will use Amna A. Akbar's, "An Abolitionist Horizon for (Police) Reform" as a basis for discussion

Reminders

  • A Note about Carrels from the Law Library-  For those of you using assigned even week carrels, please contact the Circulation Desk about any issues, especially if someone else’s items are in your assigned carrel.
  • Iowa Law Writing Center - The Iowa Law Writing Center is offering new and expanded online services. Check out our ICON site for a detailed description of the services we offer, the link to book appointments, and new writing resources added all the time. Our ICON site also has video introductions of our awesome staff. We look forward to seeing you!
  • ITS has updated printing info for students on remote printing: https://its.uiowa.edu/support/article/2498
  • COVID-19 Law-Specific Updates For building updates, hours, and resources for Fall 2020, we've put together this resource page. It also includes an archive of these e-mails.

  • Remember to log onto ICON. Check for any reading assignments or syllabus for your classes and also check your notification settings. We recommend keeping notifications for “Announcements” turned on.   That will insure that you receive the latest updates your professor posts to the class.

  • A Note about Zoom and Polling - For professors to use the polling function successfully, students must use the Zoom app, rather than the web portal:

    • Use the Zoom app on Windows or Mac (a computer is preferable to a mobile device, if possible)
    • (Or use an iOS or Android Zoom app on a mobile device)
    • Open your Zoom app and check for updates – the latest version is 5.2.1 for PC and Mac
    • Polls will NOT show in the web client

@ Iowa Law Communications

For Fall 2020, @ Iowa Law messages will go on Monday mornings and Friday afternoons. Mid-day on Wednesdays, Career Services sends their newsletter. To submit content for @ Iowa Law, please use this form (https://uiowa.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_a43sCRhrCeRrI6p).

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