Marquette Law School – Marquette University Law School Faculty Blog

Marquette Moot Court Association Names Participants in the 2020 Jenkins Honors Moot Court Competition

By: Melissa Love KoenigJanuary 8, 2020January 13, 2020Appellate Advocacy, Legal Education, Legal Writing, Marquette Law School, PublicLeave a comment»

The Jenkins Honors Moot Court Competition is the appellate moot court competition for Marquette law students and is the capstone event of the intramural moot court program. Students are invited to participate based on their top performance in the fall Appellate Writing and Advocacy course at the Law School.

Congratulations to the participants in the 2020 Jenkins Honors Moot Court Competition:

Adam Best
William Brookley
John Fuller
Kaitlyn Gradecki
Xavier Jenkins
Naomie Kipulu
Michelle Knapp
Nicholas Lubenow
Colleen Mandell
Jay McDivitt
Wynetta McIntosh
Marilyn McQuade
Tori Nanstad
Kelsey Pelegrin
Jessica Puetz
Annalisa Pusick
Mathias Rekowski
Kelley Roach
Ashley Rossman
Adam Roznowski
Lucas Schaetzel
Natalie Sobierajski
Foley Van Lieshout
Haley Wentz

The Jenkins preliminary rounds begin in March 2020, with the winning teams progressing through the quarterfinals, then semifinals, to the finals. All rounds are open to the public. Stay tuned for more information.

Marquette Teams Make Successful Showing at NMCC Regionals

By: Lisa A. MazzieNovember 25, 2019November 27, 2019Appellate Advocacy, Legal Education, Marquette Law School, PublicLeave a comment»

six students standing in law school — Marquette Law students who participated in the NMCC Region VIII competition (left to right): Kieran O’Day, Abby Hodgdon, Brooke Erickson, Kylie Owens, Micaela Haggenjos, and Kylie Kaltenberg.

Marquette University Law School hosted the Region VIII round of the 70th annual National Moot Court Competition on November 23-24, 2019. Both Marquette teams made successful showings.

Team members Kylie Kaltenberg, Abby Hodgdon, and Kieran O’Day advanced to the semifinal round before being eliminated after losing by less than one-half point. That team also had the third highest brief score* in the region. Professor Melissa Love Koenig advised the team, which was coached by attorneys Jason Luczak, Brianna Meyer (L’17), and Max Stephenson (L’13).

Brooke Erickson, Micaela Haggenjos, and Kylie Owens advanced to the quarterfinals before being eliminated after losing a close round to the other Marquette team. Professor Lisa Mazzie advised the team, and attorneys Bryn Baker (L’18), Chal Little (L’16), and Nicole Muller (L’18) coached the team.

Our attorney coaches are extremely dedicated and put in many hours of work with our students. We are lucky to have coaches who come back year after year. Our students benefit greatly from working with them. Our teams put in many hours of practice to prepare for the competition.

We are grateful for the time donated by the many judges and lawyers who judged the briefs and oral arguments for the NMCC Region VIII regionals. Moot Court Associate Justice Jake Rozema put in countless hours to ensure the competition ran as smoothly as it did. He was ably assisted by his committee, consisting of John Black, Colin Dunn, Danielle Gorsuch, Tyler Jochman, Peter Klepacz, Darrin Pribbernow, Alexander Sterling, Lucas Tabor, Brandie Tartza, and Caleb Tomaszewski. We appreciate the students who participated as bailiffs: Alicia Bernards, Suzanne Caulfield, Vanessa Flores, Joshua Kundert, and Daniel Sievert. Continue reading “Marquette Teams Make Successful Showing at NMCC Regionals”

Pro Bono Week: Student and Alumni Features, Part II

By: Sarah DiStefanoOctober 23, 2019Marquette Law School, Pro Bono, PublicLeave a comment»

For the remaining Pro Bono Week features, not only do we have some individual students and alumni, but we also feature a student organization as well. Please follow us on Twitter and Instagram to see more photos throughout the week.

Our next student to be featured is Kelsey Brown. Kelsey is a 3L and will be graduating this December. She has been involved since October of her first year of law school and has participated with the House of Peace, UCC, Milwaukee Justice Center, and the Veteran’s Service Office throughout her law school tenure.

Her reasons for participating in pro bono opportunities: “I decided to do pro bono because I wanted to better educate people on the law. I felt that if people were better educated on the law, then they are in a better position to recognize and fight against unfair and unnecessary treatment against them. I also wanted to be a role model for individuals who come to the clinics. I wanted to show them that lawyers come in all shapes, sizes, and shades—just like them. And hopefully by seeing an African American female such as myself working at the clinic, they will see the legitimacy of the Wisconsin court system. My favorite thing about volunteering at is that everyone feels good—the client feels good because he or she received legal advice; and the volunteer law student/volunteer lawyer feel good because they helped a client understand the Wisconsin legal system.”

Salonee Patel is a 3L who has been working with the pro bono programs for about two and half years. She’s volunteered with the Milwaukee Justice Center in the past but you can primarily find her at the United Community Center this year. She is one of our Student Advisory Board members and says her favorite part is “working alongside attorneys and students to help our clients out with their legal issues.”

Salonee has many reasons for doing pro bono work. “It is important to volunteer and help out especially when you have the time and resources to do so,” she says, and “as a law student, not only do you start learning certain legal skills, but you also get to know your community better.”

Not only do individual students, participate in pro bono work, our student organizations do too. Continue reading “Pro Bono Week: Student and Alumni Features, Part II”

Pro Bono Week: Student and Alumni Features, Part I

By: Sarah DiStefanoOctober 21, 2019Marquette Law School, Pro Bono, PublicLeave a comment»

We want to highlight just a few of the many students and alumni that participate in pro bono opportunities with our Office of Public Service. We will be featuring some photos of them on our Twitter and Instagram pages and will have another post later this week to highlight more!

First up is 2L Richard Esparza. Richard began volunteering with our pro bono programs during the first week he was allowed to during his 1L year, “I actually was scheduled for my first shift on the same day we received training!” He has participated at all of the MVLCs but he frequents the United Community Center (UCC) more often since he is a native Spanish speaker and there is a large Spanish-speaking population that attends the clinic.

We asked our students why they decided to do pro bono work and what their favorite thing about volunteering was. Richard said, “I decided to do pro bono because I am a native of Milwaukee and feel a strong connection to my community. My favorite thing about volunteering with the pro bono clinics is being able to use my Spanish to help clients.”

Next is Al Sterling. Al is a 3L and has been volunteering with the pro bono programs since his first semester of law school. Continue reading “Pro Bono Week: Student and Alumni Features, Part I”

National Pro Bono Week: October 20-26

By: Sarah DiStefanoOctober 16, 2019Marquette Law School, Pro Bono, PublicLeave a comment»

October 20-26, 2019 is recognized as National Pro Bono Week. For the last ten years, a week in October has been chosen as a way to spotlight the pro bono work done by law students, lawyers, and paralegals across the country.

How did it get started? Back in 2009, the ABA Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service decided to create a coordinated event to highlight the “increasing need for pro bono services during harsh economic times and the unprecedented response of attorneys to meet this demand.” Ever since, it has promoted pro bono activities during October to help increase access to justice and community involvement.

So what is Marquette Law School doing for Pro Bono Week? Well, I first want to mention that the Law School has been committed to public service for a long time. The Office of Public Service is continuing to organize pro bono opportunities, trainings, CLEs, and really just business as usual because serving our communities is engrained in our mission. Almost 70% of our current students have participated in pro bono opportunities and we’ve served thousands of clients over the year.

So if you haven’t yet volunteered at one of the many Marquette Volunteer Legal Clinics (MVLCs), traveled on the Mobile Legal Clinic bus, or participated with the Milwaukee Justice Center (which will be celebrating its 10^th Anniversary this month), I would encourage our students, faculty, and alumni to sign up for a shift during the week.

But we are also going to use the week to recognize just a few of our volunteers, both current students and alumni. They have put in a lot of time and effort to connect with the Milwaukee community and help increase access to justice. Hear about some of their experiences and find out what motivates them to give their time to this cause. Hopefully it will help inspire you to give back as well.

3L Moot Court Team Sweeps Preliminaries at Elon University Competition

By: Lisa A. MazzieOctober 13, 2019October 13, 2019Appellate Advocacy, Legal Education, Legal Writing, Marquette Law School, Moot Court, Public1 Comment

Moot Court students in front of Elon Law sign — From left to right: Luis Gutierrez, Terreea Shropshire, and Nicholas Wanic

In Marquette Law’s first appearance at the Billings, Exum & Frye National Moot Court Competition at Elon University School of Law in Greensboro, North Carolina, three Marquette Law students showed that Team Marquette is a force to be reckoned with.

Luis Gutierrez, Terreea Shropshire, and Nicholas Wanic were one of 40 teams at the competition. Though their brief was not one of the top two in the competition (the only ones awarded honors), they earned a high score that was nearly ten points above the median. Further, they won each of their three preliminaries rounds and advanced to the octofinals.

This competition had a tight turn-around time between problem release, brief deadline, and competition. All three team members stepped up and showed how hard work pays off. Professor Rebecca Blemberg served as the team’s faculty advisor and coach. Other coaches were Attorney Courtney Roelandts (L’18), who also accompanied the team to the competition, and Attorneys Jessica Delgado (L’19) and Sarita (Sadie) Olson (L’19), with Professor Lisa A. Mazzie assisting. Thank you, too, to Attorney Greg Helding (L’14), who served as guest judge.

Congratulations, team, on your accomplishments!

How to Succeed in Appellate Writing and Advocacy

By: Kylie OwensOctober 1, 2019Legal Education, Marquette Law School, Public, Student ContributorLeave a comment»

courtroom While Appellate Writing and Advocacy (AWA) is a challenging class, it provides law students with the fundamental skills necessary for written and oral advocacy. I spoke with 3Ls who had AWA last fall to get their suggestions for current AWA students on how to succeed in AWA, both writing the brief and doing oral argument. Current AWA students, here are some tips for you.

During the writing process, Luis Gutierrez suggests that good topic sentences are a great way to get the reader’s attention. Topic sentences help the reader follow your argument and, if written properly, will persuade the reader.

While Haley Stepanek was writing her AWA brief, she found researching the other side’s helpful case law benefitted her. Not only will this help you craft arguments in your brief, it will help you frame your oral arguments and answer any questions the judges may ask regarding the other side’s arguments. Moreover, Micaela Haggenjos advises you to research whether any recent cases have cited the main case you are relying on for their argument. This will be beneficial while writing your brief and may be helpful during oral arguments because a judge may ask whether any recent cases have cited a case you are relying on.

When the time comes to give oral arguments, Brooke Erickson urges you to treat oral arguments “like a conversation” because the more you engage with the judges, the more natural you are going sound. Brooke also says to focus more on the way you are speaking because if you are able to “defend the indefensible with grace, you can defend anything!”

Adam Vanderheyden suggests that you “breathe and slow down,” while also encouraging you to study the best speakers in history to focus on how they pause. Adam also reminds you that you are the experts on the subject, so make sure to act like it when you are in front of the judges. Knowing you are the expert can help calm your nerves. Julie Leary found that even if you are terrified of public speaking, “being the most well-versed person in the room . . . will make you feel more secure and more confident.”

And, remember, different techniques work for different people. Haley found that signing up for all of the opportunities to give oral argument, including scrimmaging with other teams most helpful, but Julie found that practicing with her partner, her coach, and to her cats, worked best for her. Being cognizant of what works best for you and your partner is key to your success.

Finally, Luis recommends treating the whole experience like you are actually representing a client in the U.S. Court of Appeals. While that may seem intimidating, this will be the best way to get the most out of the course. “Most importantly,” Luis said, just “have fun.”

Congratulations to AWL Scholarship Winners Budet and Smith

By: Lisa A. MazzieSeptember 18, 2019Legal Profession, Marquette Law School, Milwaukee, Pro Bono, Public1 Comment

head shot of jana budet — Jana Budet, 2L

Yesterday, September 17, 2019, the Milwaukee Association for Women Lawyers (AWL) Foundation honored two Marquette University Law School students with scholarships.

Jana Budet, 2L, received the AWL Foundation scholarship. The AWL Foundation Scholarship is awarded to a woman who has exhibited service to others, diversity, compelling financial need, academic achievement, unique life experiences (such as overcoming obstacles to attend or continue law school), and advancement of women in the profession.

Budet was on active duty in the Army for six years and earned her bachelor’s degree while she served. She balances her law school work with parenting her four daughters, ages 6, 5, 2, and 1. Continue reading “Congratulations to AWL Scholarship Winners Budet and Smith”

New Academic Year, New Bloggers

By: Edward A. FalloneSeptember 5, 2019September 6, 2019Alumni Contributor, Marquette Law School, Public, Student Contributor, UncategorizedLeave a comment»

Attorney Molly Madonia

Please join me in welcoming our guest bloggers for the month of September!

Our Student Blogger of the Month is Kylie Owens. Kylie grew up in Ogden, Utah and later attended Weber State University where she earned a B.A. in History and Geography. After receiving her undergraduate degree, she taught AP Geography and U.S. History to junior high students for almost seven years before deciding to go to law school.

Since the outset of her legal career, Kylie has worked mainly in family law, and is interested in gaining experience in other practice areas. She is competing in the National Moot Court Competition and is also pursuing an ADR certificate. In the little free time that she does have, Kylie enjoys practicing meditation, finding all the best restaurants in Milwaukee, and traveling.

Our Alumni Blogger of the Month is Molly Madonia. Molly is the Staff Attorney at Milwaukee World Festival, Inc., the producers of Summerfest™, the World’s Largest Music Festival™. Her primary areas of responsibility include managing MWF’s trademark portfolio, which includes the well-known Summerfest Smile™; liaising to Marketing teams on issues related to sponsorship, exhibitorship, and marketplace; advising the Human Resources department on compliance-related matters, including navigating the ADA and input on employee training; writing those Sweepstakes/Promotions rules for use on social media; and, of course, “other duties as assigned.”

She was honored to join the MULS graduating class of 2016, receiving her J.D. and the Certificate in Alternative Dispute Resolution. For more work by Molly, please see her pieces published in the Marquette University Law School Intellectual Property Law Review.

Thanks for joining us and we look forward to your posts.

Study Abroad Information Session

By: Edward A. FalloneAugust 26, 2019International Law & Diplomacy, Legal Education, Marquette Law School, Public, UncategorizedLeave a comment»

Large group of students and faculty standing on the steps of an official university building and posing for a group portrait. — Participants in the 2019 Giessen Program

Any law student interested in Study Abroad opportunities during calendar year 2020 — which includes the Spring 2020 academic semester, the summer 2020 semester, and the Fall 2020 academic semester — should plan on attending an information session that will take place on Thursday September 5 from 12:00 pm until 1:00 pm in Room 257 of the Law School.

Attendance at this information session is MANDATORY for any student who wishes to participate in a semester long exchange at the University of Copenhagen, the University of Comillas (Madrid), or the University of Poitiers (France) during the year 2020.

This information session will provide details on fast-approaching application deadlines for the semester exchanges, and will also discuss how to apply for the 2020 Summer Session in Giessen Germany and the International Conflict Resolution trip over Spring Break.

Contact Professor Ed Fallone for more information at edward.fallone@marquette.edu.

Group photo of students standing on stage holding certificates at a graduation ceremony. — Closing Ceremony in Giessen August 2019

Advice to Myself

By: Randal FingerAugust 21, 2019Legal Education, Marquette Law School, Public, Student Contributor4 Comments

John Kircher teaches a law school class, 1986

Law school is a wonderful experience. It’s terrifying, I have to admit, but it’s an opportunity that few people get and it’s something that shouldn’t be taken for granted. Coming into law school, I heard many a rumor including things like: you won’t have much, if any, free time; the workload is unlike anything you’ve ever seen before; and on-calls are really, really scary. If I could send a message to incoming 1L’s and my pre-1L self from right now, there are a couple of things that I would tell myself. The main thing that I would say is that all of those things are true, with some caveats.

In the beginning of 1L year, I found myself with little to no free time. Days were spent in class and nights were spent doing the reading assignments for said classes. (Side note: don’t use the word “said” to refer to something. It’s old “legalese” and it’s out of fashion. While I’m at it, forget how you thought attorneys spoke and wrote. You were wrong.) At first, I had no idea what I was doing. I read the cases, briefed the cases, and hoped to god that I got the right things out of those cases. Those three things consumed most of my time every day during the week and weekend. This is exactly what I feared law school would be: a never-ending stream of work that I didn’t know what to do with. However, as time went on, I started to understand what I needed to look for in cases and how to be more efficient with my time. It wasn’t an overnight process, but the saying that “practice makes perfect” applies directly to law school. If there was one thing that I could tell myself prior to the first day of class on this topic, it would be to remain patient. Learning “how to law school” takes time and the assignments will be hard to get through for a while. Continue reading “Advice to Myself”

A Big Bang in Germany

By: Edward A. FalloneAugust 20, 2019International Law & Diplomacy, Legal Education, Marquette Law School, PublicLeave a comment»

This summer marked the 11th year that the Summer Session in International and Comparative Law was held in the town of Giessen, Germany. The program brings together law students from the United States, Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America to learn and live together for four weeks. This one of a kind program is a partnership between the Marquette University Law School, the University of Wisconsin Law School, and the Justus Liebig University.

I was proud to address our 37 participants at this year’s Closing Ceremony on August 15, 2019. Here is the text of my remarks.

Herr Doctor Professor Marauhn, Vice President Kampfer, Honored Guests, Faculty and Graduates:

It all started with a Big Bang.

No, I am not referring to the American television show about young scientists that is apparently popular in every country on the planet. I am talking about the original Big Bang, that sudden burst of light and energy that began our universe.

Imagine if you had been there when the Big Bang occurred. At first, there was chaos, disorder, and confusion. But slowly, the gases cooled and became planets, and the planets formed orbits around suns, and the universe took shape. And it was beautiful.

Four weeks ago, you arrived in Giessen, Germany with your very own Big Bang. And yes, there was chaos. Continue reading “A Big Bang in Germany”