Marquette NAAC Team Advances to Quarterfinals

NAACAfter three rounds of oral argument at the National Appellate Advocacy Competition (NAAC) regional in New York City this weekend, Marquette University Law School students Brett Schnepper (3L) and Adam Koenings (3L) were 3-0 and seeded eighth out of 49 teams.  Schnepper and Koenings advanced to the quarterfinals, but unfortunately lost a very close match to another team. Annie Halverson-Piron was also a member of the team. Attorneys Jesse Blocher and Michael Cerjak coached Schnepper and Koenings.

Bailey Briggs (3L) and Jenna Leslie (3L) also competed in the New York regional competition, facing tough competition.  Their team was coached by attorneys Alyssa Dowse and Lindsey Johnson.  Professor Lisa Mazzie is the faculty advisor for both teams.

The NAAC is sponsored by the American Bar Association Law Student Division.

Continue ReadingMarquette NAAC Team Advances to Quarterfinals

Restorative Justice Conference: “Grief Is Inevitable; Misery Is Optional”

There is no way the legal system – or anyone else — can undo the terrible wounds left on people who have had a loved one murdered. But can the system or those involved in different aspects of it help survivors of a murder victim go forward in leading their lives?

That was the underlying question at the remarkable and emotionally intense 2013 Restorative Justice Conference held last week at Marquette Law School’s Eckstein Hall. “The Death Penalty Versus Life Without Parole: Comparing the Healing Impact on Victims’ Families and the Community” brought together about 200 people from Wisconsin and much of the country to examine the post-murder lives of family members.

But among the many speakers, six stood out – because, as survivors of victims, they personally had gone through the grieving and dealt with the legal system and so many other problems. Three from Texas, two from Minnesota, and one from the Milwaukee area told their searing stories in a pair of panel discussions on Friday morning, the second day of the conference.

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20th Annual Howard B. Eisenberg Do-Gooders’ Auction–An Interview with PILS Fellow Mindy Nolan

The 20th Annual Howard B. Eisenberg Do-Gooders’ Auction on behalf of the Law School’s Public Interest Law Society (PILS) will be held this Friday, February 15, 2013 at the Law School. Proceeds from the event go to support PILS Fellowships to enable Marquette law students to do public interest work in the summer. Mindy Nolan, a current law student, shares her experience here as a PILS Fellow.  Besides her work as a PILS Fellow, Mindy did outstanding work in soliciting and compiling donations for this year’s auction.

Where did you work as a PILS Fellow?

This past summer I served as a law intern at the Wisconsin State Public Defender’s Office in Rhinelander, Wisconsin.

What kind of work did you do there?

In my role there, I prepared legal memoranda, motions, and conducted research for the four Assistant State Public Defenders working in that office. I conducted client and witness interviews over the phone and in person at the county jails. I also attended court hearings in three northern Wisconsin counties.

How was the experience meaningful to you?

This experience was extremely meaningful to me for several reasons, in particular the amount that I learned about the everyday workings of the criminal justice system. It was interesting to witness the dynamic of how the criminal justice system interacted with the three Native American tribes that are located in the three counties. It was also meaningful to see how the criminal justice system itself functions in three very small counties where there would sometimes only be one judge, one prosecutor, and one public defender working together day in and day out.

Continue Reading20th Annual Howard B. Eisenberg Do-Gooders’ Auction–An Interview with PILS Fellow Mindy Nolan