Speakers at Marquette – Page 80 – Marquette University Law School Faculty Blog

JAG Corps Work Can Be on the Battlefield as Well as in the Courtroom, Houck Says

Post author:Alan J. Borsuk
Post published:April 5, 2012
Post category:Public Speakers at Marquette

What is the United States Navy looking for in the lawyers it selects for the Judge Advocate General’s Corps? Not surprisingly, Vice Admiral James W. Houck, Judge Advocate General for the Navy, answered, “We’re looking for good lawyers.” But, he added, a few other qualities are important: Being a good team player and being willing to take on difficult assignments, sometimes in difficult places.

Houck described the work of the JAG Corps and his own career at an “On the Issues” session Thursday with Mike Gousha, distinguished fellow in law and public policy at Marquette University Law School.

JAG Corps positions have become highly sought, especially in today’s difficult job market for lawyers, Houck said. He described the corps as “a world-wide law firm” with 2,300 employees. The initial commitment of a lawyer joined the corps is for four years, but more than 90% seek to serve longer. And “people stand in line” for assignments in a place such as Afghanistan, Houck said.

He said the JAG Corps has had a good association with Marquette and there have been at least seven Law School grads in the corps in recent years.

The role of lawyers in the Navy is far broader than many people realize. Members of the JAG Corps work both as prosecutors and as defense lawyers in military judicial proceedings and they provide legal help to members of the Navy and their families. But, Houck said, they are also involved in combat issues that put them on the frontlines of combat. Those issues can include advising commanders on what is a legally valid target or an acceptable risk of collateral damage. “Lawyers are integrated in ways people would never imagine,” Houck said.

New Law School Poll Results: Romney Rebounds, Governor’s Race Is Tight

Post author:Alan J. Borsuk
Post published:March 27, 2012
Post category:Marquette Law School Political Processes & Rhetoric Public Speakers at Marquette

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has rebounded strongly from a month ago among people expecting to vote in Wisconsin’s Republican presidential primary April 3, according to new results for the Marquette Law School Poll. In February, Romney trailed former Sen. Rick Santorum by 16 points in Wisconsin, but he now leads Santorum by eight points, 39% to 31%, the poll found.

Romney has also narrowed the gap between himself and Democratic President Barack Obama, if the presidential election were to be held today and they were the two major candidates. But Romney continues to trail Obama in Wisconsin – by five percentage points in the new poll, compared to 15 points a month ago – and Obama is ahead of other Republican candidates by 10 points or more.

The results of the third monthly round of the Law School’s year-long polling project show the looming recall election for governor remains very close. When all poll respondents were asked their preference in possible matchups, Republican Gov. Scott Walker led Democratic Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett by two percentage points, while Walker led Democratic candidate Kathleen Falk by four points.

Barrett has not announced yet if he will run. If he does, the poll indicated he would have more support than Falk among people intending to vote in a Democratic primary. If he does not, Falk would have a large lead over candidates such as State Rep. Kathleen Vinehout and Secretary of State Doug La Follette. The primary election for governor is expected to be held on May 8, with a final election on June 5.

The results of the polling, which was conducted from March 22 to 25, were released Tuesday at an “On the Issues with Mike Gousha” session at the Law School featuring Professor Charles Franklin, visiting professor of law and public policy and director of the poll. The video of that session can be viewed by clicking here. The full poll results can be viewed by clicking here. And a five minute video of Franklin being interviewed by Mike Gousha, the Law School’s distinguished fellow in law and public policy, can be viewed by clicking here.

Don’t Be Afraid to Go to Law School, Minority Students Told

Post author:Alan J. Borsuk
Post published:March 15, 2012
Post category:Legal Education Marquette Law School Milwaukee Public Schools Public Speakers at Marquette

Lovell Johnson recalls a guy he looked up to in high school, a guy he thought could really succeed in life. Several years later, he ran into the guy. The guy was driving a cab. Nothing wrong with driving a cab, Johnson said as he counted the anecdote. But the guy said to him he could have gone to law school and made more of himself. And he didn’t.

Johnson decided he didn’t want to be like that guy. That guy was afraid to apply to law school; he was afraid to fail. So was Johnson. But Johnson overcame that, took the plunge, became a lawyer, and has been a well-known and successful Milwaukee County assistant district attorney for years.

“Don’t be afraid,” Johnson told about 150 Milwaukee high school students Thursday at a Youth Law Day conference at Eckstein Hall. “Don’t let anybody tell you you can’t do it.”

That was one of the strong underlying themes as the students from a half dozen schools got a dose of knowledge about what it’s like to be a lawyer and a lot of encouragement to pursue that possibility.