Welcome to April. The new Faculty Blogger of the Month is Michael McChrystal. The new Alum Blogger of the Month is Julie Darnieder. And the new Student Blogger of the Month is Sean Samis. Many thanks to our great featured bloggers for March: Andrea Schneider, Mike Zimmer, and Chris King.
The Question of the Month is: What was your most useful or enjoyable extracurricular activity in law school?
The semifinal round of this spring’s Jenkins Moot Court Competition took place last night. As previously described, sixteen top students from the Appellate Writing and Advocacy Class were invited to compete in the Jenkins Competition, in teams of two. Last week, that field of eight teams was narrowed to four. Last night’s arguments narrowed the competition to the final two teams. The finalists are Alyssa Dowse and Timothy Sheehey, arguing against Jessica Farley and Brent Simerson.
Congratulations and good luck to the finalists. The final argument will take place at the Milwaukee Federal Courthouse at 6 p.m. this Thursday, April 2. Join us to see two terrific oral arguments, and the exciting outcome of the year’s competition. More information about the competition and the schedule of the events on Thursday, including the argument and the reception afterwards, can be found here.
On March 27, President Barack Obama addressed the nation regarding his proposed “Development, Diplomacy and Defense” approach to addressing the “increasingly perilous” threat of Al Qaeda. Although his plan includes increased military presence in Afghanistan, he also emphasized the importance of developing the institutional infrastructure from the “bottom up” so that local actors will invest in the economic, political, and legal reforms of their nation.
As I listened to Obama on NPR, I noted how he referred to many of the same concepts and issues I teach in “Comparative Study of Transitional Justice.” This course exposes students to different case studies of how countries have tackled the arduous task of transitioning from conflict and repression to peace and stability. In particular, we have discussed the use of truth commissions and criminal trials as mechanisms used by nations like Peru, Chile, and South Africa, among others, to address past legacies of human rights violations. Often these measures seek to promote both reconciliation and the rule of law.