A Message from Dean Aiken
Dear Wake Forest Law community,
You know we are beginning to get back to normal when graduates in robes are found in lines waiting to process into Wait Chapel! The Law School Hooding Ceremony was joyful. This year we were thrilled to have President Wente join us to confer degrees on our JDs, LLMs, SJDs, and MSLs for the first time ever as a part of the Law School Hooding Ceremony. Following the Hooding Ceremony, the law school welcomed the graduates and their guests to a reception in the Worrell Courtyard where we continued the celebration and were able to meet their family and friends.
Graduation marked the culmination of a successful year. The law school is third in the nation in employment outcomes. Our legal writing program, arguably the most important legal skill, is ranked 6th in the nation. The number of applications stayed strong, allowing us to be more selective in admissions. Our entering class for the fall is shaping up to have one of the highest of LSAT and GPA medians in the history of Wake Forest Law. More importantly, we are choosing students who have a record of leadership and character, and a commitment to collaboration. These are the qualities that make Wake Forest’s culture and lawyers different. We are committed to sustaining that culture and enhancing it by growing our leadership and character program.
With an eye toward possibilities in Charlotte, Wake Forest Law is talking with alumni in the area to determine what non-JD programs, such as certificates and diverse LLM and MSL specialties, might be attractive to that community. We hope to build on the medical school’s physical presence in Charlotte, the developing innovation quarter, and the new School of Professional Studies to create a graduate law program that meets the needs of the Charlotte market and beyond.
The summer promises to be a time of planning and initiation. Not only do I hope to finally see you in person in many cities across the country, I hope to move from the idea generation stage that has consumed us during COVID, to action and productivity. I hope you will join me in this effort.
With warm regards,
American Bar Association Survey Shows 96% Employment Rate For Wake Forest Law
The American Bar Association (ABA) recently released the law school employment results for 2021 graduates from law schools across the country. Wake Forest Law ranked No. 3 out of 196 law schools in the number of graduates employed in full-time, long-term positions requiring a bar license or for which the JD is an advantage. As of March 15, 2022, 96.53% of Wake Forest Law’s 2021 graduates have employment in these “gold standard” jobs.
The class of 2021 has made its mark at the Wake Forest University School of Law. Graduates play an integral part in the institution’s future. When students come to law school, they have the reasonable expectation that they will pass the bar, get a meaningful job and not have enormous debt. Wake Forest Law is meeting those expectations. Being ranked No. 3 further confirms that a Wake Forest Law education propels students forward.
STUDENT FOCUS
Veterans Legal Clinic makes life-changing impact due to efforts from students
Due to the efforts of Veterans Legal Clinic students Allison Spears and Walker Helms, under the supervision of Clinic Director Eleanor Morales, a clinic client now has an Honorable discharge and veteran status under the law.
During the past academic year, Spears and Helms represented an Army soldier who deployed after 9/11 as part of the first conventional forces on the ground in Afghanistan. The client, who lives with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) from combat, was court-martialed, sentenced to a term of imprisonment, and discharged with a Bad Conduct Discharge, likely resulting in a lifetime bar from all VA benefits including health care.
Read more about the Veterans Legal Clinic's recent success here.
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Jim Van Camp (JD '65)
Jim Van Camp, a Moore County attorney who has practiced law for over 55 years, was recently honored with a portrait that will hang at Wake Forest Law.
After graduating from Wake Forest Law, Van Camp accepted an offer to work in Carthage under attorney H.F. “Chub” Seawell Jr.. Van Camp gained notoriety a few years later as part of the legal team that successfully blocked the company Diamondhead Corp. from building condominiums along the Pinehurst No. 2 golf course in 1973.
Read more about Jim Van Camp's many accomplishments and the unveiling of his portrait here.
FACULTY HIGHLIGHT
Sarah Morath
Professor Sarah Morath is an expert on legal writing pedagogy who also teaches and publishes on a wide range of topics, including environmental law, food law and policy, agriculture, and natural resources law, among other subjects. Her scholarly contributions to the field of legal writing are extensive. Her recently published book, Our Plastic Problem and How to Solve It, was created from her expertise in both writing and environmental law.
Read more about Professor Morath’s new book and current research here.
FACULTY SCHOLARSHIP & RESEARCH
Marie-Amélie George
- Research presentation, "Gender Expansive Children in Domestic Relations Matters: Redefining “Best Interests” - a National Expert’s Direction”, Colorado Bar Association on Family Law (May 11, 2022)
Eleanor Morales
- Speaking Appearance, “Multidisciplinary Collaboration to Enhance Student Learning & Advance Equity”, Association of American Law Schools Conference on Clinical Legal Education (May 11, 2022)
Alan Palmiter
- Speaking Appearance, “Capitalism, heal thyself - a new future for the world?”, Sustainable Corporations (May 2, 2022)
FACULTY IN THE MEDIA
Jane Aiken
Wake Forest School of Law Dean Jane Aiken was quoted in an article for People Magazine about how salacious allegations and unrecorded interrogations are just two troubling errors that would lead to the wrongful conviction of Patty Prewitt, a former legal clinic client of Dean Aiken's.
Meghan Boone
Professor Meghan Boone was interviewed several times about the leaked opinion of Roe vs Wade from the Supreme Court’s upcoming decision. She was first interviewed by the Winston-Salem Journal along with Professor Marie-Amelie George about the implications of the overturning of Roe vs Wade to North Carolina citizens. Additionally, Professor Boone was interviewed by WFAE Radio about the history of abortion law in North and South Carolina.
Marie-Amélie George
Professor Marie-Amelie George was interviewed by a number of groups about the impact overturning Roe vs Wade would have on citizens of North Carolina, and citizens of America. She spoke with WFMY in a news segment and, along with Professor Meghan Boone, was interviewed by the Winston-Salem Journal.
LEADERSHIP, ACCOMPLISHMENTS & AWARDS
Professor Stratos Pahis wins Francis Deák Prize by the American Journal of International Law
Wake Forest School of Law Professor Stratos Pahis was awarded the prestigious Francis Deák Prize by the American Journal of International Law. The award recognizes Professor Pahis’ research article, titled "BITs and Bonds: The International Law and Economics of Sovereign Debt" 115 AJIL 242 (2021), for making a meritorious contribution to international legal scholarship.
The prize has been awarded annually since 1973 for the best scholarly article written by a younger author published by the American Journal of International Law. The Board of Editors of the journal voted to give Professor Pahis the Francis Deák Prize at their annual meeting on April 12, 2022.
Read more about Professor Pahis' award here.
Wake Forest Law student Darrien Jones receives Smith Anderson Pro Bono Award for Exceptional Service
Wake Forest University School of Law student Darrien Jones has been honored as the recipient of the 2022 Smith Anderson Pro Bono Award for Exceptional Service for his passion, creativity, dedication and commitment to serving people in need.
Smith Anderson, the largest business and litigation law firm based in the Research Triangle region of North Carolina, funded the Smith Anderson Office of Community Outreach establishment eight years ago at Wake Forest Law, which houses the pro bono project and expungement clinic. Since then, Smith Anderson has honored a superb law student annually with the Pro Bono Award for Exceptional Service.
Read more about Darrien Jones and the Smith Anderson Pro Bono Award here.
EVENTS
Save the Date: Law Alumni Events Across the Country
It is time for Wake Forest Law Alumni to connect in person again!
From now through June, Wake Forest Law Alumni are hosting multiple networking events across the country. For all event dates and locations, please visit the Wake Forest Law Alumni Website.
Please join us for a Wake Forest Law alumni reception during the NCBA Annual Meeting on Thursday, June 23, 2022 from 5:30-7:00 p.m. at the Marriott in downtown Winston-Salem. All Triad area law alumni and any law alumni attending the NCBA meeting are invited to attend. RSVP here!
We will be hosting an alumni reception 43rd Annual Estate Planning & Fiduciary Law Program being held July 21-23 in Kiawah Island, SC. More details with exact date and time coming soon!
Save the Date: Law Alumni Weekend September 16-18
September 16-18
Brand new this year -- Law Alumni Weekend will be held in conjunction with Homecoming! Along with Law School-only events held in Worrell Professional Center, all law alumni are welcomed back for all the weekend festivities, and Law School classes ending in 2 or 7 will be celebrating their reunions.
In Case You Missed It: Hooding Ceremony for the Class of 2022
Wake Forest School of Law congratulates the Class of 2022 on their graduation! Students, faculty, and staff gathered on May 15 for the hooding ceremony for the Wake Forest Law graduates. After the ceremony, the Wake Forest Law Community celebrated for the first time in years in the Worrell Courtyard.
Don't Forget: Make your impact through the Wake Forest Fund!
Every Wake Forest Law School student benefits from – and will continue to thrive because of – the philanthropy of those who support the Wake Forest Fund for the School of Law. As we seek to develop the legal professionals our complex world requires, the use of unrestricted funds directly supports students by increasing scholarship opportunities, creating new legal clinics, and enhancing experiential learning. Our fiscal year ends June 30. Make your gift to the Wake Forest Fund for the School of Law by clicking here.
The mission of Wake Forest Law is to advance the cause of justice by creating knowledge and educating students to meet the legal needs of the world with confidence, character, and creativity. We instill in students a respect for the law, a devotion to the ideal of service, and a commitment to professional values. We educate students from around the world in a richly diverse, equitable, and inclusive community.
Legal Briefs is a publication of Wake Forest University School of Law.