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Peters featured in Slate
No full textAssociate Professor Jonathan Peters was featured in Slate regarding phone call recording laws. The article titled Your iPhone Can Now Record Phone Calls. But There\u27s a Big Catch. was written by Scott Nover and published 10/31/24
Rodrigues featured on Law360
No full textAssociate Dean, University Professor & Kilpatrick Chair of Corporate Finance and Securities Law Usha Rodrigues was featured on Law360 regarding recently being named the next dean of the School of Law. The article titled “Georgia Law School Elevates Professor As New Dean” was written by Emily Johnson and published 11/1/2024
UGA Law announces initiatives addressing legal needs for rural Georgians and expanding access to a legal education
No full textThe University of Georgia School of Law proudly announces two initiatives that speak directly to its vision of redefining what it means to be a great national public law school – one that provides a world-class, hands-on, purpose-driven education with a pioneering commitment to affordability, according to School of Law Dean Peter B. “Bo” Rutledge.
The first is the Georgia Honors Fellows Program, which has been designed to help address the deficit of prosecutors and public defenders in Georgia communities without adequate access to legal services, and the second is the guarantee of a minimum one-quarter scholarship to every first-generation college graduate and veteran who enrolls at the law school.
Addressing legal needs for rural Georgians: Georgia Honors Fellows Program
The Georgia Honors Fellows Program, made possible through a blend of public and private funds, will help to create a pipeline of future attorneys from the School of Law to serve in these critically important roles throughout non-metropolitan parts of Georgia. The program has two components: The “Georgia Summer Honors Fellows Program” will provide stipends for up to 10 law students working in the offices of prosecutors and public defenders in rural Georgia. Five will work in prosecutors’ offices (or the Georgia Office of the Attorney General), and five will work in public defenders’ offices. Before beginning their summer fellowships, the selected students will participate in short “boot camps” organized by Melissa D. Redmon, director of the school’s Prosecutorial Justice Program and a former prosecutor, and Elizabeth Taxel, director of the school’s Criminal Defense Practicum and a former public defender. Following their summer experience, student participants will have the option to extend their work for one semester, thanks to private funding support. The result will be students gaining nearly nine months of hands-on experience in these non-metropolitan legal settings. The “Georgia Honors Fellows Program” will support several School of Law graduates in full-time, longer term positions in these offices. Like the Summer Honors Fellows Program, participants will work in prosecutors’ and public defenders’ offices. Before commencing their fellowships, Honors Fellows also will participate in boot camps organized by Redmon and Taxel. Private donations will supplement this part of the program. Additionally, the law school will pay for the bar exam preparation costs for each participant as well as contribute $10,000 annually to reduce the graduates’ debt for each year they participate in the program, up to a maximum of three years.
“The Honors Fellows and Summer Honors Fellows programs are a crucial step in addressing the critical shortage of public servants in our rural communities,” Redmon said. “By directly supporting the prosecution offices in these areas, the local justice system is strengthened, and law students have an invaluable opportunity to gain both hands-on practical experience and a deep understanding of the unique challenges rural prosecutors face. I am excited to know these programs will create a new generation of highly skilled public servants committed to justice and equity throughout the state.”
Taxel said the shortage of public defenders in Georgia\u27s rural and underserved legal areas has a profound impact on these communities and on the integrity of the legal system. “Having the opportunity to support law students and young lawyers who are taking the initiative to ensure that constitutional ideals are upheld in every corner of the state is a true honor.”
This initiative also includes the School of Law hosting conferences for Georgia prosecutors and public defenders on the UGA campus in Athens. This will build on a partnership the law school has had for several years with the Georgia Public Defender Council to host the organization’s annual conference.
Rutledge said this support will help defray conference expenses for the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia and the GPDC. He indicated that it also has the potential to reduce the costs of participants attending these annual meetings.
“The Georgia Honors Fellows initiative exemplifies the School of Law at its very best,” he added. “Generous state support, combined with private contributions, allows some of our truly world-class faculty to help tackle an acute need within the state of Georgia. Several states around the country confront similar challenges, and this initiative offers the opportunity to serve as a model for the nation.”
Expanding access to a legal education: Increased aid for first-gen college graduates/veterans
The School of Law will now guarantee that every first-generation college graduate and veteran who accepts an offer of admission will be guaranteed a minimum of a one-quarter scholarship for the duration of his or her Juris Doctor studies.
Since 2013, the School of Law has reduced aggregate student indebtedness by almost 55%. It also has more than doubled the number of students currently obtaining their legal education without borrowing a penny.
“First-generation college graduates and veterans have been priorities in our efforts to keep a legal education affordable,” Rutledge said.
Catalyzed by a transformational gift from 1982 School of Law alumna Kathelen V. Amos and the Daniel P. Amos Family Foundation, the law school’s First-Start Scholars Program provides financial aid and other support to first-generation college graduates. Roughly 25 students in each entering class self-identify as first-generation college graduates.
“For the past four years, the law school has ensured that every member of this cohort has received some level of financial support, ranging from a stipend to a full-tuition-plus scholarship,” Rutledge said. “With this newest effort, the School of Law raises the floor and guarantees that each first-generation college graduate will receive at least a one-quarter scholarship for all three years of law school.”
Another transformational gift focused on veterans is supported by 1977 law school alumnus Jim Butler. The Butler Commitment guarantees financial aid and other support for veterans. Former military member enrollment has ranged from a few students in each entering class to up to 10.
“Since 2019, these former military members have been guaranteed some level of financial support, again ranging from a stipend to a full-tuition-plus scholarship,” Rutledge said. “With today’s announcement, the School of Law has increased the minimum guarantee to the equivalent of a one-quarter scholarship for all three years of legal study.”
Rutledge added: “I’d like to thank the Amos family, the Butler family and the countless donors who have followed their lead to bring the School of Law to the point where we can confidently make these monetary commitments. In a world of continued concern about the affordability of legal education – and higher education – programs like the First-Start Scholars and the Butler Commitment exemplify how the UGA School of Law is redefining what it means to be a great national public law school.”
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Picture caption: Current third-year law students (l. to r. ) Daisy Gonzales, Gracie Caudell, Brennan Rose and Cori Robinson talking in front of the entrance to the University of Georgia School of Law.
Writer/Contact: Heidi Murphy, [email protected], (706) 583-5487
UGA School of LawThe University of Georgia School of Law is redefining what it means to be a great national public law school – offering a world-class, hands-on, purpose-driven educational experience – while continuing to be one of the best returns on investment in legal education. The school’s accomplished faculty includes nationally and internationally renowned scholars, and its approximately 11,400 living graduates are leading figures in law, business and public service throughout the world. Connecting students to these thought leaders and opportunities to serve state and society is central to the school’s mission. For more information, please see www.law.uga.edu
Wayne receives Bissionnette Award
No full textCongratulations to second-year student Gordon Wayne for receiving the 2024 Anna Bissonnette Award from Hearth Inc. Wayne was recognized by the Boston area nonprofit for his work in raising awareness of and helping to end homelessness. He has raised more than $200,000 benefiting the National Alliance to End Homelessness, primarily through two 500+ mile walks - one to UGA to attend law school and the other to Boston College, where he earned an undergraduate degree
Graduates honor Professor Wells with named faculty fund
No full textThe University of Georgia School of Law has been fortunate to have many professors who remain vital and engaged members of our faculty for decades, according to School of Law Dean Peter B. Bo Rutledge. These professors provide the foundation for the learning environment that makes our intellectual community so special, he said.
In a few weeks, Mike Wells, the Carter Chair in Tort and Insurance Law, will retire after more than 45 years of dedicated service. To help commemorate this milestone, a few former students have chosen to honor him by endowing a new faculty support fund.
The Michael L. Wells Faculty Support Fund will assist the law school with recruiting and retaining our world-class faculty by providing support for their professional development and research initiatives.
Christy Hull, a 2000 alumna who made the lead gift, said, “In his nearly 50 years at UGA Law, Professor Wells taught foundational principles of tort law to generations of lawyers. His gentle but probing style challenged us to think harder and sharper. More than 25 years after serving as Professor Wells’ T.A., I still apply those fundamental lessons in my toxic tort defense practice. I was thrilled to contribute to the Michael L. Wells Faculty Support Fund to honor his legacy and ensure the continuation of excellent scholarship at UGA Law.”
Alongside Christy’s gift, three other former students – Alice Snedeker (J.D.’09), Catherine Curlet (J.D.’11) and Ellen Clarke (J.D.’14) – made significant contributions to help the fund achieve the endowment threshold to honor this respected torts, federal courts and constitutional litigation scholar.
Alice’s connection to Professor Wells includes serving as his research assistant and co-authoring an article with him. She said great faculty members like Professor Wells add to the value of the law school and her degree. Her participation was fueled by her desire to establish a long-term way to honor him while also helping students.
When telling people why she loved her time at UGA Law, Catherine said it was the quality and accessibility of the professors that made the experience so rich. “Professor Mike Wells is at the top of that list. I had the privilege of being a student in his torts class as a 1L and later supported him as a Teaching and Research Assistant; I cannot thank him enough for the mentorship and all I learned from him.”
Ellen said she wanted to honor Professor Wells and ensure future generations of law students benefit from the same caliber of educators. “Professor Wells exemplifies the qualities that make the faculty at the University of Georgia School of Law exceptional, and I hope this fund will help the law school continue to attract and retain outstanding professors.”
Professor Wells is the author of three books and more than 60 articles in leading journals such as the Cornell Law Review, Duke Law Journal, Virginia Law Review, William & Mary Law Review, Constitutional Commentary and Yale Journal of International Law. He is a member of the American Law Institute and, last year, he was named associate reporter for the institute\u27s Restatement of the Law, Constitutional Torts project that will examine the law of 42 U.S.C. § 1983.
Over the years, his teaching portfolio has included his scholarly specialties in addition to Insurance, Constitutional Law and European Union Law. Fluent in French, Professor Wells has served as a visiting professor at the University of Lyon (III) on six occasions and as a professor at the Duke-Geneva Institute in Transactional Law. He was also a visiting scholar at the University of Aix-Marseille.
I want to thank Christy, Alice, Catherine and Ellen who made it possible to create this fund honoring Professor Wells. If you would like to join them in contributing to this lasting tribute, please click here, Rutledge said.
As we talk about our school redefining what it means to be a great national public law school, I want to emphasize that our faculty play a pivotal role in fulfilling our core mission of educating the next generation of legal leaders, he added. Professors like Mike Wells – whose lessons and thought leadership remain as guiding forces long after graduation – enable our students to serve state and society with distinction. I am grateful for his more than four decades of service to our institution. Please join me in wishing him well on his impending retirement
Weeks publishes article in Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics
No full textUGA Associate Provost & Kirbo Chair Elizabeth Weeks published “What I Talk about When I Talk about Charity Scott” in 52 Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics 284 (2024)
Amann presents at Trinity College Dublin School of Law
No full textRegents\u27 Professor of International Law & Woodruff Chair in International Law Diane Marie Amann presented “Bearing Witness in the Nuremberg Era: ‘An Irish Governess, Miss Mary O’Shaughnessy’” as part of the International Law Seminar Series at the Trinity College Dublin School of Law in Ireland during November
Rodrigues publishes article in University of Pennsylvania Journal of Business Law
No full textAssociate Dean, University Professor & Kilpatrick Chair of Corporate Finance and Securities Law Usha Rodrigues published Intermediaries and Differentiated Voting” in 26 University of Pennsylvania Journal of Business Law 1180 (2024)
Rodrigues presents as part of Emory Faculty Colloquium Series
No full textUniversity Professor & Kilpatrick Chair of Corporate Finance and Securities Law Usha Rodrigues presented The Hidden Logic of Shareholder Democracy as part of the Emory University School of Law\u27s Faculty Colloquium Series during January
Phillips-Sawyer featured in Motherboard/VICE Media
No full textWilson Associate Professor in Business Law Laura Phillips-Sawyer was featured in Motherboard/VICE Media regarding the major questions doctrine and federal agencies. The article titled Amazon joins Elon Musk\u27s SpaceX in mission to destroy federal agency protecting workers was written by Jules Roscoe and published 2/16/24