Nov. 2, 2022

Are Drug Companies the Villain?

For years, brand drug companies have been villainized for “evergreening” or manipulating the law to extend the period of exclusivity for drugs beyond their 20-year patent — a practice critics say unfairly prevents competition from generic drug companies and that has prompted legislators to consider significant reform to policies that govern the pharmaceutical industry. But an audit of more than 200 drugs by a University of Missouri researcher found generic versions of all the drugs were available before their patents expired, raising questions about data being used by policymakers to prove evergreening exists. According to the new study, a comprehensive…

Oct. 3, 2022

Prof. David English Honored as ABA Advocate of the Month

David English, the William Franklin Fratcher Endowed Professor of Law and the Edward L Jenkins Professor of Law at the MU School of Law, was honored as the September Advocate of the Month by the American Bar Association in their monthly Washington Letter newsletter. From the ABA’s Washington Letter: “We are proud to honor David English as our Advocate of the Month for September 2022 for his work on reforming the nation’s guardianship system, a task on which he has been continually engaged since 1987. He currently serves as Chair of the National Guardianship Network, which is a coalition of…

Sep. 28, 2022

Faculty Spotlight — Meet Prof. Rachel Wechsler

When Professor Rachel Wechsler and her husband Steven Evers moved to Columbia from the hustle and bustle of New York this summer, the first thing they did was begin to explore the many walking paths and biking trails. Professor Wechsler accepted a professorship at the University of Missouri School of Law after experiencing Columbia’s small-town charm and the strong sense of community among Mizzou Law students and faculty. “This is a really supportive community, a really vibrant community,” she said. “I wake up every day thinking about how lucky I am to be here.” Her move to Missouri was an…

Sep. 19, 2022

Prof. Lietzan publishes new paper on why medical device companies rarely renew patents

Professor Erika Lietzan, the William H. Pittman Professor of Law and Timothy J. Heinsz Professor of Law at Mizzou Law, recent published a new paper, “The Case of the Missing Device Patents, or: Why Device Patents Matter,” in the Fordham Intellectual Property, Media & Entertainment Law Journal. To read Prof. Lietzen’s article, visit: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4223781

Sep. 14, 2022

Professors Henson, Pratzel honored with 2022 Spurgeon Smithson Awards

Mizzou Law professor Chuck Henson and adjunct professor Alan Pratzel were honored on Sept. 14 with Spurgeon Smith Awards by the Missouri Bar Foundation. This award recognizes judges, law teachers, and/or lawyers who have provided outstanding services toward the increase and diffusion of justice. The Foundation’s board recognizes the great work Professor Henson has done at the university, with the Supreme Court of Missouri’s Commission on Racial and Ethnic Fairness in the Law, and with students: “Henson seeks out the meaning of justice and ensures his students focus on the special responsibility lawyers have for the quality of…

Aug. 24, 2022

Prof. Erika Lietzan Re-appointed to ACUS, Named to Best Lawyer in America List

Erika Lietzan, the William H. Pittman Professor of Law & Timothy J. Heinsz Professor of Law was recently re-appointed to a two-year term as a public members of the Administrative Conference of the United States (ACUS). ACUS is an independent federal agency dedicated to improving the administrative process through consensus-driven applied research and providing nonpartisan expert advice and recommendations for federal agency procedures. Its public members are academics, practicing lawyers, and other experts drawn from the private sector. Additionally, Professor Lietzan was named a 2022 Best Lawyer in America for her high caliber work in Biotechnology and Life…

Aug. 4, 2022

Professor Angela Drake Wins Distinguished Faculty Award

Professor Angela Drake, director of the Mizzou Law Veterans Clinic, has been honored by the Mizzou Alumni Association (MAA) with the 63rd Annual Distinguished Faculty Award. This award honors one Mizzou faculty member each year for their exceptional contributions to the University’s growth and core mission, through their professional accomplishments, teaching and research excellence or service to the institution. Under Professor Drake’s leadership, the Veterans Clinic has assisted over 1,000 veterans and their family members with discharge upgrades and disability compensation claims, free of charge, and secured over $10 million in federal compensation benefits for those they represent.

June 24, 2022

Prof. Barondes Quoted by Reuters on Supreme Court Ruling

Twice in the last month, Reuters stories have quoted Prof. Royce Barondes on the implications of the recently decided Supreme Court case, NYSR&PA v. Bruen. Last September, Prof. Barondes summarized the issues for MU Law students in the following way “By restrictions challenged in the lawsuit, New York generally does not allow private citizens to carry concealed firearms during their daily lives–to exercise their civil right to bear arms in this manner–absent a demonstrated special need for self-protection distinguishable from that of the general public. In adopting the Fourteenth Amendment, the country made applicable to the States the constitutional requirement…

May 23, 2022

Prof. Oliveri Quoted in USA Today

Rigel Oliveri, the Isabelle Wade and Paul C. Lyda Professor of Law at Mizzou Law, was quoted in USA Today last week. Prof. Oliveri’s quote was in regards to the state of Missouri’s trigger law regarding a potential overturning of Roe v. Wade by the U.S. Supreme Court. “Some more action would have to be taken in order for people to start assuming Plan B is covered by the abortion law – that is not an obvious reading of it,” Oliveri said. To read the full story, visit: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2022/05/19/fact-check-plan-b-still-missouri-after-roe-draft-opinion-leak/9800332002/…

May 17, 2022

Prof. Royce Barondes Cited in Iowa Supreme Court Case

In a recent dissent in State v. Price-Williams, Iowa Supreme Court Justice Appel cited Prof. Royce Barondes’ article examining the relationship between suspicion of firearms possession and the procedures in Terry stops. To view the opinion, visit: https://www.iowacourts.gov/courtcases/11381/embed/SupremeCourtOpinion To view Prof. Barondes’ cited article, visit: https://law.missouri.edu.pr-109-6r7rfea-2mq6qjvmladqw.us-2.platformsh.site/publications/automatic-authorization-frisks-terry-stops-suspicion-firearms-possession/