Sep. 28, 2021

LLM Alumna Spotlight — Tojan Rahhal

The fields of engineering and dispute resolution may not seem to be a natural combination. For Tojan Rahhal, ’20, however, the LLM in Dispute Resolution program at the University of Missouri School of Law was the perfect transition to prepare her for a leadership position in the engineering field. Now serving as CEO and President of Engineering World Health, Rahhal says that the LLM program inspired her to “think outside of the box,” and encouraged her to leverage her skillset to her current position. Rahhal first came to Mizzou for a position at the College of Engineering.  She had previously…

Sep. 28, 2021

LLM Alumnus Spotlight — Sentebale Makara

Living in his home of Johannesburg, South Africa, Sentebale Makara, ’11, is enjoying a flourishing career as the director at the law firm Norton Rose Fulbright South Africa. He specializes in construction, engineering, mining and energy disputes with experience in arbitration procedures and alternative dispute resolution. Makara attributes much of his success to his time at Mizzou Law, where he earned his LLM in Dispute Resolution. “As a direct result of the opportunities and doors opened by the LLM program, I am today a qualified mediator,” Makara said. During his time at Mizzou, Makara said he gained confidence in his…

Sep. 28, 2021

LLM Alumnus Spotlight — Jose Rodriguez

Nearly a decade ago, Jose Dario Rodriguez, LLM ’15, realized the importance of commercial relations and the need to use alternative mechanisms for dispute resolution. Now serving as legal counsel of international contractor China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd. in Panama, Rodriguez credits his move to Columbia, Missouri to learn at one of the top dispute resolution centers in the world with gaining those necessary skills and knowledge. “I chose the University of Missouri beyond any other school, after a long research time, finding that Mizzou Law is not only one of the top five dispute resolution programs in United States,…

Sep. 20, 2021

Mizzou Law Professor Participates in Panel on Presidential Pardons

Frank Bowman, the Floyd R. Gibson Missouri Endowed Professor of Law at Mizzou Law, participated in a panel on the future of the presidential pardon power at Ohio State University in September. The panel: “Set the stage for the two subsequent panels about the future of presidential pardoning, by asking basic questions about the role of a regular pardon process and the result of its having been sidelined by Trump.” To learn more or to view a recording of the panel, visit: https://u.osu.edu/clemencyseries/panel-1/

Sep. 14, 2021

Prof. David Mitchell Honored with the Spurgeon Smithson Award by the Missouri Bar Foundation

S. David Mitchell, the Ruth L. Hulston Professor of Law and co-director of the Michael A. Middleton Center for Race, Citizenship and Justice, was one of three people honored with the 2021 Spurgeon Smithson Award by the Missouri Bar Foundation. Established in 1976, the Spurgeon Smithson Awards recognize judges, law teachers, and/or lawyers who have provided outstanding services toward the increase and diffusion of justice. The Missouri Bar Foundation Board of Trustees selects the recipients, and each award recipient receives a $2,000 stipend. “I find the teaching of the law to be a privilege and am humbled and thankful to be able…

Sep. 10, 2021

Two Mizzou Law Alumna Honored by the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis

Lace Cline, ’15, and Tamar Hodges, ’17, were honored in September by the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis with Young Lawyers Division (YLD) Awards of Merit. The YLD program is an opportunity for local young lawyer organizations affiliated with the ABA Young Lawyers Division to submit their best projects for evaluation and recognition by a jury of their peers. The awards were presented at the association’s Law Day 2021.

Sep. 1, 2021

Dean Lidsky to Speak at Yale

Mizzou Law Dean Lyrissa Lidsky is due to speak at the Media Freedom and Information Access Clinic symposium Access & Accountability 2021: Time to Seize the Day? at Yale University on Oct. 1. Dean Lidsky will participate in a panel titled “Defamation as an Accountability Tool.” This panel will: “explore the extent to which the problem of disinformation is exacerbated in the age of social media by First Amendment doctrine that relies primarily on counter-speech as the cure for false speech, whether libel litigation provides a useful tool for addressing political disinformation, and other steps that might help restore some…

Aug. 30, 2021

Prof. Lietzen named Best Lawyer in America in FDA and Biotechnology & Life Sciences Law

Professor Erika Lietzan has again been named a “Best Lawyer in America”  in both FDA Law and Biotechnology & Life Sciences.  This marks the eighth year in a row for FDA Law and the fourteenth year in a row for Biotechnology Law.  The Best Lawyers honor is meant to identify the top 5 percent of attorneys in the United States, and it is based on the judgment of one’s peers.  Professor Lietzan practiced law for 18 years prior to joining the University of Missouri in 2014, including eight years as a partner in the Food and Drug group of Covington…

Aug. 30, 2021

2021 Mizzou Law Open House

Monday, September 13th 12:00-2:00 PM Hulston Hall Courtroom Mizzou Campus Register Here: https://missouri.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8p1GZ035sf31qJ0 For students interested in law school and hosted by the Mizzou Law Admissions Office, this open house will start with a brief presentation about Mizzou Law and a Q&A session hosted by the admissions staff. Following that is a panel discussion with current law students and the day will be topped off with tours of Hulston Hall led by our student ambassadors! This is a great time to get your questions answered! We understand that your schedule is jam-packed. If you are not…

Aug. 27, 2021

Director of the Mizzou Law Innocence Clinic Earns Missouri Bar Award for Appellate Advocacy

Emily Danker-Feldman, the director of the Innocence Clinic at Mizzou Law, was one of three lawyers recognized with the 2021 David J. Dixon Appellate Advocacy Award. This award was created by The Missouri Bar Foundation to recognize outstanding achievement in appellate practice by young lawyers practicing in the state. From the Missouri Bar: “Danker-Feldman’s dedication to her work is evident in her love of words and deep empathy for individuals, especially those in the justice system. “I prefer to get people out of prison than to put them in,” she explains. Danker-Feldman received her bachelor’s degrees in economics and English…