College of Law News

Georgia State will honor Myra Payne Elliott, 90, with a degree and confer posthumous degrees to the late Barbara Pace Hunt and Iris Mae Welch at the university’s December commencement. In 1956, the women sued to desegregate Georgia State and won. Their victory paved the way for the integration of universities in the South.

The American Cancer Society is funding research on the effect of eliminating health insurance cost-sharing on the use of cancer prevention and early detection services by Michael Pesko and his team.

A team of legal tech and innovation students from Georgia State University College of Law became semi-finalists in the National Legal Innovations Tournament hosted by Hofstra University’s Maurice A. Deane School of Law.

Lauren Sudeall, professor of law and director of the Center for Access to Justice at Georgia State University College of Law is one of 32 individuals elected to the American Law Institute cohort.

The National Institutes of Health has awarded Michael Pesko $2.65 million in renewal funding for a five-year study to evaluate the effects of e-cigarette policies on youth tobacco use.

They will develop a first-of-its-kind model that will reveal the fuller impact of climate change and climate policy on regional and national financial systems and economies.

Monita Porter (B.A.’16, B.S.’16, M.I.S. ’21) helps leverage the success of Black-owned businesses as the assistant deputy director at the Fresno Metro Black Chamber of Commerce.

Georgia State University President Dr. M. Brian Blake highlighted his commitment to research and innovation during his recent investiture.

Charlotte Alexander, Perry Binder, and Susan Willey of Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business were recently recognized with best paper awards at the annual conference of the Academy of Legal Studies in Business (ALSB).

“Almost every decision that I have made about my career has been influenced by my desire to make life better for someone else,” said Shannan Young (J.D. ’23), who admits that her life is completely different from what she envisioned as a child and a young adult.

In 1982, Georgia State University College of Law welcomed 200 Juris Doctor candidates to the new school’s home, the first floor of Georgia State’s Urban Life building—just a short walk to the State Capitol, courts, and numerous law firms.

Jennifer Kusovschi (B.S. ’17, M.I.S. ’22) earned a master’s degree in Biomedical Science and Enterprise while participating full time in a research fellowship at the CDC and directing a choir for young women at her church.

Associate Professor Frances Chen received nearly $590,000 to conduct a three-year study of probation and parole officer (PPO) stress and PPO-client relationships.

In 2006, Phyllis Talley (J.D./M.P.A. ’18) walked away from a successful career on Wall Street where she worked as a [...]

The Georgia State University Alumni Association has named three new members to its Board of Directors and 18 new members to the Young Alumni Council board.

The American Bar Association (ABA) will honor Anamaria Hazard (J.D. ’15) with the Up & Comers Award at its annual meeting in Chicago, on Aug. 5.

Kevin Richardson, one part of the “Central Park Five,” now known as the “Exonerated Five,” shared his experience with the Georgia State University College of Law community after spending seven years behind bars for a crime that he didn’t commit.

The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia has appointed and reappointed seven faculty at Georgia State with the designation of Regents’ Professor, the highest professorial rank within the state’s system of public colleges and universities.

Pearson, a 2022 Georgia State 40 Under 40 honoree, is a victims’ rights advocate with a long-held belief that it’s her duty to give back to her community.

Professor of Law and W. Lee Burge Chair in Law & Ethics, Clark Cunningham shared his expertise with several news [...]

Jennifer Cline (J.D. ’03) received the sixth annual Chief Justice P. Harris Hines Award for Outstanding Advocacy for Children on June 3, at the State Bar of Georgia’s annual meeting.

Georgia State’s Center for Access to Justice works to ensure that everyone — even the most disenfranchised — receives a fair shot in the court of law. The team has uncovered systemic issues and unequal representation.

While earning his JD from Georgia State, Jarter Gao worked in the College of Law’s Philip C. Cook Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic. In collaboration with faculty and supervising attorneys, he represented clients unable to afford legal representation in federal income or employment tax disputes with the Internal Revenue Service.

Growing up, Tamia Robinson (J.D. ’24) didn’t find many people who looked like her in her small hometown in South Florida.

Today, Zala is an executive legal assistant at Joel Cohen Attorney at Law, LLC. He makes time to perform as a musician, describing a “rebirth” of his musical career.

The new university initiative establishes interdisciplinary research hubs to address some of society’s most pressing issues, including pandemic preparedness, climate solutions, crime victim protection, equity and access, and public health.

Eyal Aharoni’s research finds that judges reduce prison sentences when they have more information about the full costs and benefits involved.

The first time Samantha Hooper (J.D. ’22) played a female character in the tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, she felt a sense of ease she’d never experienced before.

Melissa Davies (J.D.’22) has a big heart and her cat’s paw print on her ankle. After her graduation from Georgia State College of Law, Davies will take on a new mission—working as a judicial clerk.

The Georgia State University College of Law class of 2022 came together to celebrate at the Commencement and Hooding Ceremony on May 13 at the Center Parc Credit Union Stadium.

Dagem Araya (J.D. ’22) was horrified. The woman weeping before him in court had lost her six-year-old child to a sudden bout of pneumonia days before.

Seeking the South’s next great social entrepreneur? You’ll find her in Davynn Brown (J.D.’22), a powerhouse of cultural knowledge, intellectual drive, and big-hearted community-building.

Using a new grant, environmental health researchers at Georgia State are examining the effects of air pollution in metro Atlanta childcare centers.

Far from the typical classroom experience, a number of Georgia State’s undergraduate and graduate courses offer students unexpected lessons — sometimes in unexpected places.

“So, what are we going to do?” Steph Iasiello (J.D.’23) asked law students one day during Professor Russell Covey’s wrongful convictions course after the group spent an entire class session reviewing documents and exhibits related to Melissa Lucio’s case.

Ashe Family Chair Professor of Law Eric Segall and Assistant Professor of Law Anthony Kreis are the leading legal experts providing media commentary about the leaked SCOTUS draft that threatens to overrule Roe v. Wade.

Using a new grant, environmental health researchers at Georgia State are examining the effects of air pollution in metro Atlanta childcare centers.

Instead of catching up on sleep and the latest Netflix shows during spring break, Anja Minninger (J.D. ’24) worked with advocates to assist survivors of domestic violence…

Warren, who was the chief assistant district attorney for the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office, was sworn in on March 16, 2022.

Award-winning Civil Rights Attorney Mawuli “Mel” Davis (J.D. ’02) will deliver the keynote address for the College of Law’s Commencement and Hooding ceremony on Friday, May 13.

Georgia State will award Chris “Ludacris” Bridges an honorary degree at commencement on May 4.

In fall 2022, Georgia State University College of Law will welcome four new assistant professors of law, and one new visiting assistant professor to its team.

When HeLP Clinic Supervising Attorney Christina Scott (J.D.’18) takes on a case, she’s ready to fight for her client as long as it takes.

Mary Cash (J.D./M.C.R.P ’25) is passionate about two things: historic preservation and the southeast.

The College of Law honored Jones (J.D. ’00) with the 2022 Ben F. Johnson Jr. Public Service Award in a virtual ceremony on March 8.

Tiffany Bracewell (J.D. ’14), Alan Long (J.D. ’16), and Majda Muhic (J.D. ’17) each played a role in Inman’s habeas corpus case. Muhic and another law alum, Michael Williford (J.D. ’17), began investigating the case and advocating for Inman while attending the College of Law.

Georgia State University College of Law and Alterity ADR explore a joint venture to enhance learning and training, pipeline development and broader access to ADR services.

During Chastang’s tenure, she helped create the Atlanta Bar Association’s Minority and Diversity Clerkship Program and Black Law Students Association.

An American Bar Endowment grant that was awarded to Georgia State University College of Law’s Immigration Clinic is proving to have a big impact on the lives of asylum seekers in Georgia.

Professor and legal historian Paul Lombardo on the continued legal and ethical significance of the American eugenics movement.

In just two months, Georgia State Law students assisted in interviewing 354 tenants over more than 250 hours and obtaining more than $2.5 million in rental assistance for clients in need across 100 cities in the state of Georgia.

Scott, who is a HeLP Clinic alum, joins the College of Law faculty after spending several years as a staff attorney for HeLP, where she worked closely with clients.

The team concluded their semester by securing Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits during a court hearing in front of an administrative law judge with the Social Security Administration.

The 40 Under 40 program honors, recognizes and celebrates the most influential and impactful Georgia State graduates under the age of 40 who embody the values of the university.

The former teacher and current Doraville City Council member and Georgia State Law student is working to make a difference.

Steve Harvey is the subject of the third installment of the “Legal Life of…” course taught by Entertainment, Sports & Media Law Initiative director, Professor Mo Ivory.

Satterfield leads a team of legal project managers, knowledge management lawyers, and innovation professionals to find new ways of delivering legal services, whether that is developing a product or designing a new workflow.

Before he was in the third graduating class from Georgia State College of Law, Maxwell was a band director, school administrator, and builder of kitchen cabinets.

Graduates who passed the July bar exam were sworn into the Georgia Superior Court, Court of Appeals and/or the Supreme Court of Georgia during the event.

Professors John Marshall and Ryan Rowberry are co-editors of the Handbook on Disaster Law and Policy, which is set to be published by Cambridge University Press.

Law professor Erin Fuse Brown studies the many ways in which Americans are ill-served by the nation’s healthcare system. But change could be on the horizon.

The College of Law’s rate was 86.0 percent for first-time test takers and 81.1 percent overall. This puts the College of Law ahead of the overall state average of 73.2 percent.

In Intellectual Property law, Lee enjoys problem-solving and wrapping her head around bigger abstract ideas such as how to protect a creation or brand.

Georgia State University College of Law has the best health law program in the country, according to the new 2022 U.S. News & World Report rankings.

Dean LaVonda Reed is making history as the first Black woman to lead Georgia State University College of Law. Her experience rising the ranks in both academia and the legal field create a strong foundation to lead in achieving the College of Law’s goals.

The Pro Bono Program at the College of Law spent this week celebrating its volunteers and partner organizations through events and outreach.

The Georgia native says when it came time for her to choose a law school, she was drawn to the diversity in age and life skills that Georgia State Law’s student body had.

The event “Modern-Day Eugenics and Reproductive Injustice,” was co-sponsored by the Center for Law, Health & Society, Center for Access to Justice, and Immigration Clinic.

The Georgia State University Law Review will offer a new way to explore recently passed legislation at its inaugural Legislative Forum on Oct. 29.

Turner incorporated Illuminate Justice, a 501(c)3 focused on education and prevention of human trafficking. Her goal is to also create a legal clinic.

After working as a paralegal for 22 years, Rebecca Penar (J.D. ’23) decided to finally take the leap she had been thinking about on and off for years and attend law school.

Casablanca helps immigrant families realize the American dream as the Chair of Immigration Planning and Compliance Practice at Akerman LLP in Miami.

Georgia State Law students, faculty and alumni gathered Monday for a celebration of The Order of the Coif and The Order of Barristers.

Knowles was the first woman to lead the College of Law and was a guiding force in developing Georgia State Law to become the esteemed institution it is today.

Cunningham offered to provide a neutral analysis based on empirical research of the meaning of three key words relating to the admissibility of evidence in a murder case.

This academic year, in addition to medical students and residents, the HeLP clinic has a Georgia State University Master of Social Work student who is completing her field placement at HeLP.

Another school year has introduced another innovative course as part of the Entertainment, Sports & Media Law Initiative with the addition of Sneaker Law.

Launched in 2016, the Center created a space within the University to focus on how lower-income and other marginalized people navigate the civil and criminal legal systems in the South.

It was when Lisa Bliss was a student in the civil practice law clinic during law school when she realized her true dream job: becoming a clinical professor.

With the fall semester underway Dean Reed has had the opportunity to get to know the students, faculty and staff that make the College of Law unique. Here, we get to know more about her vision for the College and her goals as dean.

Following a week of orientation, the College of Law offered participation in an Afternoon of Service to demonstrate how giving back is part of the culture at Georgia State Law from day one of the students’ legal careers.

Professor Jonathan Todres collaborated with Lauren Meeler (J.D. ’22) to co-author an article titled Confronting Housing Insecurity—A Key to Getting Kids Back to School that was published in JAMA Pediatrics.

Kierra spent her first year of law school as the 1L rep for the Pro Bono Program and is excited to hit the ground running as the student director heading into her 2L year.

The health law program at Georgia State Law continues to expand, most recently by announcing the endowment of the Health Law Scholarship.

Courtney Anderson’s research centers around health equity for the lower-class and people of color, an area where many health issues were exacerbated because of the pandemic.

In our “Catching Up with Emeriti Faculty” series, we interview retired faculty members about their experiences at Georgia State and what they’re up to now.

When it came time to deciding where he wanted to study law, Franco said what stuck out to him about Georgia State was the friendliness and camaraderie among students.

The daughter of Vietnamese refugees, Georgia State College of Law student Melinda Nguyen is focused on finding a way to use her law degree to help people.

While his original intent was to eventually practice law, Lucido has worked up the ranks at the CDC where he currently sits as an Associate Director for Policy, External Relations and Communications.

Sudeall came to the College of Law in 2012 and is the founding faculty director of the Center for Access to Justice, where she conducts research on access to justice issues and teaches an Access to Justice course.

Their practice has evolved over the years to meet the needs of their community but covers most kinds of non-domestic litigation, along with estate planning.

Paul Lombardo, the Bobby Lee Cook Professor of Law, was named the 2021 recipient of the prestigious Jay Healey Teaching Award.

Rafus is two years out of law school and has really hit the ground running. The first thing he did as a sworn attorney in Georgia was argue before the Georgia Supreme Court.

Her theatre background gave Lewis an inherent ability to talk in front of people and stand on her feet, both required parts of litigation, but the appeal for Lewis goes far beyond that.

Madeline Ross (J.D. ’21) knew growing up she either wanted to be a prosecutor or a nurse. “I know those sound very different, but they have the commonality of service,” she explained.

Jennifer McCall (J.D. ’13) did not take the most traditional route to become a successful family law attorney, but the challenges she faced along the way only helped shape the attorney she has become.

With more than 25 years of experience, she’s handled claims related to products liability, automobile liability, premises liability, mass torts defense and beyond. However, litigation isn’t where she thought her career would take her.

Georgia State College of Law graduates once again earn the overall highest bar passage rate for the February 2021 exam with a rate of 77.6 percent.

The college not only offers a certificate in IP, but also provides an array of courses to cater to students that are interested in a variety of subject areas.

The personalized events were chosen to ensure comfort and safety for all parties involved while still recognizing the graduates’ accomplishments.

It didn’t take long for Hillary Rightler (J.D. ’10) to earn her way up to partner at Kilpatrick Townsend. The College of Law graduate specializes in white collar criminal defense matters working with multinational corporations around the world.

Shreepal Zala had a successful career as a professional musician, but he wanted more. He enrolled at the College of Law to expand his career as lawyer, educator and musician.

Seeking justice for victims fuels Naeem Ramatally (J.D. ’12) as a legal advisor for the Miami-Dade Police Department. The South Florida native works alongside police officers to promote justice.

DelCampo currently has his own litigation firm, works as a mediator and sits on the Executive Committee of the State Bar of Georgia, as the incoming Treasurer.

LaVonda N. Reed, associate provost for faculty affairs at Syracuse University, has been named dean of the College of Law at Georgia State University. Reed will be the seventh dean in the college’s history and the first African American to lead the College of Law.

Seibert is graduating with his J.D. and a certificate in Health Law. He is also one of two recipients of the 2021 Charity Scott Health Law Award.

Land use law expert and professor Julian Juergensmeyer retires after more than 55 years of teaching, research, and making urban development more equitable.

Zainab Okunowo worked as an attorney working on behalf of children in Nigeria. After coming to the U.S., she enrolled in the LL.M. program at Georgia State Law so that she can make a difference for kids here.

Using big data analysis, associate professor Charlotte Alexander is decoding #MeToo defenses.

A new Georgia State lab is focused on how e-scooters and other forms of micromobility are remaking the landscape for commuters in Atlanta and beyond.

Professor Brandy Owens Domengeaux encourages Georgia State College of Law students to excel and stay true to themselves as they pursue careers in law.

When it came to deciding where to attend law school, Martin knew the College of Law’s downtown location and large alumni network made it the right choice for her.

Lee joined the faculty in 2020 and teaches Corporations, International Business Transactions, International Trade Law and Law and Economic Development.

Georgia State College of Law helped Jeffrey Gaba and his son Nick Gaba carve their own paths in the profession.

Teaching Lawyering: Foundations is not the only time Vath enters a classroom at Georgia State, she is also working towards earning her Ph.D. in English, Composition & Rhetoric.

Hayes knew early on that she wanted to be an attorney. Partially because she was known in her family to be skilled at arguing, but also because was able to see the ins and outs of the business from family members who were attorneys.

Georgia State University College of Law first-year law students share how their pro bono and volunteer experiences have made an impact thus far.

Georgia State University College of Law graduates William Hale and Brett Sanders were the first to earn the Certificate in Legal Analytics & Innovation.

The College of Law’s downtown location and strong sense of community have propelled Natalie deLatour toward her dream of practicing big corporate and real estate law.

Patel operates his own personal injury firm aimed at providing affordable services to people in need. The flexibility and independence that comes with owning his own firm has always driven his legal career.

Georgia State University College of Law has the best health law program in the country, according to the new 2022 U.S. News & World Report rankings.

The clinic hosted the event the week of March 8th, with the goal of settling cases for clients with IRS attorneys to avoid having to continue to Tax Court.

The JD/MBA dual-degree program at Georgia State allows Cole Hobbs to combine his love of music and entertainment with business savvy. He hopes to become head of legal at a record label.

She teaches Torts, Constitutional Tort Litigation and Employment Law. Though the opportunity to teach torts is what motivated Timmons to become a law professor.

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms (J.D. ’94) will serve as the keynote speaker at the Law Review Symposium on Friday, March 26. This year’s theme is “Social Justice and Racial Equality: What’s Next?”

Jindia is currently living in St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands where he is the Chief Legal and Compliance Officer for Cane Bay Partners.

Boyer spent two years at the Douglas County Juvenile Court as a delinquent case manager before deciding to attend Georgia State Law to maximize his impact.

In the Georgia State Law Center for the Study of Comparative Metropolitan Growth, Karen Johnston works to find practical solutions to global issues facing cities, from housing to public transit.

For students in the Georgia State College of Law off-campus Mediation Clinic, the backlog of eviction cases created by the initial shutdown of the courts has expanded hands-on learning opportunities.

Georgia State Law emeriti faculty Lynn Hogue and Sylvia Caley share their memories of the college’s beginnings and how they’re involved after retirement.

Ekhlas researched the options for LL.M. bar track programs that would help prepare him to get his license in the United States. He says it was clear from the moment he walked into the College of Law that it was a great fit for him.

For the last five years she’s enjoyed teaching foreign-trained attorneys in the LL.M. program, but this semester she is taking on a new challenge. Butler designed a health law research course in support of the Center for Law, Health & Society.

College of Law student Jeannine Holmes (J.D. ’22) has made history as the first Black editor-in-chief of the Law Review.

Between owning a practice in Atlanta, developing an app with potential to be used by lawyers around the world, and spending time with his family, he doesn’t have many moments to spare but wouldn’t have it any other way.

Through the Georgia State College of Law advocacy program and externship opportunities, Bryce Boggs is on track to become a formidable litigator.

As a Georgia State Law student, Furhawn Shah wanted help domestic violence survivors get justice. Now, he’s doing that and more as an assistant district attorney in Fulton County.

In the new Hip-Hop and the Law course, students discuss the many ways in which hip-hop artists interact with the legal system.

The program’s goal was to prepare attendees, which included undergraduate, graduate and law students, how best to seek roles and be on the frontlines in tackling the current housing crisis.

The Georgia State University College of Law Immigration Clinic was awarded a grant from the American Bar Endowment to train attorneys on how to advocate for noncitizens who have been unlawfully denied work permits.

Georgia State Law allowed Johnson-Long to continue her work in Atlanta while getting the opportunity to learn from several faculty members who are also doing important abolitionist legal work.

Georgia State Law professor Neil Kinkopf’s scholarship on presidential power has led him from the Justice Department and testifying before Congress.

Georgia State Law honored attorneys Robert B. Remar and Bernard Taylor Sr. with the Ben F. Johnson Jr. Public Service Award for their work with the ACLU, Anti-Defamation League and UNICEF.

As executive director of the Georgia State College of Law Legal Analytics & Innovation Initiative, Ben Chapman equips students with the skills to use algorithms, data analytics and machine learning to make a positive impact on the legal profession.

Having students roll up their sleeves and dive into big, complicated contracts might not be expected in a typical law school course, but that’s exactly how Associate Professor of Law Robert Weber teaches his students.

This Black History Month, we’ve decided to reflect on the courage and commitment of our Black students and faculty who have fought for equity and inclusion over the years.

Last fall, attorney Kendall Minter taught Copyright and Music Publishing, a new course in the Entertainment, Sports and Media Law Initiative, focused on the creation, protection and exploitation of intellectual property in the music industry.

As the field of family law continues to evolve and grow, the faculty at the Georgia State University College of Law remains focused on ensuring students graduate ready to practice.

When it came time to choose a law school, the opportunities that Georgia State Law could provide being in the heart of downtown Atlanta made the decision an easy one.

As an associate at Baker Donelson and president of the Law Alumni Council, Brett Switzer, encourages students to take advantage of experiential learning opportunities and use their education to make a difference.

Georgia State University College of Law will honor attorneys Robert B. Remar and Bernard Taylor Sr. with the Ben F. Johnson Jr. Public Service Award, the college’s highest honor, in virtual ceremonies on Feb. 16 and 18.

Graduates who passed the bar in October were sworn into the Georgia Superior Court, Court of Appeals and/or the Supreme Court of Georgia during the event.

Min had an interest in patents but did not know that there was a whole legal profession behind them. Realizing that opened up her eyes to a world where she could combine her science and math background with her interest in law and patents.

As the son of Pakistani immigrants and entrepreneurs, Zain Haq witnessed at an early age the impact that small businesses have on communities. Now, as a young associate at Swift/Currie, he represents companies with worker’s compensation cases, so that they can keep America working.

Next school year, first-year law students will be required to take a Legislation & Regulation course. Georgia State Law joins 40 other law schools that require the first-year class. Other curriculum changes follow.

Knowing his goal in life is to help the most people in as many ways as he can, Hassan believes law is the best way to make that happen. Whether its policy making or private practice, “law is everywhere,” Hassan said.

Georgia State College of Law has announced the five winners of its first ever Racial Justice Innovations Initiative. The program funds projects to enhance diversity, equity and inclusion within the College of Law.

At Georgia State College of Law, dedicated faculty and a variety of both foundational and specialized courses encourage students to explore the depths of criminal law further.

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As an Air Force JAG, GSU Law graduate Irene Liscano juggles marriage and motherhood, while pursuing justice for sexual assault and domestic violence survivors.

Law librarian Patrick Parsons teaches students conduct legal research, and he ensures that they are on top of the latest tools being used by attorneys and the ramifications of using those tools in the workplace.

Interim Dean Leslie Wolf and Board of Visitors chair Beth Tanis have endowed an Equity Scholarship Fund at Georgia State University College of Law.

Danish foreign exchange student Rene Seiersen practiced intellectual property law in Denmark. Now, he hopes to practice law in the U.S.

When Culverhouse started looking at law schools, Georgia State Law was the easy choice because of its nationally ranked health law program and downtown Atlanta location.

The College of Law’s rate was 89.6 percent for first-time test takers and 87.2 percent overall, ahead the state average of 73.8 percent.

This fall, Georgia State Law students in the Legal Life of Kandi Burruss course, taught by Professor Mo Ivory, learned from the entertainer/entrepreneur’s real life contracts.

Professor Michael Landau previously would have suggested people limiting their online presence if they don’t want to be tracked. Because the pandemic now requires most people to login to different websites for work or school, that’s not possible.

Daniel McClendon (J.D. ’15) and Danielle Pollack (J.D. ’19) both participated in the Tax Clinic while at GSU Law and now work as attorneys for the IRS Office of Chief Counsel in Atlanta.

Not only is James balancing her personal life with her studies at Georgia State Law and Robinson College of Business, but she also has a full-time job as a freelance content producer at CNN Newsource.

Janice Griffith, who served as College of Law dean from 1996 to 2004, has endowed a chair in the Center for the Comparative Study of Metropolitan Growth.

Emeriti faculty members Roy Sobelson and Mark Budnitz reflect on the ways the legal field has been impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as challenges they see on the horizon.

During the month of December, we are celebrating alumni who have been promoted to partner, published books and been appointed to the state’s highest court.

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Deanroy Bernard (LLM ’21) has always had a passion for the law and travel. He worked as a police office and attorney in Jamaica before enrolling at the College of Law in order to practice law in the U.S.

As co-founder of the Justice Benham Law Camp and partner and diversity chair at King & Spalding, Harold Franklin is on a mission to give back and be the kind of mentor that he always wanted.

Knowing his heart was in public service, Walton applied for the Presidential Management Fellowship during his 3L year as a path into government.

The desire to teach lead Boyd to joining the faculty of the Lawyering: Foundations program at Georgia State Law in 2014. She’s since transitioned to teaching Civil Procedure, Professional Responsibility, Advanced Strategies in Legal Writing and Animal Law.

Breonna Glover’s love of the law started at an early age and was cemented by her experience as a student activist in D.C. It inspired her to want to pursue a law degree at Georgia State in order to rectify injustice.

Professors Courtney Anderson and Lauren Sudeall along with law student Lisa Hwang (J.D. ’21) discussed the importance of secure housing to public health in the midst of a global pandemic.

Ngan Nguyen (J.D. ’20) and Alex McDonald (J.D. ’21) co-authored “What States Can Do to Address Out-of-Network Air Ambulance Bills” with associate professor Erin Fuse Brown.

COVID-19 has heightened housing insecurity in the U.S. Here, Georgia State faculty share eight research-backed ways to help keep Americans off the streets.

Hunt Revell (J.D. ’22) spent most of his early career working in restaurants. Now, as a law student, he’s interested in using the law to enact more sustainable processes for getting food to your table.

Caitlin Herndon’s (J.D. ’12) interest in practicing family law stems from her own family experiences. As a partner at HF Family Law, she works to help families and children.

After earning her master’s degree in political science, Stinson’s career wasn’t panning out the way she pictured. After taking a step back to evaluate what she wanted, she decided attending law school would be the best next step.

With the advent of COVID-19 and the global rise of Black Lives Matter demonstrations, the Georgia State Law community spent the summer leading the way toward justice.

Allie Armbruster Bennett (J.D. ’20) climbed from the depths of addiction to graduate summa cum laude from the College of Law. With five years of sobriety under her belt, she’s more determined than ever to prove she was worth taking a chance on.

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With just 12 weeks to prepare, students in the Immigration Clinic helped a woman who had been waiting for four and half years to get her green card.

While first waitlisted, Mckeel stayed persistent before getting accepted just days before orientation began. Now, she can’t imagine what her life would be like had she not attended the College of Law.

Adams is with her students for the year-long Lawyering Foundations course. Ultimately, the goal is to teach the students how to become better advocates, which includes learning how to write for your audience.

Now, in her first year of working for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Michelle Ellis wants to encourage current law students to never give up on their dreams.

At Georgia State Law, students have several opportunities to learn about international law while further developing their legal analytical skills.

As a dual-degree bachelor’s and J.D. student, Carissa Lavin found a diverse community in the College of Law and wants to pay it forward.

Georgia State Law hosted its first virtual Law Review Symposium with the theme “Prioritizing Prevention in Human Trafficking: Research, Innovation and Advocacy.” Susan Coppedge, former Ambassador-at-Large to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, was the keynote speaker.

The College of Law Center for the Comparative Study of Metropolitan Growth received a grant from the Georgia Department of Transportation to research legal issues related to right-of-way land acquisition for highway projects crossing navigable waterways.

James Dean got involved with the Black Law Student Association during his first year as a member looking to help out any way he could. Now, as treasurer he continues to provide opportunities for other students.

While originally open to all kinds of law, she’s spent the past two years honing her skills in tax law, where she is in her fourth semester with the Philip C. Cook Low Income Taxpayer Clinic.

The College of Law offers students numerous hands-on learning opportunities and mentorship in a diverse learning environment.

Originally scheduled for March, the event was first postponed to October because of the COVID-19 pandemic, then eventually the decision was made to instead host it online.

Students in the Georgia State Law Legal Analytics Lab worked with the NAIC to assess state application of model consumer protection laws this summer.

Majoring in journalism during undergrad at the University of Georgia, her plan was always to make a career out of it, but her idea of what it meant to be a storyteller shifted when she took a course on public communications law.

Now in his third year at Georgia State Law, Espitia is getting hands on experience in this area by participating in the Immigration Clinic.

Peggy Walker retired in 2019 after 29 years on the bench. She continues her advocacy for Georgia children and families through policy work.

Varadarajan’s scholarship explores the balance between protecting creative output without dissuading follow-on creativity and innovation.

Professors Charlotte Alexander and Anne Tucker received funding from the NSF for their research into the use of computational methods and data science to improve legal transparency.

Georgia State Law is one of the top schools for public interest law in the country, and a myriad of funding opportunities offered through the Center for Access to Justice help students make the most of it.

One year out from graduating, Burnett is beginning as an associate at Parks, Chesin & Walbert, after completing a judicial clerkship with a federal judge in the Southern District of Georgia.

Georgia State Law graduate Ana Maria Martinez was inspired to become an attorney by her grandfather. Now, she’s giving back to the next generation through the Georgia Latino Law Foundation.

Georgia State Law health law students demonstrated resilience in responding to the challenges of the pandemic and seized the opportunity to work on COVID-19-related legal issues.

Jayla Grant wants to combine her interests in social justice and technology to eradicate the school-to-prison pipeline. She is set to be the first graduate of the J.D./M.S.D.A. dual degree program.

Kreis specializes in civil rights and constitutional law, where he’s been able to make an impact not only with his scholarship but also with public facing work.

Georgia State Law’s Center for Law, Health & Society hosted a virtual panel discussion to dive into the recent important cases impacting the LGBTQ community.

Georgia State Law faculty members have responded to the pandemic’s legal issues through policy development, research and advocacy.

Georgia State Law faculty reflect on Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s visit to the College of Law as well as her impact on legal education and the nation.

All three off-campus clinics are dealing with new challenges this year working remotely as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In spite of these challenges, students are continuing to gain valuable practice experience beyond the classroom.

After working as a public defender and civil rights attorney, Nirej Sekhon started researching constitutional regulation of American criminal justice practices.

While the world shifted toward remote work over the summer, Georgia State Law students built on their classroom experiences by participating in virtual externships.

Known for their capability to spark engaging debates and critical thinking, constitutional law courses at Georgia State College of Law are often a favorite of our students.

The law students’ project, “Standing with Our Neighbors: How Community Lawyering Can Break the Cycle of Children’s Health Disparities” was recognized with the “Break the Cycle” award.

Advocacy is at the core of Davynn Brown’s legal interests. Her long-term goal is to run a firm that helps small, minority-owned businesses startup and stay in motion.

Scott was instrumental in developing the College of Law to be the accredited school it is today. The health law program has been ranked in the top 10 in the country consistently over the past decade, currently sitting at the #2 program in the nation.

Mary Jo Schrade saw a need to give back to Georgia State Law amidst the pandemic and the rising visibility of the Black Lives Matter movement. She recently made a significant gift to provide tuition assistance to students.

Professor Anne Tucker joined an exclusive group of legal professionals recently when she was elected into the American Law Institute.

The Center for the Comparative Study of Metropolitan Growth has published a new edition of its Journal of Comparative Urban Law and Policy in honor of Julian Juergensmeyer, who is retiring at the end of this semester.

The Center for Access to Justice hosted its annual Public Interest Keynote to inspire law students to pursue careers in public interest law and policy.

The idea for law school came to Shah as she was negotiating contracts with the landlord of a studio. Not only did she enjoy it, but she realized how much there was to it through her own research.

As CEO of Alvarez & Marsal’s tax practice, Georgia State Law graduate and Board of Visitors member, Ernesto “Ernie” Perez, strives to set his clients and employees up for success.

The goal of the Center for Professional Development is to help students navigate their legal careers, but the COVID-19 pandemic has the department pivoting to determine how best to teach these skills.

Georgia State Law’s reputation early on for training lawyers in a meaningful and practical way was what drew McEvoy to attend. He’s used that practical preparation to launch a successful career serving in the judicial, prosecutorial and private practice sectors.

Before joining the Georgia State Law faculty as part of the Lawyering: Foundations program, Byrd was the lead writer at her firm. She was winning cases without even walking into the courtroom, by drafting complex motions and appeals.

Initially, she figured she would become a criminal defense attorney. But as she got older, she started shifting her interest towards health law, which is also a field where she can make a large impact on people’s lives.

In this edition of the Georgia State Law class notes, judges are on the move and graduates are embarking on new adventures in the profession.

Georgia State University College of Law welcomes 256 new students—one of the largest incoming classes in recent years– and the most women in the college’s history.

As the daughter of Palestinian immigrants, Georgia State Law student Rahma Taha, is deeply invested in helping immigrants who are caught in a broken system.

Georgia State Law students will have the opportunity this fall to take a course on the career of entertainer and entrepreneur Kandi Burruss. The course will be taught by professor Mo Ivory as a part of the Entertainment, Sports and Media Law Initiative, which began in 2018 to prepare students for practice in Georgia’s growing entertainment industry.

Trey Barnett has spent most of his life strengthening his empathy muscle. This summer, he participated in a virtual clerkship Fulton County Public Defender’s Office and is ready to pound the pavement to help the people who are often left behind.

As one of the leading scholars on children’s rights issues, Distinguished University Professor and Professor of Law Jonathan Todres recently published a new book, The Oxford Handbook of Children’s Rights Law.

The mathematician turned lawyer joined the faculty in February 2020. His scholarship focuses in the areas of privacy, cybersecurity law and policy, and the ethics of technology and innovation.

Now, in his second year at the Georgia State College of Law, Cohen is soaking up every experience he can with the hopes of becoming a formidable district attorney.

Timothy Graves’ path to law school was anything but traditional. Graves (J.D. ’20) first attended art school, but quickly realized he preferred it to be a passion, rather than a career. Once he decided law school was the right next step, he said Georgia State Law was the obvious choice for where he would pursue his degree in Atlanta.

As assistant director of the Georgia State Law Center for Access to Justice, Darcy Meals believes that her job is to get law students out of the textbooks and into the community.

She’s heading into her final year at Georgia State Law, where Watkins has excelled not only in the classroom, but also as the president of the Black Law Students Association and a member of the Moot Court Competition Team.

Anna Foote (B.I.S. ’83) helps clients learn financial survival skills and get access to financial resources that are often lacking in communities of color.

Eight Georgia State Law students participated in virtual summer internships offered through the Georgia Latino Law Foundation.

Kelli Wolk (J.D. ’99) talks about how Georgia’s Probate Courts are adapting during COVID-19 and why she ranks Georgia State Law among her best life choices.

While the COVID-19 pandemic required many aspects of life to be shut down or put on hold, the Health Law Partnership (HeLP) Legal Services Clinic has learned how to transform to continue representing its clients.

Brooke Silverthorn has been named co-director of the Health Law Partnership (HeLP) Legal Services Clinic in the College of Law and assistant clinical professor.

Students and faculty in the Center for the Comparative Study for Metropolitan Growth contributed research to a new book from UN-Habitat, “Effectiveness of Planning Law in Land-Rich Developed Countries.”

This summer she’s working for Baker Hostetler and is hoping to continue after graduating. Outside of the classroom, she’s involved in several co-curriculars including Law Review, the Jewish Law Student Association and she serves on the board of Wellness in Law Society.

Professors Lauren Sudeall and Daniel Pasciuti are working with Georgia Appleseed Center for Law and Justice and a number of other organizations to track eviction proceedings in courts across the state in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Philip C. Cook Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic is becoming a model for how other in-house clinics at Georgia State College of Law will operate in the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The clinic had already planned to offer the course in the summer semester before the pandemic hit. Instead of scaling back, it has been operating completely virtual.

The case, Norman v. Xytex, concerns whether a commercial sperm bank is subject to any form of liability for marketing and selling sperm with readily knowable undisclosed genetic abnormalities which cause genetic abnormalities in a fetus.

Eli Cohen (J.D. ’20) shares his journey of balancing life as a soldier, police officer, and now, attorney.

After finishing out his undergrad degree at Georgia State University, Theodore had his eyes set on Georgia State Law because he had grown to love Atlanta and the opportunities the city was filled with. Now, one year after graduation, he’s working as an Equal Opportunity Specialist for the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Georgia State Law professors Charlotte Alexander and Anne Tucker co-authored an amicus brief filed in the Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org Inc. Supreme Court case. In the brief, they urged the court to keep legal codes with their corresponding annotations available to the public.

Sharnell Simon (J.D. ’19) says growing up, she was always witty with a lively personality, and people were quick to point out she would make a good lawyer. Increasingly noticing the need for change at a young age, while she originally wanted to be a teacher, she set eyes on her goal of becoming an attorney.

In Patrice Ruffin’s 15 years working as a city planner, she sat across from countless zoning attorneys. Now, she’s decided to pursue a career in law.

In his 36 years with the institution, Kaminshine has made an impact in both the classroom and the administration, teaching courses such as Civil Procedure, Labor Law and Employment Discrimination Law and serving as the dean of the College of Law from 2004 to 2017.

The Philip C. Cook Low Income Taxpayer Clinic is paving the way for how clinics will interact with clients as social distancing is continually encouraged. On June 16th, the clinic hosted its first virtual IRS Pro Bono Day.

Hannah-Lynn Apicelli (J.D. ’19) has always been a champion for the underdog. At Georgia State Law, she worked in the Olmstead Disability Rights Clinic and Animal Legal Defense Fund. Now, as an associate at Shewmaker & Shewmaker, she is getting a full education on family, military, and criminal law.

The team composed of Georgia State Law students Brian Aton, Brittany Stocus and Kayla Watkins successfully convinced the judge to grant their client Supplemental Security Income benefits for her child.

After graduating from Georgia State Law in 2019, Ptacek now practices full time as an associate for Finch McCranie. In her six months of practice, she’s done her own depositions, mediations and settled several cases.

Mary Katherine Byrne has a passion for service and teamwork. Her ambitions are set toward the JAG Corps and eventually becoming the U.S. Secretary of Education.

A second-year student in the College of Law, Stacy Marie Psomiadis, a mother of six, has relied on her experience as a longtime nurse to balance her studies with work, her new role during the pandemic as a teacher to her children and preparations for a November wedding.

Tanya Washington Hicks has felt the impacts of the coronavirus first-hand. It will forever change the way she helps educate future generations of lawyers.

In this month’s class notes, two Georgia State Law graduates are appointed to the Superior Court, and Dawn Jones takes the helm of the State Bar of Georgia.

As Professor Mary Radford puts it, the College of Law was “just a toddler” when she joined the faculty in 1984. She’s survived many of the growing pains, and now, retiring after 36 years of dedication to the institution she watched grow, she finally has the chance to look back and reflect on her time.

Steven Kaminshine, Mary Radford, Charity Scott, Doug Yarn and Julian Juergensmeyer are all retiring in 2020. Together, the professors have contributed more than 150 years of service to the College of Law.

For the first time, the College of Law held its annual Swearing-In Ceremony virtually on June 5. Hosted in an online meeting, 22 Georgia State Law graduates who passed the State Bar’s February exam were sworn into the Georgia Superior Court.

Jarvarus Gresham shares experiences from his first year of practice at Baker Hostetler and reflects on his time at the College of Law.

As the associate dean for library and information services in the College of Law and a clinical professor of law, Kris Niedringhaus encourages students to explore legal technology.

Georgia State University College of Law has the highest bar passage rate in Georgia based on results for the February 2020 exam. The College of Law’s rate was 88.9 percent for first-time test takers and 84.2 percent overall.

From law student to professor, Leila Lawlor shares how the LLM program allows her to see students’ dreams come back to life and why she loves the College of Law.

As Brewer explains, tax is a giant puzzle that permeates every area of the law. Whether it’s divorce, selling a house, starting a business or non-profit, etc., tax is implicated. If tax law merely was about “doing the math,” there would be no need for tax lawyers.

Morrison says the exploration in her scholarship over the past 11 years at Georgia State Law has allowed her to learn and grow, but it’s her students and colleagues that she most enjoys.

After a career in entertainment law and radio, professor Mo Ivory shares her contract negotiation and intellectual property law skills with the next generation of entertainment attorneys.

Georgia State College of Law held a virtual celebration to acknowledge the class of 2020 featuring photos, videos and well wishes.

Ryan Malone (J.D. ’20) realized pursuing a career in law was the right path for him after thriving on the debate team at the University of Texas. While Malone studied English and Philosophy during undergrad, he was drawn to Georgia State for the Center for Law, Health & Society. The college being in an urban setting with tons of opportunity and staying in the south checked Malone’s other boxes, and made Georgia State Law the clear choice for him.

Professors Natsu Saito and Tanya Washington reflect on how classroom conversations have and have not changed after 25 years of teaching Race, Ethnicity and the Law.

It’s no surprise that after practicing law for a couple years, Spencer established the Arden Group in 1989, a fully integrated real estate company focusing on acquiring, developing and managing high quality real estate assets throughout the U.S.

After working in human resources for more than a decade, Georgia State Law alumna and Board of Visitors member Lisa “Lee” Schreter decided to go to law school and pursue a new career.

Segall is now going on 29 years at Georgia State Law, where he is yet to take one semester off. In addition to teaching federal courts and constitutional law, he has also authored two books, Supreme Myths: Why the Supreme Court is not a Court and the Justices are not Judges and Originalism as Faith.

Faculty and students in the Center for Access to Justice engage with housing justice issues through research, pro bono work and the annual State of the South Conference.

As student director of the Pro Bono Program at Georgia State Law, Alex Estroff’s passion for service started early. Now, he encourages everyone to give back.