“Three Lafayette Graduates Excel at Rutgers Law School” is the headline of a Lafayette College article (4/23/12) about (l-r) Washcarina Martinez, Joseph Lanzot and Anny Lopez. Lanzot, Class of 2010, is an assistant prosecutor with the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, working in the Domestic Violence Division of the Special Victims Unit. Lopez is a member of the Class of 2013 and Martinez of the Class of 2014. All report that they were attracted to Rutgers Law School because of its diverse student body and its reputation for social and political activism.

The LGBTQ Law Caucus held a Marriage Equality Panel on April 11, with panelists Debra Guston, partner at Guston & Guston, and Thomas Prol, partner at Cleary Giacobbe Alfieri & Jacobs LLC. The discussion focused on the constitutional implications of marriage equality, an overview of national marriage equality developments, the current political implications of marriage equality in New Jersey, and current DOMA cases pending in the First Circuit. Assistant Professor Reid Weisbord served as moderator. Shown are (l-r): Iris Brombeg ’13, co-chair of the 2011-2012 LGBTQ Law Caucus; Debra Guston; Thomas Prol; and Daris B. Jackson ’13, co-chair of the 2011-2012 LGBTQ Law Caucus.

Phi Alpha Delta, Jackson Chapter sent two teams to the annual mock trial competition in in March 2012 to represent Rutgers School of Law–Newark. One team, coached by 3LE Lazaro Cardenas, consisted of (from right to left) Anthony Marcum (1L), Yulieika Tamayo (2L), Lanir Beltran (1L), and Fabrice Charles (2LE). They competed well against teams from across the country, gaining valuable courtroom experience. The other team (left to right), consisting of Charles Simmons (2LE), Christopher Mitchell (1L), Kory Ramkawsky (2L), and Kathy Oviedo (3L), took first place out of 32 teams. Kory Ramkawsky won best advocate, Ramkawsky and Kathy Oviedo won best prosecution team, and Charles Simmons and Christopher Mitchell won best witnesses. Additional assistance in trial preparation was provided by Christopher Karounos, Esq., Stephen Turano, Esq., Adjunct Professor John McMahon, and the members of the 2012 National Competition Team.

Kathy Oviedo ’12, president of the Student Publishing Initiative, reports that SPI continues its success in helping students publish their papers in outside legal journals. Forthcoming are: Sainabou Musa ’12, “Dowry-Murders in India: The Law & Its Role in Continuance of the Wife Burning Phenomenon” in the Northwestern Interdisciplinary Law Review; Derek Orth ’12, “Administering America’s Offshore Oil Fields: How Fewer, Performance-Based Regulations Can Produce Better Results” in the University of Oregon’s Journal of Environmental Law & Litigation (26 J. Envtl. L. & Litig. 509, 2011); and Stephanie Sgambati ’12, “New Frontiers of Reprogenentics: SNP Profile Collection and Banking and the Resulting Duties in Medical Malpractice Issues in Property Rights of Genetic Materials, and Liabilities in Genetic Privacy” in the Syracuse Science and Technology Law Reporter.

The first and second place teams in the Nathan Baker Moot Court Competition moved on to the regional championships for the National Mock Trial Competition, held in Philadelphia. The Class of 2012’s Harry Jackson (right) and Eric Chen (second from right) made an excellent showing against other top teams. From left, David Baumwoll, Amanda Ribustello and Kory Ramkawsky, all from the Class of 2013, ranked third going into the semi-final round. Their round resulted in a split decision and a difference of only five points out of 264 points. They were the first team from Rutgers since 2009 to make the semi-finals and only the fourth team to do so in the past 15 years. They finished sixth overall. The teams were guided by head coach Christopher Karounos ’06 (third from right), with additional assistance from Adjunct Professor Judy Russell.

Students from Rutgers School of Law–Newark and Seton Hall Law School played in a co-ed charity basketball game during halftime at the Rutgers University v. Seton Hall University men’s basketball game, held at Newark’s Prudential Center. Donations collected at the event will help support public interest fellowships at both law schools. More than 30 Rutgers law students tried out for the squad. The players who made the cut posed before the game with coach Dean John J. Farmer, Jr., SBA president Guillermo Artilles ’12 (far right), and SBA vice president Layla Lester ’13 (fifth from left). Players are (l-r): Roosevelt Donat ’14, Mary Orsini ’13, Joseph Linares ’14, Nordia Hunt ’14, Aedan Neary ’14, Caron Johnson ’13, Andrew Kuntz ’12, Bill Fay ’14, Ali Jaloudi ’14, Everest Schmidt ’13, Pablo Kim ’13, and Brian Trembley ’12.

			Representatives from the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) met with faculty and students at Rutgers School of Law–Newark, one of a small number of law schools selected to participate in the USPTO Clinical Pilot Program. Clinical Professor John Kettle (standing, second from left), who teaches IP and oversees the IP work of the Community Law Clinic, hosted the half-day information session. Pictured in the Clinic Library are: Will Covey (standing, third from left), director of the USPTO Office of Enrollment & Discipline; Melinda DeAtley (standing, center), USPTO staff program attorney; and Clinical Professor Charles Auffant of the Community Law Clinic (standing, far right). Students who attended the program included from the Class of 2012 (front row, l–r) Kavita Ragavan, Pamela Bingcang and Kate Murray, and (standing, l–r) Jonathan Kwok, James Kang and Devero McDougal.

As the law school’s First Judge Leonard I. Garth Lecturer, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr. (center) spoke on the topic “The Craft of Judging.” Among those who greeted Justice Alito were Rutgers Federalist Society president Craig Bronsnick ’13 (left) and 2010-2011 president Joe Bock ’12.

Frank Cook ’91 (third from left), partner at Fox & Rothschild, LLP in the Labor & Employment Law Litigation Group, shared his experiences, hot topics in the field, and his recent cases with more than 35 Rutgers law students interested in labor and employment law. The event was hosted by the Rutgers Labor and Employment Law Society (LELS). Also pictured are (l-r): Ihsaan Muhammad ’13, Katelyn Brack ’13, Patrina Ozurumba ’13, Warner Butkus ’13, and Whitney English ’13.