Attorney, author Richard Friedman offers keynote address

Richard H. Friedman, nationally acclaimed trial lawyer and author, will provide the keynote address at the University of La Verne College of Law 2013 Hooding & Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 11.

Nearly 80 students are expected to receive degrees at this year’s ceremony, which is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. in the Sports Science & Athletics Pavilion on the University of La Verne main campus in nearby La Verne.

Friedman is recognized as one of the nation’s top civil trial attorneys representing individuals and small businesses injured by large corporate and government interests. His cases include those involving catastrophic injury, defamation, wrongful death, medical malpractice, insurance bad faith, and business torts. Among the most notable of his cases are Myrick v. Mastagni, believed the first case in California holding a building owner liable for injuries sustained in an earthquake, and Robinson v. State Farm, which exposed the use of phony doctor’s reports to deny claims. Four of his verdicts have ranked in the top 10 largest verdicts in the United States.

Licensed to practice in California, Alaska, Washington and Nevada, Friedman also regularly appears pro hac vice in other state and federal courts around the country. He is Of Counsel to Shernoff Bidart Echeverria Bentley LLP of Claremont, the nation’s leader in protecting policyholders from insurance company abuse. He is a member of the Inner Circle of Advocates, an invitation-only group consisting of the best plaintiff trial lawyers in the United States, and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers.

Friedman is also author of three best-selling legal books: Rules of the Road, Polarizing the Case and Rick Friedman on Becoming a Trial Lawyer (all published by Trial Guides, LLC, of Portland, Oregon). Mary Lynn Tate, co-director of the University of Virginia National College of Trial Advocacy and former president of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association, calls Rules of the Road “the most significant and practical contribution to advocacy and trial practice in several decades.” David Ball, author and nationally known jury consultant and trial skills trainer, says it “is among the most necessary trial advocacy books ever written.”

A New York native, Friedman received a Juris Doctor from Harvard in 1979 and a bachelor’s degree from Antioch College (Ohio) in 1976.

Due to space restrictions, entry to the La Verne Law Commencement Ceremony is limited to participants and invited guests. Tickets are required. Campus parking is free, but attendees are advised to arrive at least one hour prior to the scheduled start. Additional information on the 2013 Hooding & Commencement Ceremony is available by calling (909) 460-2016 or by visiting the commencement Web page http://law.laverne.edu/student-services/commencement/

Actors Dulé Hill, Tatyana Ali Discuss Legal Issues, Representation during La Verne Law visit

When actor Dulé Hill was younger he had a vastly different career goal.

“I wanted to be a corporate lawyer until I got to college and saw how much work it was going to be,” Hill, star of the USA Network original series “Psych,” recently told University of La Verne College of Law students and invited guests.  He left Seton Hall University to enroll in acting class. “I believe you should follow your passion in life,” he said.

Hill and actor/singer Tatyana Ali, who stars in “Second Generation Wayans” on BET, were the special guests of Professor Matthew Blakely, who teaches Entertainment Law.

Students in the popular elective course attended an informal discussion with the actors that brought to life some of their classroom discussions. They were joined by students in Professor Ashley Lipson’s Remedies class. Students in both classes had an opportunity to ask the actors questions.

“This brings some practical reality to the practice of law,” La Verne Law Dean Phil Hawkey said in introducing the two actors.

About 100 people gathered at the Ontario campus for an engaging discussion that touched on the actors’ careers, their experiences with lawyers, and contract negotiations and other business aspects of their careers.

Both emphasized the importance of having a good team in place, including a manager, agent and lawyers.

“When I was choosing a lawyer, it was a really personal decision,” Ali said. “It was about personality.”

Hill said it all comes down to personal relationships.

“The entertainment business is big, but it’s small,” said Hill, who has had the same attorney for nine years. “It’s good to have long relationships. I’m a believer in that.”

Hill, who began dancing when he was only 3-years-old, earned an Emmy Award nomination for his role on NBC’s highly acclaimed series, “The West Wing.”

Hill said he was broke when he got a call about “The West Wing.” He joined the cast as Charlie Young, personal aide to the president, and initially was guaranteed four episodes. He was on the show for seven seasons and was nominated for numerous awards.

Ali, the daughter of a nurse and a detective, began acting when she was 4.  She played Will Smith’s cousin in “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and appeared on “The Cosby Show” and “Sesame Street.” She also has toured with ’N Sync and the Backstreet Boys.

La Verne Law student Chris Murtagh, who attended the session, said entertainment law is one of the areas he wants to pursue after graduation. He explained that what the actors said tied directly back to material students had learned about in Entertainment Law.

“Being able to see things from the artists’ perspective was very informative,” Murtagh said. “It was a good chat.”

La Verne Law student Kristin Halverson also enjoyed the opportunity.

“I thought it was really interesting to get their takes on lawyers in general, what they do for actors and the entertainment business,” Halverson said. “It seems like they have a really good relationship with lawyers.”

La Verne Law Professor Speaks at Mississippi College Law Symposium

Held March 1 in Jackson, Miss., the symposium brought together legal professionals, educators and students to look at changes to the American Bar Association’s Model Rules of Professional Responsibility proposed by the ABA’s 20/20 Commission. Created in 2009, the Commission was charged with conducting a thorough review of the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct and the United States system of lawyer regulation in the context of advances in technology and global legal practice developments.

The symposium, sponsored by Mississippi College Law Review, explored the implications of the Commission’s proposals, examining their impact on both the practitioner and the profession. Topics included potential reforms affecting attorney/client confidentiality, the lawyer’s use of technology, and alternate litigation financing.

Doskow was part of a panel featuring teachers of professional responsibility. Also taking part on the panel were professors at the law schools of the University of Oklahoma, George Mason University, and the University of Louisville.

During his session, Doskow discussed proposals to allow the ownership of law firms by non-lawyers, proposals prohibited by ABA rules but recently authorized in Australia and Great Britain.

“The issue of whether non-lawyers can own any interest in a law practice is sure to emerge again in the future, despite the American Bar Association’s refusal to consider any change in current regulations that ban such an arrangement,” said Doskow. “The experience of the District of Columbia, as well as those of Australia and Great Britain, demonstrates that the feared consequences of such ownership are greatly exaggerated, if not fanciful.”

“We as strong military women veterans need to be the leaders of tomorrow because society is lacking in leadership,” said Akers, a featured speaker at the “Women Veterans in Higher Education: Valor, Integrity & Service” conference. The event was held in recognition and celebration of Women in the Military History Week.

“Don’t be afraid to step up and be leaders in the classroom or on campus,” said Akers, who achieved the rank of staff sergeant and was deployed to Iraq twice.

Akers, a third year law student who graduates in May, worked as an Arabic linguist, translating top-secret communications. The U.S. Army sent Akers, who didn’t speak Arabic, to the Defense Language Institute in Monterey for 63 weeks to study the language after test scores showed she had an aptitude for learning languages.

Spurred by Sept. 11, she enlisted with the army for six years.

“Like many people, that event shook me to the core,” said Akers, adding that she felt like her liberty was under attack.

As an immigrant from Poland, Akers said she always has appreciated the opportunity she and her family had to build a new life in the United States.

“I felt that it was a gift and a privilege to live in this great country,” she said.

Akers offered advice to women transitioning from the military to civilian life.

She urged women veterans to “find a battle buddy,” a friend who would support and be there for them no matter what.

“Veterans need to be reminded that they need people,” she said. “You need people to help you through your life.”

She also told the veterans to incorporate service into their daily lives, make and execute a battle plan and be a leader. Finally, she suggested that veterans “keep training,” their minds.

“Your education is something that will always be yours,” Akers said, repeating something her mother often told her.

As she prepares to take the California Bar Exam in July, Akers reflected on her accomplishments. She’s ranked at the top of her class and holds the prestigious editor position at the Law Review.

“None of those achievements could have been possible if I had not served in the military,” she said.

A fun day of recreation and networking is planned as the University of La Verne College of Law  and the Society of Legal Studies & Business host the fifth annual Don Dunn Memorial Golf Tournament on April 6, 2013.

Named in honor of the former dean of La Verne Law, this year’s event will take place at Sierra Lakes Golf Course in Fontana. Along with an 18-hole scramble, the tournament will also feature an awards reception where participants will have a chance to meet and network with fellow alumni and other legal professionals.

Golfers can sign up individually ($135 per player, $100 per student player) or as a foursome ($540).  Several sponsorship opportunities are also available to individuals, businesses and organizations. Those wishing only to attend the post-tournament reception can do so for $20 each. Proceeds from the day will benefit the Society of Legal Studies & Business Scholarship Fund, which provides scholarship awards to deserving La Verne Law students.

On-site registration begins at 10 a.m. followed by a putting contest at 11 a.m. and a shotgun start at noon. Snacks and beverages will be provided on the course. The awards reception, featuring hors d’oeuvres and a raffle, will also include team honors as well as individual prizes for longest drive, longest putt, closest to the pin, and the putting contest winner.

A nationally recognized law librarian, experienced administrator and dedicated educator, Dunn joined the University of La Verne as dean and professor of law at the College of Law in 2003. While at La Verne Law, he led the law school through the difficult process of national accreditation, achieving provisional approval in February 2006. He passed away in January 2008 of complications related to cancer.

Click here to register for the tournament. The sign-up deadline is March 25.

For additional information, please email liana.zelli@laverne.edu.

Holmes, professor of law and former dean at University of Baltimore School of Law, is scheduled to officially assume his duties on July 1, 2013, or earlier if circumstances permit. His appointment marks the conclusion of an extensive national search.

“It is a pleasure to welcome Gilbert Holmes to the University of La Verne community. The task put before the search committee was to identify the best candidate who could bring vision, energy and commitment to this vital position at the College of Law. They have succeeded in doing just that,” President Lieberman said. “His values mirror those of the university’s mission, and his professional strengths and insights make him the right choice at the right time to lead the College of Law.”

According to University Provost Dr. Gregory Dewey, the appointment of Holmes will have a transformational impact on the law school, its students and the entire region.”

“Gilbert Holmes possesses a deep understanding of legal education and extensive administrative experience that will be a tremendous benefit for our students, our faculty and staff, and the local legal community,” Provost Dewey said. “This is an exciting time for our College of Law and a time of dynamic change for legal education in general. Gil Holmes is uniquely qualified and eminently prepared to develop La Verne Law to be an exemplary, innovative institution.”

During his nearly 23 years in legal education, Holmes has served as a faculty member and administrator at several distinguished law schools. He was dean at the University of Baltimore School of Law from 2001-07, where he remains on faculty as professor of law. In 2010 he founded the Charles Hamilton Houston Scholars program, which prepares under-represented college freshmen and sophomores for admission to and success in law school. Previously he taught and served as an associate dean at Texas Wesleyan University School of Law, and has held teaching positions at the law schools at Florida A&M University, Southern Methodist University and Seton Hall University.

Holmes said he is honored to be selected as dean of La Verne Law and looks forward to helping the law school grow and flourish.

“La Verne Law presents a nearly irresistible opportunity. Its size will allow it to be nimble enough to make innovative changes while strengthening many of the traditional roles law schools have played in training advocates and leaders,” Holmes said. “Because of its location, La Verne Law has been and can continue to be a dynamic force in Inland Southern California as well as a resource for this changing, developing and expanding region. Inland Southern California, the state and the nation present a tremendous market for this institution and its graduates to make a lasting impact. The potential is almost limitless.”

While his years as dean at UB School of Law provide an obvious benefit, Holmes feels all his experiences – especially his work at Texas Wesleyan – have helped prepare him for his new position at La Verne.

“There are a number of parallels between Texas Wesleyan and La Verne. Both share similar views on access and mission. Both are relatively small schools located near large metropolitan centers. And both have law campuses that are separated by about the same distance from their main campuses,” Holmes said. “When I first started at Texas Wesleyan, they were at the same stage of moving from being provisionally approved by the ABA to fully approved. I was there to see how it should be done and will bring that experience to the effort here at La Verne.”

In the coming months, Holmes said he intends to visit both the law school in Ontario and the main campus in La Verne so he can meet with community members and become better acquainted with the university.

Holmes’ professional legal experience includes 16 years as a private practitioner in New York City. He has served as a court-appointed claims administrator for the Baltimore City Circuit Court, a tripartite arbitrator for the New York City Transit Authority, and as director of the New York Civil Liberties Union Suffolk County Police Misconduct Project. He has been part of numerous American Bar Association and Association of American Law Schools committees. 

Holmes has been honored many times during his career. In 2007 UB School of Law established the Dean Gilbert A. Holmes Professorship in Clinical Theory & Practice. That same year the NYU Law Alumni Association presented him with its Legal Teaching Award.

A New York state native, Holmes was born in Brooklyn and was raised in Mount Vernon. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Bucknell University (Pa.) and a juris doctor from New York University School of Law.

An engaged community member, Holmes has served on the Board of Trustees at Bucknell University, Greenhill School (PreK-12) of Dallas, and Woodward Park School (PreK-8) of Brooklyn. He is co-facilitator for the middle school class and is former director of Men-in-Ministry at Celebration Church in Columbia, Md., and is an executive elder with Celebration United: A Church Development Network.

His wife of 33 years, Joy Clarke-Holmes, is a senior level executive in the energy services performance contracting industry.  They have two children: Kwame Holmes, who graduated Magna Cum Laude from Florida A&M, earned a Ph.D. in American History from the University of Illinois-Champagne/Urbana and is scheduled to join the faculty at the University of Colorado Boulder this summer as an assistant professor of history; and Rashida Holmes, who attended the University of Pittsburgh and Baltimore International College, works in the culinary industry and plans to move to Los Angeles this spring prior to relocating to Spain in next fall.

Holmes succeeds Philip Hawkey, who was appointed acting dean in January 2012. Once the new dean takes office, Hawkey will continue serving the university, working on special projects assigned by the University President.

“I personally want to thank Phil for his work at the College of Law,” President Lieberman said. “His experience and leadership strengths are highly beneficial to our university.”

“It is the best investment of three years of your life – or four years of your life – that you will ever make,” Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye, the first Asian-Filipina American and the second woman to serve as Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court, said of law school.  “You have such potential to do anything, whether it’s in government, politics, business, pro bono, the law. There is nothing to hold you back.”

“There are so many other things you can do to improve peoples’ lives, to be the voice of those who have no voice,” she said.

About 150 people – judges, attorneys, students and others – attended the event, “An Evening with Chief Justice of California,” hosted by Justice Douglas P. Miller. The Chief Justice spent time with La Verne Law students before sitting down for a conversation with Justice Miller.

“It was a joy to speak with the students, who are intuitive and thoughtful and also very up on current events happening in California,” she said.

Sworn into office on January 3, 2011, the Chief Justice was nominated by former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. After her nomination, the California State Bar Judicial Nominees Evaluation Commission rated her as exceptionally well-qualified for the position. She was unanimously confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments, and in a general election on November 2, 2010, an overwhelming majority of voters elected her to that position.

Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye chairs the Judicial Council of California, the administrative policymaking body of state courts, and the Commission on Judicial Appointments. She talked about the impact of brutal funding cuts to courts.

“We live in a democracy and for our democracy to work the public has to understand the interrelationship of the three branches of government: the legislative, the executive and the judicial branch of government,” she said. “You cannot have a fully functioning democracy that serves and protects the rights of its people if you have a substandard judiciary that has been constantly underfunded for five years.”

The Chief Justice also shared some of the factors that went into her pursuing the law.

As a young girl growing up in Sacramento, she recalled how her family felt when they tried to save their home from eminent domain.

“I remember early on my mother going to court and feeling very badly mistreated,” she said. “I remember thinking how she felt she wasn’t treated with any dignity.”

In community college, Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye joined the speech and debate team and found she excelled at it. That was one of the first times she consciously thought about becoming an attorney, she said.

Audience members were impressed with what they heard.

“I think she’s an astoundingly intelligent woman and I’m proud she’s our chief justice,” said Taylor Turner, a third year La Verne Law student who asked the Chief Justice how the court decides which cases to take.

“I thought it was astounding to be able to listen to her in this close of a forum.”

About 100 people – attorneys, students and others – attended the 2013 Section 1983 Civil Rights Symposium at the Ayres Hotel & Suites in Ontario on Feb. 7 and 8.  La Verne Law invited 21 experts to offer their insights.

Section 1983 (42 U.S.C. Section 1983) is the federal statute that allows individuals to bring charges against government agencies for alleged discrimination, abuse, property seizure and abridgement of free speech.

Speakers included Erwin Chemerinksy, Founding Dean of the University of California, Irvine School of Law, Michael Gennaco, Chief Attorney, County of Los Angeles Office of Independent Review and former chief of the Civil Rights Section for the Office of the United States Attorney and the Honorable David T. Bristow, United States Magistrate Judge, U.S. District Court, Central District.

The symposium emphasized case law and legal strategies and covered the basics of civil rights litigation, including pleading requirements and the meaning of “under the color of the law.”  Several panels focused on law enforcement’s responsibilities and the civil rights of those they are hired to protect and serve.

Eugene P. Ramirez, founding member of the law firm Manning & Kass, Ellrod, Ramirez, Trester LLP, talked about the use of intermediate force. Ramirez advises public entities on the issues of use of force, canine and SWAT issues and policies and procedures.

“There are so many issues in these cases,” Ramirez said in a presentation that focused on police training, court rulings, dealing with emotionally and mentally ill people and the expectations that society places on police officers.

“We all read the articles about law enforcement and what they have to deal with daily,” he said.

Attorneys Kristina Doan Gruenberg and Ulysses Aguayo work at a Los Angeles law firm, where they handle civil rights litigation involving the Department of Corrections. Both said they found Chemerinsky’s presentation, “Recent Developments Regarding Immunities for Section 1983 Claims” to be particularly helpful.

Daniel Hill, who works as a paralegal in San Bernardino County and is preparing to take the California Bar Examination, also was impressed by the caliber of the symposium.

“I think they picked some excellent speakers. They’re so well-known,” Hill said.

Events such as the symposium are important because they bring together practitioners in an environment conducive to open dialogue to discuss important legal topics, said Veronica Randazzo, Chief Executive Editor of the La Verne Law Review, which hosted the event.

Speakers addressing the civilian oversight of police departments talked about events that trigger such oversight, models of oversight and how civilian oversight affects the relationship between police officers and the citizens they serve.

Another discussion centered on Section 1983 and the First Amendment, concentrating on social media, public employee speech and the Occupy Movement.

Soheila S. Azizi knows first-hand how it feels to be discriminated against and oppressed.

Azizi, a La Verne Law graduate, was born and raised in Iran. She came to the United States as a teenager to escape religious persecution. Members of her faith – Baha’is – have no legal rights in Iran and have been persecuted and killed because of their beliefs.

As a successful attorney with her own practice, Azizi considers it her mission to help Baha’is in Iran, especially students who are deprived of their rights to education because of their faith.

“It’s my obligation to be the voice of those who do not have one back there,” she said.

That dedication is part of everything Azizi does, whether she is helping those in her home country, devoting countless hours to community service, mentoring youth, or providing devoted representation to her clients. Her energy, she says, comes from within.

“My faith is my mission,” she said. “It’s about a way of life that lets me be in service to all.”

Azizi, who also has been an adjunct professor at La Verne Law, has been practicing law in Los Angeles and the Inland Empire for 18 years. Her firm, The Law Offices of Soheila S. Azizi & Associates (www.azizilaw.com), handles family law and medical malpractice/elder abuse as well as a wide range of civil mediation/arbitrations.

Azizi was 16 when she started college in Iran. At that time, the Shah was still in power.  When the Iranian Revolution began in the late 1970s, Baha’is were executed, imprisoned and denied rights.

“My parents felt that being a minority, we just had to get out,” she said. One of her brothers left first and Azizi and her other brother left next. Her parents stayed behind to wrap up business and personal matters before leaving. Unfortunately, her father fell ill and died in Iran; her mother came to the U.S. a few years later.

She was 18 when she came to the United States and began attending Hofstra University in New York.  She then began studying for her master’s in urban economics at the University of Illinois. She took extension courses at UCLA and had a successful career in fashion design and merchandising, creating lines of clothing.

Azizi was recovering from a back injury and lying on her couch at home contemplating her next move in life when her husband brought home some LSAT books. She took the exam, got into a few schools, and decided on La Verne.

“I chose La Verne as my school because I felt at home,” she said. “I felt like I could talk to my professors.”

Azizi graduated from La Verne in 1993, took the Bar exam, and passed the first time.

“I found law to be very appealing. I felt that the scholastic pursuit was very much of a challenge,” she said.  The law would also give her something. “I thought the law would give me the power and sophistication that I needed to help humanity.”

She uses those tools well. She is the founder of California Arbitration & Mediation Services (CAMS) and a co-founder and board member for Women on The Move Network and the Upland Interfaith Council. She is passionate about Women on The Move Network’s Who’s Your Hero?, a mentoring program for girls 9 to 11.  Azizi also serves as president of Upland Interfaith Council and Vice President of Upland Spirituality Assembly, is involved in numerous other community organizations, and serves as a judge pro tem. She is also a sponsor of La Verne Law Review’s Civil Rights Section 1983 Symposium.

Azizi admits she gets attached to her clients and their cases.

“Everything I do has a lot of passion in it. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

“My motto is ‘We are your law firm for life.’ I want people to build relationships with me,” she said. “I didn’t become an attorney to be making a lot of money. I just wanted to make the world a better place.”