A coalition of law student organizations is sponsoring Diversity Week next week, March 1-4.

The Immigration Law Student Association, the Black Law Student Association, the Hispanic Law Student Association, the Native American Law Students Association, OUTLaws (fka LGLSA), the Women’s Law Student Association, the American Bar Association Law School Division and the Multicultural Law Student Association will participate in the weeks’ worth of events.

The groups are working together to organize speakers, food events, and other activities designed to highlight our our minority student organizations and to raise the overall consciousness of the student body about inclusivity. The Mission Statement drafted by the students says: "Diversity Week at the Oklahoma City University School of Law, is sponsored by a coalition of law student groups and is designed to encourage the student body to reflect on an all-inclusive society, and to promote values that allow individuals to develop their full potential as law students, and lawyers, including diversity, learning, excellence, opportunity, respect and equality for all individuals."

At 1 p.m. Monday, March 1, the Immigration Law Student Association and Hispanic Law Student Association will present the movie "A Class Apart." The film is based on Hernandez v. Texas, and features a team of five Mexican-American lawyers who challenge de facto Jim Crow discrimination against Mexicans and other Latinos that existed in the southwestern United States. Food at the event will be provided by KAPLAN/PMBR. From 4 - 7 p.m. Monday, the Multicultural Law Student Association will present "Sa-Moeng Dee Special." "Sa-Moeng Dee" means Happy Hour in Laotian, and the MLSA will be selling noodles and eggrolls in the first-floor lounge of Sarkeys Law Center.

On Tuesday, March 2, the Native American Law Student Association will sell Indian Tacos in the first-floor lounge of Sarkeys; one taco and a drink will cost $5. From 5-6 p.m. on Tuesday the Women’s Law Student Association and Corporate Law Student Association will feature a presentation by Deborah McKinney, who will discuss her experience as a corporate attorney and the animosity she faced as a female partner. Food at the event will be provided by KAPLAN/PMBR. On Wednesday, March 3, the Black Law Student Association will have "Soul Food" for sale in the Sarkeys Lounge. From 5-7 p.m., OUTlaws, formerly known as the Lesbian and Gay Law Student Association, will present "MockTails," featuring virgin cocktails; KAPLAN/PMBR will provide food.

Diversity Week concludes on Thursday, March 4. The Hispanic Law Student Association and Immigration Law Student Association will sponsor a bake sale from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. The American Bar Association Law Student Division will present a lecture from Professor Brenda Chappell of Oklahoma Christian University. At 9 p.m. the Hispanic Law Student Association will sponsor 9 p.m. - 2 a.m. the Hispanic Law Student Association and Immigration Law Student Association will sponsor a Closing Celebration at Mango’s Mexican Restaurant at 4401 W. Reno Avenue in Oklahoma City. Tickets to the celebration are $5 in advance and $10 at the door, and are available at the HLSA’s table the entire week. The party will feature free Salsa and Meringue dance lessons at 9 p.m.

OCU students have generated about $100,000 in federal refunds for local residents so far during this year’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. The program will continue on Fridays and Saturdays through the end of the month.

Students from OCU’s Meinders School of Business and OCU LAW have partnered with United Way and the IRS to offer the program, which provides free state and federal tax return preparation and free efiling. Clients must have an income of roughly $56,000 or less to qualify for assistance, resided in Oklahoma for the entire year of 2009, have no capital gains or losses and have no net losses or self-employed expenses exceeding $5,000.

“This is a service that fits our theme of servant leadership at Oklahoma City University,” said Beth Stetson, JD, PhD, assistant professor of accounting at OCU. “This is a way to help the community and give students real working experience in a professional environment with clients.”

About 20 business and law students are participating. OCU law student Dana Blake is co-coordinating the program.

Local residents qualifying for assistance can receive help from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fridays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays through Feb. 27. Students plan to reopen the program for a few days in April prior to the filing deadline on the 15th.

To prepare a return, volunteers will need a client’s social security card, driver’s license, W2s, 1099s, social security statements, unemployment statements, interest and dividend statements from banks, mortgage statements, receipts for real estate taxes paid, statements of charitable contributions, receipt for day care expenses including the name, address and social security number or employer id number of the child care provider, receipts for education expenses or Form 1098-T from a college or university and social security cards and dates of birth for every person on the tax return. Those who purchased a new car or home in 2009 should bring information with them about the purchase price and taxes paid. Additionally, anyone claiming children who do not live with them on their tax return must bring an IRS or court document giving them permission for the claim.

Tax preparation services will be provided at United Way, 1444 N.W. 28th St, one block north of the Meinders School of Business.

OCU LAW today donated 32 Dell desktop computers and monitors to Peavine Elementary School in Stilwell, Oklahoma. OCU LAW’s director of techology, K.R. Vineyard, organized the donation, after the law school’s library computer labs were recenlty upgraded thanks to a generous donation from the Clyde Evans Charitable Trust. The donated Dell computers will be used for a computer lab at Peavine.

First-year OCU LAW student Robyn Bridges-Castro has received a prestigious scholarship from the Northeastern Oklahoma Black Lawyers Association (NOBLA). NOBLA is an association of African-American lawyers whose purpose is to advance equality and excellence in the pursuit of justice, aid the progress of African-Americans and other minorities in the legal profession, address legal issues affecting the community, and foster the study of law by encouraging personal and professional development of its members. NOBLA is comprised of African-American attorneys in large and small law firms, solo practitioners, government, academia, corporations, not-for-profit organizations, and the judiciary.

Bridges-Castro received honors at NOBLA’s inaugural minority law students scholarship and awards luncheon, held today at the Tulsa headquarters of The Williams Companies, Inc. In addition, she also was invited attend NOBLA’s inaugural Amos T. Hall awards reception at The Williams Companies headquarters. The awards reception is named for one of Oklahoma’s most significant civil rights lawyers. As an attorney for the Oklahoma Association of Negro Teachers, Hall led the fight for equal salaries for teachers via the case of Freeman v. Oklahoma City School Board (1948). He was appointed special judge of the District Court of Tulsa County in 1969 and served until 1970, when he was elected associate district judge of Tulsa County; he served in this capacity until his death. Judge Hall was the first African-American to be elected to a county-wide office and the first African-American to be elected a judge in Oklahoma. He served as president of the Tulsa branch of the NAACP for eleven years and represented Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher in the landmark case Sipuel v. Board of Regents of University of Oklahoma (1948), which fought the "separate but equal" verdict.

Robyn Bridges-Castro is a native of McAllen, Texas and a graduate of Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, where she earned a bachelor of arts degree in anthropology with a minor in Feminist Studies. She serves as historian of the Legal Division of the Hispanic National Bar Association, and is a member of OCU LAW’s Public Interest Law Group and Texas Legal Society. She serves as a bilingual mentor for the Hispanic Initiative with INTEGRIS hospital, and while an undergraduate participated in Southwestern University’s Jamaica Summer Study Abroad Service Program.

The OCU LAW Jessup International Moot Court Team won two elimination rounds at the Southwest Super Regional Competition, hosted by the University of Houston February 12-14. The OCU LAW team won two of its elimination rounds against New Mexico and Arizona and lost two others against Texas and Indiana-Bloomington. Texas advanced to the final round, which it lost to Louisiana State. Team member Jacob Sherman was ranked 8th out of 95 oralists, and the team’s two briefs were penalty-free under the competition’s form rules, and each received more points in the elimination rounds than those of the two opposing teams. The team is comprised of students Dianne Anderson, Ryan Naylor, Jacob Sherman, Naomi Smith and Erh Perng. 

Associate Professor of Law Peter Dillon serves as the team’s coach. "The team members and I regard this year’s venture as successful," he said. "We believe a major reason for that success was the valuable and generous support of the extended law school family."

On Saturday, February 20, the Oklahoma pro chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists held its annual awards banquet in Bricktown. At the banquet, the Spring 2009 issue of the OCU LAW Magazine was awarded Third Place in the Best PR Publication category and Second Place for Best PR Publication Cover. Assistant Dean for Communications and Marketing Damon Gardenhire, Senior Communications and New Media Content Specialist Nathan Gunter and freelance graphic designer Whitney Porch accepted the honors for their work on the magazine. A full list of winners is available at the Oklahoma Society of Professional Journalists web site.

Copies of this issue are available in the OCU LAW Dean’s Suite in Sarkeys Law Center and for download in .pdf format here. The team behind this award-winning magazine are now at work on a new issue to be released this spring. 

In addition, the OCU LAW Blog was one of ten finalists in the Best Business-Related Blog category in the 2009 Okie Blog Awards. Winners and runners-up were announced Monday; OCU LAW extends its congratulations to all the honorees.

Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry has appointed OCU LAW alumnus Gary Miller ‘78 as district judge for Canadian County. Miller, who most recently served as the director of Children and Family Services for the state Department of Human Services, served as a district judge in Canadian County from 1993-2008. He was in private practice from 1978-1993.

Miller was chosen from three nominees provided by the Judicial Nominating Commission. A full story on Miller’s appointment can be found at the Tulsa World website.

The latest video in our "Why I Teach" series features Professor of Law Paula Dalley.

Professor Dalley practiced corporate law with the New York firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore and was a member of the faculty at Chicago-Kent College of Law before joining the faculty at OCU LAW. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University, a law degree from Harvard University and an LL.M. from New York University.

OCU LAW Professor Art LeFrancois will appear as a legal expert on KWTV-News9 tonight at 6 p.m. 

LeFrancois shared his expertise for a story from News9 reporter Dave Jordan on recent controversies embroiling Oklahoma’s Medical Examiner office.

Former Chief Medical examiner Dr. Collie Trant has filed a lawsuit asking to be reinstated to his position. He was fired last month by The Board of Medicolegal Investigations. In the lawsuit, Trant alleges the person hired to investigate claims of sexual harassment against former M.E.  chief investigator Kevin Rowland encouraged employees at the ME’s office to lie to the grand jury looking into Rowland’s case

You can read more about the lawsuit and ongoing controversy within the medical examiner’s office from KOTV-News on 6, KWTV’s sister station in Tulsa. NewsOK also featured a story about the matter in today’s edition.

UPDATE: The video of Jordan’s report is available at the News9 website, at the OCU LAW Vimeo page, and below:

The Oklahoma City University Law Review recently announced the Board of Editors and Staff Editors for the 2010-2011 academic year. Kyle Rogers will serve as Editor-in-Chief. Jana Knott will serve as Managing Editor. Articles Editors will be Elizabeth Bowersox and Ben Saunier, and Resource Editors are Mike Hatfield and Michael McMillin. Executive Editor is Hillary Blake, and Staff Editors are Seth Murphy, Lysbeth George, Corry Kendall and Blake Lawrence. Professor Vicki Lawrence MacDougall serves as Faculty Advisor The Oklahoma City University Law Review is an Executive Board member of the National Conference of Law Reviews.