2L Sydney Buckley gains practical experience at internship with federal judge

2L Sydney Buckley is interning for a federal judge at the United States District Court for the District of Kansas. Photo courtesy of Sydney Buckley.

Now over halfway through my 2L year, I can confirm that the common mantra — “1L year they scare you death; 2L year they work you to death; 3L year they bore you to death” — certainly captures the 2L year well. However, despite this year’s increased workload, I’ve really enjoyed being able to choose my own schedule. One of my favorite parts of 2L year has been working at a Judicial Field Placement. Since September, I have been interning for a federal judge at the United States District Court for the District of Kansas. My days at the courthouse are not only incredibly educational, but are also a welcome break from Green Hall.

While at work, I split my time between observing, researching and writing. The observation side has been great, while concurrently taking courses such as Evidence and Trial Advocacy as well as competing in moot court. I get to see some of the skills I’m learning about put into practice by practicing attorneys. I’ve watched portions of trials (both civil and criminal), as well as many proceedings such as motion hearings, change of plea hearings, status conferences and sentencings. 

One of the most exciting parts of my internship has been the research and writing assignments I’ve worked on. In most of my prior legal writing (whether that be 1L Lawyering Skills, firm work over the summer, my more advocacy-driven 2L classes or preparing for moot court competitions), I am generally always approaching a legal problem with the goal of advocating the best position for my “client.” However, there is no advocacy involved in chambers. Rather, a judge’s sole job is to determine what the law is and how it ought to be applied to the parties’ dispute. I love getting a behind-the-scenes look at this process, and I really appreciate how seriously the judge I am interning for takes this task. He is incredibly thorough, especially when presented with a particularly tough issue. I have come to realize how hard it can be to determine what the law is and how it should be applied, particularly when there are no guiding Tenth Circuit cases on the issue. In those cases, the effectiveness of a parties’ advocacy can play a key role in helping the court make some of those tough decisions. 

I think that the most practical takeaway I’ve learned is the importance of providing clear and effective pleadings and briefs to the court. It’s incredibly frustrating to read a brief that lacks coherence, cites to outside jurisdictions when Tenth Circuit law is available, or (either explicitly or implicitly) misstates the law. Conversely, it’s incredibly valuable to read a brief that is concise, advocates the party’s position well, and provides ample on-point citations to proper binding authority. If a party omits a critical point for fear that it “looks bad,” or fails to provide citations to the key cases, the clerks will notice. This is a certain way to quickly lose credibility with the court.

This short blog post captures just a few of the many things I’ve experienced while participating in the Judicial Field Placement Program. It’s amazing how much I’ve learned in such a short time! I am so grateful to the judge I am interning for and his staff for their kindness and willingness to help me learn, and I am excited for the opportunities that the rest of this semester will bring. 

— By Sydney Buckley, a 2L from Kansas City, Missouri and a KU Law Student Ambassador

Best of both worlds

Cue Hannah Montana

(From left) Alex Atchison, Valeria Carbajal, Ryan Gordon, Professor Suzanne Valdez, Kaylea Knappenberger, Cody Seboldt and Andrew Stephens visit the Guinness brewery in Dublin, Ireland. Photo courtesy of Valeria Carbajal.

“Do you know what you’re doing this summer?” is one of the most dreadful questions in law school. Looking for a summer job/internship is not only stressful, but can also be disheartening. Applying for on-campus interviews (OCIs) and not getting any callbacks also sucks, for lack of a better word. If we’re completely honest, though, there are many other options that many don’t consider because they’re not your typical “job.” Last summer, I spent the first half of the summer doing an internship and the second half of the summer studying abroad.

Valeria Carbajal visits the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland. Photo courtesy of Valeria Carbajal.

After exhausting all of my summer options (or so I thought), I decided to attend the Judicial Field Placement Program meeting. I got the opportunity to intern with a judge who presided over juvenile and mental health cases in Johnson County. He had never taken on a summer intern because he thought they were more of a pain than helpful. To my surprise, after sitting with him in a meeting with a panel, he said he was glad he took me on because I was able to give him insight on an entirely different geographical region and culture as well as a different perspective on important matters. I was able to gain the judge’s trust, and he allowed to help him work on a proposal for the county. During my time in Johnson County, I was able to sit in on all kinds of cases from juvenile to criminal to civil, and my personal favorite: family law mediations.

My time at the courthouse was great; however, nothing can compare to the time I spent studying abroad in Ireland. Although I went to Ireland only really knowing one person from the group, by the end of the trip, I had made AMAZING friendships. It’s hard not to become great friends when you spent every minute of every day together for three weeks. There is no better way to get to know someone than having to spend the night at a hostel where the only thing separating you from the others is either a wall, a bed or a curtain. It was fun getting to explore Ireland with the group and trying new food, drinks and hopping on a bus for a day trip to another city. Experiencing the culture was my favorite part of it all, and if there is anything I’ll remember about law school in the future, it will be this trip!

(From left) Kaylea Knappenberger, Valeria Carbajal, Andrew Stephens, Ryan Gordon, Cody Seboldt and Alex Atchison visit the Guinness brewery in Dublin, Ireland. Photo courtesy of Valeria Carbajal.

Professor Raymond Friel taught two of the Ireland courses and was brilliant! It’s easy to listen to someone when they have a calming Irish accent. Professor Suzanne Valdez taught the comparative family law class, which only furthered my interest in family law. If you ever need recommendations for the best places in Ireland, she is your go-to. One of the most exciting parts of Ireland was visiting the Irish Criminal Courts. Picture the Ministry of Magic in real life! There were Barristers (attorneys) running between courtrooms wearing wigs and gowns. It was the most insane thing I had ever witnessed.

With all of that being said, don’t feel terrible if you can’t find a job for your first summer. Many other great opportunities will provide you with experience and great memories. You might be able to sit in a courtroom for part of the summer and stroll around Ireland for the second half: Best of both worlds!

— By Valeria Carbajal, a 2L from El Paso, Texas and a KU Law Student Ambassador.

KU Law provides free federal, state tax preparation services through VITA program

What is VITA? The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program assists low income individuals in filing their federal and Kansas tax returns for the prior calendar year FOR FREE. The income thresholds and years change, but this year we’re looking to help individuals making $56,000 or less file their 2019 tax returns. At KU Law, we have wonderful law students who volunteer their time to help people in our community. The program is a big deal because services, such as Jackson Hewitt and H&R Block, tend to have a series of fees. When a person hasn’t been able to meet rent for a month or needs to catch up on bills, those fees can really hit an already struggling household. 

3L Tara Mollhagen

I’ve volunteered for the program for two years now and am looking to help direct the program with Dean Stephen Mazza and fellow tax law nerds, 3L Chris Rogers and 2L Alexis Pearson. In prior years, people coming to the program were so appreciative and would tell me stories of how their refund would help them. One young lady said she was going to enroll in summer classes, another woman said she was going to buy “good” groceries to cook her family a special meal. A lot of people I saw were barely making ends meet, so helping them get their refunds and having an immediate and direct impact on easing someone’s struggles is my favorite part of VITA.

Looking to the coming season, we have a few clarifications. Because our volunteers are students, we cannot handle complicated returns such as self-employed persons (think driving for Uber or starting your own business). Students may go over to the Legal Services for Students Office in Room 2030 of the Burge Union for free help. These professionals walk students through their issues with seasoned expertise. If you would rather do your return yourself, have trouble getting to our sites or have income slightly over the $56,000 individual threshold, check out the Kansas Legal Services website for access to using free software with no income limit.

Are you a student at KU looking to help out and have either tax preparation experience or sufficient tax classes? Please let us know and we’d be happy to have you, email vita@ku.edu.  The schedule for the upcoming program starts on February 20. Whether you’re a volunteer or a person seeking help, we’re happy to see you; happy filing season!

MondayWednesdayThursdaySaturday
6-8:45 p.m.
Green Hall, Wheat Law Library, 3rd Floor Computer Lab, 1535 W. 15th St.		3-5:45 p.m.
Green Hall, Wheat Law Library, 3rd Floor Computer Lab, 1535 W. 15th St.		5:15-6:30 p.m.
Lawrence-Douglas County Housing Authority, 1600 Haskell Ave., Apt. 187		9-11:45 a.m.
Green Hall, Wheat Law Library, 3rd Floor Computer Lab, 1535 W. 15th St.

Sessions run Thursday, Feb. 20 through Wednesday, April 15. Due to scheduling conflicts, no sessions will be held on Feb. 24, March 4 or March 7 – 15 (KU spring break). No appointment is needed.

—  By Tara Mollhagen, a 3L from Wichita and the student director of this year’s VITA program

Too much of a good thing

Photo by Ashley Golledge

Though I’ve heard many sayings about law school, perhaps none capture the essence of the experience better than: “law school is a pie-eating contest where the reward for doing well is more pie.” At this point in my life, I’m fine with that. To keep with the metaphor, I like pie, and I haven’t been eating it long enough to be sick of it yet. With that being said, the contest is a marathon, not a sprint. For lack of a better way of putting it, we all still have a lot of pie left to eat, so we need to learn to get away from it for a while.

One of the things that best helped me cope with my new, pie-filled reality during my first semester at Green Hall was my willingness to walk out of the building and simply go do something else. Importantly, however, when I did go do something else, it wasn’t always with my fellow contest members. Many times, it was with people utterly disconnected with anything and everything related to law school. For me at least, getting away from Green, away from classmates, and away from the law was entirely necessary to see the work ahead of me with clear eyes.

I have the good fortune of going to law school where I went to undergrad, so the vast majority of my non-law school friends are still either students or have moved onto careers in the Kansas City area. At least once a week, I tried to see some of those folks and do something with them. Whether it was watching football, grabbing a bite to eat or just sitting on a couch talking about life, spending time with people who aren’t connected to the trials and tribulations of our program got my brain off work and stress. Even if you’re a Patrick Bateman type who can’t see the value of having a broader circle of friends and interests beyond your work and education, these reprieves from law school made it that much easier to focus and apply myself to my studies once I got home. In other words, even if your only goal in life is to win the pie eating contest, sometimes you still need to try some other foods.

Of course, my situation isn’t comparable to everyone else’s. Not everyone has non-law school friends in close proximity to them; not everyone recharges their batteries by spending time with others; and so on. The fact remains, however, that you need an escape from your work. If you know what that escape is, don’t abandon it just because you’re getting stressed about class, the job search or extracurriculars. If you don’t have that escape, whether it takes finding a new hobby, meeting some new people or something else entirely, now is the best time to find it.

—  Griffin Albaugh is a 1L from Lawrence and a KU Law Student Ambassador.

Heather Spielmaker to lead Career Services Office at KU Law

Photo by Margaret Hair

Heather Spielmaker recently joined the University of Kansas School of Law as the assistant dean for career services. Working closely with her new colleagues Stacey Blakeman and Amanda Chesbrough, she looks forward to bringing students the highest level of career support from their first day of law school and throughout their careers.

It took 14 years, but Spielmaker graduated with honors from Michigan State University as a non-traditional student and single mother. After earning her undergraduate degree, she next tried public administration courses before deciding upon law school. She worked full-time as the Director of the Center for Ethics, Service, and Professionalism at Western Michigan University Cooley Law School while earning her law degree through night and weekend courses. She graduated from WMU Cooley magna cum laude.

“I recall being very excited to have finished so quickly. Law school only took 4.5 years,” Spiemaker joked.

While working for WMU Cooley, Spielmaker developed and administered one of the largest military pro bono programs in the country, for which she received the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Legion of Merit award. The program provided over $4 million in pro bono legal services for deploying and returning troops.

Before returning to law school administration, Spielmaker worked in both large and small firm settings in Lansing, Michigan and Cleveland, Ohio. However, she realized that higher education was her calling. She served as the assistant dean for career services at the West Virginia University College of Law for three years, where she doubled the size of their on-campus interview program and added new features including speed mock interviews, small firm OCIs and a title research certification program. 

“I am looking forward to working with students to find innovative ways to meet the unique career goals of the KU Law student body,” Spielmaker said.

Spielmaker has a son, Damian, who is serving in the military, and a daughter, Kennedy. She also has two sisters and 10 nieces and nephews in Michigan. She enjoys visiting them all and traveling the world. She is a certified scuba diver and recently traveled to Iceland, Thailand and Cozumel. She hopes to get to Scotland and the South Pacific soon.

DDLC: Fall semester in review

Buttons, which are available through KU Libraries, depict preferred gender pronouns. Photo by Ashley Golledge.

Last fall, the Dean’s Diversity Leadership Council (DDLC) received support from the students, staff and faculty within Green Hall, as well as the greater legal community for a number of events and initiatives. The DDLC held three brown bag lunch forums in collaboration with the Faculty and Staff Committee on Diversity & Inclusion. These lunches strive to promote engagement in deeper conversations regarding diversity and inclusion. Additionally, the DDLC circulated two initiatives allowing the community to take personal action towards creating a more inclusive environment in Green Hall.

The first brown bag lunch asked for input on what topics the Green Hall community would like to discuss at the events, as well as a discussion on how to reach a broader audience in Green Hall, to actively engage in conversations about diversity and inclusion. The second brown bag lunch discussion, facilitated by the Faculty and Staff Committee on Diversity & Inclusion member Shawn Watts, took a deeper dive into how comfort – or lack thereof – plays a role in conversations about diversity and inclusion. This discussion continued to focus on ways to engage those who are consistently absent from such conversations and envisioned ways these conversations could eventually lead to action and change within Green Hall. Our final brown bag lunch of the semester was facilitated by University Ombuds Dr. D. A. Graham, which focused on empathetic communication and developing skills for engaging in difficult conversations, such as those around diversity and inclusion.

In addition to these lunches, the DDLC circulated initiatives encouraging students to support a more diverse and inclusive community within Green Hall. First, the Diversity Hiring Initiative letter was shared with students allowing them to express their support for diverse faculty hires by signing the letter, which was then sent to the Faculty Appointments Committee. The letter encouraged the committee, and faculty as a whole, to continue improving diversity within Green Hall during the recent round of faculty hires that was being made last fall. The initiative received the support of over a third of the students in Green Hall as a result of the efforts made by the DDLC and diverse student organizations. Second, the DDLC began working with the administration and members of the Faculty and Staff Committee on Diversity & Inclusion to educate all faculty, staff and students on pronoun awareness and ways the Green Hall community can normalize inclusive pronoun use. The DDLC and diverse student organizations encouraged students, faculty and staff to place their pronouns in their e-mail signature blocks. This simple, yet effective action, normalizes pronoun usage and helps eliminate appearance-based assumptions about a person’s pronouns that perpetuate harmful gender stereotypes.

The Dean’s Diversity Leadership Council is thrilled with the level of community engagement accomplished in the fall semester. It could not have been accomplished without the assistance of the Faculty and Staff Committee on Diversity & Inclusion, diverse student organizations, or the Green Hall community at large. We thank you for your effort and support and look forward to more successful engagement in the spring semester!

— By Aidan Graybill, a 2L from Lincoln, Nebraska and member of the Dean’s Diversity Leadership Council