Stop studying … it might help you get a job

Woah, did I read that right?

Yes, you did. But, don’t get the wrong idea. I am not saying that re-watching Parks and Recreation for the fifth time is going to land you a job. However, in certain situations, closing your books for the night and getting away from your study carrel will be extremely beneficial in your search for gainful employment. It might seem counterintuitive, but my experience this year has proven it to be true.

My favorite weekend of law school so far took place right before midterms last semester. I was lucky enough to be one of the twenty 1Ls signed up for “24 Hours of Wichita,” an event created by the Career Services Office to showcase Wichita as a potential post-graduation destination. Partners and associates from several different law firms took care of us while we were there. They put us up in a hotel, paid for great meals and even took us out on the town. The whole weekend was an absolute blast, in no small part because of the great relationships I was able to create with the attorneys that spent time with us.

I left Wichita jokingly telling the hiring partner at Foulston Siefkin to remember those 24 hours fondly when he found my resume on his desk in January. Much to my surprise, he did exactly that. During my interview with him, we spent a lot of time laughing about the events of that weekend. Long story short, I will be working at that firm this upcoming summer.

That weekend very well could have been a stressful weekend if I chained myself to my carrel and studied hours on end. Instead, I took full advantage of the opportunity to form lasting relationships with some incredible attorneys. This is not to say that studying is unimportant. In fact, quite the opposite is true. However, building relationships and growing your professional persona is also incredibly important. As is often said, “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” Though that is not entirely accurate (employers will care what you know!), there is certainly a kernel of truth to it.

Fortunately, KU Law provides nearly endless opportunities to expand “who you know.” If Wichita isn’t your particular cup of tea, there are opportunities to meet with firms from towns all around Kansas, as well as Kansas City and beyond. The Career Services Office hosts the Government Agencies Fair, the Small and Mid-size Firms Fair, and Legal Career Options Day just to name a few. But while these opportunities are there, they will only have an impact if you close your books, turn off your study light and go talk to someone.

— Jake Schmidt is a 1L from Atchison and a KU Law Student Ambassador.

Clearing your head

Finding balance in law school is all about allowing yourself simple pleasures. I love my daily coffee at the Burge Union, my Friday night movie marathons, and the potluck dinners my friends and I host. The nicest thing I do for myself, though, is walking to and from school. Unless the weather is bad (or I oversleep my alarm), I make every effort I can to walk instead driving or taking the bus.

It helps me stretch my legs.

Honestly, I’m not a gym rat — anyone who knows me would say I’m no athlete. But walking for almost an hour every day, up and down KU’s hills with a 60-pound backpack on isn’t bad exercise. Walking gives me a good chance to maintain my KU calves without having to spare too much time going to the gym.

Walking clears my head and makes me happier.

When I walk to class, I don’t think about law school, homework or my to-do list. I don’t have to stress about traffic or worry about whether or not I need to change my oil. Instead, I get a chance to think about anything and everything I want to, to clear my head from the pressures of the day. I know this is a personal preference: Some of my friends love driving and would never give up their daily Starbucks drive-through run. But I like walking, so I go out of my way to make sure it happens regularly. The trick is to know what you like and allow yourself the time to do it.

When I have a clear head, I think and reason better when I am thinking about law school.

Sometimes getting your head out of your law books is exactly what you need to solve problems and reason out theories better. A few weeks ago, I had a big assignment due in class. I’d worked late into the night and still wasn’t happy with some of the arguments I made in my paper. The day the paper was due, I walked to class and thought about the good weather and the newly-green grass. I didn’t agonize over my paper, but I was working through it in the back of my head the whole way. Getting up, smelling fresh air and moving around all helped me think more clearly than hunching over my laptop had. By the time I got to class, I had developed a much more interesting argument for my paper and I felt much better turning it in.

I’ve learned a lot this year about torts, contracts and civil procedure. As law students wind up for finals, I say: Work hard! Do good work! But allow yourself simple daily pleasures, too. You’ll be happier, and you will have the space and time to reason more clearly and study more effectively. As for me, I’ll be walking whenever there’s no snow on the ground.

— Ellen Bertels is a 1L from Wichita and a KU Law Student Ambassador.

Elizabeth Kronk Warner announced as dean of University of Utah law school

Elizabeth Kronk Warner

Elizabeth Kronk Warner, KU Law’s associate dean for academic affairs and a law professor, will be the next dean of the S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah. Warner starts her new role on July 1. She will be the first woman to lead the Utah law school in its 106-year history.

“I am tremendously honored to serve in this role, and hope that I am able to live up to the storied legacy of past deans,” Warner said.

Warner joined the KU Law faculty in 2012 and became associate dean for academic affairs in 2015. She teaches courses including Federal Indian Law, Native American Natural Resources, Property and Tribal Law. Her service schedule is busy, with plenty of commitments outside the classroom. In addition to her role as associate dean for academic affairs, she directs the school’s Tribal Law & Government Center; serves as faculty advisor for the Native American Law Students Association and the Federal Bar Association; and leads the Faculty and Staff Committee on Diversity & Inclusion.

Through her years of teaching and staying active at the law school, Warner’s biggest point of pride has been her students.

“My greatest joy has been watching everything that former students have accomplished. It is incredibly rewarding to see a student go from struggling to understand the Rule Against Perpetuities to becoming a respected lawyer,” she said.

“I am also very proud of my colleagues and all of the impressive things they accomplish on a daily basis – it is an honor to be part of this faculty.  I have fond memories of students succeeding in moot court competitions, and the progress we have made on our diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts,” Warner said.

Warner leaves big shoes to fill as a scholar, teacher and administrator, said Stephen Mazza, dean of the law school.

“Elizabeth’s leadership skills were evident early on, which explains why she has been such a successful associate dean at KU Law,” Mazza said. “Highlighting her skill set and allowing her to develop those leadership skills carried a risk that she would be snapped up by another school.”

But that’s OK by Mazza.

“I’m proud that KU Law supports emerging leaders and has a track record of doing so,” he said. 

Warner’s departure to become dean at a flagship state university fits a trend at KU Law. In the past 10 years, two other associate deans have moved on to head public law schools.

Melanie Wilson, who also served as associate dean for academic affairs, took the helm of the University of Tennessee College of Law in 2015. Stacy Leeds, a former associate dean for academic affairs and director of the Tribal Law & Government Center, was dean of the University of Arkansas School of Law from 2011 to 2018. She’s now the school’s vice chancellor for economic development.

That KU Law leaders continue to earn deanships is no fluke, Warner said, crediting professional development opportunities in the law school and the broader University community.

“Dean Mazza is a tremendous mentor, who invests in his associate deans and provides them opportunities to develop the skills necessary to flourish as a dean. We are tremendously fortunate to have him at the helm of KU Law,” Warner said. “I am also thankful to the University for providing opportunities, such as the senior administration fellowship program, for faculty to develop administrative skills.”

In 2014, Warner received the Immel Award for Excellence in Teaching, and in 2016 she received the Dean Frederick J. Moreau teaching and mentoring award from the graduating class. Her scholarship, which focuses primarily on the intersection of Indian Law and Environmental Law, has been published in several prominent journals.

Prior to her arrival at KU, Warner served on the law faculties at Texas Tech University and the University of Montana. She received her J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School and a B.S. from Cornell University. Warner is a citizen of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. She serves as an appellate judge for the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians Court of Appeals in Michigan and as a district judge for the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation in Kansas.

Warner said she’s thankful for her “KU Law family” and the community it provides.

“I have loved my time at KU. While I am excited for this new opportunity, I will greatly miss everyone who has touched my life in such a profound way,” she said. “I am very proud of KU Law and look forward to seeing all it will accomplish in the future. Rock Chalk!”

— By Margaret Hair

Arturo Thompson wins service excellence award

In reporting law school employment outcomes, clarity is critical.

Assistant Dean for Career Services Arturo Thompson, L’06, recently received a professional service award for his work on a national advisory board that helps give that clarity.

The National Association for Law Placement, or NALP, honored Thompson with its Service Excellence Award for his commitment to the NALP/ABA Employment Outcomes Reporting Advisory Group. The association gives the award to volunteers who go above and beyond in their service to NALP and its members.

Thompson collaborated with the reporting advisory group to build a structure for new ABA Employment Protocols. The resulting document gives KU Law and its peers a set of “readily understandable and consistent protocols that guide everything we need to do to meet our obligations to the American Bar Association,” Thompson said. The new standards will help career services offices run more efficiently and report more consistently.

“These standards make sure schools and students get credit for the hard work they’re doing, and ensure everyone is standing on the same platform in what they’re reporting,” Thompson said. “It was an honor to be asked by my peers to serve on the committee and even more of an honor to be given this award by the board.”

Law schools are required to report employment outcomes for each graduating class to the American Bar Association in accordance with their rules and standards. Accurate information is critical to understanding how law schools are performing in terms of job placement, empowering potential students and other consumers to compare schools over time. The outcomes and related documentation have been increasingly scrutinized in recent years and are now subject to annual random audits by the ABA. Failure to report this information accurately can impact a school’s continued accreditation.

For the time-intensive project, Thompson created templates and a style guide to consolidate several ABA employment outcomes reports into one document. The advisory group worked closely with the ABA on how to improve employment data reporting, streamline the data collection process, clarify expectations and develop best practices.

“The new ABA Employment Protocols make a challenging process infinitely easier, and the law school community owes Arturo a debt of gratitude,” NALP President Melissa Lennon wrote in a letter announcing the Service Excellence Award.

“The NALP Board of Directors values Arturo’s contributions to this effort, and we look forward to his continued engagement with our mission of fairness, facts and the power of a diverse community.”

— By Margaret Hair

Meet KU Law’s new communications director

Margaret Hair, KU Law Communications Director

Margaret Hair recently joined KU Law as director of external affairs. She works with the school’s communications team to tell the KU Law story through its digital channels and publications. Hair started in mid-March, filling the position previously held by Mindie Paget.

Hair comes to KU Law with a background in journalism and marketing. She graduated from the University of North Carolina in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Out of school, she worked as a newspaper reporter in Colorado, writing stories about everything from music to ranching.

After moving to Lawrence in 2011, Hair served as a program coordinator for the KU Memorial Unions. She advised student groups including KJHK 90.7 FM, Student Union Activities and The Big Event in event planning and marketing. During that time, she earned a master’s degree in marketing communications from KU’s journalism school. Most recently, she oversaw event marketing for the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts in Kansas City.

“I’m excited for the chance to share all that’s happening at KU Law with students, alumni and the Lawrence community,” Hair said.

Hair lives in Lawrence with her husband, Zach Fridell – a KU Law alumnus (L’16) – and their two energetic border collie mixes.

A (realistic) look at a law student’s spring break

As a 2L, I like to think that I’ve learned from my mistakes last year. One of those mistakes was being overly ambitious about how much studying I was going to get done over spring break. Before I knew it, it was the Wednesday of break and I was watching The Office for the third time. My class notes were closed and forgotten on my desk. Ah, procrastination.

This year, I’ve got a new spring break game plan, and it still includes my beloved Netflix.

Get caught up in classes

You’ve heard the saying: 1L year: they scare you to death. 2L year: they work you to death. 3L year: they bore you to death. Is it true? Maybe a little. With classes, Law Review, job interviews and club activities, it can be difficult to stay on top of everything. That’s why I’m using some of my week off to catch up on everything I’ve had to push to the side this semester. Miss a day of class? Time to borrow a classmate’s notes from that day! Left some things out of my class outlines? Better get them updated! Making sure I’m up-to-date in my classwork is a realistic goal that will keep me productive without making me feel overwhelmed with work.

Visit my loved ones

Speaking of getting caught up, spring break will be a great opportunity for me to spend some time with my family and friends. As fascinating as the legal field is, I’m excited to hear about things that aren’t law-related! But, will someone please remind me not to bore my friends from undergrad (again) by telling them about the Fourth Amendment?

Relaaaax

I’ve only got a couple of spring breaks left before I become a Real Working Adult, so I definitely want to enjoy them as much as I can. This is where Netflix comes in. I’m happiest when I’ve got coffee in one hand and the TV remote in the other. Since I’m getting caught up in school and with loved ones, I might as well get caught up on some TV!

With all of the stress and hard work from the first half of the semester, I think everyone deserves an actual break. That’s why I’ve made plans to have some fun this week. It may not be a full week of productivity, nor will it be a full week of nonstop fun, but I know it’s going to be just enough to get me rejuvenated for the rest of my 2L year!

— Emily Leiker is a 2L from Hays and a KU Law Student Ambassador.