The LACBA Student Lounge Blog

Chemerinsky and Rasmussen on the Future of Legal Education and ADR: USC Gould and UCI Law Schools

If you're wondering what's around the bend for legal eduction and ADR, why not get the skinny from the trail blazing Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the law school in Irvine that's so new they're still playing with the bubble wrap, or from Robert Rasmussen, dean of USC Gould, one of the oldest law schools in the state?

On Tuesday, November 17, 2009, The Los Angeles County Bar Association's Dispute Resolution Services, in association with The Rutter Group, will host the 4th Annual Robert I. Weil Lecture. Here, Chemerinsky and Rasmussen will discuss The Future of Legal Education and the Role of ADR.

The event will take place at Paul, Hastings, Janofsky and Walker, LLP, located at 515 South Flower Street, 25th Floor, Los Angeles, California.

Reception: 5:30 PM

Program: 6:30 PM

Student pricing: $25

Weil Lecture proceeds benefit the LACBA DRS Youth Peer Mediation & Conflict Resolution Programs.

For more information and to register, Click Here.

Judge Robert I. Weil: A legend of the California judiciary, Robert I. Weil served as a judge of the Los Angeles Superior Court from 1975 to 1990, when he retired to become a private judge and began a new career in the field of alternative dispute resolution. A past president of the California Judges Association, he co-authored and nurtured the widely used Weil & Brown's California Practice Guide: Civil Procedure Before Trial published by The Rutter Group. He was a man of varied interests, and began his career as a journalist after graduating from Columbia University's School of Journalism in 1944. He later attended law school at USC. Whether on the bench or in the private sector, Judge Weil was a consummate educator of all who came in contact with him. The DRS Robert I. Weil Lecture honors his memory by continuing his tradition of sharing knowledge and offering a forum for dialogue on important topics related to alternative dispute resolution.

Southwestern Law School Faculty Update

Byron G. Stier
Byron Stier has been granted tenure and promoted to Professor of Law at Southwestern Law School. Professor Steir joined Southwestern in 2005 as an Associate Professor of Law. He became the first to teach one of Southwestern's innovative Capstone courses in Mass Tort Litigation and has also taught courses in the Legal Profession, Torts and Products Liability.

An expert in mass tort litigation, Professor Stier has handled a number of controversial cases of national interest and brings a unique insider's perspective to the law classroom.

Debra Lyn Bassett
Debra Bassett will join Southwestern Law School as a tenured Professor of Law and will teach Civil Procedure, Federal Courts and Complex Litigation.

Debra Bassett comes from the University of Alabama School of Law, where she has been Professor of Law and the Judge Frank M. Johnson Jr. Scholar, teaching in the areas of civil procedure, complex civil litigation, federal courts and professional responsibility.

Caleb Mason
Caleb Mason has been appointed as Associate Professor of Law and will teach Constitutional Criminal Procedure and Evidence.

Caleb Mason served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of California, where he investigated and prosecuted a wide variety of federal crimes, including drug smuggling, gun trafficking, counterfeiting and environmental crimes.

Robert G. Popovich
Robert G. Popovich is a Visiting Professor of Law, from Pepperdine University School of Law, and will teach Community Property and Contracts.

Bridgette M. de Gyarfas
Bridgette M. de Gyarfas is a Visiting Professor of Law, from Concord University School of Law, and will teach Legal Analysis, Writing Skills (LAWS), Defense in the Law and Selected Topics in American Law.