Diane C. Eikenberry and her client.
I’ve written before about some of the very meaningful work our students do in our Immigration Clinic. Here’s another success story:
Student Diane C. Eikenberry recently represented a client from Burundi. Diane learned that after leaving a meeting of his political party, her client and his friends were shot at with a Kalashnikov rifle by a high-ranking officer in the national police. One of the client’s friends was killed. For a year, the officer carried out a continuous and ceaseless campaign of intimidation and threats against the client and his family. The client left Burundi in May of 2011, and came to the United States. Diane represented the client at an asylum hearing on March 26, and on April 9 the client was granted asylum.
Congratulations to Diane and the Immigration Clinic!
Prof. Steve Saltzburg
Earlier I wrote about Professor Steve Saltzburg’s appointment to serve as Special Master to mediate multiple lawsuits against German drug maker Bayer involving its contraceptive products Yaz and Yasmin. Bloomberg reports today that Bayer will pay $110 Million to settle those cases and notes that the settlement came about as a result of Steve’s efforts as mediator. According to Bloomberg, the case was the first set for trial of more than 11,000 lawsuits over injuries allegedly caused by the drugs.
Congratulations to Steve. This is yet another example of the significant work that members of our faculty do outside of the classroom, which in turn enriches their scholarship and teaching.
3L Alisa Brem has been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study urban sustainability in Tuscany. Alisa has a bachelor’s degree in architecture and American urban history from Columbia University and a master’s degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science’s Cities Programme, which studies how people and cities interact in a rapidly urbanizing world. Her paper, “The Lorax Tax: State and Local Green Building Tax Incentives are Good Tax Policy” was published in June 2011 in State Tax Notes magazine. Alisa clerked for two semesters at the U.S. Green Building Council, where she worked on projects including green building legislation and local governments’ ability to use LEED–Neighborhood Development. In fall 2011 she was a clerk in land use and real estate at Goulston and Storrs, and she currently is a development associate with Insight Property Group LLC.
Alisa epitomizes the many extraordinary students that we are fortunate to teach at GW Law. I would like to congratulate Alisa on behalf of the Law School community.
Frank M. Strickler, shown here in 1974.
Frank H. Strickler, JD ’47, who defended two of President Richard M. Nixon’s top aides, H.R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman, during the Watergate trials of the 1970s, died March 29 at age 92. After earning a bachelor’s degree in political science from GW, Strickler worked as an examiner for the FBI while attending the Law School. His subsequent career included a variety of positions in both public service and private practice. You can read more about Mr. Strickler’s life and work in the New York Times and Washington Post.
Drew Cohen
I wanted to share this opinion piece by 3L Drew Cohen that was published on April 4 in USA Today. You can read it at:
Merle Smith
Merle Smith, JD ’74, the first African-American graduate of the Coast Guard Academy, was honored by that institution with a pioneer award on Sunday, April 1. Smith, who after graduating from the Academy 1966 commanded a patrol boat in Vietnam, was also the first sea-service African-American to be awarded a Bronze Star.
You can read more about Merle Smith and efforts to diversify the Coast Guard Academy’s student body here.
