Thinkers & Doers: March 21, 2015

Media Roundup

Chancellor & Dean Frank Wu blogs for The Huffington Post. Check out his latest posts:

• What I Learned from a College Tour: Visiting Johns Hopkins University.
• What Professors Do.
• What Law School Deans Do.
• Why Law Firms Fail.  This post was cited in the ABA Journal. Lawyers in Failed Law Firms Overestimated the Importance of Being Smart, Law Dean Says.

UC Hastings and UC Davis have just announced a combined four-year JD/MBA program that will launch in fall 2015. UC Hastings & UC Davis GSM Launch Concurrent JD/MBA Degree Option.

Professor Robin Feldman continued to make the rounds to discuss her study, “Does Patent Licensing Mean Innovation?,” and other IP-related current events and issues.

• She was interviewed about patent trolls for a “The Best of Investing” segment on Talk 910.
• She was interviewed for a podcast about the threat patent trolls pose to the biopharma industry. Why Patent Trolling Threatens Biopharma.
• The study was analyzed in an opinion piece in the Washington Post, which was reproduced or referenced by many outlets, including the New Haven Register, huffingtonpost.com, venturebeat.com, World Economic Forum Agenda and the American Enterprise Institute. Here’s Why Patents Are Innovation’s Worst Enemy.
• The study itself was the subject of an article on a medical device industry blog. You Think Patents = Innovation? Wrong.
• The study was also noted in an article on IP Troll Tracker. Professors at Stanford Do Not Have Coffee Together, Study Shows.
• She was quoted in an article about a recent court decision that resulted in HP losing four patents. Citing ‘Alice,’ Judge Crushes Four HP Patents.

Professor Hadar Aviram appeared on the news in San Francisco and was mentioned in a recent Israel Supreme Court opinion.

• She appeared on a KTVU news segment about the investigation of four San Francisco police officers who allegedly sent racist texts. Four SFPD Officers under Investigation for Allegedly Sending Racist Texts.
• Her 2009 article, “Almost Duress’: Using Criminal Defenses at the Sentencing Stage,” which was published in the Israel Law Review: Special Edition–The David Wiener Book of Criminal Law and Ethics, was cited in a recent Israel Supreme Court decision.

Professor George Bisharat has appeared in the media a few times over the past couple of weeks.

• He was profiled in California Lawyer about his extra-legal life as a blues musician whose stage name is Big Harp George.  His most recent CD, “Chromaticism,” is one of the 2014 nominees for “best new artist album” by the Blues Foundation. Legal Pastimes: Blues at the Bar.
• He was quoted in a longform article by Rima Najjar, an English professor at Al-Quds University in the West Bank. Life in Abu Dis Continues Quietly.

Professor Emeritus Geoffrey Hazard was quoted in an article about a retired Pennsylvania state supreme court judge who may have breached ethical rules by directing referrals to a number of law firms that then paid referral fees to his attorney wife. New Documents: McCaffery Had Role in Referral Fees.

Professor Joan Williams has provided commentary to various outlets about Ellen Pao’s gender discrimination lawsuit against Kleiner Perkins.

• She penned an article for Harvard Business Review about the sexism described in the lawsuit. The Throwback Sexism of Kleiner Perkins.
• She was quoted in an opinion piece in the NY Times about the venture capital industry’s horrible track record hiring and promoting women. Venture Capital’s Boys’ Club on Trial.
• She discussed the gender bias described in testimony during the lawsuit. Sex Discrimination Trial Puts Silicon Valley Under the Microscope.
• On another note, she was interviewed on KPFA radio about the “Double Jeopardy” study and strategies for interrupting workplace bias. Women’s Magazine for March 16, 2015.
• Professor Williams will deliver a lecture on “What Works for Women at Work: How to Spot Subtle Bias, and How to Eliminate It” at Montana State University in April. Talk About Women’s Advancement in the Workplace to Be Given April 23 at MSU.

The Center for WorkLife Law has also been in the news.

• In addition to Professor Williams’ radio interview mentioned above, the “Double Jeopardy” study continues to receive media attention. Authors of an opinion piece on businessinsider.com wrote, “If you only read one study on this, make it ‘Double Jeopardy.’” Dear Marissa: What You Said About Gender in Tech is Dangerous.
• Another Center study was cited in an El Pais article about men who would also like to have a better work-life balance. Los varones también quieren "conciliar."

Professor Dorit Rubenstein Reiss continues to speak out on the controversy surrounding the anti-vaccination movement.

• She authored an article on dailykos.com about a four-year old Italian girl who died after suffering complications from measles. Her parents, both doctors, had not vaccinated her against the disease. Clara Pays the Price of Anti-Vaccine Misinformation.
• She was quoted in an article about the increase in the number of states proposing legislation to strengthen vaccine laws. Oregon One of Many States Seeking Tougher Vaccine Laws.

Timothy Yim, Program Manager for the Privacy & Technology Project at the Institute for Innovation Law, has been active:

• He organized “IAPP KnowledgeNet: Year in Review and A Look Forward to What 2015 Holds in Store for Privacy and Security,” which took place on March 20 at Perkins Coie. San Francisco Bay Area KnowledgeNet: March 20, 2015.
• He will speak on the “Internet of Things” panel at the Blockchain Global Innovation Conference at Stanford on March 23-24.  Stanford Blockchain Workshop.

Professor Rory Little was quoted in an article about a recent federal court decision that protects historical cell phone data under the 4^th Amendment.  Cell-Tower Data Now Harder for Feds to Get.

Professor Brian Gray was noted for having co-authored “Policy Priorities for Managing Drought,” a report on the lessons learned from California’s current drought and Australia’s Millennium Drought, published by the Public Policy Institute of California. PPIC: State Should Improve Water-Use Information, Promote Conservation, Strengthen Environmental Management.  

Adjunct Professor Sigrid Irias ’86 wrote a column that provides tips on how to conduct successful discovery. How to Survive Written Discovery.

Adjunct Professor Mark D’Argenio ‘05 wrote a column that provides advice on how to take a deposition. Five Tips for Mastering the Seven-Hour Deposition.

Three alumni were profiled in The Silicon Valley Business Journal after receiving honors at the 2015 Top Corporate Counsel Awards.

• Alex Grab ’99, General Counsel & Vice President of Strategic Relations and Corporate Secretary at Electronics For Imaging Inc., was a finalist in the “Public Company Under $1 Billion” category. Electronics for Imaging’s Alex Grab Explains Why ‘Paint the house’ Was the Best Advice He’s Ever Received.
• Juana Schurman ’85, Vice President of Legal at Oracle, won in the “Employment & Labor” category. Juana Schurman of Oracle on Avoiding Unnecessary Litigation with a Pragmatic Approach.
• Mark Zemelman ‘82, Senior Vice President & General Counsel at Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., was a finalist in the “Diversity Champion” category. Mark Zemelman Strives to Make Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Diverse, Like Its Customers.

Rachelle Chong ’84 was quoted in an article about her great-uncle, who was posthumously granted the right to practice law in California 125 years after he was denied a license because of his race. 125 Years Late, Chinese Lawyer Earns Right to Practice Law in California.

James Cole ’79 has joined Sidley Austin’s government litigation and investigations practice in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office. Sidley Austin Snags Former Deputy Attorney General Jim Cole.

George Roberts ’69, one of the co-founders of the private equity firm KKR, has been nominated for the San Francisco Chronicle’s inaugural Visionary of the Year award, which will be presented on March 31, 2015. Visionary of the Year Nominee: KKR’s George Roberts.

David Aronoff ’86 has joined Fox Rothschild as a partner in the firm’s Los Angeles office. Fox’s LA Office Welcomes Two Esteemed Media and Entertainment Pros.

John Donald Jelletich ‘52, a retired Kern County Superior Court judge, died on March 3. Former Judge Remembered as 'Historic Figure,' Respectful, and Close to Family.

Daniel Vermillion ’09 has joined Farella Braun + Martel LLP as a senior associate in its family wealth group. People: Week of March 9, 2015.

Ollie Benn ’06 has been named the new executive director of San Francisco Hillel and will be responsible for overseeing the chapters at several local campuses, including UC Hastings. San Francisco Hillel Announces New Executive Director.

Ellen Mouchawar ‘91 [JF3] is a candidate for an interim seat on the Sequoia school board. Six Candidates Seeking a Seat on High School District Board.

Jonathan Fortman ’13, an alumnus of the inaugural Masters of Studies in Law for Health & Science Professionals program, has published an article in The American Journal of Emergency Medicine. The Inadequacies of Community Consultation in Emergency Medicine Research: A Proposal for Revising the Rule.

Christopher Parkhurst ’98 became a member of the American Association of Premier DUI Attorneys. Christopher Parkhurst, Premier DUI Attorney, New Member of the American Association of Premier DUI Attorneys.

Incoming student Mark Louis Javitch was featured in an engagement announcement.

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Academic Freedom at UC Hastings

The Faculty Executive Committee adopted this policy in 2011 after consultation with individual faculty members.

UC Hastings is committed to the principle that the pursuit of knowledge and the free expression of ideas is at the heart of the academic mission, whether in the classroom, in the selection of clinical projects and clients, and in research, scholarship, public presentations, and contributions to public fora. This is especially true when the ideas or subjects are unpopular or controversial in society, as orthodox ideas need no protection. No person or organization outside the academic community should be permitted to determine which ideas or projects may be explored, expressed, supported or endorsed. Read the full policy here.

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