the current summer 2010
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The magazine of the Appalachian School of Law.TRANSCRIPT
the magazine of the Appalachian School of Law
Summer 2010
A MONTANA
the current
Also inside:
A professor’s plea:If I ‘suck,’ tell me why
Meet the Class of 2010 uu
Mock trial, moot court teams shine on national stage
Grad balances roles as lawyer, beekeeperin Big Sky Country
Adventure
This was a harsh winter for Southwest
Virginia—one of the hardest in more
than a decade, I am told. So, when the
first crocuses rose above ground, the tulips
began to bloom, and the wild dogwoods and
rhododendrons blossomed up the hollows
and on the hillsides, we all enjoyed a sense of
renewal.
ASL is also enjoying signs of renewal and
new growth. They represent the blossoming
of a mature institution of law.
You hold in your hands one sign of new
growth—the redesigned and expanded Cur-
rent. For the first many years, the Current was
addressed to an audience that needed assur-
ance that ASL could survive in far Southwest
Virginia. It appeared in newspaper supple-
ment format, recycling Mountaineer articles
about the school, informing local
donors and politicians about the sta-
tus and achievements of the develop-
ing institution. The emphasis was an
external audience
almost exclusively.
Three years ago, with the alumni
base growing above 500, the focus
of the Current expanded to include
the internal ASL family, alumni and
current students. The format
changed over the three years to a
newsletter design. Now, with this issue, the
focus and format begins to reflect an alumni
base that nears more than 900.
The expanded and redesigned Current now
has the content and context of a traditional
law school alumni news magazine, under the
editorship of Saundra Latham, an experi-
enced journalist. The earlier transition from
an externally produced newspaper supple-
ment to the newsletter format was undertaken
by Denise McGeorge. ASL owes both of
these talented women our gratitude for this
very visible (and visual) affirmation of our
growth.
More evidence of new growth can be seen
in the transitional redesign of ASL’s website
implemented in the middle of the current
academic year. The prior site was a relatively
static repository of information about the
school, and it served its purpose for several
years. However, the design was outdated, the
information stale, and the management and
maintenance difficult. The new interim design
represents a drive toward complete modern-
ization of the site, making it an effective mar-
keting and informational asset of ASL.
In late summer, hopefully before the end
of August, we will launch the final product.
The preliminary designs promise a crisp,
clean, and efficient look. The site should be
intuitively functional with content captur-
ing the unique mission and institutional
culture of the Appalachian School of
Law. Look for the site to “go public”
near the beginning of the 2010-11 aca-
demic year.
By the time you’re reading this, hot
summer days will already be here. But the
spirit of springtime renewal remains fresh
at ASL.
— Dean Wes Shinn
the currentis published twice a year by
the Appalachian School of Law. Send
comments, questions, and alumni
updates to [email protected].
Editor, designer: Saundra Latham
Photos: Jason McGlothlin, Saundra Latham, student and alumni submissions
Contributors: Judie Barger, Stewart Harris, Derrick Howard, Saundra Latham,
Tom Scott, Wes Shinn, Paula Young, ASL alumni
Cover: A dramatic Montana sunset near the home of Courtney Stone
Fullerton ‘07; Kelly Jenkins ‘10 after receiving her degree
dean’s message
2
tt photo op
around campus
ASL’s Lawyer as Problem Solver certificate program is featured in J. Kim Wright’s new
book, Lawyers as Peacemakers: Practicing Holistic, Problem-Solving Law. The work was pub-
lished in April by the ABA and is available at www.abanet.org/abastore. “The (ASL)
curriculum offers students a unique opportunity to become leaders in the field” of
Advanced Dispute Resolution, the book notes. “Only nine law schools, including ASL,
require all their students to take an ADR survey class ... Research shows that ASL
students who take only the required survey course likely have more training in ADR
than most practicing lawyers.” Additionally, the Winter 2010 issue of the ABA’s Dispute
Resolution magazine featured the work of two ASL students in a cartoon feature called
“The Lighter Side.” Jason Nicholas ’11 and David Barnette ’11 wrote the captions
in Professor Paula Young’s Dispute Resolution survey course. Over the past several
years, the ABA has published more than 20 captions created by ASL students.
click it, learn it, get credit
connect with SLATEThe Academic Success Program and the Writing
Center have become the SLATE Center, which
stands for Student Learning and Testing Enrich-
ment. Become a fan of SLATE on Facebook or
follow it on Twitter to receive testing tips and news from Tommy
Sangchompuphen, assistant dean for student learning and outcomes.
problem-solvers in the spotlight
ASL is offering its first distance-learning course this summer. Professor Derrick Howard
is leading the seven-week Evidence class, which will include downloadable lectures,
discussion boards, and live chats. It covers as much ground as a traditional 14-week class
on campus, but with a few advantages: Students can maintain a flexible schedule while
completing coursework, lighten their course loads in future semesters, and travel to
summer destinations while still earning credit toward graduation.
Summer 2010 n 3
Taking a pie in the face for charity are
Adam Chess ’12 and Professor Stewart
Harris. Other victims included Professor
Doug McKechnie and Student Bar
Association President Meghan Scott ’11.
Potential pie-throwers bought chances at
each toss for $1. Proceeds went to the Back-
pack Blessings program, which helps feed
Buchanan County children.
For the first time in school history, ASL’s mock-trial team advanced to the semifinals in the
American Association of Justice Mock Trial Regional Competition, placing third among 16 teams.
The competition was held Feb. 26-28 in Pittsburgh.
ASL team members were Mike Gembitsky ’10, Katie Hall ’10, Chet Palumbo ’10, and Katie Murray
’11. The team alternate was James Downey ’11. Professor Tom Scott coached the team.
ASL bested Widener and the University of Pennsylvania, losing only to Villanova in the preliminary
rounds. ASL was defeated by Duquesne, the eventual winner, in the semifinals. Other participating teams
included the University of North Carolina, Penn State, Richmond
and West Virginia.
Students tried a medical malpractice case. Gembitsky and
Murray represented the plaintiff; Hall and Palumbo represented the
defendant.
“Our team members tried their cases flawlessly even in the
matches they lost,” Scott said. “I am always amazed ... by the
talented and gifted students we have at ASL, and the profession-
alism they display.”
On March 27, ASL’s moot-court team, coached by Professor
Judie Barger, traveled to Buffalo, N.Y., to compete in the Wech-
sler National Criminal Law Moot Court Competition. Brian
Scheid ’11 was awarded the title of Best Advocate, ranking first
out of 52 competitors. ASL was the only school to advance
two teams to the quarterfinals and one to the semifinals. R.
Tim Boone ’10 and Chris Gray ’10 advanced to the semifinal
round, and Brian Scheid and Trey Martin ’11 advanced to the
quarterfinal round.
This is the seventh consecutive year that ASL has won an
award at Weschler. It is the third time in the last five years that ASL won
the top advocate award and advanced a team to the semifinals.
This year’s problem was based on Carr v. United States, a case addressing the federal SORNA provisions
making the failure to register as a sex offender a crime. The students argued a statutory interpretation issue
regarding the federal statute and also a constitutional ex post facto issue. Both of the issues were argued
before the U.S. Supreme Court in February in the actual case.
— Tom Scott and Judie Barger
Above: Mock
trial’s Chet
Palumbo, Mike
Gembitsky, Katie
Murray, Katie Hall
and James
Downey.
Mock trial, moot court teamsturn in strong performances
Below: Moot-court
team members
Brian Scheid, Trey
Martin, Chris Gray
and R. Tim Boone.
4 n the Current
The United Nations has fallen
short in its effort to address climate
change, Dr. Lenny Bernstein told
ASL students during a January visit.
“The threat is real, and a global
approach is needed,” he said. “But
we may simply need to
start over. Failure could
be constructive.”
Lax enforcement,
unrealistic emissions
targets, and inability to
police global-warming
gasses are among the
factors to blame, he said.
Professor Buzz
Belleville, who introduced Bern-
stein, noted that the climate-change
issue has huge legal ramifications.
Dozens of clean-air acts are pend-
ing, and tort claims to hold green-
house-gas emitters responsible are
multiplying, too, he said.
Bernstein is a chemical engineer
with 40 years of experience, mostly
in the oil industry. He now consults
on climate-change issues. He was a
lead author of the Intergovernmen-
tal Panel on Climate Change’s
Third Assessment Report in 2001,
and a convening lead author and a
member of the core writing team for
the Fourth Assessment Report in
2007. The IPCC shared the 2007
Nobel Peace Prize with former Vice
President Al Gore.
Though he began ex-
amining climate change as
a skeptic, he said, the
science was undeniable.
“As a chemical engineer,
I think a lot about heat
transfer. As soon as I
looked at the problem
from that standpoint,
I thought, ‘This is serious.’ ”
Technology does offer some
hope, Bernstein noted. For instance,
chemical scrubbers are an important
clean-coal method, he said. Others
that hold promise include injecting
carbon dioxide into the ground and
growing algae by power plant stacks
to catch the gas.
“We’re going to use coal. It’s too
abundant and cheap not to use,” he
said. “The question is, ‘How are we
going to use it and keep carbon
dioxide out of the atmosphere?’ ”
A major part of the U.N. prob-
lem has been how the world body
classifies countries, “a relic from the
Cold War,” Bernstein said. For
instance, China is the world’s
largest emitter, but it is ex-
empt from emissions con-
trols because it’s classified as
“developing.”
The stakes are rising as
nations realize how expen-
sive it is to control emis-
sions, he said. Also, the
number of groups trying to
influence climate-change policy
has exploded, complicating the
debate. n
Nobel winner describes climate-change struggle
Shabaka WaQlimi spent 13 years on
death row for a crime he didn’t commit, a
brutal experience that he detailed for ASL
students during a campus visit.
“I don’t know what you’ve heard or read
about (death row), but it’s a place I wish on
no one,” he said.
WaQlimi “came within hours of being ex-
ecuted before the courts stepped in,” noted
Professor Judie Barger. He was forced to
listen to the state of Florida test the electric
chair and was measured for his burial suit.
“This is a unique chance to hear from
another point of view,” she said.
In July 1973, WaQlimi, then Joseph Green
Brown, was charged with the rape and mur-
der of a Tampa woman. Eyewitness testi-
mony and a gun prosecutors said was the
murder weapon aided his conviction. Both
pieces of evidence were later discredited.
His charges were only dismissed after an
appeals court found that the prosecution
had purposefully allowed false testimony at
trial. When the state didn’t retry the case,
he was released in 1987.
“I stand before you not because of a
legal technicality, not because I had a smart
lawyer, but because I did not commit the
crime,” he said.
WaQlimi “lives life now giving back,” he
said. He has not received any sort of apol-
ogy from the state of Florida.
“If we’re going to have a system based
on retribution, not rehabilitation, where is
my retribution?” he asked. “I get no volun-
teers ... only the chance to go on and do the
best that I can.”
A new perspective on the death penalty
around campus
Bernstein
Summer 2010 n 5
3
21
around campus
4
6
Students pull out all the stops in their win against
the Appalachian College of Phar macy in the second
annual “Clash in the Coalfields” (1) ... Professor
Paula Young congratulates David Boudreau ‘10
on winning the book award for her Spring ’09
section of Dispute Resolution (2) ... Professor
Tommy Sangchompuphen shows off his moves
at the Valentine’s Fete, which benefited the Class
of 2010 graduation (3) ... Volunteers help the ASL
Energy and Mineral Law Society plant saplings on
a mine-reclaim site near Poplar Gap park (4).
5
6
7 8 7
Runners including Alexis Thore ‘12 take to the
streets during the 8th annual ASL Memorial 5K (5) ...
Ashton Martin ‘11, left, and Career Services Director
Denise McGeorge, right, greet speaker Mindy
Barfield, partner at Dinsmore & Shohl in Lexington,
Ky. (6) ... Kelly Johnson ‘11, Clark Shifflett ‘12 and
Peyton Hash ‘10 perform with Grun-DMC during
Apollo Night, sponsored by the Black Law Student
Association (7) ... Brittany Young ‘12 celebrates her
win in the Blackjack Tournament at Casino Night,
sponsored by Appalachian Women in Law (8).
While I don’t try to influence my
written student evaluations—
other than by teaching well—
I have occasionally told my classes that crypti-
cally negative comments, such as “You suck,”
while perhaps true, are not particularly help-
ful. I have then clarified that it’s perfectly all
right for them to write that I suck, but that if
they want me to stop sucking, they had better
tell me, with some degree of specificity, just
how I suck.
This is the starting point of my primary
method of pedagogical self-improvement. I begin with the sobering
recognition that, sometimes, my performance is less than perfect. I
further recognize that my colleagues will not be available, most days,
to sit through my classes and gently guide me along the path to en-
lightenment. That leaves my students. They are the only other people
in my classroom, day in and day out. Accordingly, I must look to
them to tell me when, and how, I have gone off the rails.
But this is only the starting point. Once my students have penned
their love epistles, I must decide how best to use them. I describe my
methodology below, for whatever its value to others.
(1) Set aside adequate time for review. The time needed will de-
pend, of course, on the number of evaluation forms, but, whatever
the total number, I try to set
aside enough time to examine
each evaluation carefully, looking
for important trends and tidbits.
A quick flip through won’t do it.
(2) Remember the
3 percent rule. I teach mostly
large classes of approximately
100 students, so percentages are
easy to calculate. Over the past
decade, I’ve noticed a trend: no
matter what I’m teaching, no
matter how I do it, between 1 and 3 percent of my
students hate me. I’m not talking constructive criticism here, but
abject hatred—of my personality, the pitch of my voice, even my
choice of neckties. It took me a year or two to figure out that such
visceral antipathy had nothing to do with my teaching. It is rather, I
believe, a reflection of whatever personal demons the students in
question happen to be fighting on the day they are asked to fill out
their evaluation forms. I give such evaluations the credence they
deserve: I disregard them.
(3) Separate the evaluation forms into three physical piles. One
pile is the aforementioned “haters” pile. The second, comprising
(blessedly) most of the remaining 97 percent, is the “generally posi-
tive” pile.
The third is the most troubling: the “legitimate criticism”
pile. You know what I mean. Legitimate criticisms are the ones that
keep cropping up, over and over. The complaints that give me pause.
The specific comments that make me ask myself, “Did I really keep
the class over the allotted time that often?” or “Did I really waste too
much time at the beginning of the semester and make up for it by
rushing during the final weeks?” Ouch.
(4) Evaluate the legitimate criticisms and develop strategies to
address them. Sometimes this is straightforward. Other times, it’s not
so easy. When my stu-
dents once complained—
legitimately—that I
assigned too much “back-
ground” and “historical”
reading in Constitutional
Law, I had to redesign my
syllabus to assign only
what was truly relevant to
a general, introductory
course.
(5) Do it all over again the following semester. One good thing
about frequent evaluations is that I can assess, pretty quickly, whether
I’ve actually corrected legitimate problems or whether new strategies
are in order. I can also nip any new problems in the bud.
I am pleased to report that, over the years, my pile of “legitimate
criticisms” has gradually shrunk. I’ve yet to achieve classroom
nirvana, but I have a process in place that keeps me moving, at least
incrementally, in that direction. Perhaps, on some fine spring morn-
ing decades hence, I’ll face only two piles of student evaluations on
my desk: “generally positive” and “haters.” Then I’ll revel in the
former, disregard the latter, and take the summer off. n
A professor’s plea forconstructive criticism
“If (students) want me tostop sucking, they hadbetter tell me, with somedegree of specificity, justhow I suck.”
faculty spotlight
— Professor Stewart Harris
This excerpt is from
Professor Stewart
Harris’ “Sometimes, We
Really Do Suck,” which
appeared in the Fall
2009 issue of The Law
Teacher, published by
Gonzaga University.
8 n the Current
Professor Buzz Belleville will speak at the Energy and Mineral
Law Foundation’s climate-change law course in August in
Morgantown, W.Va. He also gave a webinar in May to the
Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s Board of Trustees on obsta-
cles facing wind energy in the Appalachian Mountains.
Professor Stewart Harris presented “Terrorism, Weapons of
Mass Destruction and the First Amendment” at the Annual
Bench/Bar Conference of Virginia's 30th Judicial Circuit in
March. He spoke in February to the Kingsport Bar Association
on “Guns & Bombs: Two Current Issues in Constitutional Law.”
Professor Doug McKechnie will speak at the South Eastern
Association of Law Schools' Annual Meeting in July. His topic
will be “Fourth Amendment Excessive Force Claims, Non-
Lethal Weapons and the De Minimis Injury Exception: Where
Do We Go from Here?”
The fourth edition of Professor Steve Parsons’ Interviewing &
Investigating: Essential Skills for the Legal Professional was
released in April.
Professor Dale Rubin served on a panel for a CLE teleconfer-
ence offered by the ABA in February entitled “Analysis of the
Citizens United Case: A Victory for Free Speech or a Threat to
Democracy and Self Government?”
Professor Paula Young provided mediator ethics training as
part of a panel at the ABA’s Section on Dispute Resolution in
April in San Francisco. She also served as a final-round judge
at the conference’s national Representation in Mediation
Competition.
Professor Patrick Baker knows the halls of ASL a lot
better than one year of teaching here might indicate.
That’s because Baker was a student here a little more
than three short years ago. Now, after a year of teaching
Legal Process as a visiting professor, the Class of 2007
alumnus has become the newest member of ASL’s full-
time, tenure-track faculty.
Baker is no stranger to the classroom. Before heading
to law school at ASL, he taught college-prep history, U.S.
government, economics, and leadership studies for six
years. Though he never originally planned to return to
education, “the opportunity to return to my alma mater
and use my law degree and teaching experience was a
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” he said. “I am rewarded
by teaching and motivating others to do their best.”
At ASL, he distinguished himself in several ways. The
cum laude graduate received a full merit scholarship and
two Energy & Mineral Law Foundation scholarships. He
was articles editor of the ASL Natural Resources & Law
Journal and served as Student Bar Association president.
After ASL, Baker joined one of Virginia’s oldest law
firms: Penn, Stuart & Eskridge in Abingdon, Va. He
practiced in the litigation group focusing on Workers’
Compensation, Employment, Regulatory, and Mineral
and Energy Law.
“I understand firsthand the challenges and advantages
of being an ASL student,” he said, noting that close con-
tact with professors is a major plus. “... There are not
many institutions that can offer this type of one-on-one
intangible. Every professor that I had was always very
gracious with their time and willing to help.” n
Class of ’07 alumnus returns to ASL as faculty
Belleville Harris McKechnie
Parsons Rubin Young
Summer 2010 n 9
The Appalachian School of Law welcomed 108 new
graduates at its 11th commencement ceremony, held
May 1 in Grundy. The Class of 2010 joins an alumni
network that now has more than 900 members.
George Allen, former Virginia governor and U.S. senator,
gave the commencement address. He is a member of the ASL
Board of Trustees.
ASL “provides people with
access and opportunity,” Allen
said. “You are all an example of
how this effort has exceeded
everyone’s expectations.”
The Honorable Birg
Sergent, a fellow trustee and
retired judge from the 30th
Judicial Circuit of Virginia,
introduced Allen. He noted that
the former governor was one
of the driving forces behind
ASL from the beginning.
“Had it not been for (Allen), you probably wouldn’t be here
today. Without his support, it would have been tough to bring a
law school” to Grundy.
Allen noted that ASL’s strength lies in the character of those
it counts as students and alumni, and he congratulated the Class
of 2010 for its nearly 25,000 hours of community service. He
also spoke of several individual students.
Carla Faletti ’10, he noted, is originally from Oregon, but
will be making her home in Southwest Virginia because she
wants to carry out ASL’s mission in her new career.
Annie Anjum ’10 is from Pakistan, Allen said, and she was
the first person in her family to go away for school. She has
worked to help immigrants deal with legal issues.
David Boudreau ’10 came to ASL after a long career as a
medical technician in New York and Arizona. The accomplished
musician continued playing in ASL’s beloved Grun-DMC, Allen
noted.
Adam Crawshaw ’10 graduated from the Western College of
Auctioneering—a skill that
will help the Texan negoti-
ate contracts, Allen joked,
although he may need to
speak more slowly to juries.
“The best kind of
lawyers come from the best
kind of people,” Allen said.
“That’s the essence of the
Appalachian School of
Law.”
Dean Wes
Shinn encouraged
the Class of 2010
to thank friends and family members for their support during
their law-school years. Graduates gave them a standing ovation.
Blair Wood ’10, who gave the student address, was presented
with the Sutin-Blackwell Award for Excellence by J. Todd Ross
’02.
Ross delivered the challenge to the graduates. He urged
members of the Class of 2010 to take pride in their institution.
“Be strong, and be proud that you are a graduate of the
Appalachian School of Law.”
Ultimately, Shinn said, graduation is only as much of an end
as it is a beginning. Even though they’re done with school, grad-
uates now become “students of the law for life.” n
The Class of 2010
“The best kind of lawyers comefrom the best kindof people. That’sthe essence of the AppalachianSchool of Law.”
— former Virginia Gov. George Allen
Associate Dean Sandra McGlothlin presents Katie Hall
‘10 with her hood (1) ... Former Gov. George Allen, Com-
munity Service Director Jina Sauls and Dean Wes Shinn
relax at the Farewell Celebration (2) ... the Appalachian
Highlander Pipes and Drums begin the processional (3) ...
Amanda Horton ‘11 and David Horton ‘10 celebrate
with family (4) ... J. Todd Ross ‘02 presents Blair Wood
‘10 with the Sutin-Blackwell Award for Excellence (5) ...
the band gets the crowd on its feet at the Farewell (6) ...
Shakeba Johnson ‘10 smiles during the ceremony (7).
Jacob Eberhart ’10
and Kelli McSurley ’10
10 n the Current
Associate Dean Sandra McGlothlin presents Katie Hall
‘10 with her hood (1) ... Former Gov. George Allen, Com-
munity Service Director Jina Sauls and Dean Wes Shinn
relax at the Farewell Celebration (2) ... the Appalachian
Highlander Pipes and Drums begin the processional (3) ...
Amanda Horton ‘11 and David Horton ‘10 celebrate
with family (4) ... J. Todd Ross ‘02 presents Blair Wood
‘10 with the Sutin-Blackwell Award for Excellence (5) ...
the band gets the crowd on its feet at the Farewell (6) ...
Shakeba Johnson ‘10 smiles during the ceremony (7).
1
2
3
4 5
7
6
Summer 2010 n 11
Beekeeping and law? They sound
as compatible as, well, beekeep-
ing and law.
On the surface, there aren’t a lot of
similarities, says Courtney Stone
Fullerton ’07, a beekeeper and
lawyer in Babb, Montana.
Unlike her clients, “Bees don’t call you at 3 a.m.
and sob, ‘My husband is a cheating bastard!’ she
said. “On the flip side of that, bees’ eyes don’t
shine with gratitude when you’ve truly helped
them out. And sometimes they sting you, despite
your best efforts to help them.”
Fullerton’s husband, Greg, is a second-genera-
tion beekeeper and a native of Glacier County,
Montana. The two have started their own com-
pany, Glacier County Honey. Building a nascent
beekeeping business and fledgling law career at
the same time hasn’t been easy, though.
“I’m not really sure how I balance it,” the
Southwest Virginia native said. “I feel like I work
about 18 hours per day, 8 days a week.”
Honesty with her clients helps, she said. “I explain to each of
them that I am not a full-time lawyer, that I am actively engaged in
the practice of beekeeping, and if they need an attorney who is
available 24/7, not to hire me. I also tell them that as a part-time
practitioner, I have the luxury of taking the cases that most appeal
to me, and that I can, and will, give their case my all. It just might
not be from 9-5, Monday through Friday.”
Given Fullerton’s family history, the career combination
doesn’t seem so far-fetched. Her father is a circuit court
judge, her uncle is a bankruptcy judge, and her paternal
grandfather is an attorney and Virginia state senator.
Another uncle farms 2,000 acres in Georgia, a
tradition started by her maternal grandfather.
At first, Fullerton wanted little to do with either
trade. She hated weeding the garden, so farming
was out. And “I didn’t want to be a lawyer because,
as a self-centered teenager, the only thing I knew to
be true about a law degree was that it ruined your
life. As the judge, you couldn’t go out to eat because
one of your probationers might poison your wife’s
food, and you couldn’t take a lunch break anyway
because if you did, you would never be able to try
all 472 jury trials set for a 365-day year.”
Instead, Fullerton wanted to be a writer, and
graduated from the University of Georgia with an
English degree. Afterward, she set out for Montana
to get her creative juices flowing. She had fallen in
thebarand the
beesASL grad hangs shingle, begins honey business in remote Montana
by Saundra Latham
12 n the Current
love with it during her family’s yearly sum-
mer trips.
Writing never panned out, though. “I
was having entirely too much fun learning
to ski, flirting with cowboys, Indians, and
hippies, and hiking in Glacier to ever sit
down and write,” she said. Staying in Mon-
tana would demand another degree, she
decided. Her father encouraged her to go
to law school, and she enrolled at ASL.
Tragedy marred her first semester when
Howard Hillhouse Stone, her younger
brother, died in a fire at the University of
Mississippi. Fullerton’s family pushed her to
stay in class.
Routine and
ASL classmates
helped keep her
going. “Two girls,
who became some
of my best friends
in the world, invited
me to their houses
for dinner, Jeopardy,
and wine every
Wednesday night
without fail. We
danced, we sang, we
cried. Sometimes, they
would sit there and just
let me cry. ... Other times, they would say,
enough crying, let’s gossip.”
Fullerton began her legal career with
Wells & McKittrick PC in Missoula. She
stayed there for just under two years. But
after meeting Greg, she decided to head
further north to settle in Glacier County.
Those who think Grundy is remote
should take note: Fullerton drives 40 miles
to the grocery and 70 miles to her office.
Despite that, the friendliness of other
attorneys helps her get by, she said.
“When I hung out my shingle, it seemed
as though every attorney in a 150-mile
radius ... called me or stopped by to wel-
come me to the area. They sent me refer-
rals, proofread my pleadings, told me which
clerks to seek out, and which to avoid. ...
They have not treated me differently be-
cause I am younger and less experienced
than they are, and because I am trying to
run an unorthodox practice 70 miles from
the courthouse.”
A typical day depends on the season, she
said, although legal
work is fairly steady.
During late fall, winter, and early
spring, she takes on more cases while Greg
heads to California for bee-related business.
Once May rolls around, the couple stays
busy preparing bees for honey season,
which peaks with the honey harvest in July,
August and September. Mornings are usu-
ally filled with the law; in the afternoons,
she tackles Glacier County Honey.
And there is one big similarity between
beekeeping and law, she said: mentoring.
“You can’t pick up arguing motions for
summary judgment, or gauging the health
of your hives, at night class. A real, live
human being has got to teach you, even if
you are simply observing and they never
say a word to you nor you to them.”
So far, her education has served her
well, she said. “I think I got a great legal
education from ASL. I know how to effec-
tively research, how to pick out what’s im-
portant from a case, how to focus on what
the issue really is.
“ASL did not prepare me for the realities
of running my own law office ... But I’ve
yet to meet a graduate of any law school
who says they learned QuickBooks in
school. Some things you just have to learn
on your own. And I think a good legal edu-
cation gives you the confidence to learn just
about anything if you’re willing.”
Fullerton is looking forward to August,
when her brother Sanford will join her
practice. “I prefer having another mind to
bounce ideas off of, to proofread my mo-
tions, to appear in court for me when I am
laid out with the flu. I think having a part-
ner will increase my enjoyment” of law.
She also hopes to learn more about bee-
keeping—and spend more time with her
husband in the process.
“Whatever happens, it will be fine. I
actually feel a certain sense of security just
having a law degree—even if the day
comes when I decide not to do much
lawyering, the skills I’ve picked up as an at-
torney serve me well in every aspect of my
life,” she said. “Happiness in life comes not
from luck or love, but the willingness to
take what you’ve been given, to honor
what’s been taken from you, and to go on,
actively seeking a happy life. That can be
hard. ... Like law school. As my mom says,
you give up or go on. I say, always go on.” n
Top: Beeswax blocks, candles, and ornaments are among
the offerings at Glacier County Honey,
glaciercountyhoney.com.
Left: Courtney Stone and Greg Fullerton married at their
home in Montana.
alumni spotlight
Summer 2010 n 13
2004
Yasmeen Gumbs-Breakenridge ’04
married Joseph Breakenridge on Decem-
ber 6 in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.
Gumbs-Breakenridge is an associate for a
liability defense law firm in downtown
Manhattan, where she primarily defends
large insurance carriers. Photo 1.
Sean Maynard ’04 represented the
defendant in West Virginia v. Wilson, a
murder trial recently featured on truTV
(formerly Court TV). Maynard now works
at the prosecutor’s office in Wayne
County, W.Va. His wife, Bethanie, is
expecting their first child in November.
2005
Curt Rose ’05 and his wife, Jenny, wel-
comed a baby girl on February 8. Emma
Grace weighed 7 pounds, 7 ounces. Rose
practices at West & Rose in Kingsport.
2006
Gabriel Adam ’06 and Karen Jordan
Adam ’07 welcomed a baby girl on Feb-
ruary 12. Soledad Emilia weighed 4
pounds, 13 ounces. The family lives in
Orlando, Fla., where Gabriel practices im-
migration and criminal defense law at his
firm, The Adam Law Firm, PA. Karen
works for Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
Ryan Gilligan ’06 successfully argued a
black-lung case before the Fourth Circuit
Court of Appeals, which published its
opinion in April. Anna Midence ’10 and
Charles Sidoti ’10 helped write the brief.
Gilligan is an attorney at Wolfe, Williams,
Rutherford & Reynolds in Norton, Va.
Andrew C. Graves ’06 and his wife,
Meranda, welcomed a third child, a baby
girl, on February 24. Carter Amelia
weighed 7 pounds, 5 ounces. Graves prac-
tices in Harrisonburg, Va. Photo 3.
Michael Neese ’06 has opened the
Neese Law Firm in Gastonia, N.C. The
practice will focus on criminal defense.
Dustin Sullivan ’06 and Andrew M.
Snow ’06 have begun a Criminal De-
fense/Civil Law partnership. They have
three North Carolina offices and will be
adding Trey Martin ’11 to their team as a
summer intern.
Jason Weiss ’06 married Debra J. Blum
August 29, 2009, in Summit, N.J. The pair
met in Grundy while Jason was at ASL
and Debra was working in pharmaceutical
sales. Jason is now a partner at Weiss and
Weiss in Manville, N.J. Photo 2.
2007
Andrew Taylor Call ’07 completed his
second LLM, with honors, in Information
Technology and Privacy Law at The John
Marshall Law School in Chicago. In 2009,
Call completed an LLM in International
Business and Trade Law. Call says he
plans to remain in Chicago, where his
family has lived, worked, or practiced law
for 176 years.
Alumni chapter leaders
Chris Fortier, Washington, D.C., Maryland, Northern [email protected]
Josh Collins, Charleston, [email protected]
Rebecca Rosser, Columbia, [email protected]
Heather Gearheart, Eastern and Central [email protected]
Alan McGraw, Southwest [email protected]
Dustin Sullivan, Wilmington, [email protected]
Paul Dull, Roanoke and Lynchburg, [email protected]
Stephanie Little, Myrtle Beach, [email protected]
Matt Bolton, Tri-Cities, [email protected]
1 2
3 4
class notes
14 n the Current
Ever-increasing numbers of litigants are decid-
ing to go it alone in court, but one ASL graduate is
doing his part to make that a smoother process for
everyone.
“More and more people
can’t afford attorneys,” said
Matt Bolton ’06, an associ-
ate at Herndon, Coleman,
Brading & McKee in John-
son City, Tenn. “Judges said
it was major problem. They
were starting to clog the
system.”
Pro se litigants often slow down
court proceedings with incomplete paperwork and
improper questions. To combat the problem, Legal
Aid of East Tennessee and the Washington County
(Tenn.) Bar Association offer both weekend clinics
and assistance at the courthouse one day each
month for pro se litigants.
Bolton, president of the county bar association,
said the idea “had been brewing for a while.” Typi-
cal cases often involve divorce, child custody, and
child support, he said. Other common issues are
debtor-creditor and landlord-tenant disputes.
During the courthouse clinic, chancery and
circuit court judges try to consolidate all pro se
matters on one day a month. They announce that
local attorneys are donating their services that day.
The struggling economy has meant steady
participation at the workshops, Bolton said. On
average, 10 to 30 people seek help during the
courthouse clinics.
Participants “gain reassurance that things are
proceeding more smoothly than they would on
their own,” he said. “Judges can’t give legal advice,
and going to court is scary for people that have no
experience with it. It’s a comfort for them. You’re
assured that the paperwork is going to be correctly
done, and it takes the unknown out of the process.”
ASL’s service focus helped prepare Bolton for
such volunteer work, he said.
“It’s just nice to help out, and it provides a good
service to judges, the community, and the clerks.
It’s rewarding to see it start to take shape.”
Keeping litigantsfrom going it alone
2008
Dominique J. Navarro ’08 graduated from George Washington
University Law School in May with an LLM in Litigation and Dispute
Resolution. He credits Trial Advocacy with Professor Tom Scott and
Appellate Advocacy with Professor Judie Barger with helping pre-
pare him for the program. Navarro works as an associate for a firm in
Roseville, Minn.
Ryan L. Nuzzo ’08 joined the firm of Anderson, Desimone &
Green, PC as an estate-planning attorney. He now devotes his prac-
tice to estate-planning issues, including wills and trusts. The firm has
offices in Blacksburg, Roanoke, and Smith Mountain Lake, Va.
2009
Katherine Dare ’09 has opened the Dare Law Firm in Asheville,
N.C. She lives with her husband in Fletcher, N.C. The firm’s website
is www.darelawfirm.com.
Nat and Amber Lee ’09 welcomed a son, Hudson James, Feb. 23.
Hudson, who weighed 3 pounds, 9 ounces, arrived 10 weeks early but
is doing well. Amber is taking maternity leave from her position at
Legal Aid of East Tennessee in Johnson City, where she specializes in
domestic-violence law.. Photo 4.
In memoriam
David W. Campbell ’02 passed away May 2, 2010, at the age of 59.
Campbell was an attorney in Hazard, Ky., who was running for Perry
County district judge. Funeral services were held in Hazard.
Walter C. Mahon ’07 passed away Oct. 14, 2009, at the age of 32.
Mahon was an attorney in Wilkesville, Ohio. Funeral services were
held in Delbarton, W. Va.
Alumni-awardnominees soughtDo you know an outstanding ASL grad?
Nominate them for Alumnus of the Year
by e-mailing [email protected]. Criteria are
professional reputation, community serv-
ice, commitment to ASL and commitment
to serving as a counselor-at-law. Guide-
lines are posted on the alumni website.
The recipient will be recognized at the
GALA July 30 on campus.
Summer 2010 n 15
the currentthe Appalachian School of Law
P.O. Box 2825Grundy, VA 24614
www.asl.edu
Annual GALA uu Enjoy great music, food, and dancing from 7 p.m. to midnight
July 30 on campus. Cocktail attire is suggested. For more information, contact
Wendy O’Neil at [email protected].
Annual golf tournament uu Make it a weekend July 31 at nearby Willowbrook
Country Club. Up to five-member teams will tee off at 7:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. in a shotgun
start. For more information, contact Wendy O’Neil at [email protected].
Summer fun at ASL
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