Dear UDC-DCSL Community and Friends,

This edition of The Advocate celebrates extraordinary accomplishment of alumni and students and describes some high-profile educational programs at the School of Law.

One can hardly pick up a newspaper or magazine in the District of Columbia these days without reading about an honor, award or case victory by one of our alumni. Best of all, each account illustrates success fueled by the School of Law's mission to train public interest, public service and public policy lawyers. For example, Luis Rumbaut, '75, of the Founding class at Antioch, will receive the prestigious Beatrice Rosenberg award for 2002, presented to a member of the D.C. Bar whose "career contributions to the government exemplify the highest order of public service." Luis is senior counsel to the D.C. Corporation Counsel and served with distinction for 35 years with the Department of Justice and the Equal Opportunity Commission.

Rhonda Dahlman, '86, is this year's Jerrold Scoutt Award winner, for her outstanding commitment to legal services for low-income residents of the District of Columbia. Rhonda is a staff attorney at Legal Counsel for the Elderly where she created the Alternatives Project, a holistic approach to resolving landlord tenant issues for seniors. She previously worked for the Neighborhood Legal Services Program for 13 years. Now in its 10th year, the Scoutt Prize also has been awarded to UDC-DCSL Professor Joe Tulman and to Alum Jan May, '77.

Joe Teefy, '94, received the Second Annual Bill Geimer Award for dedication to capital defense from the Virginia Capital Case Clearing House. Teefy tried three capital murder cases last year. Joe and wife Brooke Teefy, '94, also became the parents of triplets!

Jonathan Smith, '84, was named Executive Director of the District of Columbia's Legal Aid Society, one of the largest, oldest and most effective legal services organizations in the District of Columbia. LAS provides representation to hundreds of the District's most vulnerable residents each year. Beginning on the front page and continuing at page 28, read about a host of other recent alumni highlights.

Spring semester has been a busy time for important programs at the School of Law. On March 25th, the School hosted a Symposium on Mental Health Issues in Correctional Institutions. Conceived by Dr. Russ Cort and his late wife Louisa Schwartz, the Symposium brought together experts who delivered papers and discussed some of the most difficult problems including a high rate of suicide, poor training of administrators and insufficient funding in the Corrections System. The papers will be published in an upcoming edition of the UDC Law Review. (See story).

In April, set to coincide with the latest and hopefully last American Bar Association Site Visit for years to come, the School of Law will host "Civil Rights in the 21st Century," featuring Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, People for the American Way President Ralph Neas, and Executive Director of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Wade Henderson. City Administrator and Deputy Mayor John Koskinen will represent Mayor Anthony Williams.

The School of Law also presented a book party for historian Roger Wilkin's new book, "Jefferson's Pillow: The Founding Fathers and the Dilemma of Black Patriotism"; and hosted "Democracy in the Middle East," a panel discussion with Ambassador James Akins, former Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, and Dr. Hussein Ibish, Communications Director with the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.

In closing, the School of Law is celebrating the naming of thirteen Dean's Fellows honored for excellence in the first-year academic program and fourteen recipients of the C.L.R. James Award for Academic Excellence and for Outstanding Clinical Work. Special praise to 3Ls Tyrona DeWitt, Janell Forgy, Kosiso Onyia, Rasheda Jiles, Dimone Long, Christal Mims and Brandi Nave for achieving both the highest level of excellence in the classroom and in the clinical program.

I hope you enjoy this issue!