Q&A: Legal Writing Professor of the Year Roberta Thyfault

By Nick Ahadzadeh and Varun Sabharwal

Roberta Thyfault, center, with colleagues William Aceves and Robert DeKoven

Professor Roberta Thyfault needs no introduction, but she’s a legendary appellate attorney and one of the best legal writing professors at California Western School of Law. She may seem reserved at first glance, but very quickly she smiles and puts you right at ease.

Professors like Thyfault may expect a lot from us as students, but we should be grateful for these types of academic challenges. With perseverance and determination, we can gain a lot from the experience and effectiveness that these professors exemplify on a regular basis. Coming from a student’s perspective, we’re sure that all of the students who had Professor Thyfault thought about this when making their decision to vote for her.

Professor Thyfault would like to thank all of the students, whether current or past, for the privilege of being able to teach them over the past two decades.

In an exclusive interview with The Commentary, Thyfault shared her thoughts about being named Legal Writing Professor of the Year at Barrister’s Ball on March 2. 

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Spring 2019, Issue #1 (2/8/19)

COMMENTARY MEETING: Attend our next Commentary meeting on Thursday, February 14 at 12:45 to learn more about how you can contribute to The Commentary! Lunch provided. RSVP to commentary@law.cwsl.edu, and we will provide the room number. You can also check out our Facebook page, and be sure to like us! @TheCommentary-CWSL In this new edition of The Commentary: FEATURED PROFESSORS ARE HUMAN TOO Professors share their stories about their worst grade or failure in law school FIRST … Continue reading Spring 2019, Issue #1 (2/8/19)

First Step Act signals progress in criminal justice reform

By Oliver Fredrickson

On December 21, 2018, after significant debate in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, President Trump signed the First Step Act into law. Despite falling short of what many criminal justice reformers were anticipating, commentators say that the First Step Act will deliver “the most significant changes to the criminal justice system for a generation.”

Background

Most of us know that the United States has, both per capita and in total numbers, the highest prison population in the world. To emphasise just how far the United States exceeds the rest of the world when it comes to incarceration, take note of the following statistics:

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PILF auction raises $3K

Pro Bono and Public Service Week kicked off Tuesday, Jan. 29 with the annual PILF (Public Interest Law Foundation) Auction. Professors and staff auctioned off items and events. Items included law-themed artwork, a spa gift set, and $50 gift cards to Macy’s and Sephora’s. Professor-hosted activities included a group baking session with Prof. Catherine Hardee, surfing lessons with Prof. Tim Casey, and a BBQ with Profs. Lisa Black and Ken Klein.

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Gafford competition shows 1L talents

By Michelle Kellogg, Moot Court Honors Board President

Top finishers Varun Sabharwal, Alec Rogers, and Kelsey Hamlett.

Moot Court Honors Board (MCHB) is extremely proud to announce the Distinguished Advocate Award recipients from this year’s 1L Gafford Trial Skills Competition.

On February 2, 36 1L students competed in the Gafford competition. All competitors were asked to present an opening or closing argument for a fictional criminal trial. Thirteen students advanced to the final round, in which they presented their same opening or closing argument in front of a jury of their peers.

The top three competitors were Kelsey Hamlett (first place), Varun Sabharwal (second place), and Alec Rogers (third place).

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ELS beach clean-up — Discovering ‘trash confetti’

By Breanna Hayes

On a beautiful January morning with clear skies and the promise of 80 degrees, CWSL’s Environmental Law Society (ELS) held a philanthropy event to clean up Pacific Beach and Crystal Pier. The ELS event Jan. 26 was a great success and drew many non-member participants from CWSL.

Torrey Pines Beach. Photo: Breanna Hayes

The overall Beach Cleanup was hosted by San Diego Coastkeeper, a non-profit organization working tirelessly to protect and restore “swimmable, fishable and drinkable waters in San Diego County.” San Diego Coastkeeper collects data on the clean-ups, including the combined weight of trash debris removed — in 2018, this amounted to a whopping 11,530 pounds!

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New to more than just law school — A 1L’s tips for exploring San Diego

By Chanse Pierson

We live in arguably the most desirable and the most beautiful city in the country. I, like many of you, am a transplant to the San Diego area and came to Cal Western to pursue my dream of becoming a lawyer. Originally from Seattle, I chose to attend law school in San Diego because I had heard so many great things about the city and how San Diego has something for everyone.

During my first few months in San Diego, I have had the fortunate opportunity to explore the city with a fresh and uninitiated perspective. Now as I begin my second trimester of law school, I want to share my transplant’s guide to San Diego and give you all some ideas for dates, day trips, or a much-deserved study break.

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Q&A: New Professor Pooja Dadhania

Prof. Pooja Dadhania

Meet Pooja Dadhania, California Western’s newest full-time faculty member. Originally from Sterling, Virginia, Dadhania earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia. She took Japanese language courses during college, and after graduation, she lived for two years in Kumamoto, Japan, where she taught English to elementary and middle-school students.

After that, she attended Columbia Law School for her J.D. and Georgetown Law School for her L.L.M. In addition to working in private practice, Dadhania has worked at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles. Now, she teaches civil procedure and immigration/asylum and refugee law at Cal Western.

The Commentary asked Prof. Dadhania about her interests, passions, and experiences:

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Professors: What was your worst grade in law school?

Grades release last month was a stressful time for Cal Western students, especially second-trimester 1Ls who were receiving law school scores for the first time ever. Although grades are certainly important, it’s also important to forgive shortcomings and remember that no one is perfect. Everyone is human, including our awesome faculty.

To illustrate this point in a lighthearted fashion, The Commentary asked professors to share their worst grade or failure when they were in law school. Read their stories below, and then vote for your favorite.

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Fall 2018, Issue #4 (12/5/18)

  In this new edition of The Commentary: STRESSED ABOUT FINALS? — Meet your new Academic Achievement team and read their advice Supreme Court News and Views — How will Kavanaugh’s confirmation affect upcoming cases? Moot Court Shines — Twenty students competed in trial, appellate, and negotiation competitions California on Fire — The Camp Fire in Northern California was the deadliest blaze in CA history  … Continue reading Fall 2018, Issue #4 (12/5/18)