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2024 Dean’s Circle Reception
The 2024 Dean’s Circle Reception was held at Hotel Andaluz on February 29, 2024. The Dean’s Circle recognizes alumni and friends who contribute two thousand dollars or more during the calendar year. These generous contributions provide essential support for our most critical needs like scholarships, building upgrades, and student activities. Over 163 members made gifts of this size over the year to make this so successful.
Learn more about the Dean’s Circle here.
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Public Interest Career Fair
The 2024 Public Interest Career Fair was held in the UNM School of Law forum on March 5, 2024. This year’s event hosted 28 participants, including the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD), Disabilities Rights New Mexico (DRNM), Eighth Judicial District Attorney’s Office, Eleventh Judicial District Attorney’s Office, Enlace Comunitario New Mexico, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Fifth Judicial District Attorney’s Office, State Bar of New Mexico Lawyers Assistance Program (NM LAP), New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty (NMCLP), New Mexico Department of Justice (NMDOJ), New Mexico Environment Department (NMED), New Mexico Immigrant Law Center (NMILC), New Mexico Law Office of the Public Defender (LOPD), New Mexico Legal Aid, New Mexico Public Regulation Commission, Marine Corps Judge Advocate Program, Office of Family Representation and Advocacy (OFRA), Pegasus Legal Services for Children, Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office, Sixth Judicial District Attorney’s Office, Southwest Women’s Law Center, State Bar of New Mexico Professional Development Program, Third Judicial District Attorney’s Office, United States Attorney’s Office District of New Mexico (USAD-NM), United States Department of Agriculture, United States Air Force JAG Corps, United States Army JAG, and the State Bar of New Mexico Young Lawyer’s Division (YLD).
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UNM School of Law 3L students pave the way for graduate scholarships while serving on the Graduate and Professional Student Association | |
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Three class of 2024 School of Law students play a significant role in the Graduate and Professional Student Association (GPSA) at UNM. Justin Lauriano serves as GPSA President, Paul Havern serves as GPSA Chief of Staff, and Aaron Sharratt serves as GPSA Grants Director.
Established in 1969, the GPSA is the student government for graduate and professional students at UNM. The GPSA seeks to identify, promote, and support the interests and concerns that are important to the welfare and academic development of graduate and professional students at UNM. The GPSA promotes the rights, interests, and professional development of graduate and professional students within the university community through advocacy, education, and financial support.
Lauriano, Havern, and Sharratt share their experiences serving on the association. Lauriano explained he ran to advocate for graduate students across UNM. “GPSA is one of three entities allowed to lobby the state legislature on behalf of UNM. This year, I led my administration to lobby for the Graduate Scholarship Act, Senate Bill 233. This bill would create a scholarship fund comparable to the Opportunity Scholarship Act which is limited to undergraduate students. Overall, being GPSA President has been a unique and fulfilling experience. I have gained valuable knowledge about the political process and the lawmaking and lobbying process. I have also gained valuable mentorship from President Stokes, Brian S. Colon, and Provost Holloway.”
Havern shared that one of his proudest moments with GPSA was working to pass the Graduate Scholarship Act, Senate Bill 233. “We worked with Senator Pope in redrafting his Graduate Scholarship Act. The bill aimed at creating a law similar to the undergraduate Opportunity Scholarship Act. In other words, New Mexico residents would receive free graduate tuition. Unfortunately, the bill was ruled “not germaine” but the experience of redrafting the bill with the Senator, the Governor’s office, and a bill drafter was particularly memorable. We were able to draft a copy that everyone was happy with but unfortunately, a 30 day session is just too short. I have great optimism for the bill in the next session. As a result of this experience, I was able to see how a bill is made, and I was introduced to many UNM SoL graduates in the process!”
Sharratt spoke on the ways their leadership brought additional funding to students.
“I became interested in working with GPSA to make others aware of the graduate student support offered and to continue improving the grants program to best serve all graduate students. Getting to hear about the incredible need and the tremendous ways in which graduate students are using these funds has been so motivating and inspirational. I am incredibly proud that we were able to advocate for and see significant changes to the Grants Code section of the GPSA Bylaws this year that will benefit graduate students to an even greater degree in the coming years. The new changes increase the number of awards and maximum award amount to multiple grant programs while also eliminating some long-standing barriers that prevented many students from being able to access much needed funding. I encourage all law students to familiarize themselves with the resources available through GPSA!”
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RECENT APPEARANCES & PUBLICATIONS: | | |
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Professor Maryam Ahranjani
- Serving on the Executive Committee, Section on Education Law, of the Association of American Law Schools.
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Professor Sherri Burr
- Awarded a research fellowship with the George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon. The title of Professor Burr’s research project is “Generational Impact: An Economic Comparison of Mount Vernon’s Enslaved Population Who Received Freedom in 1800 with Those Who Remained Enslaved until 1863.”
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Presented “Reflections on Law in Brief Encounters” at the Yale Journal of International Law’s 50th Anniversary Conference on March 8, 2024.
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Professor Allison Freedman
- Serving on the Executive Committee, Section on Education Law, of the Association of American Law Schools.
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Published “Eviction Sealing: A Lifeline in the Fight for Housing Justice” in the 76 UC Hastings Law Journal.
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Professor John Kang
- Serving as Chair, Section on Law and Interpretation, and on the Executive Committee, Section on Law and Humanities of American Law Schools, of the Association of American Law Schools.
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Professor Gabe Pacyniak
- Presented on the Just Transition to Green Energy Grand Challenge as part of an Office of the Vice President for Research panel presentation: “Overview of New Initiatives Selected as UNM Level II Grand Challenges.”
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Professor Nadine Padilla
- Presented “Sackett v. EPA and Potential Implications for Tribal Nations” at the National Association of Wetland Manager’s Tribal Workshop.
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Professor Mary Pareja
- Serving on the Executive Committee, Section on Law, Medicine, and Health Care, of the Association of American Law Schools.
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Published “Masking Vulnerability: Including PPE as a Covered Service in Health Insurance,” 102 Nebraska Law Review 389 (2023).
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Professor Vanessa Racehorse
- Serving on the Executive Committee, Section on Indian Nations and Indigenous Peoples, of the Association of American Law Schools.
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UNM School of Law Alumnus Recognized at the Annual Alumni Awards Ceremony
The University of New Mexico Alumni Association award ceremony was held on February 28, 2024. Nine UNM alumni were recognized at the ceremony, one of whom was UNM School of Law alumnus Harold Lavender. Lavender was presented the Erna S. Fergusson Award to acknowledge his accomplishments, commitment, and distinguished service to UNM. School of Law alumna and UNM Alumni Association Board President Jaymie Roybal gave the opening remarks to the awards ceremony and presented the award to Lavender.
After graduating with his J.D. in 1975 and practicing law for a year Lavender then spent 34 years in Chicago as a member of the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT), the world’s largest commodity exchange (now CME Group) working as a commodity trader and broker. He served two terms as a Director of the CBOT Board of Directors and two terms on the Executive Committee. He returned to New Mexico and the legal profession in 2010. He became Of Counsel at Modrall Sperling and two years later as Of Counsel at Montgomery and Andrews and practiced with Robert Singer at the New Mexico Law Group. Over his career, Lavender has been involved with several organizations including serving as Chairman of the Investment Committee of the New Mexico State Investment Council, serving as President of the UNM Alumni Association Board of Directors, and serving on the UNM School of Law Alumni Board. Additionally, Lavender taught classes on finance at the UNM Anderson School of Business. He now works with CNM Ingenuity in business and finance development.
Other UNM Alumni Award recipients recognized at the ceremony were: Raven Chacon, James F. Zimmerman Award; Sally Marquez, Bernard S. Rodey Award; Raphael Martinez, Zia Award; Michelle Hernandez, Zia Award; Brian Levant, Lobo Award; Falisha Begay, Inspirational Young Alumnus Award; Maria Szasz, Faculty Teaching Award; and Thomas Resta, Research Award.
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Career Services Support
Access to the UNM Law Career Services Office does not end when you graduate. UNM Law Career Services is available to you throughout your career. Check out all of the services available to you and how to take advantage of them here.
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Online CLEs
Need some CLE credits? The UNM Law School has you covered! Check out all of the online CLEs available to you and info on how to submit for credit here.
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2024 UNM Law Scholarship Golf Classic | |
The UNM School of Law Alumni/ae Association Law Scholarship Golf Classic will take place on Friday, June 7, 2024, with a shotgun start at 8 a.m. Come out and play while supporting student scholarships. Your support changes students’ lives.
To check out sponsorship opportunities, please visit this website.
Register for the event here.
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The UNM School of Law, along with the Recent Grad Chapter, is hosting a Movie Night on the Green. The event will take place on the UNM School of Law back lawn on April 19, 2023, at 7:30 p.m. The movie is the 1993 film, The Sandlot.
We welcome students, faculty, and alumni to attend. Popcorn and refreshments will be provided.
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