April 2012

Matthew Schmitten '13 Wins Greenbaum Prize in Harlan Fiske Stone Moot Court Competition
J. Matthew Schmitten ’13 was named winner of the Lawrence S. Greenbaum Prize for best oral presentation in the final round of the Harlan Fiske Stone Moot Court Competition, and was also honored for best brief. He was counsel for the appellee along with Kelly N. Sampson ’12. Counsels for the appellant were William M. Rollins ’12 and Robert M. Bernstein ’13. The eminent panel of judges who presided over the oral arguments and chose Schmitten as best oralist included Chief Judge Alex Kozinski of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, Judge Reena Raggi of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit, and Judge Joseph A. Greenaway, Jr., of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit.

New York City Council Honors Columbia Law School’s Immigration Defense Externship
Columbia Law School’s Immigration Defense Externship program was honored by the New York City Council for its service to New York City’s immigrants. Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Council Member Daniel Dromm, chair of the Council’s Committee on Immigration, presented representatives of the Law School with a Proclamation at a City Council meeting on April 18, coinciding with Immigration Heritage Week.

Ambassador Michael Oren Calls Israel the “Ultimate Ally”
Israel is the “ultimate ally” of the United States, with shared values and a shared commitment to democracy, Michael B. Oren, Israel’s Ambassador to the United States told a capacity audience at Columbia Law School.

Professor Benjamin Liebman in Beijing as Part of U.S. Delegation
Benjamin Liebman, the Robert L. Lieff Professor of Law and Director of the Center for Chinese Legal Studies, and Sarah Cleveland, the Louis Henkin Professor in Human and Constitutional Rights and faculty co-director of the Human Rights Institute, are in Beijing this week as part of the United States delegation to the latest round of the U.S.-China Legal Experts Dialogue.

Native American Law Students Association Wins National Awards
New York, April 26, 2012—Columbia Law School’s chapter of the National Native American Law Students Association (NNALSA) was named 2011–2012 Chapter of the Year at the Federal Bar Association’s Indian Law Conference this month in Santa Fe, N.M.

New Center for International Arbitration Established
Columbia Law School has established the Center for International Commercial and Investment Arbitration Law to further the teaching and study of international arbitration, building on the school’s well-established expertise in this rapidly growing legal practice. The new center will be led by George A. Bermann ’75 LL.M., the Jean Monnet Professor of European Union Law, the Walter Gellhorn Professor of Law, and director of European Legal Studies.

Candice Cho ’12 Awarded First NYC Corporation Counsel Clerkship
The one-year clerkship, modeled on the traditional judicial clerkship, is designed to provide a unique combination of public service experience and insight into the operations and governance of New York City.

Alumni Celebrate Professor and Mentor Richard N. Gardner


An Unlikely Democracy
Professor Ramachandra Guha examines India's daring political experiment as part of lecture series hosted by the Columbia Law School Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Chair in Indian Constitutional Law.

The Art of the Deal
The challenges of taking a public company private—as illustrated by last year's $3 billion acquisition of J. Crew—was the subject of a panel discussion at Columbia Law School featuring attorneys from the top New York law firms who were involved in the deal.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito Says Pragmatism, Stability Should Guide Court
“Everyone wants to answer the question, ‘What would Edmund Burke do?’” U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito told a capacity audience at Columbia Law School’s conference on Burkean Constitutionalism. “But I’m not going to do that. Any approach to judging must be justified on its own terms, and not on the grounds that it’s what Edmund Burke would do if he were in our shoes.” Burkean scholars from around the country gathered at the April 10 conference to discuss jurisprudence attributed to Edmund Burke, the 18th century British legislator who is sometimes called the father of classical conservatism. Panelists addressed two questions: What is Burkean Constitutionalism? And is it a good idea?

Tools to Combat Terrorism


Professor Michael J. Graetz Delivers Speech on Past, Future of U.S. Energy Policy
In conjunction with his new essay in the scholarly journal Dædalus, Professor Michael Graetz speaks at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C, about America’s three decades of energy policy misfires and gridlock.

"Courts, Judges, and Justice in the International Legal System"
Michael Mukasey, former U.S. Attorney General and former federal judge, was a keynote speaker at the annual Friedmann Conference.

Judge Miriam Cedarbaum '53 Honored for Trailblazing Achievements
The Honorable Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum '53, senior judge on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, was this year’s winner of the Distinguished Alumna Award at the Columbia Law Women’s Association annual Myra Bradwell Award Dinner. The award honors members of the legal profession who have helped pave the way for future generations of women lawyers.

Gardner's Gifts
Over the past six decades, Professor Richard N. Gardner, a leading expert on the United Nations and international law, has educated, inspired, and mentored thousands of students, chiefly through his storied seminar “Legal Aspects of U.S. Foreign Economic Policy.”

Environmental Law Clinic Students Help Win Key Challenge to State Energy Law


Steering the United Nations' Legal Course
United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs, Patricia O'Brien, reveals current legal issues facing the U.N.—from fighting against impunity for war criminals to helping prevent crimes against humanity in the "Arab Spring."