THE UNIVERSITY
OF AKRON SCHOOL OF LAW
302 BUCHTEL COMMON
AKRON, OHIO 44325-2901
Telephone: (330) 972-7331
Fax: (330) 258-2343
URL: http://www.uakron.edu/law
ABA Approved Since 1961
The University of Akron School of Law was founded in
1921 as a private evening law school, the Akron Law School. In 1959 it merged with The
University of Akron, a public university which enjoys an international
reputation, especially in Polymer Science and Engineering. In 1966, the School
added a full‑time day program. It offers an LL.M. in Intellectual
Property Law, beginning Fall 2004. From its inception, the School of Law
has been dedicated to providing access into the legal profession for working
people, women and people of color. This mission has led the school to create
multiple enrollment options, multiple graduation options and fluid day/evening
course enrollment which will permit expanded opportunity for access to legal education.
Students may attend full‑time day or evening, part‑time day or
evening, or a reduced load day or evening. Students may graduate in a little as
2 1/2 years up to 5 years. Students with a satisfactory grade point average can
freely move from one program option to another. This more personalized approach
affords even greater flexibility and access to legal education for individuals
who may not otherwise have had an opportunity to enroll in law school both
because of past disadvantages and because of the sometimes inflexible nature of
legal education. The school is fully accredited by the American Bar Association
and is a member in good standing of the Association of American Law Schools.
As indicated in its Mission Statement, The University
of Akron believes there is no higher calling than that of promoting justice and
the protection of individual liberty through adherence to the rule of law.
Through its high‑quality legal education that focuses upon teaching both
the purposes of the law and client‑service skills, the school lives up to
its tradition of excellence. The school is nationally acclaimed for its Trial
Advocacy program, fielding perennial winners of regional competitions and
participants in national competitions. Its Trial Advocacy teams have been
selected by the National Invitational Trial Tournament as one of the country's
top sixteen teams more often than any other school in the country. In March
2006 mock trial competitions, team members won first‑place in the ATLA
(Association of Trial Lawyers of America) Student Trial Advocacy Regional
Competition. In November 2007, the Trial Advocacy Teams won the championship at
the National Civic Trial Competition.
The School of Law is home to the Seiberling Center
for Constitutional Law, one of only four centers nationally funded by a grant
from Congress, and the Miller‑Becker Institute of Professional Responsibility.
It is continuing to expand its Center for Intellectual
Property and Technology, which houses the Brennan Professorship, the Giles
Sutherland Rich Professorship, and an endowed chair from Goodyear. The school's
Intellectual Property curriculum is one of the richest in the country, ranking
fifth in courses offered. The school's location in the Polymer
Valley, next door to the
internationally acclaimed Collegeof Polymer Science and
Engineering and across the street from the National Inventors' Hall of Fame, enhances
its intellectual property program. The Akron Public Library is a Patent
Depository, and the Law Library is a Government Documents Repository, as well
as having an enriched collection of intellectual property materials.
With the nationally recognized Bliss Institute for
Applied Politics, the Schoolof Law offers the joint
degree of J.D. & Master of Applied Politics. This joint degree is the
second in the nation of its kind. It is particularly suited to Ohio, a key state in the political landscape of the U.S.
The school achieves its mission by devoting resources
and talent to four central elements: teaching, scholarship, service to the
bench, bar and broader community, and access to legal education. The school is
fortunate to have full‑time and part‑time faculty who are dedicated
to excellence in classroom teaching. The vast majority of faculty have varied
practice backgrounds, and use this experience to integrate lawyerly skills
training, ethics, client service and theory into both traditional classes and
practical skills classes.
Believing that active and interactive learning is
superior for students, the school devotes significant faculty resources to the
all‑important foundational courses required during the first and second
year of study. All required courses are offered in sections of approximately 50
students each, and the writing classes are sectioned into groups of
approximately 15 students each. Upper class courses include a wide variety of
electives taught in groups that usually do not exceed 60 students each, and
often comprise 20 or fewer students. The school strives to promote learning and
professionalism by maintaining an atmosphere of friendliness, collegiality and
collaboration, possible because of its smallness and its emphasis upon small
and interactive classes.
The faculty produce legal scholarship in a wide variety
of areas. The Law Library is a state‑of‑the‑art facility
whose own collection of legal materials is enhanced by on‑line access to
the entire University collection (through ZipLink) and the collections of at
least 52 of the universities and colleges in Ohio (through OhioLink), from
which students and faculty can obtain books and journals on request. The school
publishes the Akron Law Review, The Akron Tax Journal and
the Journal of Intellectual Property.
The school enjoys an outstanding relationship with the
local bench and bar. It co‑sponsors continuing legal education with the
Akron Bar Association. Students are paired with practicing attorneys in their
areas of interest through the Mentoring Program sponsored by the bar
association. In addition to having some of the finest and most well‑respected
practitioners teach skills or specialty courses, the school is able to invite
practitioners to participate in other classes and in the life of the law school
on a regular basis, adding immeasurably to the professional education of its
students.
The school takes pride in its importance to the region.
From School Board members, professional trial and appellate judges, mayors and
state legislators to federal judges, State Supreme Court Justices and law
faculty members, the school's graduates serve the public interest. In addition,
graduates serve in Fortune 500 companies, prestigious large law firms,
government positions, public interest practices, and small firms.
The University of Akron currently offers the J.D.
degree, the LL.M. in Intellectual Property, certificate programs in
Intellectual Property and in Litigation, as well as joint degrees of
J.D./M.A.P. (Master of Applied Politics), J.D./M.Tax (Master of Taxation),
J.D./M.B.A. (Master of Business Administration), J.D./M.B.A.‑H.R. (Master
of Business Administration, Human Resources), and J.D./M.P.A. (Master of Public
Administration). Its student body comprises of nearly 550 students, approximately
200 of whom are enrolled in the part‑time program. Curricular
opportunities to specialize exist in business, taxation, litigation,
intellectual property with additional opportunities to concentrate in other
areas.
Dean:
Martin H. Belsky (330) 972‑6361
Associate Dean Academic Affairs:
Elizabeth Reilly (330) 972‑6197
Associate Dean Academic Affairs:
William S. Jordan III (330) 972‑6751
Assistant Dean Admissions / Financial Aid / Student
Services:
Lauri S. Thorpe (800) 425‑7668
Library:
Paul Richert (330) 972‑7330
Career Planning and Placement:
Amy Goodson‑Beal (330) 972‑5321
Assistant Dean External Programs and Affairs:
Margaret Matejkovic (330) 972‑7331
Assistant Dean Finance & Administration:
Rosemary Cannon (330) 972‑6366
Center for Intellectual Property Law and Technology:
Jeffrey Samuels (303) 972‑7898
Constitutional Law Center:
Richard Aynes (330) 972‑6359
Miller‑Becker Institute for Professional
Responsibility:
John Sahl (330) 972‑6753
FULL TIME FACULTY
MARTIN HENRY BELSKY, (Dean and Randolph
Baxter Professor of Law), born Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
May 29, 1944; admitted to bar, 1969, Pennsylvania;
1983, Florida; 1987, New York. Education: Temple University
(B.A., 1965); Columbia University (J.D., 1968); Cambridge University
(Diploma, Criminology, 1969). COURSES: Legal Ethics,
Constitutional Law, Land Use Law, Law & Theological Ethics. Email:
belsky@uakron.edu
LLOYD C. ANDERSON, (McDowell Professor), born Saginaw, Michigan, November 6, 1947; admitted to bar, 1973, Kentucky. Education:
University of Michigan
(B.A., 1969); HarvardLaw School
(J.D., 1973). COURSES: Civil Procedure I & II, Federal
Jurisdiction & Procedure, Pretrial Advocacy. Email:
lca@uakron.edu
RICHARD L. AYNES, (Seiberling Professor, Director, Constitutional Law
Center), born Dayton, Ohio, June 12, 1949; admitted to bar, 1975, Ohio. Education: Miami of Ohio, University
(B.S., 1971); Cleveland‑Marshall College of Law,
Cleve. St. U. (J.D., 1974). COURSES: Constitutional Law I &
II, Constitutional Litigation Seminar, Legal History. Email:
raynes@uakron.edu
SAMUEL BAUMGARTNER, (Associate Professor), born Aarberg, Switzerland, June 1, 1964; admitted to
bar, 1990, Switzerland. Education: University ofBern, Switzerland
(LL.B., 1990; Dr. iur., 2002); Universityof Wisconsin (M.A., Legal
Institutions; LL.M., 1995). COURSES: International Law,
International Trade, International Business & Investments, Conflict of
Laws. Email: samuel8@uakron.edu
J. DEAN CARRO, (Dean's Club Professor, Director of the Legal Clinic Offices and Staff
Attorney), born Brooklyn,
New York, July 31, 1952; admitted to bar,
1978, Ohio. Education:
SUNY New Paltz (B.A., 1974); University
of Akron School of Law
(J.D., 1978). COURSES: Clinical Seminar I & II, Appellate
Advocacy, Administration of Criminal Justice, Criminal Law, Moot Court. Email:
carro1@uakron.edu
RICHARD C. COHEN, (Associate Professor and Director, Legal Writing
Program), born Bridgeport,
Connecticut, October 22, 1950; admitted to
bar, 1975, Connecticut.
Education: Emory University (B.A., 1972); University of Connecticut
(J.D., 1975). COURSES: Legal Analysis, Research and Writing I
& II, Legal Drafting, Contracts I & II. Email:
rcohen@uakron.edu
DANA K. COLE, (Associate Professor), born Dayton, Ohio, May 16,
1956; admitted to bar, 1986, Ohio.
Education: University of Cincinnati (B.S., 1980); University
of Dayton School of Law
(J.D., 1986). COURSES: Evidence, Criminal Law, Trial Advocacy I
& II. Email: dkc@uakron.edu
MALINA COLEMAN, (Associate Professor), born Akron, Ohio, September
23, 1954; admitted to bar, 1987, Pennsylvania.
Education: Central State University
(B.S., 1980); YaleLaw School
(J.D., 1985). COURSES: Contracts I & II, Family Law, Basic
Business Associations. Email: mcoleman@uakron.edu
STEPHEN RANDOLPH COOK, (Assistant Clinical Professor, Director, New Business
Legal Clinic), born Lawrence,
Kansas, August 4, 1945; admitted to bar, 1996,
Ohio. Education:
University of Maryland
(B.A., 1967); Kent State University
(M.A., 1973); University of Akron Schoolof Law (J.D., 1996). COURSES:
Business Law, Business Planning, Business Clinic. Email:
scook@uakron.edu
SARAH CRAVENS, (Associate Professor), born
Tulsa, Oklahoma, February 17, 1976; admitted to bar, 2002, Oklahoma; 2004,
District of Columbia. Education: Princeton
University (A.B., 1998); Cambridge University
(M.Phil., 1999); Washington and Lee UniversitySchool of Law (J.D.,
2002). COURSES: Torts, Remedies, Professional Responsibility. Email:
cravens@uakron.edu
CAROLYN L. DESSIN, (Associate Professor), born Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, March 10, 1957;
admitted to bar, 1987, Pennsylvania. Education: Temple
University (B.M.Ed.; 1978); Westminster Choir
College (M.M., 1980); Villanova University (J.D., 1987). COURSES:
Federal Individual Taxation, Estate & Gift Tax, Business Planning, Estate
Planning, Elder Law, Contracts I & II. Email: cld3@uakron.edu
JAY DRATLER, JR., (Goodyear Professor of Intellectual Property), born Los Angeles, California, June 11, 1945; admitted to bar, 1978, California; 1987, Hawaii.
Education: University of California, Berkeley (A.B., 1966); University of California,
San Diego (M.S., 1968; Ph.D., 1971); Harvard Law School
(J.D., 1978). COURSES: Copyright Law, Patent Law & Policy,
Cyberspace Law, Intellectual Property Law, Trade Secrets, Computer Law,
Licensing, Remedies, Antitrust. Email: dratler@uakron.edu
BERNADETTE BOLLAS GENETIN, (Associate Professor), born Canton, Ohio, December 14, 1959; admitted to
bar, 1988, Ohio. Education: University of Notre Dame (B.A., 1982); The Ohio StateUniversity College
of Law (J.D., 1988). COURSES: Civil Procedure I & II, Legal
Drafting, Business Regulation, Complex Litigation. Email:
genetin@uakron.edu
WILLA E. GIBSON, (Dean's Club Professor), born Presque Isle, Maine, August 16, 1960; admitted to bar, 1991, Iowa. Education: Tulane University
(B.A., 1982); DrakeUniversity LawSchool (J.D., 1991). COURSES:
Secured Transactions, Commercial Paper, Antitrust, Law & Economics,
Securities Regulation. Email: willa1@uakron.edu
WILSON R. HUHN, (McDowell Professor), born Jamestown, New York,
January 1, 1950; admitted to bar, 1977, Ohio.
Education: Yale University (B.A., 1972); Cornell LawSchool (J.D., 1977). COURSES:
Constitutional Law I & II, Advanced Constitutional Law, Commercial Paper,
Health Law. Email: whuhn@uakron.edu
WILLIAM S. JORDAN, III, (Associate Dean and McDowell Professor), born Ohio, September
16, 1949; admitted to bar, 1974, Michigan;
1979, District of Columbia.
Education: Stanford (B.A., 1971); University of Michigan
(J.D., 1974). COURSES: Property I & II, Administrative Law,
Environmental Law. Email: jordan@uakron.edu
MARGERY B. KOOSED, (Aileen McMurry Trusler Professor), born Cleveland, Ohio, 1948; admitted to bar, 1974, Ohio. Education: Miami
of Ohio, University (B.S.Ed., 1971); Case Western Reserve
University, Franklin ThomasBackus School
of Law (J.D., 1974). COURSES: Criminal Law, Administration of
Criminal Justice, Criminal Process, Capital Litigation. Email:
mkoosed@uakron.edu
RICHARD L. LAVOIE, (Associate Professor), admitted to bar, 1989, New York. Education: Dartmouth College
(A.B., 1985); Cornell University School
of Law (J.D., 1988); NewYork University Schoolof Law (LL.M., 1998). COURSES:
Individual Tax, Commercial Paper, Basic Business Associations. Email:
rll21@uakron.edu
BRANT T. LEE, (Associate Professor), born San Francisco, February 17, 1962; admitted to bar, 1992, California. Education:
University of California,
Berkeley (B.A., 1985); John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard
University (M.P.P., 1994); Harvard Law School
(J.D., 1990). COURSES: Property I & II, Feminist & Race
Theory, Race, Rights & Civil Liberties, Employment Discrimination. Email:
btlee@uakron.edu
LYNN M. LENART, (Assistant Librarian, Reference Services), born CuyahogaCounty, Ohio. Education:
University of Akron
(B.A., 1982); Kent State University
(M.L.S., 1990); Universityof Akron (J.D., 1999). COURSES:
Specialized Areas of Legal Research, Advanced Legal Research. Email:
llenart@uakron.edu
CARRIE NEWTON LYONS, (Assistant Professor of Law), born Tulsa, Oklahoma, September 13, 1970; admitted to bar, 2006, Virginia. Education:
University of Oklahoma (B.A., 1992); American University
in Cairo (Arabic Language Certificate, 2000); Harvard Law School
(J.D., 2005). COURSES: Contracts, National Security Law, Federal
Indian Law. Email: cnlyons@post.harvard.edu
MARGARET MATEJKOVIC, (Assistant Dean External Programs and Director of Law
Alumni and Development), born Akron, Ohio, September
25, 1958; admitted to bar, 1992, Ohio.
Education: The University of Akron (B.A., 1985; J.D., 1992); Miami University
(1976‑1978). COURSES: Human Resources Law. Email:
ema16@uakron.edu
JANE C. MORIARTY, (Professor),
born Waterbury, Connecticut, January 7, 1959; admitted to bar, 1983,
Massachusetts; 1987, Pennsylvania. Education: Boston
College (B.A., 1980); Boston CollegeLaw School
(J.D., 1983). COURSES: Employment Discrimination, Disability
Discrimination, Expert Evidence, Professional Responsibility, Evidence. Email:
moriart@uakron.edu
E. STEWART MORITZ, (Associate Professor), born 1968; admitted to bar, 1996, California. Education: Yale University
(B.A., 1990); Vanderbilt University Schoolof Law (J.D., 1995). COURSES:
Legislative Process, Pretrial Advocacy, Corporations, Contracts I & II,
Statutory Interpretation. Email: moritzes@uakron.edu
C. ALAN NEWMAN, (Professor), born Dallas, Texas, January
26, 1951; admitted to bar, 1980, Oklahoma.
Education: University of Oklahoma (B.A., 1977): University of Oklahoma
(J.D., 1980). COURSES: Wills, Trusts, and Estates I & II,
Estate Planning, Finance & Accounting for Lawyers, Property. Email:
newman2@uakron.edu
A. SAMUEL ODDI, (Giles Sutherland Rich Professor), born 1936; admitted to bar, 1964, Pennsylvania;
1990, Illinois.
Education: Carnegie Mellon University
(B.S., 1958); University of Pittsburgh (J.D., 1963); George WashingtonUniversity (LL.M., 1971).
COURSES: Patent Law & Policy, Introduction to Intellectual
Property, Torts I & II, Jurisprudence, Law & Medicine, International
Intellectual Property Law. Email: oddi@uakron.edu
CAROL A. OLSON, (Associate Professor), born
Detroit, Michigan, October 11, 1949; admitted to bar, 1983, California. Education:
Washington College
(B.A., 1971); University of Delaware (M.A., 1973; M.Ed., 1975); McGeorge School
of Law (LL.B., 1983). COURSES: Advanced Torts, Products
Liability, International Human Rights, Defamation & Privacy, Torts I &
II. Email: colson@uakron.edu
STEFAN J. PADFIELD, (Assistant Professor), born Taunton, England, February 17, 1967; admitted to
bar, 2002, New York. Education: Brown
University (B.A., 1990); University of Kansas (J.D., 2001). COURSES:
Business Associations, Securities Regulation, Corporations. Email:
spadfie@uakron.edu
KYLE S. PASSMORE, (Deputy Law Librarian), born Columbus, Ohio, November 5, 1952; admitted to bar, 1993, Ohio. Education: Capital University
(B.A., 1975); Kent State University
(M.L.S., 1977); Universityof Akron (J.D., 1993). COURSES:
Advanced Legal Research. Email: passmore@uakron.edu
ELIZABETH A. REILLY, (McDowell Professor, Associate Dean), born South Bend, Indiana, September 9, 1951; admitted
to bar, 1978, Ohio. Education: Princeton
University (A.B., 1973); University of Akron (J.D., 1978). COURSES:
Torts I & II, Introduction to Law, Seminar in Feminist & Race Theory,
Sexual Orientation & Law, Constitutional Law. Email:
reilly@uakron.edu
WILLIAM D. RICH, (Associate Professor), born New York, New York, January 14, 1953; admitted to bar, 1977, Colorado. Education:
University of Rochester
(B.A., 1974); University of Denver (J.D., 1977); Harvard University
(LL.M., 1986). COURSES: Constitutional Law I & II, First
Amendment Seminar, Criminal Law. Email: rich@uakron.edu
PAUL RICHERT, (Professor, Law Librarian),
born Elwood, Indiana,
August 31, 1948; admitted to bar, 1977, Ohio.
Education: University of Illinois (A.B., 1970; M.S., 1971); Tulane UniversitySchool of Law (J.D.,
1977). COURSES: Advanced Legal Research. Email:
richert@uakron.edu
KALYANI ROBBINS, (Assistant Professor of Law), born San Francisco, California, February 18, 1970;
admitted to bar, 1999, California; 2002, New York. Education: University
of California‑Berkeley (B.A., 1995); Northwestern University
School of Law (1996‑1997); Stanford Law
School (J.D., 1999); Lewis and Clark LawSchool (LL.M., 2008). COURSES:
Environmental Law, Natural Resources Law, Criminal Law. Email:
kalyani@uakron.edu
JOANN SAHL, (Assistant Director, Legal Clinic), born Upper Sandusky, Ohio,
August 26, 1961; admitted to bar, 1986, Ohio;
1995, Colorado.
Education: Ohio State University
(B.A., 1983); University of Akron Schoolof Law (J.D., 1986). COURSES:
Civil Litigation Clinic. Email: jsahl1@uakron.edu
JOHN P. SAHL, (Professor, Faculty Director of the Miller‑Becker Institute of
Professional Responsibility), born New
York City, New York, July 26, 1951; admitted to bar, 1982, Connecticut. Education:
Boston College
(B.A., 1974); Monmouth College; Vermont Law
School (J.D., 1979); YaleLaw School
(LL.M., 1989). COURSES: Evidence, Entertainment Law, Sports Law,
Professional Responsibility. Email: jps@uakron.edu
JEFFREY M. SAMUELS, (Brennan Professor, Director, Center for Intellectual
Property Law), born Brooklyn, New
York, May 8, 1950; admitted to bar, 1976, New York; 1977, Virginia; 1978, District
of Columbia; 1996, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Education:
Colgate University
(B.A., 1972); Albany Law School of Union
College (J.D., 1975). COURSES: Patent Law, Trademark Law,
International Intellectual Property Law, Introduction to Intellectual Property
Law, Trademark Prosecution, Current Issues in Intellectual Property Law. Email:
samuels@uakron.edu
TRACY A. THOMAS, (Professor and Director, Faculty Research and
Development), born Columbus,
Ohio, September 6, 1965; admitted to bar,
1991, California; 1992, District of Columbia. Education:
Miami University
(Ohio) (B.A., 1987); California
State University
(M.P.A., 1991); Loyola Law School, Los Angeles (J.D., 1991).
COURSES: Remedies, Family Law, Antitrust Law, Alternative Dispute
Resolution. Email: thomast@uakron.edu