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I just left this evening's first-ever "Orations & Libations", sponsored by our Public Interest Law Foundation (PILF) and billed as "A Law Professor Talent Show."  All I can say is, "Wow."  Starting with some extraordinary MC-ing by Preston Meche, who just started work at Tulane as our public interest career counselor in the career development office, through 11 most diverse faculty performances, this was quite a night.  There was a lot of laughter.  And great food provided by PILF's very own in-house catering operation.

But back to the performances.  Who knew that Professor Dombalagian has such a great voice and, as Professor Tetlow (no slouch herself, when she sang Gershwin's "You Can't Take That Away From Me") said, such chutzpah.  Professor Townsend-Gard on ukelele, with back-up from her family, sang the zombie classic "We'll Eat Your Brains"--or maybe she was the back-up; it was hard to tell sometimes.  Professors Martin Davies and Gabe Feldman, in their Monty Python-inspired "The Argument Clinic", were terrific, as were Professor Keith Werhan and Catherine Hancock performing "I'm Just A Bill" from Schoolhouse Rock.  And then there was Professor George Strickler, performing a variety of migratory fowl calls.  That one had me laughing so hard I was in tears, particularly with Dean Hoeffel playing Vanna White.  You can't go to just any law school and see three faculty members--Professors Oei, Stein, and Palmer, in this case--perform "Training a New Law Professor--A Martial Arts Skit."  Really.  This was the same Professor Palmer who, earlier in the day, presented his paper on the development of privacy law (not to music, however).

And then there was Clinical Instructor Jane Johnson, reciting a collection of her very own Sarah Palin Haikus.  As I said, where else can you find that? .....  Probably at the same school where you can find Vice Dean Hoeffel getting the rest of the faculty on stage to perform her original composition, "The Dave's You Know," memorializing the unusually large number of faculty and staff with that name. Or where Professor Davies performed a classical guitar solo, sort of.  And the finale tonight was Professor Saru Matambanadzo, accompanied by a three-piece ensemble, singing the Beatles...while our erstwhile MC, Preston, laid down on the floor and held the mike so that everyone could hear the acoustic guitar.

We can't wait for the 2nd Annual Orations & Libations.  What a night.

At noon today, students had the opportunity to sit in on a talk by an experienced and high-level executive at ExxonMobil who spoke about corporate environmental responsibility in the context of climate change.  In addition to providing a very interesting perspective that students rarely have the opportunity to hear, he talked at some length about the role of lawyers in the decisionmaking that takes place at the corporate level.

Just two hours later, the Law School was the site of a public Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) meeting convened by the State of Louisiana, concerning the Deepwater Horizon explosion and BP Oil Spill.  This was an extraordinary opportunity for law students (and others) to see the process that they have studied at work.  Representatives of the state Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, Oil Spill Coordinator, Department of Environmental Quality, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, and Department of Natural Resources were present, along with representatives of NOAA at the federal level, among others. 

And an hour after that meeting concluded, the Eason-Weinmann Lecture began.  Professor Jeffrey Jowell of University College London, and a practicing barrister, spoke on "Exporting Democracy: Absolutes and Relatives."

We were very lucky to welcome US Administrative Law Judge Glynn Voisin (TLS '77) of the Social Security Administration to the Law School this past Wednesday.  Judge Voisin graciously volunteered to speak to our students about the selection process for Administrative Law Judges (ALJs), the duties the office entails and the benefits of working for the federal government.  He also provided the students with information about the ALJs' hiring process for interns and post-graduate law clerks.  With federal government employment at a premium, we thought it was a great time to have someone as accomplished as Judge Voisin share with the students his background and experiences.  The students also had the opportunity to ask him questions and to learn more about the Social Security Administration Office of Adjudication and Review. 

Government counselor Amanda Moeller and judicial clerkship advisor Katie O'Leary combined forces to produce a handbook detailing the application procedures of a variety of federal agencies utilizing ALJs to assist students in applying for these coveted positions.  We are hopeful that this resource, along with Judge Voisin's wisdom and guidance, will encourage TLS students to explore federal government opportunities with ALJs. 

Tulane Law School is very fortunate to have a wonderful community of prestigious alumni like Judge Voisin who are actively involved with TLS students. 

Amanda Moeller
Career Counselor

Katie O'Leary
Assistant Director, Judicial Clerkships