The Faculty Lounge

Careless Love

"Careless Love" is a traditional American folk song, although it was copyrighted in the 1920s by W.C. Handy. More than the usual number of audio clips on this post; so many interesting interpretations by well known artists (and a few others).

Federal Judge Handcuffs Innocent Child for No Reason

I have a new piece in Slate. It tells the story of Judge Roger Benitez, of the Southern District of California, who ordered the handcuffing of a thirteen year old child who had done nothing more than sit quietly in the spectators’ gallery. No, that’s not an exaggeration.

Here are the opening paragraphs:

You might think that any American judge would be severely penalized for tormenting an innocent child in open court, but you would be wrong. Federal judges, protected by life tenure, can mistreat people in their courtrooms, including spectators, with near impunity and little fear of meaningful punishment. That is just what happened last month in San Diego, when senior Federal District Judge Roger Benitez committed what can only be described as a blatant act of child abuse.

When Mario Puente brought his 13-year-old daughter to Benitez’s courtroom, he hoped that her visible support might help him persuade the judge that he was committed to turning his life around, rather than being returned to prison for violating his parole on drug charges. Benitez, a George W. Bush appointee, was indeed moved by the girl’s presence, but in a stunningly inhumane direction. Before the hearing was over, the teenager found herself weeping in handcuffs at the judge’s command, even though she had done nothing more than sit quietly in the spectators’ section while her father attempted to talk himself out of more prison time.

You can read the entire essay in Slate.

Duquesne Seeks Academic Support and Writing Faculty

This just in:

Director of Academic Excellence and Assistant Professor of Legal Skills

Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University invites applications for the position of Director of Academic Excellence and Assistant Professor of Legal Skills to begin July 1, 2023. The successful candidate will be appointed to a 12-month, renewable, 405(c), non-tenure-track position.

The Director of Academic Excellence is responsible for designing, implementing, and administering a program of academic support benefiting all law students, especially those students in their first and second year of study, enabling them to succeed throughout law school. As a full-time faculty member, the Director will teach courses designed to introduce, reinforce, and develop skills to enable students to be successful in law school and beyond. The Director of Academic Excellence will also work with students one-on-one to provide individualized instruction and coaching. The Director of Academic Excellence works closely with the Bar Studies Faculty and the Legal Research and Writing Faculty to provide a comprehensive instruction. 

 The Director will administer the JD Jumpstart program for incoming students and facilitate workshops in the fall semester for 1L students. The Director will also teach the Advanced Legal Skills course for 1L students and teach the Advanced Legal Reasoning course for 2L students, and may also have other duties consistent with their role and the overall goals of the Law School, including, but not limited to, advising students, serving on law school committees, teaching other courses focused on professional skills or other courses supporting the law school curriculum.

As a condition of employment, Duquesne University requires all new employees —full-time and part-time, including adjunct faculty—to get a COVID-19 vaccine and provide proof of their vaccination upon commencement of employment.

New employees requesting a religious or documented medical exemption from the vaccine must complete and submit a Duquesne University exemption request form for review and approval. To receive the appropriate exemption request form, contact hrservices@duq.edu. Employees with approved exemptions will be required to be tested on a regular basis.

Additional information can be found here.

Assistant Professor of Clinical Legal Education and Supervising Attorney of the Youth Advocacy Clinic

Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University invites applications for the position of Assistant Professor of Clinical Legal Education and Supervising Attorney of the Youth Advocacy Clinic to begin July 1, 2023. The successful candidate will be appointed to a 12-month, renewable, 405(c), non-tenure-track, assistant professor of clinical legal education.

As a condition of employment, Duquesne University requires all new employees —full-time and part-time, including adjunct faculty—to get a COVID-19 vaccine and provide proof of their vaccination upon commencement of employment.

New employees requesting a religious or documented medical exemption from the vaccine must complete and submit a Duquesne University exemption request form for review and approval. To receive the appropriate exemption request form, contact hrservices@duq.edu. Employees with approved exemptions will be required to be tested on a regular basis.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Youth Advocacy Clinic represents children in both delinquency and education matters and operates as a holistic representation model, with the overall goal of the representation being to meet as many of the client’s needs as possible, rather than merely the single legal issue that brings them to the clinic. This Clinic in an interdisciplinary course working with both Duquesne University’s School of Education and the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work. The Youth Advocacy Clinic, is in part funded by IOLTA grants and other grant funding. The Assistant Professor will have the responsibility for grant reporting, management, and other responsibilities related to the grants associated with the Youth Advocacy Clinic.

The Assistant Professor may be assigned other duties consistent with that role and the overall goals of the Law School and the Clinical Legal Education Program, including, but not limited to, advising students, serving on law school committees, teaching other courses focused on professional skills or other courses supporting the law school curriculum.

Additional information can be found here.