Student News

While many American citizens were horrified to see Afghan men and women clinging to airplanes to try to escape Kabul in 2021, few knew how to help. But Jacob DeFazio 21C 24L’s work to help Afghan interpreters who risked their lives working with US military during America’s longest war has been recognized with a national public service award.

Emory University School of Law will open a new IP and Innovation Clinic in August.

Emory Law’s Volunteer Clinic for Veterans has built initiatives to enhance students’ experience and logged a victory which resulted in a life-changing award for a veteran client.

As Veterans Day approaches, Emory Law’s Volunteer Clinic for Veterans (VCV) expects to add new staff to expand its work to get Georgia’s former service personnel the benefits they have earned

This fall term, 281 Juris Doctor students started their 1L year at Emory Law.

Emory Law's Volunteer Clinic for Veterans (VCV) has evolved into a pivotal touchpoint addressing the legal needs of low-income Georgia veterans

Kelly Woodford joins Emory Law as assistant dean of student affairs and a member of the law school’s senior leadership team. 

Both the editor-in-chief of the Emory Law Journal and an alumnus from the Class of 1992 have won Burton/Law360 Awards for Distinguished Legal Writing this year.

Emory Law’s Environmental and Natural Resources Law program has established a new DEI scholarship and stipend program to promote broader diversity in the practice of environmental law.

Dexter A. Smith will join the Emory University School of Law community this fall as assistant dean of admission and financial aid.

Two recent Emory Law graduates have been awarded national public interest fellowships based on proposals for two-year projects they designed to address as yet unmet legal needs.

Emory Moot Court Society concluded its annual Stange Competition with the Stange Awards Dinner, marking the Society’s first official return to in-person events since 2019.

Former acting U.S. Attorney General Sally Q. Yates will address graduates of the law school.

KMCL-gift to Emory Law will increase diversity among environmental lawyers

Dean Mary Anne Bobinski's message on the importance of workers in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 2022.

We are honored by the many veterans who choose to earn their law degree at Emory. On Veteran’s Day, we honor the commitment, valor, and sacrifices made by military personnel and their families that safeguard both our democracy and the rule of law. 

90.9% of Emory Law’s first-time test takers have passed the Georgia July Bar Exam.

Congratulations to 2021 John Paul Stevens Fellows Mary Katherine "MK" Karcher 23L, Naomi-Beth McCall 23L, Teddy Randel 22L, and Megan Toomer 23L who received grants to work at public interest organizations across the country.

Suman Malempati left his career as a pediatric oncologist, researcher and associate professor of pediatrics to train as a social justice lawyer because he could “no longer be an observer.”

Vanya Starr did not set out to be a human resources specialist, and quickly learned that her favorite seminars all dealt with employment law. When she started considering pursuing a degree in HR, she naturally leaned toward a degree steeped in the law and decided to attend Emory Law's JM program, where she could take classes specialized in employment law.

Congratulations to the teams competing in the Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition and The Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition.

Kirsten Schaetzel is the English Language Specialist at Emory University School of Law. She helps multilingual and international students navigate American culture and the English language while they learn about US law.

As a Robert W. Woodruff fellow, Daniel is pursuing his juris doctor from Emory University School of Law at 30 years old.

In just nine months, an effort spearheaded by the Black Law Students Association Advisory Board has created an endowment that will allow more Black students to choose Emory Law.

Frederick Johnson, Captain, United States Air Force—or Eric Johnson 20L, as his Emory family knows him—will walk out of Emory Law with his juris doctor with high honors and march into a unique career as a judge advocate.

An Atlanta Journal-Constitution story says Georgia's two immigration courts, in South Georgia and Atlanta, have the second and third highest average asylum denial rates in the nation at 95 percent and 94 percent, respectively. Fewer than one in 10 applicants were successful from 2013-2018. The story also cites Emory Law student research and quotes adjunct professor and immigration law attorney Charles Kuck.

On February 5, Emory Law hosted the 23rd annual Emory Public Interest Committee's (EPIC) Inspiration Awards.

"Entrepreneurship is a journey which involves both discovery and markets," Bernie Carlson writes in Forbes. "The (TI:GER) Technological Innovation: Generating Economic Results program creates teams which combine a PhD. scientist or engineer, two MBA students and two law students from Emory University in order to commercialize a new technology."

A new, free immigration law clinic has launched in the Atlanta area, thanks to a partnership between Emory Law, local immigration attorneys and the Mormon Church. Emory Law students perform intake and then route advice-seekers to volunteer lawyers for on-the-spot consultations about their immigration questions. More-complex cases go to local firms or nonprofits. "We have substantial needs here, and the Atlanta Immigration Court is not so favorable to immigrants," said Assistant Dean for Public Service Rita Sheffey.

When TV star Roseanne's show was canceled after she posted an offensive tweet about Obama advisor Valerie Jarrett, some questioned whether it was a fireable action, or should have been viewed as protected free speech. Emory Law's Alex Lilly, a rising 3L, wrote on the topic for Above the Law.

Emory Law launches Emory LGBTQ Legal Services (ELLS), an organization created to provide pro bono legal assistance to members of the LGBTQ community in the Atlanta area.

Andrea Natale 17L used social media, a spreadsheet, and lawyer skills to help many Italian nationals in Florida and the Caribbean find their way to safety after Hurricane Irma.

"Real Talk with an Attorney" won the American Bar Association Award for Diversity, Law Student Division.

A message from the new interim dean of Emory Law, Judson Graves 75L.

Marcus Sandifer, chosen by his peers as the "Most Outstanding" graduating JD student for the Class of 2017, attributes his success to his family, his professors and his desire to always do better for himself and others.

For the second consecutive year, Emory Black Law Students Association (BLSA) was awarded the Regional Chapter of the Year award at their recent regional convention in Atlanta.

Emory Law advances to National Moot Court Competition

Emory Law's OUTLaw group, with the university's Office of Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender Life, hosts the public event.

Victoria "Lavender" Veran Bartlett, a second-year Emory Law student, won first prize in the Adam A. Milani Disability Law Writing Competition.

Emory International Law Review, the Immigration Law Practice Society, and Emory OUTLaw hosted a conference to address the persecution and protection of LGBTI immigrants.

Emory's mock trial team placed third in the National Ethics Trial Competition (NETC) in Sacramento, CA, March 16-20. The competition featured a case involving charges of legal malpractice.

Emory was awarded the top title of regional finalist in the New England regional competition and the second-place title of regional semi-finalist in the Southwestern regional competition.

"One of the most effective ways to advocate for people is through the law," explains Nicole Schladt, who researched United Nations policies on sexual orientation and gender identity for her master's degree before coming to Emory Law. She now serves as the graduate assistant for Emory's Office of LGBT Life.

Emory Law's Black Law Students Association (BLSA) chapter received highest honors this past weekend when they were named National BLSA Large Chapter of the Year at the NBLSA 48th Annual National Convention.  

The Emory Law team bested University of Virginia in the final round to win the 11th annual National NYU Immigration Law Competition.

Every other Monday beginning Feb. 22, a portion of the Starbucks near the new Ponce City Market in Atlanta will become a law office for veterans. The Emory Law Volunteer Clinic for Veterans will offer Military Mondays, free legal advice to veterans looking for representation on everything from service-related disability claims to pension issues.

The clinic has handled 119 cases, which have resulted in $2.5 million in benefits awarded to its clients. So far, 79 Emory Law students and 51 lawyers have volunteered. Some of their victories have been life changing.

Emory Law will host a regional section of the American Bar Association Law Student Division Arbitration Competition this weekend.

Emory Law and the Pound Civil Justice Institute will sponsor a symposium Thursday, Oct. 15, on ¿The `War¿ on the Civil Justice System.¿

Deborah Dinner and Martha A. Fineman, Robert W. Woodruff Professor of Law, recently participated in talks exploring Fineman's pioneering scholarship on vulnerability theory held across the pond at the University of Birmingham and Leeds University.

Emory Law closed its fiscal year on August 31, breaking all previous fundraising year-end totals. The school raised more than $7 million including three seven-figure gifts.

The Atlanta Bar Association commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act with an historic conversation and panel discussion featuring five prominent attorneys who share an interest in voting rights cases, including Georgia's attorney general, Sam Olens 83L.

The Center for the Study of Law and Religion at Emory University has received a $1 million gift to expand training and scholarship in religious freedom

During July, students from Beijing Normal University are attending a series of lectures at Emory Law as part of a partnership with the Chinese law school.

The Emory Law Journal's latest issue assesses the future of marriage law in the specific context of whether polygamy is constitutionally protected.

"Best College Values" recently named Emory University's Alumni Association among the Top 50 Most Powerful Alumni Networks.

UnitedLex has announced an innovative "legal residency" program with Emory Law and three other top U. S. law schools.

Three hundred ninety-one students received diplomas in Emory Law's diploma ceremony today.

Laura Rodriguez 15L has been appointed as one of 25 Immigrant Justice Corps Fellows for the 2015 class.

Team Viapore, a TI:GER team consisting of an Emory Law student and Georgia Tech MBA and PhD students, won the April TiE Atlanta Young Entrepreneurs University Competition with their medical device for spinal implants.

Jeni Lamb 16L, a student working with the Turner Environmental Law Clinic, presented her proposals to revise the Fulton County (Georgia) zoning ordinance to permit and promote urban agriculture.

Emory Law received a $1.5 million donation to help establish a John Lewis Chair in Civil Rights and Social Justice.

On the heels of impressive regional wins, Emory Law's Transactional Law Program Negotiation Team recently won Best Draft, Semi-Finalist and National Champion honors (Seller's side) at the 2015 National Transactional LawMeet.

Emory University School of Law won an international law and religion moot court competition in Venice, Italy, prevailing over 14 teams from four continents.

Monday, April 20, Emory University School of Law will host its second annual Diversity Speaker Series panel discussion.

The Emory Law Journal will host a one-day symposium on labor law on Friday, April 10 at the law school.

Five enterprising students and their implantable device for pets won first place at the 2015 Georgia Tech Startup Competition. The first-year TI:GER® team beat out 11 other finalists with their pitch for a device that will monitor and, ultimately, regulate blood glucose levels in cats and dogs.

The Emory Law Black Law Students Association mock trial team recently scored a second-place trophy at the National BLSA Thurgood Marshal Mock Trial Competition.

Emory Law has once again been ranked 19th in U.S. News & World Report's assessment of U.S. law schools

General John F. Kelly, Commander of the U. S. Southern Command, visited Emory University School of Law to offer insight on the role of law in military and security operations.

Emory University School of Law has introduced a new law review to explore the relationship between the corporation and its stakeholders in the United States and abroad.

Emory Law's Transactional Law program negotiation teams won "best negotiator" titles in regional competitions.

In February, Emory Law observed its annual Wellness Week, featuring activities to introduce students to methods of self-care that will help them stay below their thresholds of stress and anxiety.

The Turner Environmental Law Clinic and GreenLaw hosted noted toxic tort attorney Jan Schlictmann and environmental attorney Rick Kuykendall on February 10, 2015.

Gina McCarthy, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, visited Emory Law Thursday, February 5.

EPIC recognized the dedication to public service of three exemplary leaders at its 19th annual Inspiration Awards ceremony

In a lecture on international criminal justice, Ben Ferencz recounted his part in what he called the biggest murder trial in history.

Emory Law's legal clinics and externship programs engage students in all aspects of the legal process.

The Emory Law Mock Trial team advanced to the final two rounds of the ABA Section of Labor and Employment Law regional Trial Advocacy Competition in Miami.

The Fulton County (Atlanta) Daily Report featured a winning decision in the case of an Emory Law Juvenile Defender Clinic client.

The Emory Law Mock Trial Team has scored early achievements in regional competitions.

The Volunteer Clinic for Veterans has received the Law Group Excellence in Award to Justice award from the Pro Bono Section of the State Bar of Georgia.

Turner Environmental Law Clinic students, Jennifer Lamb and Michael Arwood, presented the Atlanta Public School Board with a toolkit they prepared on behalf of Georgia Organics and Atlanta Farm to Schoo

The City of Atlanta presents its urban agricultural ordinance via ATL26, its cable channel.