J. Reuben Clark Law Society

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2009-08-22T20:24:00.001-04:00

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2009-2010

2009-08-22T19:49:00.002-04:00

This is the unofficial site of the George Mason University's chapter of JRCLS. Our official site is http://students.jrcls.org/ We encourage students to sign up on the official site.

This site is not being updated because we are trying to decide what to do with it. (Whether to maintain two sites or to just to use the official site.)

If you are a GMU student or alum please feel free to comment with your thoughts on using this blog or simply using the official JRCLS site. Thanks!

Third Annual George Washington Religious Freedom Moot Court Competition

2008-10-29T13:45:00.002-04:00

The student chapter of the J. Reuben Clark Law Society at George Washington University worked with the law school in 2007 to inaugurate the National GW Religious Freedom Moot Court. The competition takes place at The George Washington University Law School in Washington, D.C. and consists of two preliminary rounds, a semifinal round, and the championship round. The preliminary rounds are to be held on the afternoon of Friday, February 6, 2009. The semi-final and championship rounds will be held on Saturday afternoon, after which there will be a reception for the participants and judges.

While many moot court competitions involve questions of constitutional law or focus on various aspects of the First Amendment, the National Religious Freedom Moot Court is the first to our knowledge that is specifically dedicated to the issue of religious freedom.

Professors Ira C. Lupu and Robert W. Tuttle, Co-Directors of the Project on Law and Religious Institutions, oversee the drafting of the Moot Court problem. Teams will be assigned to brief one side of the competition problem, but must come prepared to argue both sides.

The competition is open to 24 two-member teams and is limited to 2L, 3L and 4L students from ABA-accredited law schools. In the event that more than 24 team register to compete, teams will be asked to submit resumes and any other information they feel may bear upon their commitment to the competition and their ability to perform (e.g., their team selection process). Teams will then be selected based on the quality of their members and the teams’ commitment to the competition.

For Those Interested

Contact Ronnie Slaven at rslaven@gmu.edu or Allan Robertson at arobertb@gmu.edu.

Go to 2009 George Washington Religious Freedom Moot Court for more information.

JRCLS 2008 Elections

2008-03-24T09:47:00.003-04:00

Congratulations to the executive board for 2008-2009. The election results are:

President: Kasey Kimball
Vice-president: Brett Barrus
Treasurer: Andrew Cardon
Secretary: Vacant

Lots of thanks to the outgoing board members. It's been a great year, and we look forward to an even better year to come.

Woodward and Robertson Advance to the Quarterfinals in the GW Religious Freedom Moot Court

2008-02-25T10:07:00.003-05:00

Donna Woodward and Allan Robertson represented our student chapter of JRCLS and GMUSL at the 2nd Annual George Washington National Religious Freedom Moot Court Competition over the weekend. They faced stiff competition from some very talented competitors and difficult questions from giants in the field acting as judges. A number of the judges were extremely experienced appellate advocates and counsel on recent First Amendment cases vital to the arguments. Donna and Allan forged ahead intimidated neither by hostile panels nor the competition but were eliminated in the quarterfinal round. Eighteen teams from GMU, GW, BYU, Duke, Cornell, Boston College, Vanderbilt, Rutgers, Florida State, University of Richmond, Valparaiso, University of Baltimore, and Liberty participated in the event. A team from Duke won; a team from BYU took runner-up; a team from Florida State won best brief.

Other JRCLS members competing in moot court competitions this year include: Alex Morris, will compete in the Mid-Atlantic Round of the 49th Annual Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition at GWU Feb. 28-Mar. 2; Kasey Kimball, will compete in The 20th Annual Domenick L. Gabrielli National Family Law Moot Court Competition Mar. 6-9 in Albany, NY.

Mid-Atlantic Chapter Annual Dinner

2008-02-18T19:59:00.002-05:00

Several GMU student-members of the JRCLS attended the local attorneys' chapter annual dinner, and then watched Justice O'Connor's speech to the JRCLS national convention over satellite broadcast.

The Mid-Atlantic chapter fed us well, and encouraged the attorneys and students to meet each other and find networking opportunities.

Justice O'Connor's speech was an extended discourse into attorney ethics, and the imperative to affirmatively do good, and not simply avoid doing bad.

JRCLS Sends Two to the Religious Freedom Moot Court Competition

2008-02-05T12:47:00.000-05:00

GMU-JRCLS is sponsoring a moot court team in the 2008 George Washington National Moot Court Competition. Last year the GW student chapter of JRCLS played the central role in the competition's inauguration. Donna Woodward and Allan Robertson make up the team. This year's problem involves a question of the constitutionality of the military chaplaincy. The question is whether and to what degree the military may regulate the actions of its chaplains. It is a complicated question implicating the Establishment Clause, Free Exercise Clause, Free Speech Clause, and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (remember Smith, the Oregon peyote case, from Con Law?). In their brief, submitted on February 1, Donna and Allan represented a chaplain who has been censured for proselytizing and making controversial statements to a congregation of his own denomination. Oral arguments will be February 22 and 23 at The George Washington University Law School.

JRCLS peeks inside the Supreme Court

2007-11-09T09:01:00.000-05:00

GMU-JRCLS toured the Supreme Court Friday afternoon with one of Justice Thomas' clerks.

We got to see the traditional tourist spots in the Court, like the courtroom, library, and the basement.

We were also shown the self-supporting spiral staircase, the basketball court at the top of the building (said to be the highest court in the land), the clerks' office, and the Justices' dining room.

Guest Lecture: "Who Was J. Reuben Clark?"

2007-10-15T12:03:00.000-04:00

J. D. Evans addressed the Mason JRCLS student chapter on Wednesday night for almost an hour in the Original Building. He gave a brief biographical sketch of J. Reuben Clark's rocket rise as a law student, lawyer, soliciter at the Department of State, ambassador, and then his abrupt entry into church administration as Heber J. Grant's second counselor, and a member of the First Presidency for the rest of his long life.

Brother Evans sampled some of President Clark's writings and stances on legal, religious, and political issues, and conveyed elements of Clark's testimony as well.

GMU-JRCLS at the Student Organization Fair

2007-08-27T16:28:00.000-04:00

If you missed the Mason JRCLS Student Chapter at the SBA Student Organization Fair, on Wednesday September 5 in the atrium, check out the rest of this blog or visit www.jrcls.org. For chapter membership information, email gmujrcls@gmail.com. Thanks to Ezra, et al. for manning the table.

School-year Kickoff BBQ!

2007-08-15T11:23:00.000-04:00

On Saturday, 25 August, the 3rd Annual GMU J. Reuben Clark Law Society School-year Kick-off Barbeque was held at the McLean Stake Center. Despite the rain, we came, cooked, ate, and had a great time.

President Nic Gordon at the grill;

Anabel Gordon, Christy Takos, and Shannon Hood, wives of Nic, 2L, Zach, 3L, and Ezra, 2L, respectively.

After dinner, left to right: Dillon Martinson, 2L, Anabel Gordon, Amy Martinson, Ann Marie Giles, Allan Robertson, 2L, Ezra Hood, 2L, Matt Giles, 2L, Deborah Spencer, Russell Spencer, 2L, Andrew Cardon, 1L, Christy Takos, Zach Takos, 3L, Amy Cardon.

Michelle Robertson and her daughter, Hannah.

Virginia Residency Workshop

2007-08-10T10:53:00.000-04:00

On Saturday, July 14, 2007, the Chapter hosted a workshop, "How to Obtain In-State Residency," at the LDS Arlington Building. Joseph Kroupa and Jon Brodegard offered presentations describing their experiences seeking in-state residency status. The workshop was elucidating and encouraging.

Jon's and Joseph's presentations included the documents they used to secure in-state residency, the steps one may take, and synopses and citations of cases, both successfully and unsuccessfully prosecuted, concerning appeals for in-state residency.

Thanks to Joseph and Jon for all their hard work. Workshop handouts are available; email gmujrcls@gmail.com for them.