Author: Carl Olsen (Carl Olsen)

Jack M. Balkin, the Knight professor of constitutional law and the First Amendment at Yale Law School, spoke at Drake's observance of Constitution Day on Thursday, Sept. 21, to a standing room-only crowd in Room 213 of Cartwright Hall.

Mary L. Dudziak, the Judge Edward J. and Ruey L. Guirado professor of law, history and political science at the University of California Law School, will give a lecture at Drake Law School at 4 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 29, 2007.

The Drake University Agricultural Law Center hosted a two-day conference in September called "Gardens for All: People, Plants and Policy." This first national effort to examine the impact public policy has on gardening drew an enthusiastic audience of more than 100 attendees from 25 states and nations.

Amanda Knief, LW'06, recently received the top prize in the American Bar Association Commission on Domestic Violence 2006 Law Student Writing Contest for the submission of her paper titled, "Gender Bias in Asylum Law: Recognizing Persecution Against Women and Girls."

Christine Branstad, LW'94, was recently appointed as director of legal network management and development at ARAG, a leading legal services provider based in Des Moines.

Two third-year Drake Law School students had articles about environmental law accepted recently for publication in nationally esteemed law reviews. Jess Phelps' "Much Ado About Decoupling: Evaluating the Environmental Impact of Recent European Union Agricultural Reform" will be included in the fall 2006 issue of Harvard Environmental Law Review

The Drake Law School will dedicate the transfer of National Bar Association (NBA) archives from the Des Moines Public Library to the Drake Law School Library on Thursday, Feb. 1, 2007, with a program, ribbon-cutting and reception. Linnes Finney Jr., president of the NBA, is scheduled to speak at the event.