Drake Law School is proud to announce the formation of the Melanie Thwing-Eastman Public Service Law Scholarship. Melanie Thwing-Eastman, LW’15, went to law school to make the world a better place, and from day one, she began a campaign of zealous advocacy that she would carry into her career as a defense attorney. While in...
Drake University Law School will honor its 2021 and 2020 graduates during an in-person commencement ceremony on Friday, May 14, 2021, beginning at 7 p.m. at the Knapp Center. The ceremony will honor all May 2021 graduates, as well as alumni who graduated in May, August, and December 2020. In-person attendance is limited to ticketed...
Beginning in the fall of 2021, Drake Law School will offer a certificate in Social Justice and Public Interest Lawyering. The certificate, which includes a new core course in Law and Social Change, will prepare Drake Law students for careers as lawyers for underrepresented and underserved clients and communities. “This certificate aligns perfectly with our...
Drake Law School recognized two outstanding faculty members for their contributions to the Law School’s teaching, scholarship and research during the 2020-2021 academic year. Melissa Weresh, Dwight D. Opperman Distinguished Professor of Law and director of Legal Writing, was recognized as the 2021 Stevens Faculty Scholar of the Year. The Stevens Faculty Scholar of the...
Drake Law School earned a place on PreLaw Magazine’s list of “Best Law Schools for Practical Training.” Law schools were graded based on key offerings such as clinics, externships, simulation courses, and moot court participation. The annual rankings were featured in the Spring 2021 issue of the magazine. Practical training is key to ensuring that...
The Drake Constitutional Law Center will host the 2021 Constitutional Law Symposium on Saturday, April 17, from 8:40 a.m. – noon. The program will be delivered virtually via Zoom. This year, speakers will examine pragmatism as a method of constitutional interpretation. Pragmatism is considered the most significant contribution by the United States to global philosophy....
Drake University Law School has been named among the best legal writing programs in the country in U.S. News and World Report’s 2022 rankings of accredited law schools. This year, Drake’s legal writing program is ranked ninth in the nation and tied with the University of Michigan for best in the Midwest. The Law School...
Elsie Villega is a first-year student from Brooklyn, New York. She attended The City College of New York as an undergraduate, majoring in English and Economics. Prior to coming to law school, Elsie was an educator and a stenographer/court reporter. Elsie is one of a small group of students who are completing their first year...
Journalists from around the country covered the trial of Des Moines Register reporter Andrea Sahouri, who was charged with failure to disperse and interference with official acts in connection with her presence in May at a George Floyd demonstration. The prosecution of a reporter covering a protest raised important issues regarding the First Amendment and...
Drake University Law School announces the outstanding recipients of this year’s alumni awards. Joe P. Crookham, LW’68, and Jeffrey Goodman, LW’85, were each recognized as Alumni of the Year; Lieutenant Governor Adam C. Gregg, LW’09, was named 2021 Recent Alumnus of the Year; and Janet Phipps Burkhead, LW’05, received the Distinguished Public Service Award. The...