Alumni
Resolutely Solving Disputes
Thirty stories up in a downtown Portland law firm, no one seems to notice the spectacular views of the West Hills. Several of the people seated at the long conference table exchange nervous glances. The light pouring in from the sun-drenched morning does nothing to ease the four years of pain, distrust and accusations this group has experienced.
Nine people are gathered, including five plaintiffs who have sued their former employer for age discrimination and the legal teams for both sides. Already this group has been through two failed settlement conferences that left all parties feeling slighted and bruised. Still, everyone realizes that emotional and financial toll will only escalate if this case goes to trial — a process that could drag on seven years or more. So they have come to try an alternative: dispute resolution.
They are pinning their hopes on mediator Susan M. Hammer JD’76, a former partner at Stoel Rives who spent 20 years at the firm before leaving in 1998 to pursue mediation full time. She has pored over summary judgments and met with the lawyers and plaintiffs. Her goal is to have a settlement by day’s end.
Students
International Advocate
“I haven’t had a specific plan for my future,” said Larion Barsukoff, member of the Class of 2007, “but I’ve always had a vision of where I wanted to be 20 or 30 years down the road. I started from that and worked backward. As doors have opened for me in life, I tried to figure out which ones would help get me where I want to be. Law school was one of those doors.”
Faculty
A Passion for Justice — and the Lighter Side of Criminal Law
Enroll in a criminal law class with Laura I Appleman and you might just learn a thing or two about American cinema.
“My Cousin Vinny is one of the best criminal law movies ever made,” Appleman said of the 1992 slapstick comedy starring Joe Pesci. Marisa Tomei may have won an Oscar for her role in the film, but Appleman isn’t all that interested in the actors’ performances. She gives the movie a “thumbs up” for what it can teach her students about criminal law and procedure.
