Mass Swearing In Ceremony on November 13, 2013

The Alumni Office held a mass swearing in ceremony for the July 2013 bar exam passers and other AJMLS alumni on November 13, 2013. The Alumni were sworn into the Court of Appeals, Supreme Court of Georgia, and Fulton County Superior Court and were honored to be sworn in by Justice Carol Hunstein of the Supreme Court, Judge G. Alan Blackburn of the Court of Appeals, and Judge T. Jackson Bedford of the Fulton County Superior Court.  There was a reception for friends and family held after the ceremony.  Here are the pictures from the event that can be downloaded for personal use. If you have any questions about the event, please contact the Alumni Office.

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AJMLS Student Wins First Place at Keenan’s Kids Foundation 12th Annual Law Student Closing Argument Competition

Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School is pleased to announce second-year law student Ella O’Kelley recently won first place at the Keenan’s Kids Foundation’s12th annual Law Student Closing Argument Competition.The competition was established in 1997 to show students the importance of children’s rights and to encourage them into this most needed area of the law. The event also stands as an opportunity for students to gain experience in a courtroom in front of a jury.

“Each and every one of the students who competed in this event did an outstanding job,” said Foundation founder Don C. Keenan. “Our final scores were very close and I am so impressed with the dedication and preparation the students took before giving their arguments. We saw some excellent feedback from the judges and I am confident this has made a lasting impression with all the participants.” The Keenan Law Firm specializes in catastrophic child injury and death cases.  The Keenan’s Kids Foundation, started by the firm in 1993 to raise awareness on child safety, sponsors the competition to heighten the awareness of damage consideration to injured and maimed children.

A full list this year’s winners are:

– First place: Ella O’Kelley; Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School (2L)

Second Place: Mary Hashemi; Savannah Law School (2L)

– Third Place: Ramika Gourdine; Georgia State University School of Law (3L)

– Fourth Place: Utrophia Robinson; University of Georgia Law School (3L)

The law school is appreciative of the continuous hard work our students dedicate to the study of law and improving the community. At Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School, we are passionate about providing a high-quality legal education to students from all backgrounds. We offer a regular Juris Doctor Program, an Honors J.D. in Criminal Justice Program and an accelerated J.D. Program which allows students to complete law school in 2 and one-half years. For the full press release provided by The Keenan Kids Foundation, click here. To contact an admissions professional, call 404-872-3593 ##Ext. 261261 or email admissions@johnmarshall.edu.

AJMLS Students Compete in ABA Regional Negotiation Competition

Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School students Tyler Carey, Jeff Sayer, Amon Kirk, and Matt Messerli  recently represented the law school in the ABA Regional Negotiation Competition hosted by Emory University.  The competition consisted of 20 teams from across the southeast, each team made up of two students. The teams competed in two rounds on Saturday, negotiating two different contracts.  Despite a hard fought battle, neither of the two teams advanced to the finals on Sunday.  However, each team represented AJMLS well.

Three of the four team members are 1Ls and the fourth is a 2L evening student.  John Marshall is very proud of these students for showing such initiative by participating in a competition this early in their law school careers. The team worked hard preparing for the competition and learned a great deal in the process.  The law school hopes they will want to compete again next year and put all the valuable insight they gained this year to work.

AJMLS would also like to thank our dedicated alumni coaches – Thomas (Torrey) Rainey (AJMLS 2012) and Amy Zapatka (AJMLS 2013) – who took the helm for this competition.  Having alumni who have competed in these competitions and who are not only willing to help, but are enthusiastic about coming back to AJMLS to share their wisdom and experience with the next generation of competitors is invaluable for the school and for the students.

AJMLS Student to Speak at TedxEmory Fall Speaker Series

Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School student Hussainatu Blake and her twin sister Hassanatu Blake have been chosen to be the TedxEmory Fall 2013 speakers. Winners of the White House Champions of Change Award, the Blake sisters are co-founders of Focal Point Global, a non-profit whose mission is to empower underserved youth in Namibia and Cameroon using education and technology to address social issues. Their TED Talk will take place at Emory University on Thursday, November 7, 2013 at 5 p.m.

TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to promoting “ideas worth spreading.”  TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Al Gore, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Nandan Nilekani,Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Isabel Allende and UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Their TEDx series offers individuals or groups a way to host local, self-organized events around the world. Congratulations to Hussainatu and her sister on their accomplishments.