Category: Student News

On May 19, 2018, the 2018-2019 Student Bar Association (SBA) Executive Board took office. Thank you to the 2017-2018 Board for your tireless work on behalf of the Atlanta’s John Marshall student body, we are excited to follow your success as new attorneys.

The primary objective of the SBA Executive Board is to represent the viewpoints of the student body, and serve as a conduit between the students and administration. Your 2018-2019 Executive Board is already hard at work on your behalf, and looks forward to a productive academic year.

Genghis Shakhan, President

Where were you raised: Columbus, Ohio

Where did you complete your undergraduate and/or graduate education: The Ohio State University: B.A English, M.A Literature, M.Ed Secondary Education

What are your future career plans: Business Law and Public Interest

What do you look forward to as the SBA President: I look forward most to serving the student body and being a conduit and agent of change.

What are your goals in the position this academic year: My primary goal is to elevate the prestige of the law school and increase consumer confidence.

What do you want your classmates to know about you: All of my life I have wanted to help people just like my mother. In all I do I try my best to emulate her example; sometimes I fail, but oftentimes I succeed.

Chelsea Wilkerson, Vice President

Where were you raised: I was born in Hahira, Georgia in 1994 then moved with my immediate family to Sylvester, Georgia

Where did you complete your undergraduate and/or graduate education: I earned my Bachelors in Sociology at Georgia State University

What are your future career plans: To be an advocate for impoverished and homeless populations by providing legal services involving housing, education, and access to healthcare legal issues

What do you look forward to as the SBA Vice President: Mostly serving the student body by incorporating board initiatives to make 2018-2019 a great academic year, as well as addressing students’ most pressing concerns. I also look forward to working on my own initiatives in my capacity as Vice President that will draw students closer to the Atlanta community while encouraging a sense of community within the law school.

What are your goals in the position this academic year: My mission is to make lasting investments, and the best way to do that is by investing in the students by promoting personal and professional standards of conduct, belief in oneself, appreciation for this amazing opportunity that we all sacrificed to maintain, and pride in the profession of being agents of change as attorneys at law. My goals are to incorporate innovative energy into student events, collaborate with the student organizations, and foster public service. One of the ways that I will foster public service is by spearheading a suits, shoes, and dress clothes drive for men’s clothing.

What do you want your classmates to know about you: I’m too excited about my 3L year for words. I am so grateful and proud of myself for coming this far. I hope you are too, because it’s not over yet!

Stephanie Dennis, Treasurer

Where were you raised: I grew up in Johns Creek, Georgia

Where did you complete your undergraduate and/or graduate education: I graduated from Georgia State University in 2014

What are your future career plans: I am still exploring what type of law I would like to practice in the future, but eventually I would like to open my own firm after I gain experience in the legal industry.

What do you look forward to as the SBA Treasurer: The thing I look forward to the most is earning the trust of the student body by being transparent and fair.

What are your goals in the position this academic year: My main goal is to be as transparent and fair as possible with the student body about where student fees are going and why. Law school is a huge financial investment and I believe students should not be left feeling like they do not know what they are paying for.

What do you want your classmates to know about you: I feel like a lot of law students don’t know who to turn to when they have a problem or a need a question answered—I certainly felt that way multiple times during 1L year. I want my classmates to know that if you have a question or are having an issue about anything (even things unrelated to my position as SBA Treasurer), just come talk to me. If I can’t help you, I’ll find someone who can!

Natalie Foster, Secretary

Where were you raised: I was born and raised in Long Beach, California

Where did you complete your undergraduate and/or graduate education: After high school graduation, I moved to Atlanta to begin my collegiate career at Spelman College. I completed my undergraduate degree at Middle Tennessee State University, where I obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology with minors in Psychology and Writing.

What are your future career plans: Though my career path is still forming, I have developed a passion for oral advocacy, opening avenues for appellate work in my future. Additionally, I have an interest in assisting minority college students get into, and succeed in, law school. I hope to open a program with this goal as its focus.

What do you look forward to as the SBA Secretary: As SBA Secretary in the 2018-2019 academic year, I look forward to bridging the gap between the SBA Executive Board and the student body. There has been an interest and need in the past years among the students for transparency. I look forward to delivering that transparency through efficient and open communication.

What are your goals in the position this academic year: My goals for my position align with this goal, as a large part of the secretary’s job functions include disseminating information to the student body. I aim to keep the student body informed and at ease about how the executive board is furthering its interests.

What do you want your classmates to know about you: I want my classmates to know that I am here to serve them. I want them to know that, despite my busy schedule and other activities in which I am involved, performing my duties well as Secretary are my top priority. I am open to their questions, comments, and feedback and hope that my classmates will always feel as though they can reach out to me. I aim to be accessible and transparent.

Dwight Harris, Parliamentarian

Where were you raised: I was raised in Americus, Georgia, Sumter County

Where did you complete your undergraduate and/or graduate education: I completed my undergraduate education at THE Albany State University located in Albany, Georgia

What are your future career plans: My future career plans entail working as an Assistant District Attorney in either the state of Georgia or Maryland. Eventually, I will work toward an elected position on either a state or federal level to effect change in the field of law with a political angle. The pinnacle of my career goals will end with being a justice on the highest court in the land, The United States Supreme Court.

What do you look forward to as the SBA Parliamentarian: I look forward to serving the student body and producing tangible, positive results that would benefit the students.

What are your goals in the position this academic year: My goals revolve around three main pillars: Efficiency, Transparency and Communication. Through Efficiency, I plan to make information and processes available to the entire student body in a more convenient format. We are a generation of technology. Therefore, it should be utilized to benefit the student body. With Transparency, I plan to provide the student body with adequate information about important issues, so they can make informed decisions about their educational experience. This leads to the third pillar, Communication. The phrase, “Communication, is key!” is paramount to any successful relationship. I plan to put the voice of the student body back in Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School through a series of initiatives. With these three pillars, I have hope we can reach the ultimate goal of PROGRESS.

What do you want your classmates to know about you: I want my fellow colleagues to know it is an honor to serve as the 2018-2019 SBA Parliamentarian and I will fulfill my role to the best of my abilities. Also, I want my colleagues to know that I am a diverse student that can adapt and relate to all of you on many different levels. I have experienced and lived through many things. I am always up for a conversation with anyone because I think there is a “Blessing in Every Lesson.” Thank you Everyone.

The Office of Student Affairs and Pro Bono Programs recently presented the Outstanding Student Award for April to Maurice “Reece” Riden. Each month the Office of Student Affairs and Pro Bono Programs recognizes one Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School (AJMLS) students who has excelled in the areas of distinguished service to others, citizenship, innovation, leadership, diversity advancement, and promotion of the John Marshall Proud spirit. The recipient serves as a source of pride and inspiration to others by giving unselfishly of themselves to enhance life on and off campus. In addition, these student leaders make AJMLS a better place for all of us.

Riden is a change agent, servant and leader. We have all seen Riden around campus wearing many hats and performing many roles, and he has been outstanding in his service to the law school and the community. He currently serves as a student ambassador and mentor in the Peer Mentoring Program and has been recognized for his work on and off campus. This year, he received the Phi Alpha Delta Vice Justice Award from the national chapter of Phi Alpha Delta and the 2018 Peer Mentor of the Year Award. Riden’s mentees in the Peer Mentoring Program speak very highly of him and his contributions to the school’s mentoring program. Not only does Riden coach and provide guidance and direction to his mentees, he also selflessly offers a helping hand, listening ear and words of encouragement to many other students on a regular basis. According to one upperclassman, he has taken many of our 1Ls and 2Ls under his wing who were not assigned to him through the mentoring program and has worked closely with these students to ensure their success. Riden is dedicated to being his best, helping others to be their best, and making a positive impact.

Riden’s civic mindedness and volunteerism extend beyond the walls of the law school and legal community. Through his membership with Phi Alpha Delta, he organized weekly visits to My Sister’s House of the Atlanta Mission. He also assisted with the GABWA Glitter Gala and is a mentor and role model for young men through his church’s youth group. He is a strong proponent for diversity initiatives and inclusion. Notably, Riden was one of the three top candidates for the Law School Admission Council Diversity Office’s summer program. And while he is excited for graduation, we will certainly miss him. Thank you, Reece, for all that you do for the AJMLS community. You are outstanding!

Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School (AJMLS) proudly awarded the Spring 2018 Outstanding Student Organization of the Semester Award to the Black Law Students Association (BLSA). This award recognizes student organizations that have excelled in leadership and made positive contributions to the student experience, the law school, and the surrounding community in a given semester. In addtion, BLSA deserves double kudos, as it was also awarded this honor in Fall 2017.

Included below are some of the events that BLSA sponsored this semester:

• Black History Month Symposium;
• Mental Health Seminar;
• Black Panther Movie Night; and
• 25 Year Anniversary Celebration.

Notably, BLSA raised in excess of $5000 for scholarship funds for the 25 Year Anniversary Celebration. In addition, BLSA spearheaded a month-long celebration for Black History Month, in which they recognized the accomplishments of prominent black figures on the JMTV community screens.

The Selection Committee thoughtfully reviewed each nomination. Although BLSA was ultimately selected for the award, the Committee was impressed with the accomplishments of all AJMLS student organizations. The Committee would also like to give honorable mentions to the Corporate and Business Law Society and the Solo Practitioners’ Law Society.

Congratulations, BLSA, on being chosen as the Spring 2018 Outstanding Student Organization! We cannot wait to see all the good you continue to do in the AJMLS community.

Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School (AJMLS) recently sent two teams to the Southern Regional Frederick Douglass Moot Court Competition (SRBLSA) in Birmingham, Alabama. The first team consisted of Chelsea Wilkerson (Class of 2019) and Genghis X. Shakhan (Class of 2019) and the second team consisted of Natalie Foster (Class of 2019) and JoVanne Stewart (Class of 2019).

AJMLS is pleased to announce that both teams made a great showing at the SRBLSA Convention and represented the Law School admirably. Wilkerson was commended by multiple judges for being “unshakable” and for her ability to command their attention. Shakhan was told he ‘belonged in a courtroom’ by the National Moot Court Advisor and received positive feedback for his ability to handle difficult questions from the bench with ease.

After defeating teams from Emory University, the University of Alabama, and the University of North Carolina, Foster and Stewart placed first in the competition. They impressed the judges with their superior oral and written advocacy skills and their thoughtful responses to difficult questions. They will advance to participate in the National Competition scheduled to take place in Brooklyn, New York.

Please congratulate all of our competitors for their outstanding performance! Please also wish the members of the team luck as they prepare for the national competition.

Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School (AJMLS) 3L student, Crystal Fenn, recently secured one of the four Gate City Bar Association 2017 Scholarships following an application and essay process. Fenn learned of the scholarship opportunity from the AJMLS Office of Student Affairs and Pro Bono Programs and the Black Law Students Association (BLSA).

Fenn is set to graduate from AJMLS later this month. Her post-graduation goals are to pass the February 2018 Bar Examination and secure a position practicing Estate Planning and Civil Rights litigation. During her three years at AJMLS, Crystal was active on campus and dedicated to her studies. Her favorite courses were Race and Law, taught by Professor Alphran (pictured with Fenn), and Constitutional Law. She also served as the Marketing Manager for the National Lawyers Guild.

The Gate City Bar Association was founded in 1948 and is the oldest African-American bar association in the state of Georgia. It was established to provide the educational, social and community involvement of a professional association for African-American lawyers. Part of our mission is to encourage persons of outstanding promise to attend first-rate law schools and return to the communities that need their services most.*

Congratulations on this honor, Crystal! We wish you all the best following graduation. The AJMLS community looks forward to your continued success.

*From the Gate City Bar Association website.

Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School proudly awarded the Fall 2017 Outstanding Student Organization of the Semester Award to the Black Law Students Association (BLSA). This award recognizes student organizations that have excelled in leadership and made positive contributions to the student experience, the law school, and the surrounding community in a given semester. Included below are some of the events that BLSA sponsored this semester:

• Throwback Thursday Event;
• Professional Workshop Event;
• Morris, Manning and Martin Attorney Dinner;
• Atlanta Community Food Bank Community Service;
• BLSA Children’s Book Drive;
• Locking Up Our Own, James Forman, Jr. Speaker Event;
• Marshall Movie Event.

Congratulations, BLSA, on being chosen as the Fall 2017 Outstanding Student Organization! We cannot wait to see all the good you continue to do in the AJMLS community.

For the second consecutive year, Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School (AJMLS) has been invited to send well-accomplished students from Professor Van Detta’s summer Online International Business Transactions course to a major international arbitration conference in Atlanta. The conference, the 6th Annual Conference – International Business Disputes in an Era of Receding Globalism, is hosted by AtlAS, the Atlanta International Arbitration Society. The conference will take place on October 22nd and 23rd at the OMNI Atlanta Hotel. At the conference, the students will act as rapporteurs, whose job it is to take detailed notes of each panel session, write up a professional summary of that session, and get that summary ready for publication.

Typically, schools send only one student rapporteur, but AJMLS was privileged to send three in 2016, Sadia Ali, Michael Wynter, and Sharon Payne (AJMLS ’16). This year AJMLS has been invited to send two student rapporteurs, Ivrol Hines and Hassan Kouyate, both of whom excelled in Professor Van Detta’s Contracts I and II and Online International Business Transactions course. AtlAS seeks student rapporteurs that have both an interest in global business and arbitration and good comprehension and writing ability. The conference presents a unique and valuable opportunity for accomplished AJMLS students to meet global arbitration practitioners. Joyce Klemmer, Esq., at Partner at Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP, is a member of the Board of AtlAS which organizes the conference, advises that this presents “a valuable opportunity for students, a productive tie between AtlAS and the law schools, and results in a useful set of materials for lawyer and academics around the world who are interested in international commercial arbitration, whether they attended the conference or not.”

Many congratulations to Professor Van Detta, Ivrol, and Hassan. We wish our student rapporteurs our best at the upcoming conference and we thank Professor Van Detta for his continued commitment to the AJMLS students and community.

Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School proudly awarded the Spring 2017 Outstanding Student Organization of the Semester Award to National Lawyers Guild (NLG). This award recognizes student organizations that have excelled in leadership and made positive contributions to the student experience, the law school, and the surrounding community in a given semester. Included below are some of the events that NLG sponsored this semester:

• Legal Observer Training;
• Landlord Tenant Training;
• How to Start and Run a Solo Civil Rights Practice (panel discussion);
• World Day of Social Justice;
• Know Your Rights Immigration Training;
• Soul Food Day;
• Cultural Spotlight Series (co-sponsored with the Latin American Law Student Association);
• Viewing of the Documentary “13th” (co-sponsored with the Criminal Law Society and the American Constitutional Society); and
• Celebrating LGBTQ Pride- LIPS ATL.

Congratulations, NLG, on being chosen as the Spring 2017 Outstanding Student Organization!

Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School (“AJMLS”) 3L student, Kendra Livingston, recently contributed to the writing of an article that was published in the December 2016 Georgia Bar Journal. An electronic copy of the article, entitled No Vacation: Top Criminal Defense Attorneys Travel to Tbilisi, can be found here and by clicking to page 32. A special thanks to Kendra can be found on page 35.

The article is a worthy read about eight Georgia lawyers who recently traveled to Tbilisi, which is the capital of the country of Georgia. In January 2017, the Republic of Georgia granted all criminal defendants the right to a jury trial. The resulting dilemma was that local lawyers and their clients were mostly uneducated in the art of trial advocacy. The purpose of the trip was to educate and empower local defense attorneys. More trips are planned in the future to continue the training process.

I encourage the AJMLS community to read this article. Congratulations, Kendra! This is a wonderful accomplishment.

The results of the SBA Student Representative Elections are in!

Please see below the list of 2016-2017 SBA Student Representatives:

1L Full-time Section A Representatives: Dwight Harris and Mikah Fuller
1L Full-time Section B Representatives: Samantha Beskin and Randy Williams
1L Criminal Justice Honors Representative: Jasmine Davis
1L Part-time Student Representatives: Bianca Hancock and Tasha Lumpkin
2L Full-time Student Representatives: Kamaria Womack and John Brumfield
2L Criminal Justice Honors Representative: Calvana Cedant
2L Part-time Student Representatives: Alexa Callaway and Randall Mixon
3L Full-time Student Representatives: Emmanuela Saint-Jean and Sharon Payne
3L Part-time Student Representative: Megan McCulloch
4L Part-time Student Representative: Alicia Thompson

Please congratulate your new student representatives! Thank you to all the candidates and students who participated in the SBA electoral process!

Remember, continue to Be Present. Be Intentional. Be Impactful.

The G. Alan Blackburn Competition is a culmination of all the hard work that the first year students have put into their Legal Writing, Research, and Analysis (LWRA) II problem. This year’s competition was comprised of the top four students from each LWRA II class, a total of thirty-six students.

The competition was four rounds with the final round being held on Wednesday, April 20th. The competitors were judged by Advocacy Board members in the first two rounds, AJMLS Alumni in the third round, and three sitting judges and a practicing attorney for the final round. The final round judges were Presiding Judge Anne Elizabeth Barnes of the Georgia Court of Appeals, Judge Christopher J. McFadden of the Georgia Court of Appeals, Judge Ural D. Glanville of Fulton County Superior Court, and Mr. Allen Wallace.

The final round competitors were: Zalak Raval, Rayshawn Williams, Andrew Puckett, and Allison Whitfield.
Williams and Mr. Puckett won Runner-Up Best Oralists this year.
Ms. Raval and Ms. Whitfield won Best Oralists for the final round.
Ms. Whitfield and Ms. Sarah Owensby won the best brief awards for their respective positions.

In addition to those results, the following students were awarded an invitation to the Advocacy Board as Provisional Members based on their performances:

Zalak Raval, Brandi Sluss, Nana-Yaa Amaning, Rayshawn Williams, Sarah Owensby, Tarla Atwell, Heather Kuhn, Andrew Puckett, Allison Whitfield, Kamaria Womack, and Bailey Edwards.

Please congratulate these students on their tremendous accomplishments!

Award winners with the final round judges: Pictured from left to right are Mr. Allen Wallace, Judge Ural D. Glanville, Zalak Raval, Rayshawn Williams, Andrew Puckett, Allison Whitfield, Judge Anne Elizabeth Barnes, and Judge Christopher J. McFadden. Not pictured: Sarah Owensby.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Invitees to the Advocacy Board: Pictured from left to right are Mr. Allen Wallace, Judge Ural D. Glanville, Tarla Atwell, Allison Whitfield, Rayshawn Williams, Kamaria Womack, Zalak Raval, Andrew Puckett,  Judge Anne Elizabeth Barnes, and Judge Christopher J. McFadden. Not pictured: Brandi Sluss, Nana-Yaa Amaning, Sarah Owensby, Heather Kuhn, and Bailey Edwards.

Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School Sports & Entertainment Law Society, The Atlanta Entertainment basketball League and Econtii Music Group are proud to present the 2016 Sports, Music & Entertainment Summit (SMES). The summit will take place on February 20, 2016 from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School’s Blackburn Conference Center.

This one-day summit will feature panels, workshops, interviews, a luncheon and an evening mixer that will provide education and networking opportunities for local students and professionals. “The mission of SMES is to inspire, build and contribute to the sports, music & entertainment industry by providing educational resources to students and professionals through connections, guest speaking panels and educational materials,” said Portia Mazone, owner and creative director of Econtii Music Group, an Atlanta-based entertainment resources and consulting firm.

The founding partners of SMES plan to merge sports, music and entertainment industry insiders, college students looking to enter into the workforce and working professionals with the hopes of helping them connect, learn and build. Film, sports and music panels will be at the heart of this day-long summit. Attendees will also participate in workshops, interviews, a luncheon and an evening mixer.

SMES will take place at the Blackburn Conference Center at 1405 Spring St NW, Atlanta, GA 30309. Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.SMESATL.Eventbrite.com or upon entry. For college students with a school I.D., the entry fee is $15. For all others, general admission is $25.

SMES Schedule

9:00 A.M. – Check In/Registration

10:00 A.M. – 11:00 A.M – Learn the Biz Workshops

Live Nation Entertainment Presents: Sync or Swim – A Workshop on syncing, micro licensing, and streaming considerations.
– Julie Roach, Principal Attorney and Owner of Julie K. Roach, Esq., LLC
– Ashley Hollan Couch, Principal at The Hollan Entertainment Law Group, LLC
– Emily Kaye, Artist Rights Acquisitions-Live Nation

Beyond The Game: Sports Law Workshop
– Cecelia Townes, Esq.

11:15 A.M. – 12:15 P.M. – Lights, Camera, Action: Television & Film in Atlanta – Moderated by Rea Davis, Entertainment Journalist

– M. Scott Boone, Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School Associate Dean for Academic Programs, Associate Professor
– Patty Miranda, Digital Entertainment Officer, Mayor’s Office of Film & Entertainment, City of Atlanta
– Lee Cuthbert, Georgia Department of Economic Development Film, Music and Digital Entertainment Office
– Tory Edwards- Vitamin E Media
12:30P.M.-1:30P.M. – The Playbook: The Business of Sports – Moderated by Bria Janelle of LoudGenius.Com
– Nzinga Shaw, Atlanta Hawks, Chief Officer of Diversity & Inclusion
– Jahi Rawlings, CEO, Atlanta Entertainment Basketball League
– Jay Pearson, WNBA Agent and Owner of Sports Wire Management and Media Company
– Sunny Wilkins, Esq.
– Cecelia Townes, Esq, Beyond The Game, LLC

1:45 P.M. – 2:45 P.M. – Lunch Mixer

3:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. – The Future of the Music Business – Moderated by Karen Marie Mason of Artist Launch

– Ray Daniels, Sr. VP of A&R Interscope Records
– Jenny Drake, Music Industry & Marketing Executive
– Jason Reddick, Promotions Director Of Radio One Atlanta Hot 107.9
– Tamiko Hope, PR to The Stars, WordInk
– Mike Walbert, Executive Director A3C Hip Hop Festival

4:15 P.M. – 6:00 P.M. – Networking Mixer

ABOUT Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School’s Sports & Entertainment Law Society:
Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School’s Sports and Entertainment Law Society (SELS) provides students with access to practitioners and other individuals in the sports and entertainment law fields, to afford students the opportunity to pursue and explore the many areas of sports and entertainment law.

ABOUT The Atlanta Entertainment Basketball League:
Atlanta Entertainment Basketball League (AEBL), founded by Jahi Rawlings in 2013, is Atlanta’s newest live sports and entertainment attraction for competitive basketball played by current, former and aspiring NBA players, celebrities, entertainers and local athletes.

ABOUT Econtii Music Group:
Econtii Music Group (EMG) is an entertainment consulting firm based in Atlanta, geared towards assisting professionals who are seeking project guidance in the entertainment industry. EMG specializes in legal research, branding and connecting professionals to the resources they need in order to successfully navigate throughout the entertainment industry.

For additional information, please contact Jah Rawlings at Jahirawlings3@gmail.com

For media inquiries, contact inf.smes@gmail.com

The Advocacy Board of Atlanta’s John Marshall is pleased to announce that our trial team placed as quarter finalists in the Carolinas Invitational Mock Trial Tournament. Twelve teams competed in the tournament which was hosted by the Charlotte School of Law and which involved a state criminal charge of Murder in the First Degree.

Competitors were: James Boles (3L), Sara Wardlow (2L), Sarah Pomella (3L), and Adrienne Thornton (3L). The team was coached by attorney Mitchell McGough of Atlanta.

Each spring the Student Bar Association hosts the Barrister’s Ball for the law school community as an opportunity to take a break from classes and enjoy an evening socializing with classmates, professors, alumni and friends. This year will be no different as the SBA will hold this year’s ball at Opera Nightclub on April 11, 2015 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

This year, students, faculty and staff tickets are free. Guest and alumni tickets will be on sale for $20. There is no RSVP needed to attend, but attendees will be required to pick up their tickets and pay for guests tickets prior to the day of the event. Ticket tables will be held in the lobby from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on:

• March 25th
• March 30th
• March 31st
• April 1st
• April 6th

The theme for this year will be masquerade. For more information, please contact SBA Secretary Meaghan Eustice at maeustice@johnmarshall.edu.

Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School’s Black Law Students Association (BLSA), in conjunction with the SBA, recently donated over 440 pounds of non-perishable items to the Atlanta Community Food Bank. The staff at the food bank was overjoyed at the sizable donation and expressed their gratitude for the students and staff who worked tirelessly to collect cans for a great cause.

Additionally, the John Marshall BLSA chapter was recognized by the Southern Region of the National Black Law Students Association (SRBLSA) for its work in the community. During their annual Academic Retreat, SRBLSA reported that the AJMLS chapter contributed the largest amount of canned goods in the entire region. The BLSA executive board would like to thank all who contributed to this wonderful cause. For more information on BLSA, visit the Student Organizations page of the website. The Atlanta Community Food Bank is always looking for volunteers and donations. More information about this organization is available on their website.

Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School recently sent two teams to compete in the 2014 Regional ABA Negotiations Competition at Mercer University. The competition consisted of two preliminary rounds where the teams negotiated two fact patterns received in the weeks leading up to the competition. Following the conclusion of the two preliminary rounds, the competition pool was reduced from 24 teams to four. The law school is pleased to announce that the team of Robert Rentfrow (1L) and Jeff Sayer (2L) was one of the four teams, together with three teams from Florida International University, to advance to the final round.

This is the third time in the past four years that John Marshall has placed a team in the final round of the Regional ABA Negotiations Competition. This is a great accomplishment for The Boardroom and the law school as a whole. The team would like to specially thank alumnus Ben Stidham who competed in the 2012 Regional ABA Negotiations Competition. Ben generously donated his time and experience to work with the team on this year’s problem and traveled with the team to Macon the day of the competition. The law school is extremely privileged to have such devoted alumni who continue to support the school and its students.

Congratulations again to Robert and Jeff on this outstanding accomplishment and their wonderful representation of Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School.

The Student Bar Association at Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School would like to thank the entire student body for taking the time out of their busy schedules to participate in the 2014-2015 SBA Representative Elections. The votes have been counted and the winners are as follows:

• 1L Section A Representatives: Hayley Settles and Victoria Arzu
• 1L Section B Representatives: Jessica Gomez and Sara Wardlow
• 1L Part Time Evening Representatives: Megan McCulloch and Shaquana Ellison
• 1L Criminal Justice Honors Representative: Callie Adams
• 2L Full Time Representatives: Travis Foreman and Sarah Metz
• 2L Part Time Representatives: Lynda Parks and Alicia Thompson
• 3L Full Time Representatives: Danielle Douglas and Essence Beal
• 3L Part Time Representative: Michelle Reilly
• 4L Part Time Representative: Chantiel Bell

On behalf of the law school, congratulations to those who were elected! Students are free to contact either the SBA Executive Board or the appropriate class representative with questions or concerns as the primary objective of the SBA is to articulate the views of the student body to the administration and faculty. For more information on the SBA or other student organizations at the law school, visit the Student Organizations page.