China Expels Former Interpol Chief From Communist Party for ‘Extravagant’ Spending
By Javier C. Hernández
The New York Times
March 27, 2019

Excerpt:
The harsh punishment of Mr. Meng is probably an effort by Mr. Xi, China’s most powerful leader since Mao, to signal that political loyalty is paramount, experts said.

“This shows they’re much more insecure about their own domestic issues than sometimes we think,” said Julian G. Ku, a Hofstra University professor who studies China’s relationship with international law.

A version of this article appears in print on March 28, 2019, on Page A9 of the New York edition with the headline: China Punishes Former Interpol Chief for His ‘Extravagant Lifestyle’.

Read the full story on the New York Times website.

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The article “The Indignities of Civil Litigation” by Professor Matthew A. Shapiro has been accepted for publication in the Boston University Law Review.

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Julian Ku, the Maurice A. Deane Distinguished Professor of Constitutional Law, presented on March 30 at the 113th Annual Meeting of the American Society of International Law (ASIL) in Washington, D.C. The theme of the annual meeting was “International Law as an Instrument.”

Professor Ku spoke as a panelist for the roundtable session “Asia’s Response to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy.” The title of his presentation was “Taiwan and the Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy.”

View more details about the annual meeting on the ASIL website.

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The paper “The Indignities of Civil Litigation” by Professor Matthew A. Shapiro was selected for presentation on June 5 at the 20th session of the Yale/Stanford/Harvard Junior Faculty Forum, hosted by Yale Law School.

Another of Professor Shapiro’s papers was also selected for this year’s forum but will not be presented in light of the selection of “The Indignities of Civil Litigation.”

View more information about the Junior Faculty Forum on the SSRN website.

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Four Hofstra Law students have been selected to participate in the New York City Bar’s 2019 Diversity Fellowship Program.

First-year students (left to right in photo) Jacob Manzoor, Dawn Sudama, Faith Pappalardo and D’Andre Chapman will have the opportunity to spend their summer working at one of the participating law firms and corporate law departments.

The selection criteria for the fellowship were demanding. After completing a legal writing requirement, preparing a personal statement and being interviewed by a Hofstra Law screening committee, the students were then interviewed by a panel of attorneys and other school representatives, who reviewed the candidates’ undergraduate and law school transcripts, resumes, personal statements and legal writing samples. The students were able to clear all of these hurdles and receive an assignment from one of the participating employers.

Founded in 1991, the Diversity Fellowship Program provides first-year law students from underrepresented populations the chance to spend a summer in one of New York’s leading law firms and corporate/government law departments.

Hundreds of diverse and talented first-year law students from 11 New York City-area law schools have been given a rare and valuable opportunity to jump-start their careers in the law by spending their 1L summer at one of the outstanding participating law firms and corporate law departments. Hofstra Law has had 82 Diversity Fellows since the program’s inception.

Program alumni have achieved success at all levels of the professions, including as law firm partners, general counsels, assistant district attorneys, assistant attorneys general, entrepreneurs and executive directors.

About the Fellows

D’Andre Chapman

Summer Placement: TIAA

“Humbled, proud, excited and even a bit thunderstruck are all the things I felt when I learned I would receive an opportunity of this magnitude. The New York City Bar Diversity Fellowship program offers students the opportunity to work for some of the biggest firms and companies in the world. The program genuinely understands that the law would do itself a great disservice if it did not allow many different voices from many different backgrounds to be heard. Thank you to the former fellows for their encouragement and assistance during an already strenuous law school semester. Thank you to the Office of Career Services staff for their daily nurturing and their dedicated career services. Thank you to my mom, my strength and compass on every journey. I am sure I will develop invaluable skills working for an extraordinary company such as TIAA. However, this opportunity is not about me, it is about showing black boys with single moms like me across the world that you can still do anything, and I hope it shows just that.”

Jacob Manzoor

Summer Placement: New York Life

“The New York City Bar Diversity Fellowship is an opportunity that not many 1Ls get the chance to partake in, and I am humbled to be able to join New York Life as a summer associate. I know that the summer will bring challenging and exciting opportunities, and I am delighted to have the chance to work alongside the talented legal team at New York Life. I am especially grateful for all of the help and support I have received from the prior fellows and the Office of Career Services. I look forward to starting my position and gaining invaluable experience that will help me build my skills as a professional in the legal field. I also look forward to the day when I can give back and help prepare the next set of candidates to become New York City Bar Diversity Fellows.”

Faith Pappalardo

Summer Placement: MetLife

“I am extremely grateful to have been selected for the New York City Bar Diversity Fellowship. The Office of Career Services and prior fellows worked closely with me to ensure I was more than prepared for every step of the process. I am excited to start work this summer at MetLife in their internal legal department, which will give me exposure to a variety of legal practice areas. I look forward to sharing my summer experience with Hofstra Law students this upcoming fall.”

Dawn Sudama

Summer Placement: Morgan Stanley

“I am extremely grateful and honored to be chosen to participate in the 2019 New York City Bar Diversity Fellowship Program. Words cannot explain the gratitude I have for the constant help and support of the Office of Career Services, my professors, and of the former fellows throughout the long process. I look forward not only to my experience at Morgan Stanley, but also to pay forward the help and support given to me for Hofstra candidates in the years to come.”

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The Hofstra Law team of (L-R in the photo) Michael Grazio 2L, Cara Pascarella 2L, Gabriella Malfi 3L and Ryan Donahue 2L advanced to the semifinals in the eighth annual South Texas Mock Trial Challenge, hosted from March 28-31 by the South Texas College of Law Houston.

The team was coached by Jared Rosenblatt ’03 (at right in the photo), faculty advisor to the Hofstra Trial Advocacy Association (HTAA). Rivka Shuter 2L also helped the team prepare for the tournament, in which 16 teams from across the United States competed.

View more details about the South Texas Mock Trial Challenge on the South Texas College of Law Houston website.

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The Honorable Loretta Lynch, former Attorney General of the United States, will deliver the commencement address and be awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws at the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University’s commencement ceremony on Monday, May 20, at 7 p.m. at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex, located on Hofstra’s North Campus.

“We are honored to have Loretta Lynch, a true trailblazer and an outstanding attorney, as our commencement speaker,” said Judge Gail Prudenti, dean of Hofstra Law. “I am grateful that our graduates will have the opportunity to hear from her as they prepare to embark on their own legal careers and blaze new trails.”

Appointed by President Barack Obama in 2015, Ms. Lynch is the first female African American to hold the position. She also served as the head of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York twice, under both President Bill Clinton and President Obama. (View Ms. Lynch’s full biography below.)

Below is more information about graduation:

Graduates’ Celebration and Awards Ceremonies

The Class of 2019 Graduates’ Celebration and Awards Ceremonies will take place on Monday, May 20, at 11 a.m. and at 3 p.m.

Public Service Awards Celebration — 11 a.m., Hofstra Law School, Room 308

After a light breakfast reception, the program will begin and consist of an introduction and welcome by our dean, Judge Gail Prudenti, and then remarks by Professor Jennifer Gundlach highlighting student’s accomplishments in public service areas and the presentation of the Public Service Awards. This program will last approximately one hour.

Students’ family and friends are welcome to attend both the celebration and the reception.

Graduate Awards Celebration — 3 p.m., John Cranford Adams Playhouse

The program consists of an introduction and welcome by our dean, Judge Gail Prudenti, speeches by the elected 3L speaker, Ahkianne Wanliss; the SBA presidents, Joseph Finelli and Morgan Gieser; and the elected Teacher of the Year, Professor Ronald J. Colombo, and the presentation of various awards that recognize student accomplishments throughout law school.

This program will last approximately one hour and a half, and a light dinner reception will be served at the Law School immediately following the celebration. Students’ family and friends are welcome to attend both the celebration and the reception.

Tickets are not necessary for either event, and students do not wear academic attire.

Please note: The students receiving awards at either celebration will be notified via email on Friday, May 17.

Commencement Ceremony

The Commencement Ceremony will take place at 7 p.m. in the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex (the arena located on the North Campus). The ceremony will last approximately two hours.

The Honorable Loretta Lynch, former Attorney General of the United States, will give the opening remarks. At the Commencement Ceremony, the president of the University, Stuart Rabinowitz, will confer the degrees, and students will walk across the stage to be announced by name, hooded and congratulated by Judge Gail Prudenti, dean.

Tickets are not necessary for this event.

Academic Attire Pickup

Please note: Students must visit the Office of Career Services for an exit interview, at which they will be given a ticket needed to pick up their cap and gown. Students will receive additional information from Career Services.

Academic attire pickup is Tuesday and Wednesday, May 14 and May 15, from 10 a.m.-8 p.m., and Friday, May 18, from 10 a.m-3 p.m., on the lower level of the Bookstore in the Sondra and David S. Mack Student Center. Students are asked to please present their Hofstra ID card and the ticket they received from the Office of Career Services.

There is no fee for the cap and gown, and they will be students’ to keep after the ceremony.

Robing and Assembly

On the day of Commencement, students should line up in the Physical Education Center at 6 p.m. The Physical Education Center is located on the North Campus next to the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex. Family and friends are free to enter the arena and sit as they wait for the ceremony to begin.

As students enter the Physical Education Center, please stop by the table near the entrance to pick up a yellow index card. This card will have their name on it, as it is to be read when they walk across the stage. Please read the name carefully and make any necessary changes, and add a phonetic spelling of the name if needed.

Once the processional lines are formed, students will walk into the arena, and the ceremony will begin. Please note that students do not put their hood on before the ceremony; they will be hooded on the stage.

The Commencement staff will be available on Monday to assist students and answer any last-minute questions they may have.

More about the Honorable Loretta Lynch

One of the most highly accomplished public figures in America today, former Attorney General Loretta Lynch has been a leading progressive voice during her more than 30-year highly distinguished career. She served as the 83rd attorney general of the United States from 2015 to 2017.

She is the first female African American attorney general of the United States, appointed by President Barack Obama. She also served as the head of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York twice, under both President Clinton and President Obama. Described by President Obama as “the only lawyer in America who battles mobsters, drug lords, and terrorists, and still has the reputation for being a charming ‘people person,’ ” she has been instrumental in shaping the direction of the nation on numerous tough issues. She improved the relationship between local law enforcement and the communities they serve, and she has taken bold stances on criminal justice reform.

Ms. Lynch spent years in the trenches rising through the ranks as a prosecutor, aggressively fighting terrorism, financial fraud, and cybercrime – all while vigorously defending civil and human rights. While leading the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, she became known for the high-profile civil rights conviction of two Brooklyn police officers who brutally assaulted Haitian immigrant Abner Louima.

While in private practice, Ms. Lynch served as a volunteer legal advisor for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, established to prosecute those responsible for human rights violations in the 1994 genocide in that nation.

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The article “Tinder Lies” by Professor Irina D. Manta, associate dean for research and faculty development, was published in the Wake Forest Law Review (54 Wake Forest Law Review 207 [2019]) earlier this month.

The article examines the world of online dating and its possible legal ramifications.

Abstract
The rise of Internet dating — in recent years especially through the use of mobile-based apps such as Tinder or Bumble — forces us to reexamine an old problem in the law: how to handle sexual fraud. Many people with romantic aspirations today meet individuals with whom they do not share friends or acquaintances, which allows predators to spin tales as to their true identities and engage in sexual relations through the use of deceit on a greater scale than was previously practicable. Indeed, according to some studies, about eighty percent of individuals lie on at least some part of their online dating profiles, and a subset of those individuals tell lies that undermine their sexual mates’ subsequent ability to give consent. Whether and how to criminalize this type of fraudulent behavior has been debated for some time, and the difficulties involved in prosecutions in this context have made criminal law a fairly ineffective tool. Previous proposals for tort recovery have failed to gain many adherents for similar reasons, and courts have been unwilling to extend existing tort doctrines due to a reluctance to legally recognize noneconomic harms. This Article seeks to strike a new path by first proposing that we harness the tools of trademark law to reduce search costs and deception in the dating marketplace, just like we do in the economic marketplace. Second, it argues that we should use a streamlined process through small claims courts to discourage behaviors that may bring significant dignitary, emotional, and other harms to people’s lives and to offer victims a pragmatic path to legal recovery. Third, it proposes the use of statutory damages to alleviate the difficulties in accurately gauging the remedy level for the harm from a given instance of sexual fraud. By providing recovery in cases of material lies, like trademark law does in cases involving deceptive marks, this Article takes an important step towards aligning the legal framework of sexual fraud with those of other types of misrepresentation, incentivizing transparency in the increasingly murky dating world, and protecting individuals’ ability to meaningfully consent to sexual relations.

Read the full article (PDF) on the SSRN website.

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Associate Clinical Professor Michael Haber, attorney-in-charge of the Community and Economic Development Clinic, presented on the panel “Labor, Activism and New Solidarities” at the “Our Economy! Economic Democracy and System Change” Conference on April 12. The event was hosted by the City University of New York (CUNY) School of Labor and Urban Studies.

The topic of Professor Haber’s presentation was “The New Activist Non-Profits.” The panel explored the implications of three models of economic democracy in the workplace: a coop school run by unionized teachers and students, democratic decision-making models for nonprofits, and a public sector union’s plans to develop cooperative, worker-owned businesses.

About the Conference
Can the economy be democratized? How can we transform it into a more socially inclusive and ecologically sustainable system? How can we combat the growing concentrations of power and wealth? What current practices point toward a participatory democracy and resilient next system?

Our current political economy is unjust, anti-democratic, and ecologically unsustainable. This reality has led to a host of efforts to transform our political economy. This conference will bring together leading academics, researchers, advocates, and practitioners for a day of discussion on how we can achieve systemic transformation and make a political economy that is equitable, democratic, and sustainable.

View more information about “Our Economy! Economic Democracy and System Change” on the conference website.

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Assange arrest: Trump claims to ‘know nothing about WikiLeaks’ despite past praise — as it happened
By Tom McCarthy, Frances Perraudin, Matthew Weaver and Gabrielle Canon
The Guardian
April 11, 2019 (Updated April 12)

Excerpt:
Some thoughts and commentary on those US charges against Assange. …

Julian Ku
@julianku

So he is being charged with helping Chelsea Manning steal classified documents from US databases (by helping [her] crack passcodes, create new usernames). He is not being charged with publishing the docs.

Read the full article on the Guardian website (Professor Ku’s tweet appears on page 5 of 8).

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AriZona Iced Tea’s ginseng tea contains no detectable ginseng, lawsuit says
The suit seeks class-action status to represent purchasers of AriZona Green Tea with Ginseng and Honey across the country.
By Ken Schachter
Newsday
April 22, 2018

Excerpt:
AriZona Iced Tea’s green tea with ginseng beverage contains no “detectable” amount of ginseng, according to a lawsuit filed in federal district court in Central Islip. …

Two food laboratories hired for the lawsuit conducted three tests of the beverage for “the main chemical constituent” of ginseng and found that if ginseng was an ingredient it was “so minuscule” that it cannot be detected by scientific tests. …

Professor Norman Silber, who teaches consumer law at Hofstra Law School in Hempstead, said the company could present alternative lab tests that show the presence of ginseng. Alternatively, the company could modify the product’s recipe or rebrand it with a revised description, though both of those options could be costly.

Read the full article on the Newsday website.

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Judge Judy Sheindlin Receives Lifetime Achievement Award and Hofstra University’s Presidential Medal

The Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University and Judge Gail Prudenti, dean, hosted the Law School’s fourth annual Outstanding Women in Law awards on April 22 at RXR Plaza in Uniondale, New York. Fifty-two women attorneys, judges and professors were honored at the awards and dinner reception. The event was attended by over 400 judges, attorneys, business executives, professors and law students.

Over the past four years, Hofstra Law has honored more than 200 women who have made extraordinary contributions to the legal community. “We are proud to recognize such a diverse and accomplished group of outstanding women,” said Judge Prudenti. “They are shining examples of what it means to inspire, to lead and to make an impact. As advocates for the underrepresented, and leaders in the workplace and community, they are also role models and mentors to empower young women aspiring to join the legal profession.”

Judge Judy Sheindlin

Judge Judy Sheindlin, former Manhattan Family Court Supervising Judge and star of JUDGE JUDY, received the Lifetime Achievement Award and Hofstra University’s Presidential Medal, presented to her by Dr. Herman Berliner, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Hofstra University.

In addition to being a trailblazer, Judge Sheindlin is also a mentor and role model. Along with her daughter Nicole, she founded “Her Honor Mentoring,” an initiative that combines the power of youth and the wisdom of experience to inspire young women to reach their full potential.

“It’s thrilling to be surrounded by accomplished women who have found their stride,” said Judge Sheindlin. When asked what advice she would offer young lawyers starting out, Judge Sheindlin said, “be bold, be honest and remember your roots.”

In addition to recognizing exceptional women in law, the Outstanding Women in Law event also raises funds for innovative programs at Hofstra Law, including the Center for Children, Families and the Law.

The event sponsors were also recognized and included Liberty Maritime, Event Sponsor; US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce Education Foundation, Awards Sponsor; and Lewis Johs Avallone Aviles, LLP, VIP Cocktail Sponsor.

View a full list of the honorees and sponsors as well as photos from the awards reception on the Hofstra Law website.

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The Eastern District of California issued a decision on April 16 in United States v. Eguilos (2019 WL 1643234) that cited to the article “(Un)Civil Denaturalization” (New York University Law Review, Forthcoming), co-authored by Professor Irina D. Manta, associate dean for research and faculty development, with her former colleague Cassandra Burke Robertson, professor of law and director of the Center for Professional Ethics at Case Western Reserve University.

Professor Manta wrote about the Eguilos decision at the Volokh Conspiracy blog.

Read Professor Manta’s blog post on the Reason website.

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Eric M. Freedman, the Siggi B. Wilzig Distinguished Professor of Constitutional Rights, served as a discussant at the Freedom of Expression Scholars Conference 7 at Yale Law School on April 26 and 27. The conference was hosted by the Floyd Abrams Institute for Freedom of Expression.

Professor Freedman was the discussant for the paper “The Government’s Speech About Speech (and Why It Matters),” by Helen Norton of University of Colorado Law School.

View more information about the Freedom of Expression Scholars Conference on the Yale Law School website.

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Few Avenues to Discipline Ex-Cole Judge Over Impartiality Doubts
Melissa Heelan Stanzione
Bloomberg Law Big Law Business
April 22, 2019

Excerpt:
Ethics experts and attorneys said even though it’s likely that Vance Spath won’t face disciplinary action for failing to disclose his efforts to get a job at the Justice Department while serving on the tribunal, there are a few ways that he could face further repercussions. …

Spath could could also be subject to discipline in New York, where he’s licensed to practice law, if a complaint is filed with the state’s attorney grievance committee.

The state bar could pursue him under professional conduct rules that prohibit dishonesty, deceit, fraud, and misrepresentation as well as acting contrary to the administration of justice, said Ellen Yaroshefsky, an ethics professor at Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y.

Read the full article on the Bloomberg Law Big Law Business website.

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Navarro W. Gray became the first African American public defender for Bergen County Central Municipal Court in January 2018.

Joshua L. Weiner joined Coughlin Duffy as partner and chair of the firm’s Employment and Labor practice group in May 2019.

The post Class Notes: 2006 appeared first on Hofstra Law News.

Robert Harper, counsel at Farrell Fritz, was featured in “Ones to Watch: Law” in Long Island Business News in April 2019.

YuhTyng Patka joined Duval & Stachenfeld as chair of the firm’s newly launched NYC Real Estate Tax and Incentives practice group in April 2019. She is also in the firm’s Opportunity Zone practice group.

Lauren Scarantino joined Blank Rome as a partner in the Real Estate practice group in the firm’s New York office in January 2019.

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Robyn Greene joined Facebook as a privacy policy manager in February 2019.

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Michelle L. Stieglitz was elevated to partner in the Real Estate practice group at Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman in December 2018.

The post Class Notes: 2011 appeared first on Hofstra Law News.

Jennifer Abreu joined Rivkin Radler in the firm’s Insurance Fraud practice group as an associate in March 2019.

Imaan Moughal joined McLaughlin & Stern in Great Neck, NY, as a trusts and estates attorney in April 2019. She also was recognized as an Emerging Leader at the Hofstra Law Outstanding Women in Law Awards Reception on April 22, 2019.

Jacqueline Smith, an associate at Bond, Schoeneck & King, was featured in “Ones to Watch: Law” in Long Island Business News in January 2019.

Irene Zoupaniotis, an associate at Farrell Fritz, was featured in “Who’s Who in Intellectual Property and Labor Law” in Long Island Business News in February 2019.

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