One of the best parts about being a student at KU Law means you have access to the same facilities as KU undergraduate students – and given that Green Hall is within KU campus, you have all the more reason to explore these areas! Below, I discuss three of my favorite places on KU’s Campus (that aren’t Green Hall):
First is the Ambler Recreation Center, which many students call “The Rec.” Like all other KU students, students at KU Law can access Ambler Recreation. For full-time enrolled students (12 or more credits for law students), KU charges a “Wellness Fee” which is included in tuition, meaning you can go to The Rec without having to pay an additional fee!
However, if you wish to participate in classes, such as yoga or Pilates, you can buy a Fit pass for access to classes at The Rec. It is $50 for unlimited access to all fitness classes at The Rec for the full semester, although there are options to buy a pass valid for half the semester or even access to one class.
For those who are apprehensive about large gym crowds, going to The Rec between 6 and 9 a.m. or 8 and 10:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday tends to be pretty relaxed. As for a gym playlist, I can’t work out without having Chief Keef, Kanye West or Playboi Carti on.
As a KU Biology undergraduate, the Natural History Museum holds a near and dear place to me. The Natural History Museum spans four floors – and on the fourth floor, you can view the largest Mosasaur found, a Tylosaurus fossil specimen! In fact, in 2014, the The Kansas State legislature declared the Tylosaurus the official state marine fossil.
KU has an impressive Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB) program and the KU Biodiversity Institute hosts a massive research collection. In particular, KU has one of the largest herpetological collections in the world. (Note: Herpetology is a discipline that spans reptiles and amphibians). A little known fact is that you can schedule a public tour of KU’s research collection, although you must do so at LEAST two weeks in advance.
While I’m not a fan of amphibians, I would say that Cerastes cerastes (the Saharan horned viper) and Laticauda laticaudata (the blue-lipped sea krait) are two of my favorite reptiles.
The Spencer Museum of Art, also called the Spencer, is a free art museum on campus that is directly associated with KU. The collection hosts tens of thousands of pieces of art, including some pieces from renowned artists such as Édouard Manet and Pablo Picasso. While none of Manet’s pieces are on display, two of
Picasso’s works (in the earthenware and clay mediums) are currently on display.
The Spencer also has exhibitions on display; one of their current exhibitions is of the red-crowned crane as observed in East Asian art. This exhibition runs through the end of this year. As a KU Law student, you can do more than just view the exhibits. There are several ways to get involved with the Spencer, such becoming a volunteer or joining the museum’s Student Advisory Board.
When University of Kansas School of Law Dean Stephen Mazza was a boy in Huntsville, Alabama, the legacy of his family’s giving towered over him.
“When my great uncle immigrated from Italy and settled in Alabama he helped build the Catholic church in town with a significant donation,” Dean Mazza explains. “Every generation of my family since has made a significant contribution to the church and it stands as an example of dedication to a cause. When I was younger it was instilled in me to be generous to those who have helped you on your journey.”
Dean Stephen W. Mazza
With that in mind, Dean Mazza has led the School of Law by example, establishing the Stephen W. Mazza Dean’s Opportunity Fund through his estate plan. Initially created in 2010, Dean Mazza recently doubled his commitment.
“I established the fund to help future deans of the School of Law,” Dean Mazza said. “When we plan for the academic year, budgeting is a major aspect and an inexact science. Having discretionary funds to help offset unforeseen expenses can relieve a lot of stress and help keep the focus on teaching future lawyers. The fund is to be used on whatever the current dean of the School of Law sees fit. Maybe it’s to help a faculty member travel to a conference or assist in a research project or maybe reward faculty for a job well done. Having some discretionary funds can go a long way in helping the dean of the school accomplish goals.”
Mazza, currently the fourth-longest serving law school dean in the country, credits former faculty for inspiring his generosity to the school. In fact, he’s the current beneficiary of an opportunity fund.
“I’m very grateful to former Dean Jim Logan who established a similar fund,” Mazza said. “Our current faculty are benefiting from his forward-thinking generosity and I’m happy to continue the tradition started well before me.”
During her time as a legal intern for the Shawnee County District Attorney’s Office, third-year KU Law student Logan Quackenbush put the skills she learned from her professors in Green Hall to real-world use.
Quackenbush participated in the internship as part of the Criminal Prosecution Field Placement Program at the University of Kansas School of Law in the summer of 2024.
“Having the opportunity to do this and to work with such wonderful people who not only cared about their jobs, but their community and the next generation of attorneys really was phenomenal to me,” she said. “It reinforced that I want to be a criminal prosecutor and that I wanted to be like these people who care about their community.”
What type of work did you do through the field placement?
I worked with the deputy attorney who heads the misdemeanor department with the Shawnee County District Attorney. It was all hands-on work. I wrote plea offers, learned how to write journal entries, prepped motions—motions to revoke diversion and competency motions—and got to speak on the record.
I’ve had opportunities to go see Child in Need of Care (CINC), watched felony and juvenile trials, and have helped with the extra work attorneys have. The attorneys also took time to teach me about their department. I knew I wanted to be a prosecutor, but prosecutors do a wide variety of things. So, it was nice when the attorneys would tell me all about what they do and how they work with the statutes for that specific area of law.
My supervising attorney, and the mentor who showed me what a caring prosecutor looks like in action, was Deputy District Attorney Jason McIlrath. He is the head of the intern program, and I credit my success to him.
The skills my professors have taught me were applied in my field placement. Going to school, I haven’t seen them being applied. So, I was finally applying all the skills I was taught and that was a big relief.
My favorite thing was that I got to argue sentencing for a really serious crime, and the judge ended up ruling in the state’s favor. That was exciting for me because it felt like a win, and that I was helping the community improve.
Are there skills you developed or improved working with the Criminal Prosecution Field Placement Program?
Every time I’d go into the courtroom, I was taking notes or filling out journal entries so that everything I did would be documented through a paper trail. I did not realize how often and that with literally everything you do, you’re going to fill out paperwork.
Now I know how to fill out a wide variety of traffic documents and take notes for the DA’s office. That’s a skill that I feel is obvious to a law student, but none of the classes I’ve taken had me do that in-depth.
I feel so much more confident and comfortable being in the courtroom and feel like I could go by myself and know what I’m doing and what I’m looking at. I’m proud that I’ve learned it, and it makes me feel confident going into a job post-grad and post-bar, where I’m the attorney.
How do you think this experience will impact the rest of your time in law school or the start of your career?
Getting to see a defendant, a victim and a witness firsthand has shaped how I view cases. When I see people, I see them at the very bottom of their lives, really going through a hard situation. You don’t get that when you just read a case. I take a minute now when I read a case and understand that these are real people who are going through something. It has truly helped me have more empathy and be an overall better person.
Also, my writing skills have improved because I’m not just sending what I’ve written to my professor. It will be going to a judge, and that is a whole different weight of expectations. I take all my writing assignments seriously, but my field placement has strengthened my professional writing skills rather than scholarly ones.
My field placement ended up turning into a job offer in the end. I still have my student license, and I’m still working with the DA and doing everything that I did over the summer. I’m just getting paid for it now, which has been really nice. It’s also helped me gain connections because I’m from Kentucky, so I don’t know a lot of people in this area.
What has been your favorite part of working with the Criminal Prosecution Field Placement Program?
Myfavorite part was probably that we had to take journals. We made goals at the beginning of the program, and that was something I wouldn’t have considered doing if I hadn’t done the field placement. Those goals and things I wanted to achieve were always at the forefront of my mind and something that I was constantly working towards. Because of that, I achieved those goals during my field placement. There’s just something about being able to take something off a list that really gives you a sense of accomplishment.
What would you say to law students considering enrolling in the Criminal Prosecution Field Placement Program?
Do it, especially if you want to be a prosecutor. This will give you hands-on experience that will be unmatched by any other experience that you could have. The opportunity to work under a practicing criminal prosecutor to build connections and have a professional mentor will be so valuable and will help you transition from law school to a working, successful attorney.
I’m really excited to go into that next chapter of life. I’ve been in school for 25 years of my life. Transitioning to not being in school is going to be really different for me. Because I did this field placement, it really curbed that nervous energy that I could experience.
It was, hands down, the best decision I made in law school. Having the opportunity to work with such wonderful people who not only cared about their jobs, but their community and the next generation of attorneys really was phenomenal to me. It just made me feel so excited to go to work every day, and that experience was something that I cherish. It reinforced that I want to be a criminal prosecutor and that I wanted to be like these people who care about their community.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
I want to say thank you to the Criminal Prosecution Field Placement Program for fostering an environment of hands-on learning that sets students up for success. Also, a thank you to the Shawnee County District Attorney’s office, along with Deputy District Attorney Jason McIlrath and Assistant Attorney Cody Smith, for mentoring me. This experience has been so amazing for me, and I want to give credit to those who have set me up for success
On the Process of Making Life Choices in Law School
Alex Nelson, 2L
The French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre said that human beings are “condemned to be free.” While I suppose there are many meanings one could take from that quote, I like to think of it as describing one of the many wonderful and terrible things about life: the tension between the joy of having lots of free choices to make, and the anxiety that accompanies making those choices.
It is this tension between the joy of choice and the fear of the sheer number of choices and potential missed opportunities that I’ve really grappled with after my first year of law school. At this point in my legal journey, I’ve begun to reach the point where I can make choices about my future, which is both exciting and scary. In your first year of law school, choice is not really something you have to worry about (unless you are a summer starter, but even then, you only get to choose one class). Your whole 1L year curriculum is scripted out for you, and the focus is mostly on adapting to those classes and your new life as a law student. But the ability to make life choices comes into play at the end of your 1L year and the start of your summer. Then you have to ask yourself numerous kinds of questions: What area of law are you interested in? Where do you want to work? Where do you want to live? What internship should I get? What classes should I start taking? A whole new realm opens, full of choices to make, as you exit your first year of law school.
All the choices and opportunities can be both daunting and exciting. On the one hand, you have a chance to experiment, try new things or pursue what you’ve always thought you wanted. On the other, there are numerous worries that can accompany making choices: what if by taking this summer internship, I am closing myself off from other opportunities? What if I don’t like what I am doing or my classes next year? What if I end up in a job I don’t like? With choice comes freedom but also anxiety about those choices.
As a second-year law student, I have already made some choices about my life and legal career, but I will have many more choices to make before law school is over. I can’t say I have found the perfect way to deal with the problems of making decisions, but I can say that I have found lots of help, guidance and support around me – and that makes all the difference in the world. The Career Services Office at KU Law has been extremely helpful and supportive, and I have spent quite a bit of time talking choices over with them. I’ve talked with professors, friends and family about what choices to make, from things as large as “What kind of law do I want to practice?” to things as seemingly banal as “Should I take Administrative Law with Professor Levy next semester?” What I realized from talking to people around me is that at the end of the day, no matter what choice is made, it will be the right one.
The tension in the freedom of choice and the anxiety of choosing is all part of our condemnation of freedom as law students. We all are fortunate and privileged to be in our positions as law students. But we also should remember that sometimes making choices about our lives and careers can be difficult, and that we can always draw on those around us for support.
Sometimes you need to take a trip away from home for a great cup of joe
Israel Nelson, 3L
Last year, I wrote about my favorite recommendations for coffee shops in Lawrence – but did you know there are amazing ones in Kansas City? Here are my recommendations for when you need a change of scenery!
You cannot go wrong with this Kansas City staple. Not only is the coffee incredible and the Ibis Bakery treats delectable, but there is a massive amount of seating for when you need to buckle down and get some work done. (map and directions)
Come here if you’re a coffee snob and want some TRULY incredible coffee. They also make buttermilk biscuits, and even have a vegan option if you’re not a meat eater! (map and directions)
This coffee shop gets points for having two of its locations on my list. The River Quay location is phenomenal – it has a dark and rustic atmosphere with amazing coffee, study space and a cocktail bar for when you’re done studying and want to relax with friends. The Nelson-Atkins location is incredible as it’s located inside of the Nelson-Atkins Museum. Who doesn’t want to study in a world-renowned art museum? (And, when you need a study break, you can check out the exhibits!) River Quay: (map and directions) Nelson-Atkins: (map and directions)
Last on my list, but certainly not least, is the Hawaiian-themed coffee shop, HITIDES! With unique coffee options, a hot chocolate bar and pastries sourced from KCMO favorites like Meshuggah Bagels and Mr. D’s donuts – you cannot go wrong with this coffee shop! (map and directions)
While this isn’t anywhere close to an exhaustive list of coffee shops in Kansas City, these are great places to start. Happy exploring!
A new scholarship fund at the University of Kansas School of Law will support future students while honoring the memory of a former professor. The scholarship honors the late Barkley Clark who served as a chaired professor of law from 1969 to 1985.
His wife Barbara established the Professor Barkley Clark Memorial Fund with a financial gift to KU Endowment. The fund will continue his legacy at KU Law by providing a scholarship for a deserving student each year.
“As a tribute to his teaching and how much he loved his students, I thought this would be the most meaningful to Barkley,” said Barbara. “As an endowed fund, it can continue into the future.”
Barkley Clark
At age 29, Barkley was recruited to join the faculty at the University of Kansas School of Law by Dean Martin Dickinson in 1969. In addition to teaching, he also served as associate dean under Dickinson. As a dedicated professor and mentor to his students, he was honored with numerous “best teacher” awards over the years.
An interest in public policy and local government led Barkley to run for and be elected as mayor of the City of Lawrence. In fact, he served two terms as mayor and spent 10 years on the Lawrence City Commission. These “hands on” experiences were particularly useful when teaching the law of local government, arguing before the Kansas Supreme Court on local government issues and assisting the Kansas legislature on various aspects of local government law, including governmental immunity.
During his nearly six-decade career, Barkley became a national authority on the Uniform Commercial Code. Two of his best-known law treatises remain standards in their field after more than four decades. Throughout his career, he devoted himself to educating clients, legislators, law students and fellow lawyers in commercial law. The American College of Consumer Financial Services Lawyers honored Barkley Clark in 2012 with its William Proxmire Lifetime Achievement Award.
