Graduate Profile: Harrison Rosenthal, L’20

Harrison Rosenthal
Harrison Rosenthal, L’20

Dual-degree student pursues law, journalism and well-being

On the way to earning KU degrees in law and journalism, recent graduate Harrison Rosenthal made well-being a priority.

In 2018, he founded the Mindfulness in Law Society of the University of Kansas, a student organization that aims to improve law students’ well-being through mindful practice. He also served as the student representative to the Kansas Task Force for Lawyer Well-Being, an effort by the Kansas Supreme Court that focuses on law student and attorney wellness. In that role, he created a wellness survey that will be distributed across the state to help collect information and further the mission of well-being in the bar.

“Law school is an interesting experience,” Rosenthal said. “The key to success is (1) finding what makes you happy and (2) pursuing that thing. Life is too short not to do what you love.”

Rosenthal graduates this month with a Juris Doctor from the University of Kansas School of Law. He will complete his doctoral degree from KU’s William Allen White School of Journalism & Mass Communications in May 2021.

Originally from Overland Park, Rosenthal earned his undergraduate degree in journalism from KU in 2017. He decided to attend KU Law because of the school’s joint degree program in law and journalism.

“KU is among a handful of American universities offering joint communication-law degree programs through independent schools of journalism and law,” Rosenthal said. “The opportunity to pursue graduate and post-graduate education with expert faculty, and lead the vanguard into an important and dynamic field, made KU an obvious choice for my legal education.”

While pursuing his degrees, Rosenthal completed several internships and clerkships, and has published several pieces. He interned for the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas. He clerked for the Seventh and Tenth Judicial Districts of Kansas and for the Kansas Court of Appeals.

His paper “Viewpoint Conditioning: Social Media Use, Political Self-Efficacy, and First Amendment Perceptions” was accepted for presentation this spring at a conference hosted by the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC). Rosenthal also serves as an officer for the AEJMC Law & Policy Division, where he writes a regular column. He has a book chapter titled “(Non)existent Laws of Workplace Cyberbullying: Limitations of Legal Redress in a Digitized Market” in press with IGI Global.

Rosenthal’s most enduring law school memory is of the KU Law community’s response to tragedy. In October 2018, the Jewish Legal Society organized a Blue Out event in response to a shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue. The group urged students to stand in solidarity against hatred by wearing blue, and hosted a lunchtime panel discussion with academics and leaders from the Lawrence and Kansas City Jewish communities. Rosenthal served as vice president of the Jewish Legal Society.

“The outpouring of support was inspiring. The entire law school, from student leaders to administrators, came together to support a deeply personal and important cause. This is both my favorite law school memory and a thing of aspiration for the organized bar,” Rosenthal said. 

Several professors and administrators impacted Rosenthal during his time at KU Law, he said.

“By minimizing power differentials and treating pupils as future colleagues, the best teachers empower students with agency and autonomy such that students become excited to pursue their passions,” Rosenthal said.

After graduation, Rosenthal plans to focus on passing the bar exam, finishing his doctoral dissertation and finding a job he’s passionate about.

— By Margaret Hair

This post is the fourth is a series highlighting just a few of the exceptional members of the Class of 2020. Check out previous stories about Denise Dantzler, Cara Beck and Terra Brockman, and stay tuned for more profiles as we celebrate this year’s graduating class.

Former Naval aviator applies lessons learned in flight school to succeed in law school

Second-year law student Jared Jevons spent 11 years in the Navy before coming to law school. Jevons is pictured over Wake Island in the western Pacific Ocean. Photo courtesy of Jared Jevons.

Naval aviators consider themselves professionals. We did so (and Naval aviators continue to do so) because the profession required us to pass our craft onto future Naval aviators. Passing on our craft included an expectation that future Naval aviators will advance the profession and not maintain the status quo. Because our craft was constantly changing, it meant we were students whether we had 100 flight hours or 2,000. To pass on the craft, we sought in our interactions with others to be humble, approachable and credible. If we exuded those characteristics, we could best pass our craft onto others.

Humble

Being humble meant we sought to be modest and downplay our success. Assistance is sought from those who are humble, rather than those who are boastful or arrogant. Although pride and self-confidence are a natural consequence of gaining proficiency in a craft, humbleness was the quality pursued because it works hand-in-hand with approachability. A humble demeanor creates an approachable presence.

Approachable

Being approachable meant you were accessible to individuals beyond your close colleagues. Being unfriendly or inaccessible ran counter to our goal of passing knowledge beyond our close colleagues. The passage of knowledge was critical to our success as a profession, so being approachable meant having an inviting presence despite our own individual momentary stressors. Importantly, in passing on a craft, humility and approachability only goes so far if you cannot communicate your knowledge.

Credible

Being able to effectively communicate your knowledge gives credibility.  Being credible meant knowing your craft and knowing it well. Credibility is a product of preparation, dedication and study. It is a quality that exists at all experience levels, but is also built over time. By establishing credibility in one interaction, more knowledge would be sought later, and in turn our colleagues became more credible. However, credibility alone does little good if your demeanor and presence prevents others from seeking your knowledge. Thus, passing on our craft to others means being humble, approachable and credible.

Of course, this approach is applicable beyond Naval aviation. It will not get you an “A” on your next exam. But it will make you a better fellow student in Green Hall, future attorney and human being. I try to exhibit these characteristics around Green Hall. I challenge you to do the same.

No matter the stage of our legal careers, being humble, approachable and credible will help us pass on our craft, make us better co-workers and be sought after for counsel. Furthermore, exhibiting these characteristics will mean we better represent ourselves, our education and our profession. As we turn the page on the academic year, whether we engage with others virtually or in-person, let’s take our humility, approachability, and credibility into the classroom, office and courtroom.

Congrats to the Class of 2020! Good luck in your careers. Congrats to the Class of 2022! The scariest part is over. Congrats to the Class of 2021! We’re almost there.

— Jared Jevons is a 2L from Manhattan and a KU Law Ambassador. He spent 11 years in the Navy and flew over 2,000 hours in the F/A-18F as a Weapon Systems Officer.

Graduate Profile: Terra Brockman, L’20

Terra Brockman, L’20 

Outstanding graduate distinguishes herself through leadership, service

Terra Brockman has distinguished herself through leadership and service at the University of Kansas School of Law. Brockman, a third-year law student, will graduate this month. She has led the student body throughout her three years at KU Law by serving as Student Bar Association president and Student Ambassador president.

“I enjoyed being an advocate for the students at KU Law because it was important to me that everyone felt like they had a voice,” Brockman said. “It wasn’t always easy, but it was definitely worth it.”

As a two-term Student Ambassador president, Brockman gave tours to prospective law students; enhanced student recruitment for KU Law; and helped build an inclusive and welcoming community.

Brockman served the school in other ways as well. Brockman is a member of the Black Law Students Association and the Dean’s Diversity Leadership Council. She has served on the Graduate Student Advisory Board, Mock Trial Counsel and KU Court of Parking Appeals. Brockman also represented the law school at the American Association for Justice Student Trial Advocacy Competition in 2019 with seven of her peers.

“I enjoyed holding multiple leadership positions because I love to serve my community. I think I have always grown up that way,” Brockman said. “I grew up learning about famous leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Hillary Clinton and Nelson Mandela. I am always blown away by the impact they had on their communities. It really inspired me to give back, and always contribute to something bigger than myself.”

Brockman received the Justice Lloyd Kagey Leadership Award from KU Law, which is given to the graduate who has most distinguished him or herself through leadership in the law school.

During law school, Brockman gained legal experience as a law clerk at DRZ Law; a legal intern at the Jackson County District Attorney’s Office; a law clerk at the Wyandotte County District Court at the 29th Judicial District; and as a research assistant for Professor Suzanne Valdez. She also got a firsthand look at the criminal justice system through an internship at the Paul E. Wilson Project for Innocence & Post-Conviction Remedies.

“Professors Alice Craig, Jean Phillips and Elizabeth Cateforis taught me a tremendous amount during the year I spent in that clinic,” Brockman said. “It was absolutely one of my favorite experiences at KU Law.”

Brockman is also on KU Law’s Pro Bono Honor Roll. She completed 70 hours of pro bono service throughout law school and earned Pro Bono Distinction recognition. Pro bono work is defined as uncompensated, law-related work that benefits the public, such as through a nonprofit organization or government agency.

Terra Brockman, L’20. Photo by Ashley Golledge.

After she graduates from KU Law, Brockman will practice in family law and criminal defense at Joseph, Hollander & Craft in Wichita.

“KU Law prepared me for the workforce in a lot of ways. Going into law school, I knew I wanted to be someone who argued in a courtroom,” Brockman said. “KU Law provides so many classes for those who are interested in going this route.”

Brockman enjoyed the rigor of the KU Law curriculum and the opportunity to take experiential learning courses.

“My favorite classes at KU Law were all experiential courses that I took that I felt prepared me for practice, such as Trial Advocacy, Deposition Skills Workshop, Expert Witness Skills Workshop and Alternative Dispute Resolutions,” Brockman said. “It was nice to learn skills one day, and then use them in class the next. These courses definitely helped make me a better advocate and litigator.”

When asked who her favorite law professor was, Brockman was not able to narrow down her choice to one individual.

“There are too many to count! Some of my favorite professors are Professor Sward, Professor Valdez, Professor Mulligan and Professor Schnug,” Brockman said. “All four of these professors have given me so much guidance both in and out of the classroom.”

Brockman received undergraduate degrees in philosophy and psychology from the University of Kansas in 2016. She is from Kansas City, Kansas originally but moved to Overland Park, Kansas later in life. Brockman considers both as home. When looking at law schools, she initially did not intend to go to KU Law because she had lived in Lawrence for the previous four years. After visiting Green Hall and experiencing the KU Law atmosphere, she decided to spend three additional years living in Lawrence.

“When I walked in Green Hall, I could just feel the energy. The students were nice to each other; they interacted well with each other; and the faculty and staff were even better,” Brockman said. “The energy that I felt in Green Hall was not something that I experienced at the other law schools that I visited. It’s nice to know that after three years here that energy has remained the same.”

Brockman’s favorite KU Law tradition is the school’s annual Barber Emerson Bluebook Relays event for first-year law students. The competition, sponsored by a Lawrence law firm, tests legal research skills learned in the lawyering skills courses. Working in teams, students locate references in the library and write the citation in correct bluebook format. The point system rewards speed, accuracy and citation skills.

“I was the Bluebook ‘expert’ for my team and loved getting to participate with my small section in this KU Law tradition. I think the whole experience really shaped the year for us and made us closer as colleagues,” Brockman said.

Terra Brockman, L’20, is pictured with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas in January 2018. Photo courtesy of Terra Brockman.

While Brockman was a first-year law student, she had the opportunity to meet U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas when he visited KU Law in 2018. Thomas was the second black man to be appointed to the country’s highest court. He is the only black justice currently serving on the Supreme Court. Brockman considers his visit to be a unique experience that she’ll carry with her throughout her legal career.

“I would definitely say having lunch with Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is a favorite law school memory,” Brockman said.

Brockman advises prospective law students to be patient with themselves, break out of their comfort zone and make the most of the opportunities that come their way.

“There is an incredible amount of pressure sometimes, and you want to be the best at everything. But sometimes you learn the most and get the most from the things you aren’t good at,” Brockman said. “Enjoy the process. It really is an incredible three years that serves you a lot of personal growth.”

— By Ashley Golledge

This post is the third is a series highlighting just a few of the exceptional members of the Class of 2020. Check out stories about Denise Dantzler and Cara Beck, and stay tuned for more profiles as we celebrate this year’s graduating class.

Graduate Profile: Cara Beck, L’20

Cara Beck, L’20. Photo by Ashley Golledge.

Dedicated student is headed to federal clerkship after graduation

Cara Beck’s favorite memory of her time in Green Hall is a noisy one.

Her 1L small section, taught by Professor Ellen Sward, was competing in the 2017 Barber Emerson Bluebook Relays, an annual tradition that tests first-year students’ citation prowess.

“I’ll never forget Professor Sward standing by and plugging her ears because the main lobby gets so loud with all of the excitement. That was the first time at KU Law in the midst of the stress of 1L year where I felt part of a community,” Beck said.

As part of the graduating class of 2020, Beck’s time at KU Law is ending on a quieter note. During her three years at the law school, Beck made a mark through her involvement in a student-edited publication and as a teaching assistant from the lawyering program. She was an articles editor for the Kansas Law Review during her 3L year and a staff editor as a 2L.

Beck (front row, fifth from left) with the winning Team Swardfish at the 2017 Barber Emerson Bluebook Relays. Photo by Mindie Paget.

Beck said her favorite law classes were Federal Courts with Professor Sward and Employment Discrimination with Professor Kyle Velte.

“I loved those classes because not only were they academically challenging, but Professors Sward and Velte challenged us to think critically about the material,” Beck said. “I learned so much in both classes, and both will be extremely helpful in my career.”

Originally from Mitchell, South Dakota – a town of about 15,000 in the southeast corner of the state – Beck earned her undergraduate degree in government and international affairs and history from Augustana University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. She chose KU Law because of its wide alumni network.

Cara Beck
Cara Beck, L’20. Photo courtesy of Cara Beck.

“Being from South Dakota, I wanted to branch out and go to a larger school that had more possibilities near a larger city, as well as have a diverse alumni network in various areas of the law,” Beck said. “There was something that seemed to be valuable about being a Jayhawk lawyer. Everyone knows the Kansas Jayhawks.”

Beck expanded her legal experience through summer internships for Woods, Fuller, Shultz & Smith, P.C. in Sioux Falls and Husch Blackwell in Kansas City, Missouri. She said KU Law helped prepare her for those experiences and future work by challenging her to handle multiple responsibilities.

“Law school is an environment where you’re stretched thin with responsibilities – be they homework, extracurriculars, networking or job hunting – but KU Law taught me to juggle all of my responsibilities and learn to excel when your plate is full,” she said.

Beck advises prospective law students to build and nurture professional relationships. Networking and keeping up connections can open doors to new opportunities, she said.

“I made a connection with an attorney at a happy hour as a 1L and kept in contact with her throughout the semesters, asking to meet for coffee or lunch and keep in touch,” Beck said. “She was able to speak on my behalf to my personality when I applied for a summer job at her firm, and I think that really was instrumental in me getting that summer employment.”

After graduating, Beck will clerk for Judge Jonathan A. Kobes on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. She is one of six KU Law graduates to land a federal court clerkship in recent years. Following her one-year clerkship, Beck plans to practice labor and employment law in Kansas City. She hopes to one day land in the nation’s capital.

“I hope to make it to Washington, D.C. at some point in my career,” Beck said.

— By Margaret Hair

This post is the second in a series highlighting just a few of the exceptional members of the Class of 2020. Check out a previous story about Denise Dantzler, and stay tuned for more profiles as we celebrate this year’s graduating class.

Graduate Profile: Denise Dantzler, L’20

3L Denise Dantzler delivers the welcoming address at the 2020 Kansas Journal of Law & Public Policy Symposium. Dantzler is the editor-in-chief of the publication. Photos by Ashley Golledge.

Accomplished student to pursue career in patent law

Third-year law student Denise Dantzler is a trailblazer. Dantzler was the first woman of color to serve as the editor-in-chief of the Kansas Journal of Law & Public Policy, which was founded in 1990. She was also the first in her family to go to law school.

In addition to holding the top leadership position at the Journal, Dantzler is a Shook Hardy & Bacon Scholar; member of the Black Law Students Association; member of the Dean’s Diversity Leadership Council; teaching assistant for lawyering skills classes; research assistant for Professor Andrew Torrance, who is an expert in patent law; and member of the Jaffe Transactional Law Competition moot court team.

Dantzler received the Samuel Mellinger Scholarship, Leadership, and Service Award from KU Law, which is given to the student who has most distinguished him or herself in the combined areas of scholarship, leadership and service.

Dantzler also participated in KU Law’s Summer Start program, which allows students to get a head-start on their law school education the summer before their peers begin law school.

“KU Law’s Summer Start program drew me to the school. As a science undergrad, I figured I could use any extra time and resources to make the switch over to ‘thinking like a lawyer,’” Dantzler said. “In the long run, this experience gave me the tools I needed to be successful as a law student.”

Throughout law school, Dantzler gained a variety of legal experience. She was a summer patent law clerk at Hovey Williams LLP, did a legal internship at CenturyLink, worked as a summer associate at Shook, Hardy & Bacon, and did an externship with the Hon. Julie Robinson, L’81, Chief Judge of the United States District Court of Kansas.

Dantzler said that KU Law’s legal writing and experiential classes have helped set her apart from peers attending other law schools.

“Over the past three years at KU, I have written briefs, contracts, opinions, a scholarly article, legal and legislative memorandums, research pathfinders, and more. I had no idea how much legal writing experience we receive until I compared our classes with other law students over the summer,” Dantzler said. “I cannot thank my professors enough for this exposure.”

While at KU Law, Dantzler formed a special connection with Professor Ellen Sward.

“Although I have enjoyed learning from all of my professors, my favorite professor is Professor Sward. She always puts her students before herself and wants each of her students to succeed,” Dantzler said. “I am thankful I attended KU Law before she retires this year.”

Denise Dantzler, L’20

Dantzler, who is originally from Omaha, earned an undergraduate degree in chemistry from MidAmerica Nazarene University in Olathe. As an undergraduate student, she was a member of the school’s soccer and track teams. She also tutored her peers in chemistry and writing, and has continued as an academic counselor for the MidAmerica Nazarene soccer team as a law student.

Dantzler advises prospective law students to have an open mind about what they want to do after they finish law school.

“Law school can open many doors for you, so do not close any before your start,” she said.

Creating a strong circle of trustworthy and reliable friends has also been important to Dantzler during her law school journey.

“As much as I have appreciated my familial support over the past three years, sometimes, family members cannot understand the sacrifices you may have to make during law school,” Dantzler said. “If it were not for my three great friends, I would not have gotten through law school!”

After graduating from KU Law this month, Dantzler will be a patent law associate at Hovey Williams, a boutique intellectual property law firm in Overland Park. Dantzler will leverage her background in chemistry to interpret domestic and foreign patent office actions and develop scientific and legal arguments.

“Because patent prosecution work is a perfect combination of science and law, I am thrilled to enter a field I know I will enjoy, and I hope to help inventors convert their novel ideas into business solutions,” Dantzler said.

— By Ashley Golledge

This post is the first in a series highlighting a few of the exceptional members of KU Law’s Class of 2020. Stay tuned for more profiles as we celebrate this year’s graduating class.

Hovey Williams establishes new student IP award

Giving Story: Hovey Williams Award for Inclusion and Diversity

A new award fund at the University of Kansas School of Law aims to encourage first- and second-year students to pursue careers in intellectual property law.

The Hovey Williams Award for Inclusion and Diversity in Intellectual Property is intended to support students interested in pursuing IP law and to promote diversity and inclusion in the field. 

Hovey Williams attorneys
From left: Hovey Williams attorneys Joan O. Herman, Cheryl Burbach, Tracy Bornman and Crissa Cook, L’07. Robert Hovey, L’54. Photos courtesy of Hovey Williams.

Gifts from the Hovey Williams LLP law firm and Robert Hovey, L’54, established the award fund.

“Diversity is critical to the success of an intellectual property law practice, particularly when representing clients across the globe,” said Andrew Colombo, a partner at Hovey Williams, on behalf of the firm.

“However, there is a historical underrepresentation of women and minorities in the sciences and intellectual property law. It is our hope that this endowment will encourage KU Law students from various backgrounds to consider a career in this rewarding field,” Colombo said.

The first KU Law students to receive the award will be selected during the 2020-21 academic year.

Make a gift.

— By Margaret Hair