KU Law Blog

Returning Visiting Scholar: Dr. Bakht Munir

Visiting scholar Dr. Bakht Munir returns to KU Law from Lahore, Pakistan, for the fall 2024 semester through the end of January 2025.

Munir is a faculty member at the University of the Punjab. He teaches courses in Constitutional Law, Legal Constitutional History, Legal Research Methodology, and Islamic Law of Finance at various public and private universities. He previously visited KU Law during the fall 2017 semester and returned to conduct postdoctoral research on “Judicial Autonomy with the Glimpses of Self-Realization of Judicial Restraint: A Critical Analysis in Context of Pakistan.”

Why did you choose to return to KU Law?

I chose to return to KU Law because of the unparalleled academic experience I had during my previous time here. Studying under the supervision of Professor Richard E. Levy, who is an authority in constitutional law, provided me with a solid foundation for my Ph.D. research. The supportive and collaborative environment at KU Law, as well as the excellence of the faculty and staff, made my decision to return an easy one. I am confident that being back at KU Law will further enhance my academic and professional growth.

The Wheat Law Library, coupled with the free online databases, is rich with resources relevant to the area of my interest. I can utilize these resources without adapting to a new work environment. Strong support from the local community is also a significant factor in choosing KU Law again.

Professor Levy was very supportive during my last visit as a research exchange scholar, so I have requested him again for the Postdoc Research Project. He has shown willingness for potential collaborative research projects which speaks volumes about his unconditional support. Positive working relationships with him, Dean Stephen Mazza, Professor Raj Bhala, Crystal Mai, and other professors and staff alike have enabled me to work in a conducive environment. Moreover, KU offers specific career development resources for postdocs such as workshops, networking events, and opportunities for teaching and mentoring that would help advance my academic and professional profile.

What are your goals for your time at KU Law? What do you plan to do after your time here?

My primary goal is to deepen my research in constitutional law and build on the work I have already accomplished. After my time at KU, I plan to continue my academic career with aspirations to teach and contribute to legal scholarship at an international level.

I am committed to completing the postdoc research project and availing myself of further research opportunities. I came to KU Law to explore U.S. constitutional governance and establish ties with the legal fraternity. I look forward to a long-term working relationship and wish to bridge the U.S. scholars with the Asian legal regime. I want to focus my research on the comparative legal developments between the U.S. and Pakistan. Collaborative work could help produce quality scholarships which could be interesting for both countries.

Further, I am focusing on integrating law with technology through artificial intelligence for which I have started collaborating with a physicist here in Lawrence and have authored a research paper that is expected to be published soon.

How has our academic and research environment at KU Law changed since your last time here? Have there been any changes compared to your home institution?

The environment at KU Law has evolved positively since my last visit. There have been significant advancements in research support and a greater emphasis on interdisciplinary studies, which align perfectly with my research interests.

Compared to my home institution, KU Law offers a more collaborative atmosphere, which is conducive to innovative legal research. The access to the resources and encouragement of academic exploration is something I greatly appreciate.

What are you excited to return to in Lawrence? Have you discovered anything new in our community?

I am excited about reconnecting with the vibrant academic community and the cultural richness that the city offers. The welcoming nature of the community residents and the diverse experiences available here make it a special place.

I have also discovered new developments in the city as well as on campus, including extended cultural venues and community initiatives that reflect the city’s growth and dynamism. I love the vibrant atmosphere. The town offers a dynamic cultural scene supplemented by events, lectures, workshops, and community activities. Community centers like the Islamic Centre are a perfect place for socialization and networking. I can easily meet and have productive discussions with the local community and have their support and assistance in different matters.

The community system of Lawrence is fascinating. Lawrence offers several outdoor activities such as hiking and driving to nearby lakes and parks. I love the Kansas River and Clinton Lake, which are both good places for boating and fishing. In addition to cultural and artistic scenes, Lawrence offers an affordable living standard compared to other big cities and towns. Being a university town, Lawrence has a highly educated population. Living in a diverse educated society can help broaden my thinking and may open new avenues for my professional pursuits.

What advice would you offer to scholars who want to return to an institution they’ve previously studied at?

My advice would be to approach the opportunity and a willingness to engage with both the familiar and the new. Reconnecting with mentors and peers can provide invaluable insights and opportunities for growth. Additionally, returning with a fresh perspective can allow you to appreciate the advancements and changes within the institution, making your experience richer and more fulfilling.

The University of Kansas is home to a very divergent culture because it has students, faculty, and staff from different communities which makes it easier to develop connections, explore opportunities, and advocate for your values. One should leave an impact when returning to the same institution. I would encourage the scholars who intend to return to mingle with the local community, engage in fruitful discussions with other faculty members, learn new skills, be actively involved in local events, and be positive ambassadors of their own culture without deviating from their academic pursuits.

Fund established honoring alum’s support of the Project for Innocence

The Paul E. Wilson Project for Innocence & Post-Conviction Remedies – previously known as The Defender Project – was founded at KU Law almost 60 years ago. Hundreds of students have participated in the program over the years and have won more than 70 direct appeals since its rebranding in 2008.

The program has received support from many, including Robert Loyd, LLB’62, who passed away in October 2021. Loyd supported the project financially and mentored many students who are still practicing today. To honor Loyd’s contributions, his daughter, Theresa Leaming, has established the Robert W. Loyd Memorial Fund, a new fund for KU Law students.

“My father was a man with a great sense of justice,” said Leaming. “I knew the Project was near and dear to his heart and I wanted to keep his sense of generosity and justice going.”

Raised in Ottawa, Kansas, Loyd originally came to KU to study math, but his career goals changed after he attended a political science course and fell in love with the subject. After his graduation in 1958, he continued his studies at KU Law earning an LLB, a Bachelor of Laws, in 1962.

Loyd began his law career in Commerce Bank’s Trust Department, focusing on trust and probate business law and family law. He remained a dedicated supporter of KU Law and its Project for Innocence.

This fund is designed to support students involved in Project for Innocence and help cover the costs of the clinic to ensure KU Law students have the opportunity to fully litigate their cases.

“I wanted to establish the fund to help the students finish what they start,” said Leaming. “I hope that students will be able to deepen their sense of justice and get hooked on this kind of law.”

Make a gift to the Robert W. Loyd Memorial Award Fund.

– By Emma Herrman

Longevity and Leadership

Dean Stephen Mazza celebrates 14 years as dean – the 5^th longest serving law dean in the country

After more than 25 years at KU Law, with 14 of those years serving as dean, Stephen Mazza is eager to see what the future holds.

“I’m excited to continue the momentum we’ve developed in terms of the student success and faculty achievements,” said Mazza. “We want to solidify our standing as one of the best public law schools in the country.”

According to the Rosenblatt’s Deans Database, Mazza is currently the fifth-longest serving law dean in the country behind Chris Guthrie of Vanderbilt University, Kevin Johnson of University of California (Davis), Leticia Diaz of Barry University and Joseph Kearney of Marquette University.

“I have a sense of accomplishment for having served 14 years,” said Mazza. “The first decade of my deanship was a difficult one in terms of application numbers and employment stats, but we stayed focused on the essentials – providing our students a high-quality education with an outstanding faculty, attention to professional development and building and maintaining relationships with our alumni in Kansas and across the country.”

With Mazza’s leadership, KU Law has emerged from some challenging times with a faculty who are consistently recognized for their scholarly productivity, diverse entering classes that continue to break LSAT and GPA scores and continuous high employment and bar passage rates.

Dean Mazza’s composite photo from the University of Alabama School of Law

Mazza’s career has taken him all over the country. After graduating from the University of Alabama School of Law in 1992 with his JD, he headed north to New York University School of Law to complete an LL.M. program specializing in tax. He joined the Atlanta–based law firm Kilpatrick & Cody – now Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP – in 1993, but early in his career he developed an interest in legal education.

“I took a leave of absence from the firm to return to NYU as a visiting assistant professor,” said Mazza. “If you think you want to teach, a VAP program is a great way to figure it out and eventually it took me to KU Law.”

Mazza joined KU Law’s star-studded faculty in 1998 where he formed an instant connection with Martin Dickinson, a former tax professor and dean, and Mike Hoeflich, who was the dean at the time. He eventually assumed the role of associate dean for academic affairs under his predecessor Dean Gail Agrawal.

When Agrawal left KU Law for a different deanship, Mazza was asked to serve as interim dean, but he didn’t immediately apply for the full-time position despite having been at KU Law for a decade.

After the first official dean search failed, however, Mazza realized that the parts of the job others found the most challenging were the most interesting and rewarding to him.

“I found meeting alumni to be one of the best parts of the job,” he said. “I enjoyed being out on the road and meeting smart people who had an interest in our school. I loved sharing our faculty and student successes with them.”

With encouragement from alumni like Glee Smith, L’47, Mazza decided to finally throw his hat in the ring. A little less than a year after he had assumed the interim position, Mazza officially moved into the role of dean of KU Law.

“I actually applied to several other law schools at the time,” said Mazza. “But in the end, I decided I couldn’t leave KU Law. And the idea that my colleagues had that much trust in me was really meaningful.”

Dean Mazza speaks with KU Law alumni during the 2024 50/50+ Reunion.
*Photo by Earl Richardson, L’08*

When he took the lead of the law school, enrollment nationwide was in a downturn and had been since the Great Recession of 2008. Changes in university administration, budget issues, retirement of long-serving law faculty and, of course, COVID-19 made the job tough. But Mazza had a terrific administrative team in place, including Crystal Mai, associate dean of administration, Steve Freedman, associate dean for admissions and Leah Terranova, associate dean for academic and student affairs. Based on the work of many individuals, KU Law has emerged as one of the best value law schools in the country.

“Because of our generous alumni and donors, we are able to continually provide scholarship support for around 80% of the entering class,” said Mazza. “Private support also allows us to retain and grow our outstanding faculty.”

Many of the associate deans who served under Mazza have moved on to do other great things.

“It’s one of my greatest achievements,” said Mazza with a smile. “KU Law has had four former associate deans go one to become deans at other law schools.”

With years of experience under his belt, Mazza ardently supports other law professors interested in making the jump to dean.

“Accept all leadership opportunities that come your way,” said Mazza. “You can do this just as well, if not better, than everyone else so don’t undersell yourself. Ask for opportunities and find a mentor.”

Mazza credits some of his success to his relationship with his own mentors, Martin Dickinson and Mike Hoeflich, and wants to pay it forward.

“I have tried to be a good mentor to other people,” he said. “So, find a mentor who can support and guide you.”

For Mazza, he plans to stay a Jayhawk as long as he can.

“I had a couple of law school classmates visit me recently in Lawrence,” said Mazza. “As they were leaving, one said to me, ‘Now I understand why you’ve been in Kansas for so long.’ It’s a wonderful community.”

Some of those future plans include serving as chair of the 2025 Association of American Law Schools annual meeting where he will lead a group of other law school deans to review proposals for panels, presentations, symposia or other programming. His biggest goal, however, will impact all current, future and past KU Law students.

“There are still many things I want to accomplish. I want to bring KU Law back home to Jayhawk Boulevard,” said Mazza. “Back to what is now Lippincott Hall. It is one of our most ambitious projects yet, but being back in the heart of the KU campus would be incredible.”

– By Emma Herrman

KU Law students say, ‘Merhaba!’ to BAU

KU Law provides opportunity for three KU Law students to travel to Türkiye

While it’s known that your law degree can open doors around the globe, it may not be as well-known that KU Law can do the same during your three years of law school.

KU Law offers two formal summer study abroad programs in Ireland and Türkiye as well as two semester-long programs in Scotland and Italy. They also work alongside KU International Affairs for a summer program in England.

Last year, 13 students spent three weeks studying in Limerick, Galway and Dublin where they learned about international law and Irish culture.

“I appreciated the perspective on European law and thought we gained in class as well as the opportunity to explore Irish history, culture and food,” said Reagan Hoskin, 3L, who participated in the 2023 summer program. “This experience has grown who I am both personally and professionally.”

This summer, three students – Allen Colombo, 2L, Alex Hagerott, 3L, and Michael Rebein, 3L – joined Professor Steve Ware and Dean Stephen Mazza in Istanbul, Türkiye, for American Law Week which highlighted U.S. legal education. Our students were able to meet and collaborate with Turkish students at KU Law’s long-time friends at Bahçeşehir University (BAU).

“We were presented with a wonderful institution whose close relationship with KU and drive for excellence was immediately apparent,” said Rebein. “BAU loves its students, and that same love was given to us.”

This program is a fantastic opportunity to achieve a more well-rounded law school experience despite having to delay internships and other summer job opportunities. Plus, the students were able to immerse themselves completely in Turkish culture.

“Though Americans might not be as well acquainted with Türkiye as with some other European countries, it rivals the rest of the world with the breadth of its natural and architectural beauty, as well as its historical significance,” said Hagerott.

Alongside the beauty of the country and the invaluable learning experience, this study abroad experience helped create strong relationships between the students and the faculty who traveled with them.

“Having the ability to spend time with distinguished professors and the dean truly made this experience unforgettable,” said Colombo. “By speaking with Dean Mazza and Professor Ware, I found new interests in law which I had not considered.”

Colombo, Hagerott and Rebein aren’t the only students with rave reviews of KU Law’s study abroad programming. Recent KU Law grad, Jamie Treto, L’23, shared her experience studying in Italy for a semester in 2022 and more opportunities for studying around the globe are accessible to all law students.

“A study abroad experience can be eye-opening for students, particularly those who have not done a lot of international travel,” said Dean Mazza. “Students get out of their comfort zones, respond to challenges and get the opportunity to learn about other legal systems which often helps them understand U.S. law better.”

Learn about all KU Law’s study abroad opportunities.

– By Emma Herrman

Alum creates first LGBTQ+ scholarship for KU Law

A new scholarship fund at KU Law has been created to support students who are members or allies of the LGBTQ+ community. The fund, OUTLaws & Allies Scholarship for LGBTQ+ Equality, was founded by KU Law alum and current Board of Governors member Steve Young, L’84. It is the first of its kind at KU Law.

“I was honestly surprised when I learned there were no scholarships in the law school specifically earmarked for LGBTQ+ students and felt it was time to correct that,” said Young. “It is my sincere hope that it will encourage other LGBTQ+ alumni and friends to step up and add to it.”

Steve Young
*Photo courtesy of Steve Young*

After Young’s graduation in 1984, he spent a year in Illinois working as general counsel for the Illinois Press Association, then relocated to San Francisco, where he has served as general counsel of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of California (IIABCal), with a specialty in insurance industry regulation. Though he may live in San Francisco, he left his heart in Lawrence and KU Law.

“I’ve had the opportunity to work with lawyers from law schools all over the country, and I would put my legal education up against anyone I’ve ever met,” he said. “In terms of the variety of the curriculum, quality of education and the preparation for what law calls for, what a successful legal career requires, KU Law is second to none.”

It is Young’s hope that this scholarship will open the doors for more LGBTQ+ youth who are interested in receiving a law degree.

“I hope that the kids who are in school now or who are thinking of applying to KU Law understand that all LGBTQ+ individuals are welcomed and encouraged to attend KU,” he said. “They will find a home that will help them professionally and personally as they go through law school.”

Make a gift to the OUTLaws & Allies Scholarship for LGBTQ+ Equality.

– By Emma Herrman

Graduate Profile: Anthony Leeks, L’24

Former KU football player joins KC firm for real estate law

Anthony Leeks, L’24

Once you’re a Jayhawk, you’re always a Jayhawk. This is especially true for recent graduate, Anthony Leeks, who first walked onto KU’s campus in 2018. When he graduated in 2021 with a degree in business management and leadership, Leeks knew he wasn’t done with Lawrence.

“I’m sticking with KU,” Leeks said, referring to his plans for future degrees. “I’ve gotten two degrees from here and I will go three for three if it ever ends up happening.”

Prior to starting his KU Law career, Leeks was a walk-on for the KU football team. From 2019 to 2021, Leeks was a linebacker under Coach Les Miles.

“I was there when we beat Texas Tech and tore the field posts down,” he said. “I might have to go to a game at Arrowhead next year.”

Now, with his J.D. in hand, Leeks will join the Kansas City firm Sandberg Phoenix in September as an associate attorney in their real estate division. This won’t be Leek’s first time at Sandberg Phoenix. He first got a taste of the work this firm does his 2L summer.

“I’ve always gone back and forth between transactional and litigation,” said Leeks. “Some of the experiences I had over that summer led me to real estate. I like that everyone wants to get the deal done. Everyone wants to be there. It’s not adversarial.”

Despite his focus on transactional law, Leeks was involved in moot court during his time at KU Law. However, Leeks is thankful for the experience as it helped him hone skills that he’ll be using at Sandberg Phoenix.

“I joined moot court because I didn’t think I was good at legal writing and I wanted to improve,” he said. “It worked out because I made it to the finals and got on council and everything.”

Leeks is hooded at the 2024 Hooding Ceremony at the Lied Center.

This year, Leeks and his partner, John Laangmaid, won the second-best brief in the Stetson International Environmental Competition. Leeks also served as the president of the Sports Law Society and the Black Law Students Association (BLSA).

“I’ve always wanted to become a CEO of a company or general counsel for a sports team,” said Leeks. “When I was president of Sports Law Society, we had the GC of Sporting Kansas City come and speak. I think doing something like that would be really cool.”

Looking back at his experiences growing up, it’s no surprise that Leeks was destined for great things. Even as a kid, Leeks had an inquisitive mind that kept him asking questions and seeking knowledge.

“When I was a kid, I would see people from the city in my backyard working on the green electrical box there and it always confused me,” he said, “until I took Business Law and learned about easements. There are so many instances like that that answered my questions, and that’s what convinced me to go to law school.”

Business Law, led by KU Law professor Amii Castle, was not the only thing that left a big impact on Leeks. Over the span of his three years, Leeks credits former KU Law professor Lou Mulligan, recently retired professor Tom Stacy and Uma Outka as important figures in his law career.

“Lou got really honest about being prepared. If this is what you want to do then you need to take it seriously,” said Leeks.

Not only did Outka make an impact on Leek’s future, but her class helped set him in the right direction.

“Property in my 1L year was probably my favorite class by far,” said Leeks. “It’s probably why I’m going into real estate. I’ve always had a tie to real estate.”

Freshly graduated and preparing for the Bar, Leeks has some advice for students considering applying for law school.

“There are so many things you can do with a law degree,” he said. “You might think you’re just going to work for a law firm or some government agency, but there’s so much more that you can do that you’ve never imagined. You can pursue a J.D. and not be tied to one specific thing.”

One thing that Leeks always plans on being tied to is KU, no matter where his KU degrees take him. “I have friends who are going to Phoenix, Knoxville and Chicago,” he said. You can go anywhere with KU, not just Kansas.”

–By Emma Herrman

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