Golden Gavel 2023
A standing-room-only appellate courtroom on the second floor of Kennedy Hall was the venue for this year’s annual Rutan & Tucker Golden Gavel Competition, where two seemingly unflappable 1L students prepared to make their final arguments before three guest judges. If 2023’s Golden Gavel finalists Hannah Hamblin (plaintiff) and Kristin Sinks (defendant) had any pre-appearance jitters,
Alumni on the Move: Alex Mohajer Runs for State Senate
When Alex Mohajer (JD ’11) graduated from Chapman University, his graduating class voted this champion of equality and LGBTQ+ rights, “Most Likely to be Held in Contempt of Court”–they were wrong, of course. Mohajer left Chapman and entered public service where, for the past ten years, he has been investigating allegations of discrimination and sexual
Paul Paton Appointed as dean of Fowler School of Law
Chapman University has named Paul Paton dean of the Dale E. Fowler School of Law. Paton is currently professor of law and ethics at the University of Alberta, Canada, he assumes the deanship from interim Dean Marisa Cianciarulo on June 30, 2023. Paton is a first-generation student and lawyer, receiving his undergraduate degree, as well
Alumni on the Move: Diana Chao
Diana Chao (JD ’10) is the incumbent president of the Orange County Coalition for Diversity in the Law (OCCDL), a partner in her firm, Everett Dorey LLC, and the matriarch of a young family. We caught up with her to discuss life since graduation, her continuing involvement in the Fowler School of Law alumni and
Does Originalism Work?
On Monday, Feb. 6, Professors Kurt Eggert and Lee J. Strang faced off in a robust yet collegial debate on the topic: Does Originalism Work? These two legal scholars easily filled the spacious venue in Kennedy Hall with an audience of students, faculty, and visitors keen to witness a scholarly arm-wrestle and expand their understanding
Alumni on the Move: Diversity Matters with Asal Saffari
Asal Saffari (JD ’18) is an alumnus on a mission to shape the future of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in Orange County’s legal profession.
Keeping the Faith with Laura Evans
Fowler School of Law 2L student Laura Evans has been named by the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) to their 2022 Pro Bono Honor Roll, a sterling accolade for any aspirant lawyer. Evans is being recognized for her strong leadership and pro-bono efforts with the Ukrainian Mothers and Children Transport project (UMACT), an effort
Alum Gary Polk to serve as Judge in the Riverside County Superior Court
Chapman Alumnus Gary Polk (JD ’08) has been appointed by Governor Newsom to serve as a judge in the Riverside County Superior Court. Polk has been a fixture in the Riverside County District Attorney’s office since passing the bar in 2008, and after fourteen years of service in a variety of roles there, Polk is
Anabella Bonfa: A Mentor’s Mentor
Adjunct faculty member Anabella Bonfa has been honored at the prestigious California Legal Awards, where she received a mentorship award for 20 years of work mentoring fledgling lawyers. Bonfa is a local trial attorney practicing at Wellman & Warren in Laguna Hills, when she is not at Chapman University’s Dale E. Fowler School of Law
Going Places with the JAG Corps and Alumna Captain Marlyss Maxham
“I never wanted to count billable hours,” says Marlyss Maxham (JD ’21) of how she saw her legal career unfolding. Now Captain Maxham, this Fowler School of Law alumna is currently stationed on the tropical paradise of Hawaii’s Oahu island and serving in the Army’s Judge Advocate General Corps (JAG).