Member Spotlight

MARIA ANDRADE

Maria Andrade has practiced immigration law for the last 12 years specializing in criminal related removal defense, complex family immigration, detention issues and employer sanctions. In addition to representing individuals and advising criminal defense attorneys about immigration consequences of criminal convictions, Ms. Andrade counsels cases with the University of Idaho College of Law Immigration Clinic and for the Mexican Consulate regarding immigration and labor issue affecting Mexican nationals residing in Idaho.

Ms. Andrade serves on the national amicus committee of American Immigration. Lawyer Association’s (AILA) and the advisory board for AILA’s national litigation arm, the American Immigration Law Foundation. Ms. Andrade is an active member of the National Immigration Project of the National Lawyer’s Guild.

Ms. Andrade obtained her law degree in 1995 from the University of Notre Dame Law School and undergraduate degree from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, CA. The Andrade Law Office includes three lawyers and can be reached at (208) 472-5690 is located at 815 W. Washington, Boise Idaho. The firm is of counsel to The Huntley Law Firm, PLLC.

Presentations, Teaching, writing

2008 AILA Annual Conference on Immigration Law
“Hot Topics In Grounds of Inadmissibility,” Panel Invitee
June 2008

Article: “A Problem Worth Looking For: Immigration Related Employer Investigations, Sanctions and Protection Plans” by: Maria E. Andrade & Hans C. Meyer, The Advocate, official publication of the Idaho State Bar, vol.51, issue 6/7, pps. 19-23, June 2008, available at: http://www2.state.id.us/isb/advocate/advocate_online.htm (last visited July 2008).

Workers Compensation Annual Seminar
“Immigration Considerations in Civil Litigation,” Presentation
March 2008

DON BURNETT
Dean and Foundation Professor of Law
University of Idaho College of Law

Dean Burnett brings to legal education the broad professional background of an appellate judge, practicing lawyer, state bar president, law dean, and law teacher. Born at Pocatello, Idaho, in 1946, he received his baccalaureate degree magna cum laude in economics from Harvard, his J.D. degree from the University of Chicago, and an LL.M. degree from the University of Virginia. He also graduated on the “Commandant’s List” from the Command & General Staff College of the United States Army.

Dean Burnett practiced law in Pocatello, where he served by contract as a judge for the Shoshone-Bannock Tribal Court. He became President of the Idaho State Bar and later served on the Idaho Court of Appeals. From 1990 to 2002 he was a member of the law faculty, including ten years as the dean, of the Louis D. Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville.

In 2002, Dean Burnett accepted the University of Idaho’s invitation to return to his native state. In addition to administrative duties as dean of the law faculty, he chaired the University of Idaho task force that produced the University’s diversity plan (“Diversity and Human Rights at the University of Idaho: A Comprehensive Plan for Action and Accountability”).

Dean Burnett teaches the Professional Responsibility course and has chaired the Professionalism Committee of the American Bar Association Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar. He is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, a national advisory council member of the American Judicature Society, and a member of the Governing Councils of the Idaho State Bar sections on Indian Law and Professionalism/Ethics.

RONALDO A. COULTER

Background.  Ronaldo (Ron) A. Coulter was born in San Francisco California on February 12, 1951.  Upon graduating from Polytechnic High School, San Francisco, California, in February, 1969, Ron attended Northwestern Prep School in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the U.S. Naval Academy Preparatory School then located in Bainbridge, Maryland. 

After attending the U.S. Naval Academy from 1971 - January 1973, due to family circumstances, Ron returned to San Francisco, California where he graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 1975 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in American History.  While at the University of California at Berkeley, Ron was enrolled in the Platoon Leaders Class (PLC) commissioning program for the U.S. Marine Corps.  Upon graduation from Berkeley, Ron was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve in December of 1975. 

Military Career.  From December of 1975 until his official retirement date of January 1, 1996, Ron remained on active duty in the United States Marine Corps obtaining the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.  During Ron’s military career,  he served in various assignments as a Supply Officer and a Judge Advocate. 

Ron’s assignments as a Supply Officer are as follows: 1976 - 1979, 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 3d Marine Division; 1979 - 1982, Marine Barracks, Naval Weapons Station, Concord, California; 1982-1983, Marine Aircraft Group 15, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, Iwakuni Japan; 1983 - 1985, Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego California where from 1985-1987 he also served as the Executive Officer, Headquarters Company, Headquarters and Service Battalion; and, 1987- 1989, 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Camp Pendleton, California. 

Ron’s assignments as a Judge Advocate are as follows: 1989 -1991, Legal Service Support Section, 1st Force Service Support Group, Camp Pendleton, California where he served as both Trial and Defense Counsel, Chief Trial Counsel, Review Officer and Assistant Officer-in Charge, Legal Services Support Section; 1991- 1992, Senior Judge Advocate (SJA) for the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), Camp Pendleton, California where while deployed for six months he participated in Operations Desert Stay, and Operation Transport of Pakistani Forces; 1992-1993, Deputy Staff Judge Advocate, I Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF), Camp Pendleton California, where he again was deployed and participated in Operation Restore Hope, Somalia; 1993-1994, Deputy Staff Judge, Advocate III MEF and 3d Marine Division, Okinawa, Japan; and,  1994 -1995, Officer-in-Charge, Legal Services Support Team “E” 1st Force Service Support Group, Marine Forces Pacific, Camp Pendleton California.

Civilian Career.  On October 30, 1995, Ron began his civilian professional career as the Public Defender of Kootenai County, Idaho where he supervised a staff of seven (7) attorneys and a staff of (six) support staff.  On July 1, 1996, Ron began work as a Deputy Attorney General and was assigned to the Idaho Department of Law Enforcement.  On June 17, 1998, Ron was appointed by Governor Phil Batt to serve as Idaho’s first State Appellate Public Defender (SAPD). On November 5, 2001, Ron joined Boise Cascade Corporation and served as the Equal Employment Opportunity Manager until June 1, 2004 when he entered private practice. Ron was a founding managing member of the law firm of Mimura, Coulter & Mimura PLLC. Ron is now in private practice and is the founder and owner of  Idaho Employment Law Solutions.

Credentials..  In addition to his B.A. Degree, Ron holds a Master’s Degree in Education from Chapman College, Orange California, and Juris Doctorate from the University of San Diego.  Ron is a member of the Idaho State Bar and is a member of the National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA). Ron serves on the Syringa Bank Advisory Board and is a member of the Meridian Chamber of Commerce.  Ron’s military decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy Commendation Medal with two gold stars, and the Navy Achievement Medal.

VONDA HALL

Vonda Hall graduated Cum Laude from Gonzaga University School of Law in May of 2003. Upon matriculation, Vonda began work as an in-house Counsel at OfficeMax, Inc. (formerly known as Boise Cascade Corporation) in Boise, Idaho. She was admitted to the Idaho State Bar in September of 2003. In January of 2005, Vonda joined the Business Law team in the legal department of Albertson's, Inc., now New Albertson’s, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of SUPERVALU INC.

Vonda is am alum of the Thomas More Scholarship Program and has been privileged to participate in a number of both community and professional service activities. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Mountain-West Chapter of Association of Corporate Counsel and is a St. Luke's Regional Medical Center Hospice Volunteer.

Vonda was a presenter at the 2007 ServIdaho Annual Conference on the topic of Volunteer Risk Management; was a volunteer fundraiser for the Strong Kids Program for the Treasure Valley YMCA and organizes a corporate and law firm sponsored events for the Ada County Boys & Girls Club.

Vonda presented at the University of Idaho College of Law Student Orientation and the 2007 Idaho State Bar Annual Meeting. She was also CLE Presenter at Gonzaga University School of Law on “Thinking Legally and Strategically About Culture and Diversity.” Vonda is an active member of the newly formed Diversity Section of the Idaho State Bar.

Prior to graduation from law school, Vonda completed a Judicial Clerk externship with United States Magistrate Judge Cynthia Imbrogno in the United States District Court, Eastern District of Washington in Spokane. Vonda also completed a summer associate program at the law firm of MacDonald, Hoague and Bayless in Seattle, WA.

Vonda earned her Bachelor of Science from the University of Miami (FL) and embarked on a twelve year science teaching career in high schools and middle schools located in various and diverse places such as Providence, RI; Landstuhl, Germany; Tamuning, Guam and Spokane, WA.

 

EMILE LOZA

Emile Loza is Certified Licensing Professional, managing attorney, and founder of Technology Law Group, LLC. Technology Law Group is a thriving international, intellectual property, and Internet law and technology-focused legislative practice based in Boise, Idaho. The TLG team serves leading technology innovators and international businesses ranging from among the ranks of the Fortune 1000, the entrepreneurial and arts community, academe, and other law firms. Approaching its sixth year, TLG is Idaho’s largest international and intellectual property law firm. Emile’s legal practice centers on international and intellectual property transactions, licensing, and electronic commerce.

Emile is a member of the Idaho State Bar, the American Bar Association, and the world’s largest association of licensing professionals, the Licensing Executives Society. In May 2008, Emile earned LES’s highest professional credential for intellectual property licensing, that of Certified Licensing Professional. In June 2007, Emile was invited to join the Board of Directors of KickStand , Idaho’s first and premier innovators’ business organization, as chair of the organization’s Strategic Partners Committee.

Emile is immediate past two-term chair of the ISB’s Intellectual Property Law Section and has served on the Section’s executive council continuously since 2003. As chair, Emile grew the Section to its highest membership levels ever and worked extensively to educate the Section and other members of the Bar as to key developments in intellectual property law practice, including the unique aspects of practice in international business and Internet transactions.

Emile is an active member of the ABA’s International and Intellectual Property Law Sections and of those Sections’ joint China Committee. Working in that Committee for the last two years, Emile has participated in a significant effort to review and offer commentary to China’s State Intellectual Property Office as to China’s proposed intellectual property laws and procedures pursuant to China’s admission to the World Trade Organization. In 2005, Emile also co-chaired the International Technology Transfer Subcommittee within the ABA’s Intellectual Property Law Section and spearheaded a project to publish on the financial aspects of international intellectual property transactions.

Emile is past chair of the LES High Tech Sector Internet and eCommerce Committee. In that capacity, Emile orchestrated nine hours of educational programming at the 2006 LES Annual Meeting in New York on licensing practice within the Internet context. Emile has also presented before the LES on the topics of royalty taxation under treaty law and on the use of Internet investigative techniques for due diligence, compliance monitoring, and enforcement of international intellectual property transactions.

Emile and the TLG team also continue to dedicate their time to the international and intellectual property education of Idaho attorneys and Idaho’s technology sector, providing trainings to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Small Business Development Center, Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce, Boise State University’s TECenter, the Idaho State Bar, National Association of Women Business Owners, and the American Society for Industrial Security.

Prior to entering private practice, Emile clerked for the Honorable Sérgio A. Gutierrez of the Idaho Court of Appeals. In Washington, D.C., Emile clerked for the Honorable Sheila F. Anthony of the Federal Trade Commission and subsequently worked as a federal investigator on a number of domestic and cross-border matters in the FTC’s leading Internet fraud litigation unit, the Division of Marketing Practices. There, Emile received special commendation for that Internet fraud litigation work and for contributions to the FTC’s Online Privacy Report to Congress. Emile’s work at the FTC also included an analysis of compliance with settlement agreements and unfair and deceptive trade practices in 140 Internet cases, and important contributions in Internet fraud litigations involving Internet and telecommunications fraud involving British and Australian defendants ($19M in the Southern District of New York); health products ($366M damages alleged in this complex litigation in the U.S. District Court in the District of Nevada); and Internet and print advertising ($6M in the District of Arizona).

Prior to law school, Emile enjoyed a twenty-year career in science, technology marketing, and international business within industries encompassing digital imaging, information technology, genetics, optoelectronics, and health care. Emile holds a bachelor’s degree in science and technology. Emile also holds a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Houston; and a juris doctor degree emphasizing international and intellectual property law from The George Washington University Law School in Washington, D.C.

Emile recently completed service on the Board of Editors for e-Discovery Law & Strategy. Emilehas also written articles published in peer-reviewed legal journals, including an article on the FTC’s prosecution of online conduct published in Communications and the Law and several articles in The Food and Drug Law Journal, including an article on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s regulation on online promotion of pharmaceutical products. Most recently, Emile edited and co-authored Financial Consideration in International Intellectual Property Licensing Transactions, which was published in the ABA’s The International Lawyer (Spring 2006); LES’ international publication, Les Nouvelles (June 2006 ); and The Computer & Internet Lawyer (September 2006). Emile has also published on Internet and other investigative techniques used in due diligence in support of transactional and litigation matters in the Idaho State Bar’s The Advocate in October 2006 and in the February 2007 issue of e-Commerce Law & Strategy.

In addition, Emile contributes significant pro bono legal services through the Idaho Volunteer Lawyers Program and otherwise, most recently for an Iranian mother and child regarding international family law and domestic safety matters. TLG realizes this philosophy of service through its Commitment to Community activities, including volunteer activities with Science Olympiad, the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and sponsorships of the Boise Art Museum, local Little League Baseball teams, and National Public Radio’s Science Friday. Emile also volunteers extensively, including as art parent, history club parent sponsor, and Science Olympiad coach.

 

NANCY LUEBBERT

Nancy Luebbert is the Academic Support Director at the University of Idaho College of Law, where she helps students of all backgrounds maximize their success in law school and on the bar exam.

Nancy graduated magna cum laude from the University of Idaho College of Law in 1998. While a law student, she served as Lead Articles Editor for the Idaho Law Review, successfully appealed a case before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals as part of the University of Idaho Appellate Legal Aid Clinic, and served as an extern law clerk to the Honorable Thomas G. Nelson of the Ninth Circuit. After graduation, Nancy clerked for the Honorable Wayne Kidwell of the Idaho Supreme Court. She then entered private practice as a contract attorney for the Idaho State Appellate Public Defender, where she represented indigent defendants before the Idaho Supreme Court and Idaho Court of Appeals. She became the College of Law’s first Academic Support Director in 2001.

Law is Nancy’s third career. After graduating summa cum laude from Dartmouth College, Nancy worked as a public historian, serving as the assistant curator of the Custer Museum in Custer, Idaho and co-authoring A Guide to Historical and Genealogical Records of Latah County, Idaho. Two seasons as a fire lookout on the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness then led her into a career as a wildland firefighter. She headed an engine crew in eastern Nevada before landing a coveted position as a Fire Suppression Specialist in the Alaska Fire Service. Nancy’s firefighting career culminated with a position as a Crew Management Specialist, where she coordinated the training and qualifications of over two thousand emergency firefighters from villages in throughout western central Alaska.

Nancy’s interest in diversity stems largely from her firefighting experience. She endured abuse and recrimination as the first woman firefighter on the Hat Creek Ranger District in 1984. In Alaska, her first supervisor decided to go short-handed rather than hire more than three women for a 25-person crew. Moreover, Nancy found most of Alaska’s secure federal and state firefighting positions were held by whites from the Lower 48 like her, while the vast majority of the temporary emergency firefighter positions were filled by Alaska Natives. She started using her position as a crew trainer as a bully pulpit to encourage Yup’ik and Inupiat youth to apply for and accept federal firefighting positions.

From her vantage point as an Academic Support professional, Nancy sees how diversity enriches the legal profession and the College of Law. “Both visible and invisible diversity are critical,” she professes. “I’m proud of the strides the College has made in hiring and graduating women and persons of color. And I’m equally proud that we celebrate and support other forms of diversity, such as LGBT staff and students, those with medical conditions and physical disabilities, those with learning disabilities, and nontraditional students. Increasing our diversity enriches our collective understanding and effectiveness.”

NATALIE CAMACHO MENDOZA
380 S. 4th St., Suite 202, Boise, Idaho 83702
Telephone: 208.342.2960
Facsimile: 208.344.7755
Website: www.CamachoMendozaLaw.com

NATALIE CAMACHO MENDOZA founded Camacho Mendoza Law in 2005. Prior to starting this practice, Ms. Camacho Mendoza was a partner in the law firm of Gardner & Camacho Mendoza, LLP.

Ms. Camacho Mendoza began her practice in poverty law working for Idaho Legal Aid Services, Inc in 1989. She served as staff attorney then managing attorney, and director of the Migrant Law Units. Ms. Camacho Mendoza relocated to Texas in 1992 where she worked for a large private law firm, Plunkett, Gibson & Allen and then Frank Rivas & Associates, in-house South Texas Corporate Litigation Counsel office for State Farm Automobile Insurance Companies. She returned to Idaho in 1995, and worked for Quane, Smith, Howard & Hull, LLP. In 1998, Natalie began working with Anderson, Julian & Hull, LLP, where she later became a partner before forming Gardner & Camacho Mendoza, LLP.

Ms. Camacho Mendoza’s major areas of practice are Indian Law, worker’s compensation, Immigration and Naturalization and business transactions. Her interest in arts and entertainment has also opened her practice to assisting local multi-cultural artists with various legal matters and representation. She is listed as a legal resource by the Idaho Film Bureau. She also has experience with lobbying federal, state and local governments, litigating personal injury, products liability, criminal cases, both prosecution and defense, labor law matters as well as practicing in the area of insurance law including preparation of coverage opinions.

Ms. Camacho Mendoza has practiced worker’s compensation defense for thirteen years. She has practiced before the majority of the Industrial Commission Referees, the full Commission and the Idaho Supreme Court regarding worker’s compensation matters. She has served as lead counsel in numerous worker’s compensation cases, including subrogation cases in District Court, for various sureties and employers throughout Idaho. In immigration matters, Ms. Camacho Mendoza has practiced before the United States Department of Justice, Immigration Court, United States Department of Justice, Board of Immigration Appeals and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Ms. Camacho Mendoza has also appeared in Tribal Court and before the Nevada Intertribal Court of Appeals.

Besides starting her own firm, Ms. Camacho Mendoza”s business experience includes organizational development and human resources matters including but not limited to hiring, recruitment, retention, employee relations, orientation and training.

Ms. Camacho Mendoza, is also known as a speaker, writer and workplace diversity consultant, she works with organizations and associations that want to increase their bottom line and improve communication through focused knowledge on the dynamics of diversity and individual contributions. Since law school, Natalie has been invited to speak in various venues in Kansas, Texas, Washington and Idaho. Natalie has given speeches to children grade school age to college students. She has been invited to speak to corporate executives, women’s groups, professional organizations, employee associations, educators, non-profit organizations, church groups and at cultural events.

Bar Admissions:

State Courts of Idaho 1991- Active
Shoshone - Paiute Tribal Court 2005- Active
Coeur d’Alene Tribal Court 2005- Active
State Courts of Texas 1995- Active
United States District Court of Idaho 1991- Active
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals 2004- Active

Professional Affiliations:

Idaho State Bar (ISB)
ISB Worker’s Compensation Section 1995 - Present
ISB Indian Law Section 2005 - Present
ISB Diversity Section, Chair Elect 2007 - Present
State Bar of Texas 1995 - Present
State Bar of Texas Hispanic Issues Section 1995 - Present
State Bar of Texas Indian Law Section 2005 – Present
Idaho Media Professionals 2008 - Present

Publications:

Camacho Mendoza, Natalie, William Powers: Bad Faith in Texas, State Bar of Texas, Continuing Legal Education, San Antonio, Texas, 1992,

Camacho Mendoza, Natalie, Alan K. Hull: Worker’s Compensation in Idaho, Hispanic Issues Training Conference, Boise, Idaho 1998,

Camacho Mendoza, Natalie, Alternatives to Incarceration for Tribal and Latino Juveniles, Advocate, Volume 49, February 2006.

Camacho Mendoza, Natalie, US Global Competitiveness Depends on English Plus, La Presna, 2006.

Education:

Cuernavaca Language School, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico 1992
Washburn University of Topeka School of Law, Topeka, Kansas, 1986-1989
   Juris Doctorate.

Educational background included conflicts of law, law and human rights, immigration, alternative dispute resolutions, administrative law, environmental law, water law, agencies, partnerships and corporations.

Honors and Affiliations:

Washburn University’s President’s Scholarship, NaNational Hispanic Scholarship, Hispanic American Law Student Association’s Si Se Puede Scholarship, Who’s Who Among American Law Students, 1988 and 1989. President Hispanic American Law Student Association, Chair Project Due Process and Student Organizer, Hispanic National Bar Association Law Student Division.

Idaho State University, Pocatello, Idaho, 1985

Bachelor of Arts Degree, Political Science,

Educational background includes five semesters of training as a radiology technologist, which included courses in anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, nursing, physics and a practicum conducted at Portneuf Regional Medical Center (formerly Bannock Regional Medical Center) radiology department. In addition, Political Science courses included constitutional law, international relations, state and local governments, politics and lobbying as well as political philosophy.

Affiliations:

President of the Student Radiology Technology Association and Student liaison to the State of Idaho Radiology Technology Association.

KINZO MIHARA

Greetings all! My name is Kinzo Mihara. I was born in Polson, a little town in northwestern Montana. I spent five years growing up in Montana, living in the cities of Polson, Whitefish, and Billings. Montana, like Idaho, is very homogeneous in terms of diversity, with a low percentage of minorities making the state their home. As a descendent of WWII Japanese Internees and US military veterans, I still felt lingering traces of racism growing up. Growing up in a multi-racial family in a rural state can be difficult, to say the least.

At the age of five, my father joined the U.S. Navy and moved my family to California. California, in terms of numbers, was much more diverse. There were people whose ancestry covers the globe. It was in this environment which I attended elementary and middle schools. I became interested in the law at an early age, often being chased by the police for riding my skateboard. I could not believe that youngsters were being hassled for playing. The principal at my elementary school summed it up, ‘there is not much for you to do but just follow the rules and not ride your skateboard.’ I did not like that answer then as I do not like it now. I knew that there was something I could do, just not what it was or how to do it.

In the sixth grade, my father received orders transferring him from California to Maryland – on the other side of the country. Living on the suburban outskirts of the District of Columbia, I got to know the true meaning of diversity. There were folks from all over the world – not just by ancestry, but by citizenry. I was able to attend high school with folks who were born in places all over the globe. I found that it was interesting hearing stories about folks’ native countries and how things are different in this country as opposed to others. I have a distinct memory of a vice-principal telling me that I would be either dead or in jail by age 21. This angered me and made me want to do something with my life so that my vice principal would have to eat her words.

I finished High School and immediately began my college career. After receiving my first set of mid-term grades, I decided that maybe college wasn’t for me. I enlisted in the U.S. Marines at the ripe age of 18 against my parent’s better judgment. Following my interest in the law, I enlisted to be a legal clerk for the Marine’s JAG department. Due to my lack of knowledge of contracts, I was told that my understanding of what my job would be was incorrect and that I could be assigned any job that the Marine Corps wanted me to perform. The law of contracts became especially interesting to me at that point.

I ended up in a UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) Squadron out of the Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center in California. From there I was assigned positions as an enlisted aide to one of the Marine Corps highest ranking generals in the Executive Offices of the Pentagon and as a Congressional Correspondence and Liaison NCO for the Marine Corps. The position of enlisted aide was particularly rewarding. Out of approximately 160 General-Grade officers in the Marine Corps, I served one of the four Generals of African descent. His stories of growing up in South Carolina as a youngster as well as serving in the Carolinas as a black Officer were particularly striking. It was at this stage of my life that I began to have an interest in diversity. I asked myself: Out of how many folks I served with were black? I answered: between 25 and 35 percent. Then I asked myself: well then, why is it that there are only 4 black folks out of 160 leading us? It is a question that still vexes me.

During my tenure with the Marine Corps, I completed many university-level courses and shortly after my discharge was able to get a Bachelors of Science degree in legal studies from the University of Maryland University College – an institution which specializes in distance learning for military folks. After my discharge, I began work as a paralegal in Maryland. I worked on many cases which cemented my interest in the law. It was then I began applying to law schools. To my surprise, most of my applications resulted in acceptances, two resulted in wait-listings, and only one resulted in a rejection (interestingly enough it was Howard University that kicked me to the curb).

I decided to attend the University of Idaho’s College of Law due to several factors, none of which were diversity related. Upon coming to the University of Idaho I was amazed at the level of commitment to diversity of the College of Law. This led me to want to support this commitment in any way I could. I was twice popularly voted as Honor Court Justice for the Law School and was appointed as the Lt. Governor of Diversity for the ABA’s Student Division Twelfth Circuit.

It was in the diversity position I proposed a program similar to the Idaho Bar Association’s Section of Diversity’s ‘Pipeline Program’ – a program that is designed to speak to middle and high school students about careers in the legal profession. One of the saddest things I did was to call a guidance counselor in a town close to Moscow, ID about coming and talking to the kids about getting into law school and have the response be – ‘we’re not interested, none of the kids from around here really go to law school.’

I believe we can do better and fully support what the Idaho Bar is doing in terms of diversity. For anyone out there who believes that a legal education is beyond their ability, I would ask them to look at me and to think again.

RAYMOND TAKASHI SWENSON
Senior Counsel
JD,LLM Environmental Law
CH2M*WG Idaho, LLC
POB 1625
Idaho Falls, ID 83415-2506
208-521-4218 Main/BlackBerry
208-526-0953 Fax

Raymond Takashi Swenson is a Senior Counsel for CH2M-Washington Group Idaho, LLC, which is cleaning up nuclear waste at the Idaho National Laboratory for the Department of Energy.  Ray’s BA in math and JD are from the University of Utah, and LLM in environmental law from George Washington University.  Ray is a retired lt. colonel in the Air Force JAG Corps, is admitted to the bar in Idaho, Washington, California and Utah, and has also worked in Colorado, Maryland, Tokyo, Washington, DC, and Nebraska.  He also serves on the board of the Environment and Natural Resource Law Section.