Dean Scott H. Bice - USC Gould School of Law - University of ...

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Top: Dean, faculty, and students in unheatedBalti University Faculty of Law officeMiddle: Moldova State University Facultyof Law’s 40th Anniversary brochureBottom: ABA (CEELI) staff inChisinau, Moldovareview what she would say at herpress conference announcing adomestic violence awareness week– the staggering list of activitiesincluded age-appropriate curriculumat public schools, roundtablediscussions at health clinicsthroughout the country and publicservice radio and newspaper ads. Iasked why she wasn’t announcingthe package of legislative reformsbeing introduced to Parliament toaddress the dreadful absence oflegal remedies for battered women.I suggested that it was the perfecttime to reach the general publicabout the reforms, encouragingthem to contact their elected officialsin order to urge them to supportthe proposed legislation.Although she was thrilled with theidea, it simply hadn’t occurred toJana to do this since, she explained,Moldovans “are still learning aboutthe role voters can play in shapinglaws – they don’t know the powerof their voice.”Also indicative of this inexperiencewith raising their voices, washow people appeared to be respondingto Russia’s threat to turn off allgas if the Moldovan governmentdid not pay its outstanding debt.Half the people I questionedthought I was naive for thinking itwould actually happen — the otherhalf thought it probably would getturned off but considered me naivefor thinking they could influencethe Moldovan government to paythe debt or account for missingfunds intended for this purpose.No one could see the value inspeaking out or contacting theirelected officials. If anything, it isthis failure to believe they canmake a difference, I fear, that couldprevent Moldovans from becominginvolved in government and evolvinginto a true democracy.New IdeasThe excitement about creatingthe first legal clinics inthe country seemedemblematic of a general interest innew ideas and opportunities toimprove Moldova. Interesting tome, however, was the extent towhich the clinics themselvesinvolved new concepts.In my first conversations aboutvolunteer training, I realized Icould not simply refer to the use of“simulations” to demonstrateinterviewing techniques – the currentMoldovan purely theoreticalteaching style involves no practicaltraining of any kind so the conceptwas unknown. I had not predicted,how unfamiliar it stillseemed that individuals couldinvoke the law to respond to socialproblems such as domestic violence,much less use the law toprotect individual liberties. Thesenotions represented a dramaticdeparture from the norm duringfifty years of communism.Even the notion of volunteerism,which now seems inextricablyintertwined with establishinga democracy, was new toMoldovans. The communist government’srole included advancingthe state in part by meeting basicneeds itself such as housing, medicalcare and food. In such a system,volunteerism seemed unnecessary,even subversive. In ademocracy, the government maynot always care adequately for itsmost vulnerable, requiring thatvolunteerism be promoted as oneof society’s highest values andhopefully fill the current need.The Future of MoldovaDespite an economy on thebrink of disaster and thestill long road to a functioningdemocracy, I left feelingtremendously optimistic aboutMoldova’s future. Throughout thecountry, I met generous, peaceful,intelligent, and energetic people,receptive to new ideas and possessinga fiercely held national pride.Embodying the promise forMoldova’s future is the youth – the18-25 year-olds, many of whom areso mature and savvy, I related tothem as peers. Committed andidealistic, they lack the cynicismof previous generations. I have nodoubt that if Moldova can surviveuntil these talented youth takeover, it will flourish. I dream alongwith them of the potential for thissmall, proud nation.Following her trip to Moldova, Dean Lash spent aweek in Ukraine, tracing her family’s roots.My grandmother told storiesof longing for, andloathing of, “the OldCountry” – Skvira and BelaTserkov, Ukraine during the firstquarter of the 20th century. Bubbierelated the joys of living amongthousands of Jews in a tight-knitcommunity, yet the perils this heldwhen the pogroms grew increasinglyfrequent and deadly; havingthe whole family live and worktogether, yet the pain of separationas siblings and cousins left for thepromise of religious freedom andopportunity in the U.S.; the excitementof getting an education, butthe humiliation of competition forthe limited spaces for Jewish childrenin the public schools. As achild I was fascinated by the detailsof Bubbie and Zaydie’s courageousand frightening stories, in awe ofwhat they and my great aunts anduncles had endured.Since Moldova is so close toUkraine, I decided to visit thesmall towns of her stories. Nodescendant of a Loshak – my grandfather’spre-Ellis Island name – orOrgell – my grandmother’s name inthe Old Country – had returnedsince emigrating to the U.S.between 1914 and 1921. Fortunately,as a teenager I had interviewedmy Ukrainian-born relatives.Listening once again to thenow decades old tapes I strained tohear street names, landmarks, andreferences to my great grandfatherMotl Loshak’s numerous siblings,some of whom had never emigrated.Piecing together bits ofinformation, I learned that mygrandfather, who died in the mid-70’s, had an 81-year-old first cousinSTORIES OF THE “OLD COUNTRY”Top: Upon entering Skivra -- the city signSecond from top: Bubbie’s lake, a gatheringplace for Jews in the early 1900’sThird from top: Bubbie’s neighborhoodshul -- now abandonedBottom: The author andLaura with guide Larisanamed Joseph Loshak still living inBela Tserkov.With the help of newly-discoveredcousins in New York, CEELIstaff in Kiev, and a multi-lingualgenealogist from Zhitomir,Ukraine, I planned an excursion toKiev, day trips to meet my “new”family in Bela Tserkov, and a visitto Skvira, my grandparents’ hometown.My partner, Laura Esquivel,met me in Kiev, where we spentour first two days in Ukraineadjusting to the shock of not beingable to read a single street sign,store name or menu (unlikeMoldova, the Cyrillic alphabetreigned), as we toured Kiev and preparedfor our day trips.After a two-hour drive to BelaTserkov, we found JosephLoshak’s home. On thefourth floor of a typical massiveSoviet-style concrete building,Joseph, his wife Ida, and their son,Vova, and daughter-in-law, Luba,shared a small apartment. Speakingthrough a translator, we spent anamazing five hours trading storiesabout our family’s parallel histories,while we exchanged photographsand visited the city’s Jewish cemetery.From total strangers, wesoon became family when I pulledout family photos taken inChicago in the 1930’s and Josephexcitedly pointed to my greatgrandparents,calling out theirnames and sharing his 91-year-oldbrother’s recollections of mygrandfather and each of his siblings,including the year each leftfor the U.S. We also visited theJewish cemetery in Bela Tserkov,which dates from about 1945,guided by Joseph who knew thelocation of every Loshak headstone.The pre-WWII Jewishcemetery no longer exists.The next day in Skvira was similarlyemotional. Although almostall the Loshaks had lived in BelaTserkov, my great grandfather44 USC LAW • SPRING 2000USC LAW • SPRING 200045
Top: The city sign announcing Bela TserkovMiddle: Cousin Joseph Loshak inRussian army uniform, 1952Bottom: Cousin Joseph, October 1999, atgravesite of his father, who was also theauthor’s great-great-uncleMotl Loshak had moved about 30kilometers away to Skvira wheremy grandfather was born. Skvira,also home to the Orgells, mygrandmother’s family, was the cityof Bubbie’s stories. With the helpof a local Jewish woman, Larisa, wefound Lepovertsky Street (nowRosa Luxembourg Street) where mygrandmother had lived, and thelake Bubbie had described as beingthe gathering place for the Jews inSkvira. Like many parts ofUkraine, the ravages of war hadobliterated nearly all the pre-WWIIbuildings and other markers of lifein the early 1900’s, but when Iasked if there were any early centurybuildings still standing, shetook us four blocks away to a rowof brick buildings. Although interrible disrepair, the arched windowsand Larisa’s independentknowledge confirmed the fadedpink building had once been theneighborhood shul. Given it’sclose proximity to my grandmother’shouse, we feltconfident we had foundthe place my family hadonce prayed.Unlike many otherswho havereturned to EasternEurope to retrace thesteps of ancestors, myfamily’s cities still exist.But what struck Laura andme so profoundly was howlittle evidence of their lives – andthe lives of all Jews – remains.Many Jewish cemetaries have beenvandalized or destroyed along withvital records. In Kiev, early-1900’ssynagogues had long ago been convertedto factories and a musicacademy. Although we knew theunspeakable stories of 20th centurypogroms and the Holocaust, wedidn’t know of previous mass murderssuch as the 17th centuryChmielnicki massacre when Jewswere slaughtered by the thousands.It seems a miracle that there are somany Jews of Ukrainian descentalive at all. Yet despite the centuriesof killings, and Soviet suppressionof Jewish traditions andculture, traces of our collectivepast have miraculously endured.With Ukrainian independencehas come the stirrings of a Jewishrevival. Jews in Kiev rent out theMusic Academy on Friday nightsand Saturdays for prayer, and somenew synagogues now exist. Perhapsthe most vivid visual symbolis at Babi Yar, where internationalpressure helped erect a menorahmemorial at the edge of the ravinewhere the murder of hundreds ofthousands of Nazi victims tookplace in September, 1941. Plans fora museum and archive at the sitepromise increased awareness, andhopefully a more broad-based interestin preserving the stories of Jewsin, and from, Ukraine.Memorial to Jews massacred at Babi Yar, KievAs my visit to the “Old Country”of my Bubbie quietly cameto an end, I gathered my memoriesand prepared to return to LosAngeles. In reflecting on theweeks I had spent so far awayfrom home, I realized that whatstarted out as an exciting andchallenging professionalendeavor in a remote and previouslyunfamiliar part of theworld, had turned into anintensely personal journey, aswell. It had allowed me to literallywalk in my ancestors’ footsteps,vividly touch my own historyand connect with my family’sstories — an extraordinaryand unforgettable experience.After graduation, many law students tend todrift apart from the friends they made in lawschool, as the professional demands of theworkplace begin to dominate their lives. For one USCLaw grad, however, this has not been the case. At theWestern Law Center for Disability Rights, a nonprofitlaw office located at Loyola Law School,Christopher Knauf ‘96, is making sure he keeps intouch with his classmates. Now finishing a fellowshipsponsored by the National Association for PublicInterest Law (NAPIL), Chris litigates civil rights casesunder the Americans with Disabilities Act and otherstate and federal civil rights laws. Over the past twoyears, he has enlisted the pro bono services of severalclassmates and their firms for the center. Accordingto Chris, “Collaboration with private firm counsel isan important part of the Western Law Center’s overallprogram, and provides our clients with the best possiblerepresentation. It’s also so great to work withpeople whom I know, trust, and respect.”Julie Ruhlin ‘97, an associate with Tuttle & Taylor,met Chris through USC’s Public Interest LawFoundation while in law school. The two met againpost graduation at the annual PILF Auction, whereChris interested Julie in one of the Western LawCenter’s cases – suing various Los Angeles area taxicompanies whose drivers routinely discriminatedagainst blind customers who use guide dogs. Juliesold Tuttle & Taylor partners on the case, and thetwo offices were inbusiness. The caserecently settled forover $30,000 in damagesplus attorneysfees and substantialinjunctive relief.Kristi Gudoski‘96, an associatewith McCutchenDoyle Brown &Enersen LLP, servedwith Chris on thePILF Executive Boardwhile at USC, and ishappy to re-live herpublic interest daysby joining forceswith the WesternLaw Center. Thetwo firms, alongwith the Center forLaw in the PublicInterest, are currentlylitigating a case against Los Angeles County,alleging that it has failed to provide sign languageinterpreters and other supportive services to deafjuveniles in the probation system. “At one point inthe case it became clear that we needed big firmassistance,” Chris recalls, “So I called up Kristi andsimply asked her, okay, pleaded with her, to join thecase. Fortunately, she and her firm both said yes.”The parties are now working toward a settlement ofthe matter, which is currently pending in federaldistrict court.Kelly Fitzgerald ‘96, who Chris met in first yearContracts, also enthusiastically jumped aboard thepro bono bandwagon. Kelly, an associate withDeWitt & Roberts LLP, knew that her boss, NickDeWitt, is a board member of the Western Law Center.She easily sold the firm on providing pro bonoassistance on a case against a local McDonald’s,whose employees had refused to allow a young girlwith spina bifida to play on the restaurant’s playgroundequipment because her disability requiresher to wear shoes at all times. “Working with Chrisand the Western Law Center has been great, andvery meaningful,” Kelly says. “It’s really fun workingwith a friend from law school on cases that arereally important, and I hope we continue the cocounselingrelationship in the future.”Chris concludes, “Firms are now, more than ever,gung ho for pro bono, and it comes from the associatesrequesting it.Many law firmshave good pro bonoreputations but it isstill up to the nonprofitsto bring thepro bono opportunitiesto law firmdoors. Being able tocall upon lawschool friendsmakes the connectionthat much easier.And it’s somuch more fulfillingto co-counselwith law schoolfriends than it is tohave dinner onceevery six months.There is now definitelya bond thatwasn’t therebefore.”USC GRADS WORKING TOGETHERFOR THE CIVIL RIGHTS OF PEOPLEWITH DISABILITIES(l-r) Kristi Gudoski ‘96, Julie Ruhlin ‘97, Christopher Knauf ‘96 and Kelly Fitzgerald ‘9646USC LAW • SPRING 2000USC LAW • SPRING 200047
Page 1 and 2: THE LAW SCHOOL • UNIVERSITY OF SO
Page 3 and 4: THE LAW SCHOOL • UNIVERSITY OF SO
Page 5 and 6: Intellectual AdventuresA CENTURY OF
Page 7 and 8: “It is noteworthy that the clinic
Page 9 and 10: “Law, Language, and Ethics captur
Page 11 and 12: Scott H. BiceCONCLUDES TWENTY-YEART
Page 13 and 14: ◆NEWS FROM THE LAW SCHOOLDOROTHY
Page 15 and 16: JUDGE ROSEMARY BARKETT EXPLORES “
Page 17 and 18: SPOTLIGHT ON CLINICAL PROGRAMSIT’
Page 19 and 20: Dean Hoye presented a workshop form
Page 21 and 22: ◆FROM THE STUDENTSEach year, a ne
Page 23: ◆FROM CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION
Page 29 and 30: CLASS OF1954ReunionClass of ’54 r
Page 31 and 32: done in the reunion department, hea
Page 33 and 34: at his cabin at Tom’s Place, CA,
Page 35 and 36: CLASS OF1974ReunionSam Paz, Cary Lo
Page 37 and 38: Fiske and Cathy Hroma. Paul Smithdi
Page 39 and 40: CLASS OF1992WE WISH YOU WELL: As so
Page 41 and 42: years together, Adam Glickman andI
Page 43 and 44: THE GREATNESS OF A LAW SCHOOL IS IN

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