Category Archives: U.Miami

Congrats to colleague Bruce Winick whose new Therapeutic Jurisprudence Center debuts today.

Therapeutic jurisprudence sees the law itself as a therapeutic agent. The innovative field uses the tools of the behavioral sciences to increase the understanding of law and how it can be reshaped to minimize its anti-therapeutic effects and maximize its therapeutic potential. The field has grown enormously and has been recognized as a key scholarly approach in disciplines across the legal spectrum, including criminal, juvenile, and family law, health and disability law, constitutional law, employment law, and tort law.

There's a big party this evening over at the Lowe to kick it off.

Miami Beach 411 disses Landshark Stadium as a venue for UM football in Are the 'Canes Doomed to Never Have a Home Field Advantage?.

Never having been to the old stadium, and having no plans to go to the new one — it's too hot and I like the better beer and instant replay at home — I don't have a view, but I've heard stuff like this from other people too…at least, the ones without skyboxes.

They're crowing over there at the Tax LL.M and in the Dean's office, because President Obama has nominated Michael Mundaca, LL.M. ’97, to serve as Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Tax Policy.

The official UM Law release says in part,

“This is the most important position in tax policy in the United States,” said Dean Patricia D. White, a tax scholar. “We are delighted to see a graduate of our LL.M. program succeed in this way.”

Reacting to the appointment, UM Law Professor George Mundstock, who taught Mundaca, said, “One of the great things about being at the University of Miami is that the city and university help us attract such interesting and talented students. Michael was a remarkable student who took advantage of all we have to offer. We are proud of his achievements.”

Before his appointment in the Treasury Department in 2007, Mundaca was a partner for five years in the International Tax Services group of Ernst and Young in Washington, D.C. Before joining Ernst and Young, Mundaca served for over five years in the Treasury's Office of the International Tax Counsel during the Clinton Administration.

He received a B.A. in philosophy and in physics from Columbia University in 1986, and an M.A. in philosophy from the University of Chicago in 1988. Mundaca also received a J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law in 1992, and an LL.M. in taxation (international tax specialization) from the University of Miami.

Professor Frances Hill, the Director of the UM Graduate Program in Taxation, said, “Mr. Mundaca will play a critical role in the international tax reforms at the heart of the Obama Administration’s tax agenda. We are very proud of Mr. Mundaca’s professional accomplishments. He is an inspiration to our current students, many of whom are interested in public service.”

Mr. Mundaca replaces my former co-clerk Beth Garrett of USC as the Obama nominee for the job; Beth withdrew her name at some point as the confirmation process dragged on and on. Here's hoping that they manage to wrap things up more quickly this time.

One of the joys of campus life is that there is just about always something going on. There are lectures I'm too busy to attend. Concerts I mostly miss. Seminars I try to get to (we had a good one today).

And then there are the weird and wonderful things you pass by on the way to class. As I was loping towards Torts this afternoon, I came up what I first thought was a pair of horses being walked around the center of campus. But no. It wasn't a horse, except in the sense that it's what a horse would look like if designed by a committee.

There was a little stand that people could climb on in order to get on their backs, and have a little pony ride, or whatever the Dromedary equivalent might be. Apparently they were there to publicize Israel, or Jewish Studies, or something to do with Israel.

“Where did you get the camels?” I asked someone with a clipboard.

“We rented them,” was the answer.

Camels-R-US? Rent-a-camel? Camel Depot?

The mind would boggle, if its legs weren't already taking it off to beat the necessity defense into submission.

Random camel fact: Camels are not kosher.

U. Miami cops pulled guns on an innocent UM student on his first day of class. Since they did it in the Communications School, there's lots of video:

The law school's overflow classroom, which I'm currently teaching tort in, is in the “Learning Center” which is the next building over from the communications school.

The Miami Hurricane reports,

“The incident is currently under investigation to determine if law enforcement officers acted appropriately,” said Karla Hernandez, the university’s director of media relations. “We are consulting the Dade County State Attorney’s Office as is the procedure on any case involving an allegation of officer misconduct.”

In the tape, Chusid appears to comply with the officers’ order to stop. He got down on his hands and knees. One of the officers kicked his arms out from under him so that Chusid was flat out on the ground. Then an officer kicked the cell phone out of his hand.

Chusid was handcuffed and taken over to a nearby seat for questioning. After several minutes the officers apparently determined they had the wrong person, uncuffed him and allowed him to use his phone.

…

UMPD said someone attempted to steal a motorcycle near the law school earlier that day. The suspect was a young, white male wearing a red t-shirt and shorts.

According to the witnesses and Chusid himself, the resemblance was uncannily close.

In the video he's being an awfully good sport about it all.