Dean James Rasband; Hugh W. Colton Professor of Law

Dean Rasband teaches a class on public lands and natural resources. His lectures often raise controversial issues, which in turn trigger entertaining comments from the class. My favorite comment, duly noted in my class notes, was this zoological gem: "That's how it happens with monkeys. The monkey that can forage the best is the monkey that can beat all the other monkeys out of its lands." I'm not sure what that means, you might want to check the recordings for January 14, 2010.

Still life with 3L and Temptation

Professor Gordon Smith

Professor Smith teaches Law and Entrepreneurship. Prof. Smith has Wisconsin connections, so we get stories about that state's entrepreneurs. The caption, which he technically never really said, is based loosely on his jokes about Wisconsin. But to my surprise, I discovered that his most recent blog post at the Conglomerate is on the topic of the cheese industry: Endangered Cheeses.

Reese Hansen, Howard W. Hunter Professor of Law

Professor Hansen teaches the Law of Trusts. The textbook was written by him, Dallin H. Oaks, and two other guys. This drawing is a choppy photoshop doodle, which detracted its quality, but the convenience was wonderful.

Professor Jose "Pepe" Silva

Professor Silva teaches Hispanic Street Law here at BYU. The class is a real eye opener. For example, check out this cartoon flowchart on immigration law. It addresses the question why immigrants don't come the legal way (hint: it takes 20 years). Many immigrants come legally but stay longer than their visas permit. This is technically the correct way to cross the border. And "technically correct" is the best kind of correct-- the law makes a huge distinction regarding this technicality.

Senior Law Librarian and Assistant Director of Externships, Steven E. Averett

The first person I met at BYU was Steve Averett. He introduced himself, asked if I was a new student, congratulated me on getting in, and offered me a tour. I happened to sit across from him duringa CLE today. There's no caption here, but I think the peaceful style of this drawing refects his personality.

Professor Paul Durham

Professor Paul Durham teaches Law Practice Management in addition to working as a real lawyer at a big law firm. The class is unique in that it focuses on actually practicing law, as opposed to the more typical tangential relationship to the Bar Exam. For example, the older an account receivable gets the less likely it is that it will ever be paid. I can apply that to myself: if I quit paying my bills so promptly I could pay fewer of them.

Professor Stephen Wood

Administrative law has been an eye opener for the cinic in me. The constitution is the one legal document that most non-lawyers have at least heard of. And it calls for, I thought, 3 Branches of Government. That makes me a "Formalist." That's too bad, because the Supreme Court has already explained that my sort of claim "cannot turn on conclusory reference to the language of [the constitution]." Anyway, when you're as smart as the Supreme Court, you can see that between the lines and penumbras of the constitution there are 4 branches of government.

Professor (Judge) Dee Benson

I have drawn professors before, and I have drawn sitting judges before, and I have drawn a professor who used to be a judge, but this is my first time to have a class from a sitting judge: Evidence with Professor Dee Benson. It's also my first class with more than 200 people in it.

3L Jarom Ricks

Professor Lynn D, Wardle

If anybody knows better Latin, please help. Prof. Wardle teaches family law. The textbook starts with a quote that I like a lot:

How small of all that human hearts endure,
that part which laws or kings can cause or cure.

-Samuel Johnson, Lines Added to Goldsmith's Traveller

Professor Rust Tippett

So far in Wills and Estates we've covered basic concepts, but pretty soon I think we'll get to the part about the lives of the rich and messed up.

Here at BYU

Here's a random BYU law student from one of my classes. Time will tell if it's a good caricature at all. So my admin law book starts out with this quote:

Keep in mind that circularity is not always ridiculous

Can that be a good sign? It then quotes Shakespeare:

Though this be madness , yet there is method in't.

Should be a rad class.