thursday, march 11, 2004
news
the university daily kansan
3A
Visit from Supreme Court justice causes controversy at University
By Neetey J. Spellmeier
nspellmeier@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Recent articles have sparked ethical debates involving Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, one of which involves a KU dean.
A series of articles in the Los Angeles Times, the most recent one appearing on Monday, has profiled Scalia and decisions he has made about his contact with people who may be too closely involved in cases before the Supreme Court. One article featured a trip Scalia made to the University of Kansas in November 2001.
Stephen McAllister, dean of the law school, arranged the visit. At the time, McAllister had some involvement in two cases the court was ruling on. During Scalia's trip to Kansas, the justice went hunting with then-Gov. Bill Graves and Dick Bond, former state senate president. McAllister said Bond made the arrangements for the hunting trip.
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McAllister said there was nothing inappropriate about Scalia's visit to the University in 2001. He said he was never alone with Scalia.
I tried to keep myself away from non-official law school
activities," McAllister said.
He said he did not accompany Scalia on the hunting trip, which he thought had been misrepresented in some stories.
Scalia ruled in favor of McAllister's client, the state of Kansas, on both cases.
McAllister
Some concerns were raised among critics after the Los Angeles
Scalia
Times published a story about Scalia hunting with Vice President Dick Cheney while he was ruling on a case in which Cheney was a part of.
Dan Levin, assistant professor of political science at the University of Utah, said there was a significant difference between the case involving Cheney and the one involving McAllister. If someone is being represented on a case, they have more at stake than someone who is defending it, he said.
"They'd like to win, but they
aren't the ones looking at the cost of losing or the benefits of winning," Levin said of lawyers.
ming. Levin said that there was a group of attorneys who argue regularly in front of the Supreme Court and often see the justices socially. This is not a problem because the lawyers have all won and lost cases involving the Supreme Court, which keeps it a level playing field. Either way, the attorney gets paid whereas the clients are the ones affected. Levin said that those in the spotlight need to consider how the public will perceive actions.
"The general norm is to avoid not just inappropriate behavior, but any appearance thereof," Levin said.
Levin said.
It is not unusual for justices to interact with lawyers in Washington, D.C., McAllister said. There, he said, this may have never been an issue. Even at the time, no one questioned Scalia's visit to the university.
university McAllister said the chain of events with both Scalia's visit and Supreme Court case procedures was misunderstood.
Scalia was invited to the speak in December 1999 by the law dean who preceded McAllister, Michael Hoeflich, McAllister said.
McAllister said he took over in July 2000, and the justice committed to speak in either late summer or early fall 2000. At that time, McAllister said he did not know he would be a lawyer on a case in front of the court.
The process by which a case goes to the Supreme Court is also uncertain, McAllister said. Ninety-nine percent of the time the cases are not taken, or those involved do not know when or if they will be heard, he said. McAllister said he does not regret his decision to host Scalia.
Scana.
"I regret that people are so concerned — I feel I did what was appropriate," he said. "I was not a party in any way, whereas Cheney literally was part of the lawsuit."
When McAllister did find out he would be one of lawyers on a case in front of the court, he said he contacted Scalia's chambers to let them know he had some involvement in a case on the calendar but left the decision up to Scalia on whether he should come.
come. The rules of judicial conduct do state that justices should disqualify themselves from a case if the impartiality is questionable. But that impartiality is left up to the justice.
Edited by Ashley Arnold
In memory
Chancellor Robert Hemenway spoke yesterday afternoon at the W. Clarke Wescoe memorial service in the Spencer Museum of Art. Wescoe was chancellor at the University of Kansas from 1960 to 1969. He died on Feb. 29.
Megan True/Kansan
University begins search for new registrar, deadline July 1
By Anna Clovis aclovis@kansan.com Kansan staff writer
The search is on for a new University registrar.
said the position had a big impact on students.
The position has been open since Richard Morrell left at the beginning of the Fall 2003 semester to become an associate vice provost.
Marlesa Roney, vice provost for Student Success and former registrar at Purdue University
"Whether they realize it or not," Roney said, "students use services from the registrar's office on almost a daily basis."
The registrar's office is in Strong Hall. It is in charge of enrollment, transcripts, enroll and pay Web site, residency classification, and the posting of grades.
Cindy Derritt serves as the
interim University registrar. Derritt worked in the office before the opening and was appointed to the position by Roney.
Fred Rodriguez, associate dean of education, is the chairman of the search committee. The committee began reviewing applications on Feb. 2.
Roney said the committee had conducted some phone interviews with candidates for the opening.
The registrar position is one of
eight job openings in the vice provost for Student Success organization.
Richard Johnson, dean of students, said there was nothing unusual with a large number of openings at this time of year.
"This is the season," Johnson said. "It typically begins in February and ends in mid-April."
The target date to fill the registrar position is July 1.
— Edited by Guillaume Doane
JOBS TO FILL
The Student Success organization has seven job openings other than the Registrar to fill.
Director of Freshman-
Sophomore Advising Center Information Technology
Information Technology Manager for Student Health Services
Residence Life Complex Director
Scholarship and Financial Aid Counselor
Academic Advisor for the Freshman-Sophomore Advising Center
Coordinator for Fraternity and Sorority Life in the Center for Campus Life
Associate Director for the Office of Multicultural Affairs
Source:www.vpss.ku.edu
There are those who have respect for our campus. Unfortunately, others seem to have forgotten its worth.
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