Page 11 - Briefcase - University of Houston Law Center

UH LAW CENTER’S CRIMINAL JUSTICE INSTITUTE

SEES CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP

rofessor Sandra Guerra Thompson Professors Kaufman and Kwok, two
Pstepped down as director of the nationally recognized scholars, will
University of Houston Law Center’s bring fresh perspectives from their
Criminal Justice Institute in August specializations in international criminal
and has been succeeded by Associate law and white-collar crime, respectively.”
Professor of Law and Political Science Kaufman, who joined the Law Center’s
Zachary D. Kaufman and Associate faculty in 2019, writes and teaches in the
Professor David Kwok, who serve areas of criminal law, international law,
as co-directors. and international justice and atrocities.
“I thank Professor Guerra Thompson He is a life member of the Council on
for her leadership and 18 years of service Foreign Relations and serves as both
as director of the Institute,” said Dean co-chair of the American Society of
Leonard M. Baynes. “Her hard work and Zachary D. Kaufman, International Law’s Human Rights
efforts elevated the Institute to its high Associate Professor Associate Professor Interest Group and secretary of the
level of prominence today. of Law and Political David Kwok Association of American Law Schools’
Science International Human Rights Section.
“Under Professor Kwok and Professor
Kaufman’s leadership and building on Kwok, who holds the George Butler
Professor Guerra Thompson’s accomplishments, I am confident that the Research Professorship, teaches and writes in the areas of white-collar
UH Law Center Criminal Justice Institute will reach additional levels of crime, whistleblowers, public policy, and law and the social sciences. He
prominence and gravitas.” joined the Law Center faculty in 2013.
Guerra Thompson, the Newell H. Blakely Professor of Law, teaches “It is a testament to Professor Guerra Thompson’s expertise and
Criminal Evidence, Criminal Law, Evidence, and Hot Topics in Criminal effectiveness that it takes two people to follow in her big, bold footsteps,”
Law and Procedure. Her research on crime labs culminated in a 2015 Kaufman said.
book, “Cops in Lab Coats: Curbing Wrongful Convictions through “It is a privilege to take on this new role with the Criminal Justice
Independent Forensic Laboratories.” Institute,” added Kwok. “Under Professor Guerra Thompson’s
“For so long, the Criminal Justice Institute has brought national leadership, CJI has helped deploy academic expertise throughout
attention to the UH Law Center through outstanding criminal law Houston and beyond. I hope to continue this legacy of compassion,
conferences, symposia, and clinics,” Guerra Thompson said. “Now fairness, and excellence in pursuing these ideals of criminal justice.” ^

UH LAW CENTER WORKSHOP ADDRESSES LEGAL STEPS
AND RESPONSES FOLLOWING WINTER STORM URI

ith an emphasis on issues such as landlord-tenant law, the Disaster Relief Unit at Lone Star Legal Aid, who spoke about
Whomeowners insurance, disaster remediation contracts, liens and “Homeowners Insurance and FEMA, Contractors and the RCLA.”
FEMA, the University of Houston Law Center’s virtual continuing Ta’Mara Foster, general law practitioner in the Disaster Relief Unit
legal education seminar, “Winter Storm Uri: Legal Issues After the and staff attorney at Lone Star Legal Aid, presented the final panel
Thaw” gave insight and ideas on how to best prepare or recover from and discussed the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act (DTPA),
a severe winter weather event. The May event’s first panel, “After the giving a brief background of its intent to protect consumers
Thaw: Landlord Tenant Issues Following a Disaster,” was led by Lone against misleading and deceptive business practices, as well as the
Star Legal Aid Director of Litigation Richard Tomlinson and Houston differentiation of mechanic’s liens.
Volunteer Lawyers staff attorney Leesa Everitt, who discussed the
nuances and conflicts of common law regulations that govern the The workshop closed with a conversation between Foster, Smolensky
rental of commercial and residential property. and Law Center Professor of Practice and Consumer Law Clinic
Jon-Ross Trevino of Lone Star Legal Aid led the second panel, “Consumer Director Ryan Marquez, who discussed challenging mechanic’s liens,
DTPA action and breach of warranty and the importance of ensuring
Credit & Debt After Winter Storm Uri,” which provided resources for a contractor’s validity before hiring.
clients and consumers in disasters, such as weekly credit reports, FEMA
assistance and Public Utility Commission emergency orders. “We as attorneys have a very special skill that others lack, and even
The third panel was led by Meghan Smolensky, Equal Justice Works some of this is difficult for us,” Marquez said. “For people who are
going through these types of disasters, whether it be the winter storm
Fellow in the Disaster Resilience Program and a staff attorney in
or Hurricane Harvey, they really do need some representation.” ^
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