Library Receives First-rate Designation

The Louis J. Blume Library, through its Government Documents Department, has received special recognition from the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO): designation of its Government Information on the Web Subject Index as a GPO "Service Partner." This recognition means that the Library's Government Information Subject Index will be included on the website of the GPO and in their promotional materials as an exemplary site for researchers throughout the country, to aid in locating information generated by federal agencies and by Congress. Professor Kathleen Amen, Government Information Librarian in the library, developed and maintains the website.

The University's library joins a very select list of other universities with libraries identified as "partners" by the GPO, among them the University of North Carolina, Columbia University Libraries, University of Louisville, University of Michigan and Rice University.

Rigney Named Professor Emeritus

Daniel J. Rigney, PhD., Professor of Sociology, has been named Professor Emeritus in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences in recognition of his distinguished performance and professional accomplishments. Rigney retired in May after 29 years of service to the University.

Rigney is a noted scholar in the field of sociology. He has published two impressive books, both well received by his peers, as well as scores of articles and numerous presentations. During the 23 years he led the Honors Program, students enjoyed an integrated honors experience with interdisciplinary courses taught by faculty who considered it a mark of distinction to be selected to teach in the program.

Professor Reamey Awarded Culture Medal of Honor

This summer, St. Mary's University School of Law's Institute on World Legal Problems commemorated 25 years of legal education in Austria. The City of Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck and the Austrian government applauded St. Mary's for their long and prosperous partnership and honored St. Mary's Professor of Law Gerald S. Reamey.

Reamey, co-founder and co-director of the program held each summer at the University of Innsbruck, was awarded the Culture Medal of Honor (or Kulturehrenzeichen in the native language) from the City of Innsbruck at an award dinner hosted by the City of Innsbruck and the State of Tyrol in the state capitol building. In another ceremony, the University of Innsbruck and St. Mary's University School of Law exchanged gifts to celebrate their collaboration.

Reamey and Vincent Johnson, also a professor at St. Mary's School of Law, founded the Institute of World Legal Problems, an intense five-week summer session attended by as many as 130 students annually from law schools around the country. With specialized courses, world-renowned guest speakers and a campus nestled in the picturesque Austrian Alps, the program just ended its 25th session more successful than ever.

"The Institute of World Legal Problems and Professor Reamey are deserving of the attention they've received on this 25 year milestone," said Charles E. Cantú, St. Mary's School of Law Dean. "The Institute has grown into a robust program attracting hundreds of law students and top visiting scholars throughout the years. Professor Reamey has nurtured the relationship between St. Mary's School of Law and the City and University of Innsbruck, which has been beneficial for all involved."

Innsbruck City Council member for cultural affairs, Patrizia Moser, M.D., and Tyrolean Legislature President, Herwig van Staa, Ph.D., presented the medal to Reamey for his personal contributions toward 'retaining a student atmosphere in Innbruck's summer months and imparting esteem for Innsbruck to his students'. van Staa made note of the number of students who have been introduced to Innsbruck over the years through St. Mary's summer program.

"Many come back with parents and others," said van Staa. "Their presence brings a cultural exchange and an important impetus for tourism in Innsbruck and the Tyrol."

As part of the academic exchange, eight Innsbruck University students are allowed to participate in the program at no cost each year. Reamey served as a Visiting Professor on the law faculty of the University of Innsbruck in 1993.

Reamey graduated from Trinity University and earned both his Juris Doctor and Master of Law degrees at Southern Methodist University's Dedman School of Law. At St. Mary's, Reamey teaches primarily in the area of criminal law and procedure and has acted as a supervising attorney in the St. Mary's clinical program along with serving as co-director of the Institute on World Legal Problems in Innsbruck and St. Mary's Center for International Legal Studies.

President Taps Laredo Judge and Alum for Federal Post

President Barack Obama nominated Laredo lawyer Marina Garcia Marmolejo (M.A., J.D. '96) to be a federal judge in the U.S. Southern Judicial District of Texas. Marmolejo is a graduate of the combined Master of Arts in International Relations and Doctor of Juris Prudence degree program at St. Mary's.

Currently, Marmolejo is a partner in the Laredo law firm of Reid Davis. Prior to moving to Laredo, she helped to open the San Antonio office of Thompson & Knight, where she was counsel from 2007-2009. She is a former assistant U.S. attorney, and began her legal career as an assistant federal public defender.

Revitalization Project Reports More Progress

In the last issue of Gold & Blue magazine, the feature "Welcome to the St. Mary's Gateway District" reported on the activities, initiatives and successes of the St. Mary's University Neighborhood Revitalization Project over the past three years since revitalization efforts began. Steve Nivin, Ph.D., director of the Revitalization Project, has more progress to report with regard to outreach and impact in the neighborhoods surrounding St. Mary's University.

• At the Neighborhood Center located in the AT&T Center for Information Technology on the St. Mary's campus, housing counseling has been provided to 85 individuals, and financial literacy and counseling has been provided to another 60 individuals.
• Down payment assistance totaling $35,000 has been given for new home purchases, and nearly $192,000 in emergency mortgage and utility assistance has been distributed.
• On the commercial front, technical assistance has been provided to two area businesses and loans have been made to 48 small businesses in the area.

Three with St. Mary's Ties Lauded as Texas Greatest Lawyers

Texas Lawyer magazine named "The 25 Greatest Texas Lawyers of the Past Quarter-Century" in their special anniversary edition that hit newsstands this summer. Three notable attorneys with St. Mary's ties made the list: St. Mary's University School of Law Associate Professor Albert Kauffman, St. Mary's School of Law graduate Stanley Schneider and St. Mary's University graduate Ricardo G. Cedillo.

Kauffman, the sole law professor on the list, spent 20 years as a civil rights lawyer for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) and gained notoriety as lead counsel in the landmark case of Edgewood ISD v. Kirby, one of the most recognized decisions in recent Texas history. Kauffman represented a group of 13 underprivileged school districts against the Texas Education Commissioner claiming the school-funding system was unconstitutional. The case paved the way for an overhaul of school funding in Texas that significantly reduced the gap in educational opportunities and funding between rich and poor school districts.

Kauffman also represented the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and other organizations in a similar case striving for more state funding for colleges along the Texas-Mexico border. These efforts lead to the 1993 South Texas Border Initiative, which has channeled more than a half-billion in funding to public universities in the Texas border area.

Another of Kauffman's achievements was serving as one of the drafters and advocates for the "top 10 percent rule" in the Texas Education Code, guaranteeing entry into any Texas public university for the top 10 percent of public high school graduates in any high school in Texas.

Schneider (J.D. '74), a partner in Schneider & McKinney in Houston, is a criminal defense attorney who specializes in trial and appellate work. Over the duration of his thirty year career, he has represented numerous death-row inmates and helped shape criminal law.

Schneider brought battered-woman syndrome to the forefront in Texas in the first case that held it explained the defendant's mindset, when he appealed the conviction of Pamela Fielder in the 1981 shooting death of her husband. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals (CCA) reversed the conviction in Fielder v. State due to the trial court's exclusion of psychologist's testimony on abusive relationships.

Among his many high profile cases, he represented Wanda Holloway, deemed the "Cheerleader Mom" by the media, in a new trial. In the case of Wilkerson v. State, Schneider persuaded the CCA to reverse the conviction of Claude Wilkerson, who had spent seven years on death row for a triple slaying, due to a trial court error.

Cedillo (B.A. '74), a Harvard Law School graduate, founded San Antonio's Davis, Cedillo & Mendoza in 1986. Since then, he has become the go-to litigator for big clients in South Texas civil courts. His practice focuses primarily on commercial law and pharmaceutical products liability defense.

Recently, he represented Hugh Hefner in Editorial Cabellero v. Playboy Enterprises, a business dispute between the publishers of the men's entertainment magazines. He won the case in Hidalgo County state district court, a court with a reputation for handing out generous plaintiffs awards.

Cedillo has served as chairman of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law of Texas and has been recognized by numerous bar associations and trade magazine, like National Law Journal's Top Ten Litigators and Litigation's Top Commercial Litigation Lawyer in 2006. He was recognized by Texas Lawyer as with one of the top 100 Verdicts of 2006 in Tetco v. ExxonMobil.

Another Golden Trowel Award for a St. Mary's Facility

Annually, the San Antonio Contractors Association recognizes the work of architects and contractors for their use of masonry in their workmanship and designs. This year, Randall Scott Architects Inc., and General Contractor Keller-Martin Organization Inc., were awarded a 2010 Golden Trowel Award in the category of college and university educational facilities for Founders Hall. This is the second Golden Trowel Award given for a St. Mary's facility. The first one was presented in 2007 for the Barrett Memorial Bell Tower.