Month: May 2021

In Vino Veritas

Posted on by Alex Verdegem

I recently had the privilege of attending the spring Student Organization Fair, helping to represent the Loyola Wine & Spirits Law Society (WSLS). The fair is a chance for new and prospective students to come meet current students, see the different student groups that Loyola has to offer, and, most importantly to ask questions. It was great to talk about what Wine & Spirits does and what we have to offer so I thought I would take this opportunity to talk about the organization.

In Vino Veritas is an old saying that mean, “In wine there is truth.” WSLS takes that phrase literally as a way to shed light on various aspects of the law in a fun, sociable and interesting way.

WSLS was founded in 2015 by Lucas Noble and Maddie Page, so it is still a relatively young group. The overall mission of WSLS is to provide a forum for Loyola students and practicing attorneys to explore the legal realities that producers, distributors and retailers in the alcoholic beverage industry face today. Within that overarching mission, the group changes slightly from year to year, reflecting the goals and interests of the officers in charge. For example, I and my Vice President, Rebekah Hoelscher, are interested in corporate law so our events and activities this year have largely focused on the business issues that producers and regulators face. In the past, we have hosted events focus on a wide range of topics from environmental law to criminal justice.

WSLS has been an amazing opportunity to meet and work with some amazing people, including Matthew Botting, General Counsel for the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, and Teo Hunter and Beny Ashburn, founders of Crowns & Hops Brewing Co., one of the few black-owned breweries in Los Angeles. I’ve learned all about California’s regulatory system and how that system has changed due to the pandemic. During our event with Teo and Beny, we confronted some hard truths about how race and privilege, still create inequity in the brewing industry. We also talked about some possible approaches to combat those issues.

WSLS has been an amazing experience for me. I’m confident that our leaders next year and years into the future will continue to bring fun, interesting and insightful events to Loyola and provide opportunities for students to come together over a common interest in the alcoholic beverage industry at speaker events, happy hours and tastings.

We Always Make It Work – A Chat with Prof. Bohmholdt

Posted on by Alex Verdegem
Over the past two and a half year, I’ve written about some of my experiences and classes at Loyola. For this post, I asked to my legal drafting professor, Prof. Karin Bohmholdt, if she would consent to an interview so you could get to know one member of Loyola’s amazing faculty. She was gracious enough to answer a few of my questions, which are transcribed below. Due to social distancing requirements, this interview was conducted via email exchange.

Prof. Bohmholdt graduated from Loyola Law School in 2004 with magna cum laude honors after serving as the Articles Editor for the Loyola Law Review. She is now an adjunct professor and is also a practicing partner at Greenberg Traurig where is the co-chair of the firm’s Los Angeles Litigation Practice.

How long have you been a litigator?

17 years.

Why did you decide to become a litigator?

It was a natural fit for me out of law school, and I had no desire to be a transactional lawyer.

How long have you taught at Loyola?

Off and on as an adjunct for about 12 years.

Why did you decide to start teaching while still practicing?

I always wanted to teach, and my relationships with existing faculty at LLS led me to an opportunity to start teaching as an adjunct. I jumped at the opportunity.

Has your work as a practicing litigator ever conflicted with teaching? If yes, what did you do to resolve the conflict?

Growing up with many activities, when I would get upset, my mom would always say, “Don’t worry. You know we always make it work.” So that is what I do as best I can in life. I plan ahead as best I can, and pivot and swivel when I have to! Once, I was in a long jury trial during a semester I was teaching; I left my trial war room on teaching nights, went and taught, and went back to work after.

What has been your most memorable experience as a professor?

Every semester, there will be one or two students who reach out to talk about how valuable the class turned out to be in practice, and it makes it so worthwhile. Once, my firm wound up hiring one of my former students. He later told me that his wife, also a lawyer, had had an experience where another party had casually cited a case that really hurt their case. He told his wife, “Oh I learned from Professor Bohmholdt years ago to read all the cases!” I loved that.

What has been your most memorable experience in practice?

Too many to choose from. The most memorable times are the big trials with teams or those early moments where motions or cases won on theories I had identified and developed.

Between teaching and your practice, do you have any free time? If so, what is one thing that you like to do?

Like I said above, growing up with many activities, when I would get upset, my mom would always say, “Don’t worry. You know we always make it work.” I don’t have a ton of free time, but the time I have is spent with my family and friends. I love cooking and watching my kid’s various sporting and music events.

Why should law students take legal drafting?

Most law students go into practice maybe never even having heard of a “motion,” or understanding what a “complaint” or “engagement agreement” look like. It is such an advantage to take these types of clinical classes because you at least get exposure to how to even begin these things.

What advice do you have for anyone considering law school?

Be open. I went to law school on a true whim and when I got there, I fell in love with it. I had no preconceived notions about what I would do with my degree and it worked out for the best. I also think that students who have a little time off of school between undergrad and law school often find that they love law school more than many who go straight through. There is something new and exciting about going “back to school,” even if it is only a couple of years.