“The gaining of full ABA approval is a major achievement and comes after five and half years of dedicated work by the students, staff and faculty of Phoenix School of Law,” says Gene Clark, Interim Dean.  “This national accreditation also validates in an evidenced- based way what we have all worked so hard to achieve and sustain over a period of years —

a school and new model of legal education that is focused on achieving great student outcomes, preparing excellent lawyers who are ready for practice, and committed to serving the underserved.”

The ABA Accreditation Committee gave its positive recommendation to its Council of the Section on Legal Education and Admission in May of 2010.  The school was granted provisional approval by the ABA in 2007, meaning it was in compliance with ABA standards and had a plan to bring the school into full compliance. A school is only granted provisional approval for a maximum of five years.  In order to be granted full approval, a school must demonstrate that it has established full compliance with each of the Standards.

There are only three fully accredited law schools in Arizona:  Phoenix School of Law, the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University and the James E. Rogers College of Law at the University of Arizona.  PSL is Arizona’s only stand-alone law school – not affiliated with a university.  

The Phoenix School of Law demonstrated high benchmarks to win the approval of the ABA’s Accreditation Council, including achieving the highest Bar Exam passage rates in the State for February’s exam; a career placement rate of 97% within nine months of graduation; and receiving the Law School Admissions Council’s “2010 Diversity Matters Award” for its efforts to attract students from racial and ethnic groups underrepresented in the legal profession.

PhoenixLaw is located in one of only 4 major cities (Phoenix, Boston, Denver, and Atlanta) where the law school is situated in the heart of what are a major state’s financial and legal center, entertainment and sports center, state capital and international airport.  

According to the ABA, standards for approval are founded on the fact that law schools are the gateway to the legal profession. There are minimum requirements designed, developed, and implemented for the purpose of advancing the basic goal of providing a sound program of legal education.   The graduates of approved law schools can become members of the bar in all United States jurisdictions, representing all members of the public in important interests.  Law schools must ensure that its graduates understand their ethical responsibilities as attorneys for the quality and availability of justice; receive a basic education of legal theory, legal analysis, reasoning, research, problem solving and other fundamental skills needed for the legal profession; understand the basic principles of public and private law; and understand the law as a public profession calling for performance of pro bono legal services. 

Jon Atzen has joined the Los Angeles/Downtown office of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP as a partner in the firm's Corporate practice group and member of the Emerging Companies practice.  Atzen most recently was a partner at DLA Piper in Los Angeles.  

Atzen has devoted virtually his entire career to working with leading entrepreneurs and innovators, as well as emerging and established companies, primarily in the southern California region.  He focuses his corporate practice on representing emerging growth and established companies, and venture capital and private equity funds, in such technology sectors as life sciences, semiconductors, wireless communications, internet, software and clean/alternative energy technologies.

"Jon has an impressive emerging growth company background, which includes private practice and corporate counsel for both a tech company and a venture capital firm.  His practice dovetails well with our existing emerging growth/venture capital practices throughout California, while broadening our existing corporate practice capabilities in Los Angeles," said Guy N. Halgren, chairman of the firm. 

In addition to private practice, Atzen previously held the positions of Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. 

"I am excited about joining Sheppard Mullin, a top-notch full service firm with a strong corporate practice in Los Angeles and throughout the state," Atzen commented.  "I am impressed with firm management's dedication to growing the Corporate practice group, and excited to be part of a partnership that values teamwork and fosters collegiality."  

In addition to his venture capital and private equity practice, Atzen provides corporate and strategic counsel to publicly-traded companies with respect to securities offerings including initial public offerings, secondary offerings, PIPEs and spin-offs, and reporting and compliance matters under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.  He also has significant experience in public and private company mergers and acquisitions.

Atzen received a J.D. from Loyola Law School Los Angeles in 1990 and a B.A. from University of California at Santa Barbara in 1987. 

Sheppard Mullin has 200 attorneys based in its Los Angeles offices.  The firm's Corporate practice group includes 100 attorneys firmwide. 

In April, Kevin Rooney joined the firm's Silicon Valley office as a partner in the Corporate practice group.  Rooney most recently practiced at Hayden Bergman & Rooney in San Francisco, as a name partner.  Previously, Rooney was an attorney with Wilson Sonsini in Palo Alto and Davies Ward Phillips & Vineburg in Toronto.  

About Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP

Sheppard Mullin is a full service AmLaw 100 firm with 550 attorneys in 11 offices located in the United States and Asia.  Since 1927, companies have turned to Sheppard Mullin to handle corporate and technology matters, high stakes litigation and complex financial transactions.  In the U.S., the firm's clients include more than half of the Fortune 100.  For more information, please visit www.sheppardmullin.com. 

The D.C. office of law firm Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP has relocated its headquarters to larger space downtown.

The firm said that its new location, on the top floor of 1717 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, more than doubles the size of its offices and will allow for continued expansion of its practice.

"This relocation marks an important step in Curtis’ ongoing expansion in Washington,” said D.C. Managing Partner Daniel Lenihan.

The firm said that it has added four senior lawyers to its D.C. office since December 2008.

According to its Web site, Curtis has three U.S. offices with 16 professionals working in Washington, five working in Houston and more than 100 based in New York. In addition, Curtis has 10 international offices.

Applegate & Fifer, a business and real estate law firm based in Jeffersonville, was renamed Applegate Fifer Pulliam LLC last month.

The name change was prompted by the addition of a third partner, Keith Pulliam, who joined real estate attorney Alan Applegate and municipal attorney Greg Fifer.

Pulliam previously practiced at New Albany law firm Lorch & Naville LLC.

He assists small businesses with legal issues, such as business formations and contracts.

LOS ANGELES- 200 members of the Los Angeles legal community are expected to attend the Employment Law Forum, a nonprofit legal education event in Los Angeles.

The Greater Los Angeles Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators (GLA ALA) will host its Annual Employment Law Forum Saturday, January 23 from 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. at the Autry National Center of the American West in Griffith Park, located at 4700 Western Heritage Way in Los Angeles.

The event will offer an annual update on new 2010 employment laws with speaker Laura Petroff, managing partner of Winston & Strawn’s Los Angeles office.

Marsha Petrie Sue, MBA, CSP will present the lunch keynote  “The Reactor Factor: How to Respond Positively to Negative Situations at Work.”

Three breakout sessions following lunch will feature the speakers Marsh Petrie Sue on the topic of how to Decontaminate Toxic People, Fred Griffin, partner of Burke Williams & Sorenson, on the topic of Navigating California Leaves and John LeCrone, partner at Davis Wright Tremaine, on the topic of Social Media in the Workplace.

An exhibit hall with over 40 business partners who support the legal industry will be in attendance.

Price to attend for ALA members is $50 for the morning session or $75 for the all day seminar and for non-ALA members is $75 for the morning session and $100 for the all day seminar.

For more information, contact GLA ALA President-Elect Mary McDonnell at mmcdonnell@entertainmentpartners.com. For media requests, contact Jess Block, media relations, at JessBlockPR@gmail.com or at 909.706.8525.

ABOUT GLA ALA:

The Greater Los Angeles Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators (GLA ALA) is a 385-person nonprofit membership organization that provides educational opportunities, community service, and exchange of information to improve the quality and professionalism of management in legal services organizations. For more information, visit www.glaala.org.

Photos from the GLA ALA Employment Law Forum will be available after the event.