Dale E. Fowler School of Law

At an August 24 Welcome Reception for new law school Dean Paul Paton, Chapman President Daniele C. Struppa announced a $15 million gift from Chapman Board of Trustees Chair Parker S. Kennedy–one of the largest gifts in Chapman history. The bulk of this transformative gift will be dedicated to student scholarships, while $1 million will elevate the Parker S. Kennedy Professor of Law to the Parker S. Kennedy Endowed Chair in Law. Read more on this exceptional gift, or view a gallery of the evening's procedings.

Law school externships are an opportunity to forge links between the theory and practical application of the law, a chance for students to hone their legal acumen while embedding themselves in supervised praxis, usually within an established practice or agency. From time to time, a student will have the good fortune to extern with a highly respected legal mind like the Honorable John B. Owens on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. This summer saw Chapman Law enjoying the distinction of having two students extern for Judge Owens: Jodee Storm Sullivan, and Kaelyn Timmins-Reed, Fowler School of Law’s 2022 Rutan & Tucker Golden Gavel Winners.

How does a personal injury lawyer with a strong focus on motor vehicle accident cases survive two years of shelter-in-place state mandates during COVID-19, when suddenly no cars were on the road? Alumnus Daniel Kim (JD ’12) knows that the answer to this riddle lies somewhere between having an entrepreneurial mindset and possessing an uncanny ability to turn any crisis into an opportunity.

A standing-room-only appellate courtroom on the second floor of Kennedy Hall was the venue for this year’s annual Rutan & Tucker Golden Gavel Competition, where two seemingly unflappable 1L students prepared to make their final arguments before three guest judges.

International legal ethics expert Dr. Paul D. Paton has been named dean of Chapman University's Fowler School of Law. Paton comes to Chapman from the University of Alberta, Canada, where he was dean from 2014-2019.

Chapman Law School alumni T. Gabe Houston (JD ’08) and Robbie Godinez Munoz (JD’20) have recently been awarded a $161 million verdict in a civil case against a major motorcycle manufacturer. The verdict, eight years in the making, has $11 million compensatory, and $150 million punitive damages attached to it, represents the culmination of a legal marathon for the lawyers and their client.

When Alex Mohajer (JD ’11) graduated from Chapman University, his graduating class voted this champion of equality and LGBTQ+ rights, “Most Likely to be Held in Contempt of Court”–they were wrong, of course. Mohajer left Chapman and entered public service where, for the past ten years, he has been investigating allegations of discrimination and sexual harassment as a Civil Service Advocate for LA County where, it is gratifying to note, he remains in good standing.

The U.S. News & World Report has published its rankings of the best law schools in the country, with Chapman University’s Fowler School of Law continuing its upward trajectory and leaping 9 places to clinch 109^th place.

Diana Chao (JD ’10) is the incumbent president of the Orange County Coalition for Diversity in the Law (OCCDL), a partner in her firm, Everett Dorey LLC, and the matriarch of a young family. We caught up with her to discuss life since graduation, her continuing involvement in the Fowler School of Law alumni and student community, and how she seems to keep all of these metaphorical balls whizzing through the air so effortlessly.