About Calendar Programs Digest Information For Forms Contact
Public Interest Speaker Series
On the first Thursday of the month, a Public Interest Law panel discussion is held at the Law School, in the Moot Courtroom. Each panel covers a specific area of public interest law to expose the campus community to the various fields that exist. In addition to these Public Interest Law panel discussions, the Leduc Center for Civic Engagement also hosts a Speakers Program where a guest speaker, who is an accomplished leader in the area of law, civic engagement, and/or leadership, is invited to address the campus community regarding his/her experience. This Program runs at least once an academic semester with the purpose of exposing the campus community to leading practitioners in these fields.
Previous Speakers
November, 2011 (David Simas Part 1/Part 2/Part 3)
David Simas is currently serving as the Director of Opinion Research for President Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign. Born in Taunton, Simas graduated from Coyle and Cassidy High School and Stonehill College. In 1995, Simas graduated from Boston College Law School.
Since 1989, Simas has been involved in government and politics, beginning as an intern in Senator Edward M. Kennedy’s Boston office. He was elected to Taunton’s school board in 1993 and Taunton’s City Council in 1997 and 1999, where he also served as President of the City Council. In 2006, Simas worked on the campaign of Governor Deval Patrick, who was elected as Massachusetts' first Democratic governor in 16 years and the state’s first-ever African-American governor. During the campaign, Simas had dual roles as a debate partner in both the primary and general elections and as a field coordinator in one of the state’s Senate districts. After being elected as governor, Patrick named Simas his deputy chief of staff in 2007, with oversight of policy development and legislative affairs. Simas held that position until he joined the Obama administration in 2009, where he worked as President Obama's deputy assistant and aide to White House senior advisors, David Axelrod and David Plouffe.
Previous Panels
September 2011 (Topic: Judges)
Hon. Bettina Borders, Bristol County Juvenile Court
Hon. Kevan J. Cunningham, Taunton District Court
Hon. Renee Dupuis, Associate Justice of the Superior Court
October 2011 (Topic: Municipal Law)
Jordan Fiore, Esq., Law Office of Jordan Fiore
John Markey, Esq., Moses Smith & Markey, LLC
Patrick Markey, Esq., O'Shea Getz
Jane Medeiros Friedman, Esq., City Solicitor's Office, City of New Bedford
Steven Torres, Esq., corporation counsel, City of Fall River
November 2011 (Topic: Governmental Law/General Counsel)
Monica Conyngham, Esq., General Counsel, Department of Transportation
Gary Davis, Esq., General Counsel, Executive Office of Environmental Affairs
Maureen Flynn, Esq., General Counsel, Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development
David Martin, Esq., Director of Health Care Policy, Executive Office of Health and Human Services
Teresa Patten, Esq., Counsel/Secretary of the Board of Directors, Mass Development
December 2011 (Topic: Legislative Law)
Mary Ann Clancy, Esq., Senior Vice President, Massachusetts Credit Union League
Joseph Driscoll, Esq., Senior Vice President, O'Neill and Associates
Mark Paige, Esq., Assistant Professor, Department of Public Policy, UMass Dartmouth
Edward Phelan, Esq., Counsel, Commissioner of Insurance
February 2012 (Topic: Clerk Magistrates)
John C. O'Neil, Clerk Magistrate, Fall River District Court
Jennifer Rose, Assistant Clerk, Fall River Juvenile Court
Marc J. Santos, Clerk Magistrate, Bristol County Superior Court
Peter J. Thomas, Clerk Magistrate, New Bedford District Court
April 2012 (Topic: Elected Officials)
Mayor Jonathan Mitchell, City of New Bedford
David Andrews, Office of Attorney General
Chris Markey, Massachusetts State Representative
September 2012 (Topic: Criminal Defense)
Tim Walsh, Esq., Moses Smith & Markey
Thomas Mello, Esq., Committee for Public Counsel Services
Pamela Gauvin, Esq., Law Offices of Pamela S. Gauvin
October 2012 (Topic: Environmental Law)
Chad McGuire, Esq., Assistant Professor, Department of Public Policy, UMass Dartmouth
James Marsh, Esq., Shepard S. Johnson, Jr. & Associates, PC
Shaun Walsh, Esq., Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection
Jennifer Harrington, Esq., Narrangansett Bay Commission
November 2012 (Topic: Military Law)
LT Justin Pasay, U.S. Navy
LCDR Alfred Thompson, U.S. Coast Guard
MAJ Soren Seale, Massachusetts Army National Guard
1LT Ted Massey, U.S. Marine Corps
February 2013 (Topic: Legislative Internship Experience)
Hugh Dunn
Andrew Sibley
Kristen Parent
Louis D'Amarino
Danielle Allard
Contact Us
If you are interested in joining our Public Interest Speaker Series as a panelist or a speaker, attending the Series, or for more information contact:
John Quinn
LARTS 399C
jquinn3@umassd.edu
Phone: 508.910.6602
Fax: 508.999.8153
