Faculty Award Winners Announced
April 13, 2012
Atlanta—Dean Steven Kaminshine presented two faculty members with awards in recognition of impressive accomplishment in writing and teaching during a gathering on Thursday afternoon. Associate Professor of Law Russell D. Covey will receive the Patricia T. Morgan Award for Outstanding Faculty Scholarship, and Professor of Law Paul S. Milich has been chosen for the David J. Maleski Award for Teaching Excellence.
The Patricia T. Morgan Award for Outstanding Faculty Scholarship is presented annually to a College of Law faculty member who is actively engaged in research, writing projects and other scholarly endeavors that promote and challenge the legal profession.
Associate Professor Covey, an expert in criminal law and procedure, has written on police interrogation, jury selection, plea bargaining, capital punishment, and crime in popular culture. His scholarly work has been published in the Oxford University Press, Boston University Law Review and Stanford Law Review, among other legal publications. National news media sought his expertise in numerous articles focusing on the 11th hour clemency bid of death row inmate Troy Davis in 2011.
More recently, Covey has convened a roundtable of Georgia judges, district attorneys, and leaders in corrections and public defense, as part of a national project sponsored by the ABA Criminal Justice Section. "This roundtable, like dozens of others happening across the country, is a first step towards figuring out a better way to keep our communities safe," he said. One of the group’s hot discussion points is finding ways to funnel resources into "more valuable and constructive areas like education, job training and healthcare."
In response to receiving the Morgan Award, Covey said, "It is more than a little humbling to join a list of such distinguished previous recipients. The great thing about scholarship is that there is always the next project, and I can’t wait to begin working on it, or sharing what I learn with my students."
The Morgan award was created in memory of GSU Law Professor Patricia T. Morgan, who authored several books and articles in the area of tax fraud and corporate law. She was held in high esteem by her many students and colleagues, and was twice voted Professor of the Year.
The David J. Maleski Award for Teaching Excellence was named in honor of a founding faculty member of the College, whose expertise in torts and enthusiasm for educating young legal scholars is still acclaimed today. The award has been created to celebrate faculty members who have made innovations in course design or teaching methods and other significant contributions to the promotion of student learning.
"David Maleski was my mentor when I started teaching 29 years ago. He was a truly fantastic and dedicated teacher," said award recipient Professor Paul S. Milich. "It is a special honor to receive an award named after David."
Milich has been known for years within the College for the developments he’s made in Advanced Evidence courses, which he built from the ground up, combining demonstration and student simulations to create an experiential learning environment that’s effective and engaging for students. Its popularity cannot be overstated; several sections are offered each semester. He’s used a similar model in his overhaul of the Litigation program, and continues to share his expertise in Continuing Legal Education (CLE) courses.
In addition, Professor Milich has spent many years advocating the revision of the 150-year-old evidence code in Georgia. His work was validated last year, as Governor Nathan Deal signed into law the legislation that Milich helped draft. He then published Georgia Rules of Evidence along with a companion handbook (West, 2011) that reflects the new code, and will present a sold-out CLE seminar on this topic to College of Law alumni later this month.
Congratulations to these outstanding faculty for their contributions to the College and the legal community.
Contact:
Emily Diffenderfer
404-413-9119