All Rise - The Gonzaga Law Podcast

Last spring Gonzaga law alum Charnelle Bejelkengern became the first woman of African American decent to serve as a judge in Eastern Washington. In this episode, she shares her experience as new judge and how mentorship and leadership opportunities can impact students for many years to come.  

We are excited to introduce one of our new faculty members, Agnieszka (Aneshka) McPeak in this episode. Agnieszka will be joining us as an associate professor and the new director of the school’s Center for Law, Ethics & Commerce. During this conversation, she shares her background and personal story as well as her research.

 Chantell Cosner chats with long-time faculty member and expert in immigration policy professor Megan Ballard talks about Gonzaga University’s immigration clinic, her recent trip to Nogales, Arizona and the impact of probono work.

During this episode, Dean Jacob Rooksby visits with Sandra Park. Sandra is a senior attorney with the ACLU Women’s Rights Project. Her work focuses on advancing gender equality and challenging discrimination experienced by survivors of gender-based violence, and she was also counsel on the ACLU’s successful 2013 U.S. Supreme Court challenge to human gene patents. During this conversation, she shares her insights and experience with the case.

Today, we hear from faculty Drew Simshaw sharing his insights on teaching first-year courses as well as what the future of lawyering might look like.

In this episode, our marketing manager Chantell Cosner sits down with alumni and member of the Gonzaga Law Board of Advisors, Catherine Clark to talk about forgiveness during challenging times as well as the impact that mentorship can have on us, no matter our background. 

During the episode, Dean Jacob Rooksby sits down with Deborah L. Rhode, the Ernest W. McFarland Professor of Law and the Director of the Center on the Legal Profession at Stanford Law School. Dean Rooksby and Deborah talk about a topic that is top of mind for many of us right now, what does good leadership look like in a time of global crisis.

In this episode, Gonzaga School of Law Director of Alumni Engagement & Strategic Initiatives Sarah Guzman sits down with local artist and Gonzaga alumni Ben Joyce. Last year, Ben created a beautiful art installation that will hang permanently in the law school for many years to come. In this conversation, Sarah and Ben talk about the piece as well as how we can find community, even when we are physically apart.

John Kroger is currently a Visiting Professor at Harvard Law School but before his career in academia, Kroger got his start in politics. He worked with powerful politicians such as President Bill Clinton and Chuck Schumer but quickly realized that he felt called to a higher form of public service. In this week’s episode of All Rise: Gonzaga Law Podcast Kroger shares about his struggles to fully comprehend the ethical implications of being a prosecutor. To help answer this question, Kroger embarked on a cross-country bike trip to reflect on his life and career. He eventually found fulfillment by teaching the law to the next generation. “Law school is the very best way to prepare for a life committed to social change,” Kroger concluded.

Emily Hazen grew up with a dream to graduate from the U.S. Air Force Academy. However, Hazen left the Academy to pursue her degree elsewhere and became an advocate for military members who are survivors of sexual assault. Hazen’s passion for advocating for vulnerable populations guided her law school journey, and she was a Thomas More Scholar while at Gonzaga Law. Hazen is particularly interested in researching eating disorders and their relationship to military sexual trauma. “Gonzaga gave me the support and confidence to share my story,” Hazen said. Listen to this week’s episode of All Rise to learn more about Hazen’s harrowing story and the strength she found at Gonzaga Law.

Gonzaga Law alumnus Trey Dolezal (’92) wears a multitude of hats. Husband, father, practicing attorney, and experienced sports agent to name a few. Dolezal’s interest in sports law goes all the way back to his days at Gonzaga Law and he has represented various athletes for the last twenty years. Interested in breaking into sports law yourself? According to Dolezal, “Sports law is probably the hardest thing to figure out how to get into. Building connections is important. Beat down doors and never give up.” Listen to the newest episode of All Rise: Gonzaga Law Podcast to learn more about the highly competitive world of sports agents.

John Kroger is currently a Visiting Professor at Harvard Law School but before his career in academia, Kroger got his start in politics. He worked with powerful politicians such as President Bill Clinton and Chuck Schumer but quickly realized that he felt called to a higher form of public service. In this week’s episode of All Rise: Gonzaga Law Podcast Kroger shares about his struggles to fully comprehend the ethical implications of being a prosecutor. To help answer this question, Kroger embarked on a cross-country bike trip to reflect on his life and career. He eventually found fulfillment by teaching the law to the next generation. “Law school is the very best way to prepare for a life committed to social change,” Kroger concluded.

Long before he was the Attorney General of Washington, Bob Ferguson was a passionate law student dedicated to increasing access to justice in his home state of Washington. Listen to the inaugural episode of All Rise: Gonzaga Law Podcast to learn about Ferguson’s journey to become the Attorney General of Washington and get a behind-the-scenes look at the work he has done while in office. Ferguson also reveals which historical person he greatly admires, as well as his all-time favorite Supreme Court Justice. “If I could teach one thing, as my job as a lawyer, it would be the importance of listening because it’s undervalued and underappreciated,” Ferguson said.