1970s Class Notes.
1971
William P. Boswell was elected a freeman of the Worshipful Company of Scriveners. He was sworn in to the nearly 700-year-old livery company at Guildhall in London on April 26. He subsequently was elected a freeman of the City of London, which he is given to understand may permit him to herd sheep across Tower Bridge, if the mood strikes.
Ronald Castille, retired chief justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, was elected to the board of the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network. The board supervises and accounts for federal and state funding for agencies that provide legal services to indigent citizens.
Two Law alumni teamed up with a Darden graduate to write about growing up together in the 1950s and early 60s in a small town, where they and their “zany friends; mess up just about everything they touch— from regular school, to dancing school, church, sports, scouting and, eventually, dating—all under the sometimes not-so-watchful eyes of the well-intentioned adults around them.” “Not Exactly Rocket Scientists and Other Stories” is the work of Gilbert Schill and John Macilroy ’74, along with Robert Hamilton (Darden ’74). Their stories have caught the attention of both novelist Pat Conroy and actor/screenwriter Tony Dow, who played Wally on “Leave It to Beaver.”
1972
George House was recognized as a leader in environmental law in the 2017 Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business. House practices with Brooks Pierce in Greensboro, N.C.
Douglas P. Rucker Jr. was named to Super Lawyers Virginia for professional liability: defense. Rucker concentrates his practice in contract law and business and professional litigation at Sands Anderson in Richmond.1974
Jay Waldron is being inducted into the U.S. Rugby Hall of Fame. His rugby career spans nearly five decades and both coasts of the United States. He began playing in 1968 at UVA, where he continued to play until he graduated from the Law School. Waldron then played for the Portland RFC on the West Coast through 1984. He next joined the Portland Old Boars and the Owls until 1998. Waldron has been recognized for his accomplishments as a trial and appellate lawyer in environmental and energy law with Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt in Portland, Ore. In addition to rugby, Waldron has been a triathlete and a university boxing champion. He has taken adventure motorcycle and rafting trips on six continents. Waldron has been married to his wife, Karen, for 48 years; their son, Shane, coaches for the Los Angeles Rams.
1975
Lee Mercier is on track to retire at the end of this year, but will continue to administer trusts for disabled adults and minor beneficiaries. He attended his 50th reunion at Princeton and was on a mission to look for classmates who also graduated from UVA Law. He sends his best wishes to all.
1976
After working in law and public finance for 42 years, Andrew Kane recently retired as a managing director from D.A. Davidson & Co., a regional brokerage firm, where he specialized in the securitization of both affordable housing municipal debt and public infrastructure. Previously, he had been a partner with Ballard Spahr, practicing in Philadelphia and Denver. “Now empty- nesting in Denver with my wife, Diane, we have begun spending summers in coastal Maine. Our adult twins both work and live in San Francisco. As I embark on the next chapter of periodic consulting and board memberships, I would enjoy hearing from classmates and school friends at andrewkanemail@gmail.com.”
1977
Former U.S. Rep. J. Randy Forbes joined the government law and policy practice’s federal team in the Washington, D.C., office of Greenberg Traurig. Forbes is a senior director with the firm and represents major corporations and governmental entities before the U.S. Congress and the executive branch.
Cynthia D. Kinser, the first female chief justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia and senior counsel at the law firm Gentry Locke, was honored by having her portrait hung at the court on June 9. Kinser spent 17 years on the court, with more than three years as chief justice. She retired from the bench in 2014, and a year later joined the Roanoke firm as senior counsel, where she focuses on appeals, criminal matters and government investigations. “An accomplished legal scholar, Justice Cynthia Kinser is a pioneer in her field and one of the most consequential women in Virginia history,” said Gentry Locke managing partner Monica Taylor Monday, who spoke at the portrait reception. “She is the only woman to serve as chief justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia, and the only woman to lead one of the three branches of Virginia’s government. And she is one of a small group of women who have held high office in Virginia. She is an inspiration to women and attorneys in Virginia and nationwide.”
James D. Satrom was ranked in Band 3 for Energy & Natural Resources Law by Chambers USA. Satrom is a board member with Hall Estill in Tulsa, Okla. Prior to joining the law firm he served in the Office of General Counsel-Secretary of the Air Force/ Pentagon. His practice focuses on energy, natural resources, and oil and gas law.
1978
Bruce L. Mertens was named to Super Lawyers Virginia for estate and probate. Mertens leads the trusts and estate planning team at Sands Anderson in Richmond.
1979
Anne Kleindienst was recognized in 2017 Southwest Super Lawyers in the business and corporate and franchise law categories. Kleindienst practices business and health care law with Polsinelli in Phoenix.