College of Law Kicks Off Hundredth Anniversary Year with Centennial Speaker Series

The University of Wyoming College of Law launched its hundredth anniversary festivities Thursday, February 6, with the first presentation of the Centennial Speaker Series.

Founded in 1920, the College of Law has graduated more than 4,000 students, many of whom have shaped the law, served as leaders, and left lasting impacts on their communities. The Centennial Speaker series seeks to highlight some of these incredible leaders and educators, as well as discuss topics of influence and relevance in Wyoming throughout the year.

The law school was honored to host former Dean and Professor Emeritus Jerry Parkinson as the first speaker in the Centennial Celebration Series. Sponsored by the Tenth Circuit Historical Society, the presentation drew a considerable crowd of attendees who braved the bad weather to hear Professor Parkinson discuss his experience on the NCAA Division I Infractions Committee, and the current ethical dilemmas in collegiate athletics. The presentation reached an even wider audience of viewers online, and is still available on the College of Law website for self-study.

Parkinson was a Professor of Law at the University of Wyoming College of Law for over eighteen years, and served as Dean from 1998 to 2009, one of the longest serving Deans in the College of Law’s history. Over the years he taught Civil Procedure, Civil Rights, Sports Law, and an Education Law seminar. From 2000 to 2010 he served in a volunteer capacity as Coordinator of Appeals for the NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions, participating in over one hundred major infractions cases – including 28 appeals and 22 oral arguments. He retired from the College of Law in 2016.

“In recognizing such a significant milestone in College of Law history, it was only appropriate to have such a long-serving and beloved faculty member return to the law school to initiate the festivities,” says Dean Klint Alexander. “We were delighted to have Jerry back on campus and we look forward to celebrating this momentous occasion for the law school with our upcoming speakers.”

The next Centennial Speaker Series presentation will be held at the CU Boulder School of Law on April 10^th and will explore scandals in higher education. To keep up to date on our speaker series and other Centennial Celebration events, please visit our website.