Chastek Blawg

Another FREE Family Movie Night event is upon us!  In the Barbieri Courtroom on Friday, February 1 , Chastek Library, Student Success, and the J. Reuben Clark Law Society will be screening Space Jam; showing starts at 6pm. Luckily for us, Gonzaga University Mascot Spike has agreed to be in attendance to get everyone excited for the film, to sign autographs, and to take pictures from 5:15pm to 6:15pm! This event is open to the entire law school community! So students, staff, and faculty are free to bring their friends and families! All are welcome to attend. Snacks and beverages will be provided for attendees.  So c'mon, everybody get up, it's time to slam now! Come check out a fun and free 90s classic film!

The medical rights regarding a defendant’s ability to stand trial has made the news as armed bank robbery defendant, Richard Abney, has been ruled by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit to be involuntarily medicated to stand trial. [1]   According to court documents, Abney “underwent a series of psychological evaluations to determine his competency to stand trial.” Upon conclusion of these initial evaluations, it was determined in late 2014 “that Abney was not suffering from a mental illness that would compromise his understanding of the trial process and deemed him competent to stand trial.” However, defense counsel rebutted and retained a forensic psychologist who disagreed with the initial finding and the fight continued through the courts over the next five years.     Citing the Supreme Court in Sell v. United States , 539 U.S. 166 (2003) [2] , which held that “it is constitutionally permissible in some circumstances to involuntarily administer medicatio

Lessons from the Tax Clinic by Mark Garner Chastek Library Reference Desk Assistant and Gonzaga University School of Law 3L/Law Grad December 2018  [The following and all blog posts are for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice]   As the semester nears its end, and my academic career here at Gonzaga along with it, I have been thinking of the lessons I will take with me from the most impactful experiences I have had here. My two semesters with the Gonzaga University Legal Assistance Federal Tax Clinic have given me the most real-world, practical experience that I have received in law school. In the Tax Clinic, students act as tax attorneys, supervised by licensed and practicing tax attorneys, to assist low-income taxpayers with their IRS conflicts. In this role, students do virtually everything licensed tax attorneys do. Students correspond with their clients and the IRS, negotiate settlements of tax debt, do tax law research, d

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