The University of Chicago Law School Connection

Law School alums go on to careers in many different areas -- law (of course!), politics, business, academia, and public interest -- all across the country and around the world.  Despite the myriad of directions our students take after graduation it is not unusual for them to cross paths again and again as they advance through their legal careers.  The appeal of convicted former Qwest CEO Joe Nacchio, now before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit is just one of the latest such examples.  Oral arguments in Nacchio's appeal, held on December 11th, brought together not one, not even two, but four Law School alums who are involved in the case.  Former Law School professor Judge Michael McConnell ('79) (and past Hinton Moot Court judge) sat on the three judge panel who heard arguments from Nacchio's appellate attorney Maureen Mahoney ('78) (Mahoney, whose track record as an appellate attorney is formidable, also successfully represented the University of Michigan Law School in the landmark case on race in admissions, Grutter v. Bollinger,  before the U.S. Supreme Court in 2003).  A key issue in Nacchio's appeal was the lower trial court's ruling excluding the expert witness testimony of Law School professor Daniel Fischel ('77).  Rounding out the quartet was U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado Troy Eid ('91).