{"id":2773,"date":"2025-09-03T11:44:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-03T15:44:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magazine.law.unc.edu\/september-2025\/?p=2773"},"modified":"2025-09-17T08:55:36","modified_gmt":"2025-09-17T12:55:36","slug":"carolina-laws-festival-brings-generations-together","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magazine.law.unc.edu\/september-2025\/carolina-laws-festival-brings-generations-together\/","title":{"rendered":"Carolina Law\u2019s Festival brings generations together\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

UNC School of Law\u2019s Festival of Legal Learning<\/a> drew its largest crowd yet this February, as over 100 alumni returned to Chapel Hill for what Richard R. Daugherty ’01 calls an \u201coff-season homecoming.\u201d The February 7 gathering sparked meaningful connections between seasoned practitioners and eager law students.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cWhen we talk to alumni about what brings them back to Carolina Law, continuing legal education opportunities, engaging with faculty and meeting current students consistently top the list,\u201d said Brian Meacham ’03<\/a>, Law Alumni Association<\/a> president. \u201cThis festival delivers on all three while giving back to our alumni community.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The alumni program featured insights from beloved faculty and accomplished graduates. Professor Donald Hornstein<\/a> opened with a discussion on climate and insurance resilience, followed by Professor Rick Su\u2019s immigration law update. The Supreme Court roundup \u2014 featuring Professors Maxine Eichner<\/a>, Andy Hessick<\/a>, Mary-Rose Papandrea and North Carolina Solicitor General Ryan Park<\/a> \u2014 sparked particular interest among attendees.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alumni speakers David Kouba ’02<\/a> of Arnold & Porter<\/a> and Alison Grounds ’01<\/a> of Troutman Pepper Locke <\/a>brought current industry perspectives, addressing mental health in legal practice and artificial intelligence\u2019s impact, respectively. Dean Martin H. Brinkley ’92<\/a> concluded with his signature historical perspective on the School\u2019s evolution.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Alongside the alumni event, Kilpatrick Townsend<\/a> sponsored the Student Festival of Legal Learning, demonstrating its commitment to developing future legal talent. The firm, which counts over 30 Carolina Law graduates among its attorneys, including firmwide chair Vaibhav \u201cWab\u201d Kadaba ’97<\/a>, has built strong ties with the school. \u201cThe student festival provides professional development training essential for building a legal career,\u201d said Shawn McKenna<\/a>, senior director of employer engagement at Carolina Law.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The day culminated in an evening reception where students and alumni connected, strengthening Carolina Law\u2019s tradition of mentorship and community across generations.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the event\u2019s growing popularity and limited capacity, early registration for the 2026 festival is strongly encouraged. Stay informed about upcoming alumni events, career development and engagement opportunities by subscribing to the Carolina Law Alumni Brief<\/a>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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View the Festval Photo Album<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Festival of Legal Learning drew its largest crowd yet as over 100 alumni returned for what one graduate calls an “off-season homecoming,” but with growing popularity and limited capacity, spots for the 2026 festival are expected to fill quickly. Discover what made this February gathering so special and why early registration is strongly encouraged. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2827,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[8],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.law.unc.edu\/september-2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2773"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.law.unc.edu\/september-2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.law.unc.edu\/september-2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.law.unc.edu\/september-2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.law.unc.edu\/september-2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2773"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.law.unc.edu\/september-2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2773\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2932,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.law.unc.edu\/september-2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2773\/revisions\/2932"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.law.unc.edu\/september-2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2827"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.law.unc.edu\/september-2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2773"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.law.unc.edu\/september-2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2773"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.law.unc.edu\/september-2025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2773"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}