Tricked out motorcycles and flowing beards littered the music video of one of my favorite songs when I was just waking up to rock and roll. Unfortunately, adherence to ZZ Top’s lingering directive to “Hold on Loosely” transformed my iPhone into a “bye-Phone” last Thursday night on the way home from a pizza dinner with […]
After spending Sunday ensuring that all of the logistical arrangements were in place for the kickoff of the week-long mediation training, we were ready for the opening on Monday morning. This training program is the product of a Memorandum of Understanding (an agreement similar to a contract) between Pepperdine’s Law School and Uganda’s Justice, Law, […]
I can’t help but recognize the metaphor in the rising sun peeking over the seven hills of Kampala this Sunday morning. I have no memory of ever taking the time on any of my prior visits to Uganda to sit still and appreciate the beauty and simplicity and constancy of the equatorial sunrise – 6:45 […]
It feels like I just returned from Uganda, but I am now deep in the planning stages of the next trip — #19. It will start out with a week of mediation training led by Pepperdine’s world-renowned Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, and then transition into our annual five-day prison project, after which two training […]
One of my favorite songs when I was in college was “18 and Life to Go” by Skid Row. That pop-metal song crashed back into my life as I traveled to Uganda this weekend for the 18th time. My commitment to my beloved second country ensures that while this is trip 18, I do have […]
During the four weeks Henry has been in the United States, I have learned to see daily life through new eyes. It is so easy to take for granted many aspects of life in the developed world. Henry was amazed by how good the roads were once he landed on January 26th – “they are […]
Pardon my Super Bowl metaphor, but I couldn’t resist. Today feels like a touchdown, goal, grand slam, ace, slam dunk, and hole in one all wrapped up in a Chipotle burrito. Henry lands in a couple hours for a five-week, six-state tour of the U.S. – the very day Divine Collision is officially released. As […]
Securing a visa allowing a non-citizen to visit the United States has historically been a challenge, particularly for those from the developing world. This process has only become more difficult in the wake of the Paris and San Bernardino terrorist attacks. The two most important decision-making factors utilized by the State Department are (i) whether […]
After a productive summer project in four different Ugandan adult prisons, which was followed by an historic national plea bargaining conference in Kampala, the fall semester at Pepperdine Law began in earnest. Because Divine Collision is officially being released in January, my teaching schedule was doubled up this fall so I could be more flexible […]
The fall semester started out in a full sprint and has only picked up speed over the course of the first four weeks. The advance planning of our Parris Institute (named for its generous benefactors Rex and Carrol Parris) led to a smooth and inspirational launch week. Bob Goff headlined the final day with a […]
