Professional Staff
Harrison M. Pittman, B.S., J.D., LL.M.
Research Assistant Professor of Law, Center Director
(479) 575-7640
hmpittm@uark.edu
Harrison M. Pittman has an extensive background in agricultural law and has served in multiple capacities at the Center since 2001. He received his J.D. from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law, after attending Mississippi State University and graduating from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He earned an LL.M. in Agricultural Law from the University of Arkansas School of Law's Graduate Program in Agricultural Law. Harrison has authored articles on numerous subjects, including the National Organic Program, the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act, the constitutionality of corporate farming laws, pesticide regulation and litigation, agritourism, states' recreational use statutes, legal issues associated with the structure of the livestock industry, agricultural bankruptcy issues, environmental regulation of agriculture such as the application of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act to agriculture, and the Packers and Stockyards Act. He has authored annotations for American Law Reports, including Validity, Construction, and Application of State Constitutional and Statutory Provisions Regarding Corporate Farming and Validity, Construction, and Application of Right-to-Farm Acts. Harrison is an active member of the American Agricultural Law Association, has contributed to the Association's monthly newsletter, The AgLaw Update, and serves on the Association's membership committee. He is a frequent presenter on various agricultural law and policy topics, including environmental law, the impact of globalization and the World Trade Organization on U.S. agriculture, conservation programs, legal liability issues in agritourism operations and other landowner liability issues, agricultural liens, the future of farm commodity programs, and the interrelationship between local food systems and public health issues. He is an active member of the Arkansas Bar Association, where he founded the Agricultural Law Section and later served as interim chair and chair. Harrison has taught at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law as part of the Ben J. Altheimer Distinguished Professorship for Agricultural Law and served as a Visiting Professor for the University of Arkansas Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food, and Life Sciences, Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness. He currently serves as Vice-Chair of the Agriculture Committee of the American Bar Association's Section on Administrative Law & Regulatory Practice. Among other activities with the Agriculture Committee, Harrison moderated A Conversation With Marc L. Kesselman, USDA General Counsel: The Administration's 2007 Farm Bill Proposals that was held at the Venable LLP in Washington, D.C. Harrison also serves as faculty advisor for students involved with the Journal of Food Law & Policy.
Erimar von der Osten, lic. iur.
Visiting Senior Fellow
(479) 575-2636
evonder@uark.edu
The primary focus of Erimar von der Osten's research at the Center is international agriculture and trade. After completing his legal studies in Germany and graduating with honors from the University of Saarland, Saarbrücken, Erimar worked for a New York law firm, headed the legal and compliance department of a securities industry firm, became a Member of the NYSE, and managed a Wall Street Broker Dealer and Futures Commission Merchant operation. In Frankfurt, Germany, he was appointed to the executive board of a German bank, supervised offices throughout Europe and in the U.S., and was instrumental in the building and financing of several German software companies. Erimar established the first general clearing firm of the German Agricultural Futures Exchange in Hannover, advocated agricultural market participants in Europe to strengthen their risk management systems in anticipation of Basel II, and established a joint venture operation with a federated agricultural cooperative. He has addressed these topics, inter alia, as a speaker at the German Bankenforum organized by the European Business School, where he became a curator of the Endowed Chair of Corporate Finance and Capital Markets. As an executive board member of a German agricultural association, Erimar pursues private property issues in East-Germany and covers these issues in editorials (e.g., WSJ-Europe). In 2006 he was the recipient of the Leland Leatherman endowment that honors academic scholarship in the area of agricultural cooperative studies.
Marne Coit, M.S.E.L., J.D., LL.M.
Research Fellow
(479) 575-4296
mcoit@uark.edu
Marne Coit graduated from Emory University with a B.A. in Anthropology and Human and Natural Ecology. During her time in Atlanta she was introduced to the ideas of therapeutic and community gardens and went on to apprentice at two small organic farms in the Northeast. Her continuing interest in food and agriculture led her to study environmental law at Vermont Law School, where she received both her J.D. and her Master's of Studies in Environmental Law cum laude. During law school Marne clerked at the Center for Food Safety in Washington, D.C. and following law school, she clerked for Attorney Annette Higby, a practitioner of agricultural law in Randolph, Vermont. She also contributed to the SARE-funded publication "A Legal Guide to the Business of Farming in Vermont." Marne continued her studies in agriculture and food law at the University of Arkansas, where she earned her LL.M. in Agricultural Law. As a graduate student, Marne wrote an article on the topic of local food. She also worked as a graduate assistant at the National Agricultural Law Center. Her work for the Center included the areas of the National Organic Program, biotechnology and food policy councils. Her current areas of focus at the Center are food policy councils, sustainable agriculture, agritourism, and other areas of food law. Marne is licensed to practice law in the state of Vermont.
Sally J. Kelley, B.A., M.A.T., M.A.
Research Professor, Librarian
(479) 575-7647
skelley@uark.edu
Sally J. Kelley, Center Librarian since its inception in 1988 and Research Professor, holds a B.A. and M.A.T. from Indiana University and an M.A. in Library Science from the University of Chicago. She provides reference service for the Center attorneys and those requesting information through the Center. She created the Center web site in 1995 and developed its agricultural law portal. She continues to manage the web library, which combines the portal with bibliographies and other research aids which she prepares. She also coordinates the Center's participation in the AgNIC network and performs agricultural law collection development. Sally is recognized for her expertise in conducting Internet legal research and has given numerous presentations on this subject. Her articles on Internet legal research have appeared in such periodicals as the Internet Lawyer and Perspectives: Teaching Legal Research and Writing. Other publications include bibliographies on agricultural and environmental law.
Ann B. Winfred
Publicity Director
(479) 575-7646
awinfred@uark.edu
Ann Winfred has many years' experience as a certified Paralegal Assistant and as the manager of a large court reporting firm. She served as assistant to the Director of the American Agricultural Law Association for two years while that association was housed at the University of Arkansas and was instrumental in organizing the successful AALA 2001 Annual Educational Conference in Colorado Springs and in creating the AALA Membership Directory. When the AALA relocated, Ann’s talents in publication and editing earned her a promotion to the position of Publicity and Information Specialist for the Center. Ms. Winfred was the spearhead in the design and building of the Center’s Web site and is responsible for designing and implementing new additions and substantive changes. She edits, formats, and publicizes all Center publications; posts all material to the Web site; prepares Web and print editions of the Center’s annual report; writes and issues press releases and announcements; maintains the calendar of Center events, attorney publications and presentations; administers the Center’s listserv; and manages the day-to-day business of the Center.
Irina Feofanova, Specialist in Law*
Irina Feofanova was born and raised in Novgorod Velikiy, Russia. She began studying law in the Social Sciences and Law Department of the First Novgorod Gymnasia in 1997. She graduated with honors from the Yaroslav-the-Wise Novgorod State University Law School in 2007 with the supplementary specialization of Interpreter in Professional Communication. She attended the Winter Academy organized by the Center for European Security Studies (at INION RAN, Moscow) with the support of the NATO Information Office in Moscow in February 2004; the St. Petersburg Summer Law Program, organized by the School of Law Cleveland State University and the University of Arkansas in cooperation with the St. Petersburg State Educational Center in 2004 and 2005; and the CIRP Summer School "Wider Europe Without Dividing Lines" in July 2005. She was a Visiting Scholar in the University of Arkansas School of Law in 2005-2006 academic year, taking classes of International Public Law, Intellectual Property, Contracts, Law & Internet, and WTO & NAFTA. She was a member of the Yaroslav-the-Wise Novgorod State University team in the Jessup Moot Court Competition National Rounds held in Moscow in 2004, 2005 and 2007. During her last school year Irina worked as a part-time attorney in a construction firm in Novgorod Velikiy, dealing with different Russian contracts issues and representing the firm at trials. Irina's special focus is international law issues. She is an LL.M. candidate in the Graduate Program in Agricultural Law.
*Specialist in Law is the Russian equivalent of the J.D. degree.
Paul Goeringer, B.S., J.D.
Paul Goeringer was raised on his family's farm in the small town of Bessie, Oklahoma (population 194), a suburb of Cordell, Oklahoma (population 2,908). Upon graduation from Cordell High School, Paul attended Oklahoma State University where he majored in Agricultural Economics. After graduation from OSU in 2004, Paul was selected by the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources to serve as the Frank D. Lucas Scholar in Washington DC, where he spent the summer working on agricultural issues and constituency services for the Honorable Frank D. Lucas of Oklahoma and trying to figure out mass transit. After returning home from DC, he began law school at Oklahoma City University School of Law and became active in the Agricultural Law club. During his third year of law school, Paul transferred to the University of Oklahoma's College of Law and graduated with honors in May of 2007. He also worked for Johnston & Associates in Chickasha, OK during his third year of law school. Paul is licensed to practice law in the state of Oklahoma and is an LL.M. candidate in the Graduate Program in Agricultural Law.
Cara McCarthy, B.S., J.D.
Cara McCarthy graduated from Michigan State University with a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies in Social Science - Environmental Policy. Upon graduation, she was an AmeriCorps Member for two years working with at-risk youth through 4-H and Girl Scouts. She also served on the Board of Directors for the Great Lakes Bioregional Land Conservancy and the Pleasant Lake Improvement Association, as well as volunteering at two farms that follow the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) model, Three Roods Farm CSA and Growing In Place Community Farm. She received her J.D. from Wayne State University Law School in 2007. While in law school, she served as Vice President of the Environmental Law Society and completed two courses as a summer student at Vermont Law School. She also clerked for the Children and Youth Services Division of the Michigan Attorney General's Office throughout her second and third years of law school. Cara spent the summer of 2007 in Washington, DC as a Legislative Fellow in the office of U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow where she worked on the 2007 Farm Bill. She is an LL.M. candidate in the Graduate Program in Agricultural Law.
Shannon Mirus, B.S.A., J.D.
Shannon Mirus graduated magna cum laude from the University of Arkansas, Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food & Life Sciences with a with a B.S.A. degree in Agricultural Business, emphasizing in marketing and management. As an undergraduate, Shannon served as a Bumpers College Ambassador and won the Outstanding Senior Award in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agri-Business. She graduated cum laude from the University of Arkansas School of Law in 2007. During law school, Shannon served as the Articles Editor for The Journal of Food Law & Policy and worked as a research assistant on projects involving risk management, minority farmers and legal issues in agriculture. She also served as the Secretary of the Board of Directors for the newly-formed Arkansas Women in Agriculture, Inc. Shannon is licensed to practice law in the state of Arkansas and is an LL.M. candidate in the Graduate Program in Agricultural Law.
Rusty W. Rumley, B.S., J.D.
Rusty Rumley was born and raised on the family farm in Cogar, Oklahoma. He graduated magna cum laude from Oklahoma State University in 2004 with a B.S. in AgriBusiness and in 2007 received his J.D. from the University of Oklahoma. While attending the University of Oklahoma he was a member of the American Indian Law Review and worked part-time for Oklahoma Farm Bureau Legal Foundation. Rusty is currently attending the LL.M program in Agricultural Law at the University of Arkansas and working as a graduate assistant for the National Agricultural Law Center. His primary areas of interest are in estate planning and taxation. He is an LL.M. candidate in the Graduate Program in Agricultural Law.
Elizabeth Springsteen B.A., J.D.
Beth Springsteen was raised on a small farm in Ida, Michigan and attended Michigan State University where she was an active competitor, president, and captain of the Mock Trial team that participated in competitions across the Midwest. She also interned in the chambers of Magistrate Judge Virginia M. Morgan, United States District Court, Eastern District of Michigan. After graduating from MSU in 2004, Beth returned home and commuted to law school at the University of Toledo, located just across the state line in Ohio. While in law school, she volunteered as a coach of the Ida High School Mock Trial Team and continued to assist with the MSU team. In addition, she interned at the Michigan prosecutor's offices of Monroe and Lenawee counties, with the United States Attorney's Office in Toledo, and for the Honorable David A. Katz of the Northern District of Ohio. Since May of 2005, she has been employed by the Toledo law firm of Cosme, D'Angelo and Szollosi. Beth graduated cum laude from the University of Toledo in spring, 2007, and took the Ohio bar exam in July. She is an LL.M. candidate in the Graduate Program in Agricultural Law.
K. C. Tucker, B.A., J.D.
K.C. Tucker grew up in Bentonville, Arkansas and graduated from the University of Arkansas School of Law in May 2007, receiving the Dean's Award as the graduate who made the greatest contribution through service to the law school community. She was selected as one of the first corporate legal externs through Wal-Mart's partnership with the University of Arkansas School of Law and worked for a year with their International Legal Department. While in school, K.C. was the President of both the Women's Law Student Association and the H.L.A. Hart Society. Before returning to law school, K.C. completed a double major in Political Science and Theatre from Colorado College and worked with multiple not-for-profit organizations in Seattle, Washington. K.C. recently accepted an associate position with the Bassett Law Firm in Fayetteville, Arkansas. She is an LL.M. candidate in the Graduate Program in Agricultural Law.
Jennifer Fiser, B.S., M.S.
Research Associate
Jennifer Fiser graduated from the University of Arkansas in 2000 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a minor in Environmental Science. She received her Master's degree in Agronomy from Purdue University. While in graduate school, her research focused on the monitoring of E. coli in the environment. Jennifer worked as a research technician in Purdue University's Food Science Department before beginning law school. During law school, she has been on the Dean's List each semester and currently serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Food Law and Policy. Jennifer assumes a variety of tasks at the Center, including extensive legal research, editing of Center research publications and case summaries, and maintenance of Center web site content. In addition to her current role with the Center, Jennifer served as a Research Associate for the Center in the summer of 2006 focusing primarily on conducting research, writing, and constructing the Agritourism Reading Room.
Kaycee Wolf
Research Associate
Kaycee Wolf graduated magna cum laude from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and a minor in History. While in law school Kaycee has made the Dean's list every semester and is a member of Phi Delta Phi. She is the recipient of the Arent Fox/Dale Bumpers Excellence in Writing Award for her article entitled, ,Beetles for Breakfast: What the FDA Should Be Telling You , and was a quarter-finalist in the Ben J. Altheimer Spring Moot Court Competition. Kaycee is a member of the 2007-2008 Board of Advocates and serves as co-chair of the Ben J. Altheimer Spring Moot Court Competition. In 2007, she clerked for the Arkansas Attorney General's Office in the Public Protections Division and for Cross Gunter Witherspoon & Galchus, P.C. When not studying the law, Kaycee enjoys singing and music, reading, and spending time with her friends and family.