Issues

Loquitur, Vermont Law Alumni Magazine Wins Case Award

According to CASE, an international nonprofit association of educational institutions, “winning programs epitomize the profession’s best practices, raise standards and contribute to a growing body of knowledge.”

“Good Food”, recognized in the “Special Issues” category, represents a shift in Loquitur’s editorial direction. Much like Vermont Law and Graduate School’s maxim “law for the community and the world,” the publication has been re-envisioned to reach a broader audience. It’s a magazine for newsstands and coffee tables, and the stories featured in “Good Food” speak to foodies, farmers and farm-to-table advocates, no matter their alma mater.

The locavore movement is yielding a crop of new jobs, some requiring legal expertise. Loquitur editors were inspired by these emerging opportunities. Milk, jam, liquor, sausages and salami—and the people who bring them to market—figure prominently in “Good Food,” as do the lawyers who guide local food producers.

“There’s no way I could actually make the food—that’s just not who I am,” Will Duane ’15, a law student who works for Caledonia Spirits, told Loquitur. “But if I can help Vermont food producers navigate the legal landscape to accomplish their mission? That sounds pretty good to me.”

Duane is one of several food-minded law students and lawyers profiled in the issue, which also showcases Vermont as the epicenter of food systems education.

Vermont Law and Graduate School’s Center for Agriculture and Food Systems (CAFS), “a place where students can get their hands dirty” on their mission to improve the way the U.S. grows and distributes food, features prominently in the magazine. CAFS is led by Professor Laurie Ristino, former senior counsel with the Office of the General Counsel, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in Washington, D.C. 

“Vermont Law and Graduate School students and alumni are leaders in sustainable food and agriculture policy and law,” Ristino said. “And Vermont is an ideal place to train students to think innovatively about the solutions needed to build healthier food systems for people and the planet.”

“Good Food” isn’t all about small, local producers, however. “Big Bacon,” the magazine’s feature on the chief environmental counsel for the National Pork Producers Council, Michael Formica ’98, speaks to the “bad rap that large-scale farming has taken” in recent years. And another piece, “Turning the Tide,” highlights the commitment of chain restaurants like Red Lobster to advance seafood sustainability through a partnership with the Conservation Programs at New England Aquarium.

The “Good Food” issue aside, Loquitur is a place to catch up on global issues, framed by Vermont Law alumni and faculty who focus on those issues as part of their life’s work.

“We’re proud of the CASE award and the magazine, but more importantly we’re proud of our alumni, faculty, and students who demonstrate such passion in their work, whether their cause is food and farms, the environment, human rights, or criminal justice,” said Ariel Alberti Wiegard, co-editor of Loquitur and director of development and alumni relations at Vermont Law and Graduate School. “We look forward to sharing their stories in future issues.”

The next issue of Loquitur is scheduled for publication later this month. For more information about the magazine, including downloading “Good Food” and other issues, visit the Loquitur Magazine homepage.