Katharine Traylor Schaffzin

Assistant Professor of Law
schaffzin@law.und.edu

Professor Traylor Schaffzin joins the faculty of UND School of Law after serving for two years as an Honorable Abraham L. Freedman Fellow and Lecturer in Law at Temple University Beasley School of Law in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.Prior to her service as a Fellow, Professor Traylor Schaffzin served Judge James Knoll Gardner of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania as his law clerk. Before her clerkship, she practiced in the area of construction litigation at Mazur, Carp & Rubin, P.C., in New York, New York, and at Pepper Hamilton LLP in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

While serving as a Fellow at Temple, Professor Traylor Schaffzin also earned her LLM in Legal Education. She received her J.D. from Temple in 2000 and her B.A. from LaSalle University, also in Philadelphia, in 1997.

Professor Traylor Schaffzin teaches Professional Responsibility and Trial Advocacy. She focuses her research on the intersection of evidence, civil procedure, and professional responsibility.

EDUCATION
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
TEACHING & RESEARCH INTERESTS
PUBLICATIONS
LEGAL EXPERIENCE
BAR MEMBERSHIP
COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES

EDUCATION

Temple University Beasley School of Law, Philadelphia, PA
LL.M. in Legal Education received May 2006
Honorable Abraham L. Freedman Fellowship
J.D. received May 2000

Temple Law Review:

• Associate Managing, Articles, Research Editor (1999-2000): Performed the duties of a managing editor, articles editor, and research editor, including editing and managing articles submitted by staff members for publication, reviewing articles submitted by outside authors for publication, and incorporating cite-checks into galleys.
• Staff Member (1998-1999)
  Temple University Scholarship Recipient (full tuition merit scholarship)
  Dean's List
  Barrister's Award Winner for Excellence in Trial Advocacy

LaSalle University, Philadelphia, PA
B.A., magna cum laude, received May 1997
Major: Political Science
Minor: French
General University Honors (for satisfactory completion of the Honors Program)
Christian Brothers Scholarship Recipient (full tuition merit scholarship)
Dean's List
Study Abroad Program: Paris, France (September-December 1996)

Chestnut Hill College, Philadelphia, PA
Diocesan Scholar, September 1992-May 1993 (full tuition merit scholarship)
Earned twelve credits by attending liberal arts classes as a high school senior.

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

University of North Dakota School of Law, Grand Forks, ND
Assistant Professor of Law, July 2006-present
Courses Taught:

• Professional Responsibility
• Trial Advocacy (Spring 2007)
• Constitutional Law II (Spring 2007)

Temple University Beasley School of Law, Philadelphia, PA
Honorable Abraham L. Freedman Fellow & Lecturer in Law, July 2004-May 2006
Courses Taught:

• Professional Responsibility
• Legal Research & Writing, a graded, two-semester course
• Contracts I (in collaboration with Professor William Woodward, Jr.)
• Civil Procedure II (in collaboration with Professor Anthony Bocchino)
• Evidence (in collaboration with Professor Louis Natali)

TEACHING & RESEARCH INTERESTS

Evidence, Professional Responsibility, Trial Advocacy, Civil Procedure, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Contracts, Remedies, Legal Methods, Federal Courts, Constitutional Law, & Criminal Justice

PUBLICATIONS

An Uncertain Privilege: Why the Common Interest Doctrine Does Not Work and How Uniformity Can Fix It, 15 B.U. PUB. INT. L.J. 49 (2005).

Note, A Reexamination of the Evidentiary Weight of Adverse Inferences Drawn from an Employee's Invocation of His Fifth Amendment Silence, 73 TEMP. L. REV. 379 (2000).

LEGAL EXPERIENCE

Chambers of the Honorable James Knoll Gardner, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Allentown, PA
Law Clerk, January 2003 - July 2004
Performed legal research and drafted bench memoranda, orders, and opinions concerning a variety of federal and state issues, both civil and criminal.Made recommendations to and deliberated with the Judge regarding jurisdictional, discovery, and evidentiary disputes, as well as the disposition of motions, bench trials, sentencing, and other matters.

Mazur, Carp & Rubin, P.C., New York, NY
Litigation Associate, Construction Practice Group, April 2002-January 2003

Represented owners, contractors, and sub-contractors as plaintiffs and defendants in contract litigation, arbitration, mediation, and contract negotiation.Attended oral arguments, mediations, depositions, and settlement negotiations.Acted as second chair in state courts.Performed legal research, managed discovery, and drafted memoranda, motions, briefs, construction contracts, and surety bonds.

Pepper Hamilton LLP, Philadelphia, PA
Litigation Associate, Construction Practice Group, September 2000-March 2002

Represented owners, contractors, and sub-contractors in federal and state contract litigation and arbitration.Also represented defendants in products liability and commercial litigation.Performed legal research, managed discovery, and drafted memoranda, motions, and briefs.Successfully moved state court to enter summary judgment in defendant's favor in $30 million construction dispute.Represented indigent property owner in pro bono premises liability matter from case inception through arbitration.
Summer Associate , Summer 1999
Conducted research and drafted memoranda for various practice groups.

BAR MEMBERSHIP

Admitted in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York

COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES

Franklin Learning Center High School, Philadelphia, PA
Coach, Finalists in John S. Bradway High School Mock Trial Competition,
October 2001-April 2006
Instruct high school students on the rules of evidence and techniques in trial advocacy.

Smith Memorial Playground & Playhouse, Philadelphia, PA
Member, Construction Committee, September 2004-present
Member, Board of Directors, October 2005-present
Advise members of the Construction Committee and the Board of Directors on legal matters concerning the ongoing rehabilitative construction of the playground and playhouse.Review and revise construction contracts between the Playground and contractors.