CURRICULUM VITAE OF MARIA STALZER WYANT CUZZO

ADDRESSES:      Assistant Professor of Legal Studies

                             University of Wisconsin-Superior

                             Department of History, Politics & Society

                             Sundquist 335

                             Superior, WI 54880

                             (715) 394-8482

                             E-mail: mcuzzo@staff.uwsuper.edu

                             Home:   5830 London Road

                             Duluth, MN  55804

                             Phone:  (218) 525-5636

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS:

• 1987-1995  Ph.D. Doctorate in Department of Political Science, University of      Minnesota concentrating in American Government with emphasis in Constitutional Law, American National Institutions, and Judicial Process and Political Theory; Doctor of Philosophy awarded May 1995

Scholarly Performance:  G.P.A.:  3.88 on 4.0 scale; German proficiency; Legal research proficiency

Dissertation:  "A Habermasian Critique of the Adversarial Assumption and Operation of the American Legal System" 

Honors:  Vernie Wolfsberg Memorial Fellowship (three years); recipient American Bar Association Award to attend Law and Society Convention in Chicago, 1989; Departmental Honors for Outstanding Dissertation In Political Theory for Leo Strauss APSA Dissertation Award

• 1981-1984  Juris Doctorate (J.D.) Cum Laude, University of Minnesota Law School; G.P.A.: 13.375 on 16 point scale (Top Quartile)

Honors:  Dean's List, National Award Winner in Legal Journalism for QUAERE newspaper article on Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines, Invited member of National Moot Court Competition Team to represent University of Minnesota Law School in national contest

Activities:  QUAERE staff member, National Moot Court, Legal Writing and Research Instructor (2 years), Legal Tutor for foreign exchange students, Legal Aid to Minnesota Prisoners Clinic, Certified LEXIS and WESTLAW researcher, Misdemeanor Prosecution Clinic

Service:  Appointed Student Representative to Faculty Hiring Committee, Public Relations Chair--Minnesota Justice Foundation, Placement Committee, B.R.C. Sales Representative

• 1978-1981               Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Magna Cum Laude from Augustana College, Sioux Falls, South Dakota;  major in Political Science with minors in History and Religion; G.P.A.: 3.79 on 4.0 scale;  Political Science Major G.P.A.:  4.0 on 4.0 scale

Honors:  Augustana Honor Society (top 5% of class), Regent's Scholar, Dean's List, Truman Scholar nominee, Pi Sigma Alpha (Political Science Honor Society), Eta Chi (History Honor Society), Randy Jackson Pre-Law Memorial Scholarship, National Fellow - Center for the Study of the Presidency, Top Eight Freshman National Debater

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY:

• 1994-present  Assistant Professor of Legal Studies/Senior Lecturer/Lecturer, Legal Studies and Political Science, Department of History, Politics and Society, University of Wisconsin - Superior; tenure-track faculty in Legal Studies since 8/24/98

Teaching Competence and Commitments: Introduction to Legal Studies, Legal Rhetoric and Argumentation, Jurisprudence, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Family Law Mediation, Environmental Law and Regulation, Contemporary Legal Thought, Legislation and Legal Process, Constitutional Law I & II; History of Political Thought (advanced course); Anatomy of a Trial (Mock Trial course); Legal History & Literature; Contemporary Issues in Law & Society; Race, Class, Law & Politics; Introduction to American Government

Honors:  UW-Superior and UW-Superior Honor Society Teacher of Excellence Award for outstanding teaching, 1997-1998; Invited to Wisconsin Teaching Fellows Program, 2000-2001 (declined due to health); Invited UTIC Team Member for Teaching Fellowship, 1999

• 1997-present Mediator, Douglas County Court Commissioner's Office, Superior, WI.

Training and Professional Competence: court-recognized in Wisconsin-45 hours of basic and advanced divorce mediation training, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1996; qualified neutral for family law and civil law mediation, "Advanced Mediation Issues" through Minnesota State Bar CLE Program and Hamline Dispute Resolution Institute, 1997; continuing education through "Emerging Issues in Mediation" conference, University of Wisconsin-Madison and Wisconsin Association of Mediators (WAM), 1996, 1997;

 

Professional Honors: Named outstanding Young Mediator in Wisconsin Association of Mediators with the Virnig Scholarship at WAM Annual Meeting, 1997; Nominee for the Public Service Category of the Bresnan Prism Award For Outstanding Community Service by Women in Northland Region

Teaching/Training Experience:  Minnesota Rule 114 Qualified Neutral Approved Trainer for Domestic Abuse, Elimination of Bias, Civil Law Mediation, Family Law Facilitative Mediation.  Family Law Facilitative Mediation and Domestic Abuse course offered through UW-Superior Continuing Education and Extension satisfy Wisconsin 25 training requirement.  Other courses taught: Tribal Mediation

• 1989-1996 Assistant Professor, Lecturer, and Teaching Specialist, Department of Political Science, University of Minnesota- Duluth

Teaching Competence and Commitments: American Politics; Judicial Process; Constitutional Law; Critical Legal Studies; Environmental Politics; Political Psychology; Introduction to Political Theory; Politics and Society; Political Ideologies; Classical, Early Modern and Recent Political Thought; Thought of Thomas Hobbes

Professional Honors and Awards: Recipient of the 1992-1993 CLA Outstanding Teaching Award (non-tenure track faculty);  Recipient of 1993 Distinguished Teaching Award for Continuing Education and Extension for the University of Minnesota;  Recipient of 1992-1993 Outstanding Faculty Award by the UMD Student Awards Committee

• 1987-1990  Teaching/Research Assistantships, Department of Political Science, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities while a Ph.D. candidate in Political Science

Teaching Assistant/Research Commitments:

1)      Teaching Assistant for American Politics and Government with Professor

         Steve Smith for three quarters

2)      Introduction to Political Theory with Teaching Specialist Dana Chabot

3)      Comparative Legal Systems with Professor Samuel Krislov

4)      Money and Politics with Professor Frank Sorauf

5)      International Relations with Teaching Specialist Cindy Kite

6)      Research Assistant for Constitutional Law textbook with Professor

         Samuel Krislov

• 1984-1989 Associate Attorney, WEIBY, MAKI, DURST, LEDIN & BICK, S.C., Superior, Wisconsin; fulltime private practice of law specializing in appellate practice, general litigation and family law from 1984-1987; Of Counsel Attorney specializing in appellate law and practice from 1987-1989

• 1986  Instructor, University of Wisconsin-Superior, Department of Humanities and Social Science; Taught upper division Civil Procedure class in Paralegal Program

• 1982-1984 Legal Research and Writing Instructor, University of Minnesota Law School; Position available to law students by professor invitation only; Taught theory, techniques and methods of legal research and writing to first year law students

• 1981-1984 Various Clerkships and Internships while in Law School including O'CONNOR and HANNAN in Minneapolis, Minnesota (a large, multi-city private practice firm), OFFICE OF THE PUBLIC DEFENDER in Brainerd, Minnesota (criminal defense work) and Clerk for the NINTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT in Brainerd, Minnesota (trial court research and legal reasoning)

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE ACTIVITIES:

• Coordinated and recruited student/graduate/faculty team to attend first ever Faculty/Student Symposium at Ninth Annual Emerging Issues in Mediation Conference, Madison, WI, November 1-3, 2000

• Invited Member, Task Force to Enhance Communications Between American Political Science Association Law and Courts scholars and Law and Society scholars, 2000

• Supported student team to attend LSDAS Conference on Law Schools, Chicago, IL, Fall 2000

• Presentation, UW-Superior, "Current Status of Conflict Resolution at UW-Superior:  Summary Report of Chancellor's Mediation Task Force," August 2000

• Co-organizer of Restorative Justice Gatherings for northern Wisconsin and northern Minnesota, August and October 2000

• Guest Lecturer, Dr. Hal Bertilson's Women and Psychology class, "Women and Work," April 2000

• Guest Lecturer, Dr. George Wright's Constitutional Law II class, "Freedom of Religion," April 2000

• Presenter, Dean's Colloquia Series Spring 2000 with Dr. George Wright-a series of three conversations entitled "The Past, Present and Future of Law," March-April 2000

• Douglas County Restorative Justice Initiative (DCRJI), co-founder, 2000

• Presenter, UTIC Teaching Roundtable, "Epistemology and UW-Superior Students", March 2000

• Guest Lecturer, Professor Sandra Woerle's Juvenile Delinquency Class, "Restorative Justice and Juveniles," University of New Mexico, March 2000

• Member, Chancellor's Task Force on Mediation and Conflict Resolution, 1999-2000

• Organized Dean Vincent Thomas, Hamline University School of Law, Visit to UW-Superior Legal Studies, October 13, 1999; October 13, 2000

• Co-organizer of Law Day'99 on Social Justice-a regional event to offer public interaction and discussion on contemporary issues of law and social justice, May 1999

• Informal Campus Mediator and Conflict Resolver with Human Resource office at UW-Superior

• Co-organizer of the Legal Resource Center, a sub-collection of the Jim Dan Hill Library at UW-Superior, negotiated donation of Douglas County Law Library materials to UW-Superior, 1998

• Guest lectured in Mary Pulford's Environmental Anthropology course on Environmental Law and Policy, December 1998; guest lectured in Dr. Khalil Dokhanchi's International Peace Studies Mediation course, January 1999; guest lectured in Dr. Hal Bertilson's Psychology of Women course, March 1999

• Organized Wisconsin Supreme Court Visit to UW-Superior, Fall 1998

• Co-organizing Spring Conference on "Colonization in Modern Society" to be held March 2001 at either UMD or UW-Superior

• Editorial Board, Wisconsin Association of Mediators (WAM) Newsletter, 1998

• State of Minnesota Qualified Neutral (Mediator) under Rule 114 of Minnesota Rules, 1997 to present (over 180 hours of training and education)

• Co-presenter on current legal issues for the American Counseling Association (ACA) conference on Law and the Counseling Practice: national videoconference seminar; University of Wisconsin-Superior, Fall 1996, 1997

• Department member of Strategic Planning Team for Department of History, Politics and Society, 1997-98

• Creator and organizer, First Annual UWS Paralegal-Lawyer Conference, ALawyers, Paralegals and Legal Practice: Challenges and Opportunities,@ December 1996 (see attached brochure)

• State of Wisconsin Court Certified Mediator, University of Wisconsin-Extension Training Program, December 1996

• Co-creator and organizer, Law Day >96, Law Day >97 and Law Day '98, community events involving 2-3 days of activities with distinguished justices of the Wisconsin and Minnesota state supreme courts and noted legal scholars; obtained $2500 grant

• Faculty Advisor and Co-Creator of The Academy, the Political Science Student Association at UWS, 1994-present; Faculty Advisor of UWS Mock Trial Competition Team, 1994-present; co-creator, International Court of Justice Competition in conjunction with Model United Nations, UWS, 1996

• Assistant Coach for Collegiate Mock Trial programs at UWS and UMD

• Advisory Committee member to Dean's Committee to develop Environmental Studies major at University of Minnesota - Duluth

• Provide informal counseling and advising to students regarding pre-law program;        provide advice regarding law school applications, letters of recommendation and         drafting of personal statements for law school

• Organized departmental/student gatherings

• Advisor for Amnesty International at the University of Minnesota - Duluth, 1991-       1992

• Assisted in revising Department of Political Science Honors Program and prepared    publicity for Honors Program

• Assisted in drafting and organizing $6,000 grant proposal (which was funded) for       Critical Theory speaker series planned for Fall 1994

• Supervised various Independent Study projects involving Labor Relations and the       National Labor Relations Board (honors project), the Fourth Amendment Search and Seizure rules, Psychological Evaluation of the Media's Treatment of various World War II Political Leaders, Lesbian Feminist Political Theory, and Hobbes and Nozick:  Minimalist Politics (honors project)

• Reviewer, Southwestern Journal of Political Science and American Political Science Review

• Reviewer, Gender, Place and Culture:  A Journal of Feminist Geography

• Reviewed one chapter of Richard Hudelson's new book, forthcoming

• Substantive Content Editor, Kay Pranis and Barry Stuart's new book, Peacemaking Circles: Using Conflict as an Opportunity to Build Community, forthcoming 2002

PAPERS, PRESENTATIONS AND TALKS:

Paper Proposed, NCPCR National Peacemaking Conference, June 2001, Fairfax, VA (anticipated notice of acceptance in December 2000), "Keepers of the Breach:  Ten Principles for White Allies in a Multicultural World," and co-authored workshop with Nancy Merrill and Gary Johnson (Indian Studies) on "Tribal Mediation:  New Directions"

Conference Workshop and Paper Presentation, "Restorative Justice and Civil Mediation: Comparisons and Contrasts in Theories and Practices," Wisconsin Association of Mediators Ninth Annual Emerging Issues in Mediation Conference, Madison, WI, November 1-3, 2000

Presentation, "Restorative Justice: Paradigms and Practices," Restorative Justice Regional Gathering, October 20, 2000, UW-Superior

Presentation, "Legal Studies and Foundation Fellowships," UW-Superior Foundation and Alumni Annual Meeting, October 13, 2000, UW-Superior

Panel Discussion, VOTE 2000 and Multicultural Affairs Office, UW-Superior, "Racial Profiling and Hate Crimes Within the Twin Ports and Wisconsin," October 11, 2000, RSC 112, UW-Superior, Superior, WI

Presentation, MPA (Minnesota Paralegal Association-Duluth Chapter), October 10, 2000, "The Current State of Paralegal Education," Duluth, MN

Presentation, "Douglas County Restorative Justice Project: Plans and Vision," Restorative Justice Gathering, August 10, 2000, UW-Superior, Superior, WI

Presentation, PLAN (Paralegal Association of Duluth-Superior) Meeting, January 7, 2000, Duluth, MN, "The Meaning of Paralegalism in Today's Legal Environment"

Summary Comments, Symposium and Conference on Transformational Mediation:  Moving to the Next Level, Hamline University School of Law, St. Paul, Minnesota, October 13-16, 1999

Paper, Law and Society Association Annual Meeting, Chicago, Illinois, May 27-30, 1999, co-authored paper with Dr. Steve Chilton (UM-Duluth) "The Two Moments of Habermas: How It Affects Legal Practice and Mediation"

Paper, Law and Society Association Annual Meeting, Chicago, llinois, May

27-30, 1999, "Mediation's Muse: How Habermasian Communicative Action Theory Can Re-define and Strengthen American Mediation Practice."

Paper, American Political Science Association Annual Meeting, Atlanta, Georgia, August 1999, co-authored paper with Dr. Stephen Chilton, "Discourse Ethics, Mediation and Litigation: The Two Moments of Discourse Ethics As a Framework for Practice"

Presentation at A Day Set Aside for Women, "The Struggle and the Search for Inner Peace," Duluth, MN, April 24, 1999

Presentation of co-authored paper with Dr. Steve Chilton,  "The Two Moments View of Mediation and the Legal System," First Reading XIX, April 30, 1999, University of Minnesota-Duluth Department of Philosophy and Environmental Studies, Duluth, MN

Multi-media Presentation in International Studies Forum on "Gottschee:  A Homeland Lost Through Slovenian-German Ethnic Division," April 1999

Paper in Vice Chancellor's Colloquim, UW-Superior on January 28, 1999:  "Mediation's Muse:  Can Habermas Help U.S. Mediation Become More Theoretically Sound?"  Danielson Alumni Room

Paper, "Mediation, Litigation and Communicative Action: A New Paradigm for Dispute Resolution in American Civil Law,@  Judicial Politics and Public Law Section, Midwest Political Science Association, April 1997, Chicago, Illinois

Paper, "Litigation and Mediation: How Habermas= Communicative Action Theory Informs Litigation and Transforms Mediation,@  Southwestern Political Science Association, April 1997, New Orleans, Louisiana

Presentation, "Power Legal Writing for Lawyers and Paralegals,@ Conference

 

Presenter, First Annual Paralegal Conference, University of Wisconsin-Superior, December 1996, Superior, Wisconsin

Presentation, "The Role of Organizational Mediation in Higher Education,@ WCWC Conference at University of Wisconsin-Superior for UW-System Administrators, November 1996, Superior, Wisconsin

Paper, "Litigation, Legal Settlement & Mediation: Comparisons and Contrasts on the Road to an Empowered Alternative,@ Presentation to Counselor Education program, University of Wisconsin-Superior, November 1996, Superior, Wisconsin

Paper, "To Battle or to Mediate: The Challenge of American Civil Dispute

Resolution," paper presented in the Dean's Colloquia series, University of Minnesota Duluth, February 1996

Presentation, "Habermas' Consensus Theory of Truth," talk presented for the Vice Chancellor's Colloquim Series on Truth, University of Wisconsin-Superior, January 1996, Superior, Wisconsin

Chair, American Trial Courts panel at the Southern Political Science Association convention, November 1995, Tampa, Florida

Paper, "Habermas' Communicative Action Theory and the Adversarial Assumption of Civil Litigation," American Political Science Association annual meeting, August 1995, Chicago, Illinois

"Conflict or Cooperation:  The Challenge of Dispute Resolution,"  Colloquim

presented at University of Wisconsin-Superior, Vice Chancellor's series on Conflict, April 1995, Superior, Wisconsin

Seminar, "Science and Politics:  The Uneasy Liaison in Environmental Politics,"  Natural Resources and Research Institute (NRRI) scientists and staff members, January 1994, Duluth, Minnesota

Seminar, "Environmental Ideologies:  Conflict or Cooperation?"  Natural Resources and Research Institute (NRRI) scientists and staff members, October 1993, Duluth, Minnesota

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS:

American Political Science Association (APSA)

• Honored for 1993 Teaching Awards at 1993 Annual Convention of APSA in Washington, D.C. and in December 1993 PS: Political Science and Politics journal

• Member, Transformational Politics Section, Law and Court Section

Southern Political Science Association

 

Midwest Political Science Association

 

Wisconsin Political Science Association

 

Wisconsin State Bar Association

 

Douglas County Bar Association (Former)

• Appointed to committee to review Family Court practices in Douglas County Circuit Court, 1986

• Appointed to committee to study mediation as a viable alternative to civil litigation, 1985

Law and Society Association

 

Wisconsin Association of Mediators (WAM)

 

Minnesota Association of Mediators (MAM)

 

Society of Professionals in Dispute Resolution, SPIDR

PUBLICATIONS IN PROGRESS:

The Legal Studies Reader: A Conversation and Readings About Law, forthcoming in Fall 2001 from Peter Lang Publishing, New York, co-authored with Dr. George Wright, Political Science (UW-Superior)

 

Book Review on Maggie O'Neill (editor) book entitled Adorno, Culture and Feminism contained in Gender, Place and Culture: A Journal of Feminist Geography, forthcoming in 2001

 

Chapter within Stephen Chilton new book The Two Moments of Discourse Ethics, "Habermas and Mediation: A Natural Fit of Theory and Practice," forthcoming in 2001

 

To Battle or To Mediate: Critical Theory and American Dispute Resolution, book manuscript being revised; plan to submit for review to Humanities Press in 2001

 

 "Sarcasm in Mediation: The Sword, the Shield and the Feint of Verbal Fencing in Conflict Resolution," co-authored with Tracy Schramm (Hamline University School of Law), forthcoming in Hamline Journal of Law and Public Policy, Spring 2001

 

"Restorative Justice and Civil Law Mediation:  Similarities and Differences in Theory and Practice," paper under revision; will be submitted to Mediation Quarterly

 

"Transformative Mediation at the Crossroads, in the Crossfire and in the Crosshairs,"  article under development and has been requested by Hamline Journal of Law and Public Policy

 

ALitigation, Legal Settlement & Mediation: Comparisons and Contrasts on the Road to an Empowered Alternative,@ article being revised and will be submitted to The Mediation Journal

 

AMinnesota Sentencing Guidelines: Judges Speak Out,@ QUAERE, Volume 9, Number 2, December 1982 (National Award Winning Article in Legal Journalism)