By Tamara Harris

By now you have probably heard the buzz that is Pandora.  The newest addition to automated music recommendation and internet radio stations that have been popping up on the internet these last few years.  Pandora (created in January 2000 by the Music Genome Project headed by Will Glaser, Jon Kraft, and Tim Westergren), had an ultimate goal of ì[capturing] the  essence of music at the fundamental levelî using nearly 400 attributes to describe songs and complex mathematical algorithm to organize them.  Users of this service enter a song or artist that they enjoy, and the service then responds by playing selections that are similar to the song chosen by the user.  Each song that is entered is represented by a list of attributes containing approximately 150 ìgenesî.  Each gene corresponds to a characteristic of music.  Rock and pop songs are said to have approximately 150 genes, while rap songs have approximately 300 and jazz, 450.  Classical music generally have between 300 to 500 genes.
Pandora, and other automated music recommendation and internet radio stations have given rise to many complex legal issues in the field of copyright laws.  Because of this, web based radio stations generally pay double the amount in royalties to music companies than say satellite radio (traditional AM and FM radios air music for free).  Additionally, because Pandora and other stations like it would have to register songs in every country because of copyright laws, users outside of the United States are unable to use this service for it would be far to time consuming and costly to register each song in every country.  In July 2008 Pandora launched a mobile version of its services for the Apple iPhone and the Apple iPod Touch application.  Other carriers offer phones that enable use of Pandora as well (i.e. some BlackBerry Platforms).  Use of Pandora was free when it was first launched, now users may enjoy forty hours of free music play a month, and then once the forty hours have been used, the user must then pay .99 cents to continue to listen to music for the rest of that month.  Users may not repeat a song, and oneís ability to skip a song is limited to seven times per hour per station.
They actually do a good job of playing songs I like. If you do not like a song, you can give it thumbs down and they will never play it on your station again. Being a person who basically stopped buying music in 2001, and have been basically stuck in my grungy, 80s new wave, pop, boy band, oldies, classic rock, alternative, old school hip hop, new school rap phase for a while, Pandora has opened a new world of appreciation for music for me that I seemed to have lost in high school.  Pandora has renewed my lust for finding new music. Life is good again.  Everyone should try it out. I guarantee you will not be disappointed.

By Tamara Cobain Harris

Those of us that were touched by Michael Jackson’s music will forever recall where we were at the moment we heard of his death, like many generations before us have remembered the deaths their legends or heroes. I, a Michael Jackson fan since birth, vividly remember my reaction to the news that he had passed away. Like millions of people around the world, I was in shock and denial. Ever since I was five years old, I had this strange belief that Michael Jackson was somehow immortal and would never die a human death, or I believed he would somehow use his money to possibly cryogenically freeze himself, and thus come back to earth later when scientist learned how to human soul and reconnect it with a human body…crazy, I know. But so was the life of Michael Jackson. Michael was larger than life. For some, Michael Jackson surpassed reality. Michael Jackson’s death left me devastated for weeks. I mainly cried because I imagined that Michael Jackson died sad, and alone and on the eve of his comeback.

Escaping the Michael Jackson drama has been nearly impossible. Michael Jackson proved to be even more of a popular subject of the media posthumously with concerns regarding the handling the distribution and maintenance of his massive estate. Despite the rumors that Michael Jackson is deeply in debt, his estate continues to make millions of dollars off of his own record sales and merchandise. But it turns out the estate also has an interest in another cornerstone of pop history. How will the sales from the new Beatles game effect Michael Jackson estate? Will sales from this game finally get Michael Jackson out of his supposed debt? What do the Beatles have to do with Michael Jackson? All good questions.

Many do not know about the relationship between the Jackson estate and the Beatles catalogue so

I will break down the story in a short but sweet manner. Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney, both at the height of their solo careers were really good palls. They were often seen together, shared many of the same interests, and even recorded the songs “Say Say Say” and “The Girl is Mine” together in the early eighties. However, it said that the duo’s relationship soured in 1984/85 when both decided to purchase the Beatle catalogue and ended up head to head in a bidding war for the rights to the Beatles song-copyright catalog. Michael won the war, paying approximately 47.5 million dollars for ownership to more than 200 songs. Negotiations for the bidding war lasted ten months. In later years, probably due in part to Jackson’s legal and financial woes, Jackson sold fifty percent of his ownership to the more than two hundred songs in the Beatles catalogue to Sony, giving them fifty percent of the ownership rights.

This brings us to the hugely successful video game series Rockband’s newest endeavor, The Beatles: Rockband. For those of you who have not had the pleasure of playing Rockband, it is a game where players can play songs on gamelike instruments connected to their television through a variety of game consoles, i.e. Nintendo Wii and Microsoft’s Xbox 360. These gamelike instruments include the bass, guitar, drums, and vocals along with popular songs ranging from the sixties to recently popular songs mainly from the “rock” genre and its various other formulations (classic, alternative, emo, etc). Rockband released its Beatles version of the game which consists of forty five Beatles songs (that would amount to nearly ¼ of the Jackson’s and Sony’s Beatles collection) on September 9, 2009 at fifty nine dollars a pop and have already seen sales of this game skyrocket.

Rockband decided that to “[keep] in the spirit of our first downloadable song, all proceeds for “All You Need is Love” will go to Doctors Without Borders, which provides aid in more than 60 countries to people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe. This humanitarian organization was personally selected by Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono Lennon, and Olivia Harrison.” So the question I pose to the world, did Michael Jackson himself have a say regarding the creation of this game? Did he agree to donate part of the funds to humanitarian organizations, and will his estate properly reap the benefits of this new iconic game?

by Alex Hoffman, 3L

In mid-September, both houses of the U.S. Congress voted to block any further federal funding to the community organization group, ACORN, after recent incriminating hidden-camera videos were released. ACORN, which is an acronym for Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, has claimed that the events in the videos are isolated incidents and do not represent the work of the community organization group as a whole.

The videos show two conservative activists, Hannah Giles and James O’Keefe, posing as a prostitute and a pimp, asking various ACORN representatives at several locations across the country for home loans and advice on starting a brothel for underage Salvadoran girls. In the first video, ACORN representatives at their Baltimore, Md., branch are shown telling Giles and O’Keefe how to obtain housing loans, hide the illegality of their prostitution ring and lie to the IRS by disguising the brothel as a reputable business. One ACORN member told them they could claim the underage girls as dependents and another told them to train the girls to “keep their mouth shut” to avoid exposing the prostitution ring.

The CEO and Chief Organizer of ACORN, Bertha Lewis, initially questioned the validity of the tapes, claiming they were “doctored” and even accused the filmmakers that it was a race-based attempt to bring down the organization. She also initially played down the video as an example of an isolated incident, until more videos were released showing the same tactics used at other ACORN branches with similar results. Employees featured in the videos have since been fired.

Republicans in Congress have been the main force behind the push to investigate ACORN after some members of the group were found to have submitted false voter registration forms with names like “Mickey Mouse,” “Mary Poppins” and “Dick Tracy” during the 2008 president election. Rep. Steve King, (state), stated, “Taxpayers should be outraged that their money has gone to an organization that, in addition to facing charges of voter fraud and tax violations, is willing to facilitate prostitution.”

The second-highest-ranking Republican in the House, Rep. Eric Cantor, (state), stated, “ACORN has violated serious federal laws, and today the House voted to ensure that taxpayer dollars would no longer be used to fund this corrupt organization.”

The House of Representatives vote of 345 to 75 to prohibit federal funding to ACORN was largely bipartisan, although the 75 members who voted against it were Democrats. One opponent, Rep. Jerrold Nadler, NY, stated the bill was “in blatant violation of the Constitution’s prohibition against Bills of Attainder.” The Senate’s bill to deny funding for ACORN was also largely bipartisan with 83 to 7 voting to deny further housing and community grant funding to the organization.

Pres. Barack Obama weighed in on the controversy, stating that what the video purported to show “was certainly inappropriate and deserves to be investigated,” but also stated that “this is not the biggest issue facing the country. It’s not something [he’s] paying a lot of attention to.” ACORN has received approximately $53 million in tax dollars since 1994.

By Garen Aliksanian 3L

Whether they are in class, having lunch in the Tea Room, or studying in the library, Southwestern students, like all law school students, spend much of their time on campus. Students often feel comfortable in their surroundings and don’t stop to think about the possibility that they, or their belongings, are ever vulnerable. It is for this reason that two recently reported thefts in Southwestern have some students alarmed.

The first theft occurred on September 16 at 1pm, when a student’s handbag was taken from the library circulation desk. The bag was later found in the Westmoreland 3^rd floor classroom. All the money was taken from the bag, though all other items remained intact.

The second theft occurred on September 22 at 11am, when a student’s wallet was taken from room BW370. The wallet was later found by another student, and returned to security the next morning. A large amount of cash was missing from the wallet when its owner retrieved it.

“It’s really frightening to think that our possessions aren’t safe,” said 3L Jaspreet Klar. “Most people leave things in the library or in classrooms unattended, it’s hard to believe that someone in a law school would steal from students.”

In light of the two recent thefts, here are a few tips to follow to help keep you and your belongings safe.

Former UCLA star Maurice Jones-Drew now plays as a running back for the Jacksonville JaquarsUSC alumn Mark Sanchez is starting quarterback for the New York Jets.

By Alexander Mehdipour

USC

1) Mark Sanchez: The fifth pick overall in the 2009 NFL draft has been handed the keys to the team and started off week one with a win and an impressive stat line of18-31 for 272 yards and 1 touchdown. His ability to manage the game and limit turnovers will be the key to the Jets’ season.

2) LenDale White: He supposedly lost weight by eliminating tequila from his diet, but he has to deal with being the backup to Chris Johnson in his contract year.

3) Reggie Bush: He has never lived up to the hype and was not the Saints running back to rush for more than 100 yards in the Saints first game against Detroit – that would be Mike Bell.

4) Carson Palmer: He claims he is finally healed from his arm injury and is completely healthy for the first time in a long time, but the Bengals were only able to put up 7 points against the Broncos and the loss of T.J. Houshmanzadeh might be detrimental to his success.

5) Matt Cassel: He parlayed his chance in New England into a big contract in Kansas City. Now is the time to prove he was worth it.

UCLA

1) Maurice Jones-Drew: With Fred Taylor now in New England, this will be the first time he has to carry the entire workload, and with Jacksonville playing two rookie tackles, yards may be difficult to come by.

2) Marcedes Lewis: Like Jones-Drew, Jacksonville will lean heavily on Lewis to get the Jaguars to the playoffs and score points.

3) Kenyon Coleman: The journeyman lineman followed coach Eric Mangini and is trying to continue his success in Mangini’s defensive scheme.

4) Chris Horton: The second-year safety was impressive in his rookie year, and now is the time for him to show that it was not a fluke and that he is going to be a star defensive player for years to come.

5) Chris Kluwe: Punters don’t often get mentioned, but when you play on the same team as Brett Favre and Adrian Peterson, field position may be the one factor that prevents the Vikings from getting out of the first round of the playoffs.

By Matthew McConnel, 3L

OK, so it is the beginning of October, and we are about half way through the semester, but the real stress is about to kick in. No, I am not talking about LAWS problems or midterm papers, I am talking about baseball playoff season: the postseason. As predicted, the Dodgers finished ahead of the pack and won the National League West. Their rivals, the hated San Francisco Giants and pesky Colorado Rockies put up a valiant effort, but the Dodgers won critical August and September series against each team to extend their lead.

Now the Dodgers need to win 11 games against the best of the best. In true law school fashion, I will brief the case that is the 2009 Los Angeles Dodgers.

Issue: Do the Dodgers have what it takes to win the World Series?

Rule: In order to win the World Series, a team must have starting pitchers who give their team a chance to win, an offense that is capable of scoring runs, and a bullpen that can get outs and protect leads late in the game.

Analysis: Starting rotation: On paper, the Dodgers’ starting pitchers might not be as recognizable as other teams. The Phillies have all-stars Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels, the Cardinals have former Cy Young award winner Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainright. Starting the season, Chad Billingsley was supposed to be the ace of the Dodgers staff. However, his second-half struggles (3.38 E.R.A first half, 5.34 E.RA. second half) have left Randy Wolf (2.87 E.R.A second half) and Clayton Kershaw (2.43 E.R.A. second half) fighting for the “ace” label. While Wolf and Kershaw might not have the name recognition the other teams have, a close look at their stats show that they can get outs and keep the Dodgers in games. A healthy Hiroki Kuroda (3.23 E.RA. second half) and a return to form from Billingsley would give the Dodgers a very formidable 4-man rotation for October.

Lineup: Rafael Furcal, James Loney, and Russell Martin underperformed all year. Leadoff hitter Furcal struggled to get on base all season (.320 OBP in 09 v .348 career), Loney forgot how to hit for power (.403 SLG in 09 v .455 career), and Martin became a glorified singles hitter (.338 SLG in 09 v .469 in 07). As you can see, one-third of the Dodgers hitters were almost automatic outs all season. Thankfully, Casey Blake (.365 OBP, .471 SLG) and Orlando Hudson (.354 OBP) have been solid while Matt Kemp (.362 OBP, .500 SLG) and Andre Either (.365 OBP, .531 SLG) have emerged as genuine offensive stars. The Dodgers will need Manny Ramirez to perform closer to his first half stats (.487 OBP and a .699 SLG) than his second half (.380 OBP and a .492 SLG). Against some of the best arms in baseball, the Dodgers will need contributions from everybody in the lineup, something that has been hard to come by all season.

Bullpen: The Dodgers have the best bullpen in baseball. Jonathon Broxton has arguably been the best closer, averaging less than a base runner per inning and striking out well more than a batter an inning. Throw in the deadly lefty combo of George Sherrill and Hong-Chih Kuo and right-handed flamethrowers Ronald Belisario and Ramon Troncoso, and the Dodgers will be able to get outs late in the game and protect leads.

Conclusion: Last year the Dodgers were not supposed to get out of the first round of the playoffs. This year, they will wind up being the underdog against good Philadelphia and St. Louis teams. However, over a 162-game span, the Dodgers had the best record in the National League not by accident. They had the best pitching staff and an offense that can put some runs on the board. Whatever the outcome, it will be an exciting October.

Los Angeles Lakers star player Kobe Byrant, number 24. Photo courtesy of Guitar Zero via Flickr.

By Troy Mueller

By many standards, last year’s NBA season was a success. In the face of the economic downturn, the NBA’s second winningest franchise – and second wealthiest – won another championship. In addition to the benefits afforded by a title in the major market of Los Angeles, the NBA finals turned out some of its strongest ratings in years. This is partly due to the panoply of highly skilled and well-marketed athletes that were successful enough to make it to playoffs. Additionally, if one is to look at current media projections, interest in the NBA has steadily increased since the early part of the decade when arrogance and thuggery seemed to have polarized much of its demographic.

To the extent that the NBA was able to shrug off that stigma, one must give credit to the players who have acted, willingly or not, as positive figures in the league. Programs such as Basketball without Borders and NBA Cares have been particularly successful in evincing a civility between a sport that is uniquely individual and a community, that is both connected to and distanced from it. In many respects, the league is rebuilding, or perhaps recovering, without the basketball grittiness of the ‘80s or surplusage of the ‘90s. Strangely, and I think contrary to what many people have argued, it seems the league is becoming less idealistic. Standing unequivocally upon this threshold is the Los Angeles Lakers.

Los Angeles is hardly a market for realism. As a center of the entertainment industry, Los Angeles is markedly concerned with aspiration and potential. As such, here are reasons why the Lakers winning a championship is bad for Los Angeles.

No. 1: The Lakers winning the NBA championship has made life hard for coaches. Currently, middle-schoolers all over Los Angeles are heaving three-pointers from much too far away. This is particularly popular with bench players, as their game may be limited where their range is not. Also many children have taken to looking like a ferret, which has seen a strong increase in LA since the NBA finals. As a coach this is frustrating. Giving an inspired speech about commitment and hard work is difficult when all the players have their new game face on. Further, it is embarrassing to be the only one smiling in the team photo.

No. 2: Interest in the Lakers has developed an arm-sleeve market in Los Angeles, but has taken focus away from the ever-important ankle-support market. Led by Kobe Bryant, an interest increase in sliding, spinning, and twirling has subsequently caused an increase in tripping, stumbling, and falling among the basketball laity. Current trends suggest that formerly adequate athletic-wear will not be sufficient to mitigate the potential increase in lower leg injuries resulting from the Lakers championship run.

No. 3: LA is a popular destination on the West Coast. People come from many other states to avail themselves of LA’s large job market, active city life, and pleasant climate. Inadvertently, these pilgrims also commonly become basketball converts. Many proud Clippers families have watched their children turn to the Lakers, but more commonly it is the Blazers, Suns, and former Sonics fans whose conversion deprives the city of its basketball diversity.

This diversity is needed in order to maintain a competitive climate.

Quid Pro Podium: Jordan Still One Upping Kobe.

The Lakers are confused. They won, but it was limited. But is the city in conflict with the direction of the league? I want the good old days back too but how can you have it back. When Jordan takes the podium and tells the league how good he is, we all realize that the feeling was fleeting. sun-bleached out of a 5in thick red fischer price rim or deflated somewhere behind your old bike in the shed. To begin anew is

The city wants largess, but the team is merely convincing. The Lakers are nearest to this when Kobe Bryant eclipses the 50 point mark, but even there the inspiration is lost. Amare Stoudamire, whose game is far less impressive and even then the game looks unorganized. When the Lakers lose, the city gains. Potential for victory, drawing upon

Kobe has made a name for himself as a player with a typically I began by saying the Lakers contributed to the success of the last season, but now I want to talk about why that’s not good. As this is public interest month, I think it only fair to discuss the social forays, misgivings, and the like which the Lakers have brought to the city of Los Angeles.

Above all, Kobe Bryant got a little more acclaim which paradoxically seems to generate less interest in making comparisons to Michael Jordan than does his failed attempts at accolades.

Kobe Bryant has done some amazing things. Kobe Bryant looks to maturing (at 31).

Jordan enters the hall of fame this week as part of a truly remarkable entering class

SW’s campus will expand to include the building to the west of Bullocks Wilshire. Photo Credit: Liz Reinhardt

By Stephanie Herrick, 2L

Southwestern Law School prides itself on being an excellent Public Interest Law school. Public Interest can include working in areas of the law such as immigrant rights, children’s law, homelessness prevention, housing, consumer rights, disability rights, and any number of social justice issues that lawyers can be a part of litigating and creating policy for to advance the rights of individuals.

“There are several reasons why students should consider working for a public interest law organization,” Prof. Ronald Aranovsky, Chair of the Public Interest Law Committee, said. “Above all, the work is important. Large segments of our community need legal services to deal with important problems in their lives but cannot afford an attorney. Students who work in public interest firms help meet this need.”

Students should get involved in public interest legal work because it will benefit them as people as well as lawyers. “Working for a public interest firm can provide excellent training opportunities, including client interviewing and legal writing and research skills development as well as the chance to work closely with and learn from experienced lawyers,” Prof. Aranovsky said. Anyone who takes the time to give back to the community and help others should feel good about their work and know it was time well spent.

In addition, Southwestern has sought to further its commitment to public interest law by creating the Public Service Program. This program rewards students for the volunteer hours they give during their law school career.

Students can get credit for PSP hours either through on campus or off campus volunteer opportunities. A full list is available on the PSP TWEN site. Below are some of the opportunities students can get involved with right here on campus.

General Relief Advocacy Project (GRAP)

GRAP is a program that was developed by Public Counsel’s Homelessness Prevention Law Project. A Public Counsel attorney supervises the law school program but it is run by the students. Volunteers for GRAP advocate on behalf of pubic benefits recipients at the local Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services offices. The program includes a training that covers information about the reality of homelessness in Los Angeles County, the legal basis for GRAP, and what volunteers need to know when they advocate for clients in the field. Outings to the DPSS offices are then arranged on Friday afternoons once a month throughout the school year. Students ask clients about their needs and provide them with assistance. This assistance usually includes advocating for a client’s rights regarding receiving public benefits, helping clients through the process of applying for benefits, or giving legal referrals or other information, such as where to find homeless shelters and medical care. Students learn client counseling and negotiation skills when advocating on behalf of clients, and are given an opportunity to see what they can do using the legal knowledge and advocating skills they have acquired.

Sign up sheets for GRAP trainings and outings are available on the GRAP TWEN page.

Teen Court

Teen Court is a juvenile diversion and prevention program with the intent to reduce recidivism and encourage first time juvenile offenders to accept responsibility for their actions and to stay out of the juvenile court system. The hope for the program is that a juvenile offender will not continue their criminal behavior after participating in a judicial process in which a jury of their peers, which are other teenagers, decide the verdict and recommend disposition orders. Law students who participate visit local high schools to observe Teen Court trials and assist with jury instructions and jury deliberation. Students who participate in Teen Court have the opportunity to learn more about the juvenile delinquency system while making a difference in the community.

The trials are on Wednesdays or Thursdays from 3pm to about 5:30pm. Sign up sheets are available on the Teen Court TWEN page.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)

VITA is an IRS program that is run at Southwestern by the Tax Law Society. The purpose of VITA is to offer free income tax preparation to low income and elderly tax payers. Volunteer preparers will work on campus Saturday afternoons, February 6 through April 10, 2010. All preparers must pass a basic certification test through the IRS website. This experience gives students the opportunity to learn how to do their own taxes and those of their friends and family, as well as gives them practical professional skills that will be very useful upon graduation. Students who participate not only learn a great deal, but also help others in need.
For more information on training and participation, students should sign up for the Tax Law Society TWEN page.

Chad Derby, 3L

On Wednesday, September 6th, Professor Laura Cohen, along with the SBA Community Affairs Committee, held a well received informational meeting about Southwestern’s new Public Service Program. The PSP is designed to promote student’s involvement in public interest legal work and to reward them for their service.

“The Public Service Program encourages law students to use their legal skills to help others both on and off campus,” Professor Cohen said. Participating in Public Interest legal work is a way for students to gain experience and develop legal skills, enhance exposure to substantive law, as well as build relationships with attorneys and local community organizations. Southwestern encourages all students to perform at least twenty-five hours of pro bono public service each academic year.

Representatives from various public interest organizations attended the meeting and provided information about what their organization does, and how students can get involved. On campus organizations present included Teen Court and GRAP. The community legal organizations included Public Counsel, the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, Neighborhood Legal Services, Harriett Buhai Center for Family Law, Bet Tzedek, and the Alliance for Children’s Rights. All of these public interest law firms offer volunteer opportunities during the year for which students can earn PSP hours. A complete list of opportunities on and off campus is available on the PSP TWEN site.

“I am here to answer questions and to help find volunteer opportunities in our community,” Professor Cohen said. “My hope for students who get involved is that you will learn a lot while doing the volunteer work now, as well as come away with a sense of responsibility and understanding of your role to society as future lawyers.”

Students who complete twenty-five hours of pro bono public service in a year will receive a formal letter of recognition from the Dean and be invited to attend an end-of-year banquet. Additionally, students who perform at least seventy-five hours of public service throughout their law school experience will be recognized at commencement ceremonies and a notation will be placed on their law school transcript.

To qualify, the public service work must be performed under the supervision of a licensed attorney or faculty member, students may not receive compensation or academic credit, and the public service work must be law related.

For more information please sign up for the “Southwestern Public Service Program” TWEN or stop by the Legal Clinic, 4th floor Westmoreland Bldg., and review the bulletin board.

By Cynthia Castellon, 3L

Public Interest Summer Grant Program

Public Interest Law Week is just around the corner, and the importance of the event is greater this year than ever before. With the down turn in the economy, the need for public interest law has increased while the number of available paid jobs for law students has decreased. The week of events will raise awareness about the public interest legal field as well as raise the funds needed for the Public Interest Law Summer Grant Program.

Since the vast majority of public interest firms are unable to pay summer interns, the grant gives students an opportunity to work for public interest agencies for pay. Many of these firms see students as a necessary part of their services. As more and more people fall on hard economic times, more of them are qualifying for public services. An increase of people qualifying also comes with a increased need for volunteers and student workers.

“The summer public interest law grants provides students with opportunities to work with a nonprofit organization that provides free or low-cost legal assistance to low-income or marginalized individuals or underserved communities,” Ronald Aranovsky, Chair of the Public Interest Law Committee, said. For nineteen years the goal of the week has been to raise as much money as possible in order to provide as many grants as possible. Every year the number of applicants outnumbers the number of grants available, and this year does not look any different.

“One way for students to improve their chances of receiving a grant is to become actively involved in Public Interest Law Week fundraising activities,” Prof. Aranovsky said. “It also helps if students have already received a summer clerkship offer from a qualifying organization, or at least applied for a clerkship, by the time they submit the summer grant application.” Applications for the grant are due in the Spring once students have started applying for jobs or have a summer job lined up. The committee that determines which students will receive the grant takes into consideration whether students volunteered and helped in the planning of Public Interest Law Week and took part in the events.

Public Interest Law Week

Public Interest Law Week will take place from October 23 through October 29 and will be filled with fundraising events and informational sessions.

The week will kick off on Friday, October 23 with the first ever Casino Night/Live Auction co-hosted by the SBA. The event will take place in the Louis XVI Room from 7pm to 11pm. There will be table games, a poker tournament, drinks and appetizers, and great items auctioned off. Tickets to Casino Night will be sold the week prior to the event in front of Westmoreland. All students, faculty, and community members are welcome to attend.

The following Monday, October 26, Leslie Starr Heimov, Executive Director of the Children’s Law Center, will be the Public Interest Law Week Keynote Speaker. The event will take place in room W311 at 12:30pm, and is intended to raise awareness about public interest opportunities that are available. Monday will also be the start of the Bake Sale that will be in front of Westmoreland and will run through Wednesday, October 28. Additionally, pre-bids for the silent auction will begin on Monday. The silent auction bid binder will be available in front of Westmoreland.

Tuesday, October 27 during lunch will be the always exciting Trivia Bowl. Twenty teams of up to 5 people will have the opportunity to test their knowledge on legal topics and pop culture. Whether it’s by forming a team or cheering on your friends and professors, the Trivia Bowl always proves to be an entertaining event.

The Exercise-A-Thon will be held on Wednesday, October 28 during lunch at the fitness center. Deans, professors, and students will run on the treadmill or elliptical machine for pledges as students watch and cheer them on.

The week will conclude on Thursday, October 29 with the Public Interest Career Fair and the Silent Auction. The Career Fair is co-sponsored by the Career Center and will include employers and information about job opportunities in the Public Interest Field.

The Silent Auction finale will be held in the Salle Moderne from 4pm to 6pm, and this will be the final opportunity to show support and place bids on the great items being auctioned off.

Public Interest Law Week is made possible by the hard work and dedication of the Public Interest Law Committee who begin in the summer preparing for all these events. The success of the week is made possible by everyone who volunteers or contributes, whether it is by buying an item at the live auction or buying a cookie during the bake sale. To find out how you can get involved add the Public Interest Law Committee TWEN or email sherrick@swlaw.edu.