Beginning November 18, the Student Organization for Victim’s Advocacy (SOVA) and the Child Advocacy Association (CHAD) will be in the law school lobby to recruit individuals for their “Adopt-a-Child Christmas Project.” Stop by and pledge to adopt a needy Spokane child Nov. 18-20. Pick up an outfit and a toy for your child. Bring donations after Thanksgiving on Monday, November 30 through Wednesday, December 2. If you have any questions, contact Kaydee Snipes at ksnipes@lawschool.gonzaga.edu
Each year, Mission Possible sends a group of students abroad to participate in a community service project in lieu of their Spring Break. Mission Possible will be selling tacos from 11-1pm Wednesday, November 18, in front of Cafe Lawte to benefit their important community service work this coming March in Central America.
The Alliance for Social Justice and Gonzaga Public Interest Law Program (GPILP) will host the “Social Justice Saturday Breakfast” this coming Saturday, November 14. The primary purpose of the event is to connect underclassmen with upperclassmen who have experience in public interest law. The upperclassmen will be represented mostly by the Alliance Councilors and GPILP Board Members. The Councilors and Board Members will share job search tips, discuss their previous work experience, give advice on resumes and cover letters, and answer any other questions students may have related to finding an internships or thinking about a public interest career.
Another purpose of the social is to give students an opportunity to unwind for a bit as they work on their final legal research projects for the semester. It is a stressful time of year in which students sometimes lose sight of the bigger picture. The social will remind students of the public interest ideals that drew many of them to law school during a time of the year when the academic pressures can become overwhelming and alienating. At the same time, it is an opportunity to relax, take a bit of a breather, and enjoy the company of friends.
So take a break from memo-writing and enjoy some free food! The breakfast will be held on the first floor lobby outside of Cafe Lawte. Stop by anytime between 9am and 1pm.
Amnesty International will present the movie Trade to an open audience on Thursday, November 12 at 6:00pm. The movie is about human trafficking and reaches from the heart of Mexico City across the U.S. borders to a stash house in New Jersey. Inspired by Peter Landesman’s chilling NY Times Magazine story on the U.S. sex trade, “The Girls Next Door,” Trade is a thrilling story of courage and a devastating expose of one of the world’s most heinous crimes.
Professors Treuthart and Ballard will share legal perspectives on Colombia from personal experiences there last summer. The discussion will explore cultural and historical characteristics, current challenges and social issues, as well as the effect of the Twinning Agreement on life in Colombia. The event will take place on Monday, November 9 at NOON in the Moot Court Room and is co-sponsored by Amnesty International and the International Legal Society.
On Thursday, November 19, Mary Beth Tinker will speak to an audience of law school students and faculty as well as community members in the Barbieri Courtroom. Her speech will address themes concerning student free speech and social justice. Ms. Tinker was a 13-year-old plaintiff in the seminal case of Tinker v. Des Moines (1969) after she and a group of students were suspended for wearing black armbands to school in protest of the war in Vietnam. She and four other students were told they could not return to school until they agreed to remove their armbands. A four-year legal battle culminated in a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that students do not “shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.”
In the forty years since the Supreme Court protected Ms. Tinker’s symbolic speech, she has become a strong advocate for student free speech. She continues to educate young people by speaking to student groups across the county. Ms. Tinker is the former director of the Marshal-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project at American University, which mobilizes law students to teach courses on constitutional law and juvenile justice at public schools. In 2006, the ACLU National Board of Directors renamed its youth affairs award the “Mary Beth Tinker Youth Involvement Award.”
As part of her visit to Spokane, Gonzaga Law School is sponsoring her visit to local area high school students at Lewis and Clark High School and Rogers High School. Her visit to the Spokane community is made possible by a coalition of sponsoring organizations including the Gonzaga Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (via a generous donation from the ACLU of Washington), the William O. Douglas Committee, the Thomas More Program, and the Alliance for Social Justice. Her discussion will take place at 5:00pm on November 19 in the Barbieri Courtroom and is open to the public. [EDITED: Please note time change from 4:00pm to 5:00pm]
The Gonzaga Law School Chapter of Amnesty International is hosting a Pool Tournament (League Rules) benefiting Embracing Orphans. The Tournament will be held at 7pm on November 2nd at The Season Ticker, 1221 N. Howard St., Spokane, WA 99201.
- 1st Place will receive a $50.00 gift certificate to The Ticket.
- 2nd Place is a $25.00 gift certificate.
- 3rd Place is a $10.00 gift certificate.
- Plus: Cash prizes for a “break and run” and an “8-ball break.”
An entry fee of $5.00 per person must be paid at the time of sign up. There must be two players for each team. For more information or to sign up, email Stephen at sgrant@lawschool.gonzaga.edu
The Women’s Law Caucus is hosting a table in the main lobby of the law school to raise awareness about human trafficking from October 26 to October 29. Visit the table in the lobby from 10am-2pm to get more information.
October is also breast cancer awareness month. The Women’s Law Caucus is passing out pink ribbons in support and collecting donation for a breast cancer research organization. Take a ribbon and make a donation or just take a ribbon!
Monday marked the beginning of Gonzaga Law School’s Public Interest Law Week. Below is a schedule of the events:
Monday, 10/26
- 9-11am: Kick-off event with Coffee and Breakfast (Law School Foyer)
- 12-1pm: Guest speaker is GU Alum, Steve Larsen of the WSBA, “Washington Legal Aid Home Foreclosure Project” (Moot Court Room, Lunch Provided)
- 6:30-8:30pm: Film event is “Shouting Fire” (Moot Court Room, Snacks Provided)
Tuesday, 10/27
- 12-1pm: Student panel of GU law students share personal experiences working in public interest law through GU (Moot Court Room, Lunch Provided)
- 6:30-8:30pm: Federal Indian Law Lecture Series presents Marc Slonim (Moot Court Room, Reception to Follow)
Wednesday, 10/28
- 12-1pm: Public interest law employer panel (Room 143, Lunch Provided)
- 11am-1pm: SOVA is collecting donations for a local woman’s shelters. Be sure to bring in your donations!
Thursday, 10/29
- 5:30-7:30pm: Public interest speed networking even at the Steam Plant Grill (Contact Career Services to sign up, slots go fast!)
Friday, 10/30
- 7:30pm-11pm: GPILP presents the Knights of Columbus Halloween Party (Beer, Soda, Snacks, PRIZES!). The Halloween party will be held at the Knights of Columbus Hall located at 302 E. Boone Ave. All money raised will go toward student summer grants in public interest. Purchase tickets at the Law School lobby.
Welcome to the GU Alliance for Social Justice Blog! The Alliance is a standing committee of the Gonzaga SBA. Our goal is to foster a community between students who consider public interest and public service to be an important part of their law school experience. This community, as we perceive it, extends beyond students to include faculty, attorneys and legal service organizations. Our mission includes the following tasks:
- encouraging student organizations to work with each other and with community legal providers in order to serve our students and our community effectively
- providing opportunities for 1L students to see that they are, in fact, learning skills that can and will make a difference
- providing valuable information to all students regarding fellowships, internships, externships, jobs and volunteer opportunities in Washington and beyond
- pro-actively engaging attorneys and legal organization to continue, begin, or renew a lasting relationship with Gonzaga University School of Law
- representing GU law students in the legal aid and legal services community by participating in and attending committees, community boards, conferences, awards and benefits
Please bookmark our blog as a new and exciting resource at Gonzaga University School of Law!
Sincerely,
The GU Alliance Council