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Saturday, November 6, 2010

Student Post: First Amendment Center

By Taylor Smith

I spent my EJF Summer Fellowship working as a Legal Research Intern at the First Amendment Center, which is based in Nashville at Vanderbilt University but has a satellite office here in DC at the Newseum. The First Amendment Center is a non-partisan, non-litigating entity founded in 1991 by former USA Today editor John Siegenthaler for the purpose of educating the public, teachers, government policy makers, lawyers and students about the core freedoms protected by the First Amendment. The nexus between legal justice and my work rested on the theory that First Amendment rights must be asserted in order to have legal effect, and must be
known in order to be asserted. Considering that only four percent of Americans can name all of the individual rights guaranteed to them by the First Amendment, there is plenty of room for improvement in this area. Pursuant to that end, I spent my time researching and writing articles on three topics that my bosses asked me to write about: Justice Ginsburg’s record in First Amendment cases, public access to government-held information since 9/11, and the free exercise rights of divorced parents in child custody litigation.

I was originally attracted to the First Amendment Center in part because I felt that in the wake of the Citizens United decision, corporate speech rights were likely to become a hot-button issue, especially as the midterm elections loomed in the near future. As it turned out, the First Amendment was indeed all over the news this summer, but not in conjunction with debate over corporate speech rights. Instead, the media focused on the controversy over the free exercise rights of those planning to build a Muslim community center near Ground Zero and the free speech rights of those protesting the construction, including some who burned or threatened to burn the Qur’an.

That turn of events was somewhat of a letdown because in my estimation, the corporate
speech issue is fraught with legal ambiguity fit to be debated, while the “Ground Zero Mosque” issue was, legally speaking, an open-and-shut case: of course the First Amendment protects the builders’ right to build and the protesters’ right to protest. By contrast, there are complex and compelling arguments to be made on both sides of the corporate speech issue, and for that reason I wish it had received as much attention as the “Ground Zero Mosque” controversy. If it had, I think the public debate would have been much more interesting, and the First Amendment may have been highlighted to the general public as the complicated bundle of rights and judicial interpretations that it really is.

The most rewarding aspect of my internship was corresponding with Constitutional
experts, from whom I was usually soliciting a quote for an article. In that respect the internship was a hybrid between Constitutional law and journalism. It definitely afforded me the opportunity to do a large amount of research and writing. Although my work at the First Amendment Center was not as closely tied to legal justice as, say, keeping innocent people out of jail, I still felt that the organization and my contributions to it had social and civic value in line with the spirit of EJF. I sincerely appreciate the funding, and would recommend the First Amendment Center especially to anyone who enjoys writing in general and wants to do a lot of it over the summer.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Student Post: Drug Enforcement Administration, Office of Chief Counsel

By Dustin Robinson

I spent this past summer as an intern with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Office of Chief Counsel. Surprisingly enough, I did very little, if any, work with drug issues: I was their civil litigation intern. In effect, my section functioned as the DEA’s lawyer in suits filed by both outside parties and DEA employees against the agency. For the most part, this resulted in Federal Tort Claims Act cases and employment discrimination cases (heavier on the latter, really). It was interesting to engage in what I and likely other law students infrequently consider: defense of a government agency.

The summer was essentially a crash course in employment law. As one who knew next to nothing about the area beforehand, I appreciated the willingness of the other attorneys to offer support and guidance. The employment context presented a particular conundrum of sorts: I wondered, as an EJF recipient, how it was that I was advancing social justice. I’d bet good money that a lot more EJF funding around the country goes to students working on behalf of plaintiffs in employment discrimination cases than to those who were in my position. The conclusion I reached, however, was that the integrity of employment law, the vitality of Title VII, and the legitimacy of the EEOC all turn on an effective balancing of the interests. Employment discrimination suits? Not always legitimate. The governmental workplace, in particular, makes it so incredibly easy for an employee to engage in EEO action that it becomes almost a matter of course anytime the slightest disciplinary action is taken against an employee (let alone the near impossibility of actually firing, or, in governmental parlance, “removing” someone). The inherent frivolity of a number of these suits would weaken public and institutional support for the viability of a legitimate discrimination suit.

All that being said, I was pleased to learn how vigilant governmental attorneys working for an agency’s defense are. There was no hesitation to settle a claim that seemed legitimate, there was a constant probing of the facts, there was a true loyalty to the DEA but also to the law. Having the opportunity to review documents with practicing attorneys, attend depositions with them, compose motions for summary judgment with them, was truly fulfilling. It’s often said, but never understood till experienced: you don’t appreciate your first year of law school until you actually take it into practice the following summer.

And, not to be left out, there were perks: a trip to the Supreme Court on a day that decisions were handed down, multiple field trips to the DEA training facilities at Quantico, and numerous workshops geared toward the interns. All in all, a worthwhile experience and glimpse into the inner legal workings of the federal government.

Student Post: U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Washington, DC

By Tasha LaSpina

This past summer, I interned for a magistrate judge at the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, and it was a great learning experience. My judge’s calendar at first consisted of only civil cases, but then she switched to a criminal docket later in the summer. The civil cases were usually employment discrimination claims that involved requests for attorney fees. The criminal cases tended to be sentencing hearings.

Most of my time over the summer was spent doing legal research and writing, which I then submitted to the judge in the form of internal memos or “Report and Recommendation” documents. After the judge had a chance to review my documents, we would discuss my findings and talk about the strongest and weakest aspects of particular arguments. What I enjoyed most about my internship was when, just before a hearing, the judge would call me into her chambers and ask me to imagine what I thought each side would say in response to a particular question from her. I really enjoyed the opportunity to talk through these scenarios with the judge, because these exercises helped me to learn to think on my feet and to improve my oral argument skills. I also liked having the opportunity to then attend the court proceeding for each case, to see if the parties did in fact raise the arguments that I had anticipated that they would give in response to the judge’s questions.

I also really enjoyed learning more about the inner workings of a federal courthouse, and having the chance to see judges, lawyers, marshals, and law clerks in action. The internship allowed me to get a great behind-the-scenes look at how federal cases are handled, and enabled me to gain the kind of hands-on experience that one cannot get from a classroom. In particular, because I had the opportunity to attend daily court proceedings, I was able to see a lot of different lawyering styles during the course of the summer, from government attorneys, defense lawyers, lawyers working on cases pro bono, and even a few pro se clients. It was great to observe the different communication styles, writing styles, and argument styles in action, and by the end of the summer I felt that I had picked up a few good tips about how to present myself in court. These tips that I picked up from the counsel I saw over the summer have already be an asset to me in my current clinical casework, and I know they will continue to help me in my future career as a prosecutor.

A judicial internship is a great learning experience for anyone considering a career in litigation or for any student who is thinking of clerking after graduation, and the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia was an especially exciting courthouse in which to intern, because of the many high-profile cases that are heard there each day. I'm grateful for the EJF funding that enabled me to spend my 2L summer pursuing this type of internship. I would not have been able to undertake this internship without EJF’s support.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Live Auction Prizes: Updated

We gave you a sneak peek last week, but here are the rest of the exciting prizes you can bid on at the Live Auction this Thursday.

Note: If a prize is designed for a large group of students and you would like help finding other students to conduct a joint bid, please email ejf@law.georgetown.edu - we can help!

Catalog number - Prize
L8 - Drinks for 4 with David Lat and Elie Mystal from Above the Law
P13 - Gourmet Picnic for Six atop Old Rag with Pete Wales
P14 - Bking tour and picnic to Mt. Vernon with Professor Sellers
P15 - Dinner or lunch for two at an Indian Restaurant with Brian Wolfman
P16 - Spanish Conversation and Lunch for 3 at either Jaleo downtown or on a sailboat on the Potomac with Pablo Molina
L9 - SuperBowl Tickets from the National Football League
Pkg. L10 - One Night Weekend Stay at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel
Pkg. L10 - $35 Gift Card from York Flowers
Pkg. L10 - 2 tickets to Shear Madness from York Flowers
P17 - Afternoon sailing for 2 with Russell Stevenson
P18 - Curry and Careers with Gihan Fernando
P19 - Baseball Game with Prof. Louis Michael Seidman
P20 - Cocktails for 10 (plus significant others) with Viet Dinh
P21 - Dinner for 10 with with The Honorable Laurence Silberman
P22 - Movie and dinner for 6 with Julie Ross and Rima Sirota
P23 - Beer Tasting for 6 with Peter Byrne
P24 - Feminist Law Professor Dinner with Jane Aiken, Robin West, and Deborah Epstein
P25 - Home Cooked Meal for 5 with Dean Bailin
P26 - Kayak Trip for 4 with Rick Roe
P27 - Tour of Local Prison or Juvenile Detention Facility with Rick Roe
L11 - Justice Souter bobblehead
L12 - Justice Scalia bobblehead
P28 - Tennis with Prof. Julie Ross for 3 students
P29 - Dinner for 3 with Peter Edelman
P30 - Dinner for 6 students at Kellari Taverna with Professors Tsoukala and Short
P31 - Lunch at Bistro Bis for 4 students with David Cole, Wally Mlyniec, Barbara Moulton
P32 - Lunch in Chinatown for 6 with Professors Schrag and Schoenholtz
P33 - Georgetown Men's Basketball Game for 4 with Professor Randy Barnett

Update: More new prizes in the Silent Auction

Bidding on these and the rest of our fabulous silent auction prizes continues through Thursday, Oct. 28th.

Catalog Number - Prize
N31 - Dinner for 2 at Westend Bistro
N32 - $50 Gift Certificate to Bistro Italiano
G57 - Half Hour Massage
G58 - 1 Beginning Golf Lesson
G59 - Four hours of Spanish Conversation
G60 - Ride to BWI
G61 - Homemade sushi
G62 - Electric Bass Guitar Lesson
G63 - Private volleyball lessons
G64 - Knitting Lessons
G65 - Homecooked dinner for 2
G66 - Photography Lesson
G67 - Jupiter Jack
G68 - Three course meal for 4
G69 - Homemade ice cream
G70 - Homemade Banana Nut Bread
N33 - $100 Gift Card to Panache
N34 - $50 weekend brunch gift certificate to the Hawk 'n' Dove
N35 - Justice Brandeis bobblehead
N36 - Justice Kennedy bobblehead
N37 - Mini Bobblehead Set (Original Supreme Court Justices)
N38 - Signed Harlem Globetrotters Photograph
G78 - Babysitting
G71 - Juice Party
G72 - A Trip to Eden Center, Annandale, Alexandria, or Rockville
G73 - Breakfast!
N39 - $25 Gift Certificate to Rosemary's Thyme
G74 - One dozen cupcakes
G75 - Beginner guitar lessons
G76 - Walnut cake with cranberry chocolate filling
N40 - One night stay at the Rocky Gap Lodge & Golf Resort
N41 - 2 tickets to any 9:30 club show in November 2010
N42 - Basket of assorted teas and cookies from Trader Joe's
N43 - Weekend Stay at the Phoenix Park Hotel
N44 - 60 minute Swedish massage and spa signature facial from Body Smith Personal Training Gym
N45 - 5 personal training sessions from Body Smith Personal Training Gym
G77 - College admissions advice
N46 - Dinner for Two at 701 Restaurant
N47 - Fox print, Ryan Berkley
N48 - Polar bear print, Ryan Berkley
N49 - Shark print, Ryan Berkley

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Update for Silent Auction: NEW Prizes!


Take a look at some of these great new prizes we have up for bid in the Silent Auction - bidding resumes on Monday!

Catalog Number - Prize
S11 Month Membership to Results Gym Capitol Hill
F22 $40 Gift Card to Parkway Deli
M21 $35 Gift Card to York Flowers
T13 One Night Weekend Stay at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel
T14 One Night Stay at the Briar Patch Bed and Breakfast
A23 Five Drop-In Dance Classes at the Joy of Motion Dance Center
F64 $25 Gift Card to Old Glory BBQ
M23 Letter Opener from Appalachian Spring
F65 $25 gift certificate to Thaiphoon
F66 $25 dollars of food and drink at Rumors
M24 Bose Noise Cancellation Headset or 17,400 WestlawRewards® Points
G8 Vegan Mexican Chocolate Snickerdoodles
G9 2 dozen fiction novels
G10 Dozen baked goods of your choice
F67 $50 Gift Certificate to Sushi Aoi
M25 Gift Basket from Green Mountain Coffee
A24 Pete Seeger CD from Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
A25 The Mississippi River of Song 2-Disc CD from Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
A26 Ella Jenkins and a Union of Friends Pulling Together CD from Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
A27 Woody Guthrie CD from Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
A28 Rahim Alhaj, oud CD from Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
A29 Bill Monroe & Doc Watson CD from Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
A30 Classic Protest Songs CD from Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
A31 Lead Belly Sings Folk Songs CD from Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
A32 Rolas de Aztlán CD from Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
A33 The Best of Broadside 1962-1988 from Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
F68 $25 Gift Certificate to Sticky Rice
F69 $25 Gift Certificate to Sticky Rice
G11 Guitar or Cooking Lesson
G12 Juggling Lessons
G13 Knitted coffee Sleeve
N1 Discover Scuba Experience for 2 at the Splash Dive Center
N2 4 tickets to the Ringling Brothers Circus
N3 2 bags of coffee and 2 packages of Starbucks Via
N4 Complimentary Barrel Tasting at Pearmund Cellars
N5 Dinner for 2 at Vinifera Wine Bar and Bistro (Westin Reston Heights)
N6 $25 Gift Card to Wingo's
N7 $75 Gift Certificate to Washington Wine Academy
N8 Sterling Silver Pendant from Tiny Jewel Box
N9 60 Minute Deep Tissue Massage from Healthy Self Therapy and Wellness Center
N10 $50 Bar Tab at Sign of the Whale
N11 $50 Gift Card to Taylor Gourmet
N12 Free Lunch at Chop't Creative Salad Company
N15 $50 Gift Certificate to Burma
G14 Martial Arts Training
G15 Trip to Costco
G16 Arabic lessons
G17 Homemade Pie
G18 Bhangra lessons
G19 Cookies
G20 Bike tune-up
G21 Mandarin lessons
G22 Chocolate treats basket
G23 Grocery Trip
G24 Portrait photography
G25 Spanish translation
G26 Vegetarian lunch
G27 Costco Trip
G28 Vegetarian food
N16 $50 Gift Card to Meridian Pint
N17 $150 towards a class at the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop
N18 $40 gift certificate to 51st State Tavern
N19 Highlight, Haircut & Styling at Easel Hair Studio
N20 $75 gift certificate to Nouveau Fleur Florist
N21 1 lb. of Ethiopian Coffee from Sidamo Tea and Coffee
N22 New Orleans Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce
N23 2 tickets to the Blue Man Group
N24 $50 Gift Certificate to Acqua al 2
N25 6 Theatre Posters from the Kennedy Center
N26 Spring Awakening T-Shirt from the Kennedy Center
G29 Homemade Lasagna and Cheesecake from scratch
G30 Homemade Mexican Salsa
G31 Punjabi or Urdu lessons
G32 4 quarts of ridiculously amazing chocolate coconut ice cream, vegan-style
G33 2 hours of beginner or intermediate salsa lessons
G34 Ride to the grocery store
G35 Two course vegetarian dinner for you and a friend
G36 Drinks on the town with an eligible first-year law student
G37 Guitar Lessons
G38 Tax return preparation
G39 Furniture moving
G40 Starcraft 2 tutoring
G41 Trader Joe's trip
G42 Plumbing services
G43 Two fruit pies
G44 Magic lesson
G45 Outline for Professor Spann's Contracts class
G46 Outline for Professor Abernathy's Civ Pro class
N27 Original Political Cartoon
N28 1 batch of cookies

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Silent Auction Prizes: Student Services

Your fellow students have made some generous donations of their own services - from personal baking, to rides to the airport, to guitar lessons! Bidding is only open for one more week, so take a look at these great prizes and make your bids soon.

Catalog Number - Prize
G1 - Bartending Service at any social gathering
G2 - Homemade Earl Grey Chocolate Cake
G3 - Tarot Card Reading
G4 - One baked good per month for 4 months
G5 - 5 hours of 1L tutoring
G6 - 5 hours of 1L tutoring
G7 - 5 hours of 1L tutoring
G8 - Vegan Mexican Chocolate Snickerdoodles
G9 - 2 dozen fiction novels
G10 - Dozen baked goods of your choice
G11 - Guitar or Cooking Lesson
G12 - Juggling Lessons
G13 - Knitted Coffee Sleeve
G14 - Martial Arts Training
G15 - Costco Trip
G16 - Arabic lessons
G17 - Homemade Pie
G18 - Bhangra lessons
G19 - Cookies
G20 - Bike tune-up
G21 - Mandarin lessons
G22 - Chocolate treats basket
G23 - Grocery Trip
G24 - Portrait photography
G25 - Spanish translation
G26 - Vegetarian lunch
G27 - Costco Trip
G28 - Vegetarian food
G29 - Homemade Lasagna and Cheesecake from scratch
G30 - Homemade Mexican Salsa
G31 - Punjabi or Urdu lessons
G32 - 4 quarts of ridiculously amazing chocolate coconut ice cream, vegan-style.
G33 - 2 hours of beginner or intermediate salsa lessons
G34 - Ride to the grocery store
G35 - Two course vegetarian dinner for you and a friend
G36 - Drinks on the town with an eligible first-year law student
G37 - Guitar Lessons
G38 - Tax return preparation
G39 - Furniture moving
G40 - Starcraft 2 tutoring
G41 - Trader Joe's trip
G42 - Plumbing services
G43 - Two fruit pies
G44 - Magic lesson
G45 - Outline for Professor Spann's Contracts class
G46 - Outline for Professor Abernathy's Civ Pro class
G47 - Ride to or from the airport
G52 - Costco/Grocery Trip

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Live Auction Prizes: A Sneak Peek!

EJF's Live Auction is quickly approaching - the ROCKtion will go down on Thursday, Oct. 28th, starting at 7pm in Hart Auditorium. We are still receiving donations from local businesses and all of your favorite professors, but for those of you who are impatient and cannot wait to see what exciting prizes will be up for bid, here is a sneak preview! Stay tuned for more coming later this week...

Catalog Number - Prize
L1 - 7-Course Dinner for 10 at Marrakesh Restaurant, with belly dance show
P1 - "Libations and Life After Law School" with Katy Montgomery, Emmy Berning, and Abe Pollack (Dinner and drinks for 6 students with 3 OCS counselors at Katy Montgomery's house)
L2 - Shenandoah Rafting Trip for 10 from River and Trail Outfitters, including a riverside picnic
L4 - Two tickets to Barrister's Ball + swanky hotel stay, from the SBA
L5 - Win a Wednesday Wind Down In Your Honor! from SBA
P2 - Dinner, Swimming, and Boating for 10 students at the lakehouse home of Professor Mike Gottesman
P3 - Lunch for 4 at Busboys & Poets with OPICS
L6 - 2 tickets to Commencement Gala, VIP seating for 4 at Commencement Ceremony, Commencement Regalia
Pkg. L6 - $50 Gift Certificate toward custom framing from P Street Pictures
Pkg. L6 - Weekend Stay at The Dupont Hotel
P4 - Champagne Bruch for 4 with Professor Sheryll Cashin
P5 - Buffet for 15 at Professor Langevoort's house
P6 - Lunch for 2 at Bistro Bis with Professor Dan Ernst
P7 - "Run with the Dean!" Dean Treanor hosts jogging for a group of up to 10
P8 - Wine from Professor Jeff Bauman's personal collection (the higher the bid, the better the wine!)
P9 - Dinner for 4 at Han Sung Oak + optional karaoke with Professor David Wolitz
P10 - Lunch for 2 with Professor Cohn
P11 - Bowling, Beer, and Buffalo wings with Professor Mezey (for 6-8 students and 1 other faculty member, tbd)
P12 - Lunch at Rosa Mexicana for four with Professor Melissa Henke
L7 - 2 tickets to Home Court and $15 in concessions (includes t-shirts!)

Monday, October 18, 2010

Silent Auction Prizes: Travel & Experiences

Looking to get away or try something new? Think about bidding on one of these great prizes!

Catalog Number - Prize
T1 - Weekend Stay at the Washington Court Hotel
T2 - Shenandoah Rafting Trip for 10 from the River and Trail Outfitters
T3 - Weekend Stay at the Liaison Hotel
T4 - Whitewater Rafting for 2 from River Expeditions
T5 - $50 toward a stay at Georgian House B & B
T6 - 2 passes for a Washington Monuments Cruise on the Potomac River from the Potomac Riverboat Company
T7 - 2 passes for Alexandria-National Harbor Water Taxi from the Potomac Riverboat Company
T8 - $200 Gift Certificate to Gibson's Lodgings
T9 - Complimentary tour for 10 at the National Museum of Women in the Arts
T10 - Weekend stay for two at the Washington Hilton
T11 - Two nights at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center
T12 - 2 boarding passes for cruise around Annapolis Harbor and the U.S. Naval Academy from Watermark Cruises

Silent Auction Prizes: Sports


Attention sports fans: take a look at the tickets, classes, and other prizes up for grabs in the Silent Auction!

Catalog Number - Prize
S1 - 2 tickets to the Pro Football Hall of Fame
S2 - Washington Capitals Hockey Puck
S3 - Baltimore Ravens Football
S4 - Washington Redskins Football
S5 - One Month Gym Membership at City Fitness
S6 - Signed photo of Hines Ward from the Pittsburgh Steelers
S7 - Weekday Round of Golf for 4 at The Gauntlet Golf Course
S8 - One Group Golf Class at East Potomac Golf Course
S9 - 4 tickets to a Bowie Baysox Game in April/May 2011

Silent Auction Prizes: Miscellaneous

These prizes are too cool to categorize! Check out these deals and get ready to make your bids.

Catalog Number - Prize
M1 - Necklace from Beadazzled
M2 - Tissot watch
M3 - Navy Georgetown Law Hoodie from the Georgetown Law Bookstore
M4 - Grey Georgetown Law Hoodie from the Georgetown Law Bookstore
M5 - Grey Nellie's Sweatshit and Baseball Cap from Nellie's Sports Bar
M6 - Blue Nellie's T-shirt from Nellie's Sports Bar
M7 - Pink Nellie's T-shirt from Nellie's Sports Bar
M8 - Federal Rules of Evidence by Professor Paul Rothstein
M9 - Federal Testimonial Privileges by Professor Paul Rothstein
M10 - Evidence in a Nutshell by Professor Paul Rothstein
M11 - $50 Gift Certificate to The Phoenix
M12 - Custom Framing by Watergate Gallery and Frame Design
M13 - $50 Gift Certficate to Nosegay Flower Shop
M14 - $25 Gift Card to Johnson's Florist & Garden Centers
M15 - Family Portrait from Avonlee Photography
M16 - 3 Capitol Steps CDs
M17 - The most AMAZING chocolate cake from Professor Nina Pillard
M18 - $45 gift certificates to the Brass Knob Architectural Antiques
M19 - $100 of drapery, rug cleaning or wedding gown cleaning from Bergmann's Cleaning
M20 - $50 gift card to Sephora

Silent Auction Prizes: Health & Spa

Treat yourself or a friend with one of these great prizes up for bid in our Silent Auction, 10/20-10/28.

Catalog Number - Prize
H1 - 10-Class Pass to Bikram Yoga Dupont
H2 - Intro Week Pass to Bikram Yoga Dupont
H3 - One Month of Martial Arts Classes at Yong Studios
H4 - Haircut at Eclips Salon
H5 - Salon Services at Imaj Salon
H6 - $20 Gift Certificate to Aveda Institute
H7 - $20 Gift Certificate to Aveda Institute
H8 - $20 Gift Certificate to Aveda Institute
H9 - Manicure at Elegant Nail Salon
H10 - Manicure at Elegant Nail Salon
H11 - Manicure at Elegant Nail Salon

Silent Auction Prizes: Food & Drink

Work up an appetite for these yummy prizes up for bid in our 2010 Silent Auction starting on Wednesday...

Catalog Number - Description
F1 - $50 Gift Certificate to Rasoi Indian Kitchen
F2 - $50 Gift Certificate to Rasoi Indian Kitchen
F3 - $20 Gift Certificate to Original Pancake House
F4 - Dinner for Two at Arucola Osteria
F5 - $50 Gift Certificate to Café Berlin
F6 - VIP Tour and Wine Tasting at Ingleside Vineyards
F7 - Ice Cream Cake from Thomas Sweet
F8 - Dinner for Two at Metro 29 Diner
F9 - 2 bottles of wine from Calvert Woodley Liquor
F10 - Godiva Chocolates from Godiva
F11 - $40 Gift Certificate to Star and Shamrock
F12 - $50 Gift Certificate to Sushi Aoi
F13 - $25 Gift Certificate to Soho Tea and Coffee
F14 - $25 Gift Certificate to Soho Tea and Coffee
F15 - $25 Gift Certificate to Soho Tea and Coffee
F16 - $50 Gift Certificate to Dalchinni Restaurant
F17 - Afternoon tea for two at Teaism
F18 - $50 Gift Certificate to Madhatter
F19 - $60 Gift Certificate to Ben's Chili Bowl
F20 - $100 Gift Certificate to Buddha Bar
F21 - Sunday Champagne Brunch for Two at Morrison-Clark Historic Inn & Restaurant
F22 - $25 Gift Certificate to Jos. A Bank Clothiers
F23 - $40 Gift Certificate to Las Placitas
F24 - $25 Gift Certificate to Amsterdam Falafelshop
F25 - $25 Gift Certificate to Café Assorti
F26 - $25 Gift Certificate to Café Assorti
F27 - $40 Gift Certificate to Southside 815 Restaurant
F28 - $25 Gift Certificate to Medaterra Restaurant
F29 - $25 Gift Certificate to Medaterra Restaurant
F30 - $25 gift card to Kelly's Irish Times
F31 - $25 gift card to Kelly's Irish Times
F32 - Lunch or dinner at the Dubliner
F33 - $20 to Bambule restaurant
F34 - Dinner for two at the Monocle
F35 - Dinner for two at California Tortilla
F36 - Dinner for two at California Tortilla
F37 - $40 gift certificate to The Tombs
F38 - $50 gift certificate to Lucky Bar
F39 - $75 gift certificate to the Tabard Inn
F40 - Dinner for two at Etete Ethiopian Restaurant
F41 - $25 gift certificate to Paragon Thai
F42 - $25 gift certificate to Paragon Thai
F43 - $10 gift certificate to Billy Goat Tavern & Grill
F44 - $10 gift certificate to Billy Goat Tavern & Grill
F45 - $10 gift certificate to Billy Goat Tavern & Grill
F46 - $25 gift certificate to Tonic
F47 - $25 gift certificate to Tonic
F48 - Large ice cream cake from Ben & Jerry's
F49 - 3-course dinner for two at Againn Restaurant
F50 - Dinner for two at Café Oggi
F51 - $25 gift certificate to Hard Times Café
F52 - $50 Gift Certificate to The Dancing Crab
F53 - Dinner for two at Sushi-Ko Restaurant
F54 - Dinner for Two at M & S Grill
F55 - $25 gift card to use at any Great American Restaurant
F56 - Dinner for two at any EatWellDC restaurant
F57 - $50 gift card to Front Page
F58 - Dinner or lunch for four at Union Pub
F59 - $50 gift card to Lounge 201
F60 - Dinner for two at Mourayo restaurant
F61 - Sunday champagne brunch for two at Tony & Joe's
F62 - $50 gift card to Fado
F63 - Dinner for two at Monroe's

Silent Auction Prizes: Arts & Entertainment


Check out our Arts & Entertainment prizes up for bid in the 2010 Silent Auction - the bidding wars begin on Wednesday!

Catalog Number - Description
A1 - 2 tickets to the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
A2 - 4 general admission passes to AFI Silver Theatre
A3 - $25 gift certificate to All Fired Up (pottery painting)
A4 - 2 passes to Shear Madness at the Kennedy Center
A5 - 2 passes to Superior Donuts, which runs November 10-December 19, 2010 at Studio Theater
A6 - 4 tickets to Gadsby's Tavern
A7 - 4 tickets to the Stabler Leadbeather Apothecary Museum
A8 - Enclosure (Coffee Table book) by Andy Goldsworthy, from Politics & Prose
A9 - The Essential Roy Orbison CD
A10 - 2 tickets to see Ameriville at the Round House Theater
A11 - 2 tickets to a performance during the MetroStage 2010-2011 Season.
A12 - 2 tickets to a performance in the Shakespeare Theatre Company's 2010-2011 Season
A13 - Painting by Roberta Gottesman
A14 - $25 Gift Certificate to Second Story Books
A15 - 1 hr Card Making Class for 4-6 people, including discounted shopping opportunity, at Paper Source
A16 - Gift Certificate for dance classes at Arthur Murray Dance Studio
A17 - 4 tickets to Spy Museum
A18 - $100 toward a class, camp or party offered by Create Arts Center in Silver Spring
A19 - 2 tickets to see Ruined at Arena Stage
A20 - 4 Regal movie passes
A21 - 4 passes to Landmark Theatres
A22 - 2 tickets to House of Gold at Woolly Mamoth Theatre

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Students: EJF Needs YOU!


EJF's 2010 Silent Auction kicks off on October 20th and ends on October 28th, the day of the Live Auction, and EJF needs your help!

In order to make this year's auction a success, EJF is requesting student service donations from those who received funding over the summer. In past years, student services have been a big hit during the Silent Auction. Donations included things like driving someone to the airport, walking their dog for a week, or making a dinner for four. The hottest ticket items last year were language and music lessons, which can be a lot of fun for both the donor and the winner!

Students who donate their services will get 1 hour credit toward their EJF fall hours requirement. Student Donation Contracts are available in the EJF office in Room 208. Please just pick one up, fill it out, and drop it off in the folder marked "Completed Contracts" outside of the EJF office. Bidding begins on Wednesday, so add your donation soon!

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Rock Band Competition Update

Please note that the all rounds of the EJF Rock Band Competition will now be happening on October 28th, during the Live Auction. (We will not be holding semi-finals on Oct. 20th, as previously announced.) If you are interested in being a rock star for a night, there is still time to sign up!! Please contact: ejfrockband@gmail.com.

Monday, October 11, 2010

ROCKtion 2010 - Sign up for our Rock Band Competition


The 2010 EJF Silent Auction and Live Auction, a.k.a. the "ROCKtion," are less than three weeks away. To help get you fired up, EJF is recruiting teams for our first ever Rock Band Competition. The Semi-Final Competition will take place on October 20 at Wednesday Wind Down, and the finalists will compete for the grand title during the Final Competition on October 28 - on stage at Live Auction! There is a $10 entry fee per team. Grab three of your friends and email ejfrockband@gmail.com to sign up.

Get ready to ROCK!

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Fire Sale - Next Tuesday & Wednesday!

Attention all students:

EJF will be hosting a "Fire Sale" next week to sell off some remaining prizes from last year. As always, the funds we raise will help fund public interest summer internships for Georgetown Law students.

The sale will take place next Tuesday, 10/5, and Wednesday, 10/6, between 11am and 7pm each day.

While some items will go for low prices, they will definitely all go fast. Please stop by our table in McDonough next week and check out these great deals!!

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Sign-up Sheets for EJF Recipient Volunteer Hours Now Available on TWEN

This year's EJF silent auction will run from October 21-28, and the live auction will be held on October 28. To make the auctions a success, however, EJF asks that each recipient complete 4 hours of volunteering for various tasks relation to the auction, 2 hours of which are phonebanking. Sign ups are available on TWEN (enroll in the Equal Justice Foundation - Hours and Applications course). Please sign up ASAP, but no later than Wednesday, September 29.

We have lots of different sign-up options available on a wide variety of times and dates, including (but not limited to) baking, tabling, auction set-up and clean-up, and picking up prizes. We also have a number of hours available for poster-making and decorating. This year's theme is the "Rocktion!" so those of you with artistic skills can go wild!

If you have any questions, please contact gulc.ejf@gmail.com. Thank you all in advance for signing up and volunteering; we couldn't put this together without the help of all of the EJF recipients!

Friday, September 10, 2010

EJF gears up for the 2010-11 school year

Welcome back to campus to all of our returning students, and welcome to the new 1Ls we look forward to meeting this year. This past summer, we had our largest class of EJF recipients in our history participating in summer internships in DC, across the country, and even abroad. Now, EJF is getting ready for another busy school year of fundraising and supporting the public interest students at Georgetown Law.

Please mark your calendars for this year's EJF Auction which is scheduled for Thursday, October 28th, in Hart Auditorium. As the auction approaches we will be providing additional information about the event and the fabulous prizes up for auction - stay tuned!

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

National Council on Aging, Washington, D.C.

by Dave Goldstein

At the end of May, I will begin an internship at the National Council on Aging, a non-profit service and advocacy organization in Washington, D.C. Some of NCOA’s main advocacy efforts are aimed at promoting policies that will improve life-long health and economic security for older Americans. Among the many ways that NCOA works toward bringing about these policy changes are collaboration with organization across multiple sectors and grassroots work that lets individuals voice their concerns to a national audience, including the government. At NCOA, I will be working on public policy and advocacy issues relating to health care, an area in which I have a bit of experience, and a great deal of interest in.

This is a particularly exciting time to work on public policy issues for NCOA because of the recent passage of health care reform by Congress. I think that my work will be very relevant and helpful to people who are struggling to find out what health care reform means for them. One of NCOA’s major projects in the coming months will be reviewing the changes made to health care laws and determining what effect these changes will have on the benefits that millions of older Americans receive every year. In helping to research and identify these changes, I hope to contribute to people’s understanding of the benefits they are entitled to and the standards that employers, and all levels of government will be held to.

Interning at NCOA will provide me with an excellent opportunity to gain experience in an organization where the legal and political worlds intersect. During my internship, I will have the opportunity to attend congressional hearings and represent NCOA at forums throughout the city. Additionally, I will have a personal summer-long project assigned to me once my internship start. While interning, I hope to learn skills that will help me both scholastically and professionally. However, it is equally important to me that my work benefits the lives of the people NCOA serves.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Los Angeles County Public Defenders

by Tyler Press

This summer I will be working for the Los Angeles County Public Defenders. I will be splitting the summer between two offices, one of which will be a juvenile office. I will shadow a public defender and assisting with research, and help write pre-trial motions and sentencing memorandums. I will have direct contact with clients, and will sit in on hearings. The public defenders office provides an invaluable service for members of the public who are accused of a crime but cannot afford a private attorney. I have always thought that the public defenders are the people who maintain balance and integrity within the legal system, and this semester taking Criminal Procedure
has only reinforced these feelings.

Since my long term career goals are to stay in the public sector, I wanted to work at the public defenders office because I will get a real ground level experience in all aspects of criminal procedure and litigation. While the work done by public defenders is often some of the most difficult work, I hope that it will be a rewarding experience on which to build a career in the public sector.

This March the LA County courts announced that due to mounting budget pressure, fifteen courts are being closed, with up to 50 courts to be closed by September. Up to 20% of employees will also be cut this year. This is going to put enormous stress on the remaining employees of the system, as well as slow the docket of the courts substantially. While criminal trials will be given priority due to the right to a speedy trial, wait times will be much longer for those with civil, family, juvenile and traffic cases. Now more than ever the work of the public defenders will be essential to maintaining a semblance of justice in the criminal defense system. In the face of a troubling time, this summer I will not only be getting a first hand look into the criminal justice system, but also to the wide-sweeping changes that are occurring during the recession.

Friday, March 26, 2010

The Legal Aid Society in Brooklyn, New York

by Dan Soleimani

This summer, I’ll be interning with the Juvenile Rights Practice of The Legal Aid Society in Brooklyn, New York. My work this summer will be evenly distributed between two very different types of law: Juvenile Justice and Termination of Parental Rights. In working on juvenile justice cases, I will be the attorney assigned to representing juveniles accused of having committed crimes in New York City. Like any typical criminal defense attorney, I’ll be responsible for evaluating the government’s case against my client, investigating the facts of the alleged crime, and ultimately representing my client at trial in the Family Court of the NY Supreme Court (the trial court of the NY state court system). This will be a fantastic opportunity to practice my legal writing and litigation skills on a daily basis. I’ll be spending the other half of my summer representing individual juveniles in an entirely different context.
When a parent or guardian has neglected his/her legal duties to a juvenile, the government may choose to bring a civil action against that parent or guardian in order to terminate his/her parental rights, and remove the juvenile from that individual’s custody. New York is understandably concerned about the interests and well-being of the juvenile during this complicated and often heartrending process. As such, attorneys in The Legal Aid Society are assigned to represent the child’s interests during the investigation and prosecution of the government’s case against the child’s parent or guardian. I will be spending the other half of my summer representing children who have become ensnared in this unfortunate process. My role will not be to tell the juvenile whether they should stay with their parent (if the court allows it), or whether they should leave their childhood home and move in with a foster family. Instead, I will have the responsibility of being the child’s voice at the hearing, and expressing my client’s wishes and interests to the parties at bar.
Perhaps the most appealing dynamic of a summer internship with The Legal Aid Society is the opportunity to work in two very different fields of law. Although I’m committed to working on some sort of juvenile rights issue post-graduation, I still haven’t settled on a particular field of law. I’m confident that this internship will expose me to a wide range of juvenile rights issues, and will help me further hone my interests. Also, the internship will give me a fantastic opportunity to develop my litigation skills. Both components of the internship will allow be to be in and out of court, in hearings and trials, almost every single day this summer. However, since the position is unpaid, there is no way I could have accepted this unbelievable opportunity without my EJF summer funding.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Northwest Defenders Association, Seattle, WA

By Samual Eilers

I am a 2L at Georgetown University Law Center. I came to law school specifically to become a criminal defense attorney. This Summer (Summer 2010) I will be interning with the Northwest Defenders Association (NDA) in Seattle, Washington. NDA is a private, non-profit organization committed to equal justice and the defense of individual liberty. Its attorneys and staff represent clients in criminal and civil proceedings and work to improve the justice system. With investigators, paralegals and social workers, the attorneys defend adults and juveniles against criminal charges in King County Superior Court, King County District Court, and Seattle Municipal Court. NDA attorneys also represent parents and children in Dependency proceedings and respondents answering Contempt petitions.

I will have a limited license to practice law under the Washington Admission to Practice Rules (APR 9). Rule 9 Interns are supervised by an experienced NDA attorney. My supervising attorney will be Dave Roberson (L’91, Georgetown), who is the Deputy Director of NDA. At the beginning of my internship, I will undergo an intensive, week-long criminal law and procedure review, along with extensive trial advocacy training. Then, as an APR 9 intern in the District Court Unit, I will be fully responsible for the representation of adult clients charged with misdemeanors, including arraignment, investigation, interviews, motions, bench and petit jury trials, and sentencing. I will also have the opportunity to represent juveniles charged with misdemeanors and to second-chair felony trials. Finally, I will assist Felony Unit and Dependency Unit attorneys with various legal research and writing assignments.

Friday, March 19, 2010

One Day for Justice 2010

Participate in our One Day for Justice Program by pledging one day's salary for public interest. To participate please fill out a form for current students or graduating students and return it to EJF.

EJF Recipients - ask your friends with paying jobs to donate One Day for Justice!

Thursday, February 25, 2010

March 1st is the application deadline for 2010 Summer Funding

Are you currently looking for a public interest summer internship? Have you accepted an unpaid internship with a public interest organization or government entity? If either of these situations apply to you, make sure to file your initial application for EJF summer funding by Monday, March 1st.

This deadline is only for the initial application and you do not need to have a specific offer of employment yet. The final application will be due on April 9, 2010, at which time a confirmed offer of employer is required.

EJF 2010 summer funding is available to JD students engaging in law-related work for a public interest organization or governmental entity. EJF fellowships will be $3,250 for 10 week, full-time internships.

The Instructions and the Initial Application Form can be found on the OPICS website at: http://www.law.georgetown.edu/opics/GeorgetownEqualJusticeFoundationSummerFellowship2.htm Make sure that you read the instructions carefully to ensure you complete all necessary steps to receive funding.

For additional details, please come to the Summer Funding Information Session on Monday, March 1st at 3:30pm, in McDonough 201. (Note: OPICS will schedule another session immediately following spring break.)

Equal Justice Foundation

EJF's Live Auction took place January 29, 2015 in Hart Auditorium and was a HUGE SUCCESS. Check the Facebook page for updates about other ways to help fund public interest activities for Summer 2015