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!!

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!

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.)

Children’s Defense Fund, Washington, D.C.

By Jennifer Cormier

As a high school student in Boston, Massachusetts, I often visited the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library. One afternoon, I attended a civil rights panel at the Library and discovering an inspiring duo of speakers: Peter and Marian Wright Edelman. I was captivated by their stories about the civil rights movement and their dedication to public service.

Years later, I remembered that afternoon when I made the decision to enroll at Georgetown University Law Center. I chose Georgetown because of its commitment to social justice – and because I dreamed of working one day for the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF), the advocacy organization founded by Mrs. Edelman.

This past summer, I fulfilled that dream when I served as a Legal Intern within CDF’s Child Welfare and Mental Health Division. The position combined my two passions: child advocacy and mental health. I prepared for my first day eager to immerse myself in the work of the organization that I had long admired from afar.

Just two blocks away from the Law Center campus and a stone’s throw from Capitol Hill, CDF is housed in a small brick building on E Street. While the façade is unassuming, the office is filled with talented, passionate advocates who transform children’s lives every day. I was proud to meet and learn from the three staffers who comprise the Child Welfare and Mental Health Division: MaryLee Allen, Beth Davis-Pratt, and Stefanie Sprow.

During my tenure, I prepared legal memoranda to brief Mrs. Edelman about relevant juvenile justice and special education cases decided by the Supreme Court. I also helped to research and edit testimony of Mrs. Edelman’s when she was invited to testify at a hearing for the Youth PROMISE Act in the House of Representatives. Finally, I conceptualized and wrote content for a new section of the CDF website dedicated to children’s mental health advocacy.

CDF is based on the idea that children have rights but no voices – they cannot vote, lobby, or advocate for themselves. I am grateful to the Equal Justice Foundation and its generous donors for giving me the opportunity to amplify CDF’s voice for children during this summer of a lifetime.

U.S. District Court, Newark, New Jersey

By Shareif Abdelwahab

This past summer, I had the opportunity to work as an intern for the U.S. District Court in the Federal District of New Jersey. My time in chambers proved to be an invaluable experience as I got the chance to work closely with Judge Stanley Chesler on drafting legal memoranda, reviewing briefs and discussing the merits of the arguments presented by the litigants at oral argument. As a culmination to this experience, I successfully completed a judicial opinion that was subsequently approved and used by the judge. The satisfaction gained from that one project alone made the experience worthwhile.

Beyond these tangible gains, I also really benefited from sitting in on oral arguments and seeing legal practitioners apply their craft in everyday real life situations. It exposed me to the different litigating styles that practitioners employ, from the calm and light-hearted approach to the aggressive and in-your-face. One of my fondest memories of this entire experience was walking into oral argument and hearing one of our very own Georgetown Law professors advocate on behalf of the defendant. To see this professor in the court room, after having been taught by him in class, really relayed to me the disconnect that we as law students who study theory and doctrine have with our colleagues in the workplace who combine these principles with real life cases and facts in one coherent and persuasive presentation.

We as law students read a lot and, hopefully, learn a lot about the law. Often times however, we forget that the legal universe extends beyond the classrooms we learn in or the law schools we attend. Being a successful lawyer goes beyond knowing the Erie Doctrine or the UCC; it involves a combination of substance and style, intellect and elegance. My time in chambers this past summer could not have illustrated this point more then it did to me. My very assignment involved drafting a memo regarding a pro se petitioner's motion to amend or revoke his felony conviction under U.S.C. Section 2255. Admittedly, this task seemed intimidating at first; I had never learned about 2255 in my criminal law class. On top of that, I was expected to present my conclusion to Judge Chesler himself and explain the reasoning behind it. Luckily, I was able to learn so much about 2255 that I was able to think critically in applying the law to the facts of the petitioner's case. But it was my ability to articulate these thoughts verbally that served both as my biggest challenge and success of the summer.

All in all, I absolutely enjoyed my time in chambers and the mentoring I received from both Judge Chesler and his clerks. I feel that I have grown by leaps and bounds as a law student and individual as a result of this experience. For that, I am very grateful and thankful for EJF and their contributors in helping making this summer experience possible for me.

Photos fom the Live Auction!

Relive your favorite moments or see what you missed!


Photo by Alex Perry, Georgetown 2L.

See more great photos of the Live Auction taken by Alex: http://aperryproductions.zenfolio.com/p501340187

Thank you to all the donors, auctioneers and students who made our Live Auction a great success!

Dept. of Labor- Mine Safety and Health Administration

By Ahsaki Anokye

This summer, I worked at the Department of Labor, Office of the Solicitor, Division of Mine Safety and Health Administration. I did many different research projects. There was one case in particular that I believed was very noteworthy. When a manager at a mine is responsible for a particular egregious and dangerous offense, the government may bring individual civil penalties against that individual. These are called 110(c) cases. One such case arose out of an anonymous complaint that employees were being directed to climb on an energized conveyor belt, thereby putting them at risk of a slip and fall onto moving equipment. I put a lot of time researching relevant case law that would support my belief that individual civil penalties should be brought against the agent.

Through EJF, social justice was furthered based in the fact that much of our country is powered on the production of coal. That individuals work tirelessly everyday to provide a living for their families and also energy for the entire country, is very valuable. However, the coal mining industry is very dangerous. The risks associated with going underground are great in that at any time the small tunnels that mine workers enter could collapse and kill many workers. That air quality is severely impaired places workers at risk for suffocation. That coal in itself is extremely flammable, places individuals at risk for explosion and fire. Black Lung Disease is also extremely common among mine workers and can permanently and chronically disable anyone afflicted. The Mine Safety and Health Administration is responsible for ensuring that the safety standards set forth in the Mine Safety and Health Act are followed closely. In my time at the Department of Labor, I contributed to those initiatives. I am proud that I did America and the mine workers of America a social justice by protecting the safety and health of one of America’s most precious workers: the mine worker. I believe that regulating the mine industry through governmental administrative agencies is very effective. There is too much money to be made if mine owners break a few rules and cut a few corners. It is my belief that without the strict governmental intervention, many more mine workers would die in the pursuit increased profits. Had it not been for the EJF scholarship, I wouldn’t have been able to pursue this non-paid internship. Because of the EJF scholarship, not only was I able to realize the social implications of this job, but hopefully I was able to help make mining a bit safer. For this, I am extremely grateful.

Slient Auction- Closing Schedule!

Come to the last day of the Silent Auction tomorrow to make sure you get the high bid on your favorite prizes!

We will be closing out the prize categories in Hart Lobby as follows:

6:10pm Salon & Health and Kids

6:20pm Sports and Arts & Entertainment

6:30pm New Additions and Gifts -- and we begin serving drinks!!
(beer, nonalcoholic beverages, and food will be provided)

6:40pm Hotels & Travel

6:50pm Food & Drink

7:00pm Professor Prizes/Student Services -- and the Live Auction begins!

So, come early to make sure you don't get outbid and stay late for the Live Auction!

See you in Hart!

New Additions 10/28

Come to the final day of the EJF Silent Auction tomorrow to bid on these and other great prizes!

$25 gift card for Armand's Chicago Pizzeria

Signed Ravens football

One night weekend stay at the Westin Grand

$100 gift card to any Passion Food Hospitality Restaurant: Includes TenPenh, Ceiba, Passion Fish, Acadiana and DC Coast

Don't forget to wear your finest Auctoberfest costume to the Live Auction in Hart Auditorium at 7:00pm tomorrow (Thursday)! There will be beer, food and great prizes!

Live Auction- New Prize!

Come to the EJF Live Auction on Thursday, October 29 at 7:00pm in Hart Auditorium to bid on this and other great prizes!

Dinner for four with Professor Wolitz at a Korean barbecue restaurant + private-room Karaoke afterward.

See the rest of the live auction prizes here!

New Additions 10/27

Come to EJF's Silent Auction to bid on these and other great prizes!

Makeup Comparison Testing session

LEEWS Exam Prep Audio course (2 sets)

Personal Training Tri-Pack at the GULC Sport & Fitness Center

Locker Rental at GULC Sport & Fitness Center for the academic year

Check back daily for new prizes and don't forget to come to the Live Auction!

Live Auction Prizes!

Come to the EJF Live Auction on Thursday, October 29 at 7:00pm in Hart Auditorium to bid on these great prizes!

1) Lunch for 3 at Mehak with Professor Wolfman

2) Lunch for 2 at Bistro Bis with Professor Ernst

3) Dinner for 3 with Professor Edelman

4) Thai takeout for 8 with Professor Cohen

5) OPICS lunch for 6 at Busboys and Poets

6) Kayaking and lunch for 4 with Professor Roe (in WV)

7) Lunch for 4 at Rosa Mexicana with Professor Henke

8) Dinner for 6 with Dean Fernando and OCS counselors

9) Lunch for 6 in Chinatown with Professors Schrag and Schoenholtz

10) Limited-edition Justice Souter bobblehead

11) Lunch for 4 at Bistro Bis with Professors Cole, Moulton, Mlyniec and Bright

12) Dinner for 6 with Professors Forman and Zeiler

13) 4 tickets to Hoyas basketball game vs. Notre Dame on Feb 27

14) Dinner for 8 with Professors Lazarus and Babcock

15) Romance Package (Weekend at the Bethesda Marriot including parking and breakfast, Dinner for 2 at Tosca, 2 tickets to DC Arts Center).

16) White-water rafting trip for 10

17) Lunch for 5 at Matchbox with Professor Aiken

18) Dinner for 7 with Professors Aiken, Epstein, Kohn, and West

19) 4 front-row tickets to the Home Court basketball game. Comes with 4 pieces of pizza, 4 drinks, and 4 t-shirts.

20) Home-cooked dinner for 5 with Dean Bailin

21) Day of climbing with Professor Pillard co-led by experienced climber Maury Birdwell

22) Dessert for 4 at Kramerbooks with Prof. Dolovich

23) Drinks and a movie for 6 with Professors Sirota and Ross

24) Dinner for 4 at Oyamel with Prof. Santos

25) Spanish lessons and tapas with Pablo Molina

26) Seven course dinner for 10 at Marrakesh

27) Cocktail party for 9 with Prof. Henning

28) Beer and bowling for 7 with Professors Mezey, Short and Tsoukala

29) Graduation Package (Weekend stay at Hotel George, 2 tickets to gala, cap and gown, and custom framing from District Fine Arts)

30) Microbrew tasting for 6 with Prof. Byrne

31) Champagne brunch for 4 with Professor Cashin

32) Plane sightseeing tour - 45 minute trip for 2. Take-off and landing from College Park.

33) Dinner for 6 with Professor Vicki Jackson place/time TBD

34) Barristers Ball Package (Hotel stay (location TBD near venue) Shampoo, Haircut, Blowdry, and Style/Spa Manicure from Piaf Salon, $25 gift certificate to Johnson’s Florist, 2 tickets to ball and 75 gift certificate to Lounge 201).

35) Hiking Old Rag and picnic for 6 with Professor Wales

36) Wine tasting for 25 at Best Cellers

37) Dim sum for 12 with Professor Feinerman

38) Whitewater rafting part II

39) Dinner buffet for 15 with Professor Langevoort

40) 2 tickets to the first round of the U.S. Tennis Open

41) 4 tickets to Bruce Springsteen & E St. Band Monday, Nov. 2 at the Verizon Center. Section 107 row N.

42) Lunch for 4 with Professor Ginsburg

43) Trip for 10 to Professor Gottesman’s lakehouse - includes boating, swimming and dinner.

44) Dinner for 10 with John Podesta

45) Cocktail party for 20 with Viet Dinh

46) Dinner for four with Professor Wolitz at a Korean barbecue restaurant + private-room Karaoke afterward.

Check back for new additions and updates!

New Additions 10/25

Come to EJF's Silent Auction to bid on these and other great prizes!

Gift basket from Markets & More farmer's market

Dinner for two at Zola

Two-night weekend stay at One Washington Circle Hotel

Check back daily for new prizes and the list of prizes for the Live Auction!

New Additions 10/24

Come to EJF's Silent Auction to bid on these and other great prizes!

Two passes to a taping of Pardon the Interruption at ESPN in DC

Trek Bike, either men's or women's, from Westlaw.

Check back daily for new prizes!