The 2015 Hogan/Smoger Access to Justice Essay Competition

Topic: The Impact of ‘Corporate Personhood’ on American Life: Should Corporations Be Afforded Bill of Rights and Other Constitutional Protections? Although they are not mentioned in the Constitution, corporations have claimed constitutional protections at least since the 1886 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad Commission. Corporations’ claims to constitutional rights have expanded dramatically in the past four decades, most famously as a result of the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision. Administered by Public Citizen, the Hogan/Smoger Access to Justice essay competition is soliciting essay submissions on the topic: “The Impact of ‘Corporate Personhood’ on American Life: Should Corporations Be Afforded Bill of Rights and Other Constitutional Protections?”

Prizes:

  • $5,000
  • Complimentary 2015 Public Citizen membership

Submission Deadline: Essays must be submitted by email no later than 11:59 p.m. on April 30, 2015, to Amanda Fleming.

Eligibility: The competition is open to all current law students. Coauthored submissions are eligible; if selected, the coauthors will share the prize. Each submission must be an original, unpublished academic work. If a submission has been accepted for publication, the student should include written consent from the journal to the posting of the paper on Public Citizen’s website, with appropriate attribution.

Winning submission and prize: The winner will be notified by email, and the winning paper will be posted on Public Citizen’s website. The winner will receive $5,000. Only one winning paper will be chosen and awarded the prizes.

For additional competition details regarding competition rules, judging, etc., please visit the website.

 

Equal Justice Works Information Session on March 5, 2015!

Interested in summer funding for public interest work?

Want to learn more about post-graduate fellowships?

Have questions about student debt or loan repayment?

Attend the Equal Justice Works (EJW) Information Session on March 5, 2015 at 12:30 p.m. in Room E-265.

EJW is dedicated to creating a just society by mobilizing the next generation of lawyers committed to equal justice by offering opportunities to law students that enable them to provide effective representation to underserved communities and causes.

For more information and to RSVP, contact UM HOPE.

 

 

 

CABA 5K Lawyers on the Run Event

Support CABA Pro Bono by Participating in the 4th Annual CABA 5K!

Organized by the Cuban American Bar Association (“CABA”), “Lawyers on the Run” is a family friendly 5K run/walk open to everyone in the community (lawyers and non-lawyers alike) with a dual purpose: to raise awareness of the importance of health and well-being in the legal profession and to raise funds to ensure that access to justice remains a reality for all in South Florida.

This event raises money to support the Pro Bono Project, which offers free bilingual legal services to our local indigent community. The Pro Bono Project was established by CABA in 1984 to provide the neediest members of minority communities with access to our court system and adequate voluntary legal representation. The Project was nationally recognized as a Point of Light by President George H.W. Bush in 1992. In order to sustain and expand this worthwhile cause, we need your support. Register today!

At this year’s 5K, we will be hosting a Kiddie Corner!  The Kiddie Corner will have plenty of fun activities for kids including an Easter egg hunt. Latin Grammy Award-Winning Singer/Songwriter, Angie Chirino will be performing the national anthem. Finally, EACH PERSON WHO REGISTERS is entered for a chance to win a $900 GIFT CERTIFICATE FROM W. HOTEL in Ft Lauderdale. 

The event will be held on Saturday, April 4th of 2015.  All proceeds from Lawyers on the Run go to benefit CABA’s Pro Bono Project.

For more information and to register, click here.

2015 Legal Diversity & Inclusion Tennis/Golf Classic @ Crandon Park – May 9th – 3 CLE

CONNECTING DIVERSE LAW STUDENTS WITH LAWYERS, LAW FIRMS, CORPORATE COUNSEL, JUDGES, ASSOCIATIONS & THE LEGAL COMMUNITY

BRING THE FAMILY AND JOIN US FOR A FULL DAY OF FUN!!

MAY 9th, 2015 – ALL DAY

3 CLE applied for

Crandon Park Tennis Center – Key Biscayne

A SPORTING EVENT FIRST AND FOREMOST: The 2015 Diversity & Inclusion Sports Classic will include tennis and golf tournaments. The USTA will once again run the tennis tournament, which will follow a team tennis round robin format so that during the day players can compete with nearly every other player out on the courts. The number of tennis players has been limited to 72, divided into 12 teams of six. Teams will be strategically organized in a ways that account for players’ skill levels, but also group people in different spheres of the legal community to facilitate networking – for example, a team may consist of a judge, law student, in-house counsel, law firm lawyer, government lawyer, member of academia or third-party legal vendor. Golf teams will be organized in the same way. The golf tournament will follow a shotgun start. It is open to 88 players that will be divided in 22 teams of four.

CAREFREE NETWORKING: Team sports facilitate camaraderie among team members and focused, friendly competition with opponents. In this environment, there is no self-awareness, awkwardness or boring conversations while networking. You will make true connections with other legal professionals without even thinking about it. This is an ideal networking environment for everyone – particularly people who are still learning how to network or who generally don’t enjoy doing so.

FUN FOR FAMILY AND FRIENDS, AND GREAT FOOD: What are sporting events without the excitement of spectators? Besides, work takes you away from loved ones enough. Invite your family and friends to join the tournaments, or simply come out for the many other activities available for guests – including tennis and video game competitions for children, and dominoes and chair massages for adults. Moreover the food will be excellent! Our caterer will be preparing freshly catered meals throughout the day – no boxed lunches. We will end the day with a happy hour celebration, with music, dancing and awards for the tennis and golf champions.

CUTTING EDGE CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION: The 2015 Diversity & Inclusion Sports Classic will incorporate a CLE presentation for players, while guests will have access to a total of three CLE programs throughout the day. See schedule for more information. Panel topics are to be confirmed and announced, but will be presented by highly-qualified experts and address cutting-edge topics like successful economic models for the modern legal practice, minority and diversity issues, preventing the professional exodus of mid-career women lawyers, leveraging media to promote your practice, how technology and social media are disrupting the legal profession, and future courthouses: brick and mortar or virtual spaces.

FREE FOR LAW STUDENTS

REGISTER TODAY – SPACE IS LIMITED

 SCHEDULE:

7 a.m.–8:30 a.m.        Registration and breakfast for tennis players and guests.

9:30 a.m.–11 a.m.      Registration, breakfast and CLE for golfers and guests.

9 a.m.–Noon               Tennis tournament.

Noon–5:00 p.m.        Golf tournament.

Noon–1:30                  Lunch and CLE presentation for tennis players and guests.

1:30 p.m.–4 p.m.       Tennis tournament resumes.

2:30 p.m.-4 p.m.        Guest CLE

4:00 p.m.–6:30 p.m. General happy hour, hors d’oeuvres and awards presentation.

 

This Week at the CDO (Week of March 2, 2015)

Wednesday, March 4, 2015:

  • CDO’s Seventeenth Annual Informational Career Fair 12:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m., Law Campus, The Bricks – Join the CDO and network! Learn about different practice areas as we host public, private and government organizations.

Thursday, March 5, 2015:

  • Using Social Media and Your Law Degree to Pursue Your Passions & Find Your Dream Career – 12:30 p.m. – 1:45 p.m., Room A-110 – Attorney and social media expert Ethan Wall will present an experiential learning workshop series for students interested in traditional and nontraditional careers. During this program you will learn how to utilize social media and your law degree to pursue your passions and find your dream career. Practical advice and exercises will help you develop a more fulfilling and happy personal and professional life. Program takeaways include a practical guide designed to help you articulate what is most important to you and the direction you want to chart in life, a goal setting plan to help you create specific goals and a concrete plan to achieve them, and a social media guide to professionally promoting your image. Ethan Wall practiced social media, Internet, and intellectual property law for seven years at a prestigious Miami law firm where he became a widely recognized authority on the effect of social media on the law and a leader in the bar. In addition to his commercial litigation practice, he authored three books on the effect of social media and the law, traveled the country presenting on the subject, and served as a source for social media and the law on several high profile news organizations, including CNN, NPR, and Thomson Reuters. Ethan was also elected as the President of the Dade County Bar Association Young Lawyers Section, Vice President of the Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad Law Center Alumni Board of Directors, and was named the 2014 Lynn Futch Most Productive Young Lawyer by The Florida Bar. Chambers and Partners named him one of the World’s Leading Lawyers. Ethan is the founder of Let’s Plant a Seed, a charitable initiative designed to pursue his passion for giving back by inspiring others to identify their dreams in life, motivate them to pursue their passions, and inspire others to use their talents and skills to give back to the world in a meaningful way through community service. He also founded Social Media Law and Order, a consulting, education, and training company designed to utilize his law degree for pursuing his passions for public speaking, writing, teaching, and helping others in all areas of social media and the law. Ethan serves as the voice of The Florida Bar on social media in its October 23, 2014 program titled “Social Media 101: How to Use Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to Promote Your Practice and Connect with The Florida Bar. During this series, Ethan will share his experience on how you can use your law degree and social media to pursue your passions, follow your dreams, and live a more fulfilling life.

Central Florida Association for Women Lawyers 2015 Bar Study Scholarship

Florida Association for Women Lawyers is a professional organization devoted to actively promoting the advancement of women in the legal profession and expanding the leadership role of its members in the community at large. To achieve these goals, CFAWL will further the common interests of its members and encourage camaraderie and learning among its members. CFAWL will promote women’s opportunities and rights, uphold the highest standards of integrity, honor, and courtesy in the legal profession, promote reform in the law and facilitate the administration of justice.

The Central Florida Association for Women Lawyers is proud to invite applications for its fourth annual Bar Study Scholarship. The goal of the scholarship is to promote the CFAWL mission, while helping the recipient during his/her study for the Florida Bar Exam. The scholarship is funded by the generous donations of CFAWL members and friends and by CFAWL fundraising efforts.

Eligibility Requirements – Applicants must meet the following criteria:

  • Full-time or part-time law student taking the Florida Bar Exam in July 2015 for the first time;
  • Academic achievement and excellence (no specific GPA required); and
  • Significant campus and community involvement and/or leadership.

Completed applications must be postmarked by April 10, 2015. 

Applications will be reviewed after the deadline and the recipient notified no later than May 1, 2015.

The recipient will be invited to attend the May 8, 2015, CFAWL luncheon in Orlando, where the recipient will be introduced.

CFAWL will award a $1,000 scholarship to the recipient. The award will be paid to the recipient after his/her law school graduation, in June of 2015.

See scholarship application here for mailing address and further information about how to apply.

 

 

Dade County Bar Association Young Lawyers Section Presents Millennials Altering the Profession (“MAP”) Think Tank

SAVE THE DATE!

Please join YLS for the launch of an exciting new program-the Millennials Altering the Profession (“MAP”) Think Tank. What is MAP? The MAP Think Tank is an event series that seeks to disrupt archaic traditions in the law by providing attorneys with an innovative platform to collaborate and share ideas aimed at refreshing the legal profession.

The MAP Think Tank event series is for any individual who wants to see the culture of the profession changed for the better. The first MAP event is ALT (or Alternative) JDs. This event will provide attendees with a safe space to consider and discuss, “What would I do, if I weren’t practicing law” and “What are some alternative uses for my law degree?” More information about the notable ALT JD-ers speaking at the event to follow.

When:   April 9, 2015

Time:    6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Where:LAB Miami, 400 N.W. 26th Street, Miami, FL 33127

Please pre-register for the event today!

Register today.

Attend March Happy Hour at Duffy’s Tavern

When:    Wednesday, March 11, 2015 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM

Where:  Duffy’s Tavern 2108 SW 57th Avenue Miami, FL 33155

Tickets:  $10.00 Member-Only Price for All Members who register and pay online by 2:00 PM the day of the event

$20.00 For All Non-Members and Members who pay at the door

$0.00 Judge

Register Now.

Directions: See here.

Sponsored by Coral Gables Bar Association & Orange Legal.

This event is complimentary to all sitting Judges.

Duffy’s is a cash only establishment. ATM available on site.

If you are a person with a disability and may require accommodation to fully participate in this event, please contact the Coral Gables Bar Association President, Blake S. Sando, to request an accommodation at 305-350-5365 or by email.

 

 

 

DISH® 2015 “Best in Class” eDiscovery Legal Research and Writing Competition

The DISH® 2015 “Best in Class” eDiscovery Legal Research and Writing Competition is sponsored by DISH Network L.L.C., in conjunction with Redgrave LLP.  The grand prize is $3,500 for the winning student.

The DISH® “Best in Class” eDiscovery Legal Research and Writing Competition encourages law students to develop a thorough understanding of the evolution and practice of Information Governance and Discovery in civil litigation.  The competition is the only one of its kind designed to challenge law students to explore the evolving issues of document management, electronically stored information, and ever-expanding technology — along with their application to the law.

Eligibility: all law school students who (a) have obtained a baccalaureate degree or equivalent from an accredited institution and (b) are or will be enrolled in an ABA-accredited law program in the United States on the date of submission.

The submission deadline is April 13, 2015.

Additional contest information can be found on the contest website.

 

 

Ms. JD 7th Annual Conference on Women in the Law – March 5-6 – San Francisco

Ms. JD will be hosting its 7th Annual Conference on Women in the Law on March 5-6, 2015 in San Francisco at UC Hastings College of the Law. Ms. JD’s Annual Conference is a premiere event for women pre-law applicants, law students, and lawyers.

Themed “Stronger Together,” this conference will feature the following events:

Thursday, March 5, 2015 Ms. JD Honors, 5:30-8 PM, Madam Tussauds, San Francisco The Ms. JD Honors awards ceremony will honor the recipients of the 2015 Ms. JD Honors awards given to legal professionals who demonstrate passion for their careers and share that passion with other men and women. We encourage you to join us for this exclusive start to “Stronger Together,” where Ms. JD will present the first TIM (The Incredible Men) Initiative Award. Learn more about the 2015 honorees here. Ms. JD is proud to announce that Patricia Gillette will be the keynote speaker.  Purchase your ticket for the awards ceremony online.

Friday, March 6, 2015 GEF Fundraiser, 6-7 AM, Bar Method, Downtown San Francisco Join Ms. JD’s Global Education Fund and Nicole Chiu-Wang of Ms. JD’s Board of Directors as we get Stronger Together at The Bar Method in downtown San Francisco. This is a great opportunity to share a unique experience with Ms. JD and to learn about and support Ms. JD’s international scholarship program.  Space is limited to 20 attendees.  Purchase tickets online.

Stronger Together Conference, 8 AM-6:30 PM, UC Hastings College of the Law The “Stronger Together” conference will continue on Friday, March 6, 2015 with all-day conference panels and a closing reception.  Conference attendees will gain career insight from panels focusing on young trailblazers, the relationship between women’s initiatives and affinity groups, and the importance of and approaches to mentorship.  In the afternoon, conference attendees will be able to choose from various break-out sessions that will provide step-by-step practical advice on how to apply for a grant, clerkship, or fellowship, how to write a business plan, and how to succeed as a private practice associate. For attorneys, Ms. JD is seeking CLE credit in California. Register online for the conference.  For information on the conference panel speakers, click here.

Ms. JD is excited to announce the opening of a new conference feature, the Career Center.  The Career Center is a center featuring exceptional businesses and organizations that provide services beneficial to Ms. JD’s community such as resume review services, career counseling, headhunting, etc.  The Career Center will operate simultaneously with the morning and afternoon conference panels on Friday, March 6, 2015.  To manage the number of attendees at the Career Center during conference panels, meetings with Career Center professionals will be scheduled in advance. Sessions will be at no charge for conference attendees, and attendees can schedule sessions with more than one Career Center organization. Learn more here.