Category Archives: Public Service

Veterans Clinic Receives State Bar Pro Bono Award

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Congratulations to our Lewis B. Puller, Jr. Veterans Benefits Clinic! They received the 2013 Lewis F. Powell, Jr., Pro Bono Award by the Virginia State Bar (VSB) on April 15.

For the full story and to learn more about the Veterans Benefits Clinic, click here.

Courtesy of the Virginia State Bar
Here’s more great news about a recent graduate, who was instrumental in the Veterans Benefits Clinic. Kevin Barrett, Class of 2013, received the Sullivan Award during Commencement on May 11, 2013. The Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award committee considers “only characteristics of heart, mind and helpfulness to others” in awarding the prize. Barrett has exemplified this ideal as a citizen-lawyer at William & Mary Law School. He is a first lieutenant in the Marine Corps and worked tirelessly in the Veterans Benefits Clinic full-time each summer and as a student in the clinic for two semesters.
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Additionally, the Veterans Clinic has received notice from Virginia Senator Mark Warner, who sees our clinic as a potential national model to reduce the backlogged cases. Click here to read that full article.

Public Service Fund Auction

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by Sarah Lambert, 2L- Public Service Fund Co-Chair

psfThe Public Service Fund is a school organization and non-profit that raises funds to provide summer stipends to students with unpaid public service internships. We are a large group of students that have a variety of interests: some of us are all about public service, while others are more interested in providing the rest of the school with memorable social events. Our corporate goal, however, is one: raise money for students and alumni whose path lies with public service.

Throughout the year, we host fun social events to raise money for students. The largest one by far is our annual auction. Some of your most memorable moments at William & Mary Law School will involve Auction. It is a melding of a traditional auction and a “talent” show, where everyone sees a friend or two get up on stage to show off their spirit. Sometimes that spirit is pure talent and other times it is pure fun. This year we had everyone from Law Capella (our law school a cappella group) to a dance number by our 1L “Backstreet Boys.”

Our Auction items are unlike any other you will find. We have almost every student service known to man listed on there – everything from garden services to fresh handmade espresso beverages for a week. Perhaps the most interesting type of items we have is our evenings or experiences with professors! When you win these, you get to spend time with your favorite professors outside of the academic setting. We also have more traditional auction items, such as tickets to events or packages at a reduced price.

At the end of this years Auction I drove off with my small car stuffed to the brim with remnants of the festivities: plastic cups, leftover pizza, and gift baskets galore. I did not yet know how well we had done, but I knew that this was the Best Auction Ever. Later we found out we raised over $34,000 for the students and alumni of William & Mary Law School, more than we ever have in our recorded history!

I can’t wait to see you there next year!

Discover Law

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by Elizabeth Cavallari

On Tuesday, February 12, William & Mary Law School partnered with Hampton University to hold a Discover Law event on Hampton’s campus. The event in conjunction with Discoverlaw.org was targeted at undergraduate students to prepare them early on for success in the law school admission process and expose them to diversity within the legal field.

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Prior to the event, Yvonne Baker (W&M JD Class of 2014 and Hampton Class of 2011) and Dean Faye Shealy recorded interviews for Hampton’s television show, The View from Hampton U to discuss the program, William & Mary Law School, the law school admissions process, and Yvonne’s own experiences at both institutions.

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More than 85 students, ranging from freshmen to seniors, attended the Discover Law Event.  There was standing room only throughout the program, and we were excited about the great attendance and interest in a legal education!

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The Discover Law event began with an introduction from Prof. Sylvia Rose, JD, a current Hampton faculty member, about her legal career and various jobs where she used her legal education.

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Dean Rhianna Shabsin and I then presented about what Discoverlaw.org is, and our guide to the law school admissions process.  We shared our tips and advice for students, no matter what class year, on how to get on track in applying to law school. We stressed the importance of a strong academic record and making the most of their college experience academically.

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Eric Claville, Interim Assistant Dean and Pre-Law Advisor at Hampton shared his Straight F’s for Success, his guide to being successful in law school, with many tips relatable to the undergraduate students in attendance.

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Lastly, we had five current law students share their experiences on applying to law school, choosing the right school for them, their involvement in the William & Mary community academically and socially.

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The Discover Law event was fantastic.  It was a wonderful way to connect with undergraduate students and share about the legal profession, what they can gain from a legal education, and how to go about preparing and applying for law school.  The attendance was superb, and we are excited for this to be a yearly event.

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To learn more about Discoverlaw.org and find another Discover Law event near you, click here.

Fractured Fairy Tale

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by Liz Barry, Class of 2015, Fellow for the Center for Legal and Courtroom Technology

Student Jury at Fractured Fairy Tale Trial

Student Jury at Fractured Fairy Tale Trial

Elementary school students from across Williamsburg packed William & Mary Law School’s high-tech courtroom Nov. 2 to watch fairy tale characters pursue justice in a trial between Prince Charming and Don Pieman.

Fourth and fifth graders from five local schools attended the fractured fairy tale trial, and served as jury members. The one-hour trial introduced the students to fundamental legal concepts, such as liability, the burden of proof, and the roles of counsel, jury and judge.

The event was organized by the Center for Legal & Courtroom Technology (CLCT), a public service organization at William & Mary. This is the second consecutive year that CLCT has performed a fairy tale trial with local students serving as the jury.

“A large part of CLCT’s mission involves education,” said Christine Williams, CLCT’s Associate Director for Research, Entrepreneurship & Professional Education. “We view this exercise as an entertaining and informative way to assist local schools with civics instruction.”

Cast of Charming v. Pieman

Cast of Charming v. Pieman

The case involves Prince Charming, a handsome beast, and Don Pieman, the owner of a magical factory that allegedly polluted the kingdom’s drinking water. Charming sued Pieman, claiming that contaminated water caused him to turn from a beast back into a normal man. Charming argued that the transformation led to his break-up with fiancee Princess Catherine and the loss of a reality show contract.

The students had to decide whether Pieman’s factory polluted the drinking water, and was therefore liable for damages. After weighing the evidence, the students delivered their verdict. A slim majority of students held that Pieman was not liable for damages to Charming.

CLCT chose the fairy tale format because it is an entertaining way to introduce elementary student to complex legal ideas. “They’re learning without realizing it because they’re being entertained. And who doesn’t love a fairy tale?” said W&M law student and CLCT fellow Greg Marinelli, who played Rumpelstiltkin.

Though showcasing courtroom technology was not the trial’s focus, CLCT exposed the students to digital evidence and other high-tech features o the McClothlin Courtroom.
For example, during Prince Charming’s testimony, the plaintiff’s attorney submitted electronic evidence of what Charming looked like when he was still a beast. The students erupted into giggles when a snapshot of a furry, yet handsome beast, was displayed on flat-screen monitors across the courtroom.

During a discussion after the trial, many students said they came down in favor of Pieman because they believed Pieman’s employee, Rumpelstiltkin, actually polluted the water. The attorney for Prince Charming said that Charming plans to appeal on the grounds the judge delivered faulty jury instructions when he failed to tell the jury that an employer can be liable for the actions of its employees. Meanwhile, teachers plan to use the fractured fairy tale trial to teach their students real world lessons about the court system.

Due to high interest from local schools, CLCT is putting on an encore performance for fifth and sixth graders from Providence Classical School on Nov. 14.

This blog post was reprinted with permission of CLCT. See the original post.

Election Law Society Prepares for November 6th

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by Kayla McCann, Class of 2014, Co-President of the Election Law Society

Election Law Society LogoThe Election Law Society at William & Mary Law School is gearing up for the General Election on Tuesday, November 6th! Students are volunteering for both the Obama and Romney campaigns, writing memos for the Virginia State Board of Elections, acting as poll workers through the Tidewater Roots Poll Project, and running William & Mary’s annual Voteline. In the days leading up to the election, the Election Law Society’s state-focused blog, “State of Elections,” has been particularly active, reporting on topics such as voter ID and firearms at polling places.

We have also hosted a number of speakers on campus this fall. They include: Mr. Jack Young, an attorney for Al Gore during the Florida recount in 2000; Mr. John Tanner, a former Department of Justice Voting Rights Section Chief; Mr. Jeffrey Trammell, a prominent Washington DC lobbyist and former senior advisor to Al Gore; and Professor Rick Hasen, author of “The Voting Wars.” We are also looking forward to two post-election discussions with Mr. Robert Kelner, a political law partner at Covington & Burling in Washington DC, and Mr. Neil Reiff, a founding member of and prominent campaign finance partner at Sandler, Reiff, Young, and Lamb.

The Election Law Society has been a wonderful outlet to engage our broader community. I have had the opportunity to help citizens navigate through our electoral process, as well as directly interact with high level practitioners who are shaping electoral policy today.

A Summer in China

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by Alexzandria Poole, Class of 2013

Alexzandria Poole, Class of 2013

Alexzandria Poole, Class of 2013

When I tell people that I spent my second year summer abroad in China, people always say, “Oh wow really? How was it? How did you like it?” and I never quite know how to respond. It’s not because I don’t have anything to say; rather, it’s because I have so much to say and I don’t know where to start. That’s how I feel now as I write this blog. But bear with me. Thankfully, things happen on a daily basis that remind me of something I experienced in Beijing, and then that’s when I’ll explain a funny story, a revelation, or something I miss about living there. But here, I guess I’ll start from the beginning.

Because of my background in working with children in the educational system, my strong interest in juvenile law and legal reform, my preliminary knowledge of Chinese language and culture, and my commitment to public interest law generally, interning at Beijing Zhicheng Public Interest Law (ZPIL) was one of the best decisions I could have made. ZPIL was a pioneering place that encouraged the protection of minority interests and the pursuing of a more just legal system within the framework of, but also in spite of, an adverse political regime.

While I had exposure to different divisions within the firm such as migrant workers rights law, rural area rule of law, and criminal law generally, I was matched with the Children’s Legal Aid and Research Center because of my background. While conducting a comparative summer research project on juvenile justice systems as a means to influence legislative reform, each day I had the opportunity to talk with Chinese lawyers in Mandarin (if it was about casual everyday things) and English (if it was law-specific) and often learned how to say Chinese legal terms through conversations and attendance at center staff meetings and presentations—something I likely would not have been able to do in the States.  I had office mates who invited me over for dinner, accompanied me to famous Beijing sites, and gave me advice on a variety of topics.  Any questions I had, they were happy to answer. We exchanged ideas and formed relationships over large meals in the center’s dining hall and outside of work at office parties. In addition to the work aspect, I also lived alongside the other interns at a very inexpensive hotel just minutes away from our office where we had access to all of the necessities: grocery store, transportation, and of course, KTV (karaoke!). With them, there was always a feeling of home.

With coworkers at Beijing Zhicheng Public Interest Law.

With coworkers at Beijing Zhicheng Public Interest Law.

(Sidenote: I’ve already mentioned food several times in just one paragraph. FOOD was a major part of my experience abroad and I learned much of my Chinese professional etiquette through experiences over food and drink: what’s acceptable, what’s not, being able to connect with people across the table, how it influences international dealings, and so on.) For anyone interested in doing international law, I feel that it is essential to have lived and worked in a foreign culture even if only to learn the social niceties that accompany the hard legal skills you can learn anywhere. Even if you’re not interested in international law, I think that working abroad not only will aid you in being able to articulate another perspective, but it will also give you a reality check in seeing how the knowledge you’re obtaining plays an ever important role in an expanding global arena—and in ways you can’t even imagine.

Come Learn about William & Mary Law!

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by Rhianna Shabsin

Want to learn more about William & Mary Law School? Have questions about admissions or financial aid? Thinking about taking the LSAT but unsure where to start? Well, we have a program for you!

The W.C. Jefferson Chapter of the Black Law Students Association will host their 25th annual Law Day on Saturday, November 10, 2012. The event will feature a mock classroom interaction with a W&M Law professor, financial aid and admissions information sessions, a student life Q&A, and an LSAT preparation session.

The registration deadline is October 19, and you can register on the BLSA website. You won’t want to miss this great opportunity!

Students and guests gather at last year's law day.

Students and guests gather at last year’s law day.

Public Interest Work at William & Mary Law

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by Rhianna Shabsin

PSF sells William & Mary Law t-shirts, sweatshirts, coffee mugs, and other items as part of their fund-raising efforts.

PSF sells William & Mary Law t-shirts, sweatshirts, coffee mugs, and other items as part of their fund-raising efforts.

For many law students, the call to a summer of public interest work is often coupled with a concern – how will I pay for it? Unfortunately, most public interest employers don’t have the funds necessary to pay their summer interns. So what’s a public interest-minded law student to do?

Enter William & Mary Law’s Public Service Fund! This student-run nonprofit has been raising money to fund public interest summer internships for more than twenty years. Through annual fund-raising events like the PSF Auction (which raised over $30,000 this year!), PSF raises money to provide stipends for law students who offer much needed legal services to people who couldn’t otherwise afford them, as well as those working in state and government agencies.

For an idea of what a summer in public interest work is like, check out last fall’s blog posts from students who received PSF funding.

Thanksgiving Traditions

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by Elizabeth Cavallari

Displaying their cornucopia of Thanksgiving treats.

What are your Thanksgiving traditions?

Mine includes making the trek 10 hours north to Buffalo. I look forward to the delicious food, but I am most excited to see family and continue our traditions. Growing up in a large Italian family, holidays aren’t just celebrated with parents and siblings but with cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and the like. Thanksgiving included everyone, and we gave thanks to our large community and family.

The end of last week, our Legal Skills firms came together (albeit in friendly competition) to celebrate one of our traditions, the annual Thanksgiving Basket Competition. Last year, these baskets provided 22 families in Williamsburg with complete Thanksgiving meals, and I imagine these baskets will allow more families a Thanksgiving feast this year.

Proud of her Turkey-MacheBefore the baskets are donated, Legal Skills firms show off their artistic skills and decorate the law school lobby for the day. The baskets were displayed with as much creativity as possible. I saw the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on one table, a papier-mâché turkey on another, an overflowing cornucopia, and donations shaped into a slice of pie (whipped cream included). It was a wonderful way to see our citizen-lawyers come together to make a local family’s Thanksgiving better along with witnessing the community and camaraderie among students as these baskets were constructed and as they admired the handy work of their peers.

Whatever your own traditions are, take time to enjoy them and to give thanks. Happy Thanksgiving!

Cinderella and the Citizen-Lawyer

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by Brian Wall

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The next generation of prospective law students got an up-close look at the legal process last week by participating in “Cinders in My Eyes,” a mock libel trial involving Cinderella, in the McGlothlin Courtroom. Fifth-grade jurors from three local elementary schools observed Cinderella’s trial for libel against her stepmother with witness testimony from Prince Charming and the Fairy Godmother.  The fairy tale characters were portrayed by William & Mary students, and the trial was conducted by William & Mary’s Center for Legal and Courtroom Technology (CLCT).  Thanks to our students and the CLCT for reminding us that the ideal of the citizen-lawyer begins at home.