The UW Law School's second annual Community Justice Week (CJW) in February 2005 mixed fun with hard work to benefit local charities and public interest initiatives.
The goal of the week is to create interest in public service throughout the student body, and to educate students in ways to contribute to the communities where they work and live.
A variety of events took place throughout the week. Public Interest Law Foundation (PILF) held its second annual Chili Cook-off to raise money for summer grants for students working in unpaid public service jobs. Fifteen chili-makers competed in the event, which raised more than $700. Students and faculty brought home-cooked dishes or signed up to judge the entries. Participants enjoyed endless chili samples, cornbread, and beverages with the purchase of an admission ticket.
The Chili Cook-off committee is working on a cookbook that will feature the recipes of the participants. CJW also took advantage of the weekly law student tradition of ?Bar Review,? hosting an evening at Café Montmartre with cover charge proceeds benefiting the Loan Repayment Assistant Program (LRAP).
Students volunteered for Habitat for Humanity and Meals on Wheels, and held a successful clothing drive to benefit the Community Action Coalition.
While PILF serves as the official coordinating organization, other student groups contribute to the week's events: Latina/o Law Student Association (LLSA) hosted a public interest law panel discussion, Environmental Law Students sponsored a lecture by Andrew Savagian of the Wisconsin DNR; National Lawyers Guild sponsored a multimedia program on Guantanamo; Children's Justice Project and Q-Law brought in attorney Judith Sperling-Newton to discuss adoption by same-sex couples and custody issues.
Other events included an information fair that addressed public interest issues, a Public Interest Career Forum allowing employers from around the state of Wisconsin to interview students for summer public interest employment., and a Dean's Mixer where students mingled with professors, deans and area public interest lawyers.
?For PILF, this is the highlight of a successful week: increased awareness about the week in general and the purpose behind the events,? said Abby Hougan 2L, coordinator of the promotional efforts. ?The goal is to encourage other students and student organizations to take ownership of CJW and all work together to plan the week.?
Submitted by on March 8, 2005
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