1L Oral Advocacy Competition

APRIL 2, 2011

9:30 AM – 4:30 PM

Michigan State University College of Law
East Lansing, Michigan

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Ø Network with lawyers and judges from around the state
Ø Hone your oral advocacy skills
Ø Build experience to help you get the competitive advantage for class,

tryouts, and interviews
Ø Semifinalists receive a 1 year State Bar of Michigan
Law Student Section Membership
Ø Final Round Competitors receive an additional $50 prize
Ø The Best Oralist receives an additional $100 prize

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All 1L students (students who have completed a maximum of two semesters at an accredited law
school) are eligible. We only have room for the first ten law students from each school, so reply quickly.

A packet of competition materials will be released to all competitors simultaneously on Friday,
March 25, 2011. This packet includes background materials and five or fewer cases for the closed universe
problem; no outside research is required. This is an individual oral advocacy competition; you will work
without a partner and you will not submit a written brief.

This year’s topic relates to same-sex second parent adoption,
parenting time and standing.

Reply with your school, full name, and email address to CHERYL KENNEDY at
cherylannkennedy@wayne.edu by Sunday March 27, 2011

Compete against law students from :

v Michigan State University, College of Law
v Thomas M. Cooley Law School
v University of Detroit Mercy School of Law

v University of Michigan Law School
v Wayne State University Law School
v The University of Toledo School of Law

Candidate Statement: Vote Mike Klinefelt for SBG President

How much does a polar bear weigh? Enough to break the ice! – Hi, I’m Mike Klinefelt and I’mrunning for SBG President for 2011-2012.

First, I would like to tell you that I have enjoyed the opportunity to serve on SBG for the pasttwo years. I have done my best to represent the interests of all of you. I have discussed concernswith students at length, and you can trust that I will be vocal on your behalf. It is sometimes acumbersome job, but I truly enjoy it.

I have found that the community at Wayne Law is an empathetic one. It’s one of the reasonsI am proud to be part of it. SBG provides great opportunities for students to demonstrate theirkindness. I appreciate working with others to give back to our community.

One primary reason SBG exists is to ensure the welfare of the student body. To me, this meanscreating camaraderie so we can prepare for the profession of law together. I have been incrediblylucky to find a strong sense of kinship with my classmates. The friends I have made have beenan invaluable part of law school. I want everyone to feel as at home at Wayne as I do. For SBG,this doesn’t just mean throwing social events (although they are a great way to bond), it alsomeans addressing concerns and ensuring students have a voice. I always have time to hearstudent concerns and explore solutions.
I believe I have a very good understanding of the role of SBG and that my priorities will furtherour purpose. As SBG President I will focus on:

• Fraternity
• Inclusion
• Charity
• Fundraising
• Student Conduct

If you have read my platform at http://sbgpresident.blogspot.com, then you are likely familiarwith these points. I encourage you to visit my page online to get more information.

I would also like to share with you the experience that I believe qualifies me as the bestcandidate for the job. I have been a large part of the silent auction at the Treasurer of Detroitfor the past two years. This event is our biggest fundraiser for SBG. I believe the success of thesilent auction demonstrates my ability to oversee a large project. Also, I have been active on allmy SBG committees. For example, I imagine each and every one of you have received emailsfrom me about the supplement sales, which are put on by a committee I run. Additionally, Iserved on the finance committee for the past two semesters and I know how to balance SBG’scheckbook in a way that is fair to all student groups. I have served on a number of facultycommittees which has helped me develop relationships with administration that will be crucial aspresident. Further, I have written articles for Dicta, our student publication. I think my articlesshow how much I care about Detroit and the Wayne community. I have attended every SBGmeeting and I have attended almost all SBG related events. I promise to meet next year with thesame enthusiasm I have demonstrated these past two years.

Comments or questions? I would like to hear from you! My email is mklinefelt@wayne.eduPlease remember to vote on March 28th and 29th!

2011-2012 Candidates Running for SBG Office

Here is the current list of candidates running for 2011-2012 SBG This list will be updated as any changes are made.

President
Tom Smith
Mike Klinefelt

VP
Ashley Star Fisher

Secretary
Victoria Suber

Treasurer
Michael Skoczylas

Student Senate Rep
Due to special Elections Committee approval: Candidates may still hand in packets through Friday, March 25.

ABA Rep
Paul Huebner
Cheryl Kennedy

Governor At Large
Alyssa Yeip
Michael Skoczylas
Heather Herbert
Avery Rose
Michael Zavier
Kristyn Taylor
Michael Van Order
Sorin Borlodan

Second-Year Day Governor
Julia Friedman
Jason Pearsall

Second-Year Evening Governor
Robert E. Thomas
Tiane Brown

Upper-Class Evening Governor
Sylvia Saco

Third-Year Day Governor
(No candidates)

Residence Hall Governor
Michael Danger Arnhold

LLM Governor
(No Candidates)

 

 

Candidate Statement: Vote Victoria Suber for SBG Secretary

By: Victoria Suber

I joined the Student Board of Governors (SBG) during my first semester of law school because I had the desire to be involved in the Wayne Law community and to serve my fellow law students.  In addition to joining SBG, I am active in several other student groups and have tried to connect with as many student groups at the law school as I can.

This connection with student groups is vital because the SBG Secretary co-chairs monthly Student Assembly meetings and encourages communication and collaboration between student groups.  My time on SBG during this past academic year has only increased my desire to engage others and serve our community.

I am running for SBG Secretary because I am ready to take on greater responsibility and am looking forward to continuing to serve my fellow classmates.  Please vote for Victoria Suber for Student Board of Governors Secretary!

It’s so Green in the D

Check your thumbs! If they’re looking a little green it may be because you were one of the

Caroline Gersch

Wayne Warriors who recently spent a cold morning planting trees in the median of telegraph road. Before the new year, the Environmental Law Society (ELS) and the Black Law Student Association (BLSA) teamed up to get students involved in the Greening of Detroit. For those of you who don’t know, planting a tree is no easy task!

The very first thing we had to do when we arrived was haul two large buckets of water to the planting spots. I’ll admit that by the time I had transported my buckets to their destination my pants were awkwardly soaked between my knees and shoes.  Next we all stood in a circle for a quick tutorial on how to plant trees. The workers made it look effortless. However, it’s not always the case.

Digging, a seemingly easy undertaking, took a lot of work. My guilt from skipping the gym that morning dwindled as I worked up a sweat. Some of the soil was frozen and rocky so we had to use a pickaxes to complete the job. Turns out, swinging and axe senselessly at the dirt is a nice way to relieve some of the stress from school. Think about that next time you are on the fence about volunteering!

Jason, Tim, Jessica, Mike

While the digging is simple enough it is imperative to get the depth right. A hole too deep is nothing more than a death sentence for a sapling. A hole too shallow can prevent the tree from properly taking root. As you can imagine, it was unnerving to have the mortality of shrubbery on our hands. Well… not really. We had workers checking up on us to make sure we didn’t botch the job.  After we got holes approved we could roll the tree into it’s new home and fill in the soil.

The last steps involved encircling the tree with mulch, watering it, and marveling at the

Jessica Krefman

wonderful job done. ELS and BLSA were very successful in bringing students out. I have a sneaking suspicion that Wayne Law students planted more trees than any other volunteer groups that were there… but who’s counting?

This was all possible through The Greening of Detroit, which is a non-profit that focuses on the planting,  educational programs, and environmental advocacy. During the spring and fall there are regular plantings and they are always looking for volunteers. It’s a great way to do some environmental work locally. If you want to do something for the Detroit, the environment, or both, then you should consider The Greening of Detroit. For more information go to www.greeningofdetroit.com

 

 

Jess, Mike Klinefelt, Victoria

Mike, Caroline, Tim, Jess, Jason

Getting the Evening Student Perspective

I know what it is like to be an evening student, the demands, impossible scheduling and trying to figure out how I can be involved on campus.

Evening students are in a unique situation and it is important to make your concerns heard. The Student Board of Government is trying to set up the final details of having an opportunity for evening student’s to be able to discuss in an open environment their questions and concerns about the evening program.  As soon as the meeting details are finalized, they will be communicated to the evening students through Dicta and email.

However, we would like to get a feel prior to that meeting for what the concerns and broad topics you would like to discuss and make sure that everyone has a chance to get their opinion out even if they are unable to make that meeting.

I invite all evening students and students who take classes primarily in the evening to comment below about what you want the administration to know about. How do you feel about scheduling? What evening classes are offered? Your access to information, the library and campus activities? We want to know!

SBG/ABA Law Student Division Poised to Launch VITA Program at Wayne Law Fall 2011

What is VITA?

VITA offers free tax assistance to individuals who meet certain qualifications. Volunteers help prepare basic income tax returns for low-income taxpayers or those with special needs such as the elderly, non-English speaking persons and persons with disabilities. Although training materials, forms and technical assistance are provided by the Internal Revenue Service, ABA VITA programs, consisting of law students interested in reaching-out to their communities, are independent operations managed and operated by student groups under the direction of a law school faculty member or their administration. Volunteers at law school campuses are not agents of the IRS, but rather law school students and faculty interested in helping the community and gaining valuable experience in tax preparation. All VITA volunteers, regardless of the background, provide this unpaid service in their spare time.