News

SBA Election results: Runoffs in store for President and Day VP

2012-02-16T23:10:17Z

In order to win outright, officer candidates must recieve at least 50% of the vote. No candidate for President or Day Vice-President recieved the required proportion of votes.

The Presidential runoff will be between 2Ls Shaun Zhang and Darryl Hazelwood. For Vice-President, the runoff will be between 1Ls Edward Williams and Alexis Kellert.

View the full post for complete results.

Students ask former SBA President and Md. Assemblyman to support marriage equality

2012-02-16T19:53:48Z

Md. District 19 Assemblyman Sam Arora, GULC Class of 2010 and SBA PresidentThe Maryland House of Delegates will begin debate today on the “Civil Marriage Protection Act,” which would legalize same-sex marriage throughout the state. A successful vote this evening would send the measure to the Senate, a body that approved a similar piece of legislation last year and is expected to do so again.

The voting will be tight and a key swing vote belongs to Sam Arora, Georgetown Law Class of 2010 and SBA President. Though he ran as supportive of marriage equality in 2010, Arora waivered after his election. On March 4, 2011, he released a statement saying that while he “personally” supported “civil unions,” not marriage, for same-sex couples, he had “come to the conclusion” that the issue should be decided by referendum.

The Georgetown chapter of Outlaw, the LGBTQ student group on campus, reached out to Assemblyman Arora asking for his support (statement below).

Cancelled class strands students

2012-02-14T15:58:59Z

Can a course be cancelled after the add/drop deadline? Four 3Ls at Georgetown Law have unhappily discovered that the answer is yes.

Alexandra Valenti registered for a 2-credit seminar on Constitutional Property Law to be taught by Robert Meltz and Judge Nancy Firestone of the Court of Federal Claims. According to the description accompanying the course listing, the course promised a “unique teaching approach.” “In lieu of a paper and presentation requirement, students will be required to submit briefs on a takings fact pattern. Students will then have the opportunity to argue the briefs … before judges of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.”

“Needless to say, I was really looking forward to this experience,” said Valenti. But on Wednesday, Feb. 01, eight days after the add/drop deadline, she and her three remaining classmates received an email from Assistant Dean for J.D. Academic Programs Sarah Hulsey stating that “the faculty members” were cancelling the class due to low enrollment. Hulsey told the Law Weekly that the professors felt that the course could not continue as constituted with such a low number. They did, however, offer to continue working with the students on a supervised research paper on similar subject matter and for the same number of credits.

SBA Elections: Officers

2012-02-14T15:25:00Z

Student Bar Association elections are upon us and to help you perform you civic duty, The Law Weekly created this helpful guide to candidate platforms and circulated a “Meet the Candidate” survey for some extra credit. Cast your vote at SBA Elections anytime between Feb. 14 and 17.

Continue to the full post for detailed candidate information.

President

Darryl Hazelwood
Christopher Morgan-Riess
Charlie Pfeifer
Shaun Zhang

Day VP

Alexis Kellert
Edward Williams
Alyssa Wootton

Evening VP

Tommy McDonnell
Milla Savelieff

Secretary

Sarah Danley
Parker Schnell

Treasurer

Erin Dexter

SBA Elections: Delegates

2012-02-13T18:21:11Z

Continue to the full post for detailed candidate information.

2L Delegate

Andrew Adelman
Shahzadi Ahmed
Alex Bergjans
Ashley Binetti
Erin Dexter
Keith Howell
Jake Itzkowitz
Alexis Kellert
Tiffany Li
Jessica Montello
Jessica Ornsby
Parker Schnell
Daniel Smith
Nicole Smith
Margaret Sopher
Edward Williams
Alyssa Wootton

2E Delegate

Kukui Claydon
Allyson Poulos

3L Delegate

Zach Bench
Zac Garthe
Elizabeth Hira
James Hunsberger
Arthur Kim
Kristin Leighton
Shaun Lyons
Varoon Modak
Christopher Morgan-Riess
John Rothman
Matt Schafer
Julia Sferlazzo
Matthew Smith
Bruce Strong
Lauren Sugarman
Daniel Tavakoli
Austin Tice
Justin Waddell
Shaun Zhang

3E Delegate

Anthony Campau
Sarah Danley
Claire Frezza
Melinda Lewis
Tommy McDonnell

4E Delegate

Chad Seibel

Joint Degree

Greta Matessich
Alexa Sendukas

Feb. 7, 2012: Week in photos

2012-02-07T15:42:14Z

Students hope birth control mandate reverses Georgetown policy

2012-02-07T15:21:00Z

Photo courtesy of Flickr from spentpenny’s photostreamA recent announcement from the Department of Housing and Human Services has seemingly hammered the last nail in the coffin on Georgetown University’s ban on contraceptive coverage for student insurance plans.

The rule, which was announced on Jan. 20, requires that all insurance plans, including ones offered by traditionally religious universities, cover the full cost of birth control.

Historically, Georgetown has leaned on its Jesuit heritage to deny students contraceptive coverage through student health plans. Organizations with a strictly religious purpose, such as churches, will remain exempt from the requirement.

Contemplative Law Society holds inaugural meeting

2012-02-07T15:18:00Z

Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer says he meditates 10 to 15 minutes twice daily.Contemplative Law Society (CLS) held its first meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 1. The new student group seeks to enhance the traditional paradigms of legal education and legal practice through a focus on creating transformative approaches to the practice of law and legal education, based on principles of mindfulness and conscious living.

The group hopes to promote careers and a community characterized by deeper meaning, integrated conviction, compassion, and a holistic concept of self, society, and humanity.

Supreme Court Institute mock moots health care law case

2012-02-07T15:15:00Z

L-R: Maureen Mahoney (Latham & Watkins) and Georgetown Professor David Cole debate the consitutionality of the Affordable Care Act at SCI’s Mock Moot on Feb. 1. Photo by Austin Tice.

Grade Delay Frustrates Students, Job Opportunities

2012-01-31T15:05:29Z

Students line up outside the registrars office Jan. 26 to get printed copies of their mid-year grades.Blame it on the ‘Net.

A website outage at the end of finals week caused the delay in fall semester grades, according to the Office of the Registrar. Originally, first-semester grades were to be released on Thursday, Jan. 19; however, the internet outage extended the deadline for take-home exams by four days. The deadline for professors to submit grades was also moved from Jan. 13 to Jan. 17, with a standing three-day grace period before penalties were instituted. When all the rescheduling was done, the revised date for posting fall semester grades was set for Jan. 24.

It’s unclear, however, if all staff were made aware of the revised date.