Originally published in Student Lawyer magazine, October 2003 (Vol. 32, No. 2). All rights reserved.

CIRCUIT BOARD

To find out which ABA Law Student Division circuit your school is in, click here. To report on news from your school, e-mail your circuit governor and abastulawyer@abanet.org.

First Circuit. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer spoke at the Boston College Law School commencement ceremony in May. He urged graduates to embrace public service as they enter the work force. "Change does not occur magically," Breyer said. "It represents individual and collective pioneering efforts. My hope is that you will remember, as you create your life's story, to devote time and effort to commit yourselves not only to your personal lives, your careers, but also to the public affairs of your community and your nation."

Second Circuit. Twelve Pace University School of Law students and faculty recently returned from Brazil, where they participated in Pace's third-annual Brazil Comparative Environmental Law Program. Pace Law School and the Rio de Janeiro city attorney's office signed a five-year agreement to foster comparative environmental law work between Brazil and the United States. Brazilian professors, government officials, and professors from Pace also spoke on topics such as environmental crimes, oil spill remediation, and differences between the Brazilian and U.S. legal systems.

Fifth Circuit. The University of Alabama presented a three-day program titled "Opening Doors" to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the events of June 11, 1963, when two African- American students enrolled at the university. The resistance of then-Gov. George Wallace, known as the "stand in the schoolhouse door," drew national attention and helped usher in the modern civil rights era. A candlelight vigil and other activities were held to honor the occasion.

Seventh Circuit. Students at Chicago-Kent College of Law launched a web site to help people know their consumer rights and steer clear of fraud when bidding on eBay and other online auctions. You can play the site's "Auction Watchdog Challenge" and learn more about the law of online bidding by visiting www.youdontknowauctions.com.

Eighth Circuit. The American Judicature Society recently moved its national headquarters from Chicago to the campus of Drake University Law School. Founded in 1913, AJS is a nonpartisan organization of judges, lawyers, and other members of the public who seek to improve the nation's courts. AJS conducts and disseminates research to support reform in areas such as judicial conduct, judicial election abuses, jury service, and the death penalty. For further information, visit www.ajs.org.

Eleventh Circuit. The immigration clinic at George Washington University Law School won asylum for an Ethiopian citizen after representing him before the U.S. Board of Immigration Appeals. The client was arrested by Ethiopian authorities during a demonstration and detained for three months. While in prison, he was allegedly tortured. After release, he made his way to the United States, where he applied for asylum.

Thirteenth Circuit. Students at the Tulane Law School criminal law clinic won a victory in the Louisiana Supreme Court, which ruled that local laws on grand jury selection in New Orleans violated the state's constitution. Students identified the issue and wrote the briefs that persuaded the unanimous court.

Fourteenth Circuit. The civil clinical program at Santa Clara University School of Law joined forces with a local law firm to file a statewide class action lawsuit against GoodTimes Entertainment, a company that markets products through television infomercials. The suit was filed on behalf of California consumers who were allegedly charged for products and services they did not agree to purchase.

Fifteenth Circuit. The University of Utah College of Law hosted its first-ever Judges' Week last spring. Jurists from the 6th and 10th Circuits of the U.S. Court of Appeals and the Utah Supreme Court visited the campus and met with students and faculty. Sixth Circuit Judge Danny Boggs had breakfast with newly admitted law students and presided over the university's moot court competition.

Compiled by Kenneth Gorton

Kenneth Gorton, a 2L at Pepperdine University School of Law, is Student Lawyer's student editor.