Yale law students to represent Freedom From Religion Foundation in Supreme Court case

02/27/07

Yale law students to represent Freedom From Religion Foundation in Supreme Court case

In an upcoming Supreme Court case, students and professors from Yale Law School's Supreme Court Advocacy Clinic will represent the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF). The clinic, which was established in 2006, provides students with opportunities to work on pending Supreme Court cases. The Supreme Court will be dealing with a case filed by members of the clinic on behalf of the FFRF. Clinic members have accused the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives of unconstitutional actions. The court will decide whether the clinic can sue the White House office for allegedly supporting religious organizations with general federal funds rather than funds specifically designated for the office. The FFRF strives to end such suspected violations by federal offices in the White House and governmental departments. The government, however, claims that bestowing legal standing on the FFRF would bring forth "frivolous lawsuits" based on the establishment clause. The establishment clause of the First Amendment prevents Congress from passing legislation "respecting an establishment of religion." The clinic's brief opposes the federal government's argument and states that the FFRF "meets existing limitations on legal standing that require taxpayers seeking redress to trace specific expenditures to unconstitutional activity."

New global legal studies center at the University of Wisconsin
After the University of Wisconsin at Madison's Academic Planning Council gave the green light in December 2006, the University of Wisconsin Law School and the Division of International Studies joined hands to establish a global legal studies program. The joint-program initiative also received approval to become an official UW-Madison center. The school's dean of international studies, Gilles Bousquet, described this as a major step toward "accelerating internationalization at UW-Madison." The goal of the center is to facilitate research, foster partnerships and exchanges, and develop the global legal studies curriculum. The center will aim to create an institutional platform for realizing the university's global goals related to teaching, academic research, and outreach, in addition to many others.

Justice Ginsburg praises FIU for promoting diversity
During a visit to Florida International University, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg praised the institution's approach and commitment to diversity. While participating in a dedication ceremony for a new building at the law school, she stated that the "benefits of a diverse student population are not theoretical but real." Ginsburg called attention to FIU College of Law's strong commitment to diversity and the fact that it has the highest number of Hispanic-American students of any law school in the country. In 2003, Ginsburg voted to uphold the University of Michigan's affirmative action policy. Her speech also highlighted the necessity of amalgamating law with technology, warning, however, that "it takes more than computers to make a lawyer." She also emphasized that law students should be educated to regard legal practice as a public service.
 

• See What Yale Law School Teaches about How to Approach Your Legal Career That No Other Law School Does for more information about Yale Law School.

New York Law School launches center for real estate studies
New York Law School has launched a center for real estate studies, which will be located on its lower Manhattan campus. At a time when the real estate sector is thriving in New York City, the creation of this center by the law school is an effort to bridge the gap between private practice and academic study. The opening of the center coincides with the school's establishment of a $190 million expansion and renovation program. The center will offer various courses, conferences, and continuing legal education programs on real estate issues. It will not only help students gain practical experience in the real estate community but also help them make contacts for future employment.

Legal community promotes diversity in the legal field
Of the students enrolled in the University of Memphis' Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, 18% are minority students, according to Sue Ann McClellan, Assistant Dean for Admissions. The majority of those minority students are African-American, but other ethnicities are also represented, said McClellan. Yolanda Ingram, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs at the University of Memphis School of Law, said the school is keeping up with the times by enrolling students from various racial, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds. The new definition of diversity includes students from African-American colleges and universities as well as rural and inner-city areas, first-generation college students, foreign-born or first-generation citizens, and students with physical disabilities. Students from diverse backgrounds are assisted with scholarships from law firms like Memphis-based Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC. Baker Donelson encourages and supports recruiting, retaining, and helping minority lawyers in order to make the workplace more diverse. According to the firm's chairman and chief executive officer, Ben Adams, African-American students in the region remain the most underrepresented in private practice. The firm recruits minorities from traditionally African-American colleges and from recruiting fairs and events.


Want to read more Law School News headlines?
For past editions of our weekly Law School News, click here.