WLA This Is Our Place, Dinner with DOJ Counsel, Law & Reorder, Female Circumcision

[WLA Harvard Law School]

Read, Comment, Share:  WLA's President Cari Simon takes a stand for women in her Harvard Law Record Op-ed:  http://www.hlrecord.org/opinion/this-is-our-place-1.2009672 
  
Check out the great events coming up this week and next, brought to you by the WLA!  
    
WLA Announcements:   
1. Sign Up for WLA Golf Lessons!

2. Sign Up for Self-Defense Classes!

3. Apply to be the WLA VP! 
4. Domestic Violence Courtwatch Program, Training on Mon. Mar. 7 
5. Dinner with Monica Ramirez, Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice: Wed. Mar. 2, 7:00-8:00pm - RSVP required 
6. Law & Reorder: Opportunities & Challenges for New Lawyers in the Changing Legal Landscape: Thurs., Mar. 3, 12:00-1:00pm, Austin East (note the room change!) 
7. Female Circumcision: Ethics and Human Rights Considerations: Thurs., Mar. 3, 4:00pm, P200  
8. Feminist Perspectives on the 1L Curriculum: Mon., Mar. 7, 12:00-1:00pm, P107 - Lunch!

9. WLA Panel: Who Owns Your Genes?: Wed., Mar. 9, 12:00-1:00pm, P101 - Lunch!
10. Note on Inaugural WLA Washington, D.C. Summit   
    
General Announcements:   
1. JLG Sexual and Reproductive Rights Symposium: Barriers to Access, Roadmaps to Fulfillment on March 4th  
2. Pro Bono Practice: A Large Firm Perspective: Wed., Mar. 2, 12:00 - 1:00pm, P 201 
  
WLA Events:   
  

WLA Presents: Golf Lessons at CityGolf Boston 

Join the WLA to learn the game of golf. Participate in two 1 1/2 hour lessons with your friends to learn the basics. Please email Meredith Rovelli at mrov...@jd11.law.harvard.edu to sign up. Space is limited to 15, and requests will be filled on a first come, first served basis. Please list your top two group preferences. Each group will consist of five participants. Please get back to Meredith by 4PM on Wednesday, March 9th. Group One: Wednesday March 23rd and Thursday March 24th Both Days: 1-2:30PM; Group Two: Wednesday March 23rd and Thursday March 24th Both Days: 3-4:30PM; Group Three: Wednesday March 23rd and Thursday March 24th Both Days: 5-6:30PM. CityGolf is an indoor driving range and putting green located near Downtown Crossing. Clubs will be provided. These lessons would normally cost over $150, but City Golf is giving us a great deal of $100 per person and the WLA is subsidizing them. So, each participant will only be required to contribute $20-$30 (we will let you know the exact amount as it gets closer). Don't miss out on this fantastic opportunity! 

Self-Defense Classes! 

WLA and the Dean of Students Office are offering free Rape Aggression Defense (R.A.D.) Classes on the law school campus this spring. This is a wonderful, empowering opportunity for women to learn that they can protect and defend themselves and each other. The class is four sessions long, and participants are required to attend all four sessions. Please double check your calendar and make sure you can attend ALL FOUR SESSIONS before signing up. The sessions will be held on: Monday, March 21 at 7-10 p.m.; Monday, March 28 at 7-10 p.m.; Monday, April 4 at 7-10 p.m.; and Wednesday, April 6 at 7-10 p.m. SPACE IS LIMITED! The class will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Email Kathryn Chiu at kc...@jd11.law.harvard.edu to sign up and/or if you have questions. 

Applications Now Open for the Position of WLA Vice President!  

The WLA VP supports the organization, its board and its members in a general capacity.  The VP must be organized and innovative as well as a strong communicator.  Applicants should have a vision for the WLA's role in promoting women at HLS and in the legal profession.  The VP for 2011-2012 will become the WLA President in 2012-2013. Eligibility: All 1L and second year joint degree students are welcome to apply.  Applicants need not be current WLA board members. To Apply: (1) Please submit a resume and a one page statement of interest to current WLA VP Amy Sennett at amy.s...@gmail.com with the subject line "WLA VP Application."  In your statement of interest, please describe your qualifications for the VP position as well as your vision for the role and the WLA in the coming year. (2) Please complete the following Application Form (https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dHZORXIyQk9vaG5xREhTbUFMWHE5TGc6MQ). Applications are due Tuesday, March 8th at 5pm.  Please contact current WLA VP Amy Sennett at amy.s...@gmail.com with any questions or concerns.  Interested applicants are encouraged to schedule an informal meeting with Amy to learn more about the position. Please note that the application for all other WLA board positions will be released following Spring Break. 
 

Domestic Violence Courtwatch Program Sign Ups! 

There is still time to sign up for the newest WLA initiative - the Domestic Violence Courtwatch Program. There will be a training session on the evening of March 7th. All volunteers are required to attend training and then to complete 3 courtroom observations (morning or afternoon depending on students' schedules). At the training session, a current practitioner will share a discussion of current domestic violence issues in the courts. If you would like to get more info or attend the training, please contact Rebecca Lake at rl...@jd12.law.harvard.edu. Thank you for your interest in the Domestic Violence Courtwatch Program! 
  

Dinner with Monica Ramirez, Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division at DOJ 

Harvard Immigrant Project is planning a dinner on Wednesday, March 2nd at 7-8pm, with Monica Ramirez, Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division at the U.S. Department of Justice. Ms. Ramírez provides legal and policy advice to Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez on issues related to immigration, police misconduct, including racial and ethnic profiling, non-citizen workers rights, language access and other areas of civil rights enforcement. She's a great speaker who has had a really interesting career working on issues relating to immigrants' rights and loves mentoring law students. This is a great networking opportunity and a chance to learn first-hand about working in immigrants' rights, both in government and in the non-profit sector. The dinner is going to be in Pound and will have free thai food, the number is capped at 10 people, so RSVP soon! (email ema...@jd13.law.harvard.edu to RSVP). Co-sponsored by the WLA. 
  

Law & Reorder: Opportunities & Challenges for New Lawyers in the Changing Legal Landscape  

Come hear about the changes underway in the legal profession including changing client demands, new legal models, and traditional law firm structural changes as well as new recruiting, career path, billing practice, compensation and talent management approaches. Topics include: the junior lawyer fallout and the industry debate of who will incur the cost of training future lawyers. Attendees will leave the program with the understanding and tools to become their own entrepreneurs to successfully navigate their way into a new profession. Panelists include: Margaret Cohen, an M&A partner at Skadden; Cindy Vreeland, an IP litigation partner at WilmerHale; and Someer Khokhar, Chair of the Global Women's Initiative and a NY Projects partner at White & Case. The discussion will be moderated by Deborah Epstein Henry, an author and nationally recognized expert on workplace restructuring, talent management, work/life balance, and the retention and promotion of lawyers, with a focus on women. Thursday, March 3rd from 12-1pm in Pound Austin East (room change!).  Non-pizza lunch! Co-sponsored with OCS. 
   

Female Circumcision: Ethics and Human Rights Considerations  

The practice of FGM has been at the center of health and human rights debates for decades. Public health, women's rights and child rights advocates, governments and health professional associations--in Africa, Asia, Europe and the US-- have taken positions running the gamut from abolition to harm reduction. In April 2010, the American Association of Pediatrics issued a Policy Statement on female genital cutting that was quickly retracted in the face of significant opposition. The controversy surrounding the report presents an excellent point of departure for examining the issues that still complicate our thinking about the issue. In this panel, on Thursday, March 3rd at 4:00pm in Pound 200, we hope to explore the ethical, legal, and human rights dimensions of female genital circumcision. These include dimensions of toleration, prohibition, harm-reduction, and cultural competency. Practices of male circumcision will also be discussed.  Panelists include: Dena Davis, Cleveland –Marshall College of Law; Hope Lewis, Northeastern University School of Law; Nawal Nour, Department Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital; Sarah Waldek, Seton Hall Law School. Moderators: I. Glenn Cohen, Professor of Law & Faculty, co-Director Petrie-Flom Center; Mindy Roseman, Lecturer in Law & Academic Director, HLS Human Rights Program. Also see attached flyer.  
   

Feminist Perspectives on the 1L Curriculum  

Looking for an opportunity to process and discuss your 1L experience? Curious about what a feminist analysis of the 1L curriculum might offer? On Monday, March 7th, join Professor Jon Hanson, Visiting Professor Katherine Porter, and Lecturer Diane Rosenfeld of HLS and Professor Jenny Wriggins of the University of Maine for a panel on feminist perspectives of the 1L course curriculum. Monday, March 7th at noon in Pound 107. Lunch served.

Who Owns Your Genes? 

Challenging the Patents on the BRCA Breast Cancer Genes: 

A Discussion with the Plaintiffs 

This panel on Wednesday, March 9, from 12-1pm in Pound 101, will discuss the ACLU's challenge to the validity of the BRCA 1 & 2 gene patents and will explore how the case impacts women's rights, scientific freedom, and health choices.Featuring Sandra Park, Staff Attorney, ACLU Women's Rights Project; Judy Norsigian, Executive Director, Boston Women's Health Book Collective; and Lisbeth Ceriani, Patient and Plaintiff in Lawsuit. Moderated By Melissa Wasserman, Lecturer on Law and Academic Fellow, Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology, and Bioethics.  Co-sponsored by the Women's Law Association, ACLU-HLS, ACS, and ELAB. Lunch provided.
   

Note on Inaugural WLA Washington, D.C. Summit   

The inaugural WLA Washington, D.C. Summit is full.  We are keeping a waitlist, however, so if you are still interested in going and want to be placed on the waitlist, please email WLADC...@gmail.com with 1) your full name, 2) your class year, 3) a phone number at which we can contact you, and 4) whether you’re interested in staying in a hotel with other WLA members. The D.C. Summit will be Thursday, March 24th Friday, March 25th, beginning with a welcome event Thursday night followed by a full day of events on Friday. Were currently working to arrange firm sponsorship for certain aspects of the trip, but please be prepared to pay for your own travel and lodging. We recommend staying with friends or family, if possible, but will likely have a group interested in staying in a hotel, and will be happy to facilitate those arrangements for anyone interested. Here are just a few of the fantastic events were planning for you: a reception with Harvard Law School Association alumnae in the region, lunch in the Congressional cafeteria on Capitol Hill, a tour of the Supreme Court, and a private meeting with the newest member of the bench, HLS’s own Justice Elena Kagan.  
   
General Announcements:   
      

The Journal of Law & Gender Presents a Symposium: 

Sexual and Reproductive Rights: Barriers to Access, Roadmaps to Fulfillment 

The JLG Annual Symposium, Sexual and Reproductive Rights: Barriers to Access, Roadmaps to Fulfillment, is the afternoon of Friday, March 4th, from 12-5 in John Chipman Gray. Non-pizza lunch will be served. The symposium will feature current academic discourse surrounding the important issue of sexual and reproductive rights, analyzed through frameworks including motherhood, teenage sexuality, decision-making, abortion, and international human rights. Speakers/authors and moderators include the foremost academics and practitioners in this area, including Nancy Northrup, President of the Center for Reproductive Rights; Priscilla Smith, Yale Law School; Reva Siegel, Yale Law School; Mindy Roseman, Harvard Law School; Ali Miller, UC Berkeley; Rachel Rebouch, University of Florida Levin College of Law; Michele Goodwin, University of Minnesota; the NWLC's Reproductive Health Counsel; and many more! JLG is the leading legal gender journal in the country so this symposium on Sexual and Reproductive Rights will be very significant to the academic community. Sponsored by Milbank, Center for Reproductive Rights, ACS, Lambda, HLHCS, HLSRJ and ELAB. 

Pro Bono Practice: A Large Firm Perspective 

On Wednesday, March 2nd 12:00 - 1:00 PM in Pound 201, a panel of Covington attorneys will discuss pro bono practice at large law firms. The discussion will focus on several matters that highlight the diversity of opportunities available. A non-pizza lunch will be served. Sponsored by Harvard BLSA.


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