National Jurist - February 2009 - (Page 20)

Duty calls Law students take an active role in the 2008 election process mily Kane and Erin Ford take their civic duties seriously. Last fall, the third-year duo at the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law formed and headed up the Election Protection Team, where they sought to inform voters about the elections process and ensure that voting laws were enforced at the polls. By Ursula Furi-Perry, Esq. Kane and Ford also spearheaded the team’s Southern Arizona Election Protection Command Center, fielding calls from voters with questions about the voting process and assisting voters with face-to-face help at the polls on election day. The two students partnered with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, a national nonprofit legal organization which runs civil rights programs nationwide, including projects on Election Protection initiatives and other programs on voting rights, fair housing, environmental justice and educational opportunities. Partnering with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, a non-partisan organization, gave them more resources, support and help they needed to stay involved with the process and not the politics. Kane’s interest in civil rights and voting rights began as an undergrad, but was exacerbated by an election law course she took last spring. “As a law student, I felt like I had a special obligation and a special opportunity to learn and to help the process of democracy,” Kane said. The greatest challenge faced was lack of time. “It’s law school and everyone is really busy,” she said. But they still rounded up more than 80 volunteers — some of them putting in multiple shifts at a time. The initiative was Students at the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law rounded up more than 80 volunteers to field calls from voters with questions about the 2008 election voting process. met with excitement and support by the law school’s faculty and staff. In fact, the Command Center was set up right out of the law school. “This gave me a really good opportunity to take a leadership role [whether in] grassroots organizing or as part of a national organization,” Kane said. “We already have 1L’s who are excited to continue the program in 2010.” On the ballot In Colorado, Kristi Burton also took an active role in the recent election. The third-year at Oak Brook College of Law and Government Policy successfully placed Colorado’s first pro-life amendment on the state’s electoral ballot. The 20 THE NATIONAL JURIST February 2009 “Personhood Amendment” attempted to define the term “person” or “persons” to include any human from the time of fertilization. Through the process, Burton — who co-sponsored the amendment with her father — assisted an attorney friend with drafting up the amendment’s language. She served as the spokesperson, speaking at colleges and debates and giving press interviews, and took part in grass-roots organizing and campaigning. “It was a great experience to be able to hear people’s opinions and questions,” Burton said. In her conversations, Burton found that many people weren’t informed about the issue. In the end, she talked to thousands

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of National Jurist - February 2009

National Jurist - February 2009 Contents Entertainment: Get Organized! The Firm Report: The Part-Time Lawyer News: Keeping Ethics Intact, New Law Deans, Latest Survey Findings Seattle Law Students Secure Asylum for East African Women Laptops in the Classroom Attorneys Dissect Health Law Law Students Contribute to 2008 Election Process Remembering Professors Obama and Biden Bar Exam Diaries How Well Balanced are Law Students? How to Choose a Summer Program Career Hotline Linguistic Gymnastics Disturbing the Peace

National Jurist - February 2009

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