The Red Velvet Lawyer

Conference of the  Midwest Association of Pre-Law Advisors This week, I've been attending the conference of the Midwest Association of Pre-law Advisors (MAPLA) held this year in my home town of St. Louis, Missouri.  I have continued to blog on this conference so check my postings in November. Three things have really impressed me. First, the pre-law advisors clearly express a strong desire to help their students make the best career choices possible.  I appreciate their professionalism, knowledge, and commitment to serve students. Employment Trends Update Second, the conference planners have offered top-notch conference programming. One speaker, the Executive Director of NALP , spoke about the legal employment market here and here . I've tracked the trends myself  here ,  here ,  here ,  here ,  here ,  here , and  here . I'll provide an update on that topic, based on this presentation, when I get back to Grundy. One speaker predicted that the graduating

Distinguished Alumni  of the Appalachian School of Law I am launching a series of profiles of our graduates who have distinguished careers as public servants. Accordingly, I will profile alumni serving as legislators, judges, judicial clerks, magistrates, administrative law judges, Commonwealth Attorneys, Deputy and Assistant Commonwealth Attorneys, public defenders, members of the Judge Advocates General Corps, and graduates holding other positions in state and federal government.   Hold on!  We have so many grads holding these distinguished positions, it will take me a while to complete this series.  I hope they help current and prospective students map legal careers that best serve the students and the people they are eager to serve.  And, on the horizon?  I've planned profiles of distinguished alumni in private practice. So, here is my first profile.  Enjoy! CAPTAIN M. ARTHUR “ARTIE” VAUGHN II Captain M. Arthur “Artie

Student Organizations at the  Appalachian School of Law So here it is -- after more than a month of research -- the list of student organizations operating at the Appalachian School of Law.  I am proud of the programming and service our students provide our law school and the regional community.  These organizations enhance our well-being in so many ways.   Pro Bono Legal Service Providers: Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)  VITA Tax Services (VITA)  Great Eastern Trail Project (GET)  Law Journals: Appalachian Journal of Law (AJoL) Appalachian Natural Resources Law Journal (ANRLJ) Student Government: Student Bar Association (SBA) Honor Court Legal Fraternities: Blackwell Inn Phi Delta Phi (PDP)  Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, International (PAD)  Focus on Substantive Law: ADR Society  Criminal Law Society (CLS)  Education Law Society (ELS)  Energy and Mineral Law Society (EMLS)  Environmental Law Society (ELS)  Innocence Project  Inter

Funding Student Organization Activities   at the Appalachian School of Law   Rather than paraphrase the rules governing SBA appropriations for student organizations, I am simply reproducing the relevant provisions of the Bylaws of the ASL SBA. § 3. Allocation of Student Activity Fees  I. Preliminary Organization Budget A. Any student organization or student group seeking funding from the Senate shall submit a proposed itemized budget to the SBA Fiscal Policy Committee (Committee). The proposed budget request shall be submitted to the Committee no later than April 1st of the academic year preceding the academic year in which the funds are to be requested. Full funding is not guaranteed nor should be expected. These proposals do not bind the SBA, nor the organization.  1. The Committee shall only accept proposals signed by the Organization President, Treasurer, and Advisor, or their equivalents.  2. All budgets shall remain proposals until the SBA Budget is appro

Standing Committees of the Student Bar Association (SBA) of the Appalachian School of Law  The Student Bar Association -- which I have described in a series of postings here ,  here ,  here , and  here  -- has established a number of standing committees.  They are: American Bar Association Representative Student Activity Council New Organization Review Committee Fiscal Policy Committee Charitable Endeavors Committee President's Council Career Services Advisory Committee Legacy Committee Mental Health Committee, and Property Management Committee Section 5 of the Bylaws of the Appalachian School of Law Student Bar Association describes each of these committees: American Bar Association Representative In the Spring semester, the newly elected SBA President shall appoint an American Bar Association (ABA) Representative. The ABA Representative shall be a rising 3L whose primary responsibility will be to represent the school in all activitie

The Legislative Branch (Senate) of the Student Bar Association of the Appalachian School of Law The Student Bar Council (SBC) of the Student Bar Association (SBA) consists of the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches. I discussed the Honor Court - the Judicial branch --  here .  I discussed the Executive branch here . Representatives of the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches must be in good standing as defined by the law school, including the ASL Academic Standards and the Honor Code. Failure to meet this standard results in immediate removal from office and replacement according to the SBA Constitution. Voting and non-voting members of the SBC must attend all meetings, except for good cause. Absences in excess of four meetings per semester or two consecutive regularly scheduled meetings, without good cause, allows a majority vote of the Senate to remove the member. The Senate The Legislative branch of the SBC is known as the “Senate.”  The

The Executive Branch of the  Student Bar Association  of the  Appalachian School of Law The Student Bar Council (SBC) of the Student Bar Association (SBA) consists of the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches. I discuss the Honor Court - the Judicial branch --  here .  I discuss the Legislative branch here . Representatives of the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches must be in good standing as defined by the law school, including the ASL Academic Standards and the Honor Code. Failure to meet this standard results in immediate removal from office and replacement according to the SBA Constitution. Voting and non-voting members of the SBC must attend all meetings, except for good cause. Absences in excess of four meetings per semester or two consecutive regularly scheduled meetings, without good cause, allows a majority vote of the Senate to remove the member. Executive Branch of the SBA The Executive branch of the SBA consists of the President, V