Dear SBA Candidates:

As election time draws near and you ponder the collective interest of your potential constituents-to-be, I would like to make two public interest law-related requests of the SBA.  In my experience, the SBA has always done a terrific job providing resources and organizing events for law students.  It is in this role that the SBA could both promote public interest law and bolster the GW Law community by: (1) facilitating collaboration and public discussion between student groups with divergent substantive views, and (2) encouraging students to incorporate public interest law into their professional lives, no matter their career track.

One recurring issue for GW's Equal Justice Foundation is how exactly we should define "public interest."  EJF takes a broad view of what constitutes public interest law.  As a result, we find ourselves supporting and encouraging legal work for organizations that wholly disagree with each other on substantive issues, particularly topics that are controversial in today's public discourse.  It is heartening to see students dive into the fray on issues they feel strongly about, and EJF is glad to be able to play our part in making that possible.  The SBA, though, could also play a role by encouraging student groups that disagree substantively to come together on campus and delve into these tough issues publicly.  At the least, these odd-couple collaborations would better inform everyone about the arguments for each side, and maybe occasionally the students (and future lawyers) involved would find some small patch of common ground on which they could stand.

Too often we see examples in the news of what happens when two opposing sides dig in their heels and refuse to even listen to each other.  Sometimes the controversies come to a close, but the problems are rarely solved.  We students have a fantastic opportunity at GW to talk with each other about our disagreements respectfully, but still advocate zealously.  The SBA could help pair students groups that have different perspectives on current issues, and help those groups organize academic panels, co-host community service events, or even just plan social events together.  I don't expect the SBA to single-handedly bring all the bitter opponents on earth together for a collective rendition of "We Are The World," but we can take advantage of the unique community we have at the law school to expose ourselves to different ideas and viewpoints before we go our separate ways after graduation.  As students, we have the opportunity to openly and honestly disagree with each other and to try to understand the perspective of those with whom we disagree, and the SBA could help us seize this opportunity by encouraging public dialogues between student groups.

Finally, although the public interest career track is EJF's main focus, there are plenty of public interest opportunities for law students and graduates who want to work for private firms or companies after graduation.  For example, the SBA could encourage and promote pro bono work by organizing opportunities for students and continuing its generous support of groups like the Student Hurricane Network that provide direct pro bono services where they are needed most.  By throwing its weight behind pro bono opportunities on the school-wide level, the SBA could change the question for law students from whether they want to work in public interest law to how they want to work in public interest law.  The main benefit here is for those receiving much-needed legal counsel, but the experiences are also positive for students: the responsibilities are challenging, the issues are interesting, and the work is fulfilling.  Expanding students' pro bono and public interest activities also could also make GW more competitive as a law school: many prospective law students look into schools' public interest programs, and I know I have received calls and e-mails from students considering GW who want to know more about our school's public interest opportunities and how they measure up to those at schools like Georgetown and UCLA.  Incidentally, I've also been contacted by students at other law schools who are interested in public interest law and want to emulate GW in increasing their schools' public interest activities.  This shows what an excellent job GW has done thus far in encouraging public interest and pro bono work, and the SBA can strengthen this commitment by taking a more active role in our school's public interest community.

Jodie Graham

President, GW EJF