University of Michigan Law School

Sizzling Start to September

michigan — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 16:19:34 -0400

ACS at the University of Michigan has kicked off the year in whirlwind style with four events held, two events scheduled, and many more in the planning stage. And, owing in large part to our strong start, we are seeing record attendance at our events. You can see more detail of the events at our chapter web site, or review the summary below.

Sept. 15 - Constitutional Coffee: ACS served coffee and doughnut holes outside of Hutchins Hall 100 to introduce ourselves to the incoming students and build interest for the year. Many curious students stopped by for coffee and a quick chat about what ACS does and has to offer.
Sept. 17 - Evening Social: ACS hosted a "get together" at Good Time Charley's following the Law School's Constitution Day presentation. A couple dozen of us had a chance to discuss how ACS presents opportunities to learn about key issues of the day, participate in moot court, network, and just have a good time!

Wrapping up the Semester...

michigan — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 20:52:13 -0400

Another semester wraps up, and ACS at the University of Michigan finished in style. The group hosted a number of excellent events to conclude the 2007-08 year:

Feb. 15 - Bowling Social: ACS held a social at Colonial Lanes, demonstrating that the "mystery of human life" truly encompasses striking wooden pins with a ball. (Planned Parenthood of S. Pa. v. Casey, 505 U.S. 833, 851 (1992))
Mar. 12 - Boumediene v. Bush: ACS hosted a student-led discussion of the Boumediene v. Bush case, discussing the oral arguments and legal issues surrounding this Guantanamo Bay detention case currently before the Supreme Court. Participants were encouraged to review the lower court ruling, the Petitioner and Respondent briefs, and the oral argument transcript (all posted on the local chapter website) for more information on the current state of the case.
Mar. 31 - Stories from the Bench

January 2008 - Cold in Michigan, but Hot at ACS!

michigan — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 17:03:17 -0500

Another semester starts, and ACS at the University of Michigan remains in high gear! While other students were puzzling over book lists and add/drop requirements, the ACS Board was planning events with strong speakers:

Jan. 17 - Judge Pratt: ACS and ACLU sponsored Judge Pratt, Chief Judge on the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Iowa. Judge Pratt spoke to a crowd of about 50 people, giving us the inside scoop on two recent cases. He wrote the Gall v. United States opinion, a federal sentencing case reversed by the 8th Circuit but restored by the Supreme Court. He also discussed Americans United, a prison ministries establishment clause case recently affirmed.
Jan. 24 - The Fundamental Right to (Keep Your) Same-Sex Marriage

November 2007 - Jobs, Jobs, and the First Amendment

michigan — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 12:44:56 -0500

ACS at the University of Michigan turned practical...at least for a while. Then, it was back to discussions over weighty issues. (Is there anything more weighty than discussing God?)

Nov. 7 - Working Lunch Series: Judicial Internships: ACS proudly kicked off its "Working Lunch" Series with a discussion on judicial internships! Nearly 100 people, mostly 1L's, came to enjoy sandwiches and the talk. First, we heard Robin Kaplan from the Office of Career Services give an overview of what her office can offer. (Relevant web links are posted on the University ACS site.) The audience then learned how to apply for internships, picking up an information sheet on how to do this. They also heard personal accounts of what it is like to work at the Michigan Court of Appeals, the Michigan Supreme Court, and a Federal District Court.
Nov. 14 - Working Lunch Series: Roles Within the US Government

October 2007 - Michigan kicks ACS into high gear!

michigan — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 15:39:55 -0500

ACS at the University of Michigan kicked things up a notch (or two) with a host of powerful events!

Oct. 2 - Supreme Court Roundup with the Federalist Society

ACS and the Federalist Society jointly hosted a Supreme Court Roundup on Tuesday, October 2. Hosted by our dean Evan Caminker, the event discussed cases in the Supreme Court's upcoming term. Speakers included University of Michigan professors Joan Larsen, Douglas Laycock, Richard Primus, and Christine Whitman.

For more information about the Court's current Docket, see the Supreme Court website.

Oct. 9 - Supreme Court Review Panel Kickoff

University of Michigan Law School

September 2007 Events

michigan — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 15:13:18 -0500

ACS at the University of Michigan kicked off 2007 with a number of events:

Sept. 13 - Constitutional Coffee: Curious about the Constitution and how it affects day-to-day life? Want to learn about important and current issues? People with such quesitions (or who just wanted coffee) came to the ACS table outside of HH 100 to meet our members, learn about ACS, and, yes, to drink great coffee from 8:30 until noon!
Sept. 24 - General Body Meeting: Students came to meet other progressive students over lunch at our first meeting of the year. Board members outlined our agenda and goals for this school year, discussing upcoming events, moot court, and how you can get involved. In particular, we discussed a great way to get involved: running for a Board position!
Sept. 27 - ACS/ACLU Joint Social: The American Constitution Society and the American Civil Liberty Union jointly hosted an evening social "get together" at the Brown Jug on South University. Participants had a chance to meet members of two fantastic groups at the same time. "A good time was had by all!"

University of Michigan Law School

Constitution Day at Tappan Middle School

michigan — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 00:02:22 -0500

Betsey Wiegman, one of the University of Michigan Law School chapter's members, spent an afternoon at Karen Tuttle's sixth grade history class at Tappan Middle School in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Betsey based her outstanding PowerPoint presentation (including a thought experiment where the kids pretended they were stranded on a tropical island and had to create their own society's rules) on lessons developed by the national ACS organization. The kids were totally engaged, and they had a great time learning about our Constitution.

Thanks, Betsey!

University of Michigan Law School

Intelligent Design Meets the First Amendment: A report on Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School Dist. from the plaintiffs' attorneys

michigan — Tue, 31 Jan 2006 17:54:16 -0500

Come to a presentation by Stephen Harvey of Pepper Hamilton LLP and Richard Katskee of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, counsel for the plaintiffs in the landmark “intelligent design” case of Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District that was decided in Pennsylvania in December 2005. Mr. Harvey and Mr. Katskee will lay out the factual and legal background of the case, and discuss whether intelligent design is science or religion, why the teaching of the scientific theory of evolution continues to generate controversy, and how the controversy implicates important issues of religious freedom.