Daily Archives: May 4, 2017

♦ For more information and to apply to the opportunities below, please visit Symplicity and be sure to CHECK PRIOR BLOG POSTS! You can narrow your search by utilizing the “Blog post categories” ♦

THE ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE (ADL) SUMMER ASSOCIATE RESEARCH PROGRAM (SARP)

For more than a decade, ADL’s SARP program has provided law students at premier law schools and law firms across the nation with pro bono opportunities to research and write on cutting edge civil rights issues. The majority of the questions and topics researched arise from actual issues or incidents encountered by ADL’s regional offices during the past year. Law students are supervised by someone from your institution and consult with ADL staff attorneys throughout the program. Their work product serves as an important resource for ADL’s year-round advocacy work.

ADL also hosts several networking events throughout the summer to keep the students engaged and in contact with their peers from other participating schools and firms. In early-summer, they will hold an Opening Breakfast, where the associates will learn about the ADL and their specific projects. At the program’s mid-point, we invite participating students and summer associates to join ADL’s annual Supreme Court Review Videoconference – with renowned constitutional law scholars. The program will conclude with a Closing Reception in the Miami area, where the students will have an opportunity to share their research and participating law schools and firms will receive public recognition for your generous partnership.

The significance of the research memos to ADL cannot be overemphasized, as the analysis enhances our understanding of key jurisprudential topics and cutting edge civil rights issues. To give you a sense of the range of issues to be considered this summer, I’m including a few prior research examples here:

• Several state legislatures around the country have raised “personhood amendments,” giving fetuses the same constitutional rights as people. Please review and analyze the bills that have been introduced. In a legal memorandum, please address the scope of the bills and potential constitutional issues that might arise in your circuit.
• Many law enforcement officers have started wearing body worn cameras, either as a result of department policy or state law. Some have argued that body worn cameras raise privacy concerns, particularly in domestic violence situations and when officers interact with survivors of rape or sexual assault. In a legal memorandum, please analyze the constitutional issues that might arise. Please draft a model policy for a police department about how and when police should use body worn cameras.
• Over twenty states have passed laws prohibiting abortion coverage in state health insurance exchanges. Of those, ten ban all insurance plans from providing coverage for abortion, whether in the state exchange or not. In a legal memorandum, please analyze the constitutional issues that arise from such laws under the case law in your circuit.

When: Student participation typically spans from June – late July/early August. Generally, a student commits 15-20 hours of time over the two-month program to research and draft a memorandum of law, as well as a summary of their findings, which will be published in the 2017 Program Booklet, along with a prominent list of all participating law schools and law firms.

Contact: If you are interested in this opportunity, email Randee Breiter @ rgbreite@fiu.edu

◊ If you have any QUESTIONS, COMMENTS OR FEEDBACK, please email lawcareer@fiu.edu ◊