February 2, 2009
CONTACT
David N. Hefner
Director of Communications and Marketing
Walter F. George School of Law
Mercer University
478.301.5000
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Mercer Law fund-raiser shines light on public-service law
‘ETHOS’ awards support law students seeking to serve the public
MACON, Ga. – Mercer University School of Law, in conjunction with the Mercer University Law & Public Service Program, is hosting its second annual fund-raising event to support Mercer law students seeking unpaid summer internships in critical areas of public service.
The Second Annual Celebration of ETHOS, an acronym that stands for “Extending The Hands Of Service,” is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 19, in The Armory Ballroom from 6:30 – 11 p.m. The event will honor Mercer Law alumni James “Phil” Bond and Amy Bell, both of whom have committed their legal careers to areas of public interest. Bond is the managing attorney in the Macon office of the Georgia Legal Services Program, and Bell is an assistant public defender and head of the Property Division in the Office of the Macon Judicial Circuit Public Defender .
The event helps fund stipends for students working in unpaid summer internships in areas of public service. Government and non-profit legal offices typically do not have funds to pay students to work in the summer. Last year, proceeds from the fund-raiser supported three outstanding Mercer law students who were each awarded $4,000 stipends. The event also serves as a showcase, providing information about public-service work done by Mercer law students in clinics, practicum courses, and pro bono and volunteer projects. The law school’s faculty band – including, among others, Chris Wells, Dick Creswell, Linda Jellum, Mary Donovan, Sarah Gerwig-Moore, and alum Rob Fenimore – will perform, as well as local group Mark Brooker and the Neo Cats.
“This fund-raising event brings together the law school community in support of our students and graduates who work in the public sector.” Dean Daisy Hurst Floyd said. “Our mission is to provide exceptional legal training to our students so that they can become lawyers who make a difference in their communities. By providing much-needed stipends for our students, we make it possible for them to gain valuable experience and to serve the public.”
Mercer Law School is committed to providing incentives for its students to pursue career paths in areas that serve the public. PreLaw Magazine recently ranked Mercer Law School No. 6 nationally in public-interest law. The rating is based on student involvement in public-service and pro bono activities, the strength of public-service curriculum offerings, and financial factors such as public-service scholarships and summer stipends for public-service work.
The fund-raising event features a raffle of three vacation packages. By purchasing a raffle ticket for $100, raffle-ticket holders have a chance of winning one of three vacations: (1) an all-expense paid hunting package in Nebraska, (2) a cabin getaway at Lake Blue Ridge in Blue Ridge, Ga., and (3) a weekend stay in the Alabama mountains at Lake Lahusage. General admission tickets are $25, and student tickets are $10. (A general admission or student ticket is needed to attend the event. Raffle-ticket holders need not be present to win.)
For ticket information, contact Courtney Dickey, coordinator of the Law & Public Service Program, at dickey_ca@law.mercer.edu or 478.301.5023. Admission and raffle tickets will be available at the door the night of the event.
About Mercer University School of Law
The Mercer University Walter F. George School of Law is ranked among the Top 100 law schools in the United States, and its legal writing program is ranked No. 1 in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2009 ranking of “America’s Best Graduate Schools.” Founded in 1873, Mercer Law School is among the oldest in the nation. Its innovative Woodruff Curriculum – which focuses on ethics and practical skills amid small class sizes – earned the Gambrell Professionalism Award from the American Bar Association for its “depth of excellence.” With a total enrollment of about 400 students, taught by some of the sharpest legal minds in the country, Mercer Law School is recognized as one of the nation’s best. For more information about Mercer Law School, visit our Web site at www.law.mercer.edu or call 478.301.5000.
-30- |
