Turning Talk Into Action

We’re very excited to partner with the MLaw Pro Bono Board to organize a Pro Bono Fair as part of MLaw Detroit Month! The Pro Bono Fair will be Thursday, Oct. 18, from 6-8 PM at Michigan Law. Students will have the chance to learn about the opportunities to work with projects in and around Detroit, as well as in other cities around Michigan. We’ll also have expert seminars to dive into starting and managing pro bono work. Plus, like all good MLaw events, food will be provided. If you have a pro bono project that you’d like to see at the fair, please be in touch with Megan Sanders and Jessica Morton.

If you haven’t yet done so, we encourage you to sign the Pro Bono Pledge to demonstrate your commitment to public service while at Michigan Law.

Speaker Roll Out

With a little over a month to go until @MLawDetroit Month, we’re excited to introduce one of our speakers. Co-sponsored by Law Students for Reproductive Justice and Outlaws, Emily Dievendorf, the Director of Policy of Equality Michigan will be speaking on equal justice issues and the LGBT community.

More speakers to be announced soon.

From her bio:

Emily Dievendorf
Director, Policy
emily@equalitymi.org
517.410.9179

Emily Dievendorf advocates for LGBT-friendly policies among legislators and other political leaders throughout the state. Prior to joining Equality Michigan, Ms. Dievendorf worked in the Michigan House of Representatives for Democratic state legislators Alexander C. Lipsey of Kalamazoo and Andy Coulouris of Saginaw. Ms. Dievendorf served as Chief of Staff to Representative Coulouris, the Chair of the House Committee on Banking and Financial Services.

Ms. Dievendorf’s passion for civil rights causes began in elementary school, where she advocated for racial justice that led to both referrals and detentions. A natural advocate and policy wonk, Ms. Dievendorf sees social justice as a way of life rather than as work. Ms. Dievendorf has long been active in social justice causes including LGBT equality, race relations, women’s rights, and HIV/AIDS. Ms. Dievendorf currently serves on the Ingham County Women’s Commission. She is a graduate of the James Madison College at Michigan State University.

M Law Detroit Month Overview

Vision

Make the Michigan Law community a partner with Detroit-based organizations in the overall effort to revitalize Detroit, protect basic rights of individuals living in the area, and redevelop the Detroit area as a prosperous, sustainable urban center that provides economic, educational, social and creative opportunities for individuals and the community as a whole.

Goal

We hope that this first Detroit Month engages the Michigan Law community to understand the reality, opportunities, and challenges of the Detroit area. Michigan Law students are busy, so rather than create a new group that requires more time and new partnerships, we have coordinated with a range of Michigan Law student organizations and Detroit-based community organizations to present a comprehensive vision of Detroit and tangible opportunities for law student involvement.

This year’s broad focus will be on answering the question: How are members of the Detroit legal community making their city more just, sustainable and secure? We hope that this event inspires an annual series that connects efforts across the University of Michigan and Detroit community to help transform and create a more equitable city.

Implementation

During October 2012, Detroit Month will engage and educate students through a Speaker Series, Dinner and a Movie Night, and a Pro Bono Fair emphasizing opportunities to engage with work in Detroit. Panelists will speak about broad issues impacting Detroit and required to be addressed in order to restore economic, cultural, educational and social vitality, and how lawyers and law students can support these efforts. We will work with student group partners to develop cohesive themes and sponsor panelists, with a particular emphasis on inviting speakers who are currently working on the ground in Detroit.  These student groups will help us organize a month-long Speaker Series, which will bring in speakers for lunch-time talks throughout the week. Student groups will invite speakers and panelists who will discuss how their work, and the work of the organizations they represent, is helping make Detroit more just, sustainable and secure.  In particular, the Speaker Series will focus on legal issues facing Detroit, as well as opportunities for resolving these challenges. The Dinner and a Movie Night will feature a Detroit-focused movie, food from a Detroit restaurant, and community efforts around the theme of the movie. The Pro Bono Fair will be sponsored and organized by the Pro Bono Board, and will feature pro bono projects organized by the school and student groups. Detroit-focused projects will be emphasized, and Detroit-based community organizations will be invited to attend. We may also invite an opening speaker to talk about the importance of Pro Bono work in the Detroit revitalization process.

At the end of October, we will hold a keynote address to tie together the previous month of activities and challenge the Michigan Law community to take continuing action.  We will conclude with a tour of Detroit, featuring those organizations that have participated in the Month and more directly connecting Michigan Law students with the community.

Organizers

The Detroit Month Planning Team, led by Jamen Tyler and Perry Teicher, will coordinate both the month and the day-and-a-half symposium. They will be directly responsible for (a) overall thematic connection; (b) coordination: of panels; between groups; and with the university; (c) fundraising; (d) budgeting; (e) marketing; and (f) evaluation coordination. We plan to have a website to post videos, photos, and notes about the month, along with additional information for those interested in Detroit.

Student groups will co-sponsor the overall event and be responsible for (a) finding and confirming speakers; (b) sending a proposed budget to the Planning Team; (c) marketing to their membership and networks; (d) managing their speakers; (e) pro bono fair participation; and (f) participation in post-event evaluation.

Pro Bono Committee will coordinate with student groups, the university and the Student Government to plan and implement the Pro Bono Fair. It will support Detroit Month by encouraging student groups to develop Detroit-focused projects and by highlighting Detroit-based or Detroit-focused projects and activities at the Fair.

Co-Sponsors

Poverty Law Society, Pro Bono Board, Food Futures, Business Law Society, Michigan Immigration and Labor Law Society, Law Students for Reproductive Justice, Environmental Law Society, Black Law Students Alliance, Michigan Action Program, Outlaws, Detroit Nation

Funding provided by Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP, SOFC of CSG, University of Michigan Law Student Affairs, and the UM Law School Student Senate.