Welcome to the Blog site for the SBA: Project Community Alternative Spring Break in New Orleans, LA. Below you will find our mission statement and a list of all the SCU Law students and faculty that will be participating in this fantastic volunteer opportunity.
All of you are aware of the tragedy that the gulf coast has suffered in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. In an effort to assist the citizens and legal infrastructure of the region, the Student Bar Association will send 25 Santa Clara Law students and faculty to New Orleans from March 3-11, 2007, (our spring break). We feel that this trip will be an opportunity for the law students to represent the true spirit of Santa Clara Law and offer assistance to an area in dire need of help. Students chosen for this trip will be placed either with the New Orleans Legal Assistance Corporation (NOLAC) or with an alternative Legal Aid Program thru the Student Hurricane Network (SHN).
While we do not know specifically what tasks will be assigned to us, we anticipate that we will be organizing files, preparing pleadings, interviewing witnesses, doing legal research, and writing office memoranda. In addition, projects from Loyola New Orleans’ Katrina attorney, Bradley Black may be available.
Participants placed with another Legal Aid Organization will be given a placement determined by the Student Hurricane Network. Since December 2005, the Student Hurricane Network has brought over 1,000 volunteer law students to the Gulf Coast. Past law student work assignments included: fact-finding, interviewing, data-entry, research and writing. Students worked in areas such as criminal justice, housing, youth rights, and immigrant rights and with nonprofit organizations such as the Advancement Project, the Advocacy Center, the Louisiana American Civil Liberties Union, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, Capital Appeals Project, Common Ground, the Mississippi Center for Justice, Mississippi Legal Services, Pro bono Project, Louisiana Capital Assistance Center, New Orleans Legal Assistance Center, Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana, People’s Hurricane Relief Fund, and the Rebuilding Louisiana Coalition.
The following students and faculty have volunteered for this trip:
Prof. Evangeline Abriel, Prof. Margalynne Armstrong, Linda Starr, Ben Kuo, Leland Oshins, Ben Ebert, Shauvi Rogers, Audrey Kyu, Chio Saephanh, Alexis Galbraith, Emily Andrews, Monica Toole, Dan Murdock, Maura Fleming, Nicole Clemens, Lorraine Sachiko, Katie O’Connor, Pam Brown, Sabrina Wong, Olivia Lee, Sophia Valentim, Molly Healy, Eli Edwards, Gemma Daggs and Dan Schaar
We will be updating this site as often as possible, and if you have any questions about how you can help via your time and/or donations please contact SBA President Dan Schaar at Dan.C.Schaar@gmail.com
We hope to see you all at the Alumni Party/Send-Off on February 27th at THE HUT.
1 Comment
March 6, 2007 at 1:23 am
You guys are truly inspiring. Thank you for your hard work in making the trip to New Orleans happen and for reminding me why I love being part of Santa Clara.
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