Women's Law Caucus

THE FOLLIES

2010-03-25T14:14:00.005-04:00

Every year students and the faculty get together for the The Follies! This year we will be featuring performances from two bands, students acts and other exciting events! Come eat food and bid on all the fabulous items we have - $10,000 in Kaplan prizes, gym memberships, a Nintendo Wii, a VIP billiards party for you and twenty friends, and more!

All proceeds go to supporting two NEL|B students in their summer internships furthering the goals of the late Ms. Mary Joe Frug.

"Just note the discomfort and keep going" - Professor Frug

The Price of Pleasure

2010-03-22T22:10:00.006-04:00

Monday, March 29th at 10:00am

Cherry Room

Women's Law Caucus will host:

Once relegated to the margins of society, pornography has become one of the most visible and profitable sectors of the cultural industries in the United States. It is estimated that the pornography industry's annual revenue has reached $13 billion. At the same time, the content of pornography has become more aggressive, more overtly sexist and racist. The film features the voices of consumers, critics, and pornography producers and performers. It paints both a nuanced and complex portrait of how pleasure and pain, commerce and power, and liberty and responsibility are intertwined in the most intimate aspects of human relations.

Student led discussion will follow

Coffee will be served!

Professor Mary Joe Frug Grant

2010-03-15T12:19:00.006-04:00

Every year the Women's Law Caucus raises funds for the Mary Joe Frug Grant. The grant was established to further the work of Professor Mary Joe Frug by providing a stipend for two+ students at New England Law | Boston who will devote their summer to improving the lives of women.

This grant is open to ALL STUDENTS. It provides funding for two+ students to work this summer in an area that particularly effects women. Applications can be found on WLC Twen page along with the Mary Joe Frug Manifesto. Applications are due to the SBA mailbox/WLC mailbox in the SBA office on Friday March 26.

Professor Frug was a dedicated, charismatic teacher and mentor, she joined the faculty in 1981, after holding similar positions at Villanova, Boston University, and Columbia. Frug was a pioneer in critical feminist legal analysis, authored a case book Women and the Law, and was instrumental in establishing a course on domestic violence, one of the first in the country. While on a leave from the school in 1991, she was murdered by an unknown assailant near her Cambridge home.

Human Trafficking Week!

2010-02-21T15:11:00.001-05:00

Thanks to all our speakers and everyone who came to "Holly" on Wednesday February 17th and the panel event on Thursday February 18th.

Also thank you too all the students who participated in the bake sale this week, we raised $225 for human trafficking survivors!

Thursday February 18th "Slavery Next Door: A Panel Discussion on Human Trafficking"

Moderated by Adonia Simpson

Human Trafficking Awareness Week

2010-02-07T20:13:00.009-05:00

Attention all members! Human Trafficking Week is fast approaching. In order to make this week a success we need everyone's help and LOTS of volunteers to make goodies for the bake sale!

Wednesday February 17th 4:00pm Cherry Room

Holly this documentary follows 12-year-old girl, Holly who has been sold by her family and smuggled into Cambodia. Screening will be followed by a discussion led by Professor Wendy Murphy. For more information - http://priorityfilms.com/

Thursday February 18th 4:00pm Cherry Room

Slavery Next Door: A Panel Discussion on Human Trafficking - Panelists include:

Hank Basile – Human Smuggling/Trafficking Group, Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Bartholomew Cahill – Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Sarah Durfey – Not for Sale, Massachusetts Co-State Director
Cynthia Kennedy – Outreach Coordinator at Project REACH and Coordinator for NE Coalition Against Trafficking
Jane Rocomora – Greater Boston Legal Services, Immigration Unit

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday February 16th - 18th 9:00am - 4:00pm

Human Trafficking Bake Sale

SIGN UP SHEETS ARE ON TWEN. We need WLC members to make items and sit at the table during the day. All proceeds of the bake sale will be going directly to trafficked victims through The Emancipation Network (to learn more - http://www.madebysurvivors.com/)

If you have any questions, or would like to get more involved please email kristen.m.antolini@nesl.edu

Fall 2010 Recap

2010-02-07T19:34:00.008-05:00

Thanks to all WLC members for making this past semester great! Here is a recap of the events WLC participated in:

Anna Hirsch Lecture Series 2009 – This is an annual event which is held in honor of the former president of our law school. This year's lecture, entitled “Gender and Post-Conflict Reconstruction," featured three speakers, including our own Ms. Dina Haynes. This event was a great success and we look forward to continuing this event in the future.

For more information on this year's lecture -

http://www.nesl.edu/media/news.cfm?newsDetailID=3591

Breast Cancer Awareness Week – Women’s Law Caucus along with PDP and PAD, the two academic fraternities on campus, joined forces to raise awareness and funds for this important issue. This year we were able to reach our donation goals and enjoyed ourselves participating in the week long bake-sale, Sweetwater Event and the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk in Boston.

WLC Members Participate in the

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk in Boston - October 4, 2010.

2009-01-29T09:33:00.004-05:00

EVENTS

February 12---

Human Trafficking Awareness Event

New England Law | Boston, Cherry Room

154 Stuart Street

Boston, MA 02116

2:30 pm - 6:00pm

Open to the Public

Please join us for this eye opening event. Refreshments will be served and there will be an opportunity to by wares from trafficking survivors.

2008-2009 T-shirts!

2008-10-18T12:31:00.002-04:00

If you are interested in a 2008-2009 Ringer T-shirt ($15) or sweatshirt ($38) please contact the current WLC Executive Board, neslwomen@gmail.com. The numbers are limited and they are going fast!!

2008-10-06T10:33:00.000-04:00

The Women’s Law Caucus
and New England Law Boston
Present:
Anna E. Hirsch Lecture Series

Featuring
Professor Martha Fineman
When: October 16, 2008 4:00-6:00Where: Cherry Room

It's time for the Annual Follies & Roast!

2008-04-11T12:39:00.004-04:00

Each year the Women's Law Caucus hosts NESL's Annual Follies & Roast where students (and professors too) come together to poke fun at the profs and law school by performing acts, skits, stand-up comedy, songs and more. All in good fun and for a good cause as all proceeds go the Mary Joe Frug Grant which provides stipends to NESL students who have secured unpaid summer internships that further womens' issues. This year we have even more fabulous prizes for the silent auction and raffle. Please join us and tell all your friends and professors! Also, the WLC needs volunteers so if you would like to volunteer to help out at the event or to perform at the event, please contact bethanyparsons@nesl.edu or samanthabrooks@nesl.edu. Let's make this the most successful year yet!

Friday, April 18 (next Friday!!)
6:00—9:00pm
FELT Nightclub, 533 Washington Street

(just around the corner from NESL)

Prizes, Raffles and Silent Auction—all proceeds go to NESL WLC’s Mary Joe Frug Grant!

FREE FOOD plus one raffle ticket with admission!

Upcoming events

2008-03-16T11:07:00.003-04:00

April 1: The WLC Exec Board is now Accepting Applications for the Mary Joe Frug Grant. Anyone can apply for the grant so be sure to tell your friends about the grant if they have a public interest internship this summer and their work is furthering women's issues. Go to the TWEN page and click on the Mary Joe Frug sidebar link for more information and to download the application. You can also pick up an info packet from the SBA office. Deadline is April 1st - email the Exec Board with questions.

April 18: This year the WLC is hosting the Follies and Roast at FELT nightclub on Washington Street from 6-9pm so get your Funny Bones Ready! Also, start talking with your friends and recruiting acts, songs, skits, all in good taste, all our welcome! Visit TWEN and email Beth Parsons or Sam Brooks if you're interested in serving on a committee.

Stay tuned for more details on these GREAT events!

Save these dates!!

2008-01-29T16:30:00.000-05:00

February 21: The WLC and the International Law Society are co-sponsoring "Human Trafficking Awareness" in which community activists and attorneys will discuss the challenges they face and the work they are doing to combat human trafficking. The event will be on Thursday, February 21st starting at 2:30 and running well into the evening. We'll have speakers from The Emanicipation Network who just returned from a trip to Calcutta, India as well as speakers from Matahari: Eye of the Day who will discuss the challenges faced here in New England. We'll also have a handicrafts fair where you can purchase beautiful items designed and made by the victims of trafficking and labor exploitation. Go to the Sign Up Sheet and sign up to bake goodies on Feb. 20, table prior to the event on Feb 15 & 20, and also as a hostess the day of the event. We need all the help we can get to ensure a successful event so please make announcements in your classes, distribute fliers, notify other organizations, and most importantly, please attend! We really want to make an excellent showing to support the organizations who have so graciously agreed to make presentations and to sell handicrafts. There will be refreshments and the format will be such that you can come and go as your class schedule permits. Keep checking TWEN for updates!

More great events!!!

March 20: Congresswoman Tsongas will be joining us on March 20th for our Speaker Series. She will deliver an address: "Women can't win if they don't run". Save the date!!

April: The FUNNIEST event at NESL, the ANNUAL FOLLIES. The only time that you can get those professors back and witness first hand the amazing talents of your classmates and yes, even your professors! Acts, songs, skits and dances: all in good taste, all our welcome! We'll have apps plus chances to win amazing prizes.

Pre-order your WLC - Rosie the Riveter T-shirts now!!

2007-10-17T09:24:00.000-04:00

Pre-order WLC/Rosie the Riveter tshirts now by completing the form available on TWEN and bringing it along with payment to our next meeting on Wednesday, November 7. Short sleeve Ts are $15 and Long sleeve Ts are $18. Colors available are gray, pink and blue. If you are not a student and would like to order a tshirt, please email us at neslwomen@gmail.com. Thanks!

WLC Makes Great Strides Against Breast Cancer

2007-10-17T09:13:00.000-04:00

WLC members have made "great strides" against breast cancer by raising funds for the American Cancer Society's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. Each year the WLC puts together a team of walkers and raises funds. This year, our team raised nearly $1000 through individual efforts and a group bake sale held on campus. GREAT JOB EVERYONE! Our team caught up with a couple of other NESL organization teams the morning of the walk and approximately 50 NESL'ers walked together. The 5.6 mile walk began at the Hatch Shell on the Charles River and wove its way along the Charles through Boston University campus over the bridge to Cambridge and back to the Hatch Shell. The walk was a wonderful opportunity to contribute to a good cause while at the same time enjoying the beauty of Boston.

Save these dates in October!

2007-10-05T10:04:00.000-04:00

Wednesday, October 10 - BENEFIT BAKE SALE and PINK RIBBON SALE

The WLC will be selling baked goodies and pink ribbons in support of our fundraising efforts for the Breast Cancer Walk. The sale will be one day only on Wednesday, October 10 from 1:00 pm-6:00 pm in the Lobby. However to make this fundraiser a huge success, we need your help! We need volunteers to bake goodies, make pink ribbon awareness pins, sell the goodies in the lobby, and make announcements in your classes or on other organizations' TWEN boards. Sign up to help out on our TWEN page.

Thursday, October 11 – Registration for the Massachusetts Conference for Women
On December 11, 2007 the Mass. Conference for Women is having its annual event! This is an inspirational event that every woman should attend. Last year, Maya Angelou spoke, and this year Anna Quindlen, Pulitzer prize winning journalist and award winning author, Jack Welch former CEO of GE and named by Fortune magazine as manager of the century, Rene Syler CBS News anchor for The Early Show and author, and Suzy Welch journalist and a former editor the Harvard Business Review will all be keynote speakers. There will also be many panelists and hundreds of exhibitors. Lunch and breakfast is served. If you are interested please attend a meeting on October 11 at 2:30 and 5:30 in room 503 to register or find out more! If you have any questions or can't make the meeting please contact Megan Carraher at megancarraher@nesl.edu or Laura Nazzaro at lauranazzaro@nesl.edu. We would like to see as many NESL Women's Law Caucus Members there this year as possible. See you are the meeting and stay tuned for more information! http://www.maconferenceforwomen.org/index.htm

Sunday, October 14 - Making Strides Against Breast Cancer

WLC members are raising funds and walking in Boston's Strides Against Breast Cancer. We'll meet up with Phi Alpha Delta and Phi Delta Phi beforehand in the Transportation Building for early morning refreshments (coffee!!!) and then walk over to registration. Visit the EVENTS page for more info and to join our team!

Tuesday, October 23 - Boston Women in the Law Speaker Panel

The WLC is co-sponsoring a Boston Women in the Law Panel with the Charles Hamilton. Come and listen, ask, network and learn what some amazing female legal minds are doing in the Boston area!

Congratulations to Professor Murphy!

2007-09-20T09:15:00.000-04:00

Professor Wendy Murphy just recently released her book, And Justice for Some, and already it is getting rave reviews. Her book is available in the NESL Library and for purchase on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and the NESL bookstore. You can read an excerpt from the book on its website at http://andjusticeforsome.com/Home_Page.html.

Because many of you have expressed interest in her background and the work that she is doing now, below is an excerpt from her bio in the book. She is a NESL grad and oversees the Sexual Violence Legal News Project and the Judicial Language Project. She will be conducting the JLP/SVLN training on 9/26 from 2:30-4. Feel free to stop by and say hello.

Wendy Murphy is an ex-prosecutor who specialized in child abuse and sex crimes cases. The first lawyer in the country to run a program to provide free legal services to crime victims, Wendy has been fighting for victims' rights for twenty years. Having served as a Visiting Scholar at Harvard Law School, she now represents crime victims in civil and criminal cases and teaches an advanced seminar on sexual violence at the New England School of Law in Boston. As an adjunct professor, she also manages the Sexual Violence Legal News and Judicial Language projects at her law school and consults with crime victims across the country to help them achieve justice. Professor Murphy writes scholarly and pop culture articles, and lectures widely on victims' rights, sex crimes, violence against women and children, media coverage of crime and the criminal justice system. She has worked as a legal analyst for CBS News, CNN, Fox News and MSNBC and appears regularly on cable and network news programs to provide commentary on legal news stories. And Justice For Some is her first book.

Amicus filed by SVLN to be argued before the SJC on October 1!

2007-09-13T10:15:00.000-04:00

In April of this year, the Sexual Violence Legal News (SVLN) submitted an amicus brief to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court on Commonwealth v. Urban, a rape case involving an intoxicated victim. Jennifer Cochran, Megan Kral and Susan Smith, all WLC members, had the unique opportunity to work on this project with Professor Murphy by performing research and drafting arguments for inclusion in the amicus.

According to Massachusetts law, the prosecution must establish two elements: 1) that the victim did not consent to the sexual act, and 2) force. In cases where the victim is incapacitated (drunk, drugged, unconscious), the judge instructs the jury that if they find that the victim has been drinking, she has to be "utterly senseless" or "wholly insensible" to warrant a finding that she did not consent to the sexual act. The amici argued that this was a ridiculously high standard and that juries should only be given a general instruction that they may consider whether alcohol affected the victim's ability to consent.

This is an important case that could greatly impact the lives of victims because it is challenging an instruction that wrongly focuses on the victim's actions. This is not the case in murder cases where the defendant can say he was too drunk to form the intent to murder his victim and if successful, his crime will be mitigated to a lesser offense. In almost every area of the law, the Court protects intoxicated or incapacitated persons from their drunken actions - you can't execute a will if you're drunk, your contract won't be honored if you contract knowingly with another party who is drunk, and yes, you just might not be convicted of first degree murder if you claim you were drunk at the time.

Professor Murphy will present the amici arguments in an oral argument before the SJC on Monday, October 1, 2007 . A webcast of the argument will be available live while the case is being argued and may also be viewed at a later time through the Suffolk Law School's archives at http://www.suffolk.edu/sjc/.

Save the Dates!

2007-09-10T10:15:00.000-04:00

WLC is in the throes of preparing for an exciting year of projects and fun events. The following events are on the calendar and/or in the planning stages. Visit TWEN or email the Exec Board to find out more about each event or to sign up.

Friday, September 14 - WLC members and prospective members are invited to adjunct Professor Wendy Murphy's book release reception in the Cherry Room from 6-8pm. Professor Murphy works closely with WLC members on the SVLN and JLP projects and is a renowned victims right advocate who appears often as a legal analyst on major network TV commenting on high profile cases affecting women.

Tuesday, September 18 - WLC will be at the SBA Activities/Organization Fair from 3-6pm in the Student Lounge. Stop by!

Wednesday, September 19 - WLC is hosting its first meetings at two separate times - 1:00 pm and 5:00 pm. We'll have pizza and lots of fun! If you can't make it, be sure to check TWEN for the meeting minutes. Location to be posted as soon as we received our room confirmation!

Wednesday, September 26- SVLN and JLP project training. Contact Jennifer Cochran or Jessica Babine if you're interested in volunteering. Professor Murphy will be conducting the trainings as well as Jessica and Jen. Email them for more information and with your availability!

Monday, October 1 - Professor Murphy argues presents Com v Urban amici arguments before the SJC!

Sunday, October 14 - WLC is putting together a team to walk in Boston's Strides Against Breast Cancer. Visit TWEN for more info and join our team! It's a great event.

JLP publishes article in the Sexual Assault Report

2007-07-30T10:43:00.000-04:00

This past spring, the JLP began publishing articles in the Sexual Assault Report's "Language Corner". Kareen Bar-Akiva, 2006-2007 Project Liaison, penned the first article introducing the mission and goals of the project. This summer, Jennifer Cochran, 2007-2008 Project Liaison, focused her article on a rape case where the judge ordered the victim and other witnesses not to use the terms "sexual assault", "rape", "Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner", and other terms in their testimony. When the prosecution countered with a motion to exclude the terms "sex" and "intercourse", the judge denied the motion and commented "What else would we call it?". The article focused on why these orders were inappopriate by focusing on the meaning of language from a legal and social science perspective. Professor Murphy is now filing a motion in federal court to reverse the trial court judge's order.

Copies of the SAR will be available in the library and the published articles will be published on the WLC's TWEN page. JLP volunteers will continue to contribute to the SAR Language Corner throughout the year. If you are interested in volunteering with JLP or contributing to SAR, email Jennifer Cochran at jcochran72@gmail.com.

Erin Chamberlain awarded Mary Joe Frug Grant

2007-07-12T20:48:00.000-04:00

The Women's Law Caucus of New England School of Law has awarded Erin Chamberlain, a first year student at New England, the Mary Joe Frug Grant to fund her summer internship with the Women's Bar Foundation in Boston, Massachusetts. The Women's Law Caucus established the grant in honor of the late Professor Mary Joe Frug and provides stipends for students at New England who devote their summers to improving the lives of women. This summer, Ms. Chamberlain is improving the lives of women through the Foundation's Family Law Project for Battered Women where she will be performing research, interviewing clients and providing other assistance as needed. This inspiring program is the largest pro brono program in Massachusetts. The Foundation recruits, trains, and mentors attorneys and matches them with women and children who are victims of domestic violence.

"The Mary Joe Frug Grant made it possible for me to accept this position and to devote to it the time it deserves. The women aided by the Project constitute a very important and often overlooked group of women who are ineligible for many legal services, but who are also unable to seek the help and advice of an attorney on their own." Erin Chamberlain, 2007 Mary Joe Frug Grant recipient.

Congratulations Erin!!

If you would like to learn more about or make a donation to the grant, please contact the Executive Board or email neslwomen@gmail.com.

WLC elects 2007-2008 Executive Board

2007-06-15T12:55:00.000-04:00

Elections for the Executive Board were held the week of April 9th and the results were announced at the annual NESL Follies. Abbey Ross was elected Chairperson along with Jennifer Cochran as Project Liaison, Beth Parsons as Secretary, Katie Meyer as Treasurer, and Michelle Kohanloo as Evening Division Liaison. Each of these individuals have contributed greatly to the success of WLC programs and events. The outgoing Board has accomplished much this past year. Under its leadership, the WLC implemented the JLP Project, hosted a Human Trafficking Awareness event, helped coordinate the JLP Conference, revitalized the SVLN project and much much more. Their leadership and wonderful enthusiasm has inspired the new Board and membership to accomplish even more in the year to come.

Kareen Bar-Akiva receives Ethics award

2007-05-31T18:20:00.001-04:00

The WLC congratulates our very own Project Liaison for 2006-2007, Kareen Bar-Akiva! Kareen was awarded the ACC Ethics Award for 2007. Each year the Northeast Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) selects a student at each Boston-area law school who “demonstrates an early commitment to ethics in the practice of law, either through clinical programs, legal internships, pro bono work, or exceptional scholarship.” Read more about Kareen's award and the contributions that she had made to NESL and the community by clicking here.

NESL hosts Conference on Judicial Language

2007-05-31T18:19:00.001-04:00

The Judicial Language Project, which is the only organization in the country that reviews the language in judicial opinions to assess its impact on victims and society, sponsored its first conference, "The Troubling Language of Rape: How Eroticism, Gender Myths, and Victim Blaming Affect Social and Legal Discourse," on Saturday, March 24. At the conference, linguists, social scientists, and legal scholars examined the relationship between language and topics such as sexual violence and gender, rape myths, race and rape, and child sexual abuse.

"Language affects all aspects of our lives -- social, cultural, and legal," said Professor Judith Greenberg, who organized the event with Wendy J. Murphy ('87), an adjunct professor at New England School of Law. "Rape myths and the use of erotic and sexualized language permeate the discourse surrounding sexual assault in both the media and the courtroom. This language creates meaning and affects how we understand the act of sexual assault."

The Judicial Language Project identifies and analyzes problematic language in judicial opinions to focus the attention of the judiciary, the bar, community activists, and the public on its harmful impact. The Women's Law Caucus coordinates the Project and NESL law students participate by identifying problematic language and recommending appropriate language. Project participants hope that their efforts will lead to a reduction in the use of needlessly erotic, sexist, minimizing, or "blaming" language to describe sexually violent behavior and that the changes in language will alter public perceptions of sexual assault.

SVLN submits amicus brief

2007-05-31T18:15:00.000-04:00

In April of this year, the New England School of Law's Sexual Violence Legal News (SVLN) submitted an amicus brief to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court on Commonwealth v. Urban, a rape case involving an intoxicated victim. Jennifer Cochran, Megan Kral and Susan Smith, all WLC members, had the unique opportunity to work on this project with Professor Murphy by performing research and drafting arguments for inclusion in the amicus.

According to Massachusetts law, the prosecution must establish two elements: 1) that the victim did not consent to the sexual act, and 2) force. The standard in Massachusetts in cases where the victim is incapacitated (drunk, drugged, unconscious), the judge instructs the jury that if they find that the victim has been drinking, she has to be "utterly senseless" or "wholly insensible" to warrant a finding that she did not consent to the sexual act. The amici argued that this was a ridiculously high standard and that juries should only be given a general instruction that they may consider whether alcohol affected the victim's ability to consent. This is an important case that could greatly impact the lives of victims because it is challenging an instruction that wrongly focuses on the victim's actions. This is not the case in murder cases where the defendant can say he was too drunk to form the intent to murder his victim and if successful, his crime will be mitigated to a lesser offense. In almost every area of the law, the Court protects intoxicated or incapacitated persons from their drunken actions - you can't execute a will if you're drunk, your contract won't be honored if you contract knowingly with another party who is drunk, and yes, you just might not be convicted of first degree murder if you claim you were drunk at the time.

Be on the lookout for news regarding this special case as the SJC will hear arguments this fall from the prosecution, defense, and amici on the role of intoxication and the impact of a victim's intoxication on her ability to consent.