This Wednesday, April 28nd will be the Stony Brook Pre-Law E-Board elections! The offices of President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary and Project Manager are all up for the vote. Incumbents are seeking reelection for Vice-President and Treasurer.
Announced Spring 2008 Candidates:
President:
Syed Haq (current Project Manager)
Felix Omozusi
Vice-President:
Kevin Brady (incumbent)
Treasurer:
Shane Myers
Diana Villalobos
Secretary:
Alex McClean (incumbent)
Project Manager:
Katie O'Brien
The Elections Board, headed by President Al Sand, will be taking nominations on the day of the elections on a case-by-case basis as "write in" candidates.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
A message from Project Manager Syed Haq
Hello All,
Its a big week for the SBPL this week, with this weeks regular meeting (Wednesday, 1 pm, SAC 311) being taken up with speeches from those running for positions on the Executive board, and most importantly out Law Forum on Friday.
The Law Forum features a panel of lawyers who will be discussing their views on a wide range of issues of concern to pre-law students, such as how the profession is changing, how to chose an area of law, advice on how to get into law school, how to seek employment and more, as well as answering your questions. This is a great opportunity to get the info you need to pursue a career in law. Don't miss out.
The Forum will be held this Friday, April 25th, from 4 -6 pm in Wang Center Lecture Hall 001.
Hope to see you there.
Its a big week for the SBPL this week, with this weeks regular meeting (Wednesday, 1 pm, SAC 311) being taken up with speeches from those running for positions on the Executive board, and most importantly out Law Forum on Friday.
The Law Forum features a panel of lawyers who will be discussing their views on a wide range of issues of concern to pre-law students, such as how the profession is changing, how to chose an area of law, advice on how to get into law school, how to seek employment and more, as well as answering your questions. This is a great opportunity to get the info you need to pursue a career in law. Don't miss out.
The Forum will be held this Friday, April 25th, from 4 -6 pm in Wang Center Lecture Hall 001.
Hope to see you there.
Monday, April 14, 2008
4/16: Speaker: Arshad Majid
We are proud to host our semester's final midday meeting speaker this Wednesday, April 16th. Our guest will be former ADA and now private practice lawyer Arshad Majid.
Here is some background on Mr. Majid from Background Syed Haq, SBPL Project Manager:
ARSHAD MAJID, JD MBA is the principal attorney of Majid & Associates, P.C., a New York based law firm. Prior to forming the law firm, Mr. Majid was employed as an Assistant District Attorney and prosecutor in New York State. As a prosecutor, Mr. Majid initiated and supervised criminal investigations and supervised the disposition of thousands of criminal cases. During his tenure, he obtained convictions on several notable trials on issues ranging from Domestic Violence, Computer and Credit Card Fraud, Driving While Intoxicated, Child Abuse, Elder Abuse and Violent Crimes.
Mr. Majid is lead counsel on matters concerning criminal, real estate, civil and federal litigation and is responsible for negotiations with debtors on behalf of leading banking and financial institutions. In this capacity, he has served as an adviser and liaison between the American minority community and international banking institutions such as HSBC and Citigroup.
Here is some background on Mr. Majid from Background Syed Haq, SBPL Project Manager:
ARSHAD MAJID, JD MBA is the principal attorney of Majid & Associates, P.C., a New York based law firm. Prior to forming the law firm, Mr. Majid was employed as an Assistant District Attorney and prosecutor in New York State. As a prosecutor, Mr. Majid initiated and supervised criminal investigations and supervised the disposition of thousands of criminal cases. During his tenure, he obtained convictions on several notable trials on issues ranging from Domestic Violence, Computer and Credit Card Fraud, Driving While Intoxicated, Child Abuse, Elder Abuse and Violent Crimes.
Mr. Majid is lead counsel on matters concerning criminal, real estate, civil and federal litigation and is responsible for negotiations with debtors on behalf of leading banking and financial institutions. In this capacity, he has served as an adviser and liaison between the American minority community and international banking institutions such as HSBC and Citigroup.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Evening Meetings
Stony Brook Pre-Law will begin holding evening meetings for those unable to attend our usual midday times on Wednesday. The first meeting will be this Wednesday, April 9th, in the Stony Brook Union, Room 226 @ 7:30PM. Contact VP Kevin Brady at KevinCQBrady@gmail.com if you have any questions.
Elections: Elections Board & Running for Office
A) Elections Board: Someone's Gotta RUN the Elections!
-Five members are elected to oversee elections by the general membership
-No members may be seeking an office in the next semester
-Elections Board votes for its own chairperson
B) Constitutional Requirements
1. A minimum GPA of 2.0 is required for election to the e-board. A GPA of 2.0 must be maintained for each semester an office is held.
Note: These are executive board minimums set by USG.
2. No one can seek elected office without having been a voting member of SBPL for one whole semester prior.
C) What is each office responsible for?
1. President: Official representative of SBPL
-Preside over all meetings
-Prepare agendas for all general body & e-board meetings
-Non-voting member of any and all committees
(except the elections committee)
2. Vice-President: Coordinator between e-board members and committees
-Advise signatory officers (pres., treas., sec.)
-Fulfill presidential duties at any time necessary
3. Treasurer: Chief financial officer
-Keep detailed record of all finances
-Submit all payment requests to USG
4. Secretary: Record keeper, manager of all official documents
-Take attendance and minutes at all meetings and functions
-Maintain up-to-date voting & non-voting member rosters
-Submit all required documentation to USG
5. Project Manager: Chair of Stony Brook Mock Trial (SBMT) subcommittee
-Manage and preside over SBMT meetings
-Receive all new project ideas from e-board and members
-Manage and encourage new projects to completion
-Five members are elected to oversee elections by the general membership
-No members may be seeking an office in the next semester
-Elections Board votes for its own chairperson
B) Constitutional Requirements
1. A minimum GPA of 2.0 is required for election to the e-board. A GPA of 2.0 must be maintained for each semester an office is held.
Note: These are executive board minimums set by USG.
2. No one can seek elected office without having been a voting member of SBPL for one whole semester prior.
C) What is each office responsible for?
1. President: Official representative of SBPL
-Preside over all meetings
-Prepare agendas for all general body & e-board meetings
-Non-voting member of any and all committees
(except the elections committee)
2. Vice-President: Coordinator between e-board members and committees
-Advise signatory officers (pres., treas., sec.)
-Fulfill presidential duties at any time necessary
3. Treasurer: Chief financial officer
-Keep detailed record of all finances
-Submit all payment requests to USG
4. Secretary: Record keeper, manager of all official documents
-Take attendance and minutes at all meetings and functions
-Maintain up-to-date voting & non-voting member rosters
-Submit all required documentation to USG
5. Project Manager: Chair of Stony Brook Mock Trial (SBMT) subcommittee
-Manage and preside over SBMT meetings
-Receive all new project ideas from e-board and members
-Manage and encourage new projects to completion
April 2: Presentation Summary: Syed Haq & Kevin Brady: Media Law
1. Introducing the field:
-First and foremost, Media Law demands fluency in the application and extensions of the First Amendment, which reads:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
-Media Law straddles the duel debates of expression and information in our society: Think of the ideal of the three branches of the US federal government and replace them with “media,” “government,” and “the public”
2. Why does this field matter?
Example: Reporters’ Secret Sources
-McKevitt v. Pallasch (Chicago Tribune-Real IRA case): In 2004, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, in an opinion penned by conservative darling Judge Posner, declared that there was no First Amendment privilege in protecting a confidential source nor special criteria into which journalists fell when deemed in contempt of court.
-In 1972’s Branzburg v. Hayes, the Supreme Court failed to achieve a majority on the issue of whether journalists had a right to keep their sources secret, even from authorities. From then on, most courts erred on the side of a limited, “balanced” approach to the privilege, allowing judges often to determine what could be kept secret and what could not, but no precedent was set in stone.
-Today, ranks have now been achieved in many judgeships in the US that seek to overturn the entire concept of journalistic immunity from prosecution for secret sources. Debate continues in the media itself, in political arenas, and amongst the public about what is best for all involved, weighing equality under the law, government protection of secret information, and the public’s right to know.
3. Aspects & Education:
- In many cases, Media Law, as a major for example, is referred to by other names, such as Communications-, Entertainment-, Journalism- or First Amendment Law.
-Local Programs: Columbia U., CUNY-Queens College, Fordham U., NYU
Links:
http://www.medialaw.org/
Site’s Summary: The Media Law Resource Center – formerly the Libel Defense Resource Center – is a non-profit information clearinghouse originally organized by a number of media organizations to monitor developments and promote First Amendment rights in the libel, privacy and related legal fields.
http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/media_law_prof_blog/
Our Summary: Maintained by LSU Associate Prof. of Law Christine A. Corcos, the blog offers summaries, updates, and links to ongoing cases and interesting articles about journalists involved with the law (the murder of reporters in Russia), freedom of expression issues (Google availability in China without censorship), and governmental regulation of media outlets (FCC licensing and auctions). Delivered with less opinion and much more summarization and analysis than most blogs, Prof. Corcos’ site is both a good resource for those keeping tabs on media law, freedom of expression issues or journalism as a whole, as well as a nice sample of what is at stake and at work for prospective lawyers and journalists alike.
http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/topicssummary.aspx
Site’s Summary: The First Amendment Center works to preserve and protect First Amendment freedoms through information and education. The center serves as a forum for the study and exploration of free-expression issues, including freedom of speech, of the press and of religion, and the rights to assemble and to petition the government.
The center’s Web site, www.firstamendmentcenter.org, is one of the most authoritative sources of news, information and commentary in the nation on First Amendment issues. It features daily updates on news about First Amendment-related developments, as well as information and detailed reports about U.S. Supreme Court cases involving the First Amendment, and commentary, analysis and special reports involving free expression, press freedom and religious-liberty issues.
-First and foremost, Media Law demands fluency in the application and extensions of the First Amendment, which reads:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
-Media Law straddles the duel debates of expression and information in our society: Think of the ideal of the three branches of the US federal government and replace them with “media,” “government,” and “the public”
2. Why does this field matter?
Example: Reporters’ Secret Sources
-McKevitt v. Pallasch (Chicago Tribune-Real IRA case): In 2004, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, in an opinion penned by conservative darling Judge Posner, declared that there was no First Amendment privilege in protecting a confidential source nor special criteria into which journalists fell when deemed in contempt of court.
-In 1972’s Branzburg v. Hayes, the Supreme Court failed to achieve a majority on the issue of whether journalists had a right to keep their sources secret, even from authorities. From then on, most courts erred on the side of a limited, “balanced” approach to the privilege, allowing judges often to determine what could be kept secret and what could not, but no precedent was set in stone.
-Today, ranks have now been achieved in many judgeships in the US that seek to overturn the entire concept of journalistic immunity from prosecution for secret sources. Debate continues in the media itself, in political arenas, and amongst the public about what is best for all involved, weighing equality under the law, government protection of secret information, and the public’s right to know.
3. Aspects & Education:
- In many cases, Media Law, as a major for example, is referred to by other names, such as Communications-, Entertainment-, Journalism- or First Amendment Law.
-Local Programs: Columbia U., CUNY-Queens College, Fordham U., NYU
Links:
http://www.medialaw.org/
Site’s Summary: The Media Law Resource Center – formerly the Libel Defense Resource Center – is a non-profit information clearinghouse originally organized by a number of media organizations to monitor developments and promote First Amendment rights in the libel, privacy and related legal fields.
http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/media_law_prof_blog/
Our Summary: Maintained by LSU Associate Prof. of Law Christine A. Corcos, the blog offers summaries, updates, and links to ongoing cases and interesting articles about journalists involved with the law (the murder of reporters in Russia), freedom of expression issues (Google availability in China without censorship), and governmental regulation of media outlets (FCC licensing and auctions). Delivered with less opinion and much more summarization and analysis than most blogs, Prof. Corcos’ site is both a good resource for those keeping tabs on media law, freedom of expression issues or journalism as a whole, as well as a nice sample of what is at stake and at work for prospective lawyers and journalists alike.
http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/topicssummary.aspx
Site’s Summary: The First Amendment Center works to preserve and protect First Amendment freedoms through information and education. The center serves as a forum for the study and exploration of free-expression issues, including freedom of speech, of the press and of religion, and the rights to assemble and to petition the government.
The center’s Web site, www.firstamendmentcenter.org, is one of the most authoritative sources of news, information and commentary in the nation on First Amendment issues. It features daily updates on news about First Amendment-related developments, as well as information and detailed reports about U.S. Supreme Court cases involving the First Amendment, and commentary, analysis and special reports involving free expression, press freedom and religious-liberty issues.
Upcoming Events: April 2008
4/2 (TODAY): Meeting: Elections Board / Presentation: Media Law (SAC 311)
4/9 (WED): Meeting: Speaker: Rudy Migliore, Senior Partner and Trial Lawyer (SAC 311)
4/12 (SAT): New Student Club Fair (SAC Ballroom B)
4/16 (WED): Meeting: Speaker: Arshad Majid, General Practioner and former Assistant District Attorney (SAC 311)
4/23 (WED): Meeting: Nominations Day / Presentation (SAC 311)
4/25 (FRI): Stony Brook Pre-Law Forum (Wang Center's Lecture Hall 1): 4PM
4/30 (WED): Meeting: Election Day / Semester Summary (SAC 311)
4/9 (WED): Meeting: Speaker: Rudy Migliore, Senior Partner and Trial Lawyer (SAC 311)
4/12 (SAT): New Student Club Fair (SAC Ballroom B)
4/16 (WED): Meeting: Speaker: Arshad Majid, General Practioner and former Assistant District Attorney (SAC 311)
4/23 (WED): Meeting: Nominations Day / Presentation (SAC 311)
4/25 (FRI): Stony Brook Pre-Law Forum (Wang Center's Lecture Hall 1): 4PM
4/30 (WED): Meeting: Election Day / Semester Summary (SAC 311)
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