Health care reform and immigration laws will be among the many topics explored at the School of Law’s sixth annual Working in the Public Interest Law Conference.
The conference will begin with a kick-off celebration April 1 at 6:30 p.m. at the Melting Point in Athens, with a keynote address by Steve Gottlieb of the Atlanta Legal Aid Society. Panel and roundtable discussions will be held at the School of Law April 2 from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Up to seven hours of continuing legal education credits are available for attorneys.
The April 2 morning plenary will focus on the current backlog of judicial nominations in the U.S. Senate, with policy experts addressing the scope of the problem, solutions and potential roadblocks to change.
Other topics to be discussed that day include the impact of the new heath care legislation; the regulation of illegal immigrant hiring; criminal defense attorneys and immigration laws; video games’ potential affects on childhood violence; discrimination against the elderly; and improving postsecondary school success.
“WIPI seeks to bring together practitioners, students and faculty to discuss practical approaches to lawyering which can promote social justice and human rights for all,” said Monika M. Dobbs, third-year law student and conference co-organizer. “Our goal is to highlight dynamic and creative ways to combat social injustice through the law as well as to better equip and support those who are working in this challenging arena.”
Also adding its support will be the law school’s Equal Justice Foundation with its 26th annual live and silent auction, which will take place as part of the conference’s opening ceremony on April 1. Proceeds from the auction will go toward EJF summer fellowships, which help support Georgia Law students working in public interest positions.
All activities on April 1 are free and open to the public. Events on April 2 are free for UGA students and faculty members, with a slight fee for other attendees. For more information on the conference or to register, visit www.law.uga.edu/wipi. EJF auction, information is available at www.law.uga.edu/ejf.
