Red Mass and Reception

Red Mass is a traditional gathering that recognizes and celebrates the legal profession's vital role in promoting justice and peace through our work and academic endeavors. Join Seattle University School of Law for the liturgy, reception, or both as we honor the contributions of our alumni, the bench, bar, and our legal community.

The Most Reverend J. Peter Sartain, Archbishop of Seattle, will preside at the Mass. The Reception will feature an address by the Honorable Bobbe J. Bridge, retired Washington State Supreme Court Justice and Founding President/CEO of the Center for Children and Youth Justice.


Mass is at the Chapel of St. Ignatius from 6:00-7:00 p.m.

Reception is at Sullivan Hall, 2nd Floor Gallery from 7:00-9:00 p.m.

RSVP online.

MAMA Seattle Monthly Lunch Seminar: Balancing Career, Family, and Self-Care

MAMA Seattle invites you to attend their next monthly lunch seminar on Tuesday, October 3, from 11:45 am to 1:15 pm. This month's presentation is Dishing MAMA Secrets: Balancing Career, Family, and Self-Care. The presentation will be from noon to 1:00, with networking time before and after.

Members can RSVP on BigTent. Non-members, please RSVP by email to lunchseminars@mamaseattle.org. 

The event will take place at Davis Wright Tremaine's Seattle office (1201 Third Ave., Floor 22).

For information on panelists, sponsors, accommodations, and membership, visit MAMA Seattle's events page.

Scrofano Law PC Aspiring Public Defender Scholarship

Scrofano Law PC, has established a $1,500 annual scholarship for law students interested in pursuing a career as a public defender.

The Scrofano Law PC Aspiring Public Defender Scholarship has a June 1 application deadline.  The application requires a resume, transcript, and written proof of an internship or externship with a public defender's office, as well as an essay.

Volunteer Opportunities for Recent Grads

Public Law Library of King County: Legal Help Center

The Law Library is looking for volunteer attorneys to help staff the Legal Help Center in Seattle from now through October 13th. This is a clinic that provides free, limited legal help to pro se patrons. Volunteer attorneys assist clients by explaining legal issues and helping to draft pleadings to either initiate or respond to legal proceedings. If you are interested, please email services@pllkc.org. For more information refer to the volunteer position description.

Become a Content Editor for the Washington Lawyers Practice Manual

Use your expertise to strengthen the best reference work on Washington Law.  The King County Bar Association is seeking content editors to oversee its volunteer authors work for Civil Trial Practice, Domestic Relations Practice, State Administrative Law, and Public Entitlement Law chapters. Content editors learn new areas of law while interacting with recognized experts.  This is an ideal position for new lawyers eager to make contacts and increase their knowledge.  Please click here to learn more about the practice manual. Interested attorneys may also contact Kathleen Jensen (206-267-7053) to learn more. 

Free YLD CLE and Happy Hour

Join the Young Lawyers' Division of the King County Bar Association for this month’s CLE, Framing Your Case: Strategies for Developing a Persuasive Case Story, presented by Tsongas Consulting.

The CLE will take place September 21st  at 4:00 pm at the KCBA Offices, followed by a free happy hour at Elephant & Castle from 5:00-6:00 pm. Registration is now open.

Contact annar@kcba.org with questions or for more information.

Evening with Equal Justice

Please join Seattle University’s Public Interest Law Foundation (PILF) and Access to Justice Institute (ATJI) for the annual Evening With Equal Justice. The event provides the opportunity for law students to learn from attorneys practicing in a wide range of public interest and pro bono areas. 

This year’s Evening with Equal Justice will begin at 5:00 p.m. with a keynote address by Jorge Barón, Executive Director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project. Mr. Baron will speak about the importance of public interest lawyering in the current political climate.  

Attorneys are encouraged to attend the keynote address or join the program at 6:00 p.m. for networking with students.

Please RSVP by September 28.

Co-sponsored by the Public Interest Law Foundation, Access to Justice Institute, Center for Professional Development, Dean's Offices, and Student Bar Association.

Coast Guard Legal Internship

To learn about eligibility requirements and find out how to become a Coast Guard Judge Advocate through the Coast Guard’s Direct Commission Lawyer (DCL) program, go to https://www.gocoastguard.com/active-duty-careers/officer-opportunities/programs/direct-commission-lawyer-dcl. You can also email CoastGuardDCL@uscg.mil.

Publish An Article in Defense News

Publish an article! The Washington Defense Trial Lawyers (WDTL) has a quarterly publication, the Defense News, that is sent to all of its 750 members, including attorneys and judges in Washington State. Article submissions are currently being accepted from law student members. WDTL law student membership is only ten dollars and members are eligible to contribute to the Defense News.

What can you write about? Here are some ideas:

• Your experience working with lawyers as a summer associate or intern
• Thoughts about the legal profession
• How firms can improve on-campus interviews
• Cases you read that are interesting or applicable to civil defense attorneys
• A law student's perspective on visiting a courthouse
• Other topics, if approved by the Editor-in-Chief

WDTL is a professional association for civil defense attorneys. It provides legal education, advocacy, and networking opportunities. Published articles look great on a resume, so contribute your article today!

Apply for membership and contact Editor-in-Chief Kyler Danielson if you are interested in submitting an article.

Moderate Means Practicum

Build practical legal skills! Seattle University's Moderate Means Practicum (LPRC-425-A, 3 Credits; Mondays and Wednesdays, 2:30 to 3:45) is open to all 2 and 3Ls.

The Statewide Moderate Means Program (MMP) is a joint venture between the Washington State Bar Association and the Washington State law schools. The goal of the program is to increase access to civil legal services by people of moderate means who cannot afford an attorney but make too much money to qualify for traditional legal aid services. The program is focused on the areas of family, housing and consumer law.

Law students participating in the practicum will interview potential clients by telephone to collect information and evaluate their cases. Students have the opportunity to interview many different clients with a broad array of legal issues. Qualifying cases will be referred by students to participating attorneys who have agreed to represent MMP clients for a reduced fee.

Benefits to students include:

• Hands-on experience interviewing clients
• Training in substantive legal issues, issue-spotting, interviewing skills and ethics
• Instruction on how to use the Legal Server database, which is used by most of the civil legal aid organizations in Washington State as well as the SU Law clinics
• Supervision and mentoring by experienced attorneys
• The satisfaction of helping moderate income individuals who otherwise might not receive any legal help at all

The total time commitment is eight hours a week. If you have questions or would like additional information please email Clay Wilson.

Bloodworks Northwest Scholarship

Bloodworks Northwest is offering scholarships of up to $500 for students who host blood drives this summer.

If you or a student you know would like to host a blood drive, email: Scholarship@bloodworksnw.org. Include in the email your name, where you donate, and your city. You may also inquire by phone: (425) 656-3039.

Official rules and details can be found here. Help better our community drop by drop!

National Law Students Workers' Rights Conference Registration

What:              National Law Students Workers' Rights Conference        

When:             October 13 & 14, 2017

Where:            Conference Center at the Maritime Institute, Linthicum Heights, MD

Deadline:        August 28 if you would like the Peggy Browning Fund to pay for airfare;
                        September 29 for all other registrations

Details:           See the brochure and FAQs for info, or visit www.peggybrowningfund.org

Hot Jobs

If you're a Seattle U Law alum on the hunt for a job, make sure you're on the Hot Jobs listserv!

CPD sends out a digest of entry-level legal positions every two weeks, including law practice and non-traditional jobs. Email Erin Fullner to get on the list.

Richard S. White Fellowship

ATTENTION RISING 2LS:

It's the last chance to apply for the Richard S. White Fellowship, which includes a paid, 12-week 2018 summer associate position with Helsell Fetterman, and a $7,500 academic scholarship.

Applications may be mailed or submitted online and must be postmarked or emailed by July 19.

Hot Tip: Make Time This Summer for Informational Interviews

Summer can be an unexpectedly busy time for law students. When your calendar fills up, it's all the more important to use your time wisely. The CPD team is a big fan of activities that can serve two purposes for you. Informational interviewing allows you to network while gaining valuable insight into a particular practice area. Check out this Forbes article for tips on informational interviewing and make a plan to reach out to some contacts this week!

Attorney General's Honors Program and Summer Law Intern Program Webinar

2Ls, 3Ls, and grads in or entering judicial clerkships are invited to attend a webinar about the Attorney General’s Honors Program (HP) and Summer Law Intern Program (SLIP). The webinar will be hosted by the Office of Attorney Recruitment and Management and will provide info on the HP and SLIP application process, opening on Monday, July 31, 2017.

Please attend one of the three sessions:

• July 25th at 12:00 PM
• July 26th at 9:00 AM
• July 27th at 9:00 AM 

Additional information about both programs, including eligibility and offices participating, can be found online: HP and SLIP.

SABAW Public Interest Law Student Scholarship

The South Asian Bar Association of Washington (SABAW) will award a $4,000 scholarship to a law student working on a discrete public interest law project or doing a summer/fall 2017 public interest law internship.

Applicants must show either that they have contributed to the South Asian community, or that the project is connected to South Asia or the South Asian community.

All applications will require an essay of no more than 500 words to show suitability to criterion, resume, and any other materials the applicant deems relevant. Applications/questions should be sent to scholarships@sabaw.org by JUNE, 30, 2017.

American Indian Law Journal and Seattle Journal of Environmental Law Application

Rising 3L students, you're invited to apply to two of our journals: American Indian Law Journal (AILJ) and Seattle Journal of Environmental Law (SJEL).

If you missed out on a journal opportunity the first time and would like to join a journal as an associate editor during your 3L year, this is your chance.

Please visit the Membership and Write-On Competition page and download the application and instructions. The application is due via Symplicity by Sunday, July 9, at 11:59 pm PDT.  Please contact lawjournals@seattleu.edu if you have any questions.

Hot Tip: How to End a Conversation at a Networking Event

You did it! You conquered your fears, went to a networking event, and struck up a conversation with an attorney you'd never met before. 

Now what?

You've been chatting with a helpful lawyer for eight minutes (but who's counting?) and she's told you about her practice areas and given you some tidbits for surviving your second year of law school, you've even managed to work in your elevator pitch, but now you feel the conversation starting to wind down. How do you end it gracefully?

Don't panic. This is the perfect opportunity to hand her one of your business cards and ask for hers in return. A simple handshake accompanied by an exit phrase like, "I've enjoyed speaking with you and hope to run into you again soon," will suffice. 

If you're worried about making an exit, practice. Here are some other exit phrases you can try:

• Thanks for taking a moment to chat with me, [insert name (this is a great way to help you remember names)]. I hope our paths cross again soon.
• It's been a pleasure meeting you. I spotted my mentor and should go say 'hello' but I hope we can speak again some time.
• It's been really helpful learning more about [insert practice area]! Thanks for taking some time to speak with me. Take care.

With practice, these conversations will feel more and more comfortable. Reach out to someone in CPD if you'd like coaching. Let's get out there and NETWORK!

Announcing the Thomas Tang Brief Competition

The Moot Court Board is Excited to Announce the 2017 Summer Thomas Tang Brief Competition

The Moot Court Board invites you to sign up to compete in the 2017 Thomas Tang Brief Writing Competition. The competition is open to all 3Ls and 2Ls.  The Tang Competition is perfect for students ready to practice their appellate brief writing skills gained in Legal Writing II.  However, completion of Legal Writing II is NOT a prerequisite for this competition; training will be provided.

Winners from the in-house writing competition will have the opportunity to compete at the regional level in San Francisco, October 13-15 and gain valuable oral advocacy experience.

This year’s problem presents the issues of whether warrantless acquisition of cell phone records for the purpose of identifying an individual’s location over the course of months and warrantless use of cell-site simulators to track an individual’s location and movement in real-time are in violation of the Fourth Amendment’s prohibition on unreasonable searches and seizures.

To sign up and receive more specific information and deadlines, go to TWEN, add "Moot Court Sign Up Page", and then click on "Sign Up Sheets." Two-person teams are required. To download the problem, go to the same page and click on "Competition Problems." The deadline to sign up is Monday, August 7.  Mandatory training will be held on August 7 as well.

If you have any questions, please direct them to the competition administrator Nathan Duletzke.

WWL 2017 Annual Event

Save the date for Washington Women Lawyers' Annual Event!

• Dates: October 13-14, 2017 
• Location: Montvale Event Center, Spokane, WA

Weekend activities will include a Friday night reception and an informative CLE on Saturday afternoon. WWL has reserved a block of hotel rooms at the Montvale Hotel at a discount, so book your room as soon as possible using code “MEC”.

Registration and further details to follow. Please email event VPs, Alice Serko, Alice Levy, and Katie Yuen if you have questions.