News from Knowles 
Reminders, Announcements and Administrative Updates 
  • As a reminder, ASA has a COVID-19 Resources page. You can find FAQs, technological help, and other information on that site.
  • For Upper Level Students only, this Friday, September 11, follows a Thursday schedule. See the full academic calendar here.
  • 1Ls: please see the updated 1L class schedule here.
  • Orientation Survey: If you are a new student and have not yet completed the orientation survey, please do so here by Friday, September 11.
  • Apply to be a Student Ambassador! The Admissions Office is looking for positive and enthusiastic students to connect with prospective students. Connecting with current students is one of best ways for prospective students to get an idea of what it's like to be a student at NUSL, and we need your help to bring in another great class! Your contact information (email) and a short bio will be published on our website if you are selected. If you are interested in applying, please fill out our Student Ambassador Application. If anyone has any questions, please contact Katie Ambler in the Admissions office.
  • The Center for Co-op and Career Development is delighted to announce our new website:  nulawcareers.sites.northeastern.edu. Symplicity will remain our home base for job postings and applications, while the NuLawCareers site will bring together additional resources and information. Students: Please see our 9/1 email announcement for more details!
  • Financial Aid: All funds have been deposited into tuition accounts. You may apply for a refund to access any funds that  you are using for any of your living expenses. If your funds have not been deposited please contact lawfinaid@northeastern.edu. You can view your account on your myNortheastern portal. 
  • The 4th floor of the law library is closed. If you need a book from the collection, search for it in Scholar OneSearch, and then email the title, author and call number to lawlibrary@northeastern.edu.
  • First Gen Student Group: Were you the first in your family to graduate from college? Were you a member of the first generation to obtain a college degree? If you answered yes to these questions, you are invited to join NUSL's First Gen Student Group!  If you are interested in joining, please email Lisa Brathwaite (L.Brathwaite@northeastern.edu) and she will add you to the mailing list so you can receive communication about upcoming events. We are looking forward to meeting and welcoming you to an amazing part of the NUSL community.
  • SALSA Mentorship Program: Calling all South Asian and Middle eastern law students, SALSA is still taking submissions for our mentorship program! 1Ls - please complete  this mentorship form to sign-up for a mentor! Upper-levels - please complete this mentorship form to sign up to be a mentor to incoming 1Ls. 1Ls can use a mentor like you so their journey in law school is supported, especially during these unique times! The deadline for submissions is September 10th. Once we have received all our responses, we will pair you with a mentor/mentee. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to northeasternsalsa@gmail.com
  • Health Law Society is updating its membership rolls. If you would like to be added to the HLS list-serve for future events and announcements, please email nuslhls@gmail.com. 
Week of
Sept. 8, 2020
In this Issue
Deadline Lowdown
Co-op, Graduation Requirement, and Other Upcoming Administrative Deadlines
  • Fall Quarter Drop Deadline: The deadline to drop a class (without a W) is Monday, September 14th.
  • Upcoming Co-op Deadlines: 
    • Winter 2020/2021: The Main Deadline for Winter 2020/2021 Collecting Co-ops is Wednesday, September 16th at 11:59 PM EDT. 
       
    • Deadline tomorrow! Summer 2021: Postings for Summer 2021 Collecting Co-ops are live on Symplicity. The first of the four Main Deadlines is tomorrow, Wednesday, September 9th at 11:59 PM EDT! The other deadlines will be in late October, early December and mid-January. We will continue to update these Summer postings as we hear back from more employers.  
  • Health Insurance waivers are due by September 30th. If you  plan on waiving your health insurance you must complete the waiver by that date. If you do not you will be responsible for the full amount of the health insurance charge.
  • Financial Aid:
  • 2L's and 3L's: It is time to apply for your endowed scholarships. The application can be found on your myNortheastern portal. It is a short application. In order to be reviewed for scholarships you will need to complete the form by Friday Sept. 11th  2020. After Sept. 11th the application will no longer be on the portal and you will not be able to apply for any scholarships.
Office Hours 411
This Week's Administrative Office Hours, Appointments, and Drop-by Schedules
  • Co-op Drop-By Hours: Currently reserved for upper level students. Hours for 1Ls will be available after the 9.14 1L Co-op Kick-off. Co-op advisors will be in the office and available to answer quick, non-confidential questions during our new Drop-by Hours:  Tuesday 9/8 from 2-3 pm, Wednesday 9/9 from 3-4 pm, and Thursday 9/10 from 11:45-12:45. Please note that masks and social distancing will be required for all drop-by visits. Can't make it to the office? Join us on Friday 9/11 from 2-3 pm for a Virtual Drop-by Hour with Naomi on Zoom: https://northeastern.zoom.us/j/5016747377 . Meeting ID: 501 674 7377. Please wait in the virtual Waiting Room until Naomi is ready for you.
     
  • ASA Office Hours: Dean Harper will have drop-by office hours from 11-1 on Wednesday, September 9 in 56 Cargill. Aileen McGrory will have drop-by office hours from 11-1 on Tuesday, September 8 and Thursday, September 10 in 59 Cargill. Please email lawstudentaffairs@northeastern.edu to set up an appointment at another time. You can also email Kendra Millay or Bill Greene with any questions or to schedule a meeting.
  • Financial Aid Appointments: the office of financial aid is currently working remotely. To schedule an appointment with either Hillary Werner or Linda Schoendorf please use this link. You can also email us at lawfinaid@northeastern.edu.
  • The Dean's Suite (120 Knowles) will be open Monday-Friday, 9-5.  
Events Round-Up: This Week 
Events & Programs at Northeastern & Beyond
  • 1Ls: See the continued Student Organization Meet & Greet Schedule on the Orientation Website. 
  • Wednesday, September 9: Christian Law Caucus Meeting: Please join us on Wednesday, September 9 at 12:00 PM (Eastern Time) for our first meeting of the quarter.  All are welcome! Join the Zoom Meeting here, Meeting ID: 913 9664 8544, Passcode: 610023
  • Wednesday, September 9: the Law Library Research Workshop series continues September 9th, with a look at researching case law. The workshop will be online, via Teams, from 1:15 to 1:45. Register here, and see the entire schedule here.
  • Wednesday, September 9: Standing Up, Stepping Forward, and Speaking Out: The Political Courage to take a Principled Stand, on Wednesday September 9, 5:30 with John Dean, William Weld, and Edward Widmer. What we can learn from Watergate and what we can learn from the people who stood up, stepped forward and spoke out against wrongs that they saw within their own party and among their friends. How can this help us understand partisanship in the past and today and the need for political courage. John Dean is the former White House Counsel to President Richard Nixon who was implicated in the Watergate scandal but later became a key witness who testified against Nixon. William Weld is the former Massachusetts Governor and Republican US presidential candidate challenging Donald Trump in 2020. He began his legal career as a counsel on the U.S. House Judiciary Committee's impeachment inquiry staff for the impeachment process against Richard Nixon in 1974. Edward Widmer is a historian, author, and a former speech writer in the Clinton White House. He is a member of the faculty of Macaulay Honors College. See more information here. 
Events Round-Up: Next Week
Events & Programs at Northeastern & Beyond
  • Welcome to the Class of 2023! Please save the date for our Co-op Kickoff event: Monday, September 14th, 2020, 12:10 - 1:30 PM, via Zoom. Mandatory for all incoming Class of 2023 students. Everyone on the Co-op and Career Development team is looking forward to getting to know the new Class of 2023. We can't wait to meet you virtually and answer all of your questions on September 14th! More details to follow by email. 
  • Socially Conscious Investing Club is holding their first meeting of the Academic Quarter on Wednesday, September 16th at 12:10 pm! If you are interested in Environmental Social Governance (ESG), corporate sustainability, finance, or want to learn more about the socially responsible investment space, consider joining us. This year, Socially Conscious Investing is pleased to announce a new partnership with NUImpact, a student-lead social impact investment fund on campus. Members will conduct legal work under the supervision of attorneys from Morgan Lewis for the fund throughout the investment cycle. Members will also attend panels, networking events, and social events throughout the year. The first meeting will be held via Zoom and can be accessed using the following link: https://northeastern.zoom.us/j/99643620099. If you have any questions please email Alexandre Miranda (miranda.al@northeastern.edu)
  • Thurgood, by George Stevens, Jr. Directed by Benny Sato Ambush, Starring Joshua Wolf Coleman. September 18 to 21 at 7:30PM: Joshua Wolf Coleman (Cloud 9, The Crucible, A Christmas Carol) stars as Justice Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American to sit on the Supreme Court, Thurgood spans Marshall's impressive career as a lawyer, arguing such landmark cases as Brown v. Board of Education. During this turbulent election season, Thurgood is a moving tribute to Marshall's enduring legacy. It's outside and socially distanced. Please see here for tickets and more information.
  • Pioneers in Public Interest: Voting Rights in 2020. Join NUSL in kicking off a new annual conference series celebrating the Public Interest Law Scholars Program on September 18th. This 2020 virtual half-day conference will cover several topics including voting purges, threats to polling locations, voter intimidation, machine malfunctions, and voter suppression. Register here.
Save the Date 
Events to Register For or Put on Your Calendar
  • Women in the Law Virtual Conference: Join NUSL virtually this year for the Women in the Law conference on September 25th. This conference provides career guidance and professional development growth to women attorneys and other professionals at all stages of their careers and brings together powerful decisionmakers from all over the world. This year we will feature VP, GC and Secretary of the New York Public Library Michele Coleman Mayes, co-author of Notorious RBG Shana Knizhnik,  a leadership coach Tracey Lukes, a diversity activator Darnisa Amante-Jackson and eight of our wonderful alumnae as speed mentors. Register here.
  • THE EVOLUTION OF A BUSINESS LAWYER-
    PERSPECTIVES FROM IN-HOUSE AND OUTSIDE COUNSEL:
    Wednesday, September 30, 2020, 12:10-1:00 p.m. (Virtual)
    Please join us for The Power of Your JD In An Interdisciplinary and Innovative World Lunch & Learn Series with our upcoming guest speakers, Michael Kasden, Partner in Wiggin & Dana's Intellectual Property Practice Group in New York City and David Morris, Vice President and Associate General Counsel at Trip Advisor in Needham MA.  This will be an interactive and informal discussion about the evolving dynamics between in-house and outside counsel in the digital economy where agility, entrepreneurial and collaborative spirit and technological and business competence are highly valued. Zoom meeting details to follow.
  • Join CLIC for the 2020 IP/Tech Distinguished Lecture Series, The New Digital Divide
     
    September 22 , 2020, Noon - 1:30 pm
    "The Automated Administrative State" with Professor Ryan Calo, Lane Powell and D. Wayne Gittinger Associate Professor, University of Washington School of Law; Faculty co-director, University of Washington Tech Policy Lab
     
    The legitimacy of the administrative state is premised on our faith in agency expertise. In recent decades, state and federal agencies have embraced a novel mode of operation: automation. Agencies rely more and more on software and algorithms in carrying out their delegated responsibilities. Scholarship to date has explored the pitfalls of automation with a particular frame, asking how we might ensure that automation honors existing legal commitments such as due process. Missing from the conversation are broader, structural critiques of the legitimacy of agencies that automate. Professor Calo will discuss his argument, co-developed with Danielle Keats Citron, that automation throws away the expertise and nimbleness that justify the administrative state, undermining the very case for the existence and authority of agencies.
     
     
    October 27, 2020
    Noon - 1:30 pm
    Dr. Joan Donavan - Research Director, Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School of Government
     
    November 10, 2020
    Noon - 1:30 pm
    Dr. Kate Darling, Expert, Robot Ethics; Research Specialist, MIT Media Lab
Pro Bono Opportunities
Pro Bono and Volunteer Positions
  • LCR Election Protocol Volunteering: Each term, LCR recruits pro bono attorneys, students, and concerned community members to help voters in real time and to identify election law violations around the Commonwealth. These volunteers ensure that the election runs smoothly and fairly by answering calls placed to the remote statewide hotline, monitoring polling sites, and monitoring social media and news outlets. Given the current climate and new election laws that were passed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Election Protection volunteers will be even more critical this November.  There will be a virtual training for volunteers prior to Election Day, and the time commitment on November 3rd is three hours. COVID-related social distancing precautions will be in place for all volunteers. Anyone who would like to get involved should fill out the online form. 
  • ABA Poll Worker Initiative: The ABA's Poll Worker, Esq., initiative is sponsored with the National Association of Secretaries of State and the National Association of State Election Directors. Poll workers help ensure free and fair elections, and law students as well as lawyers are especially suited to serve. With the added obstacle of a pandemic this year, finding people who are at lower risk to assist as poll workers is even more important. This is an opportunity for young lawyers and soon-to-be lawyers to step up and serve their communities. Law students, lawyers, and others can visit www.canivote.org and click on the "Become a Poll Worker" tab to find out how to serve in their jurisdictions. Depending on the state, tasks may range from staffing polling places to processing returned ballot envelopes and more. More information is available at ambar.org/vote, a website of the ABA Standing Committee on Election Law .
Distinguish Yourself 
Opportunities for Student Distinction
  • The Planning & Law Division of the American Planning Association announces its 37th Annual Smith-Babcock-Williams Student Writing Competition. The Competition, which honors the memory of three leading figures in American city planning law (R. Marlin Smith, Richard Babcock, and Norman Williams) seeks writings from applicants on a question of significance in planning, planning law, land use law, local government law or environmental law. The deadline for submission of entries is October 31, 2020 and winners will be announced by December 1, 2020. Please refer to this flier for further details.
     
  • The Buffalo Environmental Law Journal is accepting submissions for the fall 2020 Student Writing Competition. Submissions for the Competition should demonstrate original thought and ingenuity on an issue of significance relating to the field of Environmental Law. Submissions must be made by e-mail on or before September 30, 2020, by 11:59 p.m. (EST) to law-belj@buffalo.edu.  Entrants wishing to be considered as part of an early application period may make their submission on or before August 28, 2020, by 11:59 p.m. (EST).  Winners will be published in Volume 28, Issue 1 of the Buffalo Environmental Law Journal, which we anticipate will be published in January of 2021. See here for more information.
  • The Law Review Online Forum is accepting submissions from students to write a blog post on any legal or policy topic. The Forum provides an opportunity for NUSL students to publish an article, gain writing experience, and express their views. All posts are between 250 and 1,500 words and follow a blog-style format. The Forum is particularly looking for students to respond to current events. More information can be found here. Current posts are viewable here. Email your questions or proposal to forum.nulr@northeastern.edu.
  • The Law Review's online counterpart Extra Legal is accepting article submissions from faculty and students. Extra Legal is aimed at publishing legal commentaries that support legal professionals and facilitate ongoing discussion of emerging legal issues. Submissions should be between 2,000 and 5,000 words and written as a formal Law Review article. Extra Legal is particularly looking for responses to current events. More information can be found here. Current posts are available here. Email your questions or proposals to extralegal.nulr@northeastern.edu.
  • The American College of Consumer Financial Services Lawyers is pleased to announce its 2021 annual writing competition to recognize significant written contributions to the field of U.S. consumer financial services law. Eligible entries must discuss an aspect of U.S. consumer financial services law. Topics that relate principally to securities regulation, bankruptcy, insurance, or the safety and soundness aspects of banking regulation are not eligible. However, works on subjects within these (or other) areas will be considered if they bear directly on U.S. consumer financial services. See more information here. The deadline for submission is December 1, 2020.
Resources Reminder
University Resources Available to You
  • Free & Confidential Weekly Online Support Group Meetings for Law Students in Massachusetts: These group meetings, run by Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers, will meet Mondays from 2-3pm via Zoom. The group is open to students at the 9 Massachusetts law schools as well as Massachusetts residents who may attend a law school out of state. This is a high anxiety time for everyone, and law students are no exception. Our weekly group, facilitated by one clinician one lawyer is designed to be a meaningful and confidential forum for students to work through these concerns. Our services are free of charge. Find more information here.
  • Center for Spirituality, Dialogue, and Service Digital Prayer Box: Our digital prayer box  is open for all, and Spiritual Advisors are here for confidential conversations. Email a.kern@northeastern.edu or reach out to Advisors directly through our website.
    • Online we have a full menu of Mindfulness and interfaith learning resources. We continue to host Yoga for Mental Wellness and Guided Meditation live on our YouTube channel. You can also access recordings of these live sessions anytime on YouTube. Professor Marc Meyer will continue to hold Kouk Sun Do (a Korean Tai-Chi like practice) sessions on Zoom. In addition, many of our 40+ student groups continue to meet online.
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