This Week in PARA/LEGS

First, the Legal Society will be having its first meeting of the semester on Tuesday, January 30, at 5:00 p.m. We will probably be meeting in Ivy 1132. Help plan our semester!

Second, the Involvement Fair is taking place on Wednesday, January 31, from 10:00 - 1:00 in the Great Hall. Help out at the Legal Society's table, or just see what else is going on on campus.

Third, the League of Women Voters is sponsoring a program on environmental legislation pending before the Indiana legislature. Details below.

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN THE 2018 INDIANA GENERAL ASSEMBLY?

Amanda Shepherd, Hoosier Environmental Council, will provide a timely update.
Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018, 5:15-7:00 PM
West Lafayette Public Library
208 West Columbia
5:15 - 5:30: Refreshments
5:30 - 6:30: Issue Presentation and Your Questions
6:30 - 6:35: Break
6:35 - 7:00: How to Voice Your Opinion Effectively

As always, everything is free!

Lecture on North Korea

Dr. Nusta Carranza Ko, professor of history, political science, and geography at Ohio Northern University will delivering a talk entitled "Crisis on the Korean Peninsula and the Danger of Global War" tomorrow--Monday, January 22, 2018. The talk will take place in Lawson Hall Room 1142 and begins at 7:00 p.m. According to my information, Lawson Hall is across from the University Street parking garage. 

If you're in the Capstone class, unfortunately, this one is a no-go. (No, you may not get an excused absence.) However, everyone else is certainly invited. As always, the lecture is free. 

Start Spring Semester off with a Bang (and a whole bunch of engagement points!)

Woo-hoo! It's almost spring semester. Spring semester actually starts on January 14, which is a Sunday. (This makes more sense if you're taking an online class.) Of course, face-to-face classes don't start until Tuesday, January 16, because January 15 is MLK Day.

I know what you're thinking--how can I use that to my advantage, other than sleeping in an extra day?

I'll tell you! You can earn engagement points starting on the 14th. And since there are commemorations all over the state of the life of civil rights pioneer Martin Luther King, Jr.--which sure sounds law-related to me!--anything you do in that regard will count toward your engagement point totals for spring semester. And for those of you who tend to insist that the homework loads are too heavy to allow you to do any such thing during the semester ... ahem ... you don't have any homework yet.

Here are a couple of suggestions:

1. The Legal Services Corp/Pro Bono Commission is hosting a Talk to a Lawyer Day on Monday, January 15. This is just like the one we host here on campus in the fall, but it's at the Legal Service Office, 8 N. 3rd Street, Suite 102, in Lafayette. They need people to help check in clients. Volunteer for at least 1 hour to get 10 points. Talk a friend who's a fellow PARA/LEGS student into volunteering with you and get 15 points.

Interested? Call or email Tim Peterson, 765-423-5327, tim.peterson@ilsi.net, and let him know when you can come help.

2.  On Tuesday, January 16, Indiana Supreme Court Justice Robert D. Rucker will be speaking at Purdue's Loeb Playhouse in the Stewart Center. Justice Rucker is the 2nd African-American on the Indiana Supreme Court; Indiana's longest-tenured supreme court justice; a Vietnam War veteran; and a fierce champion of defendants' and homeowners' rights. Same deal on the points--10 for just you, 15 for you and a friend, 20 if your friend is a 101 student. (Note the 101 student deal is not an option for volunteering at Legal Services. They need people who already have had some exposure to Legal Ethics.)

Interested? The talk is free. It starts at 6:30 p.m. Click here for more details and a stunningly well-done flyer!

I'll be at both events. Can't wait to see you there!!!

October is National Free Pizza Month

Okay, maybe October is not National Free Pizza Month, but you would think so around here. There are a lot of things coming up in a hurry, and many of them involve free pizza. Dinner (or lunch) is on us. 

• Thursday, September 28 at 11:15: Money Myths. Kick off Free Pizza Month Eve with a lunch and learn (and free pizza) in the Lilly Rooms. RSVP to the Student Life Office if possible so they can get an accurate headcount.
• Friday, September 29 at 11:00 - 1:00: Human Trafficking. Lunch (which may or may not involve pizza) and learn about human trafficking. This presentation takes place off-campus in Crawfordsville, so it's a good time for all of you who bemoan the fact that everything happens in Tippecanoe to jump in. The presentation takes place at St. John's Episcopal Church in Crawfordsville. RSVP here.
• Sunday, October 1 at 1:00: Purdue Women's Soccer. The Litigation class (LEGS 202) is working on a case involving a tragic soccer injury and has elected to attend this Purdue Women's Soccer game as research. You are all welcome to join us. No pizza, but plenty of engagement points. 
• Tuesday, October 3 at 5:00: Legal Society Meeting. Oh, the drama! The pageantry! Actually, it's 6 - 12 people hanging out in a room planning upcoming events. A low stress, pizza-free way to get to know your colleagues outside of the classroom and have a voice in planning upcoming events. In the conference room.
• Tuesday, October 10 at 11:00 and 12:30: NAMI--In Our Own Voices. Munch on free pizza and listen to community members describe the challenges of living with chronic mental illness. Lilly Rooms.
• Thursday, October 12 from 3 - 5: Storytelling by the ASAP Students. I know almost nothing about this, but it's sure to be interesting. Who doesn't love a good story? The Lilly Rooms.
• Thursday, October 12 at 6:00: Dinner with the PARA/LEGS Alums. This may or may not involve pizza, but it will involve dinner. Come be regaled by our recent, and not-so-recent, alums as they share the wisdom they have acquired out in the working world. Please RSVP to me or Hannah Isenberg so we can get an accurate headcount. The Lilly Rooms, I think.

Whew! No one should be starving in October. Or complaining about engagement points! (Yes, I know I have been slow on those. My apologies. I hope to be caught up SOON.)

Lawyers, Guns & Money

So many upcoming events!!!!!

1. The Indiana State Secretary of State's Office (SOS) is responsible for consumer protection within the state. The SOS is putting on a program about investment scams--how to recognize them, what the SOS is doing about them, etc., on Thursday, September 14, at noon at the Lafayette Courtyard Marriott. The SOS will present the documentary $cammed. Learn about how the SOS acts to protect Hoosiers from investment fraud. Register for this free event to Katrina Ent at kent@hirons.com.                                        *******************************************
2. Local attorney Kirk Freeman is giving a 3-hour presentation on Indiana Firearms Law on October 6, 2017, from 1:15 - 4: 15. The good news is that it takes place in a bar: Lafayette Brewing Company. The program is free, but I am not sure whether non-attorneys are invited. If you're interested, contact (alum) Mary Willis-Zell at mary.kfreeman@yahoo.com.    *******************************************
3.  The League of Women Voters, in conjunction with the PARA/LEGS program here at Ivy Tech Lafayette, is inaugurating a speaker series tentatively titled Democracy 101. Like all LWV programs, it is nonpartisan, and like most LWV programs--and almost everything on this blog--it is free. The first speaker will be Communications Professor Josh Scacco of Purdue, talking about Journalistic Ethics in a Digital Age. (This is the working title, and it might change, possibly to something catchier.) That presentation will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, October 16, right here at Ivy Tech, probably in the Lilly Rooms. Since the main sponsor of this event is the LWV, this will count as an off-campus event, even though it takes place on campus. ********************************************
4. This is not really an event so much as an announcement. You can register to vote through a new service offered by Ivy Tech. For those of you who avoid reading your email (and I don't blame you), log onto https://ivytech.turbovote.org/. Once you're there, you can register to vote, request an absentee ballot, and who knows what all else. No engagement points for registering to vote, but you do get engagement points for actually voting.   ********************************************
5. Finally, someone somewhere in Lafayette is giving a presentation on animal rights law. I don't know when or where or anything else, but I recently heard the tail end of a public service announcement about it. I will stay on the trail, because I know this is something that many of you find interesting. If you know anything about it, let me know!

Ivy Tech PARA/LEGS Day at Purdue Women's Soccer

Okay, technically this is not an official thing. Purdue women's soccer team doesn't even know we're coming. But we are, and you--PARA/LEGS students and alumni!--are invited to join us.

You see, the Litigation class (LEGS 202), is working on a case for this semester that involves a young woman who was injured during a soccer game. So the class voted to attend the soccer game for research. Since we're attending it as part of our research for the case, it is law-related.

You know what that means: Engagement Points!

Yes, this is the weirdest engagement point opportunity ever. Come sit in the stands on a Sunday afternoon, watch the Purdue women take on Northwestern, and (if you're in one of my classes), get up to 20 engagement points. (For the 20 points to apply, we'll need to persuade at least one of the LEGS 101 students to attend.) Even if you're not seeking points, it'll be a good time. Join us.

Purdue women's soccer games are free this season, so there's no cost. They do have a concession stand with traditional stadium food (hot dogs, nachos, etc.) as well as beer and wine.

The game starts at 1:00 p.m. Get directions to Folk Field, home of Purdue soccer, here.

Running from the Law?

Here's your chance to get some fresh air and exercise while supporting a truly wonderful cause!

Greater Lafayette Holocaust Remembrance Conference

Starting Sunday, the Lafayette community will be hosting the annual Greater Lafayette Holocause Remembrance Conference. The conference lasts for several days, and includes speakers, a film series, and a play at McCutcheon High School. Events are open to the public, and (as far as I can tell) free. They are also very thought-provoking. (And yes, since refugee resettlement is a current legal topic, and a couple of events are specifically looking at legal issues surrounding refugee resettlement, every event is eligible for engagement points, for those of you who need a little extra incentive.

You can see the flyer for the whole week's activities here.

Lunch & Learn about the Heroin Epidemic

Next week's lunch at the YWCA sounds really interesting.

Heroin Addiction in Our Community

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Lunch served at 11:30am
Networking 11:45 am - 12 pm
Presentation 12 pm - 1 pm 

The April Network Lunch will feature WLPD Chief Jason Dombkowski, LPD Chief Pat Flannelly, and Tippecanoe County Prosecutor Pat Harrington. They will discuss the issue of heroin abuse and addiction which has become an epidemic across the country. The cost of the lunch is $15. Please call the YWCA at 765-742-0075 to reserve your space no later than noon on Monday, April 10.

    

Thank you to the Network Lunch Sponsors
Soller Baker Funeral Homes - Spring 2017 Series Sponsor
American Senior Communities
Dr. Roger and Beth Bangs
Centier Bank
Westminster Village 





Mailing Address:
YWCA Greater Lafayette
605 N. 6th Street
Lafayette, IN 47901
US

Contact Name: YWCA Greater Lafayette
Telephone Number: 765.742.0075

Black and Blue Town Hall

Congress Street United Methodist Church in Lafayette is hosting a "Black and Blue Town Hall" this weekend. Panelists will include local law enforcement officials and members of the local African-American community. The public is invited to attend and ask questions.

The forum is at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, April 1, in the basement of the church, located at 2010 Congress St.

Panelists will include the police chiefs of both Lafayette and West Lafayette, the president of the local NAACP, and representatives of educational and mental health facilities.

Purdue Presidential Lecture Series

Purdue has a lecture series which is free and open to the public, and features people who are active in business, politics, or both.

Next week, Bjorn Lomborg will be the featured speaker. The format is an hour-long discussion with Purdue president Mitch Daniels, followed by a Q&A session with the audience. The presentation is free.

From Purdue's promotional materials:

Mr. Lomborg is a Danish environmentalist, author, think-tank president, and visiting professor of strategic management and globalization at the Copenhagen Business School. As president of economic think tank Copenhagen Consensus Center, he leads a team of experts researching potential solutions to global issues via economic principles. He is the author of several books, including The Skeptical Environmentalist, Measuring the Real State of the World, which examines the veracity of many of the most publicized claims and predictions on environmental issues.

Lomborg is the former director of the Danish government's Environmental Assissment Institute and was named on of TIME magazine's 100 most influential people in the world in 2004.

The lecture takes place Tuesday, April 11, at 6:30 p.m. in Fowler Hall on the Purdue campus. And again, it's free.

The Indiana Supreme Court Wants to Hear from You