FROM THE DEAN'S OFFICE

At its August 24, 2006, meeting, the faculty of the School of Law adopted the following policy regarding the use of electronic devices, particularly computers, in the classroom.

This new policy is intended to affirm the usefulness of computers for note taking and other appropriate classroom activities, while also concerns about other inappropriate usage of computers and other electronic devices during class.

The concerns are at least four-fold. First, use of the computer for any purpose other than work related to the class detracts significantly from a student's attention to and participation in the class and defeats the purpose of class attendance Second, use of the computer for certain purposes, such as game playing or Internet surfing, can be distracting to other nearby students. Third, doing other work during class is disrespectful to the professor and to classmates in the room. A fourth broader concern about classroom computers is that students who take notes on laptops may become so focused on taking verbatim notes that they do not engage fully in the classroom learning experience.

Classroom Computer Policy

1. Unless otherwise prohibited by a faculty member in accordance with this policy, students may use laptop computers in class for the purpose of taking notes and for such other purposes related to the course as are consistent with the educational function of the classroom. A professor may allow any use of computers in class that the professor deems to be appropriate.
2. When computers or other electronic devices are used in the classroom, all sound should be turned off unless specifically permitted by the professor.
3. Students using computers or other electronic devices in the classroom during class may not play games, read or transmit to others e-mail, instant messages or the equivalent, or work on matters unrelated to the class. It is expected that students will not use the Internet during class except as permitted by the professor in a manner consistent with the purposes of the class. A professor may impose sanctions upon a student who does not comply with this policy, including barring the offending student from further use of the computer or other electronic device in class or imposing an appropriate grade reduction.
4. Individual faculty may impose additional limitations on or prohibit all use of computers or other electronic devices in the classroom if the faculty member believes that a particular use might threaten academic integrity (such as the use of computers during quizzes or exams) or if the faculty member determines that a particular use or type of device is distracting or inconsistent with the goals and objectives of the class experience.
5. A violation of this policy, unaccompanied by other misconduct, is not a violation of the Rule of Academic Responsibility, and students are not required to report violations of this policy by other students.

ABA LAW STUDENT DIVISION

As a USC law student, you should give serious consideration to joining sub-group of the ABA. It's only $20/year, and the list of benefits goes on and on. With over 51,000 members, the Law Student Division is able to lobby the Association on legal education and law student issues.

In recent years, the American Bar Association Law Student Division has made incredible strides within the Association. For example, last year the ABA named student loan forgiveness as a top legislative priority for the Association. Additionally, at the 2005 Annual Meeting, the ABA House of Delegates approved a Division Representative seat on the ABA Board of Governors. One of the contributing factors was the unprecedented 11 consecutive years of membership growth in the Division.

The Law Student Division is the third largest membership entity within the Association. With over 51,000 members, the Law Student Division is able to lobby the Association on legal education and law student issues.

We hope to kick off the 2006-07 bar year with a 12th year of membership growth. Our deadline to reach this milestone is the close of business on August 31st.

ABA Law Student Division Member Benefits

A $20 annual membership in the ABA Law Student Division will enable you to stay ahead in law school and build a network to launch your career.

Joining the 51,000 other law student members from across the country is a smart decision and your dues pay you back time and time again throughout the year.

https://www.abanet.org/join/lsd_enroll/ls_enroll.cfm

Here's how ...

• Student Lawyer Magazine and ABA Journal. A subscription to both magazines is included in your $20 annual membership fee.
  Information on Student Lawyer and ABA Journal is available at
  http://www.abanet.org/lsd/studentlawyer/ and http://www.abanet.org/journal/redesign/home.html.
• PMBR bar review course tuition discounts of $70 to $100
  http://www.pmbr.com/
• One free Legalines study guide (coupon included with your membership card) and Bar/Bri bar review course scholarship opportunity.
• NEW Home and Auto Insurance offered through Liberty Mutual and American Bar Insurance. Policies available include home, auto, and renters insurance. For GREAT RATES and a free quotation, call 800.955.3379 or visit http://www.abiins.com/.
• Health Insurance offered through Student Resources. Call 800.237.0903 x6292 or visit
  http://www.studentresources.com/ABA/.
• Opportunities to participate in competitions, writing contests and the Awards Program- many with cash rewards.
  http://www.abanet.org/lsd/competitions/
• Leadership Opportunities as a national, regional, or local representative.
  http://www.abanet.org/lsd/elections/
• Access to membership of specialty Sections, Divisions, and Forums within the ABA
  http://www.abanet.org/abasource/sdf.html
• ABA American Express(r) and Visa Signature Credit Cards, both with WorldPoints(r) Rewards from Bank of America.
• Hertz Car Rental to members under the age of 25 without a surcharge.
• Free Email Alias (@abanet.org).
• Public Service opportunities such as VITA and Work-A-Day
  http://www.abanet.org/lsd/work-a-day/home.html
• Complimentary subscriptions to your circuit listserv.
• Access to ABA Online Travel with Travelocity Business for great rates on airfare, car rentals, and hotels.

For additional links and information, visit http://www.abanet.org/lsd/home.html or http://www.abanet.org/lsd/membership/benefits/home.html.

To join the ABA Law Student division, please visit https://www.abanet.org/join/lsd_enroll/ls_enroll.cfm or call the ABA Service Center at 800.285.2221.

NOTES FROM THE SBA PRESIDENT

THANK YOU

I want to thank everyone who made the Welcome Back Luau a huge success this year. Thank you to Keri Moore (2L), Tad McLeod(2L), Elizabeth Blackwell (2L), Lisa Bentley (2L), Jennings Anderson (3L), Anna Scott (3L), Beth Davis, Laura Long and everyone else who helped with this event. Also a big thank you to our band, the Slackacademic Allstars, which included current students Rhodes Bailey(3L), Matt Monahon(3L), Travis Nagy(3L), and Art Von Lee(3L).

1L ELECTIONS -- GET INVOLVED IN SBA

Are you interested in holding a position in the SBA? How about serving on Honor Council?

Elections for 1L SBA representatives and Honor Council members will be held on Thursday, Sept. 14. SBA needs nine representatives (3 reps will be elected from each 1L section) and Honor Council needs three (elected from the entire 1L class). If you are you interested running for one of these positions, you must attend one of the two MANDATORY election meetings to pick up an application. Mandatory election meetings will be held Tuesday, Sept. 5 at 12:40pm in Room 335 and Wednesday, Sept. 6 at 7:00pm in Room 335. This is a great way to get involved and support the Law School.

3L SBA REP ELECTION

Are you a 3L interested in representing your class in the SBA?

One of our 3L SBA representative is taking the semester off. Therefore, SBA will need another student to serve as a 3L representative. Elections will be held on Thursday, Sept. 14. If you are you interested running for this position, you must attend one of the two MANDATORY election meetings to pick up an application. Mandatory election meetings will be held Tuesday, Sept. 5 at 12:40pm in Room 335 and Wednesday, Sept. 6 at 7:00pm in Room 335.

SBA SEMESTER BLOOD DRIVE

The law school blood drive will be Wednesday, September 6 from 10:00am to 3:00pm. Please help us reach or exceed our donation goal of 30 pints of blood. You can sign up on the sheet with Joanne or on-line (details at http://www.law.sc.edu/e-brief/ or show up Wed. to see if there are any times open.

THE FORUM

Tuesday, September 5, 5p

Submissions deadline

The law school's monthly humor publication's first issue of the year is coming out soon. Today is the submissions deadline. All students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to send their submissions or questions to theforum_usc@hotmail.com.

LAW REPUBLICANS

Tuesday, September 5, 12:30p, Room 344

MOOT COURT WRITING/ARGUMENT WORKSHOP

Tuesday, September 5, 12:30p, Room 138

SBA ELECTION INFORMATION SESSION

Tuesday, September 5, 12:40p, Room 335

1L and 3L reps interested in running for SBA office must attend one of these meetings. There is an evening meeting scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 6 at 7p.

CHRISTIAN LEGAL SOCIETY MEETING

Tuesday, September 5, 12:45p, Room 345

INTERNATIONAL LAW SOCIETY MEETING

Tuesday, September 5, 1p, Room 333

Monthly membership meeting.

TREASURER'S WORKSHOP

Tuesday, September 5, 5p-6:30p, Russell House 322/326

All student organizations must send an officer to this meeting if you have not already attended one of last week's sessions. Please note that this is the last opportunity to attend this mandatory meeting. Don't risk losing your organization privileges!

PRO BONO

Tuesday, September 5, 5:30p-8p, Hush (1400 Gervais, across from Mellow Mushroom)

Meet & greet the USC School of Law Pro Bono Board!

If you are already a volunteer, come celebrate!

If you have the slightest interest in volunteering, come celebrate!

If you are not sure about volunteering but want more information, come celebrate!

Cost: Cash bar with reduced prices on beer and wine

Guests: Welcome, of course!

Food: light appetizers (Tapas, of course) will be served!

JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL LAW AND BUSINESS MEETING

Tuesday, September 5, 6:40p-8p, Room 344

SOUTHEASTERN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW JOURNAL MEETING

Tuesday, September 5, 7p-9p, Room 333

USC LAW BLOOD DRIVE

Wednesday, September 6, 10a-3p, Law School Lobby

See www.givelife.org to sign up online (sponsor code is gamecocks), or see Joanne in Student Services to sign up in person.

SBA ELECTION INFORMATION SESSION

Wednesday, September 6, 7p-9p, Room 335

1L and 3L reps interested in running for SBA office must attend one of these meetings. There is a daytime meeting scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 5 at 12:40p.

TRANSFER-STUDENT JOINT JOURNAL WRITING COMPETITION

Thursday, September 7, 9:30a-11:15a, Law School Lobby

Pick up competition packets. They will be turned in Monday morning, September 11, in the lobby. If you have questions, or would like additional information, please send an email to editorinchief@scjilb.org.

SOUTHEASTERN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW JOURNAL MEETING

Thursday, September 7, 12:30p-2p, Room 344

Informal lunch with Buzz Thompson.

Mr. Thompson is one of the authors for the Federal Environmental Law text and is also our keynote speaker for the symposium (listed elsewhere in this e-brief). There will also be an opportunity for students to have a private question-and-answer session with him.

CHILDREN'S ADVOCACY LAW SOCIETY MEETING

Thursday, September 7, 12:45p, Room 235

Blanche Richey, a Resource Attorney from the Children's Law Office will be the guest speaker. Lunch will be provided.

SUPREME COURT TALK

Thursday, September 7, 12:40p-2p, Room 138

The popular Supreme Court Lunch Series resumes this week.

In four informal talks, faculty members will address significant developments from the Court's 2005-2006 term. The schedule for the fall sessions is as follows:

September 7, 2006

Criminal Law Developments in the 2005 Term

Presented by Prof. Deborah Ahrens, Prof. Thomas Crocker, Prof. Susan Kuo, and Prof. Andy Siegel

September 21, 2006

Executive Power in the Age of Terrorism: Lessons from Hamdan

Presented by Prof. Josie Brown, Prof. Thomas Crocker and Prof. Andy Siegel

October 12, 2006

Abington Central School District v. Murphy: A New Paradigm For Construction of Spending Clause Statutes?

Presented by Prof. Libba Patterson

October 26, 2006

Narrowing the Probate Exception to Federal Jurisdiction: Anna Nicole Smith's Victory in Marshall v. Marshall

Presented by Prof. Howard Stravitz

Please try to attend one or more of the lunch talks. They offer a valuable opportunity to learn more about the work of the Court and to discuss important legal questions with the faculty. Lunch will be provided. If you are interested in attending, please return the lunch reservation form placed in your student mailbox before each session.

MOCK TRIAL INTEREST SOCIAL

Thursday, September 7, 7p-9p, 1808 Enoree Street

This follows up last week's lunchtime interest meeting, and is open to all students interested in USC's Mock Trial Program. Food and beverages will be provided. All are welcome -- if you attended the lunch session and have more questions, if you want to meet the rest of the members (including John Delgado, our faculty advisor, who is generously making his house available for this event), if you were unable to attend last week's meeting, we would love to see you. Come have some fun and learn more about this exciting program!

DIRECTIONS:

From the Law School, take Main St. to Blossom. Turn left on Blossom, then turn right on Pickens (at the bottom of the hill). Go over the railroad tracks and past the American Legion Post on the left. Turn left on Enoree just after the American Legion. 1808 will be on the right-hand side before getting to Saluda.

From 5 Points, take Saluda, go up the hill, and turn right on Enoree. 1808 will be on the left-hand side.

ENVIRONMENTAL LAW SYMPOSIUM KICKOFF

Thursday, September 7, 7:30p, Auditorium

Keynote address by Buzz Thompson -- "Recalibrating the Public Trust Doctrine"

The Southeastern Environmental Law Journal is hosting an important symposium, titled "Bridging the Divide: Public and Private Interests in Coastal Marshes and Marsh Islands," dedicated to exploring the modern public trust doctrine and related topics. To provide context for discourse, the conference will begin with a case study of the high-profile and contentious issues of access to privately-owned islands in the coastal marshes of South Carolina. Courts, state agencies and the South Carolina legislature have struggled with the question of how the state should balance competing public and private interests in deciding whether or not to permit bridge construction. This case study will open the door to discussions about how to balance these interests in similar conflicts throughout the nation.

Thursday night we are kicking the Symposium off with a keynote address by Buzz Thompson, and Dean Pratt will introduce and welcome him. It begins at 7:30p in the auditorium and will be followed by coffee and cookies. It is open to everyone, and I would love to see tons of people there. The title of his speech is "Recalibrating the Public Trust Doctrine." The symposium itself will be at the Russell House Ballroom and will run all day Friday.

MPRE EXAM SCHEDULED FOR NOVEMBER 4

The receipt deadline for the November 4th MPRE exam is Saturday, September 23, 2006. Register on the web: http://www.act.org/mpre/services. The fee is $55. The MPRE Review course for this November 4th exam is Saturday, October 28th. Registration for the MPRE Review course will take place in Student Services, Rm. 131-K after October 1, 2006.

GROUP STUDENT ORGANIZATION PICTURES

Group Student Organization pictures for the 2006-2007 Student Directory will be taken on Thursday, September 21 from 12:40p-2:10p. in front of the law lobby. A schedule of the times will be sent to each Student Organization President and posted on the boards.

FOOTBALL TICKETS

Georgia football tickets will be given out on Thursday, September 7 (9a-4p) and Friday, September 8, 9a-12n from the Law School Student Services office, rm. 131-K. The Georgia tickets will be given out to the first 328 law students who scanned. After 12:00 noon on Friday, September 8, football tickets not picked up will be given to the 26 law students who signed the legal pad.

Re-scanning for the Wofford football game will take place on Monday, September 11 and Tuesday, September 12 (9a-4p). If more than 328 law students scan for this game, a law school lottery will be used to determine the law students who will receive these Wofford football tickets. If you have questions, please see Joanne in the Student Services office.

2L and 3L DIRECTORY SHEETS

Thanks to all the students who have completed and returned these sheets. This information is needed to update the information in the 2006-2007 Directory. Please check your mailbox as you may have received a Second request sheet.

ATTENTION 1Ls

Each year the Nelson Mullins Law Firm invites all the 1Ls to a reception. This year it is being held on Thursday, September 26 at 6p. Mark your calendar, as you won't want to miss this opportunity to meet some outstanding attorneys! Invitations will be in your mailboxes shortly.

WALK FOR LIFE

Saturday, October 7, 9a, Finlay Park.

This is an annual event to raise money for breast cancer research and awareness. Come represent the school for a great cause! Deadline to sign up is September 15. You can help out by signing up to walk with the law school team, sponsored by Women in Law, by registering in the Pro Bono Office with Pam Robinson. The cost is $20.00 check (made payable to Palmetto Health Foundation) or cash, and it includes a t-shirt. Thanks for showing your support!

THIS WEEK - BREAKDOWN

TUE, SEP 5

12:30

Law Republicans, Room 344

Moot Court Writing/Argument Workshop, Room 138

12:40

SBA Election Information Session, Room 335

12:45

Christian Legal Society Meeting, Room 345

1:00

International Law Society Meeting, Room 333

5:00

Treasurer's Workshop, Russell House 322/326

5:30-8

Pro Bono meet-and-greet, Hush Restaurant and Tapas Bar

6:40

Journal of International Law and Business Meeting, Room 344

7:00

Southeastern Environmental Law Journal Meeting, Room 333

WED, SEP 6

10:00-3:00

USC Law Blood Drive, Law School Lobby

7:00

SBA Election Information Session, Room 335

THU, SEP 7

9:30-11:15

Transfer-student Joint Journal Writing Competition packet pick-up, Lobby

12:30

Southeastern Environmental Law Journal Meeting, Room 344

12:40

Supreme Court Talk, Room 138

12:45

Children's Advocacy Law Society, Room 235

7:00

Mock Trial Interest Social, 1808 Enoree Street

7:30

Environmental Law Symposium Kickoff, Auditorium

FRI, SEP 8

9:00-7:00

Environmental Law Symposium, Russell House Ballroom