The University of Pennsylvania Law School ACS Student Chapter, under the leadership of Faculty Advisor Professor Kermit Roosevelt, is wrapping up an exciting semester of driving progressive dialogue on important legal and constitutional issues.  The school year started with a bang, when the chapter hosted SCOTUSblog writer Kevin Russell, Akin Gump Supreme Court practice leader Patricia Millett, Vinson & Elkins partner John Elwood, and head of the ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project Cecillia Wang for its annual Supreme Court Review and Preview, moderated by Professor Seth Kreimer.  The chapter also packed a lecture hall to capacity to hear ACS board member Professor Linda Greenhouse, Professor Amy Wax, and David Gans of the Constitutional Accountability Center preview the arguments in this term’s significant affirmative action case, Fisher v. University of Texas.  Taking advantage of interest in the upcoming election and a hot-button issue in Pennsylvania, the chapter worked with other groups on campus to co-sponsor a discussion with the lawyers that led a suit successfully challenging the state’s restrictive voter ID law. 

Penn Law ACS also emphasized connecting students to progressive leaders and academics through a series of professor dinners and brownbag lunches.  These brownbag lunches included a conversation about progressive lawyering in private practice with ACS board member Stephen Susman and a roundtable on the implications of the November elections with Professor Sophia Lee.  The chapter also worked to increase its national membership by hosting a quizzo night for new and returning members, which helped the chapter win the November 2012 Student Membership Contest.

The Penn Law Chapter is already looking ahead to next semester, when it will host its Tenth Annual Federal Judges Panel and help coordinate the Constance Baker Motley National Student Writing Competition.