On Saturday, November 1, 2008, the UC Davis School of Law held an open house for prospective law school applicants.  Not coincidentally, a handful of Phi Alpha Delta members filled up many of the available attendance slots.  The event kicked off in the Wilkins Moot Courtroom where Vik Amar, the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs set the tone by drawing out four criteria to measure law schools by: the faculty, the balance the faculty has with regard to scholarship versus teaching, the sense of community, and the physical space.  Although he discussed how Davis incorporates all four of these, he emphasized the attention to teaching and sense of collaboration/shared commitment that separates Davis from the rest.  After, Eric Toscano, a current 3L, wrapped up the opening sentiments by elaborating on his experience as a student by centering on three main points:  the collegial atmosphere, the quality of education, and the job prospects at King Hall.  Following this, a session on admissions and financial aid commenced.  Sharon Pinkney, the Assistant Dean of Admission and Enrollment, discussed at length the process of evaluating applications, including a detailed analysis of the weight various elements bear on the decision.  Lawrence Gallardo, the Assistant Dean of Admission and Enrollment, described the course and options for receiving financial aid at UC Davis School of Law, which primarily consist of federal loans and grants.  Information about the FAFSA form and Need Access Application was also provided here.  After a brief intermission, the PAD members broke up into two classrooms to listen to two different student panels; one focused on Career Services, while the other focused on Externships and Clinics.  For round two of paneling, a select faculty panel was provided by the event.  Here, professors Evelyn Lewis, Clay Tanaka, Director of Academic Success Emily Randon, and Vik Amar, presented their specific interests of law and talked briefly about the international dimensions that are trickling into law. Towards the end of the session, they answered a number of questions from the audience pertaining to law school, preparation, class methods/skills, etc.  With that, the open house adjourned.  Shortly after, the PAD members reached a unanimous verdict: the event was guilty of being a complete success!

The UC Davis Chapter is proud to introduce new members to Phi Alpha Delta, the Spring 2008 Alpha Eta Class:

Eli Yani
Gina Choe
JayJay Ding
Kristen King
Kyle Williams
Hong Le
Adrianna Rubino
Steven Lee
Dan Fan
Rachel Domingo
Kevin Phan
Chelsea Norris
Sanjeet Ganjam
Lauren Bachman
Caryn Bower
Marie Galo
Lula Ahmed-Falol
Meredith Imrie
Jessica Cervano 

Phi Alpha Delta, UC Davis participated in this year’s Susan G. Koman Foundation Race for the Cure, an effort to increase research funds for the cure against breast cancer. The fraternity ran the 5k and raised $3,045! Great job to all those who ran, and many thanks to those who contributed to the cause.

Lunch with the Professor this fine Friday was indeed educational, informative, and opportune for some members who discussed possible positions for work in the State Capitol. The Professor was kind enough to invite the fraternity to sit in on his Legal Writing classes next quarter at King Hall - we are all looking forward to it.

Professor Clayton Tanaka’s academic profile can be found here:
http://www.law.ucdavis.edu/faculty/tanaka.shtml

On May 14th, UC Davis College Democrats (DCD) and UC Davis, Phi Alpha Delta, along with the Economic Students Association (ESA) debated the merits of the Three Strikes Law and NAFTA. With the Davis College Republicans unexpectedly dropping out of the debate, PAD and ESA, originally co-hosts of the event, were invited to debate DCD taking the platform of the Republicans. The event went very well, and DCD was gracious enough to provide the entire audience with free pizza.