Columbus School of Law

Hundreds of attendees at the annual fundraising auction for Students for Public Interest Law opened their hearts and wallets again on Feb. 18, bidding enthusiastically on various items during the four-hour evening gala and eventually raising approximately $10,000 more than last year’s event.

 

Students, faculty members and staff enjoyed the usual enticing assortment of auctioned items to bid upon. They included exotic getaways to the beach or desert, winery tours, ski packages, theater tickets, restaurant gift certificates, a Redskins laser signed football, and countless other donated items. 

 

As in years past, members of the faculty donated social occasions to bidding students, offering such opportunities as home-cooked meals, poker games and museum tours to small groups.  

 

Proceeds from the auction, held every February, fund the SPIL Summer Stipends, which are awarded to students pursuing unpaid summer externships in the public service sector. 

 

2Ls Whitney Dachelet and Katherine Giblin served as auction co-chairs and spent months organizing and managing the complex event.

 

“On behalf of the entire law school community, I thank Whitney and Kate for their extraordinary hard work,” said David Schrock, director of Office of Financial Aid for the Columbus School of Law.  “This is a tremendous project to take on as a volunteer. Because of their efforts, another sizeable group of CUA Law students will be able to pursue vital public service opportunities this summer.”

 

In every category—live and silent auction, ticket sales and cash contributions—there was an increase over last year. Including the law school’s own contribution to the SPIL stipend fund, Schrock estimates there will be enough money on hand this year to award about 20 summer stipend grants to students in public service externships.