Spring Break
The Dems Go To Washington
Richard Eisenberg
Issue date: 3/8/07 Section: News
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 Media Credit: Scott Lemmon HLS?Democrats in Washington, DC. |
About 20 members of the HLS Democrats traveled to Washington, D.C. last week, as the group made its third annual trip to the nation's capitol. The trip took place from February 28 through March 2. "The annual trip to D.C. is a unique way to expose students to different career paths in government and politics," HLS Democrats Co-President and 2L Dan Geldon said. "This year we had more participants and a more interesting mix of speakers than ever, so the trip was a big success."
The group met with Barbara Arnwine, Executive Director of the Lawyers' Committee on Civil Rights; Cassandra Butts, Senior Vice President for Domestic Policy at the Center for American Progress; Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold; Peter Kovar, Chief of Staff to Rep. Barney Frank; Eric Holder, former Deputy Attorney General and U.S. Attorney under President Clinton; Mickey Kantor, former Secretary of Commerce and Chair of the 1992 Clinton-Gore Presidential Campaign; and Ezra Reese, an attorney specializing in political law at the Washington office of Perkins Coie.
Students noted the variety and experience of the speakers they met with on the trip. "We had the opportunity to learn about the diverse careers and roles that lawyers can have in politics, such as writing legislation, campaign management, advocacy and impact litigation," said Alina Zagaytova, a 3L.
On Capitol Hill, Sen. Feingold answered students' questions about his thoughts about the War in Iraq, his opposition to the PATRIOT ACT, and his call for a censure of President Bush last year in response to revelations about warrantless wiretaps. Although Rep. Frank was unable to meet with the group due to a series of votes on the House floor, Kovar stepped in and led an interesting discussion about the logistics of business in the House. The group also sat in on a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting, where students witnessed a contentious conversation about the controversy regarding the Justice Department's dismissal of United States Attorneys for allegedly partisan purposes.
Arnwine and Butts provided students with insight into the careers of accomplished lawyers in the non-profit sector and in a progressive think tank, respectively. Each provided insight into their personal career paths in addition to explaining the work their organizations are doing to advance their causes. Similarly, Reese described life as a young lawyer in one of the only firms in the nation specializing in campaign finance law.
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