Candidate Statement: April Day

Name: _______April Day__________________________

Class: _________1L/Class of 2007________________________

Phone: ________703-863-1575_________________________


Email: ____________add2111@columbia.edu_____________________


Position(s) Desired: ____Vice President, Practitioner Relationships_________________


Statement of Interest (1-2 pages):
Please address the following two questions in your statement:
1. Why are you interested in serving on the ACS Board?
2. As a board member, what ideas for programming would you like to implement next year?



1.Why are you interested in serving on the Board?

I would like to contribute to the development of a progressive response to certain changes in the development of constitutional jurisprudence. It is imperative to provide opportunities to connect persons in the legal community to promote the central place of equality, justice, and compassion within the U.S. Constitution.

Although persons drawn to ACS are very different in nature and personality from many persons drawn to the Federalist Society, I believe that growth of some parts of our response to that organizations actions are essential to protecting the principles of equality, justice, and compassion. Particularly, more frequent networking horizontally and vertically would be helpful to developing lawyers at CLS to promote ACS ideals when we graduate and enter the practicing legal community. For this reason, I have chosen to run for Vice President, Practitioner Relationships.

2. As a board member, what ideas for programming would you like to implement next year?

I would like to develop a data base of judges at all levels and in both the state and federal judiciary that are committed to promoting ACS ideals. I would also like to create a database of persons working in different state and federal agencies that work daily to promote progressive policies at the state and federal levels, both in legal departments as well as policy departments. I believe this would develop practical, professional and well-guided experience for ACS student members in addition to fostering development of long-term professional and personal mentor relationships among ACS members at the national level.
I am not certain where else to raise some of my thoughts about the development of the ACS Chapter here at CLS, so I am including these ideas, although I do not believe that they fit the position to which I am applying. Furthermore, ACS is more organic in structure than position descriptions and I would work to promote these developments. First, at the interest meeting, I suggested a special liaison for 1L members in addition to the current general membership responsibilities of the Vice President. Second, also at the interest meeting, I raised the idea of a liaison to communities of color within CLS. (According to my general discussions with members of communities of color, we do not like the idea of greater state power because states have historically discriminated against us). This would most likely increase ACS membership and may also better coordination between groups of schedules in particular (like the unfortunate timing of inviting Eric Holder when BLSA was also holding speeches for elections…) Third, there was a discussion of developing an ACS moot court. Professor Metzger suggested talking to NALSA about how the moot court was developed and approved for credit here at CLS. I am a member of NALSA and know some of the CLS alumni that helped get the NALSA moot court approved for credit. These are some of the resources and ideas that I could bring to ACS.