Candidate Statement: Quinn Arntsen

Position: Events Chair

My name is Quinn Arntsen and I am running for the events chair and external relations chair. As a 1L I have been heavily involved with ACS: I am the assistant coach for the ACS moot court; a member of the 1L committee; and I brought Cass Sunstein to give a lecture earlier this spring.

Events Chair Statement:
My passion for bringing speakers to campus goes back to my days as an undergrad. During that time I was on a board whose sole purpose was to bring speakers and lectures to campus. Through that organization I was able to work with such speakers as Jon Stewart, Nadine Strossen, John Cleese, Pat Buchanan, and Sarah Weddington. This gave me a strong base of knowledge about the ins and outs of hosting and producing lectures. Thanks to ACS, I continued to be involved with bringing speakers during my first year at the law. Earlier this semester I brought Cass Sunstein to give a lecture on whether judges are political. I was completely in charge of the event and did everything from contacting Professor Sunstein to promoting the event and ordering food. The event was a great success and a number of people attended. This allowed me to gain first-hand experience regarding what is required for hosting events in the law school—there are a handful of hoops to jump through, and I was able to familiarize myself with them. Lectures are a primary component of what makes ACS such a great organization; this year alone the Columbia chapter of ACS will have hosted more than 50 events. I feel that my knowledge and experience can help this important tradition thrive.

External Relations Chair Statement:
As the assistant coach for the ACS Moot Court I had to reach out to members of New York City’s legal community in order to find attorney-judges for the internal competition. I found this to be a fun and interesting experience because it gave me the opportunity to chat with practicing lawyers from many backgrounds, including members of the New York City Chapter of ACS. During these conversations I learned that many attorneys would like more opportunities to interact with law school students. As the external relations chair I would try to use this experience and knowledge to set up more events where lawyers and law students could interact. For example, panel discussions where members of the NYC Chapter of ACS could discuss opportunities to stay involved with ACS after graduation; receptions where current students could chat with recent graduates about career opportunities; or outings with firms to discuss their pro bono opportunities. Furthermore, because I would already have a handful of contacts in the NYC Chapter of ACS, I think I could help strengthen the mentorship program. There is a large well of knowledge and experience that we can gain and learn from, if only we can find a way to tap it.