This Month's Consumer Protection Update

Later today, Thompson Hine, LLP will be presenting this month's Consumer Protection update.

This telephonic brown bag program will summarize the significant developments in consumer protection law that occurred during December 2005. The presentation will cover cases, settlements, and other initiatives at the federal and state levels, as well as consumer class actions, Lanham Act litigation, and National Advertising Division case decisions.

Presenters are Thomas Zych and Jennifer Roach and the program will be moderated by Alysa Zeltzer, Vice Chair of the ABA Privacy and Data Security Committee and member of the Consumer Protection Committee.

AMC Summer Internship

The Antitrust Modernization Commission is seeking a summer intern who has completed at least 1 year of law school by summer 2006. Applicants should submit materials by January 31, 2006.

h/t David Fischer at (Anti)Trust Me for the pointer.

Have you Resolved to Get Involved?

Happy New Year to everyone! We are gearing up for another busy spring semester here, including the selection of the AT Writing Competition and Janet D. Steiger Fellowship winners, Mid-Year meeting in Chicago, and Spring Meeting in Washington. The LSD and YLD will be making appointments for the 2006-07 bar year at the end of this semester, so now is the time to find out where you fit in and get involved.

A recurring issue new student and young lawyer members face is understanding how all the divisions, sections, committees and subcommittees fit into the overall organization. Here's my take:

Law student enrollment automatically makes you a member of the Law Student Division for only $20. When you enroll online, you will also be presented with additional Section, Forum, and Division enrollment options which may or may not require additional dues. You primarily select your practice area interests via section enrollment, e.g., you can add the Antitrust (AT), Business, and IP Law Sections for $10 each, as well as the Sections of Litigation (LT), Administrative & Regulatory Practice, or Public Utility, Communication, and Transportation all for FREE.

Once you've enrolled in a Section, you may get involved initially at the Committee level, e.g., the AT has several committees focused on practice skills/litigation, substantive law, and industry specialties. You might find committees that touch on antitrust in other sections, e.g., the Business, International, Labor, Litigation, and IP law sections also have antitrust committees.

The great thing about your student enrollment options is that the dues are low enough (or FREE) so you can try all the sections you're interested in to find out where you fit in. When you graduate, you'll also find the YLD has its own set of committees focused on certain practice areas that keep you in touch with the various section committees throughout the ABA as you develop your practice expertise.

If you've resolved to get involved, there are a lot of 3Ls (like me) getting ready to pass the torch to next year's student leaders. Apply for an LSD leadership position. Whether it's at the school, circuit, or national level, getting involved in the student leadership helps put the organization in better perspective and maybe even help you discover where your legal career is going to take you in the future.

Feel free to contact us if you have questions about the positions available, time commitment, benefits (and possible expenses). The deadlines will be here soon!