Student Bar Association President Sharam Atkinson on Wednesday vetoed the bill, which passed unanimously at the last Senate meeting.
The bill would require the National Conference of Bar Examiners and the DC Bar, the district’s compulsory bar association, to ensure that students’ current mental health conditions affect their ability to practice law competently, ethically and appropriately. They called for the removal of an exam question asking whether a person has a sexual orientation. Professional manners. At Wednesday’s special session, Atkinson told the bill’s sponsors that D.C. attorneys have the authority to add or remove mental health questions from specific exams, not the NCBE, which recommends mental health questions as special exams. advised to make the request only to Options for local bars to adopt.
Rather than asking the Senate to override Atkinson’s veto, the bill’s sponsors, SBA Sens. requested that the bill be submitted so that it could be put to a vote. The senators introduced the bill late last month to destigmatize mental health issues and highlight the SBA’s commitment to equity and inclusion in the legal profession.
“We appreciate his editing. There are some small points there that we agree should be considered, such as the assessment of access,” Nasarj said. “We have made a motion to table this and will bring it again at the next meeting.”
The senators also unanimously supported the Justice, Rights and Policy Forum as the law school’s official journal and encouraged law enforcement officials to approve the journal. Julian Cosmides, one of the magazine’s founders, said the founders sent out a survey to law students last week to gauge interest in the magazine, and more than 300 students responded that they were interested in participating. He said he did.
Andrew Nettles, one of the magazine’s founders, said his team has been in touch with Alan Morrison, GW Law’s associate dean for public interest and public services, about creating the magazine. Nettles said he is “very excited” that Nettles and Cosmides have sought SBA approval because Morrison has been involved in the process and believes public interest law “can’t wait.” said.
Reisner said he trusts Morrison, who recently received the National Law Journal’s Lifetime Achievement Award and has argued before the Supreme Court.
“They have Dean Morrison, who is a really great professor and a great leader, and I think that really establishes George Washington as a school that this journal will be a long-term school for,” Reisner said. Ta.
The Senate passed four extraordinary bills to provide additional funding to the Music Law Association, the Night Law Student Association, the GW Law Softball Organization, and the Women of Color Collective. SBA Sen. Alpisa Gollur said the SBA has about $7,000 left in contingency funds for the past three sessions of the current Senate.
SBA Sen. Akil Cambamet, who chairs the SBA Finance Committee, said there are two more special funding requests for the Native American Student Association and the Music Law Association that will be discussed after spring break. Stated.
SBA Executive Vice President Caitlin Fontana said the lack of a quorum at Tuesday’s meeting was “very frustrating.” He added that senators are drafting impeachment resolutions against senators who do not meet.
“It’s very important to me that you are elected to do this, that you choose to run, that your colleagues make it clear that they expect you to speak up and show up. ,” Fontana said.
The Senate has introduced a bill introduced by Sen. Nigel Walton of the SBA. The bill would add a professional development fund to the SBA’s bylaws, which Atkinson initiated in November, after the bill’s format and bylaw additions were inaccurate. SBA Sen. Charlie Schmidt recommended that the bill be tabled until the next full Senate session to “tinker with” the language to make sure it’s correct.
“These bylaws will be in place for a very long time,” Schmidt said. “I just think it’s better to take your time and work on it.”
The Professional Development Fund provides funding for GW Law students to attend professional and career-oriented conferences and events.
The senators will hold the next SBA Senate meeting on Tuesday, March 19th at 9:15 p.m. in LLC 009.
