Pepperdine Law on a Mission
This past week, IJM as well as many other on-campus groups hosted Pepperdine Law on a Mission. The week was designed to highlight work that Pepperdine law students have been involved in over the past year.
The first day focused on student efforts in Africa. Kyle, John, Aaron, and Kerry shared about their experiences.
Kyle worked in the family division of the High Court in Uganda. She researched American law and how it conflicts with Ugandan law. She also worked on a reporting project to help set up a system of precedent that the whole country can access.
John and Aaron helped out with the Ugandan court system in an effort to make it more sustainable and user-friendly for the Judges and attorneys practicing there. They also helped publish opinions, update law libraries, and set up a system whereby Ugandan law libraries will be replenished on a yearly basis.
Kerry worked with Restore International in Uganda. She researched anti-trafficking law in an effort to encourage the Ugandan government to pass legislation related to this important topic. She also spent a week with Baronness Cox in Nigeria finding out how Sharia law affects both Muslims and Christians in that country.
Currently, there are plans for students to be full-time clerks (1-2 years) in the Ugandan court system. If you would like to be involved in this, contact an IJM member, Professor Alford, or Professor Howard.
The second day focused on students that served overseas during Spring break. We heard from Amadea about her adventures in Peru, from Jay and his time in Haiti working with Fonkoze, and from Kari and her time in India.
The third day, Jay screened a film he put together on microcredit and explored the idea of credit being a basic human right. His film highlighted three areas where microcredit has been successful in pulling people out of abject poverty and giving them a sense of dignity.
The fourth and final day centered around the APIL auction. This is a terrific event and is a time when Professors and Staff members (as well as many others) donate something (usually involves food!) to APIL. As always, this year was a resounding success and the money raised will help Pepperdine students continue to make an incredible impact on this world.