A Collaboration Between UDC-DCSL and Occupy DC

We, the undersigned students, faculty, staff, and friends of the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law (UDC-DCSL), write to express our support for Occupy DC and to outstretch our arms in hopes of fostering collaboration between fellow members of the 99%, utilizing each of our resources and assets to bring about substantial changes to the status quo.

UDC-DCSL not only has a long history of educating the 99%—it is one of the nation’s most diverse law schools at a historically black university, with a mission to recruit and enroll students from groups underrepresented at the bar—but it also has a long commitment to serving the 99%. During 2010-11, students and faculty provided 100,000 hours of legal services on behalf of some of the District of Columbia’s most vulnerable residents. The majority of UDC-DCSL students go on to pursue careers in public interest law, with a focus on serving the interests of the 99%, rather than those of the wealthy elite.

We here at UDC-DCSL recognize that we share many of the same principles of the Occupy movement, and we believe that our collaboration would be the perfect bridge between two visions for a better society. While Occupy DC represents this generation’s frustration and disillusionment with the current status of our society, the law school embodies several decades of struggle for system change and the betterment of conditions for low-income DC residents. UDC-DCSL has historical knowledge of issues affecting DC communities, resources, and legal expertise that may bolster the outburst of creative, passionate energy that Occupy DC exemplifies.

For these reasons, UDC-DCSL invites the Occupy DC community to the law school to begin this synergetic journey with an evening of conscious discussion, entertainment, and optimism-building. We hope this event will provide an opportunity for mutual story- and vision-sharing, and that each of our communities will be able to learn about the other and join together as we ride this new wave of focused energy toward a better future. More specifics about the event will follow.