I wanted to give some props to a new club up at the University of Utah's law school: The Jackie Chiles Law Society. It was started this year by some second year law students, and it has taken the law school by storm. I'm just sorry it wasn't started earlier so that I could have been a part of it. Its named for Jackie Chiles, the hyper-stereotyped attorney on Seinfeld. This is the club's mission statement: "The Jackie Chiles Law Society seeks to analyze America's view of the Law based on how popular culture portrays it. To accomplish this goal, the organization engages legal students, scholars and professionals in meaningful discussion about music, television, movies, and other forms of popular culture that touch on American legal issues." Among other things, they have had criminal law professors deconstruct the trial of Crusty the Clown, they have had one professor talk about Hank Hill's philosophy of federal and administrative law, and they have had an intellectual property professor talk about what we can learn about fair use from Nirvana, Seinfeld, and Uncle Tom's Cabin. But the capstone event was their end-of-year banquet, where Phil Morris, the actor who played Jackie Chiles, was the keynote speaker!
Here's a link to the society's web site. Its actually pretty fun to peruse. They have about 20 officers, including some who are designated experts in certain areas of pop culture (Seinfeld, The Simpsons, Boston Legal, Arrested Development, music, etc.). They also have a video invitation to their end-of-year banquet that is pretty clever.
Their banquet has garnered some media attention. Here's an article about it from the Deseret News, and here's a link to an interview on KCPW (the local NPR affiliate) with the society's founder and with the faculty advisor (the interview is a about 15 minutes long, but its really interesting).
6 comments:
ian this is very interesting. I hear over and over that language is our reality, and pop culture is a strong visual/textual/interactive language.
This has me wondering if an equivalent society would be beneficial in the school of education here. Thanks for the idea.
Ian:
That's great! It reminds me of the Golf & Rootbeer club at BYU, which had a slogan of "To play, to drink, to love!"
Frankly, I wish the society was there when I was.
This law society sounds cool. I was impressed with the radio clip from the second year that started it and Professor Medwed.
Cblakes, I bet this discussion of technology/media and learning is right up your alley.
Jayme, that's way funny about the Golf and Rootbeer club. I had never heard of it. I'm sure Juddy and Mike could have been Presidents with their love for rootbeer. Although, Mike and Judd, do you golf?
Its amazing what a good, creative school club can do. The Jackie Chiles Law Society has been hugely succesfull, and I'm sure its made a lot of people's law school experience more enjoyable. The Golf & Rootbeer club sounds awesome. When I was at BYU, the hot new club was the BBQ club. It had thousands of members. You just signed up, paid your dues, and the BBQ club would host BBQs at the quad seven or eight times a year for its members. It was just fun to hang out with friends and enjoy a BBQ on campus.
as the last cousin still in law school (right now...Juddy?), i cant help but wonder if i could stand on the shoulders of these giants and introduce the club to vegas. Good idea? If this is possible, let me know these kids' email addresses or something...or i guess i will just check out the link
fantastic idea! and to think i just signed up to be president of an embarrassingly mundane club...
I know they have already received requests from people at other law schools to start satelite chapters of the club. They haven't decided whether or not to expand yet. They would have to create a national chapter, which would mean they would probably have to start paying NBC and Seinfeld to use Jackie Chiles' name and image. But you should contact them and see what they are thinking. That way, if they do decide to take it national, you are on their list. Or you could just start a generic pop culture and law club.
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