We are currently looking for rising 2Ls and 3Ls to volunteer to chair committees for the 20th Annual Public Service Auction this coming school year. This would be a flexible time commitment over the school year and possibly over this summer, if needed. Please see the list below for committee descriptions and chair responsibilities. Committee positions are diverse in the skill sets and time commitments required. Some chair positions require more work in the fall semester, some are busiest in the weeks leading up to the Auction.
If you will be seeking PILC funding next summer, these roles would fulfill your auction requirements. And if you do not plan to seek PILC funding, we would still be very grateful for your help! If you are interested in helping out or if you have any questions, contact Joanna Laine at JCL561@nyu.edu or Ben Mejia at bpm288@nyu.edu.
Thank you,
Joanna Laine & Ben Mejia, Public Service Auction Co-Chairs
Public Service Auction Committees
Alumni Relations (1 chair, 2 committee members) The Alumni Relations Chair works closely with the Law School’s Office of Alumni Relations and Development to collect and track donations from alumni and to encourage alumni to attend the auction.
Canvassing (1-2 chairs, 3-4 committee members) The Canvassing Committee plans the canvassing routes that law student volunteers will take to solicit donations from local businesses. This year, we are hoping to streamline the canvassing routes to focus on places most likely to yield desirable items. The Canvassing Committee also orchestrates the canvassing process and communicates with all canvassers about their routes. After canvassing is completed, the Canvassing Committee collects and records all donations.
Corporate Donations (1-2 chairs, 3-4 committee members) The Corporate Donations Committee solicits donations from corporate businesses. The three biggest contributors are LexisNexis, Barbri, and Westlaw. However, we believe that the committee could be expanded this year to solicit more creative donations from major corporations.
Dean’s Cup (1-2 chairs, 3-4 committee members) The Dean’s Cup Committee is in charge of organizing, advertising, and selling tickets for the Dean’s Cup.
Donations (2 2L chairs, 4-5 committee members) The Donations Committee keeps track of all auction donations in a master spreadsheet. The Committee categorizes the donations, labels them, and sets prices and bid increments.
Events (2 2L chairs, 5-6 committee members) The Events Committee manages the live and silent auction. They work mostly through the law school’s Office of Special Events and are responsible for getting food and beverages, decorations, and entertainment. They are also in charge of set-up on the day of the auction.
Faculty Outreach (2 2L Chairs, 5-6 committee members) The Faculty Outreach Committee is in charge of reaching out to faculty members to encourage them to donate to, attend, and otherwise support the auction. With this committee, we hope to encourage faculty members to take on a greater role in the auction than in years past. For example, faculty members might serve as auctioneers during the live auction.
Liquidation Committee (2-3 Chairs) We have a lot of leftover items from previous auctions and we would like to sell them or put them to some other productive use. Possible ideas include selling them on e-bay, raffling off “mystery bags” at the next auction, or holding a yard sale. We’re looking for a few creative people to take this on. This Committee would likely do most of its work in the summer or early fall. Chairs will ideally be in NYC over the summer.
Law Firm Donations (1 chair, 2-3 committee members) The Law Firm Donations Committee solicits in-kind and monetary donations from New York and regional law firms.
Law School Community (1 chair, 5 committee members) The Law School Community Committee solicits donations from students, professors, and staff and encourages members of the law school community to attend the auction. Each 1L Committee member also acts as a liaison between his/her 1L section and the Auction.
Program (1 chair, 1-2 committee members) The Program Committee creates the program/pamphlet for the auction.
Publicity (1-2 chairs, 5-6 committee members) The Publicity Committee advertises the auction to the law school community and designs the auction t-shirt. In recent years, the Publicity Committee has also been in charge of selling auction tickets.
Redemptions (1-2 chairs, 4-5 committee members) The Redemptions Committee registers everyone who attends the Auction so that they may bid on items. After the auction is over, the Redemptions Committee distributes all of the auction items to the winning bidders.
Treasurer (1 chair) The Treasurer is responsible for depositing checks and cash that come in through Law School Donations, Corporate Donations, Law School Community, and Canvassing. Following the Auction, the Treasurer works with Redemptions to ensure that money is collected from all winning bidders, and contacts anyone whose credit card information did not go through.
Web Development (1 chair, 1-2 committee members) The Web Development Committee oversees and updates the auction website.