Pepperdine Law Celebrates
Passover with Seder Students, faculty, and staff from the School of Law gathered to celebrate Passover by participating in an on-campus Seder hosted by the Jewish Law Student Association in March. More than 40 members of the Pepperdine Law community came together in a roundtable formation surrounded by matzo and conversations about the history of Jewish traditions, specifically about the liberation of the Israelites from the slavery of ancient Egypt. “This kind of event really marks the coming together of all ages,” said Tzipora Goodfriend, president of Pepperdine Law’s Jewish Law Students Association. “It is not an exclusive event. It is a time of learning and enjoying each other’s company.” A traditional Seder is led by the patriarch of a family and is comprised of a dinner table setting in which the father or grandfather shares stories with his children or grandchildren that focus on the Jewish culture. Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein, a member of the adjunct faculty at the law school, led the Pepperdine Law Seder.
Jay Milbrandt’s Latest Book
“It is an amazing tradition because young children are given the opportunity to ask questions about anything they want,” Goodfriend said. “It’s a key moment in the education of their heritage.” The Seder, which was among others held on the Malibu campus, is an annual event that has continued at the School of Law for more than a decade.
Challenges Readers to “Go + Do”
Goodfriend noted, “We were so happy to embrace this opportunity to join together, especially with Dean Tacha who has been a huge supporter of ours since joining the Pepperdine Law School family.”
Jay Milbrandt’s (MBA ’07, JD ’ 08) latest book, Go + Do, was welcomed by readers at an official release reception held at the School of Law in April. Published by Tyndale House, the book is a compilation of firsthand accounts of Milbrandt’s work overseas as the director of Pepperdine’s Global Justice Program. According to Milbrandt, it serves as a challenge to “go out into the world, witness the raw edges of humanity, and then do something about what you see.”
Pepperdine School of Law Hosts
Special Education Law Symposium
Nearly 100 students and faculty attended the reception, many with their own stories of having traveled abroad as part of the Global Justice Program. Among them was vice dean Tim Perrin. “So often a book is about things that don’t reflect the character and experiences of the author,” Perrin said. “That’s what makes this book so special. It really is a reflection of Jay and his work.”
The Pepperdine School of Law Special Education Advocacy Clinic hosted the Special Education Law Symposium: Examining the IDEA in Theory and Practice in February with various panel topics that ranged from social and behavioral issues to the effects of gender and race.
Robert Cochran, director of the Herbert and Elinor Nootbaar Institute on Law, Religion, and Ethics, and Louis D. Brandeis Professor of Law, says the book shines a unique light on law school publications.
The daylong event included six panels with 14 key experts in the field, each with a focus on discussing the elements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), as well as the rule of law and its relationship with, and obligations to, special education. Additional topics included the role of socioeconomic status in special education and its tie with race and gender.
“In law schools, as in other corners of universities, there is a tendency to talk a lot about fighting injustice, poverty, and powerlessness, and to leave it at that,” he said. “Jay’s book calls us to put our theory into practice, in his, and Jesus’, words, to ‘Go and Do.’ Jay has led many of us at the law school to get on the ground and to try to change some part of the world. This book wonderfully challenges a much broader audience to do so.”
Students and alumni alike were involved in and invited to the symposium, which was the first of its kind to be hosted by Pepperdine. “The students were intricately involved in the planning, preparation, and activities of the conference,” said Richard Peterson, director of the Pepperdine School of Law Special Education Advocacy Clinic and assistant professor of law. “It was a great opportunity for them to not only enhance their knowledge and understanding of the law, but also to meet with the people who author the treatises they use in their study of the law, as well as network with local practitioners who are potential employers in the future.”
When asked about his purpose for writing the book, Milbrandt said, “When we look out at the world, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. We want to help, but we don’t know where to start or what to do. I hope that Go + Do encourages readers to overcome these obstacles and make a small corner of the world a better place. It’s a dare to embark on a journey.” The book is available for purchase at the Pepperdine Law School bookstore, at Barnes & Noble, and on Amazon.com.
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