<p>On Tuesday, March 25th, the Public Interest Resource Center held the third annual Public Interest Reception to honor the partners who have lent support to PIRC and Widener Law students committed to public interest work. This year, the reception coincided with the Public Interest Law Alliance&rsquo;s annual auction. As PIRC Director Sydney Howe-Barksdale explained, &ldquo;All proceeds from the auction support the good work of the student organization Public Interest Law Alliance which encourages students to perform valuable public service.&rdquo; <br /><br />The Public Interest Reception featured a recorded message from Dean Linda Ammons, who was unable to attend, offering a heartfelt thank you to all those who had served as sponsors and partners to both the Public Interest Resource Center and the Public Interest Law Alliance. As Dean Ammons explained, &ldquo;tonight we celebrate the partnerships that serve the public interest and honor the attorneys who are guiding Widener Law Students in their professional development and commitment to pro bono service.&rdquo;</p>
<div style="margin: 5px; float: left; width: 350px;"><img src="{staticroot}site/files/oldnewsfiles/pila1.jpg" alt="pila1" width="350" height="224" /><br />Kristan Crane, PIRC&nbsp;Secretary&nbsp;and Sarah Whatley, Student Assistant<br /><img src="{staticroot}site/files/oldnewsfiles/pila2.jpg" alt="pila2" width="350" height="293" /><br />Sydeney Howe-Barksdale (left)<img src="{staticroot}site/files/oldnewsfiles/pila4.jpg" alt="pila4" width="350" height="240" /><br />3L student, Nicole Saries, won the 32&rdquo; flat screen LCD TV</div>
<p><br /><br />Meghan Doll, chair of this year&rsquo;s auction, and Jen Pesavento, PILA President, led the PILA Auction and students to earnings of approximately $14,000. This slight increase over last year&rsquo;s collection will allow approximately 10 students to have some funding for their pro bono placements and/or public interest pursuits this summer. Enza Klotzbucher, of the Legal Information Center won the raffle for the GPS unit; while 3L student, Nicole Saries, won the 32&rdquo; flat screen LCD TV. William Brennan won the stay at a Florida Condo, Ron Diaz won the Delaware Bar Review Course, and Jeff Porter won lunch with Dean Ammons. The separate ebay auction item, the bobble-head doll of Justice O&rsquo;Conner, sold for $250. Both PIRC and PILA thank all in the community who participated and supported these events. By taking the time to work with and support our law students, you have helped us to shape the next generation of public interest lawyers.</p>