The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law’s (LDB) Law Student Chapter Initiative, started last year, continues to expand! Last week, LDB opened three new law student chapters in Chicago – at the University of Chicago, DePaul University, and Chicago-Kent College of Law. LDB currently has chapters at 15 law schools nationwide. “The recent rise in anti-Semitism on university campuses is undeniable and deeply disturbing,” says Josh Hammer, a second-year student at the University of Chicago and one of the new chapter’s founding members. “Vigorously combatting this pernicious trend is one of our generation’s great new challenges. It is my hope that our Louis D. Brandeis Center chapter at the University of Chicago Law School will help train our future lawyers in how to do precisely that.” Fostering a new generation of leaders who share LDB’s mission, LDB chapters fill an important gap in American legal education, offer legal and educational opportunities that members seek, and provide a resource to other members of the university community. In turn, the chapters support LDB’s work to combat anti-Semitism and anti-Israelism on college and university campuses. Brandeis Center law students assist Brandeis Center attorneys in monitoring colleges and universities around the United States to ensure compliance with federal and state civil rights laws that protect Jewish students from discrimination, harassment, and hostile environments. Since LDB is an equal opportunity organization, we welcome students of any race, color, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, age, gender or disability. Corey Celt, a first-year law student who will be clerking with the Brandeis Center in Washington, D.C. this summer, started the new chapter at DePaul after attending the LDB National Law Student Conference this past December. Celt expressed his excitement about starting the new chapter: “I truly believe that many people are not aware of the Anti-Semitism that takes place on college campuses; if they are, they may also not be aware that there are legal remedies and legal organizations here to help. Given that DePaul University is very active in public interest law and pro bono community service, I know we have a student body that embraces the missions of the Brandeis Center and believes that ‘Human Rights for the Jewish People and justice for all’ are causes worth working for.” Chicago-Kent LDB Chapter President Paul Geske, also an LDB National Conference participant and founding member, says, “[t]he new chapter will help us empower our fellow law students by providing them with information and the tools to engage in Jewish, civil rights advocacy. The chapter will also be a springboard for connecting students with attorneys locally, and nationwide.” At Chicago-Kent, where students are particularly interested in legal practice, students were treated to a special presentation by Supreme Court litigator Alyza Lewin, who spoke about her experience litigating the “Jerusalem Passport” case. Alyza was introduced by Constitutional Law Professor Mark D. Rosen, who put the case into the context of Con Law, making it increasingly relevant for students. At the Kent Launch event, from left to right: Professor Mark D. Rosen, Dean Harold J. Krent, Supreme Court Litigator Alyza Lewin, LDB President Kenneth L. Marcus, LDB Chapter leaders Maria Zyskind, Kyle Zak, Justin Prince, and Paul Geske, and LDB attorney Aviva Vogelstein. LDB President Kenneth L. Marcus commented, “We are thrilled to recognize three new Chicago law school chapters this week. These are smart, passionate, dedicated students who share our mission to advance the civil and human rights of the Jewish people and promote justice for all. I admire their commitment and look forward to supporting their efforts.” The three new LDB Chicago chapters will join the chapter started in February at Loyola University-Chicago. We thank Chicago’s Decalogue Society of Lawyers for connecting us to such wonderful and passionate Chicago-area students, and hope that our two groups can continue to work together. If you are interested in helping to organize an LDB law student chapter at your school, please contact me at avogelst@brandeiscenter.com. The Brandeis Center is an independent, non-profit civil rights organization that combats campus anti-Semitism. For more information on Brandeis Center activity, visit our website, follow us on Facebook and Twitter, read our Blog, and sign-up for our monthly publication, the Brandeis Brief! LDB currently has law student chapters at the following schools: Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, (New York City, NY); Brooklyn Law School (Brooklyn, NY); Chicago Kent College of Law (Chicago, IL); City University of New York (CUNY) Law School (Queens, NY); Cornell University School of Law (Ithaca, NY); DePaul University College of Law (Chicago, IL); Emory University School of Law (Atlanta, GA); Loyola University of Chicago School of Law ( Chicago, IL); Northeastern University School of Law (Boston, MA); University of California – Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Law (Los Angeles, CA); University of Chicago School of Law (Chicago, IL); University of Pennsylvania School of Law (Philadelphia, PA); University of St. Thomas School of Law (Minneapolis, MN); University of Virginia School of Law (Charlottesville, VA); William Mitchell College of Law (St. Paul, Minnesota). The Brandeis Center is a tax-exempt institution under section 501(c)(3) of the United States tax code and receives contributions from individuals and foundations so that it can provide its services free of charge.