I'm a 4th year undergraduate student at UC Merced majoring in Economics and planning to go to law school. This is my second year with the Associated Students; I served in Senate last year and formed part of the Advocacy Committee. I am also Vice President of the Cycling Alliance at UC Merced and form part of University Women Network (UWMN), and the Merced Pre-Law Society.

Why advocacy?
The position of Director of Student Advocacy is one that is still developing and I have the qualifications and experience to nurture its development. This year my work will focus on women’s initiatives, human rights, environmental awareness, and something new: legal health. I will be taking an active role in this process by working with other ASUCM, OSL, and clubs and orgs to ensure that our student’s interests and concerns are addressed and made heard.

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October 20th, 2009 Report:
Legal Clinic - It has come to our attention that our University is lacking legal resources for students. Most universities have their student governments hire a full time attorney, but due to our fairly young stage of development, funding is limited at UC Merced, meaning that this resource would be postponed until our campus grows large enough to support such a cost. Being UC Merced, we are a campus of innovation and initiative, it only seems fit that we create a legal clinic that provides legal resources and advice for students at UC Merced.
Although we do not have a law school graduate program, which is the norm for developing University based legal clinics, we as undergraduates will be working on creating one that fits best to the needs of our community here are UC Merced.

Updates:

Partners -
Professor Mark Harris, an attorney licensed to practice in the State of California and a member of the School of Management faculty at the University of California, Merced. [mharris4@ucmerced.edu]
Srian Goonewardene, 4th year undergraduate management student enrolled in the Advanced Business Law course offered for management students. [sgoonewardene@ucmerced.edu]
Sam Hirsch, 4th year undergraduate management student enrolled in the Advanced Business Law course offered for management students. [shirsch@ucmerced.edu]

September 2009
- Meetings with administration and interest groups
October 2009
- 10/7 Strategic planning meeting, 3pm OSL
- 10/18 Research deadline, e-mail to Sam Hirsch
- 10/20 Legal model development meeting, 5pm OSL
- 10/21 Update and feedback meeting, 3pm OSL
- 10/28 Update and planning meeting, 3pm OSL
- 11/4 Meeting with Merced Self-Help Center (CANCELLED)
- 11/4 Planning meeting: survey, contact list, insurance
- 11/12 Update and planning meeting, 1-1:30pm, OSL

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Calgrants Week of Action: Sept. 28 - Oct. 2
- Tabling events with executive office

Dream Act Week of Action: Oct. 19 - 23
- Tabling events with executive office
- Meeting with executive office
- Resource development for AB 540 students

AB 540 Resource Library and Support
- Meeting with Lucia and Irving (External Office)