One Month to Go: PILSA Auction Set to Break Records

Lawrence Estrada, 3L

Editor-in-Chief

Andrea Schlissel, 3L, and Randi Reese Nelson, 2L, sit in a small room on the 11th floor, surrounded by designer bags, DVD box sets, video games, and autographed sports memorabilia.

“We also have a lot of digital cameras,” Schlissel adds. “We had a bike in here before.”

This treasure trove is not the result of a department store heist or a hit-and-run sweepstakes. Students have been filtering in and out of the office all day, dropping off items for the annual Public Service Auction. In exchange for merchandise, 1L and 2L students will receive stipends to work in government agencies, non-profits, and other public interest organizations this summer.

“People wonder why there are so many hurdles to getting a stipend,” Schlissel, the Student Chair, gestures to the packed room. “That’s how we are able to raise so much money and ensure every student that remains eligible gets a stipend.” Nelson, a co-chair, greets a student with tickets to The View, while another arrives with a MoMA pass. These items, along with power tools, Jamaican cigars, watches, and countless other goodies, stand as a testament to the scale and ambition of this year’s auction.

Recession Drives Participation, Need for Funding

According to the Center for Public Service Law, 245 students have applied and qualified for a PILSA stipend. “This is huge,” said Director Leslie Thrope. “We have a lot of students to fund.” The surge in applicants is massive compared to the 138 stipends awarded by the school in 2008.

This year’s extraordinary participation can be attributed in large part to the ongoing economic crisis. Low associate attrition and decreasing demand for high-end legal services led several large firms to reduce their recruitment efforts at Cardozo and other law schools. As summer associate classes shrank, many students turned to the public sector and the Auction for opportunities.

“I think that the number of 1Ls applying has stayed the same or increased slightly,” Schlissel noted. “But the number of 2Ls applying this year is much greater than previously.”

Increased student participation has also driven up the amount needed to sponsor all applicants. Proceeds from the Auction, coupled with private donations and funding from the school, are used to pay $4000 to each participant over the course of the summer. Last April, the Auction earned $335,000, $35,000 more than its intended target. This year, the Auction hopes to raise $400,000, an impressive goal given the current fiscal downturn.

“So far, I think we’re in a great place considering the economic climate,” Schlissel said. “All of the donated items we’ve received are valuable and unique.”

Students, Administration, and Alumni Coordinate Massive Effort

Planning for the Auction has been a months-long process, beginning with a series of meetings last semester. As conditions to funding, students sought donations, attended various panels during Public Interest Law Week in January, and have to sell raffle tickets and tickets to attend. Each student must also work on a committee and work the night of the Auction to receive a stipend.

“Needless to say, there are a lot of hoops to jump through,” said a student who’d been disqualified early in the process. “It’s an awful lot of work for $4000.”

The work appears to be paying off so far, with each student’s individual contribution manifesting itself in an item given, a donation made, or an Auction ticket sold. The task of coordinating such a massive effort falls to a handful of students, such as Schlissel and Nelson, and administrators, such as Inez Gonzalez, the Director of the Auction.

“We have been working really hard to make this event an incredible opportunity for our students to gain funding to work in the public sector,” Gonzalez wrote in an email. “It’s a tremendous team effort and I am especially proud of our student leaders.”

Alumni have also played a role in helping the Auction, such as Kathryn O. Greenberg, ’82, the Chair of Cardozo’s Board of Directors, and Jennifer G. Rothenberg, ’99, the Board Liaison.

“[Greenberg] is our trailblazer and one of the reasons our Auction is so successful each year,” Gonzalez said. “And [Rothenberg] has been so generous with sharing her expertise and is also a strong supporter…”

New alumni are also taking a lead in helping the auction, such as Matt Schneider, ’08, Liaison for the newly established Junior Advisory Board.

“Last year, Matt served as the student auctioneer,” Schlissel noted. “Now as a graduate, [he’s] continuing to play an influential role in the auction while working to bring alumni together for the event, and making the auction a type of law school homecoming.”

The Auction is also working with alumni to obtain particular items. The committee, led by Liz Robbins, 2L, is working with specialty area alumni clubs and regional alumni groups around the country and abroad. The committee hopes to acquire monetary donations along with regional items and experiences to be placed in the online auction.

Toward a Better, Greener Auction

The size and nature of this year’s program has produced other changes as well. This year, the Live Auction will be held in the Kathryn O. and Alan C. Greenberg Center for Student Life on the third floor. In previous years, the Auction was held in the Moot Court Room and lobby of the school. “While the space is definitely beautiful, the third floor lounge will be less formal,” said Schlissel, who added that the Auction was seeking more of a “party” atmosphere this year.

The Auction’s theme is also taking a more topical tone, adopting an “eco-conscious” message for this year’s event. To that end, the Auction Committee will be posting “green tips” throughout the school leading up to the Auction, hoping to educate students, faculty, and other members of the Cardozo community as to their effect on the planet. In addition, the Committee is seeking “green” items to sell at the Auction. “Our goal is to make this a school-wide campaign where all students, faculty and staff are making small changes that will lead to a greener Earth.”

The selection at this year’s auction also reflects the high level of student participation. Standout items include courtside Knicks tickets, a 1930s Art Deco drink mixing set, passes to the Daily Show and the Tonight Show, and, as always, unique experiences with Cardozo professors, such as wine tasting and dinner. Schlissel is already on the lookout for some particular items.

“As a graduating 3L, I definitely plan to bid on some Bar/Bri gift certificates, but I’ve also been eyeing a cooking lesson,” she added. “I need some serious help in the kitchen.”

Director Leslie Thrope is also looking forward to a wide selection. “I plan to bid on one of the digital cameras that have come in and possibly the photo printer.” She also plans to build on previous success at the Auction. “I have always purchased a new rug at the Auction, and hope that we get one so that I can add to my collection of PILSA Auction rugs at home.”

Work to be Done as Auction Approaches

Although students have turned in their required donations, the Auction Committee will continue to collect items to sell online and on Auction Night. In particular, the Committee is seeking theater and dinner packages, “green” and environmentally friendly merchandise, and travel items such as airline miles or hotel stays.

The Committee is also concentrating its resources on promoting the Auction and increasing attendance. “At this point, our focus is getting the word out, selling tickets to attend, and making sure people
bid on all the great items we’ve got,” Schlissel s
aid. Stu
dents are encouraged to bring family and friends to the auction, and to bid on items online.

The online auction will run from March 9 through March 16, and the silent and live auctions will be held on April 2. Students interested in making a donation/gift or purchasing auction tickets are encouraged to contact Andrea Schlissel at aschlis@gmail.com or Inez Gonzalez at igonzal1@yu.edu.