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"FIRST MONDAY" AT UGA LAW SCHOOL FOCUSES ON GUN VIOLENCE AND VOTER AWARENESS

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Thursday, September 28, 2000

WRITER: Lisa Taylor, PIP Office, (706) 542-5213 CONTACT: Kathy R. Pharr, (706) 542-5172, pharr@arches.uga.edu

"FIRST MONDAY" AT UGA LAW SCHOOL FOCUSES ON GUN VIOLENCE AND VOTER AWARENESS

ATHENS, Ga. - Law students at the University of Georgia School of Law will examine gun violence and work to increase voter awareness during the law school's observance of "First Monday," on Monday, October 2, 2000. All events are open to the public at no charge.

Members of the student groups, Equal Justice Foundation and Public Interest Practicum, will show a 30-minute video at 11:30 and 12:30 in classroom H of the law school, with pizza and discussion to follow. Throughout the day, information on state and national candidates' positions on gun laws will be shared with students through brochures and displays in the student lounge, and students may register to vote or fill out forms for absentee ballots.

"We're going to focus on the current state of Georgia gun laws and how we compare with the rest of the country," said Lisa Taylor, a third-year student who is organizing UGA's First Monday observance. "We want students to be active, to be aware of the candidates' different positions and platforms when voting, and to realize how the issues affect them."

First Monday is an annual, national initiative coordinated by the Alliance for Justice in conjunction with Physicians for Social Responsibility. The date is chosen to correspond with the first day of the new U.S. Supreme Court term, which always begins on the first Monday in October.

The observance, commemorated at hundreds of campuses and organizations across the country, kicks off a year-long campaign, "First Monday 2000: Unite to End Gun Violence."

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