Trust the Section of Antitrust Law to Make You Competitive By Dan…

Trust the Section of Antitrust Law to Make You Competitive
By Dan Boyle

The Section of Antitrust Law, the home of consumer protection in the ABA, provides
challenging fellowship opportunities for first-rate students to sample public service
while helping the United States further its consumer protection mission.
        The Janet D. Steiger Fellowship Project fellows serve for eight weeks in the
consumer protection departments of the offices of state attorneys general around the
country. Fellows receive a stipend of $5,000 plus an allowance of $2,000 for travel and
housing.
        The fellowship is named in honor of Janet D. Steiger (1939­2004), an inspiring
leader who served the public under four U.S. presidents. Most notable among her
public service contributions was her time as chairman of the Federal Trade
Commission. She was known as a scrupulously ethical, warm, and caring person.
        Steiger fellows report assignments ranging from writing memoranda on
licensing, antitrust and consumer protection statutes, participation in investigations,
discovery, and drafting of key motions. Below are quotes from students describing their
fellowships:

        · "One of the best professional experiences I have had, and I would highly
          recommend this program to other law students. . . . The unit treated me like
          an equal and gave me challenging projects for real cases."
        · "I have only good things to say about the Janet D. Steiger Fellowship. . . . I
          was helping the citizens."
        · ". . . the best legal writing instruction I have had to date. I was given an
          extremely interesting variety of writing and research assignments . . . and the
          independence necessary to plan and execute my own work."
        · "The work was . . . substantive and challenging. I was quickly treated as a
          capable attorney."

        State feedback on the fellows' performance is laudatory:

        ·   "We appreciate the opportunity to have such talent in the office."
        ·   "[A] huge asset to our office this summer."
        ·   "[W]ork on extremely complex litigation . . . was exemplary."
        ·   [P]ass on to other states the great success we have had in making the
            interviews produce more than one great student for us."

           For details, including an application with a list of the participating state offices,
please visit the ABA Section of Antitrust Law at www.abanet.org.antitrust/ at-law-student/at-
js-project.shtml. The project encourages applications from 1L and 2L students with a real
interest in consumer protection and public service who need financial assistance.

Dan Boyle, a third-year student at University of the Pacific McGeorge School of
Law, is the Law Student Division liaison to the ABA Section of Antitrust Law.