LEX VITAE SOCIETY

vol. 1, issue 1

The Beat
A re-cap of Ave Maria law students spring semester defending Life, from the moment of Conception until Natural Death.

JULY 1, 2013
ISSUE 1
Pgs. 1-2

Lex Vitae Marches for Life Vitae Fest: A Carnival for Life Lex Vitae sponsors the National Law Tour Kick-off Rally Lex Vitae hosts 40 Days for Life

Pg. 1, 3

Lex Vitae Marches for Life

After a year of planning, fundraising, and prayer, Lex Vitae was able to bring a record number of law students and alumni to the 2013 March for Life. On January 24, 2013, the trip began with a 4 AM bus ride from Naples to the Fort Lauderdale airport. Some students were March veterans, having attended the March through high school and college. For others, this was their first trip to both the March and our nations capital!
Continued on pg. 2

Pg. 4

Pg. 5

Vitae Fest!
Vitae Fest was a success this year, and could not have happened without the help of the entire law school community.

lorem ipsum dolor

issue, date

A record breaking seventy-five students from Ave Maria School of Law marched this year.

Continued
Once arriving in DC, students headed to the Hyatt to attend the Law of Life Summit 3, founded by alumni Royce Hood (12). Alongside other pro-life advocates, Lex Vitae members attended inspiring lectures by pro-life March leaders, for Life including President
On the day of the March, January 24, 2013, Lex Vitae members arrived at the Mall early. Congregating outside the media tent, students held signs and struggled to keep warm in the frigid winter weather. Several students, including Brett Branham (14), Danica Sun (15) and Eric Moore (15), were invited into the
Elizabeth Einhorn (15) meets Michael Voris, founder of Church Militant TV, outside the Supreme Court building. Michael Acquilano (13), Royce Hood (12), and Father Orsi reconnect on the Washington Mall.

Upon hesitate

reaching to

the

Supreme the press,

Court building, students did not engage confront pro-abortion activists, and pray. Besides attending the Summit and March this year, law students had the opportunity to network and be student leaders at several other was the key pro-life by Life her events. Angela Swagler (15), for example, Americans during interviewed for and March United

Jeanne Monahan.

interview is the feature in their latest magazine. Lex Vitae is excited to attend the March for Life next year, with as much fervor and even greater numbers!

media tent and were interviewed by EWTN. As snowflakes covered the Mall, students, alumni, and Fr. Orsi all regrouped, ready to march. Then, lead by former Lex Vitae president Michael Acquilano (13), Lex Vitae headed to the front of the March! A record breaking seventyfive students from Ave Maria School of Law marched this year!

From the many speakers, students learned tips on how to create measurable and achievable objectives to overturn Roe in this generation. Afterwards, students were given the opportunity to network with pro-life attorneys Peter Breen of the Thomas More Society and Alan Parker of The Justice Foundation.

Jennifer Sosa (15) is interviewed by local media in Spanish.

lorem ipsum dolor

Vitae Fest: A Carnival for Life.

issue, date

Everyone contributed to make Vitae Fest a success this year!

Plans could not have been completed without the help of Dean Castro and Miriam Brackett . Bob and Joe helped set up the tables, chairs, and games, including a 40 foot obstacle course, gladiator jousting, and a dunk tank. Tim Thompson (15) manned the grill and kept guests satisfied with burgers and dogs. Zachary Miller (15) played the National Anthem on his violin. Mark Rasmuson took pictures. Special thanks to our brave dunkees this year, in particular Professor Govern and Professor Grenardo , who each survived twenty minutes in the tank!

Thanks to everyone who helped to make Vitae Fest 2013 great!

LEX VITAE WINS SBA AWARD

On March 23, 2013 Lex Vitae Society was awarded Most Outstanding Organization by the Student Bar Association for the 2012-2013 academic year. Executive board members accepted the award at Barristers Ball.

From left: Nicholas Cravotta, Danica Sun, Angela Swagler, and Eric Moore.

lorem ipsum dolor

Lex Vitae
Sponsors the

10
7

Roe is a product of the sexual revolution of the 1960s.

issue, date

National Law Tours

Kick-Off Rally!
Coordinated by Lex Vitaes Michael Acquilano (13), the Law Students For Life began their National Law Tour at Ave Maria School of Law on March 15, 2013. Students, professors, faculty, and visitors packed into Library Room 123 to hear from Dana Cody, J.D., Life Legal Defense Foundation; Steven Aden, J.D., Americans United for Life; Sam Casey, J.D. Law of Life Project; and Nik Nikas, J.D. Bioethics Defense Fund. One of the highlights from the rally was Steven Adens top ten reasons why Roe is the worst constitutional decision of all time.

Roe is based on lies.

Roe was not a constitutional decision but a socio political.manifesto.

The unprecedented scope of Roes unrestrained ruling forced the Supreme Court to backpedal for ten years.

Roe is bad history.

Roe scorned and dismissed

medical ethics.

Samuel Casey also helped to put Roe into context. He explained, the Supreme Court has a history of being wrong before it was right. This includes the Scott v. Sanford, Plessy v. Ferguson, and Korematzu v. United States decisions. Casey summarized the job of prolife lawyers today is to be the advocate for the fifty-six million Americans who have died without a legal life boat, and that this will be an advocacy that may take our entire life time. More information about the Law Students for Life can be found at: law.studentsforlife.org.

Roe is bad medicine.

Roes badly conceived trimester framework put Roe on a collision course with itself, until the Supreme Court intervened to save it. Roe is demeaning to women.

Fifty-six million legal abortions in America since Roe.

SHOUT OUTS!
First, thank you to our alumni who continue to make Ave proud as great pro-life attorneys! Congratulations to Katie W i l c o x (09) for receiving the 2013 Susan B. Antony Award. Special thanks also to S h a n e McDonald (08). Shane continues to attend Lex Vitaes weekly prayer vigils at Naples Planned Parenthood every Saturday. Thank you both for continuing to keep Ave and Lex Vitae a part of your professional life. Second, we would like to recognize students who continue their pro-life work during the summer. D a n i e l l e M e r r y (14) and J o s e p h T o m p k i n s (14) are clerking at the Thomas More Society in Chicago, Illinois. Angela Swagler (14) is

participating in the prestigious Blackstone Legal Fellowship at AUL in DC.

lorem ipsum dolor

issue, date

Lex Vitae hosts 40 Days for Life

On March 9, 2013, Lex Vitae hosted a 40 Days for Life Vigil. Standing outside the Naples Planned Parenthood, students prayed and sidewalk-counseled for nine hours. In the afternoon, Father Orsi courageously lead Lex Vitae in a rosary as a Planned Parenthood usher ran a leaf blower to try and drown out the prayers. Gary DePury (15) noted, today they bring a leafblower to intimidate us, what are they going to do next?

Lex Vitae was also joined by other members of the Naples pro-life community. Pat Patton, the Naples 40 Days for Life Coordinator was on hand with signs and rosaries. The Naples Pro Life Council also came and lead in singing the Ave Maria. Many council members have been coming to pray at the Naples Planned Parenthood since its opening. Less than ten women entered Planned Parenthood that Saturday. Several women took information packages from sidewalk counselors. Pray for the closing of Naples Planned Parenthood, and the end of abortion.
For more information on Lex Vitaes Saturday Prayer Vigils contact Nicholas Cravotta at njcravotta@avemarialaw.edu.

Special thanks to Claire Salitsky ( 15) who baked seventy cupcakes for the event and LVSs favorite member Ever Branham.

Naples Pro Life Council President Joe shares stories from his forty years in pro life work.

Shane McDonald, Nicholas Cravotta, and Joe Piomelli hold 40 Days for Life banner.

CONGRATULATIONS LEX VITAE MEMBERS FROM THE CLASS OF 2013!!

Michael Acquilano Benjamin Bentrup Benjamin Bogos Grace Cheffers Douglas Christensen Erin Einhorn Nkolika Erokwu Brian Gravunder Eric Hanson Madison Kvamme Cortney Lamb Jose Melendez Benjamin Neglia Andrew Rowe Michael Sahadi Elyse Smith Corey Smith Gabriel Veliz Todd Vlazny David Wallen

lorem ipsum dolor

STUDENT APPRECIATION!

issue, date

Join Us!
This Fall Lex Vitae has many Pro-Life activities planned. Saturday Prayer Vigils at Planned Parenthood Outreach at Sunlight Homes Volunteer at the Naples Pro-Life Council Center Student Outreach at Local Schools Lunches w/ Lex Speaker Series

Thank you, Jose Melendez (13) for your help in coordinating the 40 Days for Life campaign this semester.

Want to help out? For want more information contact lexvitae@avemarialaw.edu

Thank you, Jamie Sammon (14) for making prayer vigils a permanent part of your student life. Jamie attended every Saturday prayer vigils throughout the 2012-2013 academic year!

Buy your books from Lex Vitae!

Buy used textbooks and study aids from Lex Vitae on Amazon. or come to the Lex Vitae Book Sale this Fall! *For more information on the Book Sale, check our Facebook page.

**Want to submit someone for the student appreciation column? Send your entry and a photo to lexvitae@avemarialaw.edu

LEX VITAE SOCIETY

vol. 1, issue 1

To Our Donors
Thank you for all your generous contributions which have made it possible for us to establish a strong culture of life on campus and bring a record number of students to the March for Life last year. Every year we strive to make the March as affordable as possible. As rising lawyers in a society where life is neither respected nor protected in its most vulnerable form, it is pivotal Ave Maria law students are at the Supreme Court steps in D.C. to show our commitment to the fight for life. More than ever, we ask for your continued support of Lex Vitae. No amount is too small. Please keep us in your prayers as we fight for the dignity of all human life.

With many thanks from the Executive Board

Elizabeth L. Einhorn, Danica Sun, Nicholas Cravotta, Angela Swagler, & Eric Moore

Donations can be sent to

Lex Vitae Society Ave Maria School of Law 1025 Commons Circle Naples, Florida, 34119 Checks may be made out to Ave Maria School of Law. Please include a special note that donations are for the Lex Vitae Fund.