4/22: First Annual Barristers' Brawl, UNM Law Student Fundraiser

From LAMBDA Student Organization:
Law students from the University of New Mexico School of Law (UNM SOL) have banded together to organize a fundraising event to raise money for student fellowships related to public interest law (civil rights, constitutional rights, indigent criminal defense, and other public interest related areas of law). The event will take place April 22nd at 7:00 PM at 110 Lomas Blvd --- the Fighters in Training, No Holds Barred gym. Doors open at 6:00 PM. Click for Flier (pdf).

The admission price for the fight night will be $12 per person at the door. Concession stand snacks will be sold. The fights will be video-taped and copies later available for purchase at $10 per DVD. Raffle tickets will be sold for various prizes from participating sponsors.

THE EVENT
The Barristers’ Brawl will consist of a minimum of seven boxing matches between law students. We have professional boxers making guest appearances. For example, Monica Lovato (IBA Batamweight World Champ, NABF Superflyweight Champion) will be making a guest appearance and is training students every Saturday for the event. Other professional fighter appearances include Amanda “Boom Boom” Crespin, Archie Ray Marquez, and Tim “Dirty Bird” Means.

New Mexico Public Defender Morgan Honeycutt and local attorney Jennifer Albright have agreed to be guest judges for the Barristers’ Brawl.

The event is now officially being sponsored by LAMBDA. However, all proceeds from the event will go towards providing UNM SOL students with fellowships to work in public interest positions via direct donation of all event proceeds to the already existing fellowships set up by APIL (Association of Public Interest Law) and NMCDLA (New Mexico Criminal Defense Lawyers Association), although these student organizations are not the official sponsors of the event.

TYPES OF FIGHTS
The student fighters may choose between two styles of matches, suited to their experience levels. All students have carefully chosen their own opponent based on previous boxing experience, weight class, and level of comfort with their opponent. The student fighters are excited to partner with their friends to put on a great show and have fun for a great cause.

Light Sparring
The event will pit law students against other law students in the same weight class in light sparring matches using 16-oz gloves (typical amateur matches use 10-oz gloves, so this is an extra protection). Each fighter is required to participate in a pre-event sparring match to ensure that everyone knows what to expect on the event night.

Fun Matches--Celebrity Fights
For students who have no previous boxing experience or training, the matches will consist of light sparring matches using cartoon-like gloves (extremely large goofy boxing gloves). Students are excited about these fun matches and some students are preparing hilarious costumes for the event.

PREVIEW OF FIGHTS...

Sparring Matches
Megan Dorsey (3L) vs. Taina Colón (3L)  
D'Ontae Sylvertooth (Law Review Editor in Chief--3L) vs. Orlando Gonzalez (3L) 
Jade  Rotonda (2L) vs. Selesia Winston (3L)
James Montalbano (3L) vs. Ernest Herrera (2L)
Tyler McCormick (1L) vs. Romulo Saune (1L)
Christopher Solis (1L) vs. John Lovelace (1L)
Breyon Austin (2L) vs. Veronique Richardson (3L)

Fun Matches
Rebecca Ralph (3L) vs. Maria Padilla (3L)
Leah Block (1L) vs. Louise Pocock (1L)

DONATIONS
All proceeds from the Barristers’ Brawl will go towards funding public interest fellowships for law students. In today’s economy, the community is in need of legal resources more than ever. The fellowships allow students to provide greatly needed legal services to organizations who focus on public interest goals. For example, the fellowships allow students to work with organizations such as the Center for Law and Poverty, the ACLU, the New Mexico Public Defender Department, and New Mexico Appleseed.

If you cannot personally contribute towards the student fellowships, please consider supporting the Barristers’ Brawl through attendance! Donations can be made directly to: LAMBDA Student Organization, ATTN: Barristers’ Brawl, University of New Mexico School of Law, 1117 Stanford Dr. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87131. If you have a donation you would like picked up personally, please notify Taina Colón at colonta@law.unm.edu. Please note, this is not an official UNM SOL event, but is an event sponsored and organized by law students attending UNM SOL.