Yale Law Democrats
(YLDems)

Weekly Update

Eight. More. Days. That's how long we have before we choose which path America will go down over these next four years. Have you heard the things Donald Trump has been saying lately? Have you read any of Project 2025? We don't have to speculate about the damage Donald Trump would do to our nation if we elect him again. He has made his intentions crystal clear. For the sake of our generation and the ones to come, let's do our part to make sure America chooses a different path next Tuesday. Here's what you can do:

• Phonebanking
  • FINAL PUSH Swing State Phonebanking – Wednesday, October 30 from 6:00 - 7:30 PM. Baker Hall 122. Sign up HERE.
• Canvassing
  • Sign-ups are closed for next weekend's Pennsylvania trip, but email gevin.reynolds@yale.edu and dylan.shapiro@yale.edu if you're interested in taking a day-trip to Pennsylvania or canvassing on another day, and they can help connect you with transportation.

Be sure you're keeping up with the YLDems GroupMe to stay in the know on all election activities.

YLDems Updates

YLDems Board
The YLDems Board has NINE incredible new additions. Join us in congratulating them and thanking them in advance for their hard work and contributions over the year ahead.
 
YLDems x Yale College Dems Mentorship Program
The College Dems have been invaluable partners to our organization. It would be really nice if as many of us as possible make ourselves available as mentors to grab coffee with our mentees once or twice per semester (on the YLDems' dime!). This a low-stakes, low-time commitment way to make a high impact. Please consider signing up here.

YLDems Instagram
Want to keep up with the YLDems? Follow us on Instagram!

 

Upcoming YLDems Events

Swing State Phonebanking – Wednesday, October 30 from 6:00 - 7:30 PM. Baker Hall 122. Sign up HERE.
Our last phonebanking event before the election! As always, there will be lots of good vibes and pizza to keep you going. This is the best time to make sure that voters across the country have the information and encouragement they need to make a difference in this election.

Final Canvassing Weekend – Saturday, November 2 - Sunday, November 3. Various Locations. 
Join us for one big, final canvassing push. Those who signed up for the full-weekend PA trip should have received details via email. Anyone else hoping to take a day-trip to Pennsylvania should reach out to gevin.reynolds@yale.edu and dylan.shapiro@yale.edu for transportation options.

Election Night Watch Party – Tuesday, November 5, beginning at 7 PM. Baker 116. RSVP HERE.
Once we've done all we can to help Democrats win, let's get together to watch the returns come in. We will have food, drinks, live reactions, celebrations, commisserations, and plenty of mutual support to go around. No matter what happens, we will be there for each other.

External Events This Week

From Sodom to Stonewall: The Queer Past Onstage – Monday, October 28 from 7:00 - 9:00 PM. Hopper Cabaret. RSVP HERE.
This is a collection of scenes from little-known plays performed by Yale College actors and directors meant to demonstrate how queerness and gayness were performed in earlier times. The scenes were selected by the world-renowned Professor Laurence Senelick, the Fletcher Professor Emeritus of Drama and Oratory at Tufts University, who will add commentary as the evening progresses and take questions afterwards.
Sponsoring Organization: Hopper Cabaret

Lunch Talk with Ken Falk, Director of ACLU Indiana – Tuesday, October 29 from 12:10 - 1:00 PM. SLB 120. RSVP HERE.
If/When/How and JLSA are cosponsoring a great lunch talk featuring Ken Falk, the Director of ACLU Indiana. He will be speaking about the interaction between Judaism and activism and his representation of plaintiffs fighting against Indiana’s near-total abortion ban for violating their deeply held religious beliefs. Lunch will be provided.
Sponsoring Organizations: If/When/How; Jewish Law Students Association

Phonebanking for NY Equal Rights Amendment – Tuesday, October 29 from 6:00 - 7:30 PM. Baker Hall Room 122. RSVP HERE.
NY's Equal Rights Amendment will cement broader constitutional protections for all sorts of reproductive health care decisions from birth control to gender-affirming care. It also creates stronger protections against gender and sexuality-based discrimination. Despite our common perceptions about New York politics, the ERA is actually in a tight race due to rampant transphobic attacks on the amendment and disinformation. Phonebanking is really key to get out the vote. Pizza will be served.
Sponsoring Organization: If/When/How

Information and Political Representation: Evidence from the impact of declining local news on primary elections – Wednesday, October 30 from 12:00 - 1:15 PM. 77 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT 06511. RSVP HERE.
This paper uses the dramatic collapse of the local newspaper industry to test how a change in information has impacted every aspect of House primary elections in the United States, particularly the incumbency advantage and the ideology of nominated candidates. This paper shows that more local news is associated with larger incumbency advantages in primaries as voters are able to learn about their representative. Additionally, this paper demonstrates suggestive evidence that local information is associated with more moderate nominees.
Sponsoring Organization: Institution for Social and Policy Studies

Nation Building and Development: Challenges and Opportunities in Asia's Youngest Democracy – Wednesday, October 30 from 4:00 - 7:00 PM. Pierson College, 261 Park Street, New Haven, CT 06511. No RSVP required.
2024 Yale World Fellow, Fausto Ximenes will present Nation Building and Development: Challenges and Opportunities in Asia's Youngest Democracy. Mr. Ximenes is Oxfam International Country Director for Timor-Leste where he leads an international country team and strives, alongside local civil society partner organizations and communities, to tackle challenges of climate justice, gender equality and gender justice, inclusive economic development, and civic participation.
Sponsoring Organization: Pierson College; World Fellows Program 

Artificial Intelligence and Regulatory Enforcement – Thursday, October 31 from 10:00 - 11:00 AM. 40 Hillhouse Avenue, New Haven, CT 06511. RSVP HERE. 
Join for a talk by Michael Karanicolas, Executive Director at the Institute for Technology, Law and Policy at UCLA. His research revolves around the application of human rights standards in an online context, including the right to information, intellectual property law, and the regulation of political speech. He will discuss his draft report for the Administrative Conference of the United States, "Artificial Intelligence and Regulatory Enforcement."
Sponsoring Organization: Jackson School of Global Affairs

Schwarzman Session: Election Talk: What's at Stake? – Thursday, October 31 from 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM. Peck Room (in the far back of Commons) at Yale Schwarzman Center. RSVP HERE.
As US elections approach, we are faced with many questions about their consequences. How will different election results impact America's economy and businesses? What will be the effect on US international relations and policy? How will our local New Haven community be influenced? Join our very own Eli Sabin '22 '26JD (Yale Law School) and William Zhang '25MBA (Yale School of Management) for a conversation on the 2024 elections and what is at stake.
Sponsoring Organization: Yale Schwarzman Center

Disciplining the Trump Election Lawyers: Is There a First Amendment Defense? – Thursday, October 31 from 12:10 - 1:00 PM. SLB 120. No RSVP required.
Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman, Sidney Powell, Kenneth Chesebro, and Jenna Ellis are among the lawyers who have been subject to disciplinary charges arising from their representation of former President Trump in connection with the 2020 election. These cases raise novel questions of legal ethics, regulation of the legal profession and to what extent the public utterances by licensed lawyers on behalf of their client  –  even those acknowledged to be false or misleading -  should be off-limits to disciplinary authorities under the First Amendment.
Sponsoring Organizations: ACS; Federalist Society

Job Opportunities

Harris for President – FINAL PUSH VOLUNTEERING!!!
The campaign is ACTIVELY recruiting general volunteers, surge volunteers, battleground "late help" volunteers, and voter protection volunteers. 

 

As always, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to the Board. 

LET'S WIN THIS THING!!!!!

Democratically yours,
The YLDems Board