Houston Astros tickets donated by Professor Craig Joyce.
Clinical Associate Professor Rick McElvaney provided a basketball signed by Clyde Drexler, a former player with the Houston Rockets and the University of Houston.
Additional items at the PILO Silent Auction were cookies from Professor Meredith Duncan and a brunch with Associate Dean for Student Affairs Sondra Tennessee, among others.
April 4, 2019 - The University of Houston Law Center's Public Interest Law Organization raised $4,164 last week for its 11th annual silent auction.
"I am deeply grateful to all who helped make this year’s PILO silent auction a huge success―from those who donated items, to those in attendance, to those setting up and taking down, to those promoting the auction," said Clinical Assistant Professor Lauren Simpson, faculty advisor to PILO. "You make me proud to be part of the UHLC family."
The auction featured 88 unique items to bid on, 75 of which were donated by professors. The most competitive auction items were outings with Law Center faculty members or administrators. The highest bid was for a basketball autographed by former UH and NBA player Clyde Drexler.
The money raised will support future PILO events like lectures and volunteer days and will fund a bar review scholarship for at least one qualified graduating Law Center student who is pursuing a career in public interest law.
"The generous donations we receive from professors are the only reason we can continue to put on this silent auction every year," said outgoing PILO president Leah Lebeau, a 3L student. "No matter what items the professors choose to donate, we are so lucky to have professors that go above and beyond to support their students every year.
"The PILO Silent Auction is an incredibly important event as it presents a rare opportunity for students and professors to interact in a less formal environment than the classroom typically presents. For students, this is not just an incredible networking and mentorship opportunity: it's a chance to have fun with their favorite professors. While I cannot speak directly for the professors, I believe they similarly enjoy the opportunity to get to know their students on a more personal level that they otherwise couldn't with large class sizes."
