Attention Graduating Students: ABA Student Health Insurance Plan Enrollment for Graduates

ABA Student Health Insurance Plan Enrollment for Graduates

Deadline – May 22, 2010

Numerous graduating third year law students who are either currently unemployed or on deferred employment have inquired about the availability of health insurance from the ABA Law Student Division. For many of these law student graduates, their current health insurance will expire this summer and without employer health insurance, they will be uninsured for an indefinite period of time.

The ABA Law Student Division health insurance plan with UnitedHealthcare Student Resources (UHCSR) offers a health insurance coverage extension for up to one year PROVIDED the student is a member of the ABA Law Student Division, currently carrying the Division’s plan with UHCSR, AND there is no break (lapse) in that coverage between the date of graduation and the first day of this one-year extension.

·         For all students continuing coverage, if you do not re-enroll in the plan prior to the end date of your coverage, your insurance will be cancelled at the end of period for which premium has been paid. To ensure there is not a lapse in coverage, PLEASE mark your calendars and make certain you submit your premium on a timely basis and pay as required.

Graduating law students who are not currently carrying this health insurance coverage with the ABA Law Student Division UHCSR plan may still qualify for the graduate extension by enrolling and purchasing the last quarter of the 2009-2010 health plan no later than May 22, 2010.  

Enrollment in the health plan by May 22, 2010 is an ABSOLUTE requirement of the carrier for graduating students seeking the extension coverage. Additionally, this program is offered to ABA Law Student Division members only.  If you are not currently enrolled in the ABA – you may join by calling 800.285.2221 or visiting http://www.abanet.org/join/. Students may view the health plan benefits at https://www.uhcsr.com/ABA.

• Although it is usually an eligibility requirement for initial enrollment, UHCSR worked with the ABA Law Student Division and agreed to waive the 31-day class attendance requirement through May 22, 2010 for graduating students enrolling in this plan. UHCSR sent notification to all its customer service representatives advising them of this exception for the ABA Law Student Division plan. 
• Students who are currently insured under this plan can continue coverage up to one year provided there is no break (lapse) in coverage.

Please note that after August 1, 2010, the new 2010-2011 plan rates will apply.  Each student has a choice of one of the benefits plans.  Plan I has higher benefits than Plan II. Make your selection carefully; you cannot upgrade coverage after the initial purchase of the Plan for the policy year. 
If you are currently insured under another UHCSR school endorsed plan, you cannot receive a refund on your school UHCSR plan if you choose to purchase additional, overlapping coverage under the ABA Law Student Division plan. 

Since benefits may be different than your current plan, you may view the health plan benefits and enroll online at https://www.uhcsr.com/ABA.  Please contact UHCSR directly at 800.505.5450 for specific information on the plans.

National Center for Nonsmoker's Rights Contest

The National Center for Nonsmoker's Rights is sponsoring a legal research and advocacy contest.

Please submit a brief 1000-word outline of your proposal to protect nonsmoker's rights.

For more information, please click on the picture. The deadline is May 1, 2010.

Attention Students, Faculty and Staff: Professor Tracy McGaugh Reports on Haiti

On April 27, at 3:30 p.m. in the Alumni Boardroom at Touro Law, Prof. Tracy McGaugh will speak about her recent needs assessment trip to Port-au-Prince and Jacmel, Haiti. She will briefly describe the legal issues that are arising in the aftermath of the earthquake and plans for addressing those issues. Please come for this first-hand account with pictures. Light refreshments will be served. All are welcome!

Final Exam Instructions - Please Read

Dear Students: Please read the exam instructions below so that you are familiar with them before final exams begin. I wish you the best of luck on your exams!

Exam Instructions

FOR ALL EXAMS: CELL PHONES MUST BE SHUT OFF AND PLACED AT THE FRONT OF THE EXAM ROOM.

Exams are either closed book, restricted or open book. If closed, you may not use any materials except the exam, the exam booklets, and scrap paper. If restricted, you may use only those materials designated by the professor in the exam instructions. With closed and restricted exams, you may keep your coat on the back of your chair, and a pocketbook under your seat. Everything except coats, pocketbooks and the material specifically designated by the professor for use during the exam must be brought up to the front of the room. For open book exams, you may not use material on your computer. All information on your computer must be printed in advance and brought with you to the exam. Open book exam materials may not be shared.

You may not be in possession of any electronic device with data storage capability, unless expressly authorized by the professor for use during the exam. These devices must be shut off and put away.

Proctors will distribute exam books, scrap paper and exams. All materials must be left face down. No writing of any kind may take place until the start of the exam is announced. Computer users must start up the exam software before the exam begins. No other typing is permitted. Please do not ask the proctors for additional bluebooks before the start of an exam. If/when you need another blue book, please go to the front of the room.

You may leave the exam room only to use the bathroom. Only one student may leave the room at a time, and bathroom use should not exceed 5 minutes. When you use the bathroom you must bring all exam materials to the proctor’s desk, sign out indicating the time on the bathroom log and sign back in again, indicating the time when you return. You may not communicate with anyone while going to or from the bathroom or while in the bathroom and you must proceed to the bathroom that is closest to the examination room. Library bathrooms are always off limits during exams.

You may use only the scrap paper and exam booklets authorized for the exam. Pages may not be torn out of the booklets for any reason. Students who finish the exam early must take all of their belongings with them when they leave the exam room and may not return to the exam room for any reason until the exam is over. When time is called at the end of the exam all writing and typing must stop instantly. Students who continue to write or type after time has been called are subject to disciplinary action. If you have to write anything in your exam booklets, for example your exam number, you may only do so in front of a proctor. Computer users should complete the procedural steps necessary to upload their exams. PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO UPLOAD YOUR ANSWER!

When the exam is over, all exam material must be turned in – whether used or unused. No exam related material may be removed from the exam room. You must sign out of the exam at the Proctor’s desk. Please sign legibly next to your name. You must also indicate how many exam booklets you are submitting.

A Standard English dictionary is available at the proctor’s desk. You may consult the dictionary one at a time. No notes may be taken while consulting the dictionary, although students may write down the spelling of a word.

You must wait for the Proctor’s signal to begin the exam.

LIRPC 2035 Regional Comprehensive Sustainability Plan

The Long Island Regional Planning Council (LIRPC) is working on the development of a long-term plan for Long Island, for the year 2035, and you are being called upon to voice your opinions and help ensure a sustainable future for generations to come. 

As part of its outreach in developing the Long Island 2035 Regional Comprehensive Sustainability Plan, the LIRPC is assembling a number of Stakeholder Resource Groups to help shape the work product.  In addition to issue-oriented groups, the LIRPC is forming a Young Adult Group, to be comprised of 18-34 year olds who live, work, and/or attend an institution of higher education on Long Island.  I invite you to join me in assuming responsibility for our collective future by serving on this Young Adult Stakeholder Resource Group.

On Tuesday, May 11^th, 2010, from 6:30pm to 9:00pm at the Molloy College facility at Republic Airport in East Farmingdale, there will be a plenary session of the Young Adult Stakeholder Resource Group.  Light refreshments will be served.  The purpose of this meeting is to introduce a core group of proactive young adults to the Long Island 2035 Sustainability Plan project, to gather feedback on the work completed to-date, and to provide an open forum for brainstorming how to best implement a broader public outreach effort in the fall. 

Please confirm your willingness to participate in the Young Adult Group, as well as whether you will be able to attend the kick-off meeting on May 11^th, via email (msokol@nassaucountyny.gov) or telephone (516-571-5940).  

Please click on the picture for a brief synopsis of the process in developing the Plan;.  If you are interested, as the meeting date approaches you will receive more details about the project.

Michael Greenberg Student Writing Competition

The National LGBT Bar Association’s Michael Greenberg Student Writing Competition recognizes and encourages outstanding law student scholarship on the legal issues affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex persons (Click here to download flyer).


Entries should be submitted before the competition closing date of June 1, 2010. Entries are submitted via email to writingcompetition@lgbtbar.org. Please include “Michael E. Greenberg Writing Competition” in the subject line.

For more information about the competition, please click here.