DC Justice Lab Invites Law Students to Compete and Sharpen Legislative Advocacy Skills for a Chance to Win $5,000
Washington, D.C., August 25, 2025 – Registration is now open for the third annual Richard K. Gilbert Policy Advocacy Competition, an event that inspires law students to pursue careers in legislative advocacy. Hosted by DC Justice Lab, the competition offers participants a unique opportunity to hone essential legal skills, including policy analysis, legal research, and both written and oral advocacy, in a real-world legislative context.
“We need more people who understand how to shape laws that reflect the needs of our communities, especially now, when rights are being rolled back and local voices are being silenced,” said Clinique Chapman, chief executive of DC Justice Lab. “This competition gives law students the tools to drive change through policy, not just in the courts.”
The competition is open to law students seeking a JD from any ABA-approved law school in the United States. Teams must register to participate in the competition. Registration is limited to one team per school, consisting of two students. The first eight qualified teams to register will be selected as competitors for the program. Any team that registers thereafter will be placed on a waitlist and notified in the event one of the first eight registered teams ultimately cannot compete, a replacement team will be selected from the waitlist in order of registration date. Teams should ideally have a coach from their school, but if this is not possible, DC Justice Lab can connect a team with a coach recruited by the organization. Eight teams will respond to the competition problem with proposed legislation and a fact sheet explaining their proposal. Then, mock legislative hearings test teams’ oral advocacy for their bills. These hearings will take place at the John A. Wilson Building in Washington, D.C.
Judges will score teams on their written work and oral advocacy. Teams will advance through rounds tournament-style. Judges will be attorneys, lawmakers, and public policy professionals recruited by DC Justice Lab for their expertise in policy advocacy. The competition will conclude with an awards presentation and reception. The winning team will receive a $5,000 prize.
Key Dates:
• October 31st, 2025: Registration closes. • November 14th, 2025: Problem released. • January 21st, 2026: Written advocacy work product due. • March 28th, 2026: Oral advocacy rounds and awards reception.
The event honors Richard K. Gilbert, a champion of legal justice who believed that lawyers must not only help individual clients, but also help society at large by changing laws for the better. Gilbert was an adjunct professor at American University’s Washington College of Law, a forceful advocate for criminal justice reform, and a mentor to DC Justice Lab’s founding executive director. The Gilbert Policy Advocacy Competition honors Gilbert’s passion and his mentorship of younger lawyers to become change agents.
ABOUT DC JUSTICE LAB
DC Justice Lab is a team of law and policy experts researching, organizing, and advocating for large-scale changes to the District of Columbia’s criminal legal system. We develop smarter safety solutions that are evidence-driven, community-rooted, and racially just. We aim to fully transform the District’s approach to public safety and make it a national leader in justice reform.
Results Arrive Amid Court Fight Over Deadly Animal Experiments at Macalester College
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Eighty-three percent of U.S. college students believe that animals should not be used in classroom teaching laboratories if the animals are killed afterward and if other methods can teach the same material without using animals, according to a new OpinionWorks survey. Among those majoring in the sciences, 90% believe animals should not be used.
The survey, which was conducted online among 1,043 U.S. undergraduate college students from Aug. 8 to 10, 2025, also posed the hypothetical scenario in which such an animal laboratory was offered as an optional experience, along with a nonanimal alternative. In that case, although most students did not want to participate, 20% stated they would do so anyway to avoid problems, and another 24% stated that they would be nervous asking for the alternative activity. The survey also found an overwhelming majority of students, 79%, expressed concern about the welfare of animals.
“The vast majority of college students don’t want to participate in deadly animal experiments in the classroom but feel subtly coerced because they are fearful of the consequences of not taking part,” says Neal Barnard, MD, president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. “Colleges with old-fashioned animal labs put students in an awful position that many interpret as a choice between killing or flunking.”
The survey results arrive amid an ongoing lawsuit against fatal animal experiments at Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minn., where students will begin arriving for the new school year on Aug. 25.
In psychology courses at Macalester, live animals are deprived of water for prolonged periods, then placed in “Skinner boxes,” where they have to work for water. Some experiments involve drugging animals and placing them in mazes. All are killed at the conclusion of the experiments. Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Princeton, and other leading universities stopped the Macalester-style fatal experiments long ago.
The new survey found that 76% of college students do not approve of the use of live animals in psychology classes when the animals are killed afterward and when there are alternative teaching methods.
Macalester’s website says that its “animal welfare standards and ethical principles are applied at the highest possible level in any animal use or research conducted at or in association with the college” and that it follows the federal Animal Welfare Act, which incorporates ethical principles called the Three Rs—for the replacement, reduction, and refinement of animal use in research.
A lawsuit against Macalester, brought by alumnus Dr. Barnard on June 3, calls on the college to stop needlessly killing animals in psychology classes’ “show and tell” exercises, citing the college’s posted ethics commitment. The psychology department has killed thousands of animals for more than 50 years.
The college stated in its motion to dismiss, which Dr. Barnard responded to in court papers, that its own ethics statements are mere “generic phrases”—known legally as “puffery.” The college wrote, “These statements are, at most, ‘vague or highly subjective’ statements of superiority—not representations of material fact,” drawing comparisons with statements used to sell dog food or breakfast cereal.
“Given that animals’ lives are at stake, Macalester’s brazen statement that it did not really mean its ethics policy is an affront to students, donors, the faculty, and the public,” Dr. Barnard said.
The lawsuit seeks, among other actions, an order compelling Macalester “to cease its use of animal laboratories in psychology instruction and in all other areas for which nonanimal methods are available.”
To speak with Dr. Barnard, please contact Michael Keevican at 202-527-7367 or mkeevican@pcrm.org.
Founded in 1985, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is a nonprofit organization that promotes preventive medicine, conducts clinical research, and encourages higher standards for ethics and effectiveness in education and research.
Real-time AI agents provide assistance at every stage of the writing process while maintaining user control and authenticity
New products represent Grammarly’s evolution into a productivity platform that delivers agentic assistance everywhere users work
San Francisco, CA—August 18, 2025—Grammarly, the trusted AI assistant for communication and productivity, today announced it will launch eight specialized AI agents that provide targeted assistance for specific writing challenges—from finding credible sources and checking originality to predicting reader reactions and evaluating work against rubrics.
The agents are rolling out in docs, Grammarly’s new AI-native writing surface that brings intelligent assistance directly into the writing process, whether helping students develop their academic work with proper research and structured feedback or assisting professionals in polishing their communications for impact and clarity. These capabilities mark the first phase of a redesigned Grammarly built on agentic AI that will transform the platform to deliver agents wherever users work.
“The launch of our new agents and AI writing surface marks a turning point in how we build products that anticipate user needs,” said Luke Behnke, Grammarly’s VP of Product Management. “We’re moving beyond simple suggestions to intelligent agents that understand context and actively help users achieve their communication goals. This is just the beginning as we develop Grammarly’s new platform that will soon offer agents working seamlessly across all the places students and professionals write and collaborate.”
Context-aware support to replace prompt engineering
Students today must navigate how to use AI thoughtfully in their coursework while ensuring they’re building genuine skills and understanding. They spend hours finding credible sources, formatting citations correctly, and wondering whether their work meets academic standards. Professionals face communication overload, where the pressure to use AI for efficiency often results in losing the authentic voice and credibility they’ve built throughout their careers.
Current AI tools offer one-size-fits-all solutions that don’t address these research and writing needs, requiring users to formulate the right prompts and iterate through multiple attempts to achieve their goals.
Instead, Grammarly’s new agents address these challenges by providing expert assistance that understands context. When activated, they take immediate action, eliminating the guesswork of crafting the right prompts. Users remain in control of their work while receiving intelligent support tailored to their goals.
Zoom in on the agents:
• Reader Reactions agent predicts key takeaways, open questions, and potential confusion based on a target reader—whether that’s a professor, manager, or client—and provides feedback to adjust writing based on the reader. • AI Grader agent provides substantive feedback aligned to uploaded rubrics, course information, writing topics, and publicly available instructor information to deliver tailored recommendations and estimated grades before submission. • Citation Finder agent delivers relevant evidence that supports, disputes, or refutes claims in a piece of writing and automatically generates correctly formatted citations. • Expert Review agent offers subject-matter expertise and personalized, topic-specific feedback to elevate writing that meets rigorous academic or professional standards tailored to the user’s field. • Proofreader agent is a personal writing partner, offering in-line suggestions for improved clarity and confidence while providing feedback tailored to the user’s writing style and audience. • AI Detector agent scans text to provide a score of whether the text was likely AI- or human-generated to support users in delivering their most authentic work. • Plagiarism Checker agent scans writing against vast databases, academic papers, websites, and published works to identify unintentional similarities and ensure work is original and proper citations are included. • Paraphraser agent adapts writing to fit an intended tone, audience, and style—whether more academic, professional, or creative—evaluates current tone and style, and allows users to create a custom voice.
The new Grammarly experience will also include:
• docs: A dedicated AI writing surface in which users can draft, edit, and perfect their documents. • AI Chat: An integrated assistant that helps with brainstorming, summarizing, and generating suggestions to advance writing projects, available within docs.
Students develop AI literacy and career readiness
Students entering the job market face growing pressure to develop AI skills alongside their academic expertise. In 2025, two-thirds of employers say they plan to hire talent with specific AI skills, but according to a new study from Grammarly, only 18% of students feel “very prepared” to use AI professionally after graduation. Grammarly‘s agents are designed to help students recognize responsible AI use cases, supporting AI literacy while maintaining academic integrity to ensure students develop the real-world skills employers now expect.
“Students today need AI that enhances their capabilities without undermining their learning,” said Jenny Maxwell,Head of Grammarly for Education. “Grammarly’s new agents fill this gap, acting as real partners that guide students to produce better work while ensuring they develop real skills that will serve them throughout their careers. By teaching students how to work effectively with AI now, we’re preparing them for a workplace where AI literacy will be essential.”
Grammarly’s agents provide students with comprehensive, responsible AI support from first draft to final submission. A business student writing a market analysis report might draft their initial findings, then use the Citation Finder agent to identify unsupported claims and check those claims for evidence to indicate whether they’re supported, debated, or contradicted. The agent also finds relevant sources to back up assertions and generates properly formatted citations. The student could then activate the Proofreader agent for suggestions to improve clarity and logical flow, while the AI Grader agent can evaluate the work against the specific course rubric uploaded by the student.
Now students can submit work with confidence, knowing they’ve received expert-level feedback while developing both their writing skills and AI literacy for academic success and professional readiness.
Professionals gain intelligent writing partners
The majority of professionals (64%) see AI as an opportunity for their career to grow rather than as a threat (16%). Sixty-two percent would like to outsource some of their workplace tasks to AI, and Grammarly’s new agents can take on some of this rote work while keeping professionals in charge of their unique voice, work, and creativity.
A marketing director preparing a product launch announcement can use Grammarly to draft an outline, then use Reader Reactions to see how it will resonate with the CEO versus the sales team. The agent predicts specific concerns each audience might have, suggests which points to emphasize for maximum impact, and flags potential misunderstandings before they happen. The director could then turn to the Expert Review agent to ensure their messaging aligns with current marketing best practices and industry trends.
• Note: Grammarly’s AI Detector agent and Plagiarism Checker agent will be available only to Grammarly Pro users at launch.
• Agents will be available in docs at no additional cost. Agents will gradually roll out across all 500,000+ websites and apps where customers access Grammarly. • Find more information on the agents here. For details about agent availability by plan, visit our plans page.
About Grammarly
Grammarly is the trusted AI assistant for communication and productivity, helping over 40 million people, 50,000 organizations, and 3,000 educational institutions do their best work. Companies like Atlassian, Databricks, and Zoom rely on Grammarly to brainstorm, compose, and enhance communication that moves work forward. Grammarly works where you work, integrating seamlessly with over 500,000 applications and websites. Coda, the maker of powerful AI productivity tools, and Superhuman, the AI-native email app, are now a part of Grammarly. Together, they are redefining collaboration and transforming how we get work done. Learn more at grammarly.com/about.
The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi – the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society – is currently accepting applications for its prestigious Mary Todd Sabbatical Award. Named in honor of the Society’s former Executive Director, Dr. Mary Todd, the award provides $50,000 to support one outstanding faculty member’s sabbatical year or reassignment of duties.
The award is designed to support a sabbatical year or similar reassignment of duties, allowing them to focus on research, writing, or other professional development activities. The Society recognizes the importance of providing faculty members with the time and resources necessary to explore new ideas, collaborate with colleagues, and make significant contributions to their disciplines.
“The Sabbatical Award helps our exceptional faculty members fuel their passion for the love of learning by supporting their scholarly work,” said Dr. Bradley R. Newcomer, Society Executive Director and CEO. “It is our hope that this program continues to build on the Society’s legacy of supporting academic excellence and service to others well into the future.”
Applications are open to active Phi Kappa Phi members who currently serve as faculty. A committee of esteemed professionals will review the applications and select the recipient based on their demonstrated excellence, potential for impact, and alignment with the Society’s mission and values.
Introduced in 2023, the Mary Todd Sabbatical Award is part of the Society’s growing portfolio of awards and grants, through which more than $1 million is distributed annually to members and students.
About Phi Kappa Phi
Founded in 1897, Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines. Phi Kappa Phi inducts approximately 20,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni annually. The Society has chapters on more than 300 select colleges and universities in the United States, its territories and the Philippines. Membership is by invitation only to the top 10 percent of seniors and graduate students and 7.5 percent of juniors. Faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction also qualify. The Society’s mission is to “cultivate a community that celebrates and advances the love of learning.” For more information, visit www.PhiKappaPhi.org.
Media Contact
Alyssa Papa
Communications Director apapa@phikappaphi.org
225-923-7777
With costs on the rise everywhere, GradGuard highlights simple steps students and families can take to promote financial wellness and to safeguard their college investment.
PHOENIX (August 6, 2025): As nearly 20 million students prepare to head back to campus this fall, GradGuard, the authority in helping schools reduce financial losses while protecting students from the risks of college life, is reminding families to protect the significant investment in higher education. With the cost of college higher than ever, protecting your investment in higher education has never been more important.
“Families invest thousands of dollars each year in tuition, housing, and related expenses, yet many don’t realize how vulnerable that investment can be,” said John Fees, co-founder and CEO of GradGuard. “Unexpected events like illness, injury, or theft can disrupt a student’s academic journey and put family finances at risk. This back-to-school season is the perfect time to prepare and protect that investment.”
The College Board reports the average published price for the 2024-2025 school year at a public four-year in-state school was $11,610 and $30,780 for a public four-year out-of-state institution. A private four-year school was $43,350.
Beyond offering relevant student protection, GradGuard champions financial literacy and preparedness as key components of student success. Understanding and mitigating financial risks allows students to focus on their academics and overall well-being. Plus, given that nearly 1 in 3 currently enrolled students have considered stopping out of their degree program (Gallup/Lumina Foundation, 2025), families are smart to consider protecting their investment.
“Our mission is rooted in student success and college completion,” added Fees. “By helping students and families overcome preventable financial losses, we empower them to complete their degrees without added financial stress. Taking a few moments before the semester begins to evaluate these risks and secure appropriate protection can make all the difference.”
GradGuard encourages all college students and families to:
• Consider tuition insurance: Protect your investment in tuition, fees, and housing from unforeseen covered medical withdrawals or other covered reasons. • Review existing insurance policies: Many homeowners insurance policies have limitations for students living away from home. Consider purchasing renters insurance to safeguard personal belongings like laptops, bikes, clothing, electronics, and more from theft or damage, whether on or off campus. • Discuss financial wellness as a family: Openly communicate about budgeting, managing expenses, and the importance of financial preparedness for unexpected situations.
For more information and to find a tuition or renters insurance plan that is right for your family, visit www.gradguard.com.
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About GradGuard: GradGuard is the authority on helping schools educate and protect students from the risks of college life. As the #1 source of college tuition and renters insurance, GradGuard’s pioneering protections have served more than 1.8 million students at more than 1,900 unique institutions.
Stock up on health essentials, school supplies, and more – without leaving the couch
DEERFIELD, Ill., (August 6, 2025) — Move-in season is here, and Walgreens is making it more affordable for college students to hit the ground running. From August 10–23, students can save 20% off all regular-priced items* in the entire store and online. Just show a valid student ID or use code STUDENT20 at checkout online. Whether you’re picking up school supplies, last-minute toiletries, managing prescriptions, or loading up on snacks, Walgreens has everything you need, when you need it.
With hundreds of locations on or near college campuses, Walgreens is the convenient, go-to spot for students settling into campus life. And with 1-hour Delivery or 30-minute Pickup, stocking up on essentials is as easy as ordering from your dorm or apartment.**
“Starting a new school year can be overwhelming with a very long to do list,” said Bala Visalatha, SVP, Chief Experience & Growth Officer at Walgreens. “We’re here to support and take a few things off students’ lists with fast delivery, in store pick up, savings on everyday essentials and healthier alternatives.”
From cold meds and energy boosters to notebooks, stress-relief supplements, personal care, snacks, and more, Walgreens is stocked with the supplies students need to stay healthy, focused, and on top of it all. Prescriptions? No problem with Same-Day Rx delivery***, seamless transfers, and access to in-store and virtual pharmacy support. We make staying healthy easier than ever.
Join the Walgreens Rewards program to unlock exclusive savings, personalized offers, and so much more!
Founded in 1901, Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) has a storied heritage of caring for communities for generations, and proudly serves nearly 9 million customers and patients each day across its approximately 8,500 stores throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico, and leading omni-channel platforms. Walgreens has approximately 220,000 team members, including nearly 90,000 healthcare service providers, and is committed to being the first choice for retail pharmacy and health services, building trusted relationships that create healthier futures for customers, patients, team members and communities.
Walgreens is the flagship U.S. brand of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (Nasdaq: WBA), an integrated healthcare, pharmacy and retail leader. Its retail locations are a critical point of access and convenience in thousands of communities, with Walgreens pharmacists playing a greater role as part of the healthcare system and patients’ care teams than ever before. Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy provides critical care and pharmacy services to millions of patients with rare disease states and complex, chronic conditions.
*Offer available only on Walgreens.com from Aug 10-23. Exclusions apply. Code STUDENT20 is valid up to 1 use per order, 3 uses per account on select regular priced items. Visit walgreens.com/offerdetails.
**Exclusions apply. Visit walgreens.com/samedaydelivery for more information.
***Exclusions apply. Visit Walgreens.com/topic/pharmacy.jsp for more information.
