Dinner with a Cambridge City Councilor. A batch of chocolate chip marshmallow cookies. A week-long stay in Jerusalem. A Nintendo Wii. These were just some of the more than 260 items up for auction during “Bright Lights, Bid City,” the 16th Annual Public Interest Auction, held in Austin Hall on April 2, 2009.
The night began with a silent auction, where 236 items were available for bidding. During the live auction, emceed by Professors Jonathan Zittrain and Elizabeth Warren, 26 different items were auctioned off, including a day of indentured servitude from Harvard Law Review President Joanna Huey, two box seats to a Red Sox game, and a tour of the Solicitor General’s Office with former HLS Dean and recently-confirmed Solicitor General of the United States Elena Kagan ’86.
Champagne or beer with Professor Elizabeth Warren received the highest bid of the night at $3400. A private performance by the HLS a cappella group Scales of Justice came in at $2,000, while champagne or beer with Professor Mann went for $1500. The tour of Kagan’s office raised $1200. Other top-selling items included “The Infamous Langdell Brick,” and bass fishing with Professor Charles Ogletree. The auction, run entirely by the 1L class, is the annual fundraiser for the Summer Public Interest Funding program. SPIF provides grants to support HLS students pursuing public interest employment during their 1L and 2L summers.