At 9 p.m. last Saturday night, those who found themselves wandering North Grounds would have been met with quite the curious sight: law students—happy and well-dressed (but not in a “someone is about to lose their rights” kind of way) outside the confines of the library and voluntarily entering the Darden School of Business. What astrological anomaly could have yielded this phenomenon? It was something far more surprising than any celestial body being in retrograde; they were spurred by the spirit of giving.
The Public Interest Law Association’s (PILA) Semi-Formal Silent Auction is one of the Law School’s most iconic annual events. Often described to newcomers and laypersons as “law school homecoming,” the Silent Auction provides much more than fall semester’s 800th excuse to dress up, make merry, and get down to late aughts club classics. In combination with the Live Auction (held a few days prior), proceeds from the event’s tickets and auction sales are used to fund the majority of the organization’s PILA+ grants. These grants provide supplemental financial resources to students employed in public service summer internships who demonstrate need for additional funding beyond the Law School’s Public Service Summer Grants. PILA Auction Co-Director Abby Morthland ’28 explained that, in essence, the event is “the reason [PILA is] able to fund student public interest work and the way many are able to choose low-paying or non-paying internships.”
Source: Zach Roten
Returning 2Ls and 3Ls may have noticed some key differences from last year’s event. For one, there was no officially planned “postgame” for the event (nevertheless, the pinned midnight GroupMe message reading simply “Coupes” heavily suggests that the indomitable human spirit of UVA Law students would not be so easily overcome). Even more notably, the Law School managed to set aside its pride as the superior North Grounds graduate program by holding the event at the Darden School of Business’s Abbott Dining Room. As Morthland emphasized, PILA “had a great experience with the Darden space and team.” Even this author must commend the Darden hospitality team on the excellent buffet. It simply would not feel like a Law School event if it did not feature complimentary food.
The annual PILA Auction is a cornerstone of the Law School community. However, bringing such a crucial event to life is not something that happens overnight. “We started the planning and have worked pretty steadily since last spring,” said Morthland. “That mostly looked like facilitating donations from our law school and larger community and coordinating the logistics of the event itself.” Prizes for the auction are typically sourced from organizations at the law school, as well as businesses in the Charlottesville area. Like the Live Auction, the Silent Auction also features some opportunities to win “experiences” with professors (e.g., dinner with Professor Stetson or a nature walk with the Program in Law, Communities, and Environment faculty). “It’s . . . super meaningful to feel the love from our faculty and peers who support all the fundraising efforts,” said Morthland.
Traditionally, the highest-priced items and experiences are sold at the Live Auction, held this year on the prior Wednesday. The Silent Auction, in contrast, featured prizes that started at a wide range of starting bids. From the National Lawyers Guild’s donation of two kufiyas (starting at $10) to an autographed Taylor Swift Display from Zindler’s (starting at $850), Saturday’s event afforded the vast majority of the Law School community an opportunity to contribute to PILA’s mission.
Source: Zach Roten
A quick glance at the auction spread between Shakira songs also revealed much about the diverse interests represented at the Law School. While watching one half of a 1L sectioncest couple offering north of $200 total for the “Date night basket” and a romantic evening at the Ivy Inn, one could simply glance across the bidding room to see nearly every exhausted parent slamming down their hard-earned summer cash for a chance at “Two free nights of babysitting” and a cite check pass. Morthland—who themself contributed two original handmade artworks to the prize list—said of the night’s energy, “Everyone’s excitement and generosity at the Silent Auction was so huge in creating the atmosphere!”
Bidding concluded promptly at 11:45 p.m. Those who triumphed and won their coveted items were notified via email on Sunday and have been directed to make their way to the PILA office sometime this week to claim their prizes. With another successful auction under the belt, all that is left for us to do now is to await Student Bar Association President George Nalbandian’s self-requested ban from the Big GroupMe and a rumored resurfacing of at least one auction item during next spring’s Libel show.
To stay up-to-date on the Public Interest Law Association’s latest activity and upcoming events, be sure to check out the organization’s Instagram page (@pilaatuva).
Author: Emma Lawson, hzk2ny@virginia.edu, ’28