Race to support legal work for low-income communities

The 14th annual Race Judicata, a 5K fun run/walk, will again raise money for University of Wisconsin Law School students who do public-interest legal work for low-income and underrepresented communities.

The event, sponsored by the school’s Public Interest Law Foundation (PILF), will be held Saturday, Oct. 11, at Olin Park. PILF is a student-run organization that relies entirely on donations and fund-raising to enable law students to do public interest legal work that would otherwise be unpaid or undone.

Last year, the race and several other fund-raisers raised $48,000, which funded 19 grants to students doing legal work for organizations that champion issues ranging from the environment to rural health.

“While some students work at large firms and make a lot of money over the summer, those who choose public-interest legal work sacrifice a lot,” Jess Shoemaker, law student and Race Judicata coordinator, says. “Law students rely on these grants to help them pay their living expenses. And low-budget community organizations rely on the students because this work would not otherwise get done.”

Registration and check-in for the run and walk begin at 8 a.m. and the race starts at 9 a.m. The race begins at the north parking lot of Olin Park and the course goes around Monona Bay. Five age groups will be running: Under 20, 20-30, 31-40, 41-50 and 50+.

Advance registration fees are $15 per person, or $12 per person for a team of five persons or more. On the day of the race, the fee is $17. Each person who registers receives a Race Judicata T-shirt.

For more information or to request a registration form, send an e-mail to wiracejudicata@yahoo.com.