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Suffolk University Law School Positions Itself as National Leader with First-of-Its-Kind Operating Under the Influence (OUI) Course for Law School Students

BOSTON --  Suffolk University Law School is teaching law school students how to prosecute and adjudicate Operating Under the Influence (OUI) offenses. The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility, a national not-for-profit funded by America’s leading distillers, financed the first-of-its-kind intensive course in order to further advance the fight against drunk driving.

The class will form the basis for an online OUI/DUI (driving under the influence) course to be developed by Suffolk University Law School and The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility. It will be completed in 2015 and made available to law students nationwide.

The two-credit OUI prosecutorial and adjudicatory course is being offered Jan. 13 through 17 to second- and third-year law students at Suffolk University Law School. The course will feature practical courtroom work as well as guest speakers from:

  • Law enforcement;
  • The National District Attorneys Association;
  • The Massachusetts District Attorneys Association;
  • The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles;
  • Cambridge Health Alliance;
  • AAA of Southern New England.

Students will participate in a two-day mock OUI trial that is intended to give them an understanding of how OUI cases play out in court. The experience will better prepare them for legal practice.

“The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility is always looking for ways to combat drunk driving, and this first-of-its-kind program for the future lawyers, prosecutors and judges of Massachusetts is a great way to prepare the legal system to deal with OUI cases and not allow repeat offenders to slip through the cracks.” said Ralph Blackman, president and CEO of The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility. “We know many prosecutors are fresh out of law school, and, while they are well trained, we feel they can more effectively adjudicate these complex cases and reduce impaired driving.”

“This program gives students a great opportunity to delve into a specialized area that prosecutors commonly face in the courts,” said Suffolk Law Practitioner in Residence Mary Sawicki, a former career prosecutor. “So many of our students go into public service; this is a great benefit to our students and to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.”

About the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility

The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility is a national not-for-profit leader in the fight to eliminate drunk driving and underage drinking and is funded by the following distillers: Bacardi U.S.A., Inc.; Beam, Inc.; Brown-Forman; Constellation Brands, Inc.; DIAGEO; Hood River Distillers, Inc.; and Pernod Ricard USA. Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility promotes responsible decision making regarding beverage alcohol and develops and implements innovative programs and public awareness campaigns which ignite action through strategic partnerships. Established in 1991, their initiatives are highlighted online at www.www.responsibility.org.

About Suffolk University Law School

Suffolk University Law School, located in the heart of Boston, is dedicated to welcoming students from all backgrounds and circumstances and educating them to become highly skilled and ethical lawyers who are well-prepared to serve in their local communities, across the nation and around the world. Suffolk Law has strong day and evening divisions. Its curriculum includes specialty concentrations, joint-degree programs and LLM offerings. A wide range of nationally ranked clinical and legal practice skills programs complement internships and moot court competitions that provide students with experiential opportunities. Suffolk University is comprised of the Law School, College of Arts and Sciences and Sawyer Business School.

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