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.”
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…