Frequently these departments work together, and with student groups, to co-sponsor events. The Public Interest Book Club started at Duke Law School in 1993 and may be unique among law schools. It is really more a speakers series than a book club in that the audience is different for each event and many will not have read the book ahead of the session. However, the books selected, and the topics they represent, provide a theme for a series of events where presentations are followed by lively discussion.
Students have a chance to explore current topics outside the classroom setting.
The Public Interest Book Club collaborates with other groups in its programming. This year the September event was co-sponsored with the Latino Student Association. Selections for each coming academic year are made in late spring. The entire law school community is given the chance to recommend books, after which the Associate Dean for Public Interest, Pro Bono and Special Projects meets with all interested students, faculty and administrators to make the selections. A student director or co-director of the Public Interest Book Club is named each year.