After their disappointment over a Supreme Court decision last Monday that upheld the military's right to recruit on college campuses, members of Penn's gay community now plan to refocus their efforts on combating the military's practices themselves.
Law School officials say they have few alternatives but to comply with the ruling, but some members of gay-interest groups say they will fight the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, under which gays and bisexuals in the military are forbidden from discussing their sexuality.
Penn's Law School and six others filed an amicus curiae, or "friend of the court," brief in the case urging the court to overturn the amendment.
Bob Schoenberg, director of Penn's Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Center, said that because the recent decision hinders further legal challenges to a law requiring schools to admit recruiters or put their federal funding at risk, it is time to focus on urging the military to change its policy.
He said that this could be accomplished through lobbying by universities and others.
"Until the policy changes, all universities will have to be out of sync with their principles," he said.
In response to the Supreme Court's decision, Lambda Law, a Penn Law LGBT-interest organization, signed a joint statement of disapproval with members of 14 other top law schools, said Lambda Law co-President Keola Whittaker, a third-year Law student.
"It's hard to be upset about something when you've seen it coming. Lambda is more concerned about where to go from here," said third-year Law student David Castleman, a Lambda Law vice president.
He said that the court's decision isn't currently a major topic of conversation among Law students, noting that the military isn't a popular career choice among lawyers.
Nevertheless, he said that Law students will most likely protest this fall when military recruiters return to campus for annual recruiting interviews.
In past years, one tactic that Lambda Law members used was the protest interview. Protesters would sign up for interviews with military recruiters and then use that time to discuss with the interviewing officer why they opposed the military's policy regarding gays.
Castleman said that this strategy will probably be repeated this year.
Diane Downs, associate dean for Career Planning and Placement at Penn Law, called the protest interview a "common practice" and said "it has been widely used at many campuses."
"We'll shout until we're blue in the face," Castleman said.
Still, in the wake of the ruling, Law School administrators say there are few choices but to comply.
Penn Law Dean Michael Fitts has asked the school's Career Planning and Placement Committee to "make recommendations on how the [committee's] office might handle military recruiting in the future," according to a memo he sent to all law students and faculty Wednesday.
Law professor Alan Lerner, the committee's chairman, said that the University will "make the call" about letting military recruiters on campus.
Lerner said he expects that Penn will decide to comply with the law in light of the recent ruling.
When the committee meets, it may also recommend that Penn Law support faculty or students who choose to demonstrate against military recruitment, he added.
Those who followed the case closely say that although they were disappointed by the court's decision, it didn't come as a surprise.
Experts had predicted that the court would uphold the amendment, Penn General Counsel Wendy White said.
