August 27, 2004
Law student working at GOP convention
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- For Southern Illinois University Carbondale law school student Charles Y. "Chuck" Davis, the next eight days will be full of the excitement and pomp of a national political convention.
Davis, 24, a third-year law school student from Quincy, is participating in the Republican National Convention that begins Monday, Aug. 30, in New York City. As one of 27 young professionals chosen nationwide to serve as a team leader for the Page Program, Davis will oversee several of more than 150 convention pages assisting organizers with various aspects of convention operations. Pages, who are between 18 and 20 years old, handle various tasks on the convention floor, including document distribution and collection, stage operations, and other day-to-day operational needs.
Davis served as a page at the 2000 Republican National Convention in Philadelphia, and organizers for this year's event asked him to participate. Pages are among a select group of people with unlimited convention floor access.
Davis, who is in New York City beginning today (Friday, Aug. 27), is looking forward to the start of the convention.
"After being at the 2000 convention, I know that there is no better political experience than watching the keynote speakers on the floor of the convention, and rubbing elbows with some of the most influential people in the world," he said. "For any person who is very politically involved and socially conscious, this is quite an event to be a part of."
While in law school, Davis completed summer clerkships at Brown, Hay and Stephens of Springfield, and Schmiedeskamp, Robertson, Neu & Mitchell of Quincy. He graduated summa cum laude from Quincy University, and served as Student Senate president.
After graduating from law school, Davis plans to work at a mid-sized law firm in Illinois or Missouri, and hopes to concentrate on corporate and or health care law. Davis also plans to remain involved in local, state and national politics.
Davis is the son of Chuck and Sue Davis of Quincy.