University of Virginia law professor Michael Gilbert and Joseph Birkenstock, a lawyer with the law firm Caplin & Drysdale, discuss super PACs — independent political action committees that can contribute to candidates or parties but without any legal limit on donation size — and the role they played in the 2012 election.Their talk was part of the Virginia Journal of Social Policy & the Law's 2013 symposium, "Theory and Practice," at UVA Law. The symposium sought to bridge the academy and real-world legal practice by featuring discussions led by lawyers directly involved with each issue and professors conducting academic research that informs policy changes and legal responses in the world.