Monday, February 28, 2011

Federal Judicial Clerkships


It's not too early to be thinking about federal judicial clerkships. The upcoming deadlines for the 2011-2012 application process were recently posted. Make sure to keep an eye on the SPRING WORKSHIPS offered by the Career Services Department to determine if this is a good choice for you.


Question? Contact Lydia Russo.

Friday, February 25, 2011

The Federal Government and YOU


The federal government continues to search for great candidates! According to a recent article,
Government agencies need to add about 193,000 new employees to fill "mission critical" jobs in many fields in the next two years. The key to success is "patience and stamina to plow through the cumbersome federal hiring process.
To learn more about the hiring process as well as tips for navigating through the federal government, take a moment and read this interesting article.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Got Loans?



If you have loans, you must become familiar with this new Blog. Authored by Heather Jarvis, a national expert on educational debt, Ms. Jarvis regularly posts topics, articles, links and advice to law students.


Bottom line ... if you have loans .... follow this Blog!!!!

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

2011 Public Policy Handbook Is Now Live


Interested in policy work?

Want a career in Washington or New York City?


Take the time to review this resource which lists over 200 internships and full-time positions in the area of public policy.


Contact careerservices@fcsl.edu for login and password information.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Want To Be A Public Defender ... think about Wisconsin


According to a recent report, the State intends to add nearly 30 full-time public defenders next summer because of an expected increase in caseload. Officials say new income guidelines will make more defendants eligible for a public defender. The state will spend $4.1 million to hire more public defenders and staff -- a move counties expect will save them millions of dollars. To continue reading more about this hiring increase, click HERE.

Monday, February 21, 2011

New Website!


Do you have a free minute? Take a moment and check out Equal Justice Work's new website!

Friday, February 18, 2011

Looking For Some Motivation?


A recent article outlines the benefits of pro bono and public service for those who commit their time providing their help as well as the benefits for the communities they serve. For some inspiration, read the authors' thoughts in 'The Greatest Feeling in the World': What Giving Does for the Giver by clicking HERE.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

How The Federal Government Is Trying To Recruit Candidates Like You


The federal government is constantly looking for ways to improve their hiring pool. A recent article highlighted how agencies are reaching out to other agencies to learn best practices for attracting talent to service in the federal government. To learn more about this report, click HERE.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Alumni Spotlight ... Look What Florida Coastal Alums Are Doing!!!


Folio Weekly recently published an article touting the excelelnt work of Florida Coastal graduate, Kara Roberts. Kara is a staff attorney at Jacksonville Area Legal Aid where she works for the Refugee Immigration Project. To learn more about Kara's work and how you can help her cause, click HERE.


It's wonderful news to hear about all of the excellent contributions our alumni are making in the world of public interest!!!

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

PAID Summer Public Interest Position


NALP seeks a law or graduate student to work full-time as its PSLawNet Summer Publications Coordinator, editing and producing NALP’s PSLawNet Comprehensive Fellowship Guide during the summer of 2011. The employment period is approximately 10 weeks. The position is ideal for a law or graduate student who has editing experience and is interested in public interest law and/or nonprofit administration. The Publications Coordinator serves as an integral part of the PSLawNet team.
Specific responsibilities associated with producing the 2011 Fellowship Guide -
• Research and update all PSLawNet online fellowship listings for use in the print
fellowship guide. This is accomplished through outreach (email and phone) to several
hundred employer organizations;
• Search for new fellowship listings to be added to the guide;
• Edit content and layout for publication;
• Other tasks as assigned.
This is a full-time, summer position, requiring a 10-week commitment. The Coordinator will
report directly to the Director of Public Service Initiatives, and will also receive guidance from
Qualifications
• Must be a current law or graduate student;
• High level of familiarity with Microsoft Excel and Word is preferred, as is the ability to
run data merges using these programs;
• Basic familiarity with legal public interest organizations and government agencies is
preferred;
• High level of attention to detail and accuracy;
• Excellent communication skills (on phone and in person) and comfort in collaborating
with project partners;
• Basic web content management knowledge/abilities preferred;
• Abilities to: work independently and be self directed, pay close attention to detail, handle
multiple tasks and deadlines, carry out delegated assignments, and maintain friendly
working relationships with colleagues.

Compensation
Stipend will be provided at $675 per week for a 40 hour work week (at a maximum of 10
weeks). No health, dental, retirement, or other benefits accompany this position.

For the application procedures, click HERE. The deadline for applications is March 11, 2011.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Friday, February 11, 2011

Great News From Las Vegas!


What an inspiration! In an economy filled with individuals needing legal services, many Nevada attorneys have stepped up to donate their time and talents. In Clark County, Nevada, it was a record-breaking year for pro bono services, where more than 16,000 hours of free legal services were provided to the county’s lowest-income residents. To read more about this fantastic acheivement, click HERE.

For great news like this, let's hope that what happens in Vegas
doesn't stay in Vegas!

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Today's Lesson: The Importance of Experience


The value of legal experience cannot be underestimated. Read about some recent law school graduates who took their recent lay offs and turned the experiences into something positive and proactive for society. Several California attorneys are volunteering their time at the Sacramento Public Defender's Office, serving those accused of crimes. Their efforts are serving a dual purpose --- graduates are getting additional experience on their resumes and offices facing cutbacks are getting the help they need to represent individuals.


For the entire article, click HERE.


Remember ... it's never too early or too late to get experience!

Wednesday, February 09, 2011


It's worth your time to read a recent article, Experience A Good Bet for New Law Grads, which discusses how important it is to get EXPERIENCE while in law school. The Florida Law Journal article found that training and experience in a high-demand practice area led all of the other factors in determining marketability of new graduates.

How do you get experience? Just to name a few ideas ...

* Pro Bono Work
* Internships
* Externships
* Clinics
* Volunteer
* Work-Study
* Part-time Positions
* Research Assistants
* Teaching Assistants
* Shadowing
* Networking
* AND MORE!!!!


Talk to a CSD Counselor today to get started on the right path.

Tuesday, February 08, 2011

Volunteer Opportunities in Jacksonville


Looking for volunteer work? HandsOn Jacksonville may be the place for you. Check out the website and learn all about the opportunities to give back to your community.

Monday, February 07, 2011

Great Job For Recent Graduate


The PSLawNet Fellowship provides a wonderful opportunity for a public-interest minded
law graduate who also has an interest in nonprofit administration. Further, the fellowship offers a bird’s-eye view of the public interest arena for law graduates on public service career paths. PSLawNet, which is housed at NALP, is an “online career services center” for law students and lawyers interested in public service careers. The website contains the largest public interest law jobs database, detailed information on thousands of public interest and government employers, as well as a library of resources to aid job seekers and employers. The Fellow is the principal manager and administrator of the PSLawNet website. S/he will also have responsibilities for: development of online educational content, management of student interns, basic technology and data management, co-editing the PSLawNet Blog, interacting with NALP members, delivering presentations about PSLawNet, and other tasks as they arise.
For more information on this GREAT opportunity, please click HERE. The applicaiton deadline is March 4, 2011.

Friday, February 04, 2011

Do You Love Pro Bono Work?


If you love pro bono work, you may want to consider practicing in Mississippi - a state demonstrating its committment to pro bono initiatives of attorneys. In a recent article, it was suggested that the state is requiring a pro bono mandate for its attorneys. To read the entire article about this effort, click HERE.


HINT!!! Interested in learning more about pro bono work at Florida Coastal? Click HERE.

Thursday, February 03, 2011

Student Spotlight: Caroline Cowan


Three Rivers Legal Services recently highlighted third year law Florida Coastal law student, Caroline Cowan for her exemplary public service. While at Three Rivers, Caroline has worked on a variety of legal issues while interning with us. For example, she has researched various legal issues (e.g. landlord/tenant, child custody, debt collection, unemployment comp, foreclosure, evidence, municipal code enforcement, veterans' disability, tax), Drafted Answers (foreclosure complaints), drafted Petitions (summary administration, formal administration, homestead exemption, expungement), Orders (summary administration, formal administration, homestead exemption), Appeals (unemployment comp, veterans' disability), Motions (to dismiss, for default judgment), Drafted Wills, Edited Custody Arrangement Pamphlet, Drafted Advice Letters (debt collection, unemployment comp, probate), Ineligibility Letters, Demand Letters, and Closing Letters, and Completed a Tax Return for 2009

Caroline says that she has learned much while interning at Three Rivers because has worked on so many different legal issues. Working here has made her realize what she really likes doing and what she wants to avoid in the future. In Caroline’s opinion she has received ... to continue reading the entire article and learn more about Three Rivers, click HERE.

Wednesday, February 02, 2011

How Can Job Seekers Compete in the Current Job Market?


A recent NALP survey asked public interest legal employers what kinds of experiences would make job applicants, particularly law students, the strongest candidates for employment. The results may surprise you ....


Civil legal services providers look for a demonstrated passion for serving low income communities and for direct experience interacting and working with low income clients. This serves as a reminder of the importance of building cultural ompetencies for legal services attorneys. Without this awareness, it is difficult to develop trusting relationships with clients who may have limited educational background and be distrustful of service providers. Civil legal service providers also highly value bilingual ability in their attorneys, especially knowledge of Spanish or of an Asian language.
Federal government employers seek to hire individuals with a demonstrated commitment to public service and practical legal experience gained through clinics, internships, and/or pro bono opportunities.
Public defenders desire candidates with ... to continue reading what public defenders, prosecutors, and nonprofit legal organizations look for in candiadates, click HERE to access the full survey.

Tuesday, February 01, 2011