New Website!

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

Southern Public Defender Training Center Opportunities

Across the country, public defender offices are underfunded and understaffed, drowning in untenable caseloads. With too few public defenders handling too many cases, those who cannot afford representation are being denied their fundamental right to counsel, and many are languishing in jail at taxpayers’ expense.

Equal Justice Works and the Southern Public Defender Training Center have partnered to develop a solution to this growing crisis and improve the quality of representation for adults and juveniles nationwide. Public Defender Corps is a three-year fellowship program aimed at addressing the ongoing national crisis of providing quality representation to accused persons who cannot afford counsel.

Applications for this public defense pilot project are currently being accepted. Approximately 20 fellowships will be selected, with terms commencing in the Fall of 2011. The application is open to all law students from Equal Justice Works member law schools and lawyers with less than three years of practice. Application and supporting documents are due by 5 p.m. EST on Friday, December 17, 2010.

Click HERE for more information.

From Equal Justice Works

An error occurred within the automated email delivery system which caused some students to receive inaccurate information about their interview status at our upcoming Conference and Career Fair. Immediately upon learning of the problem, we contacted students and corrected the information.

Students are encouraged to to check their accounts if they are unsure of their interview status. All information there is correct and has not changed. These emails did not affect the students’ account and no interviews have been cancelled.

LAST DAY!!!!

TODAY is the last day to sign up for the Equal Justice Conference & Career Fair. Don't be left out of this great opportunity to network with legal employers from the nationwide public sector!

Sign up today!

Equal Justice Works Conference & Career Fair

20 of your classmates have signed up for the Equal Justice Conference & Career Fair.

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

Take advantage of an opportunity to visit the nation's capital and meet (and interview with!) public interest employers from across the country!

SIGN UP TODAY!

The deadline to apply is September 24, 2010. Don't wait until the last minute.

As of today, there are 109 employers who will be attending the Equal Justice Works Conference & Career Fair.

Will YOU be there to meet them?

Register today by clicking HERE.

Have you started your Equal Justice Works Fellowship Application? The 2011 application is available here!

Florida Coastal has had GREAT success with applicants in the past. Continue the tradition and apply today. All submissions are due by September 15, 2010.

Ged Educated About Veteran's Work

According to a recent posting ont he Equal Justice Works Blog, there are currently 22.4 million veterans in the United States, a figure which represents 10% of the nation’s adult population. After having courageously served their country, thousands of veterans are now living in poverty, facing homelessness, and in desperate need of help.

The economic crisis has had a disproportionate effect on veterans, especially those who have recently returned home and those who have been homeless for years. The National Alliance to End Homelessness reported the rate of homelessness for veterans is more than twice the rate of the general population. Further studies have shown that veterans, particularly those suffering from the effects of combat, face higher levels of unemployment, incarceration and homelessness than the population at large. In addition to the staggering rate of homelessness ... to continue reading about this important issue, click HERE.

The REAL story about public interest salaries

Do you ever wonder about the salaries of public interest attorneys? Equal Justice Works has done a great job of compiling information on this issue for students. Click HERE to learn more about salary information as well as access helpful tools including informational podcasts on a variety of financial topics.

Congratulations!

Equal Justice Works recently announced the 2010 Summer Corps members. With a record of 1,536 applications this year, the selection process was extremely competitive!

Summer Corps members are engaged with a broad range of issues, including civil rights, community economic development, death penalty, disability rights, housing, domestic violence, education, public benefits and workers' rights.

Congratulations to the below selected Florida Coastal selected students!

Nicole Devito, Three Rivers Legal Services
Amanda Greer, Three Rivers Legal Services, Inc
Darren Jones, Three Rivers Legal Services
Joycelyn Stinson, Three Rivers Legal Services, Inc.

Money For The Summer

Equal Justice Works is pleased to announce the launch of Summer Corps 2010. Summer Corps is an AmeriCorps-funded program that in 2010 will provide 577 law students with the opportunity to earn a $1,000 education award voucher for dedicating their summer to a qualifying legal project at a nonprofit public interest organization. Ninety-nine percent of law students last year said they would recommend the program to other law students, and with a series of improvements and policy changes this year, Summer Corps will be even more successful in 2010.

The application will be available on our website starting April 1, 2010. Program highlights and changes for 2010 include:
• Course credit policy change: For the first time, Summer Corps members receiving course credit are eligible for the program. Visit the website for more details.
• Summer Corps Standout awards and publicity: The Summer Corps Standout program launched in 2009 to recognize members for their innovative approach to meeting the needs of an underserved or marginalized person or community. Winners received an article promoting their service on our public interest blog (top 10 nationally among all law blogs) and website. They are also qualified as finalists to receive an Equal Justice Works Exemplary Public Service Award for a Student or Student Group. Scott Burrill (University of Iowa College of Law ’10) became the first Summer Corps member to win an Exemplary Public Service Award for a Student.
• Improved efficiency: The paperwork requirements have been drastically reduced to further improve the service experience. The Segal AmeriCorps Education Award is now available electronically and students are now able to apply the voucher soon after they finish their service.
• Being part of the movement: National service is as important as ever and law students play an important role. Summer Corps members have consistently reported that their summer internships solidified their commitment to public interest law, while reigniting their passion for the legal profession. As a result, Summer Corps has become a launching pad for the next generation of public interest attorneys.

If you or your students have any questions about Summer Corps , please contact summercorps@equaljusticeworks.org

PUBLIC SERVICE DOES NOT STOP BECAUSE OF THE RECESSION. IT GETS BIGGER

Many of your classmates will be in Washington, DC this weekend learning more about public interest efforts across the country. If you missed out on the opportunity to attend the Equal Justice Works Conference this year, make sure you mark your calendars for next year's Conference & Career Fair. The Conference offers a fantastic opportunity to interview with public interest and government employers nationwide. For more information, click HERE.

Apply To Positions Nationwide!!!

Registration for Equal Justice Works 2009 Conference & Career Fair is NOW OPEN. Students may apply for both summer and full-time positions from NOW through September 11th. For more information including application instructions, click HERE.

New Jobs For August

CHECK OUT EXCITING NEW JOBS!

Legal Positions In The Washington, D.C. Area

Public Policy Counsel, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
Attorney, D.C. Law Students in Court Program
Program Coordinator, Voices for America’s Children
Domestic Violence Staff Attorney, National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty
Advocacy Attorney, Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc.
Director of Programs, American Constitution Society
Senior Manager, CASA de Maryland
Special Education Staff Attorney
Director, Homeless Persons Representation Project
Staff Attorneys, ABA Commission on Domestic Violence
Chief Counsel/Director, ABA Commission on Domestic Violence
Director of Law School Advocacy and Outreach, Equal Justice Works

Non-Legal Positions:

Director of Communications, Equal Justice Works

Internships/Fellowships:

Equal Justice Works Americorps Legal Fellow: Immigration, National Center for Refugee and
Immigrant Children

Out-of-Town (Legal and Non-Legal Positions):

Executive Director, Grassroots Leadership, Charlotte, North Carolina
Employment Policy Attorney, National Immigration Law Center, Los Angeles, California
Executive Director, Volunteer Lawyers Project of the Boston Bar Association, Boston, Massachusetts

Log into Symplicity to learn more information including application instructions.

Available Legal Fellowship Positions

Three more Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Legal Fellowship positions have become available. For more information regarding positions working with foreclosure and immigration issues, click HERE.

EQUAL JUSTICE FELLOWSHIPS AVAILABLE

If you are graduating in May 2010 and are interested in public interest, you need to know about the Equal Justice Works Fellowships.

Fellowship Timeline

July 7, 2009
The 2010 application will be available online

Sept. 17, 2009
The application and supporting paperwork are due to Equal Justice Works by 5 p.m. EDT

Nov. 2009
Interviews begin for selected candidates

Dec. 2009 and Jan. 2010
Interviews continue; Fellowships are offered on a rolling basis

Sept. 2010
Class of 2010 Fellows begin service

To learn more about this FUNDED post-graduate opportunity, click HERE.

Great New Funding News!

The Corporation for National & Community Service announced that Equal Justice Works will receive a $1.2 million Recovery Act grant to support an additional 30 attorneys and more than 300 law students to expand legal services to victims of the economic crisis, such as those affected by mortgage foreclosures, natural disasters and other critical need areas.
CNCS is providing these grants in an effort to help those distressed by the economic crisis – especially those with critical needs in communities hardest hit by the recession. The grant expands both the AmeriCorps Legal Fellowship program and the Summer Corps program and makes Equal Justice Works the first active recipient of stimulus funds. Check out the interactive map to see where this summer’s Corps members will be working!

More information about applications for YOU will be posted shortly.

What Do Public Interest Lawyers Do?

If you are curious to learn what public interest lawyers do, check out the newly launched Equal Justice Works Channel on YouTube (thanks to another grant from Google.) The channel features several Equal Justice Works and AmeriCorps Legal Fellows discussing the work they’re doing in communities across the country. It's a great place to find inspiration!

Upcoming Deadline for Equal Justice Works Summer Corps

Applications for the Equal Justice Works Summer Corps are due this Wednesday, April 1! The Equal Justice Works Summer Corps Program engages law students around the country who are expanding the delivery of legal services to those who need it most. Summer Corps is an AmeriCorps-funded program that in 2009 will provide 355 law students with the opportunity to earn a $1,000 education award voucher for dedicating their summer to a qualifying legal project at a nonprofit public interest organization.

For the first time, the Summer Corps program will fund law students working in state, local, and nonprofit Public Defender's offices. For more information about this program, please follow the links below.

Apply Online
All applications are due on April 1 at 8:00 pm EST.

Equal Justice Works

Equal Justice Works has three programs for law students interested in public interest. Click HERE for more information about any of the three below amazing programs:

• Summer Corps Program - Every year, 350 law students are placed at nonprofit legal service organizations. Students receive extraordinary experience along with an educational stipend.


• AmeriCorps Legal Fellowships - Allows Fellow to promote public service at law schools by facilitating pro bono opportunities and training for other students. Fellowships last for one year and provide a living allowance and an education award.


• Equal Justice Works Fellowships - Fellows are allowed to create hir or her own dream job with a nonprofit organization that has agreed to host the applicant. Fellows receive a salary and are eligible for loan repayment assistance. Typically, 100 Fellows are selected.

Remember, Career Service Counselors are HAPPY to assist you with these applications! Contact us today.