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.

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.

The East Bay Community Law Center (EBCLC) is seeking full-time law student interns for its 2011 summer program. EBCLC is the community-based clinic for Berkeley Law School (University of California, Boalt Hall) during the academic year, and provides free civil legal services to low-income clients of Alameda County, California. During our summer session, EBCLC welcomes students from all law schools.

Students handle their own cases under the day-to-day supervision of staff attorneys in one of the following practice areas:
• Clean Slate: Criminal Records Remedies (administrative, regulatory, policy advocacy)
• Health: Public School-based Legal Services Project (multidisciplinary)
• Health: HIV/AIDS Project and Medical-Legal Partnership (multidisciplinary)
• Health: Immigration (administrative with some litigation)
• Housing & Eviction Defense (litigation)
• Income Support (administrative, regulatory, policy advocacy)
• Neighborhood Justice Clinic (self-help services, litigation)

For more information including application instructions, login to Symplicity.

HandsOnJacksonville Is Looking For Volunteers!

Do you have some time to volunteer this holiday season?

School: Biscayne Elementary
Address: 12230 Biscayne Blvd., 32218
Phone No: 904-714-4650

Decorating/distribution Day Thursday, December 2, 2010 - Volunteers still needed
Arrival time: 6 P.M.
Report to: The front office
Parking: The front parking lot
Volunteers are needed to place backpacks and gifts on each student’s desk as well as toss gold tinsel in the hallways. Some heavy lifting is required so strong women and men are most welcome.

Saint Nicholas Discovery Day Friday, December 3, 2010 – Volunteers still needed
Arrival time: 7:45 - 8:00 A. M. (schools begins at 8:30)
Report to: Front Office. Please have drivers license ready.
Parking: The front parking lot
Coffee and light breakfast will be served

On the morning of Friday, December 3rd more than 6,000 children will come to school and find that their hallways have been decorated with gold tinsel. The students will find backpacks stuffed with books and toys on their desk and volunteers to read The Secrets of Saint Nicholas book. Volunteer readers will need to borrow a copy of the book from a student. Volunteers are encouraged to engage the students in a conversation about other ways they can show giving at school and home. You may also ask the teacher about reading another story of their choice. A live Saint Nicholas will also make his rounds visiting the children.

For more information, contact Jacqui Scuncio.

New Positions Available

Washington DC Positions

Attorney Advisor, Legal Counsel Division, District of Columbia Attorney General Office

Trial Attorney, Child Support Services Division, District of Columbia Attorney General Office

Attorney-Adviser, State Superintendent of Education, District of Columbia Attorney General Office
Fair Housing Litigation Project Director, Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights
Staff Attorney, University Legal Services, Inc.
Government Outreach Coordinator, Georgetown University Law Center
Executive Director, Women Empowered Against Violence, Inc

Non-Legal Positions:

Director of Development, National Community Reinvestment Coalition
Director of Membership and Organizing, National Community Reinvestment Coalition
Director of Training and Education, National Community Reinvestment Coalition
Executive Director, National Community Reinvestment Coalition
Campaign Writer/Researcher, National Employment Law Project
Bilingual Paralegal/Intake Coordinator, Women Empowered Against Violence


Nationwide Legal and Non-Legal Positions:

Attorney, Mississippi Center for Justice, Jackson, Mississippi
Director of Pro Bono Affairs, Prisoners’ Legal Services, New York, New York
Staff Attorney, Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking, Los Angeles, California
Attorney, Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center, Miami, Florida

Log into SYMPLICITY today to review all the details and application instructions!

Career Fair Announcement

IMPACT Career Fair
Arlington, VA
August 13, 2010, 10:00am-6:00pm

This fair is open to law students and lawyers with disabilities. More than 35 legal employers will be in attendance representing all segments of the legal profession, including firms, government and non-profit organizations, among others. Pre-registration is required and is open until Sunday July 11, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. There is no registration fee for this event. Find more information and instructions for registration at: http://www.law.arizona.edu/impact/welcome.cfm

Save The Date

On Wednesday, April 14th at 3:00pm EDT, NALP and the National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA) are presenting “Top Ten Tips for a Successful Summer Internship in a Public Interest Office…and What to Avoid.” This free webinar will help law students make the most of their summer experiences in civil legal services organizations and public defenders’ offices by offering concrete tips from both public interest attorneys with extensive experience in supervising law students and law school public interest advisors who counsel students on maximizing professional development opportunities. The webinar will be led by Jennifer Thomas, Director of Legal Recruiting for the D.C. Public Defender Service, and Phyllis Holmen, Executive Director of the Georgia Legal Services Program.

To Register: The webinar will be offered live on April 14th and archived for later viewing. All students and law school career professionals who are interested in participating on April 14th should e-mail Kevin Mills, Director of Membership at NLADA at membership@nlada.org , and provide your full name, e-mail address, and a phone number. Please type "Student Webinar" in the email subject line.

Interesting Internship

Lawyers Without Borders offers unpaid internships to law students on a tri-semester basis: Winter/Spring, Summer and Fall. Applications are currently being accepted for Winter/Spring Term (January-May 2010) and Summer 2010.

Applications are generally due and will be reviewed at least 3 months before the start of the new internship term. All internships are unpaid, and our interns typically live in the region or within a one-hour commute of our offices. As a general rule, LWOB engages 7-10 interns per semester and 10 or more in summer. Otherwise qualified summer intern applicants who can volunteer for the entire summer (10 or more weeks, uninterrupted) will be preferred.

Interns are required to

•speak and write fluent English,
•have a commitment and drive to make a difference in the pro bono legal or human rights sectors
•work well in a team environment.
•during school term, commit to a minimum two full days per week and a minimum of six (6) uninterrupted weeks in summer
•be prepared to work on tasks that range from mundane administrative tasks to challenging research.*

For more information including all requirements, click HERE.

Atlanta Fellowship Available - Childrens' Rights

The Barton Child Law and Policy Clinic at Emory University School of Law has a one year post graduate fellowship for recent law school graduates to work with the clinic on issues of child neglect and abuse. The fellowship honors late Juvenile Court Judge and former Barton Clinic Director, Robin Nash, and focuses on building the next generation of influential attorneys, judges, and community leaders specializing in juvenile law. The Robin Nash Fellowship will begin mid-August 2010 and continue through August 2011.

The mission of the clinic is to promote and protect the well-being of neglected, abused, and court-involved children in the state of Georgia, to inspire excellence among the adults responsible for protecting and nurturing these children, and to prepare child advocacy professionals. The clinic provides multi-disciplinary, child focused research, training, and support for the practitioners and policy makers charged with protecting Georgia’s children.

The Robin Nash Fellow will work under the supervision of the clinic director and faculty on a variety of projects that will include, as a minimum, the following:
• Assist with supervision of clinic students with weekly and on-going assignments.
• Research and write one law review article suitable for publication or another approved writing project on a topic relating to child neglect and abuse.
• Collaborate with clinic faculty on research and policy papers.
• Participate in on-going advocacy efforts in the Georgia General Assembly
• Assist with teaching the course Child Advocacy: The Law, the Policy, and the Players.

Qualifications: law school graduate within three years of graduation, extensive computer skills, research and writing skills, and proven commitment to public service in the area of child advocacy.

To apply: E-mail a resume, cover letter, statement of interest and commitment to long term child advocacy, transcript, (3) references, and writing sample to the address below.

Deadline: Applications will be accepted until the position has been filled. (Position posted November 2, 2009.)


For additional information or to apply, contact:

Sherry McPeeks, Administrative Assistant
Barton Child Law and Policy Clinic
Emory University School of Law
1301 Clifton Road
Atlanta, Georgia 30322
Phone: (404) 712-4643
Fax: (404) 727-7851
E-mail: smcpeek@emory.edu
Web: www.childwelfare.net

Jacksonville Area Legal Aid

Did you know that Jacksonville Area Legal Aid (JALA) now has a Facebook page! This page will be used to promote JALA events, pro bono needs, staff profiles, CLE trainings, legislative needs and fundraising goals.

Search “Jacksonville Area Legal Aid” in the Facebook Search box and become a Fan of JALA!

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.

PAID & VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES IN JACKSONVILLE

Jacksonville Area Legal Aid (JALA) has some incredible paid and volunteer opportunities for law students. There are two programs recruiting for volunteers NOW.

1. Paid Positions For Students Who Are Eligible For Federal Work Study Funds
2. Volunteer Positions For Any Law Student

Paid Positions For Students Who Are Eligible For Federal Work Study Funds
Positions are located in the following units:

A) Predatory Lending Unit
The consumer law unit aggressively addresses consumer finance abuses practiced against low-income, working poor, elderly and members of the armed services. We welcome assistance from all law students who are seeking experience conducting legal and factual research, drafting motions, pleadings and memorandum of law, preparing discovery and discovery responses, investigating business practices related to consumer predatory lending, participating in legislative advocacy and community education projects, preparing and assisting with court hearings, depositions and trials and drafting training manuals. All work is directly supervised by an attorney.

B) Family Law Unit
The work in the family law unit includes drafting (letters, pleadings, memorandum of law), legal research, organizing discovery, and assisting with trial preparation.

C) Intake Unit
The Intake Unit position is under the supervision of the Director of Intake. This position conducts telephone and in-person client interviews to determine applicants’ legal issues (expressed and hidden), gather relevant facts and documents, and provide legal information in a fast-paced environment fostering holistic client services. Training in legal interviewing skills, some substantive law, conflicts of interest, use of case management system, and electronic calendaring will be provided.

If interested in any of these PAID positions, do the following:

1. Email Rita Rosario in Financial Aid to see if you qualify for federal work study funds.
2. If you qualify, send your resume to Lisa Vervynck in Career Services.

2. Volunteer Positions For Any Law Student
Volunteers are needed to serve as law clerks in the Consumer/Predatory Lending Unit. The work will involved helping attorneys prepare for a large case. This may be a great way to get some pro bono hours!!!

If interested in volunteering, send your resume, availability, and a date to set up orientation to Kathryn Jackson with JALA.

THESE ARE AMAZING OPPORTUNITIES TO GET EXPERIENCE.

DO NOT MISS OUT.

Children Need YOUR Help

The Florida Bar News recently published a heart-breaking article about the need for volunteers for the Guardian Ad Litem Program. With budget cuts across the board, volunteers are needed to help children in times of crisis. To read the entire article and access information about volunteering click HERE.

The 2009-2010 Government Honors & Internship Handbook is NOW AVAILABLE!!! Contact Career Services for this year's new password and login information.

This year's Handbook contains information from 55 federal employers and 46 state and local employers, and details of 186 specific programs.

Great Jobs & Internship Opportunities

Stop by Career Services to learn more information about the great attorney and summer internship positions listed below. Apply today!!!

ATTORNEY POSITIONS

Attorney Advisor Positions, Office of the General Counsel, Government of the District of Columbia

Chief Counsel, Maryland Legal Aid, Baltimore, Maryland

Attorney, Jeremiah’s Circle of Friends
Domestic Violence and Family Law Attorney, Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center
Legal Services Manager, Boat People SOS
Action Group Director, Humanity United
Project Coordinator, Center for Survivor Agency and Justice
Accountant, Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc.

Grants Manager, Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc.
Legal Caseworker, Program Representing Immigrant Survivors of Abuse. Austin, Texas
Community Organizer, American Civil Liberties Union, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

SUMMER INTERNSHIP POSITIONS

Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project, Florence, AZ
American Friends Service Comm./NY Metro Regional Office, New York, NY

Looking For A Volunteer Opportunity?

The Sulzbacher Medical Clinic for the Homeless is looking for YOU. Volunteers are provided with the opportunity to assist patients with enrollment in free and reduced-cost medication programs offered by pharmaceutical companies; compile necessary social security, state benefit and financial documentation for enrollment in programs; assist with tobacco cessation classes; and provide patient advocacy for medication coverage and cancer care programs. Other work involves compliance with requirements of patient enrollment in pharmaceutical patient assistance programs; helping to ensure that HIPAA guidelines are upheld; helping to draft and implement pharmacy policies that comply with Federal DEA and Florida Department of Environmental Protection laws; advocacy for physicians and patients in the context of Social Security, Medicaid and other state/local benefits programs. A portion of this valuable work experience would be clerical with hands-on exposure to nonprofit administration and the legal, social and clinical aspects of healthcare. Volunteers are needed for both short-term and long-term bases.

Sound interesting? Students who want to volunteer and get some great experience can contact Jamie McIntyre for more information.

Do any of these legal and non-legal positions and internship opportunities sound interesting??? If so, you need to review the monthly job listings from the Washington Council of Lawyers Public Interest Jobs Clearinghouse. Come by Career Services to take a look at more information about any of the below listed positions from this month's bulletin.

• Director, Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia
• Director of Development, Ayuda
• General Counsel, NAACP National Headquarters
• Practitioners-in-Residence, American University, Washington College of Law
• Director, Domestic Violence Program, District of Columbia Courts
• Domestic Violence & Family Law Attorney, Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center
• Policy Associate, National Immigration Forum
• Clinical Fellow for Immigrant Rights Clinic, University of Baltimore School of Law
• Clinical Fellow for Family Mediation Clinic, University of Baltimore School of Law
• Legal Orientation Program Attorney, Texas Pro Bono Asylum Representation Project, Harlingen, Texas
• Immigrant Children’s Project Attorney, Texas Pro Asylum Representation Project
• Children’s Paralegal, Texas Pro Asylum Representation Project, Harlingen, Texas
• Legal Director, Women’s Resource Center, Scranton, Pennsylvania
• Program Director, State Voices, Detroit, Michigan
• Legal Assistant, Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project, Florence, Arizona

Internships & Fellowships

The Center for HIV Law & Policy offers internships and fellowships for law students interested in several areas of law. If you are a student with an interest in National HIV Law, Women's Advocacy, Youth In Detention Issues, Human Rights, and more, this may be a great fit for you. Experience or interest in human rights—particularly economic and social rights, the rights of minors, women, racial minorities, and the disabled, and LGBT issues—preferred but not required. For more information including application instructions ...

Click HERE for internships and HERE for fellowships.

Are You Interested in Massachusetts?

Law students who have secured a volunteer (unpaid) position in public interest or nonprofit work in Massachusetts are potentially eligible for summer funding!!! The Legal Intern Fellowship Program invites applications from law students who have secured a volunteer internship with a qualified nonprofit organization in Massachusetts. Students should have a demonstrated commitment to public interest law, including experience working with low-income clients and/or issues that affect this population as well as an interest in Massachusetts. For more information including application instructions, click HERE. The application deadline is March 13, 2009.

Great Fellowship Available For 3L Student

The PSLawNet Fellowship provides a wonderful paid opportunity for a public-interest minded law graduate who also has an interest in nonprofit administration, and offers a bird’s-eye view of the public interest arena for law graduates on public service career paths. 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, delivering presentations about PSLawNet, and other tasks as they arise in Washington, DC.

For more information click HERE

Applications being accepted NOW