Sam Halpert, NALP Director of Public Service Initiatives

Hello, interested public! Apologies for returning a week later than I’d anticipated. It’s good to be back. So much is happening right now–or anticipated. It’s been difficult to cull the news down to a digestible size for you all, but I’ve done my best below. Beyond the Editor’s Choices, I’ll note that US DOJ employees (in two divisions) just voted to unionize for the first time in history, that many state supreme court chief justices addressed access to justice or indigent defense issues in their annual remarks, and that remarks made by Russell Vought, President Trump’s nominee for OMB Chief, are getting a lot of attention. As always, these stories and more are in the links below.

Take care,

Sam

Editor’s Choice(s)

• The Great Nonprofit Downsizing (The Chronicle of Philanthropy; 14 Jan 2025)

  • Non-profits around the nation face funding shortages (WHSV; 16 Jan 2025)

• Trump says he will create an ‘External Revenue Service’ agency to collect tariff income (Federal News Network; 15 Jan 2025)

• US Attorneys Out, Allies in: Trump Said to Plan Quick Swaps (Bloomberg Law; 15 Jan 2025)

• Student Loan Forgiveness Tracking For IDR Goes Live — 4 Steps To Take Now (Forbes; 14 Jan 2025)

  …this week, the department formally published detailed IDR tracking information for every borrower, allowing them to know exactly where they are on their student loan forgiveness timeline. …Once logged in, your IDR tracker should be visible on your StudentAid.gov dashboard. The tracker will show the number of IDR payments made so far, and the number of IDR payments remaining before the borrower would qualify for loan forgiveness. …Just like with PSLF, it's a good idea to retain records of your IDR loan forgiveness progress reflected in the tracker. While you may never need them, if something happens to your account, or features on the website subsequently change, it may be important to have a record of the information that is displayed. The easiest way to keep records of your IDR loan forgiveness tracker would be via screenshots or converting the webpages into PDF images.

Student Loans & Student Debt

• Supreme Court to Review Biden’s Borrower Defense Rule (Inside Higher Ed; 13 Jan 2025)

• Biden announces final round of student loan forgiveness, bringing aid total to nearly $189 billion (CNBC; 16 Jan 2025)

• US student debt ends Biden era bigger than when he took office (Yahoo! Finance; 17 Jan 2025)

• Student Loan Borrowers: How Linda McMahon's Appointment Impacts You (Investopedia.com; 13 Jan 2025)

• 8 Million Student Loan Borrowers Will Have No Payments For Most Of 2025, As Loan Forgiveness Remains Stalled (Forbes; 16 Jan 2025)

Non-Profit & Government Management & Hiring

• DOJ trial attorneys vote to form its first known unions (ABA Journal; 14 Jan 2025)

• I’m a Federal Employee. This Is What We Need Most in the Trump Era. [opinion] (New York Times; 12 Jan 2025)

• Connecticut nonprofits request more funding for programs (WTNH News8; 14 Jan 2025)

• Office of Special Counsel has ‘growing staffing concerns’ amid record caseload (Federal News Network; 14 Jan 2025)

• Congressional Republicans dial up multiple bills to cull telework flexibility (Government Executive; 15 Jan 2025)

• Trump’s second term agenda includes cutting ‘slackers’ from federal workforce, former OMB official says (Federal News Network; 14 Jan 2025)

  • Trump’s pick for OMB chief defends removing civil service protections, withholding appropriated funds (Government Executive; 15 Jan 2025)

  • The civil service system is a barrier to effective talent management [opinion] (Government Executive; 17 Jan 2025)

Access to Justice – Civil & Economic

• New data shows how ‘rage giving’ boosted immigrant-serving nonprofits during the first Trump Administration (UC Santa Cruz; 13 Jan 2025)

• Kansas justice warns of ‘all-out crisis’ [in access to legal services] (The Iola Register; 16 Jan 2025)

• Texas Supreme Court to decide legal battle over El Paso migrant shelter’s future (Texas Tribune; 13 Jan 2025)

• Incentivizing Attorneys to Work in the ‘Legal Deserts’ of Rural America (ABA The Young Lawyer; 13 Jan 2025)

• The U.S. Needs A National Immigration Legal Defense Fund [opinion] (Above the Law; 14 Jan 2025)

• CT ‘right to counsel’ helped thousands stay housed; saved state $36M (CT Mirror; 15 Jan 2025)

• ‘Kept in limbo:’ As uncertainty over Trump plans looms, migrant children struggle to find legal aid (InvestigativeWest; 15 Jan 2025)

• Potential changes to Legal Aid Alberta funding source raises alarm among non-profits (The Canadian Press; 15 Jan 2025)

  • Province looks to double Alberta Law Foundation's contribution to Legal Aid Alberta (Edmonton Journal; 15 Jan 2025)

• [IN] Gov. Braun closes DEI office, mandates return-to-work in slew of executive orders (Indianapolis Star; 15 Jan 2025)

• West Virginia Governor Bans DEI by Executive Order (Inside Higher Ed; 15 Jan 2025)

• Funding Issues Threaten Future of Legal Aid (Action News Jacksonville [FL]; 16 Jan 2025)

• How is NYC prepping for stepped-up deportations under Trump? (Gothamist; 16 Jan 2025)

Access to Justice – Criminal

• Idaho Supreme Court must intervene in new, 'disastrous' public defense reform, ACLU says (Idaho Statesman; 5 Jan 2025)

• Legislative budget proposes $7 million cut to Kansas public defenders, despite shortage (Kansas Reflector; 15 Jan 2025)

• LA County’s innovative effort to address public defender conflicts wins plaudits (California Lawyer; 13 Jan 2025)

• Rural Texas needs more public defenders. A state commission wants nearly $44M to help (NPR; 13 Jan 2025)

• Port: Indigent defense in North Dakota 'perilously close to a constitutional failure' [opinion] (IN Forum; 13 Jan 2025)

• Iowa chief justice urges magistrate system changes, work to address public defender shortage (Quad-City Times; 15 Jan 2025)

• Chief justice says SD would benefit from expanding its new criminal public defense office (South Dakota Searchlight; 15 Jan 2025)

• Opinion: DA Vasquez is right. The public defense ‘crisis’ is a work stoppage (The Oregonian; 15 Jan 2025)

• [Los Angeles CA] Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman hires new special prosecutor for police misconduct (Los Angeles Times; 16 Jan 2025)

• Public defenders argue their own case (Rochester [NY] Beacon; 16 Jan 2025)

• [Stuben] County [IN] keeps plugging away at public defender expansion (The Herald Republican; 16 Jan 2025)

Sam Halpert, NALP Director of Public Service Initiatives

Hello, interested public! It’s another weighty digest this week as relevant news continues to pile up thick and fast as we barrel toward the New Year. I’ll do my best to help everyone keep up with the pace. Many stories that would have merited an “Editor’s Choice” in a slower week are collected in their respective sections; this is one worth reviewing carefully.

Take care,

Sam

Editor’s Choice(s)

• Justice Department’s storied Civil Rights Division will fight DEI under Trump (CNN; 11 Dec 2024)

  • Trump pick for DOJ civil rights draws blowback from advocacy leaders (Washington Post; 10 Dec 2024)

• Corporations and Higher Ed Are Backtracking on DEI. Will Foundations Fold? (Chronicle of Philanthropy; 11 Dec 2024)

Student Loans & Student Debt

• Biden’s Last Chance? Democrats Demand Urgent Student Loan Forgiveness Amid Trump’s Bold Education Overhaul Plans (Econotimes; 6 Dec 2024)

  • It’s Still Not Too Late for Biden to Deliver Debt Relief [opinion] (The Nation; 13 Dec 2024)

  • Biden’s Got One Last Chance to Cancel Student Debt [opinion] (The New Republic; 10 Dec 2024)

• GOP Leader Wants To Cut Student Loan Rates To 1%, But Would It Help? (Forbes; 11 Dec 2024)

• Connecticut hires first ever student loan ombudsman (Register Citizen; 11 Dec 2024)

• CFPB takes action to ban Student Loan Pro from offering consumer financial products (Consumer Finance Monitor; 11 Dec 2024)

Non-Profit & Government Management & Hiring

• Could Biden’s recent strategy to streamline government hiring be scuttled under Trump? (Government Executive; 12 Dec 2024)

• Lawmakers call on Biden to grant feds a 4.5% raise in 2025, restoring pay parity (Government Executive; 11 Dec 2024)

• Wisconsin court strikes down controversial law in a win for labor (NPR; 7 Dec 2024)

• Ohio law schools end race-based programs after think tank probe (The College Fix; 12 Dec 2024)

• Federal telework would be capped under a new House bill (Government Executive; 10 Dec 2024)

  • [Senator] Ernst’s report documenting telework ‘abuse’ obscures more than it reveals (Government Executive; 9 Dec 2024)

• Federal workforce is generally more diverse than the U.S. population, but gaps persist (Government Executive; 9 Dec 2024)

• Beyond Burnout: 6 Trends Reshaping The Nonprofit Sector (Forbes; 10 Dec 2024)

• Charities Look Inward After the Election but Are Ready to Fight (Chronicle of Philanthropy; 10 Dec 2024)

• Philly’s inconsistent contracting system left some nonprofits waiting months to be paid, report says (Philadelphia Inquirer (10 Dec 2024)

• Florida Bar poised to axe 'diversity and inclusion' policy (Reuters; 11 Dec 2024)

• Scholarship programs slapped with lawsuits for alleged discrimination against White men (Fox News; 12 Dec 2024)

• Threats to Nonprofits – and an Opportunity – on Capitol Hill in 2025 (Chronicle of Philanthropy; 10 Dec 2024)

Pro Bono

• Storefront Pro Bono: Proposal for Modest Law Firm Commitment to Provide Direct Legal Services (New York Law Journal; 6 Dec 2024)

• Starting a Pro Bono Program: A Blueprint for Law Firms (Daily Business Review; 11 Dec 2024)

Access to Justice – Civil & Economic

• Pilot project allowing nonlawyer legal providers gets OK in Washington (ABA Journal; 9 Dec 2024)

• Executive Summary: Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable 2024 Report (DOJ Office for Access to Justice; 9 Dec 2024)

• California must lawyer up to fight the federal rollback [opinion] (California Lawyer; 13 Dec 2024)

• Blue States Weigh Roadblocks to Hinder Trump Deportation Plans (Bloomberg Government; 10 Dec 2024)

• Immigrants 'Preparing for Deportation' Ahead of Trump's Inauguration Lead To Surge In Demand For Legal Services (Latin Times; 9 Dec 2024)

  • Rapid Response Immigration Legal Clinic Toolkit (ABA Commission on Immigration; 10 Dec 2024)

  • Sonoma County [CA]'s largest provider of immigration legal services in 'emergency preparedness' mode (Northern California Public Media; 10 Dec 2024)

• Legal Aid Is Essential to Effective Social Care Integration (Journal of the American Medical Association; 9 Dec 2024)

• New Report Builds a Framework for Civil Justice Innovation (Talk Justice; 10 Dec 2024)

  • Report: Achieving Civil Justice A Framework for Collaboration (American Academy of Arts & Sciences; Dec 2024)

• GN rejects pay increase for understaffed legal aid division (Nunavut News; 10 Dec 2024)

• Jersey City Eyes $400K Grant To Aid Right To Counsel Program (TAP into Jersey City; 11 Dec 2024)

• Province set to announce financial eligibility threshold increase to Legal Aid Ontario (QP Briefing; 10 Dec 2024)

• ACLU Tells Governors, State Attorneys General, Legislators, and Mayors: Build a Firewall for Freedom to Protect Our Rights During the Second Trump Administration (ACLU PR; 11 Dec 2024)

• [ME] Report says lack of legal representation in adult guardianship cases is a problem, some disagree (Maine Public Radio; 11 Dec 2024)

• Breaking the Ice: Pressing for legal aid for those in ‘critical times’ (Minnesota Lawyer; 12 Dec 2024)

Access to Justice – Criminal

• Denver district attorney joins letter calling on Biden to commute sentences of federal death row inmates (ABC 7 Denver; 11 Dec 2024)

• Wisconsin public defender budget request includes proposals to cut down criminal charges (Wisconsin Public Radio; 9 Dec 2024)

• Expanding student debt forgiveness program aims to stop the bleeding in [NYC] public defense, district attorney’s office (New York Amsterdam News; 12 Dec 2024)

• ACLU Statement on Alameda County District Attorney Appointment (ACLU Northern California; 10 Dec 2024)

• Okanogan County [WA] considers bringing public defenders in-house (Methow Valley News; 12 Dec 2024)

• Texas Judge Dismisses GOP Bid to Remove Liberal Prosecutor (Bloomberg Law; 12 Dec 2024)

Sam Halpert, NALP Director of Public Service Initiatives

Hello, interested public! It’s a doorstop of a digest this week as we catch up with two weeks of news (no digest last Friday on account of US Thanksgiving). Lots of major stories this week, including a large number of articles discussing anticipated or announced changes to federal work policies under the incoming administration and further discussion of the rapidly changing legal circumstances of non-profit organizations. As always, these stories and more are in the links below.

If you’re interested in the issues we cover in this Digest, consider attending NALP’s Public Service Conference, which will be held virtually via Zoom next week (!!) on December 10th & 11th. Hope to see you there!

Take care,

Sam

Editor’s Choice

• Calif bar considers campus protests in moral character review for lawyer licensing (Reuters; 4 Dec 2024)

• IRS Nonprofit Rule's Durability Is in Doubt After Chevron's End (Bloomberg Law; 29 Nov 2024) “Tax lawyers for nonprofits are facing an uncertain landscape after a recent Fifth Circuit decision brushing aside an IRS tax exemption rule.

  The US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled that Memorial Hermann Accountable Care Organization isn’t entitled to a tax exemption meant for social welfare groups because it didn’t show its operations exclusively were intended to help the public.”

Student Loans & Student Debt

• Biden makes final push for student loan forgiveness before Trump takes office (Fox News; 23 Nov 2024)

• Hardship Student Loan Forgiveness Plan Hits Key Milestone, But Its Future Is In Doubt (Forbes; 4 Dec 2024)

• More employers add 401(k) plan match for workers paying student loans (CNBC; 4 Dec 2024)

• DAs and attorneys call on gov to expand atty loan forgiveness program (Queens Daily Eagle; 5 Dec 2024)

• Public Interest Lawyers in NY Fear Rollback of Federal Loan Assistance in '25, Ask Gov. to Add $4M to State Program (New York Law Journal; 3 Dec 2024)

Non-Profit & Government Management & Hiring

• What to know about the House bill that could punish nonprofits over alleged ‘terrorist’ ties (PBS; 23 Nov 2024)

  • How should nonprofits prepare for the 'nonprofit killer' bill becoming law? [opinion] (Religion News Network; 27 Nov 2024)

  • Yes, the ‘nonprofit killer’ bill is that bad—but it’s not invincible (The Real News Network; 26 Nov 2024)

• Agencies credit telework with recruiting, retention gains, GAO finds (Government Executive; 22 Nov 2024)

• White House, agencies warn of hiring freezes without ‘anomalies’ to upcoming spending bill (Government Executive; 3 Dec 2024)

• Justice-driven pro bono: building pro bono programs that tackle the justice gap (Reuters; 6 Dec 2024)

• Staff at Vermont Legal Aid and Legal Services Vermont join AFT (Vermont Biz; 6 Dec 2024)

• What to know about Wisconsin's collective bargaining law for public workers (Minnesota Star Tribune; 3 Dec 2024)

• A Primer on the Civil Service and the Trump Administration (Lawfare; 3 Dec 2024)

• Fed. Workers Union's New GC Vows To Fight Trump Attacks (Law360; 25 Nov 2024)

• Democratic AGs Gear Up to Fight Trump on Workplace Law Issues (Bloomberg Law; 3 Dec 2024)

• Deluge of Trump-Leary Government Lawyers Join Job Market, Setting Up Free-for-All for Law Firm, In-House Openings (Law.com; 3 Dec 2024)

• Colorado's federal judges give themselves increased disciplinary power over attorneys (The Denver Gazette; 3 Dec 2024)

• Trump signals new direction for IRS as he announces atypical plan to replace its leadership (Government Executive; 5 Dec 2024)

• Facing DEI scrutiny, University of Michigan abandons ‘diversity statements’ in hiring (Bridge Michigan; 5 Dec 2024)

Access to Justice – Civil & Economic

• $4.92 million NIH grant to support study of legal aid benefits for survivors of violence (Newswise; 22 Nov 2024)

• Legal Aid of WV receives grant to develop AI tools that help residents access legal info (West Virginia Watch; 27 Nov 2024)

  • Responsible Use Of AI Could Bridge The Justice Gap [opinion] (Law360; 6 Dec 2024)

  • Generative AI And Access To Justice: Incremental Solutions Or Overhyped Promises? [opinion] (Above the Law; 27 Nov 2024)

• Advocates Renew Campaign for Immigrant Right to Counsel in New York (New York Law Journal; 3 Dec 2024)

  • Pols call for immigration legal services boost as Trump builds deportation anxiety (Queens Daily Eagle; 5 Dec 2024)

• As Trump Administration Plans Mass Deportations, Coalition Calls for Urgent State Action to Increase Investment in Immigration Legal Services (Verag.org; 3 Dec 2024)

• Michigan bills seek to expunge eviction records and provide legal aid for tenants (Mid-Michigan Now; 3 Dec 2024)

• Mayor Adams says undocumented New Yorkers aren’t owed due process, defying Constitution (Gothamist; 4 Dec 2024)

• [QC] Tenants rights’ advocates call for better access to justice for renters (Montreal City News; 25 Nov 2024)

• Frederick mayor's plan to use tax dollars for immigrant legal aid fund sparks debate (WBFF Baltimore; 26 Nov 2024)

Access to Justice – Criminal

• Move over progressive prosecutors, pragmatic prosecutors are the new “it” thing (R Street; 6 Dec 2024)

• MD public defender pushing for substantial staff boost as state faces budget deficit (The Maryland Daily Record; 3 Dec 2024)

• Defense attorneys speak about billing issues Wayne County [MI]'s Indigent Defense Services Department (CBS News Detroit; 3 Dec 2024)

• In Wisconsin, justice is getting somewhat speedier as court backlogs ease (Wisconsin Public Radio; 4 Dec 2024)

  • Public Defender's Office has concerns on public defender shortage in Wisconsin (NBC 12; 25 Nov 2024)

• Attorneys talk challenges, next steps at indigent defense symposium (The Maine Monitor; 5 Dec 2024)

• [ID] Supreme Court confirms new public defense office must take over costs of transcripts (Idaho Reports; 5 Dec 2024)

• Fewer NC attorneys signing up to represent people who need public defenders (Carolina’s Own Queen City News; 26 Nov 2024)

• OPINION: Nevadans should demand answers on public defense firing (The Nevada Independent; 26 Nov 2024)

• Backlog at Bexar County [TX] District Attorney’s Office grows as thousands wait for their day in court (Express News; 25 Nov 2024)

Sam Halpert, NALP Director of Public Service Initiatives

Hello, interested public! The major story this week concerns H.R. 9495, which passed the US House of Representatives after major opposition from many nonprofits. Additional stories involve analyses of potential changes to student debt relief and federal hiring. As always, these stories and more are in the links below.

If you’re interested in the issues we cover in this Digest, consider attending NALP’s Public Service Conference, which will be held virtually via Zoom on December 10th & 11th. Hope to see you there!

Take care,

Sam

Editor’s Choice

• House passes bill that would allow Treasury to target nonprofits it deems to support terrorism (AP; 22 Nov 2024)

  • Nonprofits Oppose Bill That Would Give Treasury Unilateral Power to Revoke Tax-Exempt Status (The Chronicle of Philanthropy; 20 Nov 2024)

  • ACLU Statement on House Passage of Dangerous Civil Society Attack Bill (ACLU; 21 Nov 2024)

Student Loans & Student Debt

• Can President Trump Claw Back Student Loan Forgiveness? (The College Investor; 22 Nov 2024)

• Student Debtors Could See Hopes Vanish Under Trump (The American Prospect; 22 Nov 2024)

• Federal Student Loan Changes Spark Unprecedented Number of Borrower Complaints (Investopedia; 20 Nov 2024)

• Biden needs to push through promised student-loan relief before Trump returns to White House, powerful Democrat warns (MarketWatch; 22 Nov 2024)

• New York Republican proposes to slash student loan interest rates (Fox Business; 22 Nov 2024)

Non-Profit & Government Management & Hiring

• Trump has called for dismantling the Education Department. Here’s what that would mean (AP; 20 Nov 2024)

• Where Did the Funding Go? (The Chronicle of Philanthropy; 20 Nov 2024)

• [FL] Judges may create nonprofits devoted to the improvement of the law, the legal system, and the administration of justice (Florida Bar News; 20 Nov 2024)

• ‘Self-inflicted wound’: Pentagon comptroller warns Trump against mass firings of federal employees (Breaking Defense; 19 Nov 2024)

Access to Justice – Civil & Economic

• Seattle [WA] budget scales back tenant hotlines, legal aid (The Seattle Times; 22 Nov 2024)

• Addressing California’s Access to Justice Crisis by Fundamentally Rethinking Legal Services: A Conversation with Stanford’s David Engstrom and Lucy Ricca (Stanford Law School Blogs; 21 Nov 2024)

Access to Justice – Criminal

• More public defenders coming to Muskegon County [MI] (ABC 13; 19 Nov 2024)

• State Public Defender seeks more funding for 2025 (Coeur d’Alene Post Falls Press; 22 Nov 2024)

• Eastern WA Leaders: Public defender caseload plan brings high costs, but no state funding (Apple Valley News Now; 21 Nov 2024)

• Light at the end of the tunnel: Deschutes DA, C. Oregon attorneys hopeful to see end of defender shortage (KTVZ 21; 18 Nov 2024)

Sam Halpert, NALP Director of Public Service Initiatives

Hello, interested public! The major story this week concerns a failed US Congressional vote on a bill that would have dramatically impacted nonprofits’ operations. In other news, New York City legal groups say that the city government has delayed contractual payments to a degree that threatens their operations, and the Chief Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court addressed her state’s lawyer shortage in recent remarks. As always, these stories and more are in the links below.

If you’re interested in the issues we cover in this Digest, consider attending NALP’s Public Service Conference, which will be held virtually via Zoom on December 10th & 11th. Hope to see you there!

Take care,

Sam

Editor’s Choice

• House narrowly rejects bill to give U.S. new power to vet nonprofits (The Washington Post; 13 Nov 2024)

Student Loans & Student Debt

• What Will Trump Do With the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program? (NYTimes; 14 Nov 2024)

• With Trump's win, student debt relief is in question. Here's what to know (CBS; 13 Nov 2024)

• 30% of student loan borrowers have gone without essentials, like food and medicine, CFPB finds (CNBC; 13 Nov 2024)

Non-Profit & Government Management & Hiring

• Feds brace for return of Trump personnel policies (Government Executive; 6 Nov 2024)

• What Trump’s win means for the federal workforce (Government Executive; 6 Nov 2024)

• Nonprofits Face Backlash for “Controversial” Work, Report Warns (Nonprofit Quarterly; 12 Nov 2024)

• Legal Aid Groups Accuse NYC Of Payment Delays (Law360; 14 Nov 2024)

  • NYC’s immigrant and tenant legal groups say contract delays put them in financial peril (Gothamist; 13 Nov 2024)

Access to Justice – Civil & Economic

• Alabama legal services contracts stall amid dispute between senator, ABC Board (Alabama Reflector; 11 Nov 2024)

• [FL Supreme] Court approves CLE credit for pro bono service (Jacksonville Daily Record; 13 Nov 2024)

• Amid Trump’s deportation threat, here’s how Colorado immigration lawyers and advocates are working to protect undocumented immigrants (Summit Daily; 14 Nov 2024)

Access to Justice – Criminal

• Wisconsin Chief Justice Challenges Lawmakers to Help Solve Lawyer Shortage (Maciver Institute; 13 Nov 2024)

• Additional Investments [in NL] to Modernize and Enhance the Justice System (Newfoundland & Labrador; 13 Nov 2024)

• [NM] Contracted public defenders are seeking better pay. What does that mean? (Las Cruces News; 15 Nov 2024)

Sam Halpert, NALP Director of Public Service Initiatives

Hello, interested public! Lots of news this week; I’ve done my best to pull a few threads for you related to our shared corner of the world. I hope you and yours are doing alright in yours.

Take care,

Sam

Student Loans & Student Debt

• Trump's win brings uncertainty to borrowers hoping for student loan forgiveness (AP; 8 Nov 2024)

• What The Election Results May Mean For Student Loan Forgiveness, Repayment And Relief Programs (Forbes; 6 Nov 2024)

• Advocates Vow to Protect the Tens of Millions of Americans with Student Debt from Trump’s Anti-Borrower Policies (Student Borrower Protection Center; 6 Nov 2024)

Non-Profit & Government Management & Hiring

• House Dems join push to create AI-focused civil rights offices across government (Government Executive; 4 Nov 2024)

• ABA walks back plan to remove 'race and ethnicity' from law school diversity rules (Reuters; 4 Nov 2024)

• Utah considers allowing law grads to choose apprenticeship rather than bar exam (ABA Journal; 7 Nov 2024)

• [Canadian] Federal 'Black Class Action' lawsuit points out flaws in EDI policies, data (Canadian HR Reporter; 5 Nov 2024)

Access to Justice – Civil & Economic

• No Matter Tomorrow’s Outcome, Keep the Momentum Going on Counsel for Kids and Parents (The Imprint; 4 Nov 2024)

• Fear of Trump's 'mass deportation' pledge reverberates for immigrants, advocates across North Bay (The Press Democrat; 7 Nov 2024)

• Texas Organization Urges Migrants to Seek Legal Aid As Trump Victory Sets The Stage For Mass Deportations (The Latin Times; 7 Nov 2024)

Access to Justice – Criminal

• Colorado Supreme Court rejects effort to let judges restrict defense lawyers' work on postconviction claims (Colorado Politics; 4 Nov 2024)

• Oregon needs to do more to ensure that everyone has access to justice (Oregon Capital Chronicle; 5 Nov 2024)

• D.C. Witness Investigation Finds Lawyers For The Indigent Beset by What the Court Calls, ‘An Exceptional Circumstance’ (DC Witness; 6 Nov 2024)

Sam Halpert, NALP Director of Public Service Initiatives

Hello, interested public! A number of interesting stories this week, including some novel research from the Journal of the American Medical Association about the health effects of the tenant right-to-counsel movement. You’ll find that story and others in the links below.

Take care,

Sam

Editor’s Choice

• Tenant Right-to-Counsel and Adverse Birth Outcomes in New York, New York (Journal Amer. Medical Assn.; 28 Oct 2024) “Question Was eviction prevention via free legal representation in housing court (right-to-counsel) in New York, New York, associated with birth outcomes in Medicaid-insured birthing parents?

  Findings In this cohort study including 260 493 live births, right-to-counsel was associated with a statistically significant 0.96–percentage point absolute reduction in adverse birth outcomes among Medicaid-insured birthing parents.

  Meaning These findings suggest that right-to-counsel programs may lead to improvements in key population health indicators.”

Student Loans & Student Debt

• New Student Loan Application Gives Overlooked Borrowers A Shot At Loan Forgiveness (Forbes; 29 Oct 2024)

• Boomers shoulder the heaviest student loans—but not for themselves (Fast Company; 26 Oct 2024)

• Why Two Old Student Loan Repayment Plans Are Coming Back From The Dead (Investopedia; 25 Oct 2024)

Non-Profit & Government Management & Hiring

• Pro Services Contract Nixes NJ Public Defender's Pension (Law360; 31 Oct 2024)

Access to Justice – Civil & Economic

• Georgia Launches Committee To Take On 'Civil Justice Gap' (Law360; 31 Oct 2024)

• Little Rock [AR] law school working to inspire rural lawyers (KARK.com; 31 Oct 2024)

• Jabbour & Quintero unveil Hoboken [NJ] housing platform that includes right-to-counsel (Hudson County View; 30 Oct 2024)

  • Coalition Releases Report on Unjustified Evictions in New Jersey (Rutgers Law School; 29 Oct 2024)

• Will Generative AI Actually Expand Access To Justice? (Above the Law; 31 Oct 2024)

• K&L Gates Looks to Extend Gen AI Expertise to Access to Justice Fight (Law.com; 30 Oct 2024)

• Legal spending cuts by [ON] Human Rights Legal Support Centre is hurting litigants, lawyers say (LawTimes News; 29 Oct 2024)

• A New Approach To Narrowing The Texas Civil Justice Chasm (Mondaq; 28 Oct 2024)

Access to Justice – Criminal

• Prosecutors, defenders ask for pension upgrades to aid recruitment, retention (Indiana Capital Chronicle; 29 Oct 2024)

• Milwaukee County postpones hundreds of cases due to public defender shortage (ABC WISN; 31 Oct 2024)

• Pretrial investigations mount in Champaign [IL] as public defender caseloads rise in first year of Pretrial Fairness Act (CU-Citizen Access; 29 Oct 2024)

• Benton County [WA] prosecutor speaks out amid ongoing public defender shortage (KEPR; 30 Oct 2024)

  • Benton County [WA] appoints new public defense director amid statewide shortage (NonStop Local; 25 Oct 2024)

• Washington state legal system faces challenge with public defender caseload reduction proposal (Apple Valley News Now; 30 Oct 2024)

Sam Halpert, NALP Director of Public Service Initiatives

Hello, interested public! A big week for news, with stories below. Additionally, I wanted to share some NALP news: registration is now open for the 2024 Public Service Conference. This virtual event will take place on Dec 10 & 11th and be an opportunity for members of our community to come together and discuss issues we are facing together, including topics that I digest for you weekly in this newsletter. If you have the time, we’d love to see you there!

Take care,

Sam

Editor’s Choice

• Thomson Reuters Unveils AI for Legal Justice Aid Program for Legal Aid Organizations (Law.com; 24 Oct 2024)

Student Loans & Student Debt

• Biden student debt plan heads to 8th Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Paul (FOX9 KSMP; 23 Oct 2024)

• Additional 60,000 Public Servants to Have Student Loans Forgiven (Fed Agent; 24 Oct 2024)

• Biden takes a third swing at student debt relief, targeting borrowers facing hardship (CBS; 25 Oct 2024)

• State legislators question effectiveness of federal student loans and policies (Route-Fifty; 24 Oct 2024)

• Everyday activists buy up $10 million in student debt then wipe it away for 3,000 people (Upworthy; 20 Oct 2024)

• Biden administration extends repayment freeze for 8 million student loan borrowers (CBS News; 21 Oct 2024)

• Student Debt Is a Major Source of Economic Stress for U.S. Public and Private Sector Workers, New MissionSquare Research Institute Study Finds (Globe Newswire; 22 Oct 2024)

Non-Profit & Government Management & Hiring

• Fixing the broken federal hiring process is critical to improving government performance (Government Executive; 24 Oct 2024)

• The Benefits of Professionalizing Pro Bono (Talk Justice; 22 Oct 2024)

• Trump says he’ll move thousands of federal workers out of Washington. Here’s what happened the first time he tried (Government Executive; 23 Oct 2024)

Access to Justice – Civil & Economic

• 6 new Indigenous justice centres opening in British Columbia (Law360 Canada; 18 Oct 2024)

• Strengthening support for access to justice services in both official languages in Quebec (Department of Justice Canada; 21 Oct 2024)

• Milwaukee DSA Opposes County Move To Weaken Successful Right-To-Counsel Program (Urban Milwaukee; 22 Oct 2024)

• Task force seeks to standardize child protective legal aid in Michigan (WOOD TV8; 22 Oct 2024)

• UofL downtown clinic allows law students to aid immigrants legally in Kentucky (WHAS11; 23 Oct 2024)

• Externship program places law school students in [IN]’s most lawyer-deprived areas (The Indiana Lawyer; 23 Oct 2024)

• Students Gain Internship Opportunity [with WA Tenants’ Right to Counsel Program] While Tenants Receive Representation (Gonzaga Law School; 22 Oct 2024)

Access to Justice – Criminal

• Bucks County has a public defender shortage. What it means for justice in the courts (Bucks County Courier Times; 24 Oct 2024)

• Kansas public defenders asking for higher pay (AOL; 23 Oct 2024)

• Citing lack of judicial response, State Public Defender asks Iowa Supreme Court to step in (QC Times; 21 Oct 2024)

• Yakima County being sued for actions regarding Washington public defenders (NonStop Local; 24 Oct 2024)

• Lawmakers, public defenders, experts host hearing on state of public defense in PA (PA House; 21 Oct 2024)

• Judge demands answers from Idaho state public defender after defendants left without counsel (Idaho Capital Sun; 23 Oct 2024)

Sam Halpert, NALP Director of Public Service Initiatives

Hello, interested public! A big week for news, with stories below. Additionally, I wanted to share some NALP news: registration is now open for the 2024 Public Service Conference. This virtual event will take place on Dec 10 & 11th and be an opportunity for members of our community to come together and discuss issues we are facing together, including topics that I digest for you weekly in this newsletter. If you have the time, we’d love to see you there!

Take care,

Sam

Editor’s Choice

• Thomson Reuters Unveils AI for Legal Justice Aid Program for Legal Aid Organizations (Law.com; 24 Oct 2024)

Student Loans & Student Debt

• Biden student debt plan heads to 8th Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Paul (FOX9 KSMP; 23 Oct 2024)

• Additional 60,000 Public Servants to Have Student Loans Forgiven (Fed Agent; 24 Oct 2024)

• Biden takes a third swing at student debt relief, targeting borrowers facing hardship (CBS; 25 Oct 2024)

• State legislators question effectiveness of federal student loans and policies (Route-Fifty; 24 Oct 2024)

• Everyday activists buy up $10 million in student debt then wipe it away for 3,000 people (Upworthy; 20 Oct 2024)

• Biden administration extends repayment freeze for 8 million student loan borrowers (CBS News; 21 Oct 2024)

• Student Debt Is a Major Source of Economic Stress for U.S. Public and Private Sector Workers, New MissionSquare Research Institute Study Finds (Globe Newswire; 22 Oct 2024)

Non-Profit & Government Management & Hiring

• Fixing the broken federal hiring process is critical to improving government performance (Government Executive; 24 Oct 2024)

• The Benefits of Professionalizing Pro Bono (Talk Justice; 22 Oct 2024)

• Trump says he’ll move thousands of federal workers out of Washington. Here’s what happened the first time he tried (Government Executive; 23 Oct 2024)

Access to Justice – Civil & Economic

• 6 new Indigenous justice centres opening in British Columbia (Law360 Canada; 18 Oct 2024)

• Strengthening support for access to justice services in both official languages in Quebec (Department of Justice Canada; 21 Oct 2024)

• Milwaukee DSA Opposes County Move To Weaken Successful Right-To-Counsel Program (Urban Milwaukee; 22 Oct 2024)

• Task force seeks to standardize child protective legal aid in Michigan (WOOD TV8; 22 Oct 2024)

• UofL downtown clinic allows law students to aid immigrants legally in Kentucky (WHAS11; 23 Oct 2024)

• Externship program places law school students in [IN]’s most lawyer-deprived areas (The Indiana Lawyer; 23 Oct 2024)

• Students Gain Internship Opportunity [with WA Tenants’ Right to Counsel Program] While Tenants Receive Representation (Gonzaga Law School; 22 Oct 2024)

Access to Justice – Criminal

• Bucks County has a public defender shortage. What it means for justice in the courts (Bucks County Courier Times; 24 Oct 2024)

• Kansas public defenders asking for higher pay (AOL; 23 Oct 2024)

• Citing lack of judicial response, State Public Defender asks Iowa Supreme Court to step in (QC Times; 21 Oct 2024)

• Yakima County being sued for actions regarding Washington public defenders (NonStop Local; 24 Oct 2024)

• Lawmakers, public defenders, experts host hearing on state of public defense in PA (PA House; 21 Oct 2024)

• Judge demands answers from Idaho state public defender after defendants left without counsel (Idaho Capital Sun; 23 Oct 2024)

Sam Halpert, NALP Director of Public Service Initiatives

Hello, interested public! Lots of news related to challenges for regional public defender services this week–as well as a story regarding the prosecutor shortage in Alaska. As always, these stories and more are in the links below.

Take care,

Sam

Student Loans & Student Debt

• Will employers opt to help workers pay down student loans? (Marketplace.org; 15 Oct 2024)

• Department of Education extends student debt relief to 60,000 public service workers (EdSource; 17 Oct 2024)

• Student Debt: An Individual and Collective Burden at English-Language [CAN] Universities (Universite de Montreal; 17 Oct 2024)

Non-Profit & Government Management & Hiring

• Partnership for Public Service plans AI training center for federal employees in 2025 (Government Executive; 17 Oct 2024)

Access to Justice – Civil & Economic

• The Government of Canada renews funding for immigration and refugee legal aid services in Manitoba (Department of Justice CAN; 17 Oct 2024)

• Circuit Court for Baltimore County announces merger of Law Library and Self-Help Office into Access to Justice Resource Center (Maryland Courts; 17 Oct 2024)

• UCLA law receives $2.2M grant to support its tribal legal development clinic (KRDO; 17 Oct 2024)

• Indigenous justice centre to open in Williams Lake [BC] December 2024 (100 Mile Free Press; 18 Oct 2024)

Access to Justice – Criminal

• Louisiana’s newly configured public defender board rejects Landry administration pay plan (Louisiana Illuminator; 17 Oct 2024)

  • Oversight board approves compromise chief public defender salary plan (Louisiana Center Square; 17 Oct 2024)

• Dozens of criminal cases dismissed due to prosecutor shortage (Alaska’s News Source; 14 Oct 2024)

• [SD] Indigent Legal Services panel preps for launch (KELO; 16 Oct 2024)

• Concerns raised about Idaho’s new public defense system after exodus in public defenders (East Idaho News; 15 Oct 2024)

• Concerns raised after head of [NV]’s indigent defense efforts fired by governor’s office (The Daily Indy; 18 Oct 2024)

• The Harris County Public Defender’s Office is expanding. But is it growing fast enough? (Houston Landing; 15 Oct 2024)

• Amid public defender shortage, WA Bar Association suggests caseload limits (KUOW; 16 Oct 2024)

  • The Vicious Cycle of Overburdened [WA] Public Defenders (The Stranger; 17 Oct 2024)