By Lauren Forbes

The United States Attorney’s Office prosecutes federal criminal offenses, litigates affirmative civil fraud and enforcement actions, and defends the U.S. Government’s interest in civil cases. The United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Georgia, is located in Atlanta, Georgia. In addition to the main office in downtown Atlanta, we maintain three intermittently staffed offices located in Rome, Newnan and Gainesville. More information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is available at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/gan/.

Due to budget constraints, we are only accepting applications from lawyers who are already employed by U.S. Attorney’s Offices.

The Northern District of Georgia is currently seeking applicants for Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) vacancies in our Criminal Division. Selected AUSAs may be assigned to any of the three sections described below:

• Economic Crimes focuses on mortgage and bank fraud, securities and corporate crime, government and procurement fraud, health care fraud, tax offenses, computer-related and intellectual property crimes, and other complex cases.
• Major Crimes focuses on cases involving violent street gangs, sexual exploitation of children, human trafficking, civil rights violations, kidnaping, armed robbery, illegal alien status offenses, firearms offenses, national security cases, and other complex cases.
• Narcotics/OCDETF focuses on complex international and organizational drug cases and money laundering and financial offenses, and related immigration offenses, many of which involve Title III and other electronic surveillance.

To view the full job listing, go to PSLawNet (login required).

By: Steve Grumm

Some news affecting legal Wolverines:

My career planning office is now a one-stop shop.

A beefed-up and retooled Office of Career Planning debuted this week with the aim of helping Michigan Law grads become even more marketable to employers than they already are—which, based on the office’s existing strengths, is no easy task.

The most dramatic change in the new office—which will be known formally as the Office of Career Planning for the Public, Private, and Nonprofit Sectors—is the merging of the Office of Public Service and Office of Career Services. The new entity will be led by assistant dean Susan Guindi, a 1990 Michigan Law grad who began her career at the law school in 1995, as the first associate director in the Office of Public Service, before being selected to lead the Office of Career Services in 1998. Her own path—which includes two clerkships and private practice at a large D.C. firm—equips her well for carrying out one of the missions of the new office: allowing students to more seamlessly explore opportunities in a variety of practice areas.

But the key motive for reorganizing the office, Guindi said, was the actual course of most students’ and graduates’ professional lives.

“In studying the careers of our students and alumni, we’ve learned that most enjoy a combination of opportunities across public, private, and nonprofit sectors,” said Guindi. “It makes sense to structure the office to mirror that fact.”

By: Steve Grumm

The ABA’s Young Lawyer reecently ran a piece from a former Assistant United States Attorney on how to get AUSA jobs:

Assistant U.S. Attorneys (i.e., those attorneys managed by the U.S. Attorney for that district) are experienced trial attorneys who come from a variety of backgrounds, including both the public and private sectors, as well as the military. Generally, the attorneys have five to seven years of litigation experience before joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office. While many aspects of a particular applicant are considered, trial experience is the most significant requirement. A strong working knowledge of the Federal Rules of Evidence and Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure is important. An ability to master the Federal Sentencing Guidelines is a must. If your current practice area does not allow you much time in court, seeking out criminal pro bono appointments is a great way to supplement your skill set.

In addition to trial work, being well versed at the appellate level is also an asset. Many AUSAs handle their own appeals to the various U.S. Courts of Appeals. This requires experience with both written and oral advocacy, which is often very different from trial work.

By Lauren Forbes

Apologies for the alliteration here, but the Massachusetts Fair Housing Center (MFHC) is seeking a full-time Staff Attorney.  MFHC is a private non-profit fair housing organization that serves Berkshire, Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester Counties. Established in 1989, MFHC is the oldest fair housing agency in Massachusetts. Its mission is to enforce civil rights laws in housing, provide education and community outreach on fair housing issues, and work toward equal housing opportunities for all people.

Responsibilities:

• Represent victims of housing discrimination by investigating, developing and litigating fair housing cases before administrative agencies and in federal and state court;
• Represent victims of unfair home lending practices by analyzing, investigating and advocating for distressed homeowners facing foreclosure;
• Supervise fair housing testing activities;
• Supervise law students, interns and volunteers;
• Conduct fair housing/fair lending educational workshops and seminars in a variety of settings;
• Maintain full and accurate case files and assist in maintaining data base for grant reporting;
• Assist with other projects as assigned.

To view the full job listing, go to PSLawNet (login required).

[Editor’s Note: we’re reviving our Expert Opinion series this summer, so that we can bring you advice and wisdom from a broad cross section of today’s and tomorrow’s public service advocates.  Look for an Expert Opinion post every Tuesday. Our first such post sets the bar pretty high, coming from our friend and colleague Deb Ellis at NYU Law.  Thanks, Deb!]

By: Deb Ellis*, Assistant Dean for Public Service, NYU School of Law

Summer in NYC on the Cheap!

Are you a student interning in New York City this summer on a public interest stipend? There are many articles out there to help you maximize the educational value of your internship.  Today we want to give you tips on how to flourish while being frugal!

While New York City has a reputation for being expensive, it also boasts numerous cheap outdoor eats, entertaining inexpensive or even free activities, and great outdoor events. NYU School of Law has compiled a “Guide to Living in New York on a Public Interest Salary” that has lots of great advice. Below are ten tips from the Guide on how to enjoy NYC while saving your cash (selected especially for folks who are here on summer internships.)

1) Ride the Staten Island Ferry

Perhaps the best-kept secret in NYC, the Staten Island Ferry is the cheapest option for that breathtaking glimpse of major sights like the Statue of Liberty, Governor’s Island, and the downtown skyline. It is FREE. It has a coffee shop on board. It also sells inexpensive beer: one NYU student calls it “the best bar in the city.” And if you’re a baseball fan, tickets are cheap to watch the “Staten Island Yankees” play in the stadium next to the ferry terminal on the Staten Island side.

2) Eat at Roving Restaurants and Farmer’s Markets

Need a great bite on the go? While you should definitely sample from NYC’s ubiquitous hot dog and pretzel carts, a gourmet food truck is a fun way to partake of great cuisine on a budget. While many trucks have semi-permanent locations, most trucks post where they’ll be on their twitter or webpage. Some great ones include Wafels & Dinges, Rickshaw Dumpling Truck, and Moshe’s Falafel.

You may be surprised to learn that NYC now hosts dozens of Farmers Markets in all 5 boroughs, http://www.grownyc.org/ourmarkets, where you can buy super fresh and delicious produce!

3) Enjoy some Gelato or Other Frozen Treats

From Grom to Il Laboratorio del Gelato there is no summer treat New Yorkers have become fonder of. Another favorite local summertime dessert is tart frozen yogurt available from the original yogurt outpost Pinkberry or one of many followers.

4) See a Play at a Discount…

Manhattan: it's not Philly, but it's not too shabby

TKTS – the Theater Development Fund’s project to help make theater more accessible – offers same day, half priced tickets to Broadway and Off-Broadway shows. The line might be long, but it is worth it. There are two locations: one in Times Square and the other in the South Street Seaport. Don’t forget about Student Rush offers (each theater has its own policy so check their website) which provide students tickets for $20-$30 or the Public Theater’s free summer Shakespeare in the Park.

4) …Or a Movie or Museum for Free!

Many public parks offer a free outdoor movie series. RiverFlicks at Hudson River Park, HBO Bryan Park Film Series, and Outdoor Cinema at the Socrates Sculpture Park in Queens are among local favorites. Also, the MoMA, the Brooklyn Museum, the Guggenheim, and many more museums all have at least one free night a month, if not once a week.

5) Don’t Just Sit There … Bike, Skate, or Swing!

Renting a bike is a great way to enjoy the City; you can rent from Tribeca’s Frank’s Bike Shop to Midtown’s Central Park Bike Rental and everywhere in between. You can bike up nearly the entire Hudson River on the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway or find your own favorite path at http://www.nycbikemaps.com.

Visit Union Square Park on Wednesday nights for a free group skate or head up to Lincoln Center for a swing lesson and open dance at A Midsummer’s Night Swing for $17 – or sit and listen for free!

6) Explore NYC’s layered history

Amidst tall skyscrapers and modern plazas, layers of history wait to be discovered in all 5 boroughs. There’s no better way to get to know your neighborhood, or someone else’s, then by taking a walking tour or guiding yourself on your own. To complement your public service work, visit some of the City’s radical history sites such as:

• African Burial Ground, where free and enslaved African Americans were buried during the 17th and 18th centuries
• Cooper Union, where in 1860 Abraham Lincoln delivered his famous Cooper Union Address
• Site of Triangle Shirtwaist Fire of 1911, which spurred the labor movement
• Stonewall Inn, 1969 birthplace of the modern gay rights movement

7) Visit a Public Park or Public Beach

Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pelham Bay Park, and The High Line are just a few of the city’s expansive, beautiful parks. Some have great summer music festivals with many free events, like Central Park’s SummerStage. You can take a free ferry to Governor’s Island and rent a bike or enjoy a homemade picnic. Rockaway Beach is a free way to beat the heat while Long Beach and Jones Beach will cost you from $ 8 – $14 per visit. For more information, visit www.nycgovparks.org.

8) De- Stress In The Great Outdoors

After long days in an office or court room, relax beside the Hudson River at one of the summer’s many outdoor yoga sessions. Additionally, Bryant Park offers free Tuesday morning and Thursday evening yoga and Open Air Yoga offers classes in Battery Park City in the morning and Central Park in the evening for $12.

9) Buy At a Discount

These days Kmart, JCPenny, Target, Marshalls, Ikea, and Costco can be found in multiple boroughs. Go with a friend and stock up for savings or hit their clothing departments for low cost professional wear. Trader Joe’s has also opened up several outposts in Manhattan and Brooklyn.  Finally, do your research and sign up for group coupon sites; there are great deals to be had all summer long.

I hope that these tips help you have a fun, relaxing, and memorable summer in New York City!

*Thanks to Dana Wax and Vesna Petrin for assistance with this article.

By: Steve Grumm

The National Law Journal reports on a nice bit of news for my peeps in Penn’s Toll Public Interset Center – cash money!

The University of Pennsylvania Law School has a generous alumnus in construction mogul Robert Toll.

Toll and his wife, Jane Toll, donated $10 million to the law school in 2006 to bolster its public-interest initiatives. On Monday, the school announced that the couple has pledged an additional $2.5 million to expand those programs and finance loan forgiveness for graduates who take public-interest law jobs.

By: Steve Grumm

The Tex Parte Blog reports the latest:

Supporters of indigent civil legal services say they expect to see a Texas representative file an amendment on a general appropriations bill adding state funding for indigent civil legal aid and indigent defense. The appropriations bill, Senate Bill 2, passed the Senate on June 3, and the House on Thursday is scheduled to hear a House committee version of the bill. Representatives must pre-file all amendments by Wednesday at 5 p.m.

By: Steve Grumm

I find this to be some pretty solid advice about how attorneys should handle mistakes that affect clients’ interests.  It was posted over on Above the Law, a popular legal tabloid blog, by a fellow named Jay Shepard, who works  – or worked, I’m not sure – in a small law firm practice for several years…

A teaser…tips 1 and 2…

1. Own the mistake.

When you realize you’ve made a mistake — or worse, when your client tells you that you’ve messed up — the first thing you need to do is get in front of it. You start by accepting the mistake, and accepting responsibility for it. (I’m not talking about a situation when your client thinks you’ve made a mistake but is wrong.) It’s not fun to do (none of this mistake stuff is), but you need to tell your client that you understand that you made the mistake, and that it’s your responsibility. Even if it’s not your fault.

When something happens that adversely affects your client, he or she isn’t going to feel better that it wasn’t really your fault. That sort of buck-passing usually makes the client more frustrated. If the print shop was late getting the copies of the closing documents to the other side, that may not have been your fault, but it was your responsibility. The client already knows this. It’s important that you show that you know it. “You’re right,” you say. “That should not have happened. That was my responsibility.”

2. Say “I’m sorry.”

Words matter. I’ve seen lawsuits filed and settlements unraveled because of a failure to apologize, even though the mere words don’t really change the situation. You need to say the words “I’m sorry.”

And not “I apologize.” No one talks like that in real life. “I apologize” is stilted and formal, and harder for someone to take seriously. “I’m sorry” is far more effective. Personally, I prefer “I’m so sorry.”

By Lauren Forbes and Jamie Bence

University of Ottawa law school graduate Gavin Smith will bike across the continent beginning Saturday on a trek to Oceanside, Oregon to raise money for a group that fights for environmental causes in court.   Smith’s trek will raise money for Ecojustice, an organization that provides free legal services for environmental groups.

“It seemed like a great opportunity not only to spend my summer doing something I am really excited about, but also do it as a fundraiser for an organization that I am pretty excited about,” said Gavin Smith.

…

“Having studied law, that’s where my interests lie and I’m pretty passionate about environmental issues,” he said.

After biking across Ontario and eight American states, he will meet his family at his grandmother’s home on the Pacific coast.  Then he’ll begin a position with Ecojustice in Vancouver.  His family has guaranteed him a ride up there, so hopefully they won’t let him down…

By Lauren Forbes

The Legal Services Corporation seeks to fill a Program Counsel position in its Office of Program Performance. The position will be filled at either the Program Counsel II (PCII) level or at the Program Counsel III (PCIII) level, depending on the experience and qualifications of the successful candidate. (Only one position will be filled.)

Basic Function: Under the general direction of the Director and the Deputy Director, works with grantee programs to provide oversight and improve the delivery of legal services to the eligible population and performs any combination of the listed duties and responsibilities in the Office of Program Performance. Travel is required.

• Conducts oversight of grantees’ ability to provide high quality, effective and efficient legal services.
• Evaluates grantee performance by reviewing proposals for funding and related documents and makes recommendations for funding.
• Participates in on-site reviews of grantees, drafts reports of findings and makes recommendations for program improvement in service delivery, quality of legal work, legal work management, board governance, program leadership, management and administration.
• Engages in other grants management activities, in addition to those listed above, related to the design and implementation of the application process and the oversight of extant grants.
• Works with the Office of Compliance and Enforcement (OCE) on grantee oversight and on other matters of mutual interest and concern.
• Works on preparing training materials and on providing training and technical assistance to grantees on a variety of legal services delivery areas.
• Promotes improvement of the grantees’ capacity to provide high quality, effective and efficient legal services.
• Assesses approaches to the delivery of legal services and develops models that improve delivery.
• Conducts research and helps develop policy relating to the delivery of legal services to eligible clients.
• Drafts regulatory, program letter and policy language to implement and interpret requirements of the LSC Act and to implement LSC policy. Conducts research and analysis of new and emerging issues affecting the operation of LSC.
• Works with the Office of Legal Affairs (OLA) regarding interpretation, review and revision of current regulations and development of new regulations, as appropriate.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

To view the full job listing, go to PSLawNet (login required).