The Center for Educational Excellence in Alternative Settings is looking for a law student intern to work 6-8 weeks this summer, starting in mid-May.  The Center is located at the University of Maryland’s College of Education, just outside of Washington, DC.

The intern will work directly with David Domenici, the Center’s Director, researching and writing on a handful of legal and policy issues related to juvenile justice and education reform work. David is one of the co-founders of the Maya Angelou Schools in Washington, D.C. (www.seeforever.org), a long-time advocate for underserved and at-risk students, and a graduate of Stanford Law School.

For more information, see the listing at PSLawNet!

By: Steve Grumm

Coverage from the National Law Journal’s Tony Mauro:

Arguments over the constitutionality of a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole for juveniles provoked strong comments but no clear consensus at the Supreme Court on Tuesday.

The Court heard arguments in Miller v. Alabama and Jackson v. Hobbs, cases in which defendants who were 14 when they committed murder were sentenced, in effect, to die in prison without any chance of release during their lifetimes. The cases presented identical issues but were argued separately, possibly because in the second case, defendant Kuntrell Jackson did not actually kill the victim, a video store clerk, but was an accomplice convicted of felony capital murder in Arkansas.

Bryan Stevenson of the Montgomery, Ala.-based Equal Justice Initiative, argued for both youthful defendants, confidently telling the justices that juveniles have proven “deficits” in judgment and maturity that make life without parole an unconstitutional sentence. He invoked the Court’s precedents in Roper v. Simmons, which banned the death penalty for juveniles, and Graham v. Florida, which barred life without parole for juveniles convicted of nonhomicide offenses.

By: Steve Grumm

Senator Dick Durbin doesn’t understand why some student loans are treated differently than other forms of personal debt.  And he’s looking to make a change.  From the Blog of the Legal Times:

The congressional overhaul of bankruptcy laws in 2005 included a provision that students with private college loans can’t discharge those debts in bankruptcy courts, and now Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) wants to change that.

At a hearing on Capitol Hill today, Durbin said there is no reason why private student loans should be treated differently from other private debt in bankruptcy. “That means that students are stuck with these loans for life,” he says. He wants to restore law to pre-2005 standards.

“How in the world did that provision get into the law?” Durbin said. “It was a mystery amendment. We can’t find out who offered it.”

…

G. Marcus Cole, a Stanford University law professor, said he was sympathetic with the plight of students trapped in huge debts, but was concerned about allowing loans to be discharged. Durbin’s legislation would raise the cost of student borrowing for all student loans, would dry up the entire student loan market, and reduce the affordability of such loans.

In student loans, the person is borrowing against their future capital, Cole said. “If you take away the exemption from discharge, you’re essentially saying to the lender that they can’t look at that future for sure,” he said. “That increases the risk premium that has to be charged across all loans.”

Durbin said he did not buy that argument. “If it really was so compelling, it wouldn’t be slipped in as it was here.”

by Kristen Pavón

Today, I got an unexpected email from a fellow 2011 law grad who was interested in learning more about the Job Search spreadsheet I use to keep track of all my job applications.

In case any of you want to use my method, I’ve created an Excel template you can try out.

Here’s a screenshot of the template. At the top, I have Employer, Job Title, Location, Materials Required w/ Deadline, Send to, Date Applied, and Notes. Jobs I’ve already applied for are highlighted in green, jobs I applied to but didn’t work out are in gray, and jobs that are in the queue to apply to are in red (you can click on the screenshot to see more details).

The template I’ve included here can also be uploaded onto your Google Docs. I use both Google Docs and Excel (if you use both formats, make sure to keep them updated!). I keep my Excel spreadsheet in my Dropbox folder so I have access to it whenever and wherever.

In addition to this spreadsheet, I also maintain a Networking Spreadsheet to keep track of people I’ve met along the way. You can use my template here.

Here’s a screenshot of my networking sheet:

I know, I know. It’s not nearly as colorful as my job search spreadsheet, but it works. At the top, I have Name, Organization/Employer, Contact Information, Meet Details, and F/U Notes.

Under Meet Details, I usually add a few keywords that will jog my memory on how/where/when we met. I always make sure to include who, if anyone, introduced me to the person. I keep my F/U Notes column updated with my latest contact with a person, including last time we emailed or met for coffee, etc.

I hope this helps! Do you have any other tips for keeping track of your job search efforts?

The Legal Action Center (LAC) of the American Immigration Council is looking for second-year law students to join the LAC staff as legal interns this summer. Interns must be dynamic, self-starters with strong research and writing skills and a commitment to the LAC’s mission.

Intern projects may include: monitoring and analyzing immigration decisions; legal research and memo writing; and drafting practice advisories, pleadings and briefs. The LAC advocates for fundamental fairness in U.S. immigration law. It is staffed by experienced immigration lawyers who play a leading role in immigration litigation across the country.

For more information, see the listing at PSLawNet!

From the ABA’s Government and Public Sector Lawyers Division (GPSLD):

GPSLD’s National Awards: Honoring the Public Sector’s Best

The Government and Public Sector Lawyers Division’s annual awards program is designed to recognize the extraordinary achievements of public lawyers and to inform the general public about the outstanding work performed and the positive impact made by our nation’s public lawyers. The 2012 Awards will be presented on August 3 at the Fairmont Chicago Millennium Park, in conjunction with the ABA Annual Meeting.

The deadline for nominations for the 2012 Awards is Tuesday, April 3, 2012.

The Dorsey Award honors an outstanding public defender or legal aid lawyer. The Award was named for the late Charles H. Dorsey, Jr., long-time Executive Director of Maryland’s Legal Aid Bureau, Inc. and a champion of the poor and underprivileged.

The Hodson Award recognizes sustained outstanding service or a specific extraordinary accomplishment by a government or public sector law office. (This is not an award for an individual). The award is named in honor of the distinguished public service career of the late Major General Kenneth J. Hodson, a former Judge Advocate General of the U.S. Army.

The Nelson Award recognizes outstanding contributions to the ABA by an individual government or public sector lawyer. The Award was established as a tribute to the late L. Clair Nelson, who contributed his loyalty, time and extraordinary talent to the ABA.

Founded in 1969, Junta for Progressive Action, Inc. (JUNTA) is the oldest Latino, community based non-profit organization in New Haven, Connecticut. Its mission is to provide services, programs and advocacy that improve the social, political and economic conditions of the Latino community in Greater New Haven, while nurturing and promoting its cultural traditions as it builds bridges with other communities.

Junta for Progressive Action, Inc. of New Haven, CT seeks to hire a full-time staff person to direct its Advocacy and Community Organizing Program. The Director will report to the Executive Director and work collaboratively with program staff to develop and carry out Junta’s immigrant rights initiatives. These include: 1) coordinating community responses to current immigration enforcement practices, including the Secure Communities Program; 2) overseeing the Worker’s Center; and 3) designing and carrying out campaigns for community education, organizing, and advocacy about legislative and policy matters that affect immigrants at the local, state, and national level.

To learn more about Junta and this opportunity, check out the listing at PSLawNet!

From the Daily Progress:

Students at the University of Virginia School of Law volunteered a record number of hours of pro bono work over winter recess. More than 200 students donated their time and legal services, logging about 10,000 hours in less than a month.

“We are absolutely thrilled. This was a record number of participants,” said Kimberly Emery, assistant dean for pro bono and public interest. The previous record was set over the 2010-11 winter break when 177 students logged more than 8,000 pro bono hours. . . .

For students, legal volunteer work is a way to put what they have learned in the classroom into practice. . . .

Emery said that pro bono work is especially beneficial for students just beginning law school.

“For the first-years it’s an opportunity for them to try out for two weeks a type of legal practice before they commit to a whole summer of it,” she said.

Reser agreed, adding that her pro bono provided “extra reassurance” that she made the right decision enrolling in law school.

“I’m definitely more looking forward to actually getting out and starting work,” Reser said. She has plans to work with a law firm this summer. . . .

“Everybody in the community benefits when legal issues can be addressed properly through the court system,” she said. “Especially in today’s economic climate, there are many individuals who can’t access the courts without the aid of a pro bono attorney.”

by Kristen Pavón

A couple of weeks ago, a Twitter follower asked us if we had resources for law grads who want to start their own nonprofits.With more and more law grads getting creative about their job searches and career paths, it’s easy to understand why founding a nonprofit is one of the many alternatives to traditional law jobs. Well, I did my research and compiled 6 general tips on getting the wheels turning to start a nonprofit.

1. Assess yourself. 

Figure out what issues you’re passionate about. It may be that the practice areas you were interested in are transferable for purposes of your nonprofit. Or, not. Either way, brainstorm.

Then, when you’ve written down everything you possibly can about your passions, do the same for your skills. What skills do you have that will be helpful in running your nonprofit? Maybe you were a fundraiser in a past life or a public relations guru — write it down.

2. Assess your community.

Take a look at nonprofits serving your community. What kinds of organizations are there a lot of? Are there organizations that could be doing more? Are there issues that are not being addressed at all? Talk to nonprofit leaders in your community and see what they’re saying.

3. Match up!

After you’ve done your research, it’s time to narrow your nonprofit organization’s focus. Match any needs you found in your community to your passions, interests, or skills.

4. Refine & Plan.

Work on refining what you want to accomplish, who you want to serve, and how you plan on delivering your services. You’re almost there when you can describe your organization’s goal, mission and services in one sentence.

5. Get that money, honey.

Fundraising and finding supporters will be the most important and toughest part of starting your nonprofit. You have to relentlessly reach out to people who may have an interest in supporting your organization’s work and develop relationships with community leaders that can lend credibility to your organization. Also, apply for grants!

6. Incorporate.

Here’s where your lawyering skills come in handy! Go here to find your state’s incorporation forms and information. Nonprofit board members are very important because they will be the champions for your organization. Choose wisely.

Other helpful links:

Society for Nonprofit Organizations

Free Management Library

7 Essentials Tips for Starting a Nonprofit

Nonprofit Incorporation

National Council of Nonprofits

Simple Nonprofit

Ladies Who Launch

I hope this was helpful! Do you have any other tips on starting your own nonprofit?

The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) is a nonpartisan organization devoted to defending human rights globally, with an expertise in the Americas. Grounding our work in a deep commitment to individual liberty, we aim to raise awareness about both the nature of freedom and the vulnerability of freedom around the world.

This position is a 6-month legal associate position starting June 1st, 2012 for JD/LLM recent graduates.

Responsibilities:

• Research and writing on international human rights law and comparative constitutional law.
• Copyediting and translating legal reports and press releases.
• Managing administrative tasks for the legal department.
• Clerical tasks.

To learn more, see the listing at PSLawNet!