From the PSJD job posting:

The Capital Punishment Project (CPP) of the American Civil Liberties Union is seeking applicants for a full-time Project Director to work in its Durham, North Carolina office. The effective hire date will be on or about October 1, 2013.

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by Ashley Matthews

This past weekend, students from all over the world convened at the sixth annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U, for short) at the Washington University in St. Louis. The conference brings together socially innovative college and graduate students, non-profits, experts and celebrities to brainstorm ideas, best practices and action plans to attack some of the world’s most pressing social justice issues.

Student attendees were awarded more than $400,000 in funding to seed their projects, and a $100,000 grand prize went to the winners of the Resolution Project, a social venture competition held on-site. All projects are targeted at one of CGI U ‘s five focus areas: Education, Environment & Climate Change, Peace and Human Rights, Poverty Alleviation, and Public Health.

Comedian Stephen Colbert interviewed former President Bill Clinton on Saturday and hosted the closing session, and notable guests included Jack Dorsey, Salman Khan and other innovators and entrepreneurs.

Sounds like something cool for you or someone you know? Check out CGI U’s FAQ’s and application information for tips and an overview on how to apply for next year.

And, just for fun, check out Colbert’s interview with Clinton below:

From the PSJD job posting:

The New Jersey Judiciary is seeking recent law school graduates with strong communication and analytical skills for immediate appointment as Foreclosure Law Clerks to be assigned to the General Equity Presiding Judge for Mercer County. The selected candidates will perform specialized technical work in the Office of Foreclosure, including screening and review of foreclosure pleadings, motions, and other case filings for legal sufficiency and accuracy.

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From the PSJD job posting:

The Staff Attorney’s Office is accepting applications for staff attorney positions that, subject to the availability of funds, will start throughout 2013.

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by Ashley Matthews

Women’s Link Worldwide, an international human rights nonprofit working to ensure gender equality around the world, created the Gender Justice Uncovered Awards to cast a spotlight on the tremendous influence judges and courts have on the sense of justice and in the daily lives of people in all countries.

The Awards highlight decisions or statements made in the context of a legal process by judges, members of human rights committees, asylum offices, prosecutors, or ombudspersons which have a positive or negative impact on gender equality, including those related to sexual and reproductive rights, gender violence, and gender discrimination. Incredibly sexist decisions get the dishonor of receiving  bronze, silver and gold “Bludgeons”. The three best decisions that promote gender equality receive bronze, silver and gold Gavels. A special award is also given to the decisions that receive the most public votes via the Women’s Link website.

Any person from anywhere in the world can nominate a judicial decision by submitting the form on the Women’s Link website, and a few of the nominated cases will even make it to the Gender Justice Observatory – a resource center containing judicial decisions from around the world on issues related to gender.

So, what are you waiting for? Nominate a judicial decision for a Gavel (or Bludgeon – boo!) before the April 30th deadline, and help promote gender justice today!

The City of Chicago Department of Law acts as legal counsel for the City of Chicago and all of its departments, agencies and officials. With over 260 attorneys, the Law Department is one of the largest law offices in Chicago and has an outstanding reputation in the legal community. They are currently seeking an entry-level attorney to serve as Assistant Corporation Counsel in the Appeals Division. From the PSJD job posting:

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by Ashley Matthews, PSJD Fellow

It’s April already! In addition to filing your taxes and major spring-cleaning, make sure you add Equal Justice Works’ educational debt webinars to your calendar for this month. These webinars make financial literacy as easy as the click of a registration button, and EJW has a ton of student loan debt resources and news. Read on for the message from our friends at EJW:

Has your student debt become a financial burden you are struggling to deal with? Are you worried about the amount you are borrowing to pay for college or graduate school and wondering if you will be able to repay it all? If so, Equal Justice Works is here to help.

 We provide in depth information on powerful federal relief programs like income-driven repayment plans and Public Service Loan Forgiveness that can help anyone manage their student debt and pursue the career of their dreams. Our eBook, Take Control of Your Future, details the steps you need to take to manage your student debt now and in the future.

 Every month, our free, live webinars also provide a comprehensive overview of the federal debt relief options available for students and graduates and provide viewers with the opportunity to ask questions. Click here to view a schedule of our webinars and to register for an upcoming session.

 Our April sessions include:

 How to Pay Your Bills AND Your Student Loans: Utilizing Income-Driven Repayment Plans

Friday, April 12, 2-3 p.m. EST

 Saddled with high student debt? This webinar reviews income-driven repayment plans, including Income-Based Repayment, Income-Contingent Repayment and the new Pay As You Earn Plan, which allow borrowers with high debt relative to their income to reduce their federal student loan payments.

 Get Your Educational Loans Forgiven: Public Service Loan Forgiveness

Thursday, April 18, 3-4 p.m. EST

For recent graduates with jobs in government or at a nonprofit, this webinar explains how to make sure you immediately begin fulfilling requirements to qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness so that your educational debt will be forgiven as soon as possible.

 Finally, make sure you keep up with the new events shaping the student debt crisis by following our weekly U.S. News blog, the Student Loan Ranger. Last month we covered the effect of the sequester on higher education funding, the role of underemployment in the student debt crisis and the decline in law school applications.

From the PSJD job posting:

So you’ve taken contracts?

Now reform them.

Citizen Works, a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization founded by Ralph Nader, is assembling a top notch team of interns, recent graduates and delayed-start associates looking for a public interest position to help reform the law of contracts.

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From the PSJD job posting:

The Randall O. Sorrels Legal Clinics seeks a litigation intern for a summer internship in its Civil Practice Clinics. The Civil Practice Clinics handle family law, probate, estate planning, guardianship, child welfare and social security cases for low-income and disadvantaged clients. This internship will be a 10 week full-time paid position focused on the development of litigation skills.

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by Ashley Matthews

From the National Law Journal:

Employment rates held fairly steady last year, according to data from the American Bar Association. Nine months following graduation, 82 percent of graduates had secured some form of employment—the same percentage as the class of 2011.

On a more positive note, 56 percent of the graduates secured long-term, full-time jobs that required bar passage, a 1 percent increase over the previous year. (This job category is widely seen as the most desirable).

However, there also was a 1 percent increase in the number of unemployed graduates, which stood at 11 percent nine months after graduation.

The article cites a couple of reasons the legal job market may be idling out, and also points out that J.D.-Advantage jobs are on the (slow) rise:

The class of 2012 faced a tough employment market not only because legal hiring has slowed, but also because there was more competition. The most recent graduating class was the largest on record at 46,364—more than 5 percent larger than the class of 2011, according to the ABA. (That figure is expected to decline because applications and new student enrollment has fallen off.)

There was also a slight uptick in the percentage of recent graduates in long-term, full-time jobs in which a J.D. is an advantage, if not a requirement. Nearly 10 percent of recent graduates landed jobs in that category, up by 1.4 percent from a year ago. J.D.-advantage jobs of any kind, including short-term and part-time, accounted for 13 percent of new graduate employment.

Confused about what exactly a J.D.-advantage is? Check out NALP’s informational video on where exactly this non-traditional route can take law grads.