PSJD Public Interest News Digest – April 25, 2014
by Christina Jackson, NALP Director of Public Service Initiatives & Fellowships
Happy Friday! As we start wrapping up another school year, have you done the things you need to do to be successful this summer? PSJD has a number of resources to help.
Spotlight on Outstanding Public Servants: If you know someone we should honor, drop me a line.
Here are the week’s headlines:
- CT legislature considering bill that would increase legal aid funding;
- John Marshall Law School (Chicago) adds 6 new clinics;
- FL funding legal hotline to help juveniles;
- Spotlight on Public Service Servants: DC Bar Pro Bono Program;
- Super Music Bonus!
The summaries:
April 18, 2014 – “The legislature is considering a bill introduced by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy that would bolster legal aid for low-income residents. Legal aid services face a $4.5 million reduction in state funding next fiscal year, because a series of fee increases approved in 2012 is set to expire.” “Malloy’s bill would make the 2012 increases permanent. Civil lawsuits, for example, would continue to carry a $350 fee, instead of a $300 fee.
The bill would also increase the percentage of filing fees that go to legal aid.” (Hartford Business Journal)
April 22, 2014 – The John Marshall Law School in Chicago has added six new legal clinics to its experiential learning offerings. “John Marshall’s newest clinics focus on: Business Enterprise Law, Conflict Resolution, Domestic Violence, International Human Rights, Intellectual Property and Pro Bono. They join John Marshall’s 20-year-old Fair Housing Legal Clinic, Patent Clinic and nationally renowned Veterans Legal Support Center & Clinic. Work through the Patent Clinic now will fall under the new Intellectual Property Clinic, which will also include a Trademark track.” (PRWeb)
April 22, 2014 – “South Florida youth advocates are creating a hotline to give legal advice for juveniles in trouble with the law. The Children’s Services Council of Broward County approved funding for LAW-line, a helpline for families in need of legal information including diversion opportunities, civil citation and expunction processes. LAW-line is slated to start in October. The organization also awarded a grant to Legal Aid for services for youth involved in both the foster care and delinquency systems. The organization says the services will prevent more children from entering the foster care and juvenile justice systems and will allow them to advocate for the least restrictive and most appropriate educational, medical and mental health services for the youth already there.” (SFGate)
Spotlight on Outstanding Public Servants: The D.C. Bar Pro Bono Program is an independent, nonprofit organization supported entirely by voluntary contributions. The Pro Bono Program recruits, trains, and mobilizes volunteer attorneys to take pro bono cases serving individuals living in poverty who are at risk of losing their homes, their livelihoods, and their families. The program also helps small businesses and community-based nonprofits needing legal help. Last year, the Pro Bono Program touched the lives of 20,000 D.C. residents. Learn more about this outstanding group.
Super Music Bonus! Missed Coachella this year? Here’s a little taste. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lv7OyDyXcd8&list=PLFgquLnL59amLUrECpliv96Sc72SwI_6U