PSJD News Digest – February 23, 2024
Sam Halpert, NALP Director of Public Service Initiatives
Hello, interested public! We’re back with another week of news from the world of public service law. The biggest story this week concerns an attempt to restructure public defender work in the state of Louisiana. This story and others are in the links below.
Sam
Student Loans & Student Debt
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More Lawyers Working In Public Service Are Starting To See Their Student Loans Vanish Thanks To The Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (Above the Law; 21 Feb 2024)
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Biden Forgives Another $1.2 Billion in Student Loans (Inside Higher Ed; 22 Feb 2024)
Non-Profit & Government Management & Hiring
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Northwest Workers Justice Project recognizes union (Northwest Labor Press; 19 Feb 2024)
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AG Ken Paxton moves to shut down Catholic border nonprofit that helps migrants (Houston Chronicle; 21 Feb 2024)
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[Georgia] Bill would exclude some nonprofit data from open records laws (21 Feb 2024)
Access to Justice – Civil & Economic
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NY Governor Drops Plan to Remove $100M From Fund for Low-Income Civil Litigants (Law.com; 16 Feb 2024)
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Free legal aid a ‘game-changer’ for those fleeing family violence in B.C. (The Abbotsford News; 16 Feb 2024)
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Eviction Filings in Major Texas Cities Soar Above Pre-Pandemic Levels: Legal aid groups and housing advocates say there simply aren’t enough lawyers to keep up with eviction filings. (The Texas Tribune; 19 Feb 2024)
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A move to provide renters facing eviction with free legal counsel gains support in Winston-Salem [North Carolina] (NC Newsline; 20 Feb 2024)
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Alberta government increases eligibility guidelines for Legal Aid (Morinville News; 20 Feb 2024)
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Alaska Senate Champions Low-Income Seniors and Legal Aid in Sweeping Legislation (BBN; 22 Feb 2024)
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Dwindling attorney numbers in rural America threaten access to justice (KTVO; 21 Feb 2024)
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New York City Council joins lawsuit against Mayor Adams over housing vouchers (WNYC; 21 Feb 2024)
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City Council paves the way for tenants’ right to counsel, celebrates Black History Month (The Scope Boston; 21 Feb 2024)
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[California] Feds seek Parliamentary approval to spend $28 million more on legal aid for immigrants & refugees (Law360 Canada; 21 Feb 2024)
Access to Justice – Criminal
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[Louiana Gov.] Jeff Landry seeks control of public defense, aims to replace state board with appointee (NOLA.com; 19 Feb 2024)
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Proposed Louisiana public defender overhaul is a power grab, critics say (Louisiana Illuminator; 19 Feb 2024)
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Hundreds of San Francisco criminal cases dismissed after years of delays (The San Francisco Standard; 19 Feb 2024)
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A Unanimous Step Forward: South Dakota Moves to Establish State Public Defender's Office (BBN; 22 Feb 2024)
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Churches and nonprofits ensnared in Georgia push to restrict bail funds (Associated Press; 21 Feb 2024)
Prosecutorial and Public Defense Office Hiring Crises
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Judge denies public defender’s motion for more pay in [Georgia] YSL RICO trial (Yahoo.com; 16 Feb 2024)
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[South Dakota] Lawmakers, court system sees urgent need for public defense reform (South Dakota Public Broadcasting; 23 Feb 2024)
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Lawmakers press to avoid funding pitfall for public defenders (RollCall; 21 Feb 2024)