NALP‘s Public Service Section, in collaboration with the Consortium for the Advancement of Public Service in Law Schools (CAPSILS) has authored a free, downloadable 46-page guide to experiential learning programs in legal education.

The guidebook offers useful insights and reviews of clinical education programs, legal externship programs, cooperative learning (co-op) programs, law school pro bono programs (voluntary and mandatory), innovative pro bono collaborations with third parties, and community service projects which emphasize volunteerism in non-legal settings.

Read the Guide here.

OneJustice is looking for an individual hoping to make a dramatic difference in the world, gain exceptional work experience on a high-caliber team, and play an influential and exciting role in a highly-productive environment.

The staff attorney is responsible for expanding and managing OneJustice’s statewide Capacity Building Project, which seeks to expand the capacity of legal services nonprofits to serve more clients through nonprofit management trainings and resources, linking nonprofits with law student summer interns, and linking nonprofits with postgraduate legal fellows. The Attorney will leverage resources to better serve attorneys and staff at legal services organizations, thereby better serving all Californians.

OneJustice is a statewide legal services nonprofit that expands legal help for underserved Californians by building infrastructure and partnerships in the legal community. Every day, OneJustice works with lawyers and law students around the state to assist and empower Californians in need of legal help to overcome legal barriers to basic life necessities.

If interested, check out the listing at PSLawNet!

This public interest law firm is looking for a senior attorney with 5+ years of experience practicing civil complex litigation and class actions.

The Legal Advocacy Center of Central Florida, Inc. (LACCF) is a non-profit non- Legal Services Corporation restricted law firm dedicated to enforcing the legal rights of eligible low-income clients and disabled persons in Florida Legal Services Region III by providing advice and counsel, legal representation on “impact matters” and class action lawsuits, community education and outreach, and legislative advocacy.

Sound interesting to you? Check out the listing at PSLawNet!

by Kristen Pavón

Cover letter endings are tricky. In my PR courses, professors advised me not to leave the ball in the employer’s court at the end of my cover letter. So, I usually ended my cover letters with something like this:

I will contact you within a week to follow up on my application. However, you may contact me at blah, blah, blah. Thank you in advance for your time and consideration.

After starting law school and getting some feedback on my resumes/cover letters, I stopped being so “aggressive” and to the chagrin of my PR profs, ended my letters by gingerly placing the ball in the employers’ courts with the shamefully passive “thank you for your consideration and I look forward to hearing from you soon.”

Now, I’m rethinking this whole thing again.

I came across a post on The Nonprofit Times’ Jobs Blog about this very issue.

One of the most common mistakes people make when writing an ending is using passive language.  Here are a few examples:

• “I look forward to hearing back from you in the near future.”
• “If you wish to discuss my qualifications further, get back to me.”
• “I think you will find that my qualifications really fit well with your position, and I hope to hear back from you.”

For me, the problem with these endings is that they show no initiative, no assertiveness, and no glimmer of perseverance!

On the other hand, I’ve heard that more assertive endings can give the employer the idea that an applicant is conceited.

The NPT Jobs blog suggests ending your cover letters on a confident and respectful note, like this:

• “I will contact you within the week to follow up on my application.  Meanwhile, please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or requests.  Thank you for your time and your consideration.”
• “I have enclosed my resume, which will contain additional details about my qualifications.  If you have any additional questions, please contact me.  I look forward to discussing the job with you in the coming weeks.”
• “Thank you for taking the time to review my credentials.  I would be more than happy to answer any questions you might have at your convenience.”
• “I appreciate you considering me for this position.  I will contact you soon so we can discuss my qualifications further, and see if we can find a time to schedule an interview.”

I tend to agree — by keeping the ball in your court (can you tell I miss basketball? When will this lockout end?!), you’ve set yourself up with an opportunity to talk with an employer and make another good impression.

What do you think? How do you end your cover letters?

Brooklyn Defender Services is looking for full-time summer law interns with a commitment to public defense! The internship program is a ten-week program and duties include legal research and writing, representation of clients in arraignments (under supervision), court appearances, client and witness interviews, trial preparation and investigation assistance.

Brooklyn Defender Services protects the legal rights of poor Brooklyn residents who are charged with crimes and have nowhere else to turn for help. They believe all people—regardless of economic means—deserve respect, individualized care and the fullest extent of legal protections when accused of a crime. They are one of the largest NYC legal service providers, serving 18,000 people each year!

If interested, check out the listing at PSLawNet!

International Rights Advocates (IRAdvocates) is looking for a full-time associate to work on its international human rights cases, which employ legal strategies to hold multinational corporations accountable for human rights abuses. All cases are administered through the Washington, DC office of Conrad & Scherer, LLP.

International Rights Advocates (IRAdvocates) is a new organization that is the successor to the litigation department of the International Labor Rights Fund (ILRF).

IRAdvocates is dedicated to the expansion of ILRF’s successful efforts to use innovative legal mechanisms to hold corporations and governments accountable for human rights violations worldwide.

If this interests you, check out the listing at PSLawNet!

From a New York State Bar Association press release:

 Government and public interest lawyers burdened by student loan debt can apply for grants through the New York State Bar Association.

To be eligible for the Steven C. Krane Special Committee on Student Loan Assistance for the Public Interest grants, attorneys must have practiced for at least five years. Priority will be given to civil legal services attorneys. Each grant will be for a minimum of $2,000.

…

Applications are due November 30, 2011. Applications must be mailed to: SLAPI, New York State Bar Association, One Elk Street, Albany, NY 12207. Recipients will be announced in January.

For more information, please visit: www.nysba.org.slapi.

Last week Office of Personnel Management officials spoke about the problems that job-seekers have experienced with the recently launched USAJobs website.  OPM folks were surprised by the immediate, postlaunch user traffic, and in some respects the new system was overwhelmed by it.  Officials, while apologizing to those who experienced problems, also noted that many of the service requests they received stemmed from user error.   Read the full Government Executive story here.

The Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia is looking for an attorney for its Domestic Violence / Family Law Unit.

The Legal Aid Society was established in 1932 to “provide legal aid and counsel to indigent persons in civil law matters and to encourage measures by which the law may better protect and serve their needs.” Legal Aid is the oldest general civil legal services program in the District of Columbia.

The Staff Attorney will handle a caseload of family law cases, including custody, child support, protection orders, and divorce matters; interview prospective clients; participate in community outreach; and engage in systemic reform efforts.

To find out more and to learn how to apply, check out the listing at PSLawNet!

by Kristen Pavón

Hello readers!

I found a few more great free webinars for ya!

• Veterans Issues: Family Law, Consumer Rights, Job Protection and Diversionary Courts – November 8, 2011. Register here.
• Elder Rights training – Recorded Feb. 2011 to July 2011. Find them here.
• Auto Fraud training – Recorded 2009 to Sept. 2011. Find them here.
• Domestic Violence training – Sort of old, Recorded 2010. Find them here.

Enjoy!