A new, daily feature on the PSLawNet Blog. We’ll pull a job listing from PSLawNet’s database and feature it here.

Today, we feature a Staff Attorney opening at Sanctuary for Families’ Immigration Intervention Project.

The Staff Attorney is an integral part of Sanctuary for Families’ Immigration Intervention Project, a legal services project that represents over 1,000 victims of domestic violence each year in immigration matters. Representation is provided in-house, as well as through the mentoring of volunteer attorneys. In addition, through trainings and participating in the immigration and domestic violence advocacy communities of New York, the Staff Attorney educates the public, the social service and law enforcement communities, and politicians about issues pertinent to immigrant victims of domestic violence…

The application deadline is April 1.  No foolin’.  To view the full job listing, log in to PSLawNet.

This week: the ABA president on an underfunded justice system; death, taxes and educational debt; the Lone Star State reckons it needs legal services funding; ditto the Tennesseans; ditto ditto the Pennsylvanians; the National Law Journal runs a multi-article feature, putting its finger on the pulse of civil legal services; a San Francisco prosecutor shines during a dark time; and she gets paid, unlike some prosecutors in L.A., the ABA says, “Fund legal services!”; and New Yorks’ prosecutors and defenders get some loan repayment help.

• 3.17.11 – writing in The Hill’s Congress Blog, ABA president Stephen Zack laments that funding shortages hamper access to the justice system.  Courts are underfunded, the legal services community is facing Congressional funding cuts despite overwhelming demand for their services, and it is difficult for law graduates to make a living as “Main Street” lawyers.  (There’s more from the ABA and Zack specifically on legal services funding cuts a few stories down.)

• 3.16.11 – one of the chief concerns among new public interest lawyers is loan repayment.  On the issue of how policymakers and the general public perceive the problem of student debt, a new report dispels the notion that a borrower must be financially comfortable if they are not in default.  From Inside Higher Ed: “Much of the discussion about college student debt revolves around the 15 percent of borrowers who default on their loans…”  And this leaves many with the impression that the other 85% are in decent shape.  “Yet a study released Tuesday by the [Institute for Higher Education Policy] suggests otherwise, showing that a majority of borrowers at least delay some loan payments, and a full quarter (26 percent) actually go into delinquency on their debt at some point during their first five years of repayment.”  The study looks at a cohort of grads whose repayment periods began before the federal Income Based Repayment program became available.  Nevertheless, we find the report’s findings compelling.  They highlight the fact that many borrowers who do not actually default still struggle with educational debt.  In a great blog post our friend Heather Jarvis notes the following about graduate students as reported in the study: “Although graduate and professional borrowers were less likely than other borrowers to have been delinquent or defaulted on their student loans, 42% couldn’t manage to make timely payments without either postponing their payments, becoming delinquent, or defaulting on their student loans.”

• 3.15.11 – the Fort Worth Star-Telegram runs an editorial in support of state legislative proposals that would boost legal services funding, mainly via increases in court filing fees.  The editorial notes that the state’s two most significant legal services revenue streams – federal funding and IOLTA revenues – are, respectively, likely to shrink and already shrunken.  Anticipating cuts in Legal Services Corporation (LSC) funding, “Legal Services of Northwest Texas already is planning to eliminate paid law school internships and not fill six attorney vacancies.”  A state appropriation to shore up legal services, which was made last year, is out of the question this year.  So the newest proposed solutions are the best bets: “This session, a bipartisan collection of bills has been filed to generate the revenue IOLTA accounts aren’t. Proposals include increasing District Court civil filing fees by $10 ($6.6 million over the 2012-13 biennium); adding costs for filing county records and for misdemeanor convictions in justice and municipal courts ($58 million to $68.9 million, split between legal aid and indigent criminal defense); and dedicating court-ordered restitution in consumer-protection lawsuits to legal aid in consumer cases (possibly more than $1 million).”

• 3.15.11 – in a Tennessean op-ed, Gary Housepian, executive director of the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, makes the case for LSC funding.  Housepian writes that not only are federal dollars very efficiently used by LSC grantee programs like his, but those dollars also allow grantees to raise private sector funds to boost service capacity.  Housepian acknowledges that government funds are scarcer, but argues that we can not sacrifice equal justice.  An essential component of [equal justice] is the availability of legal aid, especially to those most vulnerable to losing the absolute necessities of life. Providing access to justice to every American is not a luxury; it is an obligation.”

• 3.14.11 – the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that state funding for civil legal services would remain close to current levels under Gov. Tom Corbett’s budget proposal.  “[Corbett] proposes to keep $5.05 million in legal services, funded through a Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) that involves federal funds targeted to urban or rural areas in economic distress, at the same level. He also proposes that funding for the Department of Public Welfare to contract with the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network (PLAN) to provide low-income people legal assistance be held at $3.01 million, down from $3.04 million in this fiscal year.”  But, because it seems that no good news about legal services funding can exist these days without some offsetting bad news, a filing fee revenue stream that had channeled some money to legal services is set to expire in early 2012.  And of course there is uncertainty about federal funding via LSC.

• 3.14.11 – the National Law Journal runs an extensive, multi-article report on the state of the legal services community, exploring the need for assistance among clients, funding uncertainties, political considerations, etc.  Among others, the NLJ’s “Power of Hope” report includes:
  • A story on work done by Maine’s Pine Tree Legal Assistance to empower a domestic violence victim;
  • A history of the Legal Services Corporation’s funding roller-coaster ride; and
  • An interview with one of LSC’s most vocal critics, Kenneth Boehm of the National Legal and Policy Center. 

• 3.14.11 – The Recorder in California has a nice profile of San Francisco prosecutor Sharon Woo, who had sent warning signals to superiors about strange events at the city’s crime lab.  Those strange events blossomed into a full-on scandal, as a crime lab technician admitted stealing narcotics.  Woo successfully managed the thorny, politically charged fallout, and has emerged as a star in the office.  Woo has been promoted by the new district attorney to the “newly created position of chief assistant for operations.”

• 3.14.11 – speaking of California prosecutors, a Los Angeles Times article begins this way: “Malibu resident Ashley St. Johns-Jacobs, 40, typically rises before 5 a.m. to get to her job at the Los Angeles city attorney’s office by 8 a.m. After a full day prosecuting misdemeanors, she often brings work home.  What she doesn’t bring home is a paycheck. With no position open, she has been working as an unpaid intern for nearly a year in hopes of eventually getting hired when a job opens up.”  The piece goes on to look at the phenomenon of would-be employees taking unpaid positions during an economic recovery that has been stingy about producing new jobs.  “Interns” are exempted from labor wage regulations, but is an “intern” an “intern” if they are essentially doing the work that a professional would do?  As you may guess, it depends on the nature of the “internship.” 

• 3.11.11 – “In written testimony submitted to the Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies today, American Bar Association President Stephen N. Zack called on Congress to fund the Legal Services Corporation at $450 million, citing increased need for assistance for the poor and working class during tough economic times.  ‘Appropriations for the Legal Services Corporation is not just about funding another federal agency.  This is about providing legal services for the 57 million Americans at or below the poverty line, including 19 million children, who are eligible for assistance,’ said Zack.”  Here’s an ABA press release, and here’s the text of Zack’s testimony.

• 3.10.11 – prosecutors and public defenders in New York State may now benefit from federal John R. Justice Act loan repayment assistance funds, which are being administered by the state’s Higher Education Services Corporation.  Here’s a press release with more info.  The application deadline is May 1, 2011.

Hunting for a postgraduate public interest job?  NALP is very pleased to present a free webinar entitled “Destination Public Interest: Landing the Ideal Public Interest Job.”  This webinar, which we present in partnership with our friends at Equal Justice Works, is designed for 3Ls and recent graduates who are pursuing public interest careers.  It offers concrete best practices and tips in the areas of cover letter and résumé drafting, as well as interviewing and professional networking.  And the webinar clocks in at under 35 minutes, so we like to think it offers a very efficient means for job seekers to take in a great deal of helpful information quickly.

We hope you find the webinar useful, and wish you the best of luck on your job hunt!

The Government Executive website has a piece about a proposal in the House aiming to improve the process for recruiting and retaining (as future employees) federal interns.

Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., on Thursday introduced the 2011 Federal Internship Improvement Act

I Want You(r internship to go exceedingly well)!

 (H.R. 914) to increase the number of government interns who are converted to full-time employees. This legislation would establish reporting requirements so that the Office of Personnel Management could evaluate agencies’ implementation of intern programs based on conversion rates, as well as determine the quality of those programs through exit interviews. It also would also establish a central clearinghouse so that agencies can recruit qualified candidates who interned for another agency.

…

Connolly expressed concern that agencies convert just 6.6 percent of interns to full-time employees compared with more than 50 percent in the private sector. Government will have to fill more than 200,000 mission-critical jobs in the next three years, he wrote.

It’s noteworthy that this proposal comes in the wake of large-scale changes to the way that Uncle Sam attracts junior talent.

Federal agencies currently are overhauling the process for bringing students and recent graduates into government service. President Obama on Dec. 27, 2010, issued an executive order scrapping the controversial Federal Career Internship Program. The directive also established three pathways for young talent to enter the federal workplace. OPM Director John Berry in January outlined how agencies should convert FCIP participants to competitive service, along with the steps for continuing use of current internship programs while regulations are finalized.

Our friends at Equal Justice Works have shared the following:

Summer Corps is an AmeriCorps-funded program that in 2011 will provide 700 law students with the opportunity to earn a $1,132 education award voucher for dedicating their summer to a qualifying legal project at a nonprofit public interest organization.

The Equal Justice Works Summer Corps program provides law students with the opportunity to dedicate their summer to a legal project at a qualifying nonprofit public interest organization. Summer Corps members expand the delivery of critically needed legal assistance in low-income and underserved communities across the country on a broad range of issue areas.

Summer Corps members:

•  Gain first-hand experience and legal skills in areas such as client intake, representation, and legal research and writing;
• Earn a $1,132 AmeriCorps education award upon completion of 300 hours of service that can be used to pay current educational expenses or qualified student loans;
• Have access to the Equal Justice Works network of alumni, experience and expertise as the nation’s largest provider of public interest opportunities for law students and attorneys;
• Become an official member of AmeriCorps, one of the largest national service networks in U.S. history.

Please visit http://www.equaljusticeworks.org/law-school/summercorps for information how to apply. The application will only be available on the website from March 16 – April 5, 2011.  Questions? Email Summercorps@equaljusticeworks.org

The PSLawNet Blog is always happy to learn of instances where entrepreneurial, public-interest minded law students stage fundraisers to support summer and postgraduate public interest opportunities for themselves and their classmates.  In fact, later this year we are going to produce a resource manual for student groups by gathering information and best practices on student-led fundraising initiatives from schools throughout the country.

For now, we want to pass along coverage about recent, successful fundraisers at Yale, and one taking place today at UC Irvine.

• First, the Yale Daily News reports on fundraising efforts at YLS.  As with a lot of other schools, a Public Interest Auction is at the core of the fundraising initiative: “Around 250 members of the Law School community attended the auction, which raised nearly $44,000 for the Law School’s public interest fellowships for recent graduates and graduating third year students.”  And although less lucrative than the auction, the mustache competition – a fundraising event which the PSLawNet Blog finds troubling and noble at the same time – brought in some welcome revenue: “Though it was not part of the auction, the Mustaches for Public Interest Competition garnered $750. Male and female law students raised money based on the impressiveness of mustaches they grew over the past few weeks.”  (The mustache competition winner was something known as the “Spartan War Helmet.”  Good stuff!)
• Second, UC Irvine is putting on a fundraising event that is new to us.  The school’s student-run Public Interest Law Fund is hosting a “Community Trivia Quest.”  It seems as though it’s your basic, pub quiz trivia event recast to raise money for summer public interest work: “Among the 12 teams of Community Trivia Quest contestants will be representatives from law firms, elected officials, in-house counsel, faculty and students, and others, including Sheriff Sandra Hutchens, District Attorney Tony Rackauckas, corporate teams from The Irvine Company, Broadcom, and Taco Bell, and three former state senators: Joe Dunn, Jim Brulte and Dick Ackerman.”

Don’t be bashful.  Please share your school’s public-interest fundraising ideas in the comments section…

As February draws to a close, we’re pleased to report that PSLawNet has added 99 job listings in the past week, including 52 attorney positions, 27 summer internship announcements (some of which are seeking multiple interns),a nd 15 law-related professional positions.  All told, there are nearly 1000 opportunities listed on PSLawNet.

Featured Opportunities:

• Lawyering in Miami!  The Institute for Justice, a libertarian public interest law firm, is on the hunt for an entry-level attorney to work in a new Florida office: ” IJ-Florida seeks an attorney with 0-3 years of litigation experience, excellent communication skills, an entrepreneurial spirit, solid academic records, a passion for freedom, and a good sense of humor.”  Learn more about the position on PSLawNet.
• A career in career services!  “The University of Oregon School of Law, located in the beautiful Willamette Valley, invites applications for the position of Assistant Dean for Career Services. We seek a creative, ambitious, dynamic, and personable individual who can bring vision and leadership to the Office of Career Services with the ultimate goal of increasing student placement, both within Oregon and nationally.”  Learn more about this position on PSLawNet.
• Space Law!  NASA is looking for an intern.  “The General Law Practice Group (“GLPG”) of the Office of the General Counsel is looking for a summer legal intern to work with attorneys at NASA Headquarters (near L’Enfant Plaza). Selected intern would work with a small group of attorneys on a variety of legal projects related to litigation, administrative law, and government ethics. GLPG has a relaxed and professional atmosphere. Projects may include employment/EEO law, personnel law, administrative law, accident investigations, tort claims, FOIA, Privacy Act, legislative processes, conflicts of interest, fiscal law or other projects.”  Learn more about this position on PSLawNet.

Looking for a job or internship on this St. Valentine’s Day?  PSLawNet hearts jobs.  In the past week 70 job listings were posted on PSLawNet, including 35 postgraduate positions and 23 internships.  There are presently 1009 job listings in total on PSLawNet. 

Featured Opportunities:

Summer in Hotlanta!  The Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) Office of General Counsel is seeking two summer law interns.  From their listing: “The Office of the General Counsel (OGC) for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) branch of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) welcomes applications for its summer law student internship program. Interns serve at the CDC headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.  OGC is the legal team for HHS, providing representation and legal advice on a wide range of national issues. OGC supports the development and implementation of HHS’s programs by providing legal services to the Secretary of HHS and the organization’s various agencies and divisions. With a team of over 400 attorneys and a comprehensive support staff, OGC is one of the largest and most diverse law offices in the country. We strive to advance HHS’s goal of protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves.”  Learn more about this position on PSLawNet.  (Application deadline: 3/1/11)

The Council on American-Islamic Relations’s (CAIR) Chicago office is seeking a Civil Rights Director: “This person will lead the Civil Rights Department which counsels, mediates and advocates on behalf of Muslims and others who have experienced religious discrimination, defamation, or hate crimes. The department works to protect and defend the constitutional rights of Muslims in the area, thereby supporting the rights of all Americans.”  Learn more about this position on PSLawNet.

In Texas, Lone Star Legal Aid is hiring a staff attorney: “The successful applicant must be able to gather evidence, conduct civil lawsuits, draft legal documents and advise client about their legal rights. This attorney must also be able to interview clients and witnesses as well as handle other details in preparation for client legal representation. LSLA attorneys represent clients in court and before quasi-judicial or administrative agencies of government. They interpret laws, ruling and regulations for clients and the client community. They are involved with outreach and community education and work with the community to further the missions of LSLA. The successful applicant may supervise and coordinate activities of subordinate legal, clerical, volunteer or student workers. The successful applicant will be expected to handle a service case load, major litigation, attend evening clinics and participate in community education.”  Learn more about this position on PSLawNet.

Featured Resource: Looking for a Summer Job Abroad?

One of our friends at NYU’s Public Interest Law Center is a former human rights lawyer with extensive experience traveling and practicing abroad.  She was kind enough to produce a tips sheet for students looking for summer, public-interest work abroad.  Download TIPS FOR STUDENTS APPLYING FOR INTERNSHIPS ABROAD.

Need a job or internship? During the last week PSLawNet has posted: 54 new attorney positions, 33 new internships, and 28 new law related opportunities. Additionally, there are currently 1,028 active opportunities in our job database. To search the database visit PSLawNet.

Featured Opportunities

Poverty Law Advocacy Internships: Connecticut Legal Services is filling summer internship positions in five service offices: Bridgeport, New Britain, Stamford, Waterbury, and Willimantic.  We seek applicants who want to use their creativity, initiative, and other talents and skills to improve the lives of low-income people.  CLS encourages cross-cutting client-centered work which goes beyond specific legal specialties. CLS lawyers represent families and individuals in administrative hearings, and in state and federal courts. CLS encourages lawyers addressing major client issues to work in teams, which may include other legal services lawyers and or other local community agencies.  Connecticut Legal Services provides legal representation and advice to over 9,000 low-income households each year.  Interns at CLS receive training in client interview skills, assist with an active caseload of representation and advice cases, may have the opportunity to represent clients in administrative hearings or under the student practice rule if qualified.  To learn more, view the full job listing on PSLawNet…

An Attorney position is available at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of the General Counsel (NOAA GC). NOAA GC employs approximately 114 attorneys at headquarters offices in the Washington D.C. area and at six regional offices. NOAA GC provides legal advice to the Department of Commerce Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere (NOAA Administrator) and NOAA program offices on a wide variety of issues including U.S. and international fisheries, marine mammals, endangered or threatened marine species, preservation of coastal areas, marine sanctuaries, and licensing of commercial satellites. NOAA is a premiere environmental agency, located within the Department of Commerce, and employs over 12,000 individuals nationwide. The agency’s mission is to conserve and manage coastal and marine resources and to understand and predict changes in the Earth’s environment to meet the Nation’s economic, social and environmental needs.  To learn more, view the full job listing on PSLawNet…

Featured Resources for Summer Job Seekers

1. Living out of town while completing an internship this summer?  Use NALP’s Apartment Exchange to sublet your place and to look for housing.
2. Are you aware that many organizations offer funding to students with summer public service jobs to help pay the bills?  Check out PSLawNet’s Summer Funding Page for more details.  Some, but not all, application deadlines have passed, so visit the page today.

Need a job or internship? During the last week PSLawNet has posted: 37 new attorney positions, 15 new internships, and 12 new law related opportunities. Additionally, there are currently 1,057 active opportunities in our job database. To search the database visit PSLawNet.

Featured New Jobs

The ACLU’s Washington Legislative Office is seeking a legislative counsel/lobbyist.  The Legislative Counsel/Lobbyist will be working under the supervision of the Chief of Staff/First Amendment Counsel. He/She will be responsible for a wide range of civil liberties issues but will focus particular attention on a portfolio of issues to be assigned, as priorities require.  For more information on this position, visit PSLawNet.

Also in Washington, DC, the National Disability Rights Network is seeking two summer law interns.  NDRN is the nonprofit membership organization for the federally mandated Protection and Advocacy (P&A) Systems and Client Assistance Programs (CAP) for individuals with disabilities. Collectively, the P&A/CAP network is the largest provider of legally based advocacy services to people with disabilities in the United States. NDRN provides training and technical assistance, legal support, and legislative advocacy, NDRN works to create a society in which people with disabilities are afforded equality of opportunity and are able to fully participate by exercising choice and self-determination.  NDRN is accepting applications for two summer law internships in disability rights law. Legal interns will develop their legal skills working directly with a highly experienced staff of 9 attorneys on cutting edge projects related to a wide range of disability rights issues. Typical law intern projects include research and writing on issues concerning abuse and neglect in institutions, disability discrimination, special education, employment and vocational services, and the use of restraint and seclusion in schools. Other projects may include monitoring federal legislation and regulations and analyzing policy proposals.  Application deadline: 2/18/11.  For more information on these positions, visit PSLawNet.

Good luck!